Jayhawk Weekly Communication

Our first fire drill with the Oak Park Fire Department has been rescheduled to Thursday, September 28th. Our goal is to have all staff and students be aware of the expectations necessary for everyone to be safe and secure in the event of an emergency. Staff will be reviewing safety procedures with students during upcoming advisory class times.

Thank you so much for joining us on Thursday evening. It was great to have so many families participate in the evening's activities. We especially enjoyed seeing you all hurrying to classes and dancing to the beat of the passing period music! We hope you were able to visit many of your student's teachers and familiarize yourself with some of the great content that students are learning at Julian! Special shout out to the Julian PTO for their wonderful t-shirts for the Class of 2026! And if you were unable to attend, please click here to view the Curriculum Night presentation slide deck.

And remember, if you have any questions about your student's progress, please reach out to your child's teachers via email. Also, we would love to have your feedback regarding the evening. If you have a moment, please complete a brief survey. We are Jayhawk Strong!

Fall MAP Testing begins on Tuesday, September 19th. Please click here to review the MAP testing days and times, as well as the class bell schedules during the testing times. We ask that you plan ahead and communicate with your student, if you should need an early dismissal for a dental or doctor's appointment. We will NOT be able to call into classrooms when MAP Testing is in progress.

Fall MAP Reminders:

• Please be sure your student gets a good night's rest prior to the testing dates.
• Your student should bring their fully charged chromebook to school daily.
• Students will be asked to turn off their cell phones so that there are no disruptions during testing.

If your student is in need of a lock for their school locker, you can still purchase a lock online. Or they can bring $7 cash or check to the school office anytime between 8am - 4pm. If they need to store their belongings during their PE class, they can purchase a PE lock online as well.

All students are encouraged to utilize the lockers to store their belongings. Students are permitted to go to their lockers before school, during passing periods and after school.

DePaul Groups

DePaul University, in partnership with the Oak Park Township Community Mental Health Board and D97, offers school-based group services for students. This year, there are two group topics - Mindfulness and Peer Relationships. If you would like your child to be considered for participation in one of these groups, please complete this Request for Assistance Form. To learn more about the services DePaul offers in our school, click here to view their flyer.

Oak Park Township

Oak Park Township offers many services for students and families including school-based individual services for students, community-based student groups, parent support groups, and more. Click here for more information about an upcoming LGBTQIA+ group they are starting. Click here for more information about parent support.

This is a reminder that cell phones are Away For The Day. During the school day, phones are expected to be away in classrooms and hallways. Students have permission to use their cell phones during lunch or recess. We encourage students to follow the expectations at all times and not have their devices out during classes or in the hallways.

Hello Julian Families,

The OPRF Office of Equity and Student Success is pleased to invite you to our PLACES & FACES: People You Should Know to Help our Community Grow event at Oak Park and River Forest High School on September 19th, 2023, 6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m in the South Cafeteria.

Join us! Meet teachers, administrators, support staff, and student leaders of color. This is a great opportunity for parents and students to learn more about activities, support, and resources available at OPRF. There will a student-led tour of recent facility updates as well! Light refreshments will be served. We hope to see you there!

Thank you,

Ty Garland

Community Outreach Coordinator

Varsity Football/Varsity Track & Field (Throws) Coach

Oak Park and River Forest High School

tgarland@oprfhs.org | Rm: 3151

(708) 434-3008 | www.oprfhs.org

P.M. Session Spots Available - D97 Blended Early Childhood Program

There are still a handful of p.m. session spots available for early childhood blended classrooms at Whittier Elementary School for the 2023-24 school year!

District 97 is seeking students who:

• Are non-IEP students who will be between the ages of 3 and 4 years by Sept. 1, 2023;

• Demonstrate age-appropriate language and social skills;

• Are Oak Park residents;

• Are not enrolled in a preschool program.

Click here to apply to the 2023-24 Early Childhood Blended Program>>

For more information about the Early Childhood Blended Program, including please visit https://www.op97.org/teach-learn/ecblended. The program flyer can be viewed here.

If you have any questions, please contact the district's early childhood coordinator, Michele Suedbeck, at 708-524-3134.

• **If your student plans to attend the trip, please complete the Student Interest Form by September 27th at 3 p.m. **There's still time to sign your 8th grader up for the Washington, D.C. trip that will happen in March '24. But hurry, there are upcoming deadlines for payments and scholarship requests that need to be reviewed now in order for your 8th grade student to participate! So please be sure to review the webpage.

• Please remember to purchase your 2024 cap, gown and tassel set for your 8th grader by Friday, October 27th. Students were given order forms during advisory classes. You can also go online to make the $25 cap & gown payment. If you only need a cap or just the gown, or simply a tassel to go with a used cap & gown, you will need to pay via cash or check with the hardcopy order form in the school office (8am - 4pm on school days). Additional order forms are available in the school office.

Student learning and accomplishments are reported regularly and in a variety of ways by District 97 schools. The report card, which is issued each trimester, is one of the ways we report student progress. This year’s report card dates are:

• Dec. 8, 2023 (Trimester 1)

• March 22, 2024 (Trimester 2)

• June 4, 2024 (Last Day of School)

You may also receive information about your child’s progress through standardized test reports, assessments, progress reports, phone calls, personal letters, portfolios, exhibits of student work, and/or family-teacher conferences. Our fall conferences will be held Thursday, Oct. 26, and Friday, Oct. 27. Additional details will be shared by your child’s school.

CLICK HERE to view the updated 2023-24 school calendar. >>

The library is now open before school starting at 8:00 AM on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. We are closed Wednesday mornings because of teacher meetings.

***We are working to open the library during recess as soon as possible. We will communicate with students, teachers, and families when lunch recess in the library will start.***

Please feel free to direct library questions, concerns, or ideas to Jamie Winchell, Teacher Librarian jwinchell@op97.org.

Ms. Winchell

Teacher Librarian

Percy Julian Middle School

Calculation Corner will be starting up at 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday, September 5th. Calculation Corner will be on Tuesdays and Thursdays in A213 both before school (8:00-8:50) and after school (3:40-4:30). See Ms. Gunnell to sign up!

sgunnell@op97.org

The Julian webstore is open and you may pay the $225 school fees online at your convenience. The annual school fee helps to cover costs of such items as instructional materials, staff supervision for before and after school events & activities, and the purchase & repair of district issued devices (i.e. students' iPads and chromebooks).

Please click here to make a payment using your debit/credit card. Check or cash payments can be made at the Julian school office anytime between 8am - 4pm on school days. Please be sure to make your 2023-24 school fee payment by Friday, September 29th.

The state of Illinois, Office of Education, requires that any student who wishes to participate in interscholastic sports must have an Athletic Physical Examination, dated no less than one year prior to the first day of the current school year. It is mandatory that your child has their physical form completed before they will be eligible to tryout or participate in any interscholastic activity.

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 support our school nurse by LEAVING A REASON when you call your child in sick from school. Our nurse follows up on every absence call when a specific reason is not provided. If your child is staying home due to reasons unrelated to COVID-19, sharing that information in the message helps the nurse determine whether a call is necessary.

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