McKenzie Monitor

Register Now for the 2025-26 Academic Year

Registration remains open for the 2025-26 academic year. Registering your child(ren) now helps us to staff our schools with the correct number of class sections and the very best teachers around! Please help us plan to continue this excellence by completing your registration now.

• ALL students must register, including new and returning students. Additional information regarding returning and new student enrollment is available online.

• Registration for returning students can be completed via the PowerSchool Parent Portal and choose “registration.”

• Registration for our new full-day kindergarten program is open now, as well. Kindergarten registration numbers are crucial to our planning for kindergarten sections and staffing. If you have an incoming kindergartener or know someone who does, please encourage completion of the registration process as soon as possible.

• Registration is also open for our Lechner Early Education Program (LEEP) for three- and four-year-old preschool program.

• Our 2025-26 academic year calendar is available online.

Parent Education Events

If you missed our most recent Parent Education event titled “Parenting Kids with Big Emotions and Big Behaviors,” a recording of this outstanding presentation is now available online. At the request of the presenter, this recording will only be available for one more week.This presentation, which is geared towards parents with children in grades PK-3, helps equip parents with tools to parent with respect, respond rather than react to your child(ren)’s upsets and tantrums, and support your child(ren) without losing patience.

Mark your calendar for our next Parent Ed presentation, “The Play Paradox: Why Raising Brilliant Kids Is Easier and Harder Than We Realize,” set for Wednesday, April 9 at 11 am. Registration for this event is open now. Please visit our Parent Education webpage for our full schedule of events as well as archived recordings of past events.

District 39 Summer Enrichment Program Registration – CLOSES TOMORROW

The registration window for our D39 Summer Enrichment Program remains open until Friday (March 21)! Families who register before the March 21 window will be guaranteed a spot in their preferred course(s). Those who register after the Friday deadline will be placed on a waiting list.

This fun and educational program runs from July 2-31 and offers a variety of academic and interest-based courses for students currently in grades K-7. This year, courses for students in grades K-3 will be held at McKenzie Elementary School while programs for students currently in grades 4-7 will be held at Highcrest Middle School. Please view our list of offered courses and visit our D39 Summer Enrichment Program website for more details on this wonderful summer option.

Board of Education Meeting

The Board of Education gathered on Monday evening for its monthly business meeting. During the meeting, the Board approved Mr. Anthony Haduch, as the next Principal of Highcrest Middle School. The Board also welcomed preschoolers from the District 39 LEEP program to lead the Pledge, celebrated the accomplishments of our Highcrest and WJHS MathCounts teams, and heard committee and liaison reports. Agendas and materials for Board of Education meetings are posted online the Friday prior to the meeting.

Don’t forget!

• The CSCI Survey is live until 3/28. Make your opinions heard on important issues relating to school culture here.

• Registration is open for current students and rising kindergarteners! Please register as soon as possible!

Read before your spring closet cleanout! Carman-Buckner needs the following items ASAP: Boys Shirts (Youth M-Adult M), Boys Sweatpants (YM-AM), Boys Sweatshirts (YM-AM), Girls Pant (YM-AS), Sneakers (12-3 unisex colors). Look for collection boxes outside McKenzie 3/31-4/11. Collect clothes as you collect money for Read-a-Thon! Direct questions to Amanda aadams1883@gmail.com

Speaking of Read-a-Thon: Get ready for this year's Read-a-Thon taking place 4/7-4/21! The funds raised during this year’s Read-A-Thon will be used to purchase Thanksgiving meal gift cards for the families at our sister school, Carman-Buckner. We hope this important cause motivates our community to contribute and our kids to read!

The McKenzie Garden Opens April 11!

Please consider signing up to help in the McKenzie garden! The garden is a special place at McKenzie and is open for recess during the fall and spring on Mondays and Fridays. Parent volunteers are needed to help facilitate activities for students. A member of the garden committee is always present as a point person for volunteers. No green thumb needed-just a willingness to volunteer for about an hour.

Garden activities might include: simple garden tasks (weeding, watering, raking, sweeping), lawn games, crafts, chalk, etc. Sign up today, and thanks!

• Sign up for Kindergarten here
• Sign up for 1-4 here

PS. If you’re interested in gardening, check out this upcoming workshop from our partners at the Talking Farm!

LOST AND FOUND CORNER!

Have you checked out our virtual lost and found yet? It’s also accessible via the PTA website under "Parent Resources". Please bookmark it and check often! We will try to update photos once every week or two. (And you or your children are also always welcome to check the lost and found on the shelves in the cafeteria.)

BECOME A TRUSTEE WITH D39 EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION

The D39 Educational Foundation is seeking enthusiastic and committed volunteers to serve on the Foundation’s Board of Trustees for the 2025-2026 school year and beyond. Please contact Beth Karnes by Monday, April 7th at boarddev@d39foundation.org for more information.

The cafeteria needs volunteers to help us power through to Spring Break! The SignUpGenius is open through the end of the year, but extra help in the next few weeks would make a big difference—sign up here!

PASS39:

Pass39 Monthly Parents’ Coffee is on the 2nd Friday of every month from 9:30-11:30am at Panera in The Shops at Old Orchard Place. No RSVP required. Call 312.533.1340 with questions.

Volunteer Opportunities:

Cafeteria Sign-Up for Jan-June 2025 is live: Click HERE to sign up.

Library Sign-Up: HERE.

Sponsor a new library book in honor of your child's birthday! Click HERE for the $20 purchase.

D39 Educational Foundation:

TRIVIA NIGHT IS BACK! Grab your friends and join us for our annual District 39 Educational Foundation Trivia Night on April 5th at the St. Joe’s Gymnasium. Come for the trivia, stay for the socializing. Tables go on sale February 25th at 10:00 a.m.

Act fast, don't miss out on the fun!

Tables for up to 10 adults for $750, limited tables

Doors open at 7pm

BYOB & BYOF (bring your own food)

Theme & costumes encouraged

Prizes for Winners, Best-in-show & Raffle

St. Joseph's School Gym - 1740 Lake Avenue in Wilmette