Mechanics Grove School

PLEASE VOLUNTEER FOR THE BOOKFAIR!

MG Parents- the fall bookfair is from Oct 16 through Oct 23, This is a great fundraiser for MG and volunteers are needed during the school day and during conferences.

Please sign up here:

https://tinyurl.com/2mx8rsxa

THE BOOKFAIR IS HERE!

Mechanics Grove Families,

The PTO will host a Scholastic Book Fair fundraiser at Mechanics Grove School from October 16th through October 23rd. The fair will be held in the Discovery Den (library).

Mechanics Grove students will visit the fair during school hours with their class and can make purchases at that time. The fair will also be open for family shopping during student-led conferences on October 16th and 23rd. Forms of payment accepted include: cash, credit cards, personal checks, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay and eWallet. Please make checks payable to D75 PTO. eWallet is a convenient cashless payment option and is encouraged for student purchases. Please visit www.scholastic.com/bf/mgwolves for more details and instructions on how to set up an eWallet account for your student.

Purchases can also be made at our online book fair from October 20th through November 2nd. The link for the online fair is, www.scholastic.com/bf/mgwolves . Online book-only orders of $35 or more will not be charged a shipping fee.

The book fair runs on volunteer power. Do you have some free time and want to help?? Please visit the MG book fair volunteer sign up sheet at https://tinyurl.com/2mx8rsxa Want to help but need a different time slot? Please email Pauline Kralj at pkralj@comcast.net

Thank you for supporting our schools and your child’s love of reading.

Sincerely,

Rita Washburn & Pauline Kralj

A Note from our Social Workers

Supporting Independence: Preparing Kids for the Real World

As both parents and educators, our role is not only to keep children safe, supported, and heard—but also to prepare them for the challenges of the real world. Life isn't always easy, and as adults, we know that achieving personal and professional goals requires effort, resilience, and responsible decision-making.

Children need the same preparation. Whether they're getting ready for middle school, high school, college, or entering the workforce someday, the habits and skills they build now will shape their future. One of the best ways to support them is by encouraging independence and responsibility in everyday life.

This means giving them space to try things on their own: helping with household tasks, managing their time, staying organized, practicing self-care, and learning from mistakes. These moments, even small ones, help build confidence, resilience, and reliability. When children learn to trust themselves and take ownership of their actions, they grow into capable, confident individuals ready to take on life's challenges.

One simple but effective way to support your child's independence is by creating a visual weekly schedule at home. A schedule helps children clearly see their responsibilities and builds a habit of following through on tasks. This could be as simple as: hanging a printed schedule in their bedroom, using a whiteboard or chalkboard on the fridge, creating a colorful chart with checkboxes they can mark off, using sticky notes for daily tasks on a wall or mirror, or using digital tools like calendar apps or task apps with reminders.

The goal is to make the schedule visible, consistent, and easy to follow. Include school assignments, chores, personal hygiene, screen time, reading, or any task you want them to manage independently. Over time, this structure helps children take ownership of their time and builds confidence in handling daily routines.

Let’s work together to give our kids the gift of independence—one small step at a time.

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.

MHS Softball Halloween Camp

Join us for a fun skills camp focused on hitting, pitching, defense, and baserunning—plus Trick-or-Treating with the high school players handing out candy! Costumes encouraged!

Drop off & Pick Up at the North Gym. No experience necessary!

October 27th (5:30-7:30pm)

Kindergarten - 4th Grade

Register online: https://omella.com/rjnn3

AI Workshop for all Parents/Guirdians

Dear Parents and Guardians,

We invite you to join us for a virtual presentation on Artificial Intelligence (AI) to learn more about how AI platforms, such as ChatGPT and Magic School, the educational AI platform our students use in their classes, can support student learning.

This session is designed for parents/guardians of students of all ages. Whether you are new to AI or you are interested in learning more about how AI can be used to support your students' academic success, this presentation is for you.

Date: Wednesday, October 29
Time: 6:30 PM
Location: Zoom (link to follow)

Please see the attached letter for details and a link to RSVP.

Sincerely,

Stacey Gorman, Director of Teaching and Learning , District 120

sgorman@d120.org

Join the D75 STEAM Foundation for a Fun Evening!

Come on out and support the D75 STEAM Foundation's Tacos and Trivia Night! Join us for Julio's Tacos, some friendly competition, and a lot of great auction items and raffle prizes at the Lure of the Local exhibit at the Archer Business Center. Tickets are available now so get yours while you can!

https://auctria.events/d75steamfoundationtrivia2025

A Note from the PTO

Dine Out

Our next Dine Out will be at Culver's on Tuesday, October 28th. More information will go home once we are closer to the date.

A Note from our Bilingual Parent Advisory

Come celebrate Dia de los Muertos on November 3rd at Mechanics Grove, from 6-7:30pm. There will be light snacks, music, crafts and lots of fun! Save the date in your calendar and reserve your spot HERE.

BPAC MEETING

The Bilingual Parent Advisory Committee (BPAC) is finalizing plans for our district-wide event to celebrate Dia de los Muertos. Join them on 10/22, at 11:30, at 470 North Lake Street OR join online at this LINK.

Fall Events at MHS

Friday Night Lights
We are looking forward to welcoming the community back to the MHS Stadium under the lights! These games provide a great opportunity for our younger students to experience the excitement of high school athletics in a safe and spirited environment.

Friday, October 17 - Community Night, Red Rage Theme - WHITE OUT

5:00pm - Freshman Football v. Waukegan
7:30pm - Varsity Football v. Waukegan

Red Rage Student Section
Our student fan leaders (“Red Rage”) are promoting themed nights throughout the football season. A t-shirt store is available so students and families can match the game themes and show their Mustang pride.

Community Nights
This fall, we are hosting several special Community Nights to celebrate youth participation and provide a connection to our programs.

Football – Friday, October 17

We will share additional promotional flyers and details with you soon so you can pass them along to your school community.

Safety & Game Day Policies

Unaccompanied minors: Please remind families that all K-8 students must be accompanied and actively supervised by a parent or responsible adult.
Clear bag policy: For the safety of all guests, only clear bags will be permitted inside the stadium.
Online ticketing: All tickets for Friday events must be purchased through GoFan.

Important Dates

10/16- Student-Led Conferences (5:00-8:00pm)

10/21- Board of Education Meeting (6:00pm at District Office East)

10/23- NO STUDENT ATTENDANCE

10/23- Student-Led Conferences (12:00-8:00pm)

10/24- NO SCHOOL

10/29- SPOOKtacular Band Concert (5th and 7th grade)- 6:00pm at CSMS

10/31- Halloween Parade at MG (2:00pm)

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.

Find Information HERE

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.