Mechanics Grove School
Weekly Wolf Update
October 23rd, 2026
October is Spina Bifida Awareness Month and we would like to bring more awareness to our learning community about it. Myelomeningocele is the most severe and common form of open spina bifida. It occurs when the fetal spine and spinal canal fail to close completely during the first four weeks of pregnancy, causing a fluid-filled sac containing part of the spinal cord and nerves to push through an opening in the back.
SPIRIT WEEK IS NEXT WEEK!
PICTURE RETAKE DAY
Tuesday, October 27th is picture retake day. You were sent a link with your child's school picture proof. If you wish for him/her to take a retake or they missed picture day, please be sure your child knows to come down for their picture when their class is called for retakes Tuesday morning.
AFTER SCHOOL CLUBS
After School Clubs start next week! If your child is in a club and is taking the bus home, you should have received a letter about bus information in your chil's backpack. If not, please call or email (mgoffice@d75.org) the front office Monday morning.
Join us for our Día de los Muertos Celebration
Save the Date! Join us on November 2, 6 - 7:30pm for our annual Día de los Muertos celebration hosted by Bilingual Parent Advisory Committee!
Enjoy fun family activities, pan de muerto, y chocolate , and so much more!
Families are welcome to bring a photo of a loved one who has passed to add to our community ofrenda as we honor and remember those who remain in our hearts.
Don’t miss our raffle featuring Mundelein Park District passes, a Julio’s Tacos gift card, and more exciting prizes!
We look forward to coming together to celebrate our roots, culture, and our beautiful multilingual and multicultural community.
We can’t wait to celebrate with you!
Halloween/Fall Celebration at MG
Halloween/Fall will be celebrated at MG on Friday, October 30th. If a student wishes to dress up in a costume they must BRING the costume to school. Students are not allowed to wear the costume to school in the morning. All students must be able to put on and take off their costume independently.
Masks are allowed. Anything weapon-like is not allowed.
There are not classroom parties on this day. If parents would like to view the parade, it will begin at 2:00pm and run along the front bus lane as well as across the blacktop by the playground. There is no need to enter the building. We will come outside for the parade and pass by everyone.
Please Note: If your family does not celebrate Halloween, please email your child's teacher to inform him/her. Your child will be supervised by a staff member during the parade and will then join the class immediately following the parade back in their classroom.
Sign up for your Student-Led Conference
Student-Led Conferences are November 19th and 23rd!
Student-Led Conferences
Mechanics Grove School is proud to announce that we are conducting Student-Led Conferences for our Fall conference times. As a Leader in Me LEGACY school, students are celebrated as leaders regularly. Student-Led Conferences are a way for students to practice their leadership skills, the 7 habits, and Leading the PACK. Please see below about details that outline the conference in detail.
Definition of Student-Led Conferences
A Student-Led Conference is a conference with parents led by the student. Students lead parents through a discussion of their work and established academic and social goals. The process includes the teacher facilitating several conferences at the same time. The student directs the conversation focused on their work and classroom behavior.
Philosophy and Purpose of Student-Led Conferences
The process of communicating the progress of students to parents must involve students in a meaningful way. For a discussion of student work to be relevant, accurate and complete, students need to be meaningfully engaged in the process. Having students lead a conference with parents is a way to maximize their involvement. The involvement of students in the conferencing process promotes three elements essential to improving student performance in school:
· Relevance; why we are teaching what we are teaching to students
· Responsibility; making the student more responsible for learning
· Reporting to parents how students are progressing in learning
Roles and Responsibilities of Student-Led Conferences
Successful Student-Led Conferences require changes in the roles that teacher, student and parent have played in traditional parent conferencing.
Teacher Role: To organize the conference environment and to guarantee success. This includes guiding portfolio collection and training students and setting up the conference spaces. The teacher becomes a guide and observer of the conferencing process.
Student Role: Through all stages of the student-led conference process (preparation, implementation and evaluation) the student becomes the key participant. The student becomes responsible for working with the teacher to identify strengths, identifying learning needs and collecting evidence to validate learning. The student practices self-reflection.
Parent Role: Parents become partners in learning when students lead a conference. The opportunity for parents to have one-to-one time with their child focused on learning and achievement is important to the conferencing process. The parents' role is to listen.
Please note that a Student-Led Conference is NOT a time to discuss new concerns that the teacher or parent has regarding the student. These concerns should be discussed prior to the conference via phone or email. The best thing that a parent/teacher can do is respect the need for the student to lead the conference time.
Please do not hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or concerns.
A Note from our Reading Teachers
Comprehension
Strong readers think actively as they read. They use their experiences and knowledge of the world, vocabulary, and reading strategies to make sense of the text and know how to get the most out of it.
What Good Readers Do
Draw inferences- good readers are able to “read between the lines” and draw inferences about a wide range of hidden meanings, such as why events are unfolding as they do, why characters behave in a certain way, what the characters are thinking, and what might happen next.
Self monitor- During reading, good readers learn to monitor their understanding, adjust their reading speed to fit the difficulty of the text, and address any comprehension problems they have. After reading, they check their understanding of what they have read.
Form mental images-Good readers often form mental pictures, or images, as they read. Readers (especially younger readers) who picture the story during reading understand and remember what they read better than readers who do not create a picture in their mind.
Summarize and retell-Summarizing requires students to determine what is important in the text and then put it into their own words by retelling, verbally or in writing.
Summarizing can help students to:
-Identify main ideas orally or in writing.
-Connect the main or central ideas orally or in writing.
-Learn to weed out unnecessary information.
-Remember what they have read.
A Note from our Project Challenge (Enrichment) Teacher
Students in Project Challenge have been learning new games to reinforce basic number sense and review math facts (multiplication/addition). The games rely on strategy and critical thinking (much like chess). The good news is that all that is needed is a deck of playing cards. Here’s a link to Close to 1,000, Three Card Multiplication Top It, and Addition Top It (addition facts review) that can be played at home. It is extremely important that all students know the multiplication/division facts through 10 (3rd grade) and through 12 (4th grade). By 5th grade, all students should be fluent in multiplication and division. Another way to reinforce math skills at home is to check out Julia Robinson mathematics festival. Puzzles are available digitally and in Spanish. The links below offer additional math support for families. I often use youcubed.org for all grade levels. Thank you for supporting your child at home!
Veterans Day at MG
Mechanics Grove School’s Student Lighthouse Council is honored to invite Active Duty Members and Veterans to our school. We will be hosting a light breakfast of coffee and donuts on Wednesday, November 11th at 7:45 am for our special guests. At 8:00, guests will join a classroom to read a picture book to students. We will provide the books! We will conclude our morning with a tour of our amazing school. The morning should end by 8:45.
We ask that our Active Duty Members and/or Veterans are a family member or close friend of a current Mechanics Grove student(s). The student(s) will also be invited to join their special guest for donuts.
If you or a friend or family member are an Active Duty Member or Veteran and can attend the breakfast on November 11th, please complete this form by Friday, November 6th.
Mundelein High School HallowSTEAM Event
Mundelein High School is running its HallowSTEAM event again this year! We will be hosting the event on Thursday, October 29th from 6-8pm at MHS. The event will feature a plethora of STEAM styled activities for kiddos and is suitable for students from Pre-K through 8th grade.
In the event the rumor of a threat or the direct observation of a threat occur in any of our schools, the school team immediately initiates an investigation and involves law enforcement as warranted. Our school officials are trained in the Comprehensive School Threat Assessment Guidelines, widely recognized in school systems as CSTAG. While the threat is investigated, the person(s) identified as making the threat are sought out, isolated and supervised early in the process.
There are typically three possible outcomes that could occur. Please see the attached document for the outcomes.
Toys/Fidgets at School
We are asking families to please help us by keeping toys and other personal items at home, including stuffed animals, fidgets, NeeDohs, squishy toys, and similar items. While we know these are fun and comforting for our young learners, they have increasingly become a source of distraction and conflict during the school day.
Please help us by checking backpacks and reminding your child that toys should stay at home unless specifically requested or approved by their teacher. We appreciate your partnership in helping us keep our classrooms, bus lines, and buses safe and focused on learning!
Surevey about our Food Service
We are committed to providing students with a positive and enjoyable dining experience. As part of our ongoing effort to support the needs of our school community, we are partnering with Whitsons Culinary Group to gather feedback on our foodservice program. We invite students, families, faculty, and staff to participate in a brief survey and share their experiences and perspectives. Your feedback will help us better understand what is working well and identify opportunities to further enhance our meal program.
Take the Survey: https://xmp.insight-surveys.com/s/fall-2026
Your input will help us:
• Assess satisfaction with our current foodservice program
• Enhance the meal experience for students, families, and staff
• Enhance the overall dining experience throughout our schools
The survey will be available from October 26 through November 6 and should take only a few minutes to complete. Responses will be collected by Whitsons and shared with our school administration as we work together to continuously improve the program. We encourage everyone who participates in our school meal program to take part. Your feedback is important and greatly appreciated. Thank you for helping us create the best possible dining experience for our school community.
PTO Updates
Box Tops for Education
October is a great month to earn Box Tops for D75! National Box Tops Week is October 12–18, and families can also participate in the October Monthly Challenge for opportunities to earn extra Box Tops.
If you haven't already, download the Box Tops app, search for District 75 PTO Mundelein, and use code PNKN0SEQ.
October Box Tops English Flyer
October Box Tops Spanish Flyer
Want to Get Involved with D75 PTO?
The D75 PTO is always looking for families who would like to help with events, fundraisers, committees, and more! Complete our short Volunteer Interest Form and let us know how you'd like to get involved.
D75 PTO-Sponsored Events
Our 2026–2027 PTO-sponsored events are now listed on our website. Mark your calendars and join us throughout the year!
Upcoming Dates/Events
10/22 and 12/23- 5th Grade Camp Duncan Trip- NO BAND LESSONS/REHEARSAL
10/26- HAT DAY
10/27- Picture Retake Day
10/27-Tuesday After School Clubs Begin
10/27- STUFFY DAY
10/28- MISMATCH CLOTHES DAY
10/29- Thursday After School Clubs Begin
10/29- SILLY SOCKS DAY
10/30- Halloween Parade at MG (2:00pm), students BRING costumes to school
10/30- WEAR BLACK AND ORANGE DAY
11/5- McTeacher Night at McDonalds on Lake Street (4:00-7:00pm)
Helpful Links and Information
Do you want more information about your student?
Text the word YES to 79041 to receive text message notifications from their school. Click here for more information.
RevTrack: this document has details. For help with payment and balances, please contact Patty DeLozier, pdelozier@d75.org or 847-949-2700 ext. 2014.
PowerSchool: directions for parent accounts is HERE If you have any questions, contact Diana Solis via email dsolis@d75.org.
Teacher contact info: our staff list is on our WEBSITE.
Leave us a Note in our Digital Suggestion Box
Mechanics Grove Website
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Community Events
Learn more about what's happening in our community!
Social Media
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