Caruso Connect - January 26th

Caruso Middle School is an inclusive and vibrant community where Blue Jays

take ownership of their social-emotional and academic growth by supporting,

challenging, and celebrating self and others.

Good Evening Blue Jay Families:

First, we would like to acknowledge the efforts of families in supporting their middle school students during MAP testing; students arrived on time, ready to learn! If your student missed a test, we will work to have them complete this next week, if they have not already.

In this week's Caruso Connect, make sure to see who our Blue Jays of the Week are and a ton of important reminders of upcoming events and opportunities.

Have a GREAT weekend.

Tim, Alli, Marcia & the Caruso Staff

Tim Brodeur - Principal - tbrodeur@dps109.org

Alli Waller - Associate Principal - awaller@dps109.org

Marcia Klita - Coordinator of Student Support - mklita@dps109.org

February 16th - Teacher Institute Day

February 19th - Presidents Day - No School

March 4th - Casimir Pulaski Day - No School

March 21st & 22nd - Parent Teacher Conferences

March 25th - April 1st - Spring Break

June 4th - 8th Grade Graduation 5:30 PM Deerfield High School

(Communicated 8/5/23)

Join us for coffee w/ Caruso; a way for the adults in our students' lives to build stronger connections with us at Caruso. Space is limited to 25 people per event. Please RSVP by calling the Caruso Main Office at 847-945-8430. Thanks to the PTO for Sponsoring Coffee.

1st Semester Report Cards will be available in Skyward Family Access under the Portfolio tab on Friday, January 26th at 3:00 PM.

Please note that the descriptors for Habits of Success have been updated to M, P and N, which stands for meeting age-appropriate expectations, progressing, or needs improvement. This change is the result of a committee of elementary teachers and administrators working together to make improvements to the standards-based portion of the report card. At our middle schools, we will continue to use letter grades for reporting in all academic areas. Additional information about District 109 report cards can be found on this FAQ.

As a reminder, we will also be hosting a second round of parent-teacher conferences on March 21st and March 22nd. The spring conference provides another opportunity for parents/guardians to discuss their child’s growth and progress with teachers before the end of the school year. Be sure to mark your calendars.

Parents/Students:

The Deerfield High School Athletic Booster Club would like to remind all of you regarding the Future Warrior Fast Pass membership. This membership is for middle and elementary school students ONLY. For only $10, it provides FREE Admission to ALL HOME Football games, ALL HOME Basketball games (girls & boys) & ALL HOME Wrestling matches (IHSA events, playoffs and tournaments not included). Register at www.d113boosters.org and include your student’s name, digital download fast pass will be emailed. Below are some upcoming HOME Varsity Basketball Games for our Girls and Boys Teams.

1. Friday, January 19th: Boys Varsity Basketball Game vs New Trier @ 7:00 pm
2. Monday, January 22nd: Girls Varsity Basketball Game vs. Lake Forest @ 7:00 pm
3. Tuesday, January 23rd: Boys Varsity Basketball Game vs. Niles West @ 7:00 pm
4. Friday, January 26th: Boys Varsity Basketball Game vs. Glenbrook North @ 7:00 pm
5. Friday, February 2nd: Girls Varsity Basketball Game vs. Glenbrook South @ 7:00pm

All games/times are subject to change, go to Athletic Schedules for more information. https://www.dist113.org/domain/85

Too learn more about DHS Athletic Booster Club go to www.d113boosters.org

Thanks,

Larry Letwat, President of DHS Athletic Booster Club

312 320-6029

Deerfield Parent Network, in partnership with Districts 113, 109 and 112, is pleased to announce Devorah Heitner’s presentation, “Growing Up In Public” on February 6th at 7:00 pm at Highland Park High School. Devorah Heitner, Ph.D., helps empower parents with strategies to help their kids navigate growing up in a world where nearly every moment of their lives can be shared and compared. Heitner shows parents how to help teens navigate boundaries, identity, privacy, and reputation in their digital world. This is a can't miss presentation!

RSVP HERE

Dear Parent/Guardian,

In alignment with Illinois standards in health, 8th grade students at Caruso Middle School will be participating in a 2-hour class, facilitated by Candor Health, called Teen Sexual Health. The class will be held on February 12th and/or 13th and is hosted in a live virtual format. Students will use their Chromebook and headphones to individually join a Zoom call with Candor Health facilitators from our classrooms. PE/Health teachers will be present throughout the class to provide students with needed support. The live virtual format is recommended, as it allows students to use a private chat feature to ask questions they may prefer not to ask in front of their peers.

The following topics are covered in this Candor Health session: consent, definitions of orientation/expression/ identity, anatomy, forms of sexual contact, pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

If interested, parents can access Candor Health’s School Program Overview for Parents webinar at https://vimeo.com/748897024. The password to watch is Preparation23. If you would prefer to opt your child out of this program, please email me at tbrodeur@dps109.org no later than February 2nd.

Sincerely,

Tim Brodeur

The D109 2024 Kindergarten Registration online form is available! To register your new student please visit our registration page.

Building students’ social-emotional learning (SEL) skills is important at Caruso Middle School. As a part of the learning process, we will be asking students in grades 6-8 to reflect on skills related to social-emotional learning and the school environment. The survey will be administered to all students in grades 6-8 on January 24th and it should take no more than 20 minutes to complete. Per policy, if you would like your child to opt out of taking the survey, please contact the building principal via email no later than Monday, January 22nd.

Online Course Requests. Online course requests open on January 10. However, we recommend 8th grade families wait until the Course Registration Video is released and they have attended High School Preview night before making course requests.

Course Registration Video will be released by January 12. Families will have the opportunity to learn about course offerings and the online registration process.

Special Education Articulation Meetings will be held January 12-18. If a student has an IEP, the IEP team will update their registration to reflect the special education services that are agreed upon during the articulation meeting. Any course that requires special education services will be locked at the meeting. General education course registrations, such as advisory or electives, are the responsibility of the student and family.

High School Preview Night is Wednesday, January 17, starting at 6:30 pm. This in-person event is for both students and parents/guardians. If families have questions or concerns regarding course placement, they can speak with the DHS academic department chair at High School Preview Night.

Course Requests close on Tuesday, January 30. Families must submit their final course requests by 3:30 pm.

Counseling Collaboration Meetings late-January through early-February. During collaboration meetings, members of the DHS Counseling Department meet with middle school principals and staff to exchange information on 8th graders who are not receiving special education services. Students with 504 plans will be discussed at this meeting. In preparation for the meeting, we will share an outline of topics. All collaboration meetings will be held virtually.

Calendar of Events:

January 10, 2024: Course Registration Opens for Course Requests

January 12, 2024: Course Registration Video shared with families

January 17, 2024: High School Preview Night for Students & Parents/Guardians
6:30 pm- 8:30 pm (In-Person)

January 30, 2024: Course Requests Completed by 3:30 pm

February 13, 2024: Course Verification Opens after 8:00 am

February 15, 2024: Course Verification Closes at 3:30 pm

April 15, 2024: Extra-Curricular Night

May 1, 2024: Health Forms Due to DHS Health Services Office

Mid-August, 2024: Schedules posted on Infinite Campus

August 12, 2024: Warrior Welcome for Students & Parents/Guardians (evening)

August 14, 2024: First day of student attendance

(Communicated 8/25/23)

Our online yearbook offer is live and yearbooks can be purchased HERE or by phone at 1-877-767-5217.

Please encourage your students to dress up in our Spirit Days!

Email: cmsoffice@dps109.org
Website: https://www.dps109.org/Page/9
Location: 1801 Montgomery Road, Deerfield, IL, USA
Twitter: @109Caruso