Chute E-Blast!
Family Newsletter
Welcome Back - Reminders & Tips!
We hope you all enjoyed a restful winter break! As we prepare to welcome students back, we wanted to share some strategies to help make the transition back to school routines as smooth as possible.
Easing back into school life can be challenging for middle school students, but there are several ways you can support your child during this adjustment period:
As always, our staff is here to support both you and your student. If you have any questions or concerns about the transition back to school, please don't hesitate to reach out to our office.
Sleep Schedules:
Begin readjusting bedtimes and wake-up times a few days before school starts. Our middle school students need 8-10 hours of sleep to perform their best in class. Consider limiting screen time before bed to help with better sleep quality. Classes start at 8:00 AM, we encourage kids to arrive anytime between 7:30 - 7:50 AM.
Organization:
Take time to help your child check their backpack, organize school supplies, and ensure any assignments due after break are completed. When they return, encourage them to reorganize their locker for a fresh start. Reach out to your HR teacher if you need help with your locker or binder.
School Communications:
Please review our school calendar and newsletters for upcoming events, club meetings, and sports practices. If you need to call in an absence or have any questions, please call 847-859-8600. Students/families are also encouraged to email their teachers when absent to prepare for their return to school.
After-School Routine:
Help your child establish clear expectations for homework time, extracurricular activities, and free time. A consistent routine can significantly reduce stress about schoolwork and time management.
Technology Check-in:
Check that your students iPad is charged and ready for school, and consider discussing healthy screen time boundaries for both academic and recreational use. This is also a good time to ensure your parent portal login is working so you can stay updated on your child's progress.
E-Learning and unexpected school closures
On rare occasions, it may be necessary to close schools unexpectedly due to inclement weather. When it comes to this decision, the most important thing is our ability to get students and staff to and from school safely. We will provide as much notice as possible if we need to unexpectedly close schools.
District 65 has an approved E-Learning Plan that can be translated into more than 100 languages. An E-Learning Day means that schools will be closed and staff and students will engage in remote teaching and learning. In the event an E-Learning Day is called, more information will be shared by the district and your child’s school.
In response to feedback we heard from staff and parents/caregivers, the decision has been made to put an established cadence in place for calling E-Learning Days (virtual instructional day) or “Snow Days” (no instruction): In any given school year, the first two days of unexpected closure will be E-Learning Days and the third day will be a “Snow Day”. These days do not need to be consecutive. This cadence will be in place as conditions warrant. For example, if there is a widespread power outage, E-Learning may not be possible on that day.
Please double-check: Is your contact info up to date in PowerSchool? To update your phone number or email address, email registrationinfo@district65.net.
D65 Spelling Bee returns in January for 4th-8th graders
The District is abuzz with news about the upcoming D65 Scripps National Spelling Bee and the Spanish National Spelling Bee! We are excited to bring back the Spelling Bee in English and Spanish for 4th-8th Graders to the district this year!
Details for the English Spelling Bee:
The District-Wide English Spelling Bee will take place on February 4, 2025 from 4:30pm -6:30pm at Chute Middle School
Grade level Bees will take place the week of January 13th
Our schoolwide Bee will take place the week of January 20th
The North Cook ISC Regional Qualifier will take place at Lincoln Hall School in Lincolnwood on Tuesday, February 25, 2025
Students can fill out this form to let us know that they are interested in participating in the Bee. Once we have their names, we will email (or hand deliver) them a copy of the words to study. Grade level lists will also be available in the library. Please reach out to Ms. Martin & Ms. Murphy if you have any questions.
Happy Reading and Happy Spelling!
Saturday, January 4, 3:00pm-5:00pm Family Day Open House
Come out of the cold and into the Dawes House for a free family winter fun day! Includes admission to the "It's All Fun and Games" exhibition, classic games, live piano music, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer storytime, crafts, and refreshments.
FREE. Info: www.evanstonhistorycenter.org
Drama Club
Meets Wednesdays!
Is your student interested in performing or what it takes to put on a show? Drama club is open to all students! Students play theater games, talk about plays, and produce a student-driven show for the Spring! Please contact Ms. Dardai at dardaid@district65.net if you have any questions. Students can just show up or stop by Ms. Dardai's room (110) to find out more information. Late bus is available.
Star Wars Club
Attention students and families!
Chute Middle School's first Star Wars Club meeting will be held on select Thursdays for the rest of the year in room 324. If you're a fan of the galaxy far, far away, this club is for you! To sign up for more information and stay updated, join our Google Classroom using the code "tvlbrlr." We look forward to seeing you there!
Green Steam Club
Come join Green STEAM Wednesdays 3:15-4:15pm in Room 313! Green STEAM connects Chute's garden with science, technology, engineering, art and math. We do sustainability projects, garden, cook delicious recipes with food we grew, do experiments, and create art. This school year we will be designing and making a mural for our butterfly garden next to the parking lot!