October 14, 2022

Department of Student Services

The next Bilingual Parent Advisory Committee meeting is on Tuesday, October 18, 2022, at the Middleton Library. We will review the ACCESS assessment and home based activities to build language. We will also have a guest speaker from the Skokie Public Library. They will join us and share all the wonderful resources available to you. We are also excited to share that we will have a raffle at the end of the meeting where you could win a Target, Starbucks, or Panera gift card!

As part of the Early Head Start Program, the ELL Parent Center has partnered with Metropolitan Family Services to offer Parent-Child classes. Classes will be held once a week for 90 minutes at the ELL Parent Center. Families who participate will receive free diapers every month during the program, educational lessons you can use at home, and a space to interact with other families. Check this flyer for more information and eligibility requirements.

For any families experiencing homelessness, please reach out to the SD73.5 McKinney-Vento liaison, Angela DeMay, at [email protected]. The District can help with food, temporary housing, clothing and/or utility bills. Visit the Regional Office of Education website for more information.

The following resources might also be helpful for families experiencing difficulties:

The following resources have recently been added to the District 73.5 resource guide:

CEDA
Center of Concern
Connections for the Homeless Evanston
Connections in Illinois
Family Promise
The Harbour
Kenneth Young Center
Shelter, Inc.

PTO & STUDENT SERVICES EVENT: Differentiated Learners

Monday, October 17th

6:30 to 8:00 p.m.

McCracken MPR

GUESTS: Director of Student Services Angela DeMay and District EL Coordinator Lyla Nissan

Differentiated learners include students with 504 plans, Individualized Education Plans (IEPs), or who are English Language or Multilingual Learners

SAVE THE DATE: Fall Fest

Sunday, November 6th

Interested in planning or helping at the event? Fill out this form.

NOVEMBER PTO MEETING

Monday, November 7th

6:30 to 8:00 p.m.

McCracken MPR

TOPIC: Understanding Test Scores

McCracken Musical Performance

Rehearsals are underway for our 2022 McCracken musical, Mary Poppins Jr.! Forty-one talented cast members have been rehearsing their scenes and songs since early September.

Mary Poppins Jr. transports us to London in 1910, telling the story of the Banks family and the valuable lessons they learn from their mysterious new nanny.

Performances will be held on Friday, November 11th at 7:00 p.m. and Saturday, November 12th at 2:00 and 7:00 p.m. Ticket information is coming soon, and a livestream option will also be available. All are welcome to enjoy this supercalifragilisticexpialidocious show!

Therapy Dog Visits

In an effort to better support the SEL needs of our students, we have partnered with an outside organization named Paws for Patrick. This non-profit organization is dedicated to connecting young people with emotional support animals and therapy dogs to support students with their mental health. If you are not familiar, a therapy dog is trained to provide affection, comfort, and support to people in various settings such as hospitals, retirement homes, libraries, disaster areas, etc.

Paws for Patrick provides the opportunity for McCracken students to spend time with a therapy dog during the school day at recess. Our first visit took place on September 22nd and we hope to arrange for additional visits throughout the 2022-2023 school year. Thank you to Ms. Priya Amin for coordinating this partnership at McCracken!

Student Council Fall Hangout

Our newly elected Student Council members are busy planning a fun Fall Hangout event for our McCracken Hornets on Friday, October 21st. Students are welcome to attend to enjoy music and a variety of games and activities with peers from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. Students must have a signed permission form to attend and are expected to be picked up by a family member or trusted adult promptly at 8:30 p.m. in the Circle Drive. Please review behavior expectations with your student as well as confirm transportation plans. Students are not allowed to walk home after the event for safety. We are looking forward to a fun and safe event with our students!

6th Grade Niles North High School Tutoring

Attention 6th grade students and families! Niles North High School is extending their tutoring program to include 6th grade feeder schools this year. Niles North students will provide tutoring services to students in reading, writing, math, science, and more on Mondays from 4:00 to 5:00 p.m. Please access this Niles North High School flyer to learn more and complete the one-time registration. Thank you to Niles North High School for including our 6th graders in this great program!

Social Media Awareness Reminders

Many of our middle school students are using technology in multiple ways to communicate with peers outside of school. They may be using smartphones and social media apps to communicate with friends. Social media applications have parental controls for monitoring and safety. At times, students at this age may experience peer conflict that may turn into negative interactions online with friends or acquaintances. Negative interactions or cyberbullying that impacts the school environment may result in school-issued consequences. Please monitor your child’s online presence and help to reinforce online safety and kindness in communication. Please see this social media parent letter that was shared with families on September 26th for more information. We look forward to partnering with you to keep our students safe at school!

Extracurricular Programming

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 up your student for one of our great extracurricular activities clubs or activities! Review the Fall 2022 Extracurricular Slideshow (with videos and important links) and Brochure for information, registration links, and the payment link (for a small number of activities).

Monday, October 3rd - Friday, November 18th

Niles North High School Online Registration (current 8th grade)

D219 Parent/Guardian Registration Letter

Tuesday, October 18th
McCracken Middle School

7:00 p.m.

Symphonic and Concert Band Fall Concert

Friday, October 21st

Student Council Fall Hangout

7:00 to 8:30 p.m.

Friday, October 28th

Institute Day

No school

Tuesday, November 8th

Election Day

No school

Friday, November 11th

Mary Poppins Jr. Musical Performance

7:00 p.m.

Saturday, November 12th

Mary Poppins Jr. Musical Performance

2:00 and 7:00 p.m.

Wednesday, November 23rd - Friday, November 25th

Thanksgiving Break

District closed

Meyer Parent Leaders Meeting

Meyer Parent Leaders (MPL) are parents and guardians dedicated to supporting the Meyer school and community by providing opportunities for Meyer families to connect and socialize.

Please join this month's Zoom meeting. All parents/guardians are welcome to join us! We will discuss and finish planning this month’s MPL event, Socktoberfest.

Thursday, October 20, 2022
7:00 to 8:00 p.m.
The Zoom link will be emailed to Meyer families the day before the meeting.