Dear District 97 Middle School Staff and Families,
We hope you are having a wonderful summer! As we gear up for the 2024-25 school year, we want to share with you the District 97 School-Wide Behavior Expectations for five key areas: cell phones, lockers/backpacks, IDs, hallways and bathrooms, and lunch and social time.
These guidelines were thoughtfully designed to create a respectful, responsible and safe learning environment for all of our middle school students. We have carefully considered feedback from students, families and staff over the past year. This input has been key in shaping these key expectations, which were developed by a diverse team of nearly 70 professional educators and staff from Brooks and Julian middle schools.
Our school-wide expectations reflect our commitment to positive, evidence-based practices that support students’ academic, social, emotional and behavioral success. Administrators, teachers and staff play a crucial role in this supportive process, and we believe that clear and consistent adult practices will create a middle school learning environment where every student can succeed.
Key Links:
- School-Wide Behavior Expectations for 2024-25 (one-page overview in English and Spanish)
- Frequently Asked Questions - Created by the middle school team with the goal of being clear about expectations and answering some common questions before the school year starts.
Supporting Our Students
While some of these expectations and procedures were in place in our middle schools before the pandemic, we understand that changes around phones, backpacks and lockers may be new for some. We’re committed to helping students adjust to these expectations both before the school year starts and throughout the year, but we need your support and partnership to make the transition as smooth as possible.
We’ll introduce the expectations to sixth-graders during District 97 Middle School Connection and to seventh- and eighth-graders (and any sixth-graders who are unable to attend District 97 Middle School Connection) at our middle school welcome nights. In the first two weeks of school, and again at the start of Trimesters 2 and 3, teachers will review these expectations during advisory. We'll celebrate when students meet expectations and provide reminders and extra support to foster independence to ensure everyone feels confident and successful.
We value input from students, families, and staff. Please share any additional questions, concerns, or ideas regarding these behavior expectations for middle schoolers via Let’s Talk, and we will update our FAQ as needed.
Thank you for your cooperation and support. We look forward to a fantastic school year together!
Sincerely,
Nick Filipowski
Principal
Julian Middle School
Dr. Luis Fernando De León
Assistant Superintendent of Middle Schools
Oak Park Elementary District 97