Friday, December 19th is Meyer’s Pajama Day! Students are encouraged to wear pajamas to school to celebrate the upcoming Winter Break in comfort.

Please save the date for Meyer’s Family Fun Night, scheduled for Thursday, January 22nd from 6:00 to 7:15 p.m. Meyer staff will lead fun learning activities you can do as a whole family. We hope you can join us!

Please be sure to send students to school with warm winter weather gear, including hats and gloves! If your student has snowpants and boots at school, and it’s outdoor recess, they can play in the snow! When our Bulldogs play, they sometimes play hard! It’s common for students to come in from recess with some article of clothing wet; please consider sending a change of clothes, including socks, just in case! The nurse’s office does not have enough spare clothes for our 530 students to borrow! Thanks for your help.

All Middleton artists in 1st-5th grade recently participated in clay week! Students had the opportunity to practice a variety of clay skills. We created pinch pots, coil hearts, penguins, snowmen, and cupcake sculptures. Students were very excited to experiment with clay and will be glazing their creations after winter break!

Last week, Middleton students enjoyed “That’s My Story,” a theatre production created by Niles North High School students using elementary students’ stories. In November, high school performers chose several stories from each elementary school and developed skits about them to perform back to young audiences. 

Congratulations to all students who submitted stories, including Middleton‘s chosen authors - Faith G., Mira G., June D., Charlie C., and Bruk K.!

Middleton students were also excited to find that several of the high school performers they saw - and also the show’s director - were former Middleton students.

This year's fall EnrichMD program included a residency program with Northlight Theater. "Build a Play" offered students an opportunity to explore the fundamentals of theater through a curriculum that emphasizes collaboration and play. The program culminated with a performance of an original play based on a familiar narrative or theme. Middleton students performed "Home Alone" for an audience of their parents. It was very cute!

COLD WEATHER IS HERE TO STAY! Please make sure your middle school students are dressed for the weather conditions each school day. Students may need to wait outdoors for a short time during arrival and dismissal and any extracurricular activities. When we experience extreme temperatures with below-zero wind chills in the morning we will bring students into the building starting at 7:30 a.m. (band students enter at 7:00 a.m. on rehearsal days). Students remain in the lobby and Learning Center until the 7:50 a.m. bell rings. Students who participate in extracurricular activities indicate they will take the bus, walk home, or get picked up. Please ensure that you discuss and clearly communicate those transportation plans and arrive promptly to pick up your child, especially during winter weather conditions. Students are not allowed to remain inside the school building after school hours unsupervised.

Students participate in outdoor recess throughout the school year unless there is a significant weather-related or other external factor that necessitates an indoor program. Skokie 73.5 follows the Child Care Weather Watch chart to determine whether the temperature and wind chill are safe for outdoor recess. If the temperature with wind chill feels like 15 degrees or warmer, and conditions outdoors are safe, students will go outside. Thank you for helping to ensure that your child is prepared with appropriate outerwear for recess so that they are comfortable during our outdoor programming! Families in need of outerwear for their child should contact administration for additional resources.

A group of teachers and staff were able to participate in a professional development session this week focused on student reading experiences in Skokie District 73.5. A panel of 8th grade students engaged in an honest discussion of their lives as readers in District 73.5. McCracken librarian Tori Gammeri facilitated the conversation with questions designed to reveal insights into the minds (and hearts) of our readers. Upon conclusion of the student panel, teachers had the opportunity to synthesize what the students shared and reflect on potential takeaways to guide future instructional practices.

We believe that every student deserves to feel safe, respected, and valued at school. Creating an inclusive and welcoming environment is essential and includes maintaining learning spaces free from hate speech and bullying. When students feel safe, they are better able to focus on learning, build positive relationships, and thrive academically and socially. Preventive programming is in place at McCracken to support positive peer relationships at school. We have listed a few of these programs HERE and ask for your partnership in reinforcing the importance of kindness, respect, and acceptance at home, helping us to ensure that our school remains a place where all students can feel safe and reach their full potential.

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 here at McCracken! Please access the McCracken Extracurricular Brochure HERE.