Spartan Weekly

News from Glen Crest Middle School: November 17th, 2024

From the principal

Our spirit day theme for this Wednesday, November 20, is opposite day. Students are encouraged to participate by dressing the opposite of how they normally dress, or wearing shirts inside out etc. Please encourage your student to participate!

First trimester ended on Friday, November 15. Grades will be available for viewing on November 21, and we plan to send out information on how to do this on November 20.

Just a reminder, there is no school on November 27-29.

We hope everyone has a great start to the week!! Go Spartans!

Brett McPherson

Glen Crest Principal

bmcpherson@ccsd89.org

Consider donating to the holiday personal item collection

Through Tuesday, November 26, the Glen Crest Middle School eighth grade team will be hosting a holiday personal item collection in partnership with Glen House Food Pantry.

On November 26, eighth graders will participate in a variety of service projects, including sorting the collected items and creating festive personal-care bags. The bags will be delivered to Glen House Food Pantry just in time for the holidays. Please consider donating to this great project!

Thank you to everyone who supported our annual book fair

Many thanks to our Glen Crest families and staff for generously supporting our book fair this week. It was inspiring to see all of our students eagerly browsing through the books! Both the Book Angel gift program and the book fair were great successes! Proceeds will be used to purchase additional books for the Glen Crest library!

Spartacus Reading Challenge runs through January 31

Looking for a great book to read? We have some suggestions! The annual Spartacus Reading Challenge kicked off Wednesday, November 6. It will run through January 31, 2025.

Students and staff will read from a list of 25 excellent books, all published in 2024, and considered to be in the running for the prestigious Newbery Medal for Children's Literature. Each time a student completes a book, if they fill out a Spartacus Kahoot! form and turn it in to the library, they will be entered into a weekly drawing for prizes. Visit the library website for more details.

2024-25 yearbooks will be ordered online from Lifetouch

Yearbook orders can 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:

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

Parent Series: ‘Beautiful Boy’ author talks about addiction (November 20)

At noon and 7 p.m. on Wednesday, November 20, author Nic Sheff will share information about what it means to be a young person using substances. In addition to his own books, Sheff was the subject of his father’s memoir, which became the movie “Beautiful Boy”. This free online event is part of the GPS Parent Series. Preview More info: https://bit.ly/3YK04aB

Parent Series: Cómo ayudar a los adolescentes a gestionar sus emociones (November 20)

Al mediodía y a las 19 h. el miércoles 20 de noviembre, en este taller trabajaremos esos aspectos que la psicología positiva plantea como requisitos para saber dirigir diálogos constructivos con hijos que todo lo cuestionan. Así mismo, hablaremos sobre los retos que los estudiantes de nuevo ingreso encuentran al llegar a un país nuevo. Este programa se presentará únicamente en español. https://bit.ly/4fobGHb

All schools closed November 27-29 for Thanksgiving break

All CCSD 89 schools will be closed from Wednesday, November 27 through Friday, November 29, for Thanksgiving break. The district office will be closed on Thursday, November 28, and Friday, November 29. All schools and the district office will re-open on a normal schedule on Monday, December 2.

Free flu shots available through Jewel-Osco through February

Uninsured and low-income families can receive a voucher for a free flu vaccine at any DuPage County Jewel-Osco until February 25. No appointment or prescription is needed, but supplies are limited. More info: https://bit.ly/3AgjrzF

Health departments are offering tips on how to tell the difference between a cold and the flu and information on the flu vaccine. Your family’s doctor or the school nurse can help resolve any questions. More information about immunization, health, and dental resources is available at: www.ccsd89.org/Page/534

Need tech support for your student’s school computer?

Families that need support for iPad or Chromebook issues should use the district’s online help system. Enter your contact information and some details about the problem at: https://bit.ly/89techsupport

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

November 18: Board of Education meeting, 7 p.m.

November 20: Parent Series: Understanding, preventing addiction, noon and 7 p.m.

November 21: Parent Series: Ayudar a los adolescentes a gestionar sus emociones, 6 p.m.

November 27-29: No school (Thanksgiving break)
December 4: Parent Series: Reduce parent burnout, raise competent kids, noon and 7 p.m.

December 5: Parent Series: Find your future at college, 7 p.m.

December 5: Parent Series: Encuentra tu futuro en la noche universitaria, 7 p.m.

December 10: Parent Series: Skills for better grades, less stress, noon and 7 p.m.

December 11: Parent Series: Preparing students with disabilities for college, noon and 7 p.m.

December 13: Glen Crest winter chorus concert at Glen Crest, 7 p.m.

December 16: Board of Education meeting

December 17: Parent Series: Strengthening teen socialization skills, noon and 7 p.m.