The Jayhawk Weekly

Dear Julian Parents and Guardians,

This is a short week of learning as we all prepare for the Thanksgiving holiday with our family and friends. Our Administrative Team (Mrs. Court, Mrs. Dotson, and myself) are grateful for this school year's many incredible successes. Our students continue to engage in amazing opportunities in their classes, extracurriculars, and sports. We are also thankful for the opportunity to partner with our parent community as we work to come together and create a more positive and supportive culture in our school.

However you spend the time off, we hope that you have a relaxing and festive time with your loved ones. We are thankful to have you as a part of the Julian family. As always, if you have questions, concerns, or ideas, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Jayhawks together,

Nick Filipowski

Principal, Percy Julian M.S.

SCHOOL OFFICE:

Classes will be held only on Monday and Tuesday this week. School hours are 9:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. The school office closes at 4pm. Please remind your child to take all belongings home (such as cell phones, instruments, chromebooks, coats, boots, etc) for the holiday break. The building will not be open Wednesday - Friday, if your child forgets any of their belongings such as their cell phone or musical instrument after 4pm on 11/26.

LOST AND FOUND:

If your child is missing a belonging, please have them check the Lost and Found inside the commons. And remind them that the Lost and Found area is cleared out every Friday afternoon. This week, due to the holiday, it will be cleared out on Tuesday after dismissal.

ATTENDANCE:

Please be sure to use the attendance line, 708-665-3064, to notify us if you are starting your vacation early and your child will not be in school this week.

EARLY DISMISSALS:

Since the school's front office is still short one team member, please be sure to call ahead (10-15 minutes before coming to the school) to get your child for an early dismissal. The school office number is 708-524-3040. Also, whenever possible, please have your early dismissal pick ups prior to 3pm. Thank you for your patience.

We have now entered "that time of year" when students may experience scratchy throats or dry coughs. Please know that teachers can not administer cough drops or aspirin to students. Nor are students permitted to share their personal over the counter "meds" with their peers. All students are required to have a medication authorization form on file in the health office for any over the counter and all prescribed medications. ********Please review the health office REMINDER:

Per district guidelines, all medications must have an accompanying Medication Authorization Form

• A Medication Authorization Form is required for all over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription medications.
• A physician must complete the form for all prescriptions AND OTC medications (this includes VITAMINS / SUPPLEMENTS, COUGH DROPS, TYLENOL, MOTRIN, etc).
• All medications are to be brought to the health office by the parent / guardian in the original pharmacy prescription labeled container or an unopened / sealed as purchased OTC packaging.
• Medical Authorization Forms may be found HERE.

Julian students have access to many supports during lunch: regular lunch, regular recess, quiet lunch, and now: quiet study.

Library Quiet Study recess is available to all Julian students on a first-come, first-served basis. Digital Passes will open daily at 8:50 AM and the process is the same as it has been this year. The amount of passes will vary depending on instruction also happening in the library. The library is always open to students with social worker-issued passes and PE excusals.

Library Quiet Study

Sounds like & feels like:

-QUIET! Voice level 0: no talking or 1: whisper

-calm

-safe

Looks like:

-reading

-studying or doing homework

-doing puzzles or playing board games

-using headphones

Students' voices and ideas are represented in these guidelines.

Students and families, please talk to Ms. Winchell with any questions.

Approximately 10% - 15% of students have a food allergy. The most common allergen item is nuts of any kind. Every food-allergic reaction has the possibility of developing into a life-threatening reaction within minutes. Some individuals may react to merely touching the substance, while for others, consumption of a tiny amount of that food can cause a reaction which could be fatal.

• We strongly encourage packing nut-free products in your student's lunches

• We strongly encourage sending nut-free products on field trips

• There is NO food sharing between students at any time during school

How to identify safer foods for your children to eat:

1. Please read all packaging to ensure the item is not produced on equipment shared with nuts

2. Additional safe options may be viewed at: www.snacksafely.com

We appreciate your partnership in promoting the health and safety of our children.

D97 Multilingual Parent Advisory Committee Meeting - Dec. 4 at 6 p.m.

The Multilingual Parent Advisory Committee (MPAC) will be holding its first MPAC meeting on Dec. 4, 2024, from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the District office, located at 260 Madison St. Oak Park, IL 60302. Please join us to discuss how we can support our multilingual families and students.

______

El Comité Asesor de Padres Multilingües (MPAC) llevará a cabo su primera reunión el 4 de diciembre de 2024, de 6 a 7:30 p. m. en la oficina del Distrito ubicada en 260 Madison St. Oak Park, IL 60302. Únase a nosotros para analizar cómo podemos apoyar a nuestras familias y estudiantes multilingües.

On Saturday, November 16th, Julian was represented at the ILMEA District 1 Honors Jazz Festival at Hinsdale Central High School. Finlay B., Ellis S. and Lilah T. were all selected after submitting an audition in October. Students worked with guest clinicians and performed a concert with other music students from the Chicagoland area. They sounded great and had an incredible day!

Tom Kanwischer

Band Teacher Percy Julian Middle School

tkanwischer@op97.org

708-689-9367

www.op97.org/instrumental-music

Eli V.G. is currently performing in a Tony Award Winning Play "Falsettos". We are super proud of how Eli has been balancing school and this amazing experience.

Thanks to the students who participated in our first Julian chess club tournament of the year. Our 1st place winner was Ari C. Our 2nd place winner was Caden R. Congratulations to those two students and others that participated!

Mr. Gates

7th Grade Social Science Teacher PJMS

CAST has always had a place for everyone! Creative direction makes inclusive productions so that everyone benefits. Charlie's light was shining brightly as he contributed to a stellar production of "The Drowsy Chaperone."

Ms. Bassett-Dilley

Teacher Assistant PJMS

NEW TRIMESTER

Now that Trimester 1 has ended, it may be time to do a check-in with your student. If they changed electives for Trimester 2, make sure they have the school supplies they need for their design, modern african american studies, community service or soar class. Check the 2024-25 School supply list and get the needed supplies for the current trimester. You can also send an email to the elective teacher if you have any questions.

******************************************************************************************************

STUDENT PREPAREDNESS

Please have your child prep for school the night before or "before they go out the door" the morning of, in order to make sure they have the items they need for the day. Several teachers have reported that students are showing up to class unprepared (uncharged chromebooks, no headphones for their chromebook, etc).

Here is a list of supplies that Julian students will need for all their classes on a DAILY basis:

• school ID
• fully charged chromebook
• headphones compatible with the chromebook (not earbuds for iPhones)
• pen, paper, notebook
• water bottle
• lunch/snack (food is available in the Julian lunchroom if your child doesn't or forgets to pack their lunch)

We appreciate your partnership.

Thank you to everyone who joined our information session this week for the eighth-grade class trip to St. Louis/Springfield. If you couldn't attend or you’d like to review the information, you can access a recording of the meeting here.

We’ll be sharing more information soon about registration details and the deposit process, so please stay tuned.

The deadline for registration and a deposit of $100 will be due on Dec. 20, 2024. We will notify you when the registration portal opens, which we anticipate will be happening shortly after the Thanksgiving break.

Thank you for your interest and support as we prepare for this exciting trip!

Sincerely,

8th Grade Trip Planning Team

• Parents/Guardians can place orders online only with Van Gogh School Photographers (payments are not collected at the school) at www.ordervgil.com. The Julian School Event Code is 20032801. If you have any questions regarding picture packages, you can contact Van Gogh's customer service dept directly at 847-382-2282 ext 7 or at vangoghphoto.com.

*If your child was absent on Picture Day, then please note that the student picture retake day is scheduled for Tuesday, December 3rd.

TRYOUTS:

• 6th & 7th Grade -Mon., Dec 2nd 3:30 pm - 6:00 pm
• and Thurs., Dec 5th 3:30 pm - 6:00 pm (CALLBACKS ONLY)
• 8th Grade -Thurs., Dec 12th 3:30 pm - 6:00 pm

Contact Ms. Kiefer or Ms. Tucker if you have any questions

ekiefer@op97.org mtucker@op97.org

We are looking for families to sign up for the next strengthening families program that will be starting in January 2025. Strengthening Families is a FREE communication skills building program for the entire family. The lessons are virtual on Tuesday nights. It is 11 weeks long. Dinner is delivered to the family's home. We also provide all of the supplies needed and incentives along the way to help keep families engaged such as gift cards, games, and other incentives. Please scan the QR code for more details.

Kindly,

Patricia Camarena, MA, LCPC

Manager of Centro de Salud Familiar

Procare Centers

1414 Main St.
Melrose Park, IL 60160

Direct Line: 708.786.8540

Intake Line: 708.410.0615

24/7 Crisis Line: 708.681.HELP (4357)

Want to send grandma a new sweater? Need a cool stocking stuffer? Want to update your wardrobe with some Julian pajama pants? Then order now and get it before Winter Break begins! 1st Place Spiritwear has launched a fantastic holiday sale! Choose from hundreds of designs, hats, jackets and more... all with home delivery guaranteed by December 23rd!

Enjoy a limited-time savings of 25% sitewide with great gifts for the entire family! In addition, all orders over $75 will receive FREE SHIPPING. Shop Now!

And best of all, a portion of the proceeds gets dontated to Julian M.S.!

REMINDER:

***Visitors will need to present a government-issued ID to check in, and a badge will be provided to wear while on school property.***District 97 implemented the Raptor Visitor Management System on Monday, September 16th. This system will streamline the check-in process and enhance security at all our schools.

For more details and video tutorials on the check-in process, please visit our website. If you have any questions, please contact Principal Filipowski.

Thank you for your support in keeping our schools safe!

Here are the game day expectations:

• All Julian students are required to wear their school ID in order to gain entry to games.
• Children under 18 years of age and teens that are not Julian students must be accompanied by an adult. All OPRFHS, Fenwick and Brooks students must be with a parent or guardian over the age of 18.
• Please do not bring food or drink into the gym. Outside food and beverages are not allowed. Water or water bottles are permitted. But we ask that you refrain from bring snacks and beverages into the school on game days.

Thank you for reminding your child of the game day expectations.

Parents and Guardians,

This is a friendly reminder about the Middle School Cell Phone policy. We are "Away for the Day" which means students should not use their cell phones from 9:00am - 3:30pm. If there is an emergency, students can call home from a teacher's classroom phone or the school office. If a student is feeling unwell, they can get a pass from their classroom teacher, and call home from the school nurse's office.

If a student is caught using their cell phone/electronic device during instruction time or caught using their device while school is in session for unrelated curriculum activities, then the following occurs:

• 1ST OFFENSE: The device is sent down to the school office by a staff member and the student must retrieve the device at the end of the school day.
• 2ND OFFENSE: The device is sent down to the school office by a staff member and parents/guardians are notified. The student will be able to retrieve the device at the end of the school day.

• 3RD OFFENSE: The device is sent down to the school office by a staff member and parents/guardians are notified. A parent/guardian/caregiver must then come to the school to pick up the device, it will not be released to the student. The parent/guardian/caregiver must also meet with an administrator or student success coach to decide one of two options:

OR

2) The student will leave the device at home and no longer bring the cell phone to school for the remainder of the trimester.

Thank you for your efforts to help us all make school a place of academics and social emotional learning.

Fees may be paid online at https://oakpark.revtrak.net/Middle-Schools/BMS/BMS-School-Fees/#/list

You may also pay fees in-person (with check, money order or cash only) at the Julian School Office during the week between the hours of 8:00 AM and 3:00 PM.

• Thanksgiving Break: Wed, Nov 27 - Fri, Nov 29 (No School)
• School Picture ReTakes: Tuesday, December 3rd
• Trimester 1 Report Card Day: Friday, December 13th
• 8th Grade Class Trip: Sunday, May 25 - 27, 2025 (Springfield, IL and St. Louis, MO)
• 8th Grade Graduation: Tuesday, June 3, 2025 - 6:30 pm (@ Oak Park and River Forest High School)

Come help Julian be an even more awesome place...all that's missing is YOU! Julian PTO (Parent-Teacher Organization) meetings will be held every 2nd Wednesday of the month at 7:00 p.m. in the Library Media Center:

Wednesday, December 11, 2024

Wednesday, January 8, 2025

Wednesday, February 12, 2025

Wednesday, March 12, 2025

Wednesday, April 9, 2025

Wednesday, May 14, 2025

If you can't make it in person, log onto Zoom for the PTO meetings:

Every month on the Second Wed, until May 14, 2025, 9 occurrence(s)
Please download and import the following iCalendar (.ics) files to your calendar system.
Monthly: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/tZIqd-2grzwqH9xbM57ma8Z4koONenHwAstO/ics?icsToken=98tyKuGuqTsuEtWSsByPRpwAB4igLPzzmGZfgvpFnjKwVC1SOjmiPe1tHLdxOM_x&meetingMasterEventId=8BZCj1FGQtmhEqFKmR7G4w

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86704817058?pwd=sQ8438MQAlKe75JZ21eRBMFkOpJDza.1

Meeting ID: 867 0481 7058
Passcode: 325017

Oak Park, IL 60302

708-524-3040

www.op97.org/julian