Emerson Middle School Newsletter
November 11th-November 18th
Emerson Families,
As we almost end the first trimester of school, please be sure to review the information below.
Thank you for being part of our community!
Have a pleasant weekend!
Best,
Dr. Samantha Alaimo
End of the Trimester & Report Cards
NOTE: Unless otherwise requested, hard copies of report cards will not be mailed home.
Opt-In D64 Text Alerts
District 64 continues to utilize many different platforms to ensure you have important information delivered to you in the most convenient way. One of those ways is through our SMS Text Messaging Service.
Getting messages delivered to your mobile device is a helpful tool, and District 64 is reenergizing our efforts to bring this to you.
These alerts will be info about events, school closings, safety, and more. That said, our SMS Text Messaging Service will be used supplementally in our communication efforts and does not replace any school emails or calls you are receiving.
How to receive text messages:
You must opt-in to receive text messages. To do so, you will need to text “Y” or “Yes” to 67587.
If you’d like to no longer receive District 64 text messages, you have to send “Stop” to 67587.
If you have any questions regarding the use of text messages to communicate District/School messages, please email Christopher Lilly at clilly@d64.org.
Vocal Notes Newsletter
Yearbooks
This is a friendly reminder that yearbooks for the 22-23 school year are on sale. The cost for a copy is $25. Yearbooks can be purchased online through My School Bucks, OR with cash or check in the main office. The deadline to secure a copy is Wednesday, December 14. After this date, yearbooks will be sold on a first come, first serve basis. If you have any questions, contact Ms. Apuli (mapuli@d64.org) or Ms. Dobrydnio (edobrydnio@d64.org).
We are also seeking student photos from any and all school events. If you have any to share, you can send them over through either of the following options:
Upload through yearbookforever.com (code: eagles)
Download the Yearbook Snap mobile app from the App Store or Google Play (code: eagles)
Email your photos directly to the yearbook sponsors → mapuli@d64.org / edobrydnio@d64.org
News from PTO
Dine to Donate
11/16-Harp & Fiddle, Friendsgiving dinner.
11/29, 4-9pm- Lou Malnati’s Pizza, Park Ridge. 20% of sales goes to PTO.
Toys for Tots
Information coming soon! If you’re interested in volunteering email: ems.pto.64@gmail.com
Membership
The Emerson PTO is soooo close to meeting our membership goal. If you have not yet joined, please do today!
PTO membership is the main fundraiser for the Emerson PTO. It helps fund our whole yearly budget for student events, support staff and all the other little things.
https://emersonmspto.membershiptoolkit.com/
**We have had some PayPal issues with folks not being able to use the guest checkout feature. To fix this, we are moving to another payment platform in the coming months. In the meantime, if you don’t want to create a PayPal account, please select “pay by check” and drop off a check in the office.**
Next PTO Meeting
Wednesday, November 16th @ 6:30p.
Meeting ID: 998 9601 0820
Passcode: Eagle
News from District 207
District 207 (which includes Maine East, Maine South and Maine West high schools, as well as Frost Academy) is looking forward to the anticipated arrival of the current 8th grade students in the fall of 2023.
District 207 reminds parents that the enrollment process for high school has begun. If your child will be attending Maine East, Maine South, Maine West or Frost Academy in 9th grade, please know that District 207 requires families to complete the initial enrollment process by Jan. 1, 2023. Completion of enrollment is required to access the course selection meeting with your child’s high school counselor.
Parents should have already received an email from District 207 with this information. If you did not receive the email, please contact the school your child will attend for 9th grade:
Maine East - 847-692-8528
Maine South - 847-692-8214
Maine West - 847-803-5768
If your child will not attend District 207 schools, please contact District 207 at info@maine207.org so you can be removed from future communications from the high school district.
Information from Maine South
Maine South High School has information dedicated to the incoming Class of 2027. You can find this webpage linked below. There are important dates to note, including building tours and course selection information sessions. This will culminate with a Freshman Kickoff Event on Wednesday December 7th from 6:00-9:00 pm.
Information from Maine East
Tuesday December 6th, 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.
For more information, please click here.
Lunch Reminders
The cafeteria will not be accepting cash to purchase lunch items. Students must use their MySchoolBucks account to purchase any food. Please see this flyer for more information from Quest, our food service company. You can also get a food service overview by clicking HERE.
Unlike elementary school, you do not need to pre-order meals or beverages. Students may select from daily offerings in the Emerson cafeteria. More information about our school lunch offerings and payment can be found here on the D64 Middle School Lunch webpage.
Though we have many food choices in our cafeteria, most Emerson students bring their lunch to school. We strongly encourage this during the first weeks of school while we get our cafeteria systems and procedures up and running.
We highly encourage waste-free lunches. To help reduce waste, please consider using reusable containers for your child’s food and drink, rather than disposable bags and bottles. Emerson is committed to green efforts in the lunchroom. The cafeteria also has a lunch waste sort station for students to empty their lunch waste into recycling, compost and trash. We encourage all students to do so every lunch period.
FORGOTTEN LUNCHES
If students forget something at home or are being brought a lunch, items may be dropped off at the Emerson Office. We instruct students to check in with the office during passing periods to pick up these items. We will not interrupt class to notify students of items/lunches delivered to the office. As noted in our district student/parent handbook, parents are discouraged from delivering lunch to the office from local restaurants; lunches brought to the office should be reserved for emergency situations, such as a forgotten lunch.
Activity Bus
There will be three 4:00pm activity buses that will go to the Franklin, Carpenter, and Field areas. The buses will run Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. These buses leave the the school around 4:15, giving students time to get from their activity to the bus. Please note: there is no 4pm bus on Wednesday or Fridays before long weekends.
Attendance Reminders
Tardiness
All students are expected to be seated in homeroom at 8:05 a.m. Students who arrive at school after the homeroom period (8:05 to 8:10 a.m.) must report directly to the office before proceeding to class. A doctor’s appointment or a bus problem are acceptable excused tardies. All other reasons will be considered unexcused. Exceptions must be approved by the principal. To assist students and parents in correcting this problem, a sequence of escalating interventions is followed after three unexcused tardies. These range from calls home, parent letters and conferences at school, detentions, tardy contract, and possible legal action against the parents.
Early Check-Out
If a student needs to leave the school before the end of the day, a parent note giving the reason, date and time of departure, and person picking up the student should be given to the teacher whose class the student is leaving. If you email this message to the teacher, please be sure to include the school secretary (em-office@d64.org) as a recipient. The student should report to the office at the time of departure. The parent or guardian must come into the office to sign out the student for the length of time the student will be away from school. If your child returns to school before the end of the day, please enter the school building and sign your child back in before he/she returns to class. Please note that students must arrive by 9:20 a.m. or be dismissed after 1:45 p.m. for their attendance to be counted as a full day.
Absences
For safety reasons and in compliance with state law, a parent is requested to notify the school office in writing or by phone within the first hour of school. If notice is not received, the school secretary will call parents at home or work to confirm the absence. To report an absence, please call the school office anytime, day or night, to access the voice mail system at 847-318-8110. When calling, please provide: student’s name; classroom/ homeroom; date of absence; and reason for absence. For illness, please share symptoms or diagnosis.
• EXCUSED: A valid cause for absence includes illness, observance of a religious holiday or religious instruction, death in the immediate family, family emergency, other situations beyond the control of the student, other circumstances that cause reasonable concern to the parent/guardian for the student’s safety or health, or other reason as approved by the Superintendent or designee. For a student to be released from school as an excused absence to observe a religious holiday or for religious instruction, parents should give written notice to the Building Principal at least five calendar days before the student's anticipated absence.
• UNEXCUSED: Absences due to vacations, travel, attendance at a cultural or sporting event, or participation in a team sport, acting or fine arts performance are considered unexcused. This also includes tiredness (unless your child is ill), oversleeping. If your child is NOT called in by 10am, they will be marked unexcused for the day, and parents will be contacted by the office to verify the absence.
Vacations
Every school day is important, and the District strongly discourages scheduling family vacations on school days as these are considered unexcused absences. If your child will be absent from school for an extended period of time for a family trip, please inform the school office and your child’s teacher. Work will be given upon return for students leaving the country or immediate District area when your children RETURN to school. It must be completed at home under a parent’s supervision. Teachers are not expected to provide homework or assignments in advance for students who will be absent for an extended period of time for family vacation and other activities.
School and Office Hours
Doors to the school open for students each morning at 7:58 a.m. Homeroom begins at 8:05 a.m. Students with an early entry pass will be permitted to enter the school between 7:35-7:45, but not before. There will be a teacher opening the door to permit entry at that time. We WILL allow students to enter before this if there is inclimate or cold weather.
School office hours are from 7:20 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Remember that our student absence line (847) 318-8110 is available 24 hours a day. Please let the Emerson Office know as soon as possible if your child will not be in attendance. Please do not rely on e-mail notification for reporting absences as it may not be seen until later in the day.
COVID-19 Guidelines
You may access our guidelines for the 2022 - 2023 School Year on our website. The guidelines are very different from what we've experienced over the past two years. There are only a couple of mandatory rules we must follow when someone tests positive, yet the remainder of the guidelines only list recommendations. Each family can decide their own comfort level regarding which recommendations to follow, and we ask that everyone respects the choices of others.
Portal Access
All Emerson students and parents are provided access to schedules via the PowerSchool parent and student portals. The PowerSchool Parent Portal allows you access to your student’s academic information, including student schedules and grades. If you have any questions on how to login, please contact the Emerson Main Office for assistance at (847) 318-8110.
Handbook
Emerson Middle School, along with all District 64 schools, operates in accordance with policies and practices that have been reviewed and implemented by the District 64 Board of Education. Please review the D64 Student-Parent Handbook prior to the start of the school year to familiarize yourself with the information contained in it. We want to work in partnership with you to ensure a positive school year, and having an understanding of this information will help to promote a successful school year. This handbook is intended as a convenience for District 64 families and staff by summarizing selected information about procedures, services and programs. It also provides a quick reference for contact information and District timelines.
Communications
Emerson Website and Calendar
