Jayhawk Weekly Communication

The Julian 8th Grade Graduation Ceremony will take place on Friday, May 31, 2024 at 6:30pm in the Oak Park and River Forest High School auditorium. More details regarding the number of tickets, ticket distribution, behavior expectations, etc will be shared at a later date.

• JULIAN STUDENTS MUST WEAR THEIR SCHOOL IDs, in order to attend the home athletic games (for basketball or volleyball). Julian students without their school IDs and all non-Julian students without parental supervision will NOT be allowed to attend the games. All non-Julian students without an adult to supervise them will be asked to leave school grounds.
• FOOD AND BEVERAGES ARE NOT ALLOWED IN THE GYM. Students, family members, and visitors can have water or water bottles.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding safety protocols, please contact Associate Principal, Dr. Mekita Whitfield, at mwhitfield@op97.org.

Our student-led Parent-Teacher Conferences will be held on Thursday, October 26 and Friday, October 27. Students will attend classes, from 9am - noon only, on both 10/26 and 10/27.

**There is no recess and lunch will not be served on the half days due to conferences.**

We will communicate in a separate email, later this month, when families can sign up for conference appointments with their child's classroom teachers. In the meantime, please mark your calendar for the conference dates.

Attention all Parents & Guardians:

The Julian PTO will be hosting a weekly fundraiser to help raise money for the 8th graders' Washington, DC trip. If students and staff are interested in purchasing donuts, cash payments will be accepted. If you have any questions, please reach out to the Julian PTO or contact PTO co-president Lauren VanderBerg at lvanderberg@gmail.com. "Donuts for DC" begins on Wednesday, October 4th.

This is a friendly reminder about the Julian drop off and pick up procedures . As we approach cooler temperatures, please keep in mind the following safety procedures:

PICK UP AND DROP OFF AREAS

• Drop off and pick up for sixth graders will be on the south side of the school in the alley.
• The designated area for seventh graders is on Cuyler just off Washington Boulevard.
• Eighth graders can be picked up or dropped off on Ridgeland Avenue.

PLEASE DO NOT PICK UP OR DROP OFF STUDENTS IN EITHER THE SCHOOL’S STAFF PARKING LOT NOR IN THE BUS ZONE ON WASHINGTON BOULEVARD

Using these areas creates an unsafe situation for students. Please do not pick up or drop off students in the staff parking lot. Emergency vehicles may need access to this space.

INCLEMENT WEATHER
In cases where the weather prevents students from safely waiting outside until it is time to enter, the staff will open the doors at 8:30 a.m. and invite students to wait indoors. Seventh and eighth graders will wait in the commons, while sixth graders will wait in the area outside the auditorium. Students are not allowed to go to their classrooms or lockers early.

ENTERING EARLY (before 8:50am)
All students entering the building before the regular time must come through the main entrance doors (1W).

Students are allowed into the building in the morning, IF they have a pre-arranged meeting with a teacher. They must have a pass from that teacher.

LIBRARY MEDIA CENTER BEFORE SCHOOL
On Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, students are allowed to enter at 8 a.m. to study in the library media center. They must have their student ID and sign in both at the door and in the media center. They are to go directly to the media center, not their lockers or classrooms. And remember, the library is NOT open before school on Wednesdays due to teacher meetings andprofessional development sessions.

School will resume on Tuesday, October 10. Click here to view the 2023-24 calendar >>

The State of Illinois requires all kindergarteners, sixth-graders and students new to our district submit a current State of Illinois school physical with up-to-date immunizations. Detailed information on the requirements can be found here under “Health Requirements.”

Please note that according to Section 27-8.1 of the School Code of Illinois, District 97 is obligated to exclude students from school beginning on Monday, Oct. 16 who have not provided proof of the required physical examinations and/or immunizations, until they are in compliance.

If you have been contacted by your school nurse that your child is missing any of the required forms/information, please submit those records directly to the health office before the October 16th deadline.

Please double check with your Julian student to see if they need 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.

• GRADUATION CAP & GOWN ORDERS

• $25 - Cap, Gown & 2024 Tassel set
• $20 - Gown & 2024 Tassel only
• $18 - Cap & 2024 Tassel only
• $10 - 2024 Tassel only

Students were given order forms during advisory classes at the beginning of September. 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).

If you need financial assistance with the purchase of the cap & gown set, please contact Ms. Jackson at ejackson@op97.org prior to the deadline. All orders must be placed by Friday, October 27th.

• GRADUATION

Do you know you can watch Julian games from the comfort of your home? You can catch the sports home games (for basketball and volleyball) in-person or you can watch online via YouTube!

Go Jayhawks!

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.

2023-24 school fee payments were due by Friday, September 29th. 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.

Did you know students can purchase breakfast or lunch at school? Breakfast is served in the commons at 8:30am on school days (except when there are half days for the Parent-Teacher Conferences). Please see the Julian website for the meal prices and the daily menus at https://www.op97.org/julian/food-service.

DePaul GROUP

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.

The Spoken Word Club, sponsored by the Oak Park Educational Foundation, begins this week at the Oak Park Art League. Contact Mr. John Colucci at jcolucci@op97.org if you have any questions and/or you would like to sign up your student for the club.

Calculation Corner has begun! Please click here to review the frequently asked questions and for more details about the math help that is available to all students. Calculation Corner will be on Tuesdays and Thursdays in A213 both before school (8:00-8:50am) and after school (3:40-4:30pm). See Ms. Gunnell to sign up!

sgunnell@op97.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.

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