Newsletter for the week of January 10

Student-Led Conferences - January 30, 2020

Please plan to attend the January 30 Conferences with your student. Sign up information for conferences is being shared with families this week.

During our next student-led conferences, students will be sharing their IB Criterion Report with their parents/guardians. Please view this screencast that provides an explanation of the IB Criterion. 

 

COME TOGETHER - Wednesday, January 15 at Julian Middle School

Join us as we launch a campaign of kindness and connection at Julian! Our goal is to connect school families, strengthen relationships between families, teachers, and staff, and make the school a place where every student gets what they need to succeed. For our first event, we’re excited to create a space for families and teachers to enjoy a meal together, hear about this new initiative, talk about what matters to them, and even learn a little about mindfulness. Come out and talk to people you know. Talk to people you don’t know. Talk to people you’ve never met.

Dinner and childcare provided.

Questions or needs for the evening, including

dietary or language, email: [email protected]

RSVP at http://bit.ly/34BxKcv

Wednesday, January 15 at Julian Middle School from 6:00-8:00pm in the commons

“There is no power greater than a community discovering what it cares about.” — Margaret Wheatley

 

Celebrating Martin Luther King Day at Julian

Julian is celebrating the birthday of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. through learning experiences in the library. Students will read books, participate in a collaborative poster, travel to important places in MLK's life through virtual reality, and do quote analysis and contribute to a timeline through high quality resources. Families can learn more by accessing padlet.com/jwinchell1/mlk. Held on January 13 and 17.

 

No Name Calling Week

Julian is recognizing No Name Calling Week through learning experiences in the library. No Name Calling Week seeks to end LGBTQ+ bullying and name calling. Students will participate in a conversation with Rainbow Tribe members, have a conversation about perceptions of safe/unsafe spaces at Julian, read books, contribute to a "true self" bulletin board, and undertake activities like a rainbow flag sort and making No Name Calling posters for Julian. Kudos to the 21 students from Rainbow Tribe who volunteered to make this week a success. Families can learn more about the week as well as read a guide about how to be an ally, not a bystander by visiting bit.ly/noname_julian. Held on January 21, 22, and 24.

 

Social Justice Club

District 97 believes that students play a valuable role in shaping the climate and culture of their schools. With the support of the community, we have expanded opportunities for student voice in an effort to create a more positive and welcoming learning environment for all.

In November 2019, Julian launched a school-led Social Justice Club, which is organized around social justice standards and a student voice curriculum. The goals of the club are to continue to improve school culture, and to promote and develop leadership skills in our students.

Our Social Justice Club staff leader is our climate and culture coach, Gina Harris. She will hold open meetings for students twice a month that have the following areas of focus:

 

  • Establishing the foundation of the club (developing roles and expectations, establishing a sense of community)
  • Engaging in Restorative Justice Circle Practices
  • Training students as Restorative Practices circle facilitators
  • Analyzing the school community (assets and challenges)
  • Conducting research and developing ideas for solutions
  • Implementing solutions and reflecting

Our next meeting will be held on January 14, 2020. If you have any questions about the club, please contact Gina Harris at [email protected].

 

Save the Date: District 97 Summer Launch 2020

District 97 is excited to announce the dates for the upcoming 2020 Summer Launch Program. Summer Launch will be held June 15 through July 10, 2020 (Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to noon). The program for Grades K-4 will be held at Holmes Elementary School, and Grades 5-7 will be held at Brooks Middle School.

Summer Launch is a summer program designed for students in kindergarten to seventh grade who are identified as needing intervention support in reading and/or mathematics during the school year and fall below the 11th percentile in reading and/or math.

Our Summer Launch Program will include Reading/Writing Workshop and Math support, in which students will be able to build upon the reading and writing strategies they have learned during the regular school year, as well as participate in math activities.

 The Summer Launch program is designed to support students:

  • In continuing to build their skills towards becoming strong, confident readers and writers.
  • By allowing them personalized instruction in reading, writing and math.
  • By supporting them in sharing their voices and helping to feel valued.
  • By supporting them in building meaningful connections with their teacher and peers.

Participation in the Summer Launch program is by invitation only; letters will be sent to eligible families via email in late January.

 

Changes to Visitor Management Procedures at Julian - Starts Tuesday, January 21

Continued safety inside our school buildings is one of the highest priorities for District 97 schools. We are committed to identifying and investing in new resources to further protect our students and staff. With your help, we are set to launch a new feature to better screen visitors who come into our buildings. Click this link to learn more. 

 

Parent Information Session - Early Admission to Kindergarten/First Grade

For families who are seeking early admission to kindergarten or first grade, the district will be hosting a Parent Information Session on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2020, from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the District 97 Administration Building. The session will include a presentation that outlines the process and requirements, as on-site support for parents. Click here to view the event flyer >

 

Illinois 5Essentials Survey

We are administering the Illinois 5Essentials Survey again this year to certified staff and parents/guardians from all 10 of our schools, as well as students in grades four through eight. The parent/guardian survey is available now, and the staff and student surveys opened on Dec. 10. Please click here to learn how parents/guardians can participate in this important endeavor  and click here to access the parent/guardian version of the survey. Please note that school-level reports will only be generated if at least 20 percent of our parents/guardians complete the survey, which can be accessed until Feb. 14, 2020.

 

Upcoming Events:

MAP Testing January 14-16

8th Grade Cap & Gown Picture Day - January 17

MLK Day / No School for Students - Monday, January 20

Student Led Conferences - Thursday, January 30

12:00pm Dismissal for Students - Thursday, January 30

12:00pm Dismissal for Students - Friday, January 31

 

Sincerely,

Dr. Todd Fitzgerald

Principal, Julian Middle Schoo