Blue Jay Buzz

In this issue you will find:

New Info

• Community Corner
• Upcoming Dates
• Weekly Tech Tip (NEW)
• Save the Date : Chasing Childhood Film Screening @ Caruso (NEW)
  
• Reminder: Health Information Due Soon! (reminder)
  
• Upcoming Safety Exercise (reminder)
  
• Health Curriculum (reminder)
• Spirit Days!
• PTO Upcoming Events
• DHS - Chicago Bears Middle School Flag Football Clinic (FREE Event!)
• DHS - Trunk or Treat

Old News:

• Fall Parent Teacher Conferences
• Deerfield Parent Network Event
• Spirit Theme Days!
• Wrestling is Coming!
• CALENDAR ALERT: Day of school added on Monday, March 3, 2025
• Spirit Wear
• Traffic Flow
• Cellphones, Medication, Attendance, Tardiness to school
• PTO Information (Marla's lunch)

9/27/2024 Newsletter

9/20/2024 Newsletter

9/13/2024 Newsletter

9/6/2024 Newsletter

Mark T. Schwarz - Principal - mschwarz@dps109.org

Donnie Castans - Associate Principal - dcastans@dps109.org

Marcia Klita - Director for Student Services - mklita@dps109.org

There are lots of amazing things happening at Caruso. Take a look!

The Caruso Cross Country team isn't just about running, it's also about connecting . The team recently held its annual Dash and Dine. The runners invited their parents to join them on their morning run, and followed it up with breakfast.

Chris Bennie & Johnny Clutter Qualified for the IESA State Meet! Chris took 1st at sectional with a PR 10:18.8 & Johnny Took 17th with a PR 11:55.7

Congrats to the Caruso Soccer team for advancing to the Semi-Finals!!

Last week the Caruso 7th & 8th Grade Bands participated in the annual Deerfield Band-O-Rama! This was an awesome opportunity for students from Caruso, Shepard, and Bannockburn to work and perform with the Deerfield High School marching band. They took a field trip in the morning to rehearse at DHS, then performed a concert that same evening. Let's Go Band!

Monday, October 14th

• No School

Tuesday, October 15th

• Picture Retake
• ALICE safety exercise training (see below for more information)

Thursday, October 17th 9-9:40AM

• Coffee @ Caruso

Wednesday, October 23rd

• Donation Day at Shake Shack 10:30AM-9PM

Thursday, October 24th and Friday, October 25th

• Parent Teacher Conferences (sign-up here)

While we encourage everyone to limit time spent on devices, we understand that these tools can foster meaningful connections when used wisely. However, in today’s digital age, it can be difficult to stay informed about the latest apps and trends to ensure your child's online safety. We want to do our part in supporting students and families in the various ways they can implement security settings on their children’s devices and monitor time spent online. What better time to introduce these tech tips than October, Cybersecurity Awareness Month! Throughout the school year, we will feature practical technology tips in our newsletters, offering fresh ideas for families to use at home developed by our own Student Resource Officer, Lauren Maldonado, and our Innovations Specialist, Maria Galanis.

Join us on Tuesday, October 29, at 6:30 p.m. in the Caruso Middle School auditorium for a special screening of Chasing Childhood. This thought-provoking documentary explores the decline of free play and independence in children’s lives, replaced by a culture of perfectionism that has fueled increasing rates of anxiety and depression. An RSVP form will be sent out in the coming weeks. We look forward to seeing you there!

Reminder: Health Information Due Soon!

It is very important that we have the most up-to-date health information for your child. There are some important deadlines coming up soon.

PHYSICALS: All new students, Early Learners, kindergarteners, and 6th graders must have an updated health form on file by October 15th, or they will be excluded from school.

EYE EXAMS: Kindergarteners and new students must have an updated eye exam on file by October 15th, or they will be excluded from school.

DENTAL EXAM: All new students, kindergarteners, 2nd graders, and 6th graders must have an updated dental exam on file by May 15th of this school year.

Get more information by clicking here.

You received an email earlier this week notifying families about our upcoming safety exercise on October 15th. As a reminder:

• Students in grades K-3 will read the book I’m Not Scared, I’m Prepared, followed by a discussion with their teacher.

• Students in grades 4-8 will watch a short screencast reviewing the components of ALICE, followed by a discussion on how to respond in various situations.

If you have any questions about ALICE or safety procedures at your child’s school, please contact our Director of Safety and Security, Solveig Jurmu (sjurmu@dps109.org), or reach out to your building principal.

As part of the Physical Education/Health curriculum at Caruso Middle School, your child will take part in lessons designed to develop life-long health habits. Topics are aligned with the National Health Education Standards (NHES), which are designed to help establish, promote and support health-enhancing behaviors. Middle school units of instruction are as follows:

• Social and Emotional Health (6th Grade)
• Nutrition (6th Grade)
• Mental Health (7th Grade)
• Injury Prevention & Safety (7th Grade)
• Violence Prevention (8th Grade)
• Substance Abuse & Prevention (8th Grade)

Specific sexual health topics are addressed in partnership with outside agencies. In February, 8th grade classrooms partner with Candor Health for a live virtual session called Teen Sexual Health. Similar to the 5th grade session titled Puberty I, an on-demand parent webinar will be provided prior and an opt-out made available. In April, speakers from Childhood Victories, Inc. provide age-appropriate presentations focused on sexual-assault and abuse awareness (Erin’s Law). This program occurs for all grades and an opt-out is made available. While not a stand-alone unit, sexual health topics may be discussed in Health classrooms as a result of student questions or in connection to related topics. If parents/guardians have questions or concerns, they should email their child’s PE teacher.

Sign ups for parent-teacher conferences are live Please click here for more information on how to sign-up. Thank you for your grace and flexibility with this process. We are looking into a more smoother process in the future. Please reach out directly to your child's teacher with any questions.

Due to the unexpected cancellation of school following the recent storms on August 28, 2024, DPS 109 will have to make up that day of school on Monday, March 3rd, 2025. The Board of Education just approved the calendar change last night and it has been updated on our website today. Please plan accordingly.

Parking and Traffic Guidelines

Please be mindful of the surrounding residences when parking. This includes:

• Avoiding blocking driveways or fire hydrants.
• Parking close to the curb to ensure that school buses and emergency vehicles, such as ambulances, can easily pass through.

Additionally, U-turns at the end of Montgomery Dr. are not permitted to avoid entering the Caruso Circle around the school. This area experiences heavy foot traffic, especially during dismissal times, so please proceed with caution and be considerate.

Please note that school buses are on a tight schedule, so your cooperation is greatly appreciated.

Cell phones will be off and away in lockers from 8:00 am - 3:00 pm every day (8:00 am - 2:00 pm on early release Wednesdays). Here's the why: This will help our students focus on their learning, build relationships with those around them, and hopefully disconnect from the anxiety that comes from even just having a phone in the pocket, wondering what notifications they are missing.

If students are using their phones during the school day, they will be instructed to bring their phone to the main office. There will be a progressive response when this occurs that resets each semester:

First and Second Occurrence: Email home and student picks up phone at the end of the school day.

Third Occurrence: Parent/guardian must come pick the phone up from school. Student will serve a lunch reflection.

Fourth Occurrence +: Parent/guardian must come pick the phone up from school. Student will also drop phone off at office each morning. Student will serve an after-school reflection.

MUST be wired and are not used during passing periods.

A student who fails to meet the expectations will be asked to comply with them and may be subject to a verbal warning or behavior check in.

Backpacks must be kept in students’ lockers throughout the school day unless it is a documented accommodation. They will not be traveling from class to class. Here's the why: We do not have room in our classrooms to safely store backpacks without having a tripping/fire hazard, and—by keeping backpacks in lockers—we have a wonderful opportunity to teach and reinforce important executive functioning skills with material organization, case-its, and other organizational tools.

We ask that you try to limit student deliveries during the school day. We will not be allowing and/or accepting any DoorDash or similar delivery options for any student under any circumstances. All deliveries will be refused. Families are welcome to drop off lunches themselves. We have extra Chromebooks, chargers, and copies of books here at Caruso, so it is not necessary to drop what you're doing and run these items to school. If something is truly needed during the day, we ask that you bring it in to the front entrance, label it with your student's name and grade, and leave it on the Drop Off table in the vestibule. We will then bring it into the office for your student to pick it up. Please note, students are not permitted to order their own lunches during the school day. If you order/bring lunch for your student, please do not provide food for other students.

If arriving between 7:30 and 7:45, students should enter at the north side of the building at the Athletics Entrance. Students will wait until 7:45 to head to class. If a student needs to see a teacher before school, they will need to present a pass/note/email from the teacher to do so.

After 7:45, students should utilize the following entrances:

All students riding the bus: Athletics Entrance (north side of building)

6th Grade - Front Door (south side of building)

7th Grade - 7th Grade Door, north side of building (walk down sidewalk towards building)

8th Grade - 8th Grade Door, west side of building

Students should enter and exit vehicles only on the passenger side and on to the sidewalk or grass, and once you drop off, please keep moving.

Respect the staff working and please follow their directions. They are doing all they can to keep all students and staff safe.

When the weather is beautiful, we have many students who walk or ride their bikes to school. When the weather is less than ideal, many more students are driven. Please ensure that you leave home early enough to account for the increased volume of traffic. It is expected that students are in class at 8:00 AM ready to learn.

Students entering after 8:00 AM must do so through the main office and will receive a tardy pass.

If you are picking up your student during the school day, please buzz the front door and we will call your student down for dismissal.

Please help us be good neighbors, and do not turn around in driveways in the neighborhood.

Please do not send any medication, over-the-counter pain pills (Tylenol/Advil/aspirin), or cough drops with your students. State law prohibits students from taking medication at school outside of the nurse's office with a doctors' note on file. We will confiscate any meds found outside of the nurse's office. Contact our school nurse Ms. Gwen Dowell gdowell@dps109.org

Attendance:

If your student will not be in school, please report the absence to the health office by phone ((847) 945-8430 x6103) or email (carusoattendance@dps109.org) before 8:00 am. If you do not contact our school nurse by this time, she will contact you at home or at work to ascertain your child’s whereabouts. Children must be fever free for 24 hours before returning to school. Students will only be dismissed to a parent or legal guardian, or to emergency contacts designated in Family Access.

Student Tardiness to School:

Students who arrive late are greatly disadvantaged because they miss starting the day with their peers and miss out on the instruction given at the beginning of class. This means that they are often unsettled and confused about tasks, resulting in reduced achievement, regardless of academic ability. It is also very important that students establish good routines and habits in preparation for the rest of their lives. Punctuality is a life skill that is important to develop.

Tardiness to school will be unexcused even if a family member brings the student(s) to school. Oversleeping, missing the bus, car/traffic problems, etc. are all unexcused. Tardies are excusable under the following circumstances: personal illness of student, serious illness or death in the family, a doctor/dentist/professional appointment (a note or phone call from a parent or a professional), family emergencies, and religious holidays.

School begins promptly at 8:00 am. Students are expected to be in class ready to learn by 8:00 am. If students are not in the classroom, they will be sent to the office for a pass. The consequences for tardiness are as follows:

• Tardy #1: No consequence

• Tardy #2: Warning and a phone call home

• Tardy #3 & 4: Student will be assigned to the after school Reflection Room.

• Tardy #5: Return with a family member. A family member must meet with a member of the administrative team and the student to discuss intervention measures going forward.

• Please note: at the beginning of each quarter, students’ tardies will be reset to zero.

Student Tardies to Class:

Students are expected to be in class, in their seats, ready to learn at the start of class. Students who who don't abide by this will receive a check-in.

PTO Facebook Page

Join us for coffee @ 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.

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