McKenzie Monitor

Dear McKenzie Families,

We're excited to announce the launch of Principal 100, as we shared at our Curriculum Night Principal Presentation! This initiative focuses on fostering and celebrating positive character traits in our students, encouraging them to become "upstanders" who demonstrate kindness, compassion, gratitude, active listening, teamwork, and courage. Throughout the school day, teachers and staff will be on the lookout for students displaying these qualities. Students who are spotted as upstanders will receive a special ticket and be celebrated in a variety of ways.

You can help reinforce these values at home, too! Talk with your child about what it means to be an upstander. Point out examples of upstander behavior in books, movies, or real-life situations. When you see your child being kind, helpful, or brave, be sure to praise their efforts. You can even role-play different scenarios to help them practice standing up for themselves and others. By working together, we can create a school community where everyone feels safe, respected, and valued.

We look forward to working together to celebrate our McKenzie Cheetahs!

Have a wonderful weekend,

Dana

Our staff is looking forward to parent-teacher conferences on November 21 and 22. These days are extremely important to our team, as we value the home-school partnership and know it is vital to our students' success.

Registration remains open for our conferences through Monday, November 18th. Video conferences within the Meet the Teacher registration system, as well as in-person conferences will be accommodated to meet the needs of all families.

To ensure that we can accommodate all families and provide each one with the dedicated time they deserve, we kindly request that each family only choose one time slot for their child's conference. In addition, we ask all families to only schedule conferences during the district conference days.

We look forward to meeting with you!

Dear McKenzie Families,

We've recently found cases of head lice in a few classrooms at McKenzie. Head lice are a common issue, and McKenzie’s health office follows the most up-to-date guidance from the National Association of School Nurses (NASN), and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) on managing head lice in schools.

Since head lice is being reported at higher numbers across the North Shore, we wanted to take a moment to share our regular procedures. We focus our efforts on the following evidence-based practices:

• Deep Cleaning: We conduct thorough cleanings of classrooms where cases of head lice have been identified, paying close attention to shared areas and materials.

• Parent Notification: We notify parents if there are three confirmed cases in their child's classroom to enable them to take appropriate action at home.

• Education: We provide parents with reliable information on head lice identification, treatment, and prevention strategies.

If you are looking for more resources to help at home, please see this list from the health office. We appreciate your cooperation!

The McKenzie Health Office

We’re excited to introduce our Related Arts Spotlight newsletter! This weekly update will highlight the exciting activities and learning happening in our related arts classes, including art, music, PE, Spanish, Tech and Library. It’s a great way to stay informed about the creative and engaging experiences your child is having in these special areas.

Families, please encourage your children to regularly check the Lost and Found located in the cafeteria. You are also welcome to check in at the front office before or after school to visit the Lost and Found. Items left unclaimed will be donated at the end of each month, so it's important to retrieve any missing belongings as soon as possible. Thank you for your help in keeping our school organized!

Next donation date: Friday, November 22nd.

Gripp Grant

Yesterday, the D39 Educational Foundation awarded two Gripp Grants to District 39! We are grateful to the Educational Foundation for their ongoing support of innovation within our schools as we continue to provide a well-rounded education for our students. Congratulations to the following Gripp Grant award recipients.

• Audio-based learning tool at McKenzie - This grant will be used for a Yoto device, a versatile, audio-based learning tool that offers students a screen-free alternative to engage with educational content. The Yoto device offers audio stories and music that can significantly improve students' listening, comprehension, and language skills, just one of the many ways that this tool can support District 39’s vision for diverse learners.

• Toniebox audio players and accessories at Romona - These audio players will be available for our EC-4 students to access auditory media. Access to these devices will support auditory comprehension, calming strategies, academic independence, and reduce segregation of students with disabilities. These devices will allow students to auditorily access education curriculum that they previously were not able to access. The Tonies will fit into literacy, math, science, social studies, and our SEL curriculum standards across the EC-4 grade levels.

The awarding of these Gripp Grants for auditory learning tools will encourage collaboration and information sharing between the two schools, as D39 continues to strive for creative and innovative ways to support all learners.

Parent Education Event

Make plans to join us on Wednesday, Dec. 11 at 11 am for our next Parent Education event titled “Substance Use Trends Parents Should Know About.” Families can join us in-person at the Mikaelian Education Center or virtually via Zoom. 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.

November 21 and November 22, 2024

No School - Parent-Teacher Conferences

November 25-November 29

No School - Fall Break/Thanksgiving

Key PTA Dates for Parents (scroll below for more info/links):

1. Official McKenzie Parent Party is TOMORROW, buy tix now

2. Variety Show sign-ups are live

3. Skyline Studios Moana Jr. play registration is Nov. 21st

4. Wicked Movie Screening is Nov. 21st / 3:40 / Wilmette Theater

5. Share the Joy is now live!

Tomorrow is the official McKenzie Parent Party: Step onto The Lawn for a night of cocktails, small plates, and dancing! Buy your tickets in advance HERE (walk-ups welcome). A portion of your ticket goes to our Share the Feast initiative.

Variety show 2025 sign-ups are open!! Tell your friends & your neighbors! You won't want to miss participating in this year's amazing show. Click HERE to learn more.

Skyline Studios New Play: Calling all McKenzie third and fourth graders! Skyline Studios and McKenzie School are pleased to announce the school play Moana Jr. coming this winter/spring for interested third and fourth graders. Sign-ups coming Thursday, November 21 at 9:00 am for Monday, Tuesday and Friday rehearsals.

McKenzie Movie Day Nov. 21st: Looking for something fun to do on your day off school? Make plans to see Wicked at the Wilmette Theater with all your McKenzie Friends on Thursday, November 21st at 3:40 pm! This showing is for McKenzie families - tickets limited, click HERE!

It's time for our largest sharing event, SHARE THE JOY! Every year we bring holiday cheer to EVERY 3rd, 4th and 5th grader at Carman-Buckner (217 students this year!) by delivering a wrapped present before the holiday break. Sign-up for a child HERE.

Adult sign-up party tickets available HERE! Kid sign-up parties will go live Sunday, December 8th at 7 pm.

Pass39 Monthly Parents Coffee: Please join PASS39 parents for coffee 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.

GO GREEN McKenzie: Did you know that you can’t put plastic bags or wrap in the recycling? Luckily, we have a team of volunteers who help us collect and properly recycle such items. Click HERE for a full list of approved items that you can bring and put in our plastic film recycling bins at main entrance to the school.

Volunteer Opportunities:

Cafeteria Sign-Up: 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.

Please click here for Community News.

Kindergarten

Academic Kindergarten AM: 8:35 - 11:55 am

KEEP39: 11:55 am - 3:15 pm *Friday: 11:55 am - 2:15 pm

Grades 1 - 4

Monday - Thursday: 8:35 am - 3:15 pm *Friday: 8:35 am - 2:15 pm

**First bell rings at 8:30 am.

Email: nasiakod@wilmette39.org
Website: mckenzie.wilmette39.org/
Location: 649 Prairie Avenue, Wilmette, IL, USA
Phone: 847-512-6300