Email: em-office@d64.org
Website: https://www.d64.org/ems
Location: 8101 North Cumberland Avenue, Niles, IL, USA

Student Portal - TLC Schedule

Dear Emerson Families,

I want to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude for the support and dedication of our wonderful school community. This time of year offers us an opportunity to reflect on the many things for which we are thankful. I am deeply grateful for our students, who bring enthusiasm, curiosity, and kindness to our classrooms each day. I am also thankful for our dedicated staff, whose passion for education inspires and nurtures the growth of each child. Finally, I want to extend my appreciation to you, our families, for your continued partnership in helping our school thrive.

I hope you all enjoy a joyful, restful holiday with your loved ones, filled with warmth and gratitude.

All the Best,

Tessa

We have confirmed that the promotion ceremony for the Emerson Middle School Class of 2025 will be held on Tuesday, May 27th at 5:30 pm. The ceremony will take place in the Maine East High School auditorium.

Eighth grade students will only attend a half day of school on Tuesday, May 27th and will be running through a promotion practice at Maine East at 9am. It is very important that your student is in attendance that morning.

We will be coordinating after-school transportation on this day for the early release. To assist in this coordination with our bus service provider, we will be surveying parents in the coming months to confirm your student’s transportation needs.

As a note, each student will ONLY receive 4 tickets to promotion this year due to the size of the promoting class and the capacity of the auditorium. There will not be a waitlist for tickets. We are unable to accommodate any requests for extra tickets.

May 27th, will be the final day for 8th grade students to be in attendance.

Please complete this Google Form. We need some important information regarding your student to aid in the planning of this special event. This information is also needed to make sure we order the correct size Promotion Gown (no caps are used) for the event provided by District 64.

More information will come as soon as we get closer, but for now, save the date. We look forward to celebrating with you.

A few other important dates to take note of for 8th Graders are as follows:

8th Grade Trip to Maine South to see Anastasia: April 29, 2025 (tentative)

8th Grade Promotion Dance: May 16, 2025

Great America Trip: May 21, 2025 (tentative)

If you have any questions, please email our Administrative Assistant, Melissa Arnos in the main office at marnos@d64.org.

Monday 11/18 - Math Room 209, LA Room 109

Tuesday 11/19 - Math Room 301, LA Room 102

Thursday 11/21 - Math Room 301, LA Room , Science/Social Studies Room 107

In ASSP, you can get help in math, language arts and miscellaneous (science and social studies) with a teacher from 3:05-4:00 PM. Come to ASSP if you need to:

• prepare for a test

• get questions answered from your homework

• review a concept that you missed or confuses you

• finish that writing assignment

Did you hear the buzz??? The (Spelling) Bee is back!

The Emerson Spelling Bee will take place on Friday, January 10, in the LRC at 3:10 PM. See the fliers for more details and to register your student. For questions, please email Mrs. Contreras (kcontreras@d64.org).

Thank you!

Mrs. Katie Contreras

School Librarian

Emerson Middle School

Park Ridge-Niles SD 64

Trimester 1 Report Cards are now available on the PowerSchool Parent Portal. Please click HERE for directions on accessing your child’s online report card.

After viewing online, you will be asked to digitally sign off that you have viewed your child’s report card.

If you wish to receive a physical copy of your child’s report card in the Mail, please contact the main office via email at em-secretaries@d64.org.

n celebration of Veterans Day, students paid homage to the men and women who have served and are serving our country by learning about the Honor Flight Chicago program. This program helps ensure the veterans going on an Honor Flight have the best day possible. Emerson students did their part by writing letters for the “Mail Call” portion of the veteran’s experience. This service learning project was a great way for students to demonstrate the behaviors of our S.O.A.R.S. Behavior Matrix, especially respect, empathy, and self-awareness.

Please see the communication below for more on this and all the other SOARS events students participated in last month.

This Wednesday, 6th grade students had the opportunity to participate in a Book Break with author Sharon Draper. Sharon M. Draper is a passionate writer and educator who believes in the power of big dreams. She is a five-time winner of the Coretta Scott King Literary Awards, four-time winner of the International Reading Association Young Adult Choice Books, recipient of the Margaret A. Edwards Award for lifetime literary achievement, winner of the Charlotte Huck Award, nominated for an NAACP award, National Teacher of the Year, and Out of My Mind was named one of TIME Magazine’s 100 Most Influential Books of All Time. Sharon’s professional writing journey began when a student challenged her to enter a short story contest!

The main focus of her talk was Out of My Mind which is a popular title in the Emerson LRC and soon to be Disney+ movie (Nov. 22 release - check out the trailer here). Out of My Mind tells the story of Melody, an eleven-year-old girl with cerebral palsy who is unable to speak or move. Despite her challenges, Melody is exceptionally intelligent and has a photographic memory. The novel follows her journey as she struggles against the limitations others place on her and fights to be recognized for her abilities. With the help of technology and supportive individuals, Melody finds her voice and proves that she is capable of much more than anyone imagined.

If this title interests you, consider partner reading with your student. It is a powerful reading experience and one of the few books that I recommend to just about everyone. I'm always happy to send home additional copies from our library so families can read together.

If your student has already read Out of My Mind, they can read the next books in the series or try some similar titles.

Students who enjoy connecting with authors are also encouraged to enter Letters About Literature, a statewide reading and writing competition offered by the Illinois State Library’s Illinois Center for the Book. The writing prompt is: "How did an author’s work change your view of the world or yourself?" Check-out the entry form and FAQ for details. The deadline is December 15.

Mrs. Katie Contreras

School Librarian

Emerson Middle School

Park Ridge-Niles SD 64

Join D64 and Dr. Devorah Heitner for a discussion on shifting the conversation from just “internet safety” to helping our kids understand who they are. Dr. Heitner is a global speaker on topics such as digital well-being, parenting, screen time, digital citizenship, mindful technology use, and raising empathetic children in a connected world.

The event is for parents/guardians and will be on Tuesday, December 3rd at 6 pm inside the Hendee Rooms at the Jefferson Early Childhood Center (8200 W Greendale Ave, Niles).

Click here to RSVP or scan the above QR code.

With the passing of the D64 Referendum, the District Office has released revised calendars for the 2025/2026 and 2026/2027 school years.

You can always find the most up-to-date calendars on our website.

Dear Future Maine South Parents/Guardians,

It is with great excitement and pleasure to officially welcome the Class of 2029 to Maine South

High School! We hope you and your child are as excited to be a part of the Maine South

community, as we are honored to have you join the Hawk Family. By now, we hope your child

has settled into their 8th grade year and finds success in their final year of middle school. While it

seems like this school year has just begun, our team at Maine South has been active in planning

for your child’s transition to high school. We understand that this new beginning can be exciting

and stressful at the same time. Our hope is to provide on-going communication and events to

learn more about the amazing opportunities we provide at Maine South and to work together to

support a successful transition into 9th grade and beyond.

Below you will find active links with important information that will help guide you and your child

in navigating the incoming 9th grade transition as it relates to upcoming events for parents and

students, pre-registration, course planning and selection process, activities & athletics fair and

much, much more!

• Class of 2029 page on Maine South’s Website - Please note this webpage will be updated regularly and is a good resource for information throughout the year

• Incoming 9th Grade Event Timeline, Important Contact information and links to RSVP
• Incoming 9th Grade Kick-Off Night: December 5th, 2024 at Maine South - Save the Date

We are so excited to welcome our future Hawks to Maine South High School. We can’t wait to meet

you!

Sincerely,

Maine South High School Administration

Class of 2029 Welcome Night Wednesday, December 4th, 6:00pm-8:00pm: This evening is an open house style event for all incoming 9th grade students and potential 9th grade students and families to learn about Maine East High School, meet our staff and explore the different course options and electives offered at Maine East High School. All families are encouraged to attend.

Building Tours for Parents/Guardians: Scheduled tours are intended for parents/guardians for whom this is their first student to attend Maine East High School. Dates and times are listed below. Families will also have an opportunity to tour Maine East High School during our Class of 2029 Welcome Night on December 4th. Interested parents should complete the Class of 2029 Building Tour Request Form. Any questions can be sent to Laura Tortorello at ltortorello@maine207.org

Tuesday November 12th: 7:40am-8:10am
Tuesday November 19th: 7:40am-8:10am
Tuesday November 26th: 7:40am-8:10am
Tuesday December 10th: 7:40am-8:10am

Maine East staff will visit Emerson Middle School to speak to students about getting ready for high school and sharing information about Maine East High School on November 15, 2024.

Course Selection Meetings with School Counselor: These will take place in January 2025, and information to sign up will be provided in December 2024 to families of students who have enrolled for school.

The Gifted Lyceum Program:

The Gifted Lyceum curriculum is an intensive high school program designed for the academically

gifted individual. It provides our most academically talented students with appropriate instructional

methodology and services that are based on sound research, reinforcing the connections between

and the gaps within the standard curriculum. Students in the program generally test in the top 5% of

their class and many attend prestigious universities where they make a positive impact in our world.

It is a four-year program that challenges students to reach their academic and psychosocial

potential. This program is designed to develop the five minds: disciplined mind, synthesizing mind,

creating mind, respectful mind, and the ethical mind. As underclassmen, students are enrolled in

year-long courses during both freshman and sophomore years that enrich their academic

development beyond the accelerated/AP curriculum. These take the place of one of their electives.

As upperclassmen, they take “Leadership for Life.” These are yearlong courses in both their Junior

and Senior years that emphasize Service Learning and creativity development. Knowing that

students are looking to take a wide range of courses, these classes meet during lunch once a week

to leave their schedule open.

The program enhances the diverse set of rigorous courses available to students and students are

required to enroll in a number of Accelerated, Advanced Placement and/or Dual Credit courses

each year. Although open to all students in District 207, students need to attend Maine East in order

to participate in the program. However, students living in the Maine South or Maine West

attendance area can attend Maine East to participate in the program if they provide their own

transportation.

Maine East High School serves parts of Des Plaines and Park Ridge, along with portions of

Glenview, Morton Grove, and Niles. Maine East educates students who speak approximately 50

different languages; a large percentage of students come from homes where English is not the

primary language. Student enrollment in 2023 was 1816. The student-teacher ratio was 18 to 1.

Average class size was 23. Curriculum offerings at Maine East are extensive, with over 200 courses

offered in ten departments including the fine arts, world languages, and career and technical

education. A rich curriculum and outstanding programs provide students with multiple learning

opportunities.

Gifted Placement Testing:

Interested students scoring in the top 20% in both Math and Reading on the MAP will be invited to

take the Cognitive Abilities Test in December. Decisions regarding placement in the Gifted Lyceum

are finalized in January. If you would like your student to be considered for the Lyceum program,

please contact Greg Reuhs at greuhs@maine207.org as soon as you have Fall 2024 MAP scores.

Website: http://east.maine207.org/gifted-lyceum/

Contact: Greg Reuhs greuhs@maine207.org