Jayhawk Weekly Communication

THURSDAY 5:30PM - 8:00PM CURRICULUM NIGHT - THIS WEEK!

We will begin the Curriculum Night promptly at 5:30 p.m. in the auditorium with an introduction to our administration and the new student success coaches. You will then have an opportunity to walk your student’s class schedule and to meet their teachers. Due to limited spacing in the classrooms, please note that is a parent/guardian centered event. We encourage you to have your Julian student stay with a trusted caregiver, while you attend the Curriculum Night at Julian on Thursday.

We will have our first fire drill on Thursday, September 14th. The Oak Park Fire Dept will be on the campus to observe our fire drill and provide feedback. Thank you for partnering with us to make our school a safe environment.

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. >>

• 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. If your student plans to attend the trip, please complete the Student Interest Form by September 27th at 3 p.m.

• Please remember to purchase your 2024 cap, gown and tassel set for your 8th grader by Friday, October 27th. Students were given order forms this past week 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.

There's still time to catch the Back to School sale! Check out 1st Place SpiritWear to order new Julian Jayhawk gear. A percentage of the sale goes to Percy Julian Middle School. Visit their website now and your purchase will be shipped directly to your home. If you order by September 14th, you can get 30% off your order! And shipping is FREE on orders over $75. Go Jayhawks!

Attention 8th grade families:

The OPRFHS Color Guard is a co-curricular, all-volunteer marching unit that performs at all home football games, the homecoming parade, marching festivals and local parade events. Our performances feature a central “show theme” that combines music, movement and visual elements in a production that is unified around a central theme. We have a terrific event coming up on September 22nd for Jayhawk 8th graders to participate in.

We would love to have all 8th graders who are interested in our fully-inclusive (no auditions) fabulous color guard to meet at OPRF to hang with the current ColorGuard for the football game. We are providing pizza. ColorGuard is a wonderful community who is welcoming to all. Contact OPRFHS directly by emailing Ms. Obed, if you have questions or would like your 8th grader to participate.

Shannon Obed

Parent Volunteer

shannonlopshire@yahoo.com

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 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.

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.

For your planning purposes, here is a copy of the bell schedule for A, B and J Days. As well as the calendar for the 2023-24 school year. The Julian bell schedules and monthly A/B/J calendars can also be found on the Julian website at www.op97.org/julian.

6th Grade families and New to District 97 parents/guardians:

You can bring your child's health forms to the school office during the first week of school. All new students and all 6th graders need to have up-to-date health forms on file:

• Physical examinations are required of all students entering 6th grade and must be completed within one year prior to the first day of school (August 23, 2023). This physical exam must be recorded on the State of Illinois Certificate of Child Health Examination form.

• Students that require medication during school hours must have a medication authorization form completed by a physician: this includes prescription or over-the-counter medications. If your child has a severe allergy and/or asthma; forms titled Food Allergy Action Plan and/or Asthma Action Plan must be completed by your child’s physician and submitted to the school nurse. Forms can be found on our website under the Department Tab and then under Health Services. Please contact the nurse at your school if you have any questions or require any additional information. The health office can be reached at juliannurse@op97.org.

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

We appreciate your assistance with this process!

416 S. Ridgeland Ave.

Oak Park, IL 60302

708-524-3040

www.op97.org/julian