News and information from our district and schools
Scroll to view District updates and news from Meyer, Middleton, and McCracken!
September 19, 2025
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COFFEE WITH THE SUPERINTENDENT
Dr. Kyle kicked off the new school year with his first Coffee & Conversation meetup on September 3, 2025. A group of parents whose children currently attend or are Skokie 73.5 graduates gathered to ask questions, share feedback, and get to know one another and Dr. Kyle.
The next Coffees & Conversation are scheduled for Tuesday, September 30th at Middleton and Friday, October 3rd at Meyer. Watch our website and your inbox for more information and plan to join us if you can!
PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCES
Teachers will be available for your choice of in-person OR video conferences on the following dates and times:
- Thursday, October 9th from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m
- Friday, October 10th from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Online registration for October conferences opens on Thursday, September 25th at 7:00 a.m. and closes on Tuesday, October 7th at 3:00 p.m. Information was sent by email and text message to Skokie 73.5 families on Wednesday, September 17th at 3:00 p.m. Check your inbox for details and the PowerPTC Parent/Guardian Guide and our Parent-Teacher Conferences page at SD735.org/ptc for more information.
BUILDING 73.5
HELP DEVELOP A PLAN FOR OUR SCHOOLS!
Last spring, more than 100 community members came together through the Building 73.5 workshops to begin shaping a plan for the future of Skokie 73.5 schools. This fall, those conversations continue as families, staff and neighbors are invited to come together again to work on the next steps to solve some of our biggest challenges. Together, we can make them safe, updated, and supportive for every student.
Session 3: Building for Tomorrow: Big Picture Decisions and Funding Pathways
October 16, 2025
John Middleton Elementary Gym
8300 St. Louis Avenue, Skokie, IL 60076
7:00-9:00 p.m.
Session 4: Your Voice, Your Schools: Evaluating Specific Options for Building Improvements
November 10, 2025
John Middleton Elementary Gym
8300 St. Louis Avenue, Skokie, IL 60076
7:00-9:00 p.m.
Visit sd735.org/building735 to register to attend. Registration is not required, but RSVPing HERE will be helpful for planning.
PTO NEWS
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED! The PTO is looking for 1-2 volunteers to lead the 2025 Fall Fest. This is a fun district-wide event typically occurring in October or November with crafts, food, and carnival games. The PTO will assist with volunteers, facility (Middleton), and provide funding. Please contact the PTO at [email protected] if interested.
UPCOMING EVENTS
GILBERT GARDEN CLEANUP. Volunteers are needed to clean up the Gilbert Garden at Middleton before Garden Club begins. Stop by on Sunday, September 28th from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. to help us weed and mulch. Kids are welcome, so drop in whenever you can! The garden is at the corner of Madison and St. Louis. Please dress for the weather, bring gloves, a water bottle, and a weeding tool if you have one!
The PTO TRUNK-OR-TREAT is Saturday, October 25th from 1:00 to 2:30 p.m. in the Meyer parking lot. Visit the PTO website for information and follow this link if you wish to register your vehicle.
Join the PTO for District 73.5 Family Night with the Chicago Wolves at Allstate Arena on Sunday, November 9th at 3:00 p.m. We're all invited to cheer on the Chicago Wolves as they take to the ice against the Grand Rapids Griffins. We have our own section this year, which is closer than last year's section. Buy your tickets HERE before noon on Friday, November 7th. A portion of the proceeds will go towards future PTO events.
STOCK THE STAFF LOUNGES! Let’s give our awesome staff a boost to start out the year! School staff lounges could use K-Cups, hot chocolate and tea, and individually wrapped snacks (chips, etc.). Donations can be sent to school in kids’ backpacks or dropped off at any school front office. Feel free to use the links below for ordering or additional ideas on what to donate. Thank you!
Content posted on the PTO website is managed by the PTO
Visit district735pto.org and get to know your PTO!
Questions about this calendar or events? Please email [email protected].
AROUND TOWN
DISTRICT DATES
ELL CENTER PROGRAMS
PARENTS IN SCHOOL PROGRAM
ELL CENTER CLASSES
Thank you to all the Meyer families who were able to join us for Meyer’s BACK-TO-SCHOOL NIGHT on Thursday. If you were unable to attend the Principal’s session, please see the presentation slides HERE. If you have further questions, feel free to reach out to your child’s teacher or the principal, Dr. Helen Wei, at [email protected].
SOCKTOBERFEST VOLUNTEERS
THE MEYER PARENT LEADERS ARE SEEKING VOLUNTEERS FOR SOCKTOBERFEST! The PTO's Meyer Parent Leaders group (MPL) is looking for two volunteers to lead Meyer’s Socktoberfest scheduled for the end of October. Help plan our Socktober celebration at Meyer, which includes a dance party, games, crafts, face painting, and food. The PTO will assist with volunteers and provide funding. Please contact the MPL at [email protected] or Meyer school at [email protected] if interested. Thank you!
AFTER SCHOOL ENRICHMENT
Online registration for Meyer Fall Enrichment classes for kindergartners is now open! The fall session will run September 23 – December 4, 2025. The Enrich MEYER brochure, with more details on classes and registration, was sent home in backpacks on September 10th, or you can view the information at SD735.org/meyer/enrichment. The Enrich MEYER registration deadline has been extended until Saturday, September 20th.
PBIS FAMILY CONNECTION: EYES ARE WATCHING
On Monday, Meyer kicked off our Positive Behavioral and Intervention Supports (PBIS) program, which helps Meyer set a positive environment with clear expectations for our students. You may hear your child say Meyer’s PBIS motto, “Be Safe, Be Kind, and Be Ready.”
Within each of these areas, we focus on a different expectation for two weeks. Our first focus is being ready with “eyes are watching.” At school, we ask students to have “eyes watching” so that they can be a whole-body listener. For example, students have “eyes watching” when someone is speaking to them or the whole class. Students also have “eyes watching” when they are walking in the hallway, to stay safe. Or, they may need to have “eyes watching” when focusing on a task.
At home you can help your child practice “eyes watching” when they are talking to you, when you are reading them a story, or when they are playing with toys. You can also play the game “I Spy,” which helps the guesser observe objects around them, with their “eyes watching.” You can also watch the video Elmo Learns to Listen to learn about whole body listening, which includes “eyes watching.”
MEYER DATES
PICTURE DAY
Mark your calendars! Meyer’s Picture Day is scheduled for Thursday, September 25th, during the school day. Flyers with more details were sent home in backpacks on September 11th. You have the option of pre-ordering school pictures or waiting until after Picture Day to place your order.
LOST & FOUND
MADISON AND NEIGHBORHOOD CONSTRUCTION: We have the best community! Thank you all so much for your patience with the drop-off and pick-up lines as we navigate construction in the neighborhood together! Our staff has been diligent about supporting the line moving quickly and safely, and we very much appreciate families following the traffic pattern and allowing for extra time. We are eager, and we are sure you are, to have a paved road for drop-off and pick-up! Special shout out to all the staff you see in yellow vests outside helping to move us all along! Thank you for your partnership!
PAJAMA & STUFFY DAY
Pajama and Stuffy Day last week was such fun! Check out some photos, and stay tuned for our next Whole School Pride Paw incentive – 5th graders will get to vote first on our next celebration.
LITERACY PROFESSIONAL LEARNING
Our Middleton teams who teach literacy participated in some team learning this week with our new literacy program, Collaborative Literacy. Teams worked together to analyze lessons and plan together. We are looking forward to a year of discovery and growth in reading and writing together with each other and our Middleton students.
BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHT
Thank you to all of the families who were able to join us for Back to School Night on Wednesday! Here are the presentations from the evening.
MORNING GREETING
Each morning, a group of students comes down to the office to share a morning greeting in a different language. This week, it was Ms. Ellis’s 5th grade class spreading smiles! Students took turns greeting the school in languages like Urdu, Japanese, Spanish, Tagalog, and Arabic. It’s been such a fun way to celebrate the many cultures in our community!
MIDDLETON DATES
PICTURE DAY
Middleton Picture Day is Wednesday, October 1st. We can’t wait to see our friends photo-ready!
LOST & FOUND
ALL SCHOOL READ BOOK AUTHOR VISIT
On Friday, September 26th, McCracken will celebrate literacy and our All School Read book, It Wasn’t Me by Dana Alison Levy. Students read the book over the summer and have engaged in a variety of literacy activities in the classroom this school year. For the first time ever, we will be welcoming the author of our All School Read book to McCracken to host an all school welcome assembly and individual grade-level assemblies throughout the school day. There will even be an opportunity for members of the student All School Read Committee to enjoy a special pizza lunch with the author. Students can have their copies of the book signed by Ms. Levy by bringing them to the Learning Center before next Friday. Thank you for encouraging your students to read daily and for supporting our All School Read community event!
McCracken students participated in Start With Hello Week September 15th–19th, which is sponsored by Sandy Hook Promise. The goal of Start With Hello Week was to dedicate time to making new social connections and creating a sense of belonging for our students through various activities, thus preventing social isolation and violence by fostering inclusion. Students engaged in a variety of welcoming activities during advisory and lunch. Start With Hello Week activities were organized by our Student Support Team and supported by our teachers and staff.
PICTURE DAY
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McCracken Picture Day is coming on Thursday, October 9th! You can place your order on mylifetouch.com using Picture Day ID EVT2TF2JG. Order before midnight on Picture Day to get FREE shipping!
Your child can also bring their completed flyer with cash or check on Picture Day. Orders after Picture Day must be placed online only on mylifetouch.com.
EXTRACURRICULAR PROGRAMMING UPDATE
Here at McCracken, we are proud to offer a variety of student athletic and enrichment programs. These programs allow students to exercise their strengths, tackle areas of growth, and socialize with peers. Be sure to sign your student up for one of our great extracurricular clubs or activities at McCracken! Updated registration and fee information is now available. Please view the fall presentation and access the McCracken Extracurricular Brochure below.
McCRACKEN ARRIVAL/SAFETY DISMISSAL REMINDERS
Please help us to keep our students, staff, families and visitors safe by following our arrival and dismissal procedures. Parents and guardians who drive their student(s) to or from school must use the Circle Drive off of East Prairie Road.
- Parents and guardians must enter the Circle Drive near the south entrance on East Prairie Road, staying on the right side of the drive for pick-up or drop-off (leave the outside lane open to exiting cars at all times). Do NOT drop off or pick up your student in the left lane.
- The Drive-Thru is for right lane drop-off and pick-up only. Do not park in the Drive-Thru lane. Please help to keep our students and staff safe at all times!
- Drivers should NOT enter the Circle Drive coming north off East Prairie. Please enter the drop off or pick up line driving south on East Prairie Road.
- Students may NOT walk through the back parking lot for any reason due to traffic.
- Students must exit school property immediately following dismissal and may not stay to congregate with peers outdoors unless involved in an extracurricular activity.
- Crossing guards are available to assist students crossing Oakton Street and Crawford Avenue and also on East Prairie Road and Warren Street.
- Students may NOT cross the street at East Prairie Road and Oakton Street unless accompanied by a parent/guardian. There is no crosswalk or crossing guards at this intersection and there is a high volume of traffic.
ACTIVITY BUS
McCracken offers an activity bus for our students who participate in after-school activities. Some important notes about our activity bus:
- The activity bus runs every day after school.
- On Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, the activity bus boards at 3:55 p.m. in the bus alley.
- On Tuesday (early 2:00 p.m. release day), the activity bus boards at 3:00 p.m. in the bus alley.
- The activity bus runs a limited route that will differ from the morning and afternoon routes and stops. Families can view the stops HERE. All students riding the activity bus need to know what stop is the closest and best stop for them. Students should review this route plan with their families before riding the activity bus.
- Many of our clubs/activities end at 3:55 p.m. Some of our activities run beyond 3:55 p.m. and students participating in these activities should not plan to take the activity bus home. Please arrange for alternate transportation home.
- There is an annual $25 Activity Bus Fee for students to ride the activity bus. Payment is due no later than October 15th. Payments can be made through RevTrak. Once the payment has been received, students will receive an activity bus pass.
McCRACKEN DATES
McCRACKEN GAMES
LOST & FOUND
District Priorities
WELCOMING ENVIRONMENT. We will welcome and engage staff, students, families and community members in our schools.
HIRING & RETENTION. We will recruit, hire, and retain a diverse workforce and improve our human resource processes, procedures, and materials.
INFRASTRUCTURE & FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY. All financial decisions and investments will meet the needs of our diverse learners and staff and promote academic and social growth. We will provide a safe, inclusive, flexible, and innovative space for teaching, learning, and growing.
TEACHING & LEARNING. All students will engage in learning experiences that are cohesive and articulated across PreK-8, flexibly designed to engage all learners and leading to rigorous outcomes for all. We will be a future-focused, real-world learning environment that is responsive, accessible, and meaningful for all. We will become a model district on the use of data for making instructional, curriculum, and programmatic decisions.
Equity Mission Statement
WE BELIEVE that inclusivity and belonging is the foundation for equity.
ALL CHILDREN CAN LEARN, at high achievement levels, when equity is infused into every aspect of education.
WE ACKNOWLEDGE the systemic inequities present in school systems and recognize the impact they continue to have on marginalized communities.
WE COMMIT to teaching, learning, and growing in order to identify and dismantle inequitable systems and to create a community where barriers are removed so that everyone can reach their full potential.
WE BELIEVE that students succeed when they can see themselves represented in our staff, curriculum, opportunities, and our shared environment. We accomplish this through professional development, curriculum revision, community engagement, and systems evaluations.
WE RECOGNIZE the need to teach our students to identify the origins of unjust systems and empower them to use their critical thinking skills and agency to responsibly disrupt the policies and practices that perpetuate inequalities.
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