Jayhawk Weekly Communication

Student-led Conference Night will be held this week on Thursday, Feb 8th. Be sure to make your appointment with your student's Advisory teacher or their Case Manager before Wednesday so teachers can adequately prepare for your conference time. These are student-led conferences, so your Julian student is expected to attend the conference appointment with you on Thursday.

Conference sign up links were shared on Friday, January 26th. As a reminder, the student-led winter conferences will be with your child's ADVISORY TEACHER or Case Manager. If you currently have a conference setup with a teacher that is not your student’s advisory teacher or case manager, you should reach back out to that teacher to reschedule. Please feel free to reach out to your child's teachers via email or log on to PowerSchool to check your child's Trimester 2 academic progress.

**Students have classes from 9am - noon only on February 8 and February 9 this week. Lunch for students will not be served on Thursday and Friday. Nor is there recess on 2/8 or 2/9.

Parents/Guardians,

All 10 of our schools are encouraged to take the Illinois 5Essentials Survey between January 30 through March 29, 2024: http://survey.5-essentials.org/illinois/survey/parent/.

Thank you for participating in this important endeavor and for your continued support of our schools and the children we serve.

This is has been a great season so far for the Julian wrestlers. Last week, at the Mid-Conference Tournament, Walt O. Evan C. Landon C and Sam K earned 1st Place! And Frank S, had a great showing and came in 2nd place. Congratulations, guys!

The Julian Track season is (almost) back! With this season officially beginning on Monday, March 4th, I am holding a parent meeting where I can answer any questions you may have. This meeting will take place on Monday, February 26th in the commons at 3:45 p.m.

In the meantime, please scan the QR code to fill out the document to get your child registered for the track team and to fill out the concussion form online. Thank you and please reach out to me if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

Coach Talarico

mtalarico@op97.org

Hello, everyone!

For the first time ever, there is Special Olympics apparel available! There are SO MANY choices for colors, shirts, hoodies, sweatpants, and more! CLICK HERE to shop for spirit wear with our CUSTOM logo. Shout out to Hannah Connell, Whittier Elementary's art teacher, for the amazing design! You can pick between logo only and logo plus words ("Special Olympics"). BONUS: 25% off your order, from now until 2/13 if you use code SPIRIT213.

TIPS: Use the tabs across the top of the site to choose the type of apparel you're interested in. When you click the picture of an item, more options will appear at the bottom of the screen. Free shipping over $60.

Thank you in advance!

Mr. McDonald

tmcdonald1@op97.org

- - -

Tim McDonald
Adapted Physical Education Teacher

Special Olympics Coach
Oak Park School District 97

Attention youth athletes and families:

OPRF’s youth cheer clinic is happening this weekend on the February 10th. It will be from 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. and will be a great opportunity for you to see what cheerleading at the high school is like! The clinic is $35 and you can register through this link: https://oprfhs.revtrak.net/athletics/Athletics-Cheerleading/cheer-kids-clinic/

All of the best,

Bri

Brianna Burton (she/her)

Oak Park and River Forest High School

Program Coordinator for Motivational Mentorship

Head Varsity Cheerleading Coach

708-434-3961

Cap & Gown picture proofs should be arriving this week from Van Gogh. Order information will be on the picture proof and distributed in advisory classes. In the meantime, if your student was absent last month for the 8th grade Cap & Gown picture day, please fill out this form to sign up for the retake day on 2/23.

2023-24 Julian School Calendar

In January, we saw an uptick in incidents with students making poor decisions inside the student restrooms. Soap dispensers have been taken off the bathroom walls, toilet paper stuffed in large quantities in the toilet bowls, soap has been poured on the floors, etc. This type of behavior is extremely disappointing. Not only is it dangerous, it is very unhygienic. Students caught damaging school property and causing tripping hazards will have their parents/guardians notified immediately. And students will be issued consequences for their behavior. We encourage all students to respect themselves, their school building, and the Julian learning environment. We ask that parents and guardians have conversations with their students. We want all Jayhawks to be respectful, to be responsible, and to be safe during the school day.

Please contact Julian administrators or Student Success Coaches if you have any questions.

BASE CAMP: SUMMER CAMP SCHOLARSHIP

The Oak Park Education Foundation offers 2 full weeks (or four half days) of summer BASE Camp for FREE for students who receive free/reduced lunch or who are experiencing a financial hardship. The scholarship application opens tomorrow, Wednesday January 17th and the application can be found here: BASE Camp Scholarship Application 2024

More information can be found at our website at Scholarships - Oak Park Education Foundation (opef.org).

Early Registration

Campers receiving scholarships are able to register early for camp. The date/time for this early registration is Wednesday, January 31st. It opens at 12pm and closes at 5pm. If you miss this period, you can still register and still use your scholarship funds but the general registration period doesn't open again until Sunday, February 4th at 2pm. There are limited spots available for each camp during this early period and more spaces will become available during regular registration.

Please contact Tara Oetting, Program Director at toetting@opef.org with questions or for more information.

--

Tara Oetting
Program Director

Oak Park Education Foundation

(708) 524-3027

Starting high school can be scary, but we are here to make the social side of that process a little bit easier. Our Future Huskie Starter Pack provides incoming freshmen students at OPRF the opportunity to show up to school on day 1 Reppin’ The Pack! As OPRF seniors, we know how hard it is to enter a school as big as ours for the first time freshman year, but we also know how exciting it can be to know you are a part of something great. We want to help every incoming freshman show their school spirit from the start, so we are providing students with gift baskets that contain all of the essential OPRF merchandise and accessory items. Shop for a Future Huskie Start Pack now!

Shop Here: Future Huskie Starter Pack

*with any questions please contact lucas.k.crossman@gmail.com*

Dear Incoming Freshman Families,

As you may have heard, the high school’s calendar committee had proposed revising the 2024-2025 calendar so that the first semester would end in January, rather than right before winter break. The goal was to even out the length of the semesters, as the second semester typically is significantly longer.

As discussions about the calendar have unfolded, we want to take more time to gather feedback and explore new options. It has simply become too late in the process to change next year’s calendar.

Therefore, the 2024-2025 school calendar will remain as already approved. We will work to maximize instructional time during first semester by making only internal adjustments, such as moving various assemblies to second semester.

To see the complete list of key dates for 2024-2025, click here. Notable dates for first semester are as follows:

* Aug. 12: Institute Day for faculty and staff

* Aug. 14: Huskie Kickoff Day for freshmen

* Aug. 15: First day of classes for all students

* Dec. 18-20: First semester final exams

We will continue our research and discussions before bringing forward the 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 calendars for approval at a later date.

Sincerely,

Karin Sullivan

Executive Director of Communications and Community Relations

Oak Park and River Forest High School

- - - - -

Youth Football Coaches and Volunteers Needed for 2024 Season

Hello Huskie Nation, due to our growth over the past couple of seasons, we are in need of Coaches at both the Tackle and Flag levels to keep up with the increase of players registering. We also need volunteers to help with Game Day Operations, Concessions, Equipment handouts etc. No experience is necessary, just bring your enthusiasm and commitment to work with our youth football players. You can register at the link below. If you have any questions, please email us at info@oakparkyouthfootball.org. Thanks and Go HUSKIES!!
https://oakparkyouthfootball.sportngin.com/register/form/384383756

Tackle Football Registration Link
https://oakparkyouthfootball.sportngin.com/register/form/393506672

Flag Football Registration Link
https://oakparkyouthfootball.sportngin.com/register/form/112363191

Cheer Registration Link
https://oakparkyouthfootball.sportngin.com/register/form/560571212

Emergency Closings and E-Learning Days

Please take a moment to review the information shared in the district’s Weekly Wrap-Up on Dec. 1 regarding winter preparedness. The district’s emergency closing and E-Learning procedures are outlined in this brief deck; full details are posted at https://www.op97.org/communications/emergency-closings.

Cold Weather Reminders for Families
District 97 believes it is important for students to have opportunities for physical activity and play time during the day—even during the cold winter months. This winter, students will be permitted to go outside for recess when the wind chill or temperature is 15 degrees or higher. The district utilizes the Wind Chill Chart developed by the National Weather Service.

• It is important that students dress in warm layers when cold temperatures are expected. Students should remember to bring hats, gloves/mittens, scarves, coats, snow pants and boots. It is recommended that families label these items with their children’s names.

• Our staff will carefully monitor students while outside and take the necessary steps to ensure students are appropriately clothed/prepared for the cold weather, watching out for signs of frostbite and other cold-related issues.

Keeping Our Schools Healthy

District 97 remains committed to maintaining safe and healthy schools. We continue to work in partnership with the Oak Park Department of Public Health, following guidance set by the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH).

When should a child remain home from school?

Staying home if you are ill is essential to keep infections—including the virus that causes COVID-19— out of schools and prevent spread to others. Please visit the District 97 Health Services page for more information about when to stay home. If you have specific questions, please contact your school nurse.

COVID-19 Guidelines for 2023-24

Following IDPH guidelines, individuals who test positive for COVID-19 must stay home for five days after the first day of symptoms or testing positive (Day 0). They may return to school on Day 6 if:

• They are 24 hours fever free with no fever-reducing medication AND

• No diarrhea or vomiting for 24 hours AND

• Improvement of other symptoms.

Masks are strongly recommended around others for five days (through Day 10). Per local guidance, anyone who tests positive for COVID-19 should also complete Oak Park Department of Public Health's Positive at Home COVID 19 Test form.

For more information, please visit: COVID-19 Guidelines for D97 Students and Staff

*PLEASE GIVE THE REASON FOR YOUR STUDENT'S ABSENCE*

When calling the Julian attendance line at 708-665-3064 or leaving a message on the school office voicemail at 708-524-3040, please slowly state the following:

1. Your Name
2. Your Child’s First and Last Name
3. Your Child’s Grade Level and Advisory Teacher
4. Reason for the Absence
5. Best phone number to reach you

Oak Park, IL 60302

708-524-3040

www.op97.org/julian