Mustang Minutes
Gemini Middle School - January 2024
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Dear Gemini Families,
Happy New Year! We hope this message finds you well-rested, rejuvenated, and ready for the exciting adventures that await us in the coming weeks at Gemini. As we welcome our students back from winter break, we are energized and eager to dive into the next phase of the school year.
Parental involvement is invaluable, and we encourage you to stay connected with your child's academic journey. Provide homework support or read together, engage in conversations about their experiences at school, and take advantage of the various events and activities we have planned throughout the rest of the year.
Here's to a wonderful 2024 filled with learning, growth, and positive experiences!
Your Admin team,
Lewis, Erica, Wendy, David, & Tim
January PTO Fundraiser
Need a lunch or dinner suggestion? Stop by the Niles Panda Express (9347 N. Milwaukee Ave.) on January 19th and 20% of the event sales will go towards the Gemini PTO (You need to present the flyer or use the code).
ACCESS Testing
All identified English Language (ELL) students will be taking the ACCESS test in late January through the end of February. The English language assessment assesses four areas: reading, listening, writing, and speaking. Students need a 4.8 overall score in order to exit EL services. Please remind your child to get a good night's sleep, eat breakfast, and try their best!
End of Quarter 2
Quarter 2 will end on Friday, January 12th. Report cards will be emailed on Friday, January 19th.
This also means that most of our students will be starting new electives on January 16th. We encourage you to log into your Parent Portal to view what classes your child will be taking in Quarter 3/Semester 2.
Graduation Updates
Save the date! On January 18th, all 8th graders will be taking their graduation photo during their P.E./Health classes. They will also be measured for their gowns.
Winter Clubs
The winter after school club registration is open. Clubs will meet on Mondays and Wednesdays from January 22nd through March 13th. You can register here.
Creating an Inclusive Environment: A Free Family Workshop
District 63 is committed to creating an environment in which every student feels a sense of belonging and inclusion. Join us at this special workshop to learn more about one of our most effective tools for achieving this goal: addressing microaggressions.
Thursday, February 15
6:30-8 p.m.
Gemini Middle School
8955 Greenwood Road, Niles
Mustang Gym - Enter at Door 12
Open to those aged 11 and older
Often, expressions of racism, homophobia, sexism, religious intolerance, and more can be very obvious. But sometimes these negative messages can be delivered in smaller, subtler ways. We call these small - but powerful - messages “microaggressions.” This workshop, led by anti-racism expert Corrie Wallace, will focus on understanding and identifying microaggressions - and how our schools are weaving this learning into classrooms and staff training.
Light refreshments served; child care provided.
Performing Arts Events
We wrapped up 2023 with a rockin’ Dance Concert. Congrats to all the student performers as well as the teachers who participated in the staff dance. Check out more exciting events coming up this Winter. For all events in the Gemini Auditorium (Mustang Gym), please enter through Door 12. Thank you for supporting our performers.
Moana Jr. Musical Auditions
January 29 - Information Meeting for Cast & Crew
January 30-31 - Music Clinics
February 1-2 - Auditions
Orchestra Winter Concert
Thursday, February 8 - 6:00 PM in the Gemini Auditorium
Admission is free
Band Winter Concert
Thursday, February 22 - 6:00 PM in the Gemini Auditorium
Admission is free
Choir Spring Concert
Wednesday, March 13 - 6:00 PM in the Gemini Auditorium
Admission is free
Sports Updates
Home Game information
7th and 8th BOYS Basketball
- Jan. 18 - Lincoln - 4:30 PM (Home) - order of play - 8th / 7th
7th and 8th GIRLS Basketball
- Jan. 10 - Field - 4:30 PM (Home) - order of play - 7th / 8th
- Jan. 11 - Shepard - 4:30 PM (Home) - order of play - 7th / 8th
- Jan. 17 - Wood Oaks - 4:30 PM (Home) - order of play - 7th / 8th
6th Grade Basketball
- Jan. 11 - Field - 4:30 PM (Home Mustang Gym) - order of play - Boys / Girls
Wrestling
- Jan. 24 - Northridge Prep - 4:30 PM (Mustang Gym)
Boys Volleyball
- Jan. 25 - Informational Meeting (Learning Stairs) - 3:40-4:00 PM
- Jan. 29 - Feb. 1 - 7th and 8th grade tryouts (Gold Gym)
- Jan. 29 - Feb. 1 - 6th grade tryouts (Mustang Gym)
Student Spectators
Winter sports are in full swing and we encourage students to come and support their friends from the sidelines.
Here are a few guidelines to keep in mind for our student spectators:
- If a Gemini student is staying to watch an after school sporting event, they must report to the school cafeteria by 3:35 PM.
- If a Gemini student leaves the school grounds and they want to return for a sporting event, they MUST be accompanied by a parent (and the parent must stay the entire time).
- If a student is absent from school on the day of the sporting event (or had an early dismissal), they are not permitted to attend the Gemini sporting event.
Library Updates
General Gemini Library Information
Students from all three grade levels have visited the library this past month to “dine” at the Gemini Book Bistro. Our bistro mimics a seven-course meal, with each course represented by a different genre for students to sample. At the end of the “meal,” students have a completed menu with a list of books from each genre they would like to read.
Additionally, our next Famished for Fiction - Cozy up with a Good Book - will occur on January 16. Please contact Kris Buican or Jillian Wahlers if you have any questions.
Community Libraries
Our community libraries continue to provide wonderful programs for students. Please check out your local library’s teen page to see what is new!
Parent Teacher Organization (PTO)
Save the date: January 9th
Update January 9, 2024: Due to possible inclement weather conditions this meeting with only be held virtually.
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 968 3945 3205
Passcode: GeminiPTO
Please join us on Tuesday, January 9th from 6:30 PM - 7:30 PM for our monthly meeting.
Support from Student Services
Grade Level Social Workers
6th Grade: Laura Mell
7th Grade: Zoe Turner (Habla espanol)
8th Grade: Kaarin VandenBranden
Winter Coats and Accessories
Winter is here! This means coats are coming out of storage for the season. If you need help getting a winter coat for your child, please call or email the social work team. We also have accessories like mittens, hats, etc. You can also reach out to us if you need help with access to food or other community resources.
D63 Family Resource Center
From youth development classes, to adult education, to family events, there are many options available for your student and family this winter at the D63 Family Resource Center. Visit our Family Resource website for the most up-to-date programming for the D63 community!
Summer Camp Academy
Even though it's cold outside, we are getting ready to open Summer Camp Academy registration! Starting on December 31, you will be able to register your child for summer programs at the FRC.
RULER at Gemini
Beginning this fall, the Gemini Middle School community will be learning about how we can use emotions to reach our goals. We have committed to implementing RULER, an evidence-based approach to social and emotional learning developed at the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence. RULER is also an acronym for the skills of emotional intelligence: Recognizing emotions, Understanding emotions, Labeling emotions, Expressing emotions, and Regulating emotions. Research from the field of emotion science finds that children who understand and manage their feelings make more responsible decisions, have stronger relationships, and perform better in school.
We will be infusing RULER into all parts of our school by having school wide activities and introducing routines that build emotional awareness into all classes. In middle school, students learn about emotions and emotional intelligence within the context of their real world experiences: personally, at school, in our communities, and in our understanding of the world around us. Each lesson addresses a developmentally appropriate topic such as healthy and unhealthy relationships, conflict resolution, coping skills, and identifying personal values. Over the course of the year, I will be providing ongoing communication to you about RULER. For now, if you would like to learn more visit the RULER Family Engagement website.
Breakfast and Lunch Information
Breakfast
- Breakfast is available from 8:00 - 8:20 AM each morning in our school cafeteria. Bus riders will enter Door 6 once they arrive. Car riders and walkers will enter at Door 2 or Door 13.
- Students entering the school for breakfast must purchase a breakfast. If they do not purchase a breakfast, they will be escorted back outside and will wait with everybody else.
Lunch
- We do NOT accept student lunches from food delivery services such as Uber Eats, Grubhub, etc. If food is delivered from a delivery service, we will send them away with the order. A parent or family member is the only person from whom we will accept a lunch delivery for a student.
Gemini Social Media
- We encourage you to follow us on our website and social media, this is a great way to stay informed.
- Gemini Website
- Gemini Twitter @D63Gemini
- Gemini Instagram @geminid63
Upcoming Events
January
1-5: Winter Break
8: School resumes
12: End of 2nd quarter
15: MLK Day - no school
17: ACCESS testing window opens
18: 8th Grade Grad Picture Day
19: School Improvement Day - early dismissal
19: PTO Fundraiser @ Panda Express
25: Boys Volleyball Informational Meeting
29 - Feb. 1: 7th and 8th Boys Volleyball Tryouts
29: Moana Jr. Musical Informational Meeting
30-31: Moana Jr. Musical Clinics
February
1-2: Moana Jr. Musical Auditions
1-2: 6th Boys Volleyball tryouts
8: Orchestra Winter Concert
9: School Improvement Day - early dismissal
9: School Dance
15: Parent Education Night
16: 6th Grade Field Trip
19: President's Day - no school
22: Band Winter Concert
Upcoming Sporting Events
- Check out the sports calendar on Gemini's calendar.
#hereatgemini
Email: gemini411@emsd63.org
Website: https://gemini.emsd63.org/
Location: 8955 North Greenwood Avenue, Niles, IL, USA
Phone: (847) 827-1181
Twitter: @D63Gemini
Office Hours: Monday- Friday 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. on days when students are in the building.