McClure Messages

Last week the weather was perfect, the tunes were jamming, and the vibes were all fun at the Student Council Rainbow Rally. We had lots of students come out to enjoy the evening and get colorful. A big thanks to our Student Council sponsors, Mr. Yena and Mrs. Castillo, and all of our teacher volunteers and Dr. Coffey for giving up a Friday night to build our McClure community with this awesome event.

Please come join us next Wednesday evening for a presentation from Karilyn Orr from the Attorney General's Office. ALL D101 parents are invited, so please feel free to spread the word about this event.

We'll see you at 6:30pm in the McClure Gym on Wednesday Sept 25!

The Parent Council Car wash is a great opportunity for kids to volunteer for their school community. We spend a few hours washing cars and raising fund for Parent Council and the many things they support at McClure. It's a great time with music and sunshine, AND we get to use the fire hoses!

Students interested in volunteering should sign up by clicking the flyer below.

Ultimate Frisbee is back! This parent-run club is back for another year. If you haven't played Ultimate Frisbee, imagine football with frisbees but no contact, or soccer where you can't run with the ball, you have to pass it. It's a fast paced game, but very welcoming to all ages and abilities.

If you are a Veteran yourself OR have a family member, neighbor, or close friend who is a Veteran, we would love to honor them on November 11th by inviting them to attend our District Veteran's Day assembly, hosted at McClure this year. Please share the RSVP link below with veterans to attend. Alternatively, interested honorees can email Principal Laura Broadnax at lbroadnax@d101.org to RSVP as well. We ask that EACH veteran complete the form below AND include a picture (in uniform if possible). We invite all honorees to attend a welcome reception on November 11th at 2:00PM and then stay to be honored at our All School Assembly at 2:40PM here at McClure. All honorees are welcome to bring one guest to attend as well.

Additionally, if you were a veteran or there are veterans in your family who will not be able to attend, please fill out form below so McClure may honor those individuals in our photo collage.

If you know multiple veterans, you may submit the form multiple times - one for each individual.

RSVPS & PHOTO SUBMISSIONS DUE FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1.

For 6th and 7th grade yearbook photos all ordering and forms are online and done after photos are taken. Students simply need to arrive ready for photos on the 27th, as we'll call students down in the morning to the photographers. No paperwork is handled in the office for yearbook photos.

We hope to see students in attendance at this week's Pack the Place events cheering on tour girls basketball teams on Wednesday and Friday!

Etiquette for After School Events

1. All spectators/participants are asked to follow rules of good sportsmanship. We reserve the right to remove anyone from the gym for poor sportsmanship.

• Gum, food, and drink are not allowed in the gymnasium.
• Booing, loud whistling, and pounding on the stands are not allowed.
• Objects may not be thrown onto the playing floor.
• Students must remain quiet during free throws/serves.
• Students must keep off the playing floor at all times.

2. McClure students are encouraged to sit upstairs.

3. The gym will be open at 3:45 p.m. for spectators. Students may leave the building to take books home and then return to school.

4. Students who are ineligible to attend after-school events may not attend games. Students who have not been in attendance during the school day may not attend an extra-curricular event on that day.

5. An adult must accompany small children.

6. The upstairs hallway, the first floor North hallway, and the hallway beyond Room 103 are off-limits. The balcony door is to be used only in an emergency. All locker rooms are off-limits to spectators.

7. A washroom is available near the main office.

8. Refreshments may sometimes be sold during half times and between games in the foyer. No food or drinks may leave the foyer area.

9. Students who need to be picked up after the games should make arrangements for rides ahead of time.

If you are wondering how best to approach the concepts and conversations around cell phones, smart watches, social media, and online health and safety - this D101 parent guide is a summary of research that can help get you started.

September

9/24/24………….Tornado/Inclement Weather Drill, 9:50am

9/25/24........... Half Day of School (Student dismissal 11:52am)

9/25/24........... Guest Speaker on Cyberbullying and Online Safety ( Parent presentation, 6:30pm)

9/27/24........... 6th/7th Yearbook Pictures

9/27/24........... 7th/8th grade Fortnightly

9/27/24........... Jr. High Band Night at LT Football game

9/29/24........... Parent Council Car Wash, 9am - 12pm

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9/30/24........... Band and Orchestra ILMEA auditions due

October

10/3/24........... Jazz Band and Alternative Strings auditions

10/4/24........... Ice Cream Friday, Raise Right orders due

10/8/24........... Bus Evacuation Drill (starts Period 2)

10/10/24........... Fall Student Climate Survey in 10th period

10/11/24........... Teacher Institute Day (no attendance for students)

10/11/24........... Yom Kippur

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10/14/24........... No School

10/18/24........... Fortnightly

The Student/Parent Handbook is a great place to go as a first stop for questions you might have about the day to day operations and policies at McClure.

This week's highlight: Lunch Delivery Services

It has become a bit of a trend that we have delivery services bringing lunches to students during the day. This has caused several issues on a regular basis:

1. It is not preferred to have additional delivery people around and in the school. Even if just in the main office.
2. Bags of food are frequently dropped at a random door by a delivery service, and not delivered to the main entrance. We do not have the capability to search the property for a lunch a student thinks was dropped off, and students will not be allowed to walk the perimeter to search for a lunch.
3. Lunches are not typically labeled in a way that makes it easy to get to the correct student. Meals have gotten mixed up, with the wrong student eating a lunch intended for someone else.
4. Lunches are not always delivered on time for a student's lunch period. Missing class-time in order to eat later is problematic.

Students should please bring their lunch to school with them each day (with the exception of Fun Lunch days). Thank you for your help in maintaining smooth daily operation by encouraging and assisting kids in bringing their lunch. If a lunch needs to be dropped off on rare occasion, a parent bringing the lunch to the grade level drawers in the vestibule is preferred. Thank you!

There is nothing that feeds a teacher's soul more than a thank you. If at any point you'd like to send a teacher or staff member a note of appreciation, this is one way to acknowledge the way they have positively impacted you or your child's experience at McClure. Click the button below to go to a quick form and the staff member will receive your note on a lovely digital stationary in their inbox.

Imagine how rich you would be if you earned 5 cents every time you said ‘pay attention’ or ‘listen to me’ to your child or learner to get them to engage with you.

Listening is one of the most critical skills for so many aspects of life, but especially for school and following directions at home.

And we often forget that it is actually a very difficult task, especially for neuro-unique children/teens who might require support to understand and advocate for how their brain and body listen best.

So let’s stop expecting them to engage when we tell them to ‘pay attention’ or ‘listen.’ Instead, join us to gain a deeper understanding and learn practical tools to help your neurodivergent child thrive this school year, especially in processing, regulating, and executive functioning.

We are here to help! Our extended LIVE Zoom workshop, ‘Empower Listening and Learning at Home and School: Back to School Edition,’ is back by popular demand on WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25th, at 9:30 AM PT / 12:30 PM ET, just in time to lay the foundation for a successful school year.

Led by SLP and Social-Emotional coach Elizabeth Sautter and Speech and Language Pathologist Sarah Ward, this workshop will equip you with the tools and mindset to:

• Understand how your child listens best, shifting from whole-body listening to whole-body regulation, that encourages genuine engagement and processing.
• Develop practical strategies to enhance your child's learning & memory skills.
• Create a supportive environment at home and school.
• Build your child's resilience to help them navigate listening and engagement challenges

This workshop is perfect for you if you're a parent or educator seeking support for neurodivergent (e.g. ADHD, autism, LD, 2e, etc.) children in a supportive way to build confidence without insecurity or conformity.

Here's what you'll gain inside of this Workshop:

• Live interactive session with Q&A led by experienced professionals.
• Lifetime access to the recording for future reference.
• Valuable handouts and resources, including the Whole Body Listening Bundle.
• Innovative strategies you can implement immediately to see positive changes.

Don’t miss this opportunity to turn your back-to-school worries into a success plan that helps your child or student thrive. Let's work together to create an inclusive, supportive, and engaging learning environment that celebrates neurodiversity.

Click here to register and take the first step towards a more confident and engaged school year.

McClure Junior High

4225 Wolf Road

Western Springs, IL 60558

Main Office Phone Number: (708) 246-7590

Office Fax Number: (708) 246-4370

Attendance Email: mjhattendance@d101.org

Principal Laura Broadnax: lbroadnax@d101.org

Assistant Principal Thomas Sturm: tsturm@d101.org