Spartan Weekly

News from Glen Crest Middle School: September 22, 2024

From the principal

It has been a great four weeks of school; we are really excited about the group of students we have this year! Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns. I hope everyone had a great weekend!

Brett McPherson

Glen Crest Principal

bmcpherson@ccsd89.org

Parent-teacher conference links open September 28

6th-8th grade: Registration for parent-teacher conferences will open at noon on Saturday, September 28. You can find the link and directions to register on our website under parent resources. The registration window will close at noon on October 8.

5th grade math students: You will not be able to register online. You can call our main office (630-469-5220) and speak with Mrs. Scobee beginning on Friday, September 27. She will schedule you over the phone.

Trimester 1 mid-term grades: September 27

Trimester 1 mid-term grades will be available to view in PowerSchool beginning at 3 p.m. on Friday, September 27. We do not send home a paper copy for mid-term grades. If you need login information for PowerSchool, please contact our main office at (630) 469-5220.

Lost and found items will be donated at end of month

At the end of each month, we will be donating any items left in the lost and found. Please encourage your students to check the lost and found in Spartan Hall if they have any lost items! For this month, we will be donating any items left after school on Monday, September 30.

MAP and ISA test scores info

We sent home MAP (Measure of Academic Progress) scores for all students on Friday, September 20. For sixth grade students only, we also sent home ISA (Illinois Science Assessment) scores from last spring. If you have any questions, please let me know.

Club information

Dungeons & Dragons

Dungeons & Dragons will be Tuesday, September 24, after school in the library. Parents, please look for an email from Mrs. O’Connell with a link to a permission form which will allow your students to access a D&D website while in the club after school.

Student Leadership Coalition

Calling all student leaders! Do you want to make a difference at Glen Crest? Do you want to represent the voices of the students? Our next Student Leadership Coalition meeting is Thursday, September 26, at 2:45 p.m. in Mrs. Cunningham’s room (304). See Mrs. Cunningham or Mr. Wolf for questions. All are welcome!

Intramurals

Sixth grade intramural flag-football will begin on Monday, September 23, and run every day after school through Friday, October 4. All sixth grade students are invited to participate. Intramural flag football will begin at 2:40 p.m. and end at 3:25 p.m. Students who regularly take a bus will be able to take the late bus home after intramurals. Email Mrs. Nordlund with any questions at KNordlund@ccsd89.org

PTC updates

Glen Crest spiritwear

Check out our school's online store! You can choose your own spirit wear from the many styles and designs, items shipped right to your door. Please visit www.glencrestspiritwear.com for more details.

Workplace giving: Support our school and PTC through workplace giving!

We're excited to announce a new way to support our school and donate to the PTC through the Benevity platform! Benevity offers an easy option to set up automated one-time or recurring gifts (yes, they are tax deductible), and if your employer offers matching donations, your impact can go even further!

To give, simply check if your employer participates in workplace giving and follow their instructions to make a donation.

The PTC is currently set up to receive donations through the Benevity giving program however, if your employer uses a different program (e.g. United Way, etc.), please email the PTC (glencrestptc@gmail.com) the name of the program, and we will get Glen Crest PTC setup to receive donations from there as well!

Title I annual parent meeting: 5:30 p.m. October 3

Title I is a federally funded program that provides assistance to schools. The funding is based on census and poverty levels each year. The Illinois Department of Education allocates money to each school district based on that data.

At 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, October 3, Glen Crest Middle School will be holding an optional parent meeting in Spartan Hall to describe the Title I program, how it works, and how it relates to our school-improvement goals.

Lip Sync Battle: October 4

Our Drama Club will be hosting a Lip Sync Battle at 6 p.m. on Oct. 4. Please note: this date has been moved from September 27 to October 4 due to a conflict on the Sept. 27. See flyer for details.

Sixth-grade health forms information

As a reminder, all sixth graders are required to turn in an updated physical form by October 15. This physical needs to be completed on the State of Illinois Child Examination form and must list their up-to-date immunizations. At the age of 11, the State of Illinois requires children to receive Tdap and meningococcal. These should also be listed on their immunization form.

The physical could have taken place any time after August 23, 2023, and will cover the student for sports. A sports physical does not cover for the 6th grade requirement.

Questions? Look on the District’s website under Department-> Health Services-> Sixth Grade regulations or email nlenocker@ccsd89.org

2024-25 yearbooks will be ordered online from Lifetouch

We are going to do our yearbook orders a little bit differently this year. Orders will be placed online directly with Lifetouch, which is the company we work with to develop the yearbook. We hope to have this information available for parents on supply pick up days. See the flyer for details.

2024-25 school calendar

The 2024-25 school calendar was approved by the Board of Education. Below are some important dates for 2024-25:

October 4: Lip Sync Battle (6-8 p.m)
October 7: Picture re-takes
October 8: Sport/Club picture day
October 9: PreACT (8th grade only)
October 10: Parent-teacher conferences - evening
October 11: Parent-teacher conferences - day
December 21-January 3, 2025: Winter break
February 27, 2025: Parent-teacher conferences - evening
March 31 to April 4 , 2025: Spring break
May 30, 2025: Last day of school (half day), if no emergency days are used
June 2-June 6, 2025: Emergency days

FirstView app helps families keep up with bus travel

Many CCSD 89 families can now track their student’s bus trips to and from school through the free FirstView busing app. Parents can download the FirstView app, which will show an estimated number of minutes until the bus will arrive at a bus stop and when buses arrive at school. Families should search for “FirstView” on the app store. (Note: there is also a “FirstView 1.0” app that will not show CCSD 89 bus routes.)

The app is not available for special education (Hopewell) transportation, early or late buses, or student field trips. Learn more: www.ccsd89.org/busapp

Parent Series: The many ways of unconditional love (September 24)

At noon and 7 p.m. on Tuesday, September 24, Yale professor and Pulitzer finalist Dr. Andrew Solomon will discuss how family members who love each other can struggle to accept each other – and how parents find generosity and acceptance. This is a free online presentation through the GPS Parent Series. More info: https://bit.ly/3TzIpAG

All families welcome to try bocce ball at event hosted by CCSD 89 Special Olympics

All students and families are invited to try bocce ball at an inclusive event hosted by CCSD 89 Special Olympics. The event will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. on Friday, October 18, at Glen Crest Middle School. At the event, students and their families will get a chance to learn about and play bocce ball. This free event is open to all families. Learn more: https://bit.ly/4etlPBA

Support music in schools by volunteering with Music Boosters

The CCSD 89 Music Boosters support elementary and middle-school music classes, bands, choirs, and orchestras. The Boosters have two annual fundraisers - holiday wreaths and Music Café - which support the instrument purchases, scholarships, guest teachers, transportation, and more. Volunteers are needed to make these events possible. Sign up and learn more at: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe86MT1zo23YMfEsKvXZqAHcsaudvqDfgmKVbNGPPaq2Nwblw/viewform

Families can link MySchoolBucks, PowerSchool accounts

Families can now link their MySchoolBucks account to their PowerSchool account. MySchoolBucks is used to pay for various school items, including lunch and fees. Families that used MySchoolBucks last year may have already linked their accounts. While you can log in to MySchoolBucks separately, linking the accounts provides a single sign-on many users find convenient. Learn more: https://bit.ly/3Mf7PiV

Families can call school’s main number to report an absence

Parents who need to report their student’s absence can call the school’s general number, then press 1. To reach the nurse, press 2. The main office can be reached by pressing 3.

Tips for a productive parent-teacher conference

Fall conferences will be held in the evening on Thursday, October 10, and during the day on Friday, October 11. More information will be shared about scheduling time with your student’s teacher closer to the conference dates. Conferences are a great opportunity to learn more about your child’s experiences at school and how you can help at home. If you are looking for ideas on preparing for conferences or sample questions to ask, Colorín Colorado has created some helpful guides. English Español ردو हिन्दी

Students can request library kit to honor veterans

Students can honor a veteran in their life by requesting a kit from the Glen Ellyn Public Library. The kit will help students collect service details and create a thank-you card. Kits turned in by October 25 will be displayed in the library for Veterans Day. More info: https://bit.ly/3XzDwtL

Students, families can report crises and threats through Safe2Help

Students and families can confidentially call, email, or text the Safe2Help tip line to report bullying, threats, or classmates in crisis. Students or families can call (844) 4-SAFE-IL, (which is 844-472-3345); text SAFE2 (which is 72332); email Help@Safe2HelpIL.com; or submit tips through the online form. Safe2Help submissions are monitored every hour of every day. More info: https://bit.ly/3BPxObO

UPCOMING EVENTS

September 23: Board of Education meeting, 7 p.m.

September 24: Parent Series: The many ways of unconditional love, noon and 7 p.m.

September 30: Parent Series: A new term for ADHD, noon and 7 p.m.

October 1: Parent Series: “બાળકોને શારીરિક અને માનસિક રીતે મજબૂત બનાવવા માટે ના માતા પિતા ને માર્ગદર્શન, 7 p.m.