Chute E-Blast!

March 12th 7pm show. The drama teacher, Dana Dardai, and the advanced 8th grade class are excited to present their original play "Just Another Perfectly Normal High School Play" all are welcome and any students must be seated with an adult

Please note that Wednesday, March 5th will be a half day for all students. School will begin at the regular time of 8:00 AM but will dismiss early at 11:00 AM.

Please make appropriate transportation arrangements for your child's early dismissal. If your child typically attends after-school programs, please check with those programs regarding their schedules for this half day.

Our students will be taking the Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) tests in reading/language arts and mathematics next week. These state-required assessments help improve educational standards and identify areas where additional support may be needed.

How to Help Your Child Prepare:

• Ensure they get plenty of rest the night before testing
• Provide a nutritious breakfast on test days
• Breakfast is available at Chute from 7:30AM to 7:50AM
• Make sure your child arrives at school on time
• You can come as early as 7:30 AM! First period starts at 8:00 AM.
• Encourage a positive attitude about the assessment
• Remind them to do their best but not to worry

Please note that federal and state law requires all students to participate in these assessments. While the testing represents less than 1% of the school year, the results are important for our school.

If you have any questions, please contact the school office. We appreciate your support in helping our students succeed!

As we approach the end of the school year, we wanted to provide important information about volunteering for upcoming Spring field trips. Please note that volunteer requirements vary based on your role:

• Parents who wish to supervise a small group of students independently must complete a comprehensive background check (this process takes longer)
• Parents who will be paired with certified staff members can complete a faster approval process

How to Sign Up

Please complete the volunteer form at: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfeVRi1M6BynYwkEn4ZqqbJpXLOFZ6Z1CyWJ9XJYKaTdiWGAw/viewform

Look for more information or have questions, check out the district page on our Volunteering process. Thank you for your support in making these enriching spring experiences possible for our students!

Our school uses Securly to keep students safe on their school-issued devices. In the SecurlyHome app, you’ll have a real-time view of your child's activity on their school device. There is also a web portal which you can access by clicking here. You'll also get a weekly email from Securly with a snapshot report of that activity.

Key features include:

• Activity Feed showing your child's online activity
• Notifications about potential safety concerns
• Ability to pause internet access on school devices when at home
• Web portal access for desktop viewing

To get started:

1. Download the SecurlyHome app from the App Store or Google Play
2. Open the app and tap "Login"
3. Enter your email address registered with the school
4. Click the verification link sent to your email

Visual directions to help you get started!

(Spanish Version)

D65 Acceleration via Grade Skipping process

Important Timeline:

• April 11, 2025 – Deadline to submit acceleration requests for the 2025-2026 school year
• May 19, 2025 – Families who submit by April 11 can expect a decision by this date
• 2026-2027 Requests – Will open at the start of the 2025-2026 school year

For specific questions about the district’s acceleration process, you can reach out to alternateplacement@district65.net. If you have individual questions about your child’s placement, please contact David Wartowski, Director of Mathematics, at wartowskid@district65.net.

Hey 8th Graders! Love math? D65 and ETHS have ways to advance.

1. Summer Gemoetry @ ETHS Course Title: "Geometry Complete"

• Sign up before March 21
• See https://www.eths.k12.il.us/summerschool

• Available to: 8th graders, 7th graders in 3rd trimester
• Must have "meets" in all math domains
• See district65.net/acceleration for more information

Rock-En-seble:

Concert, Thursday, March 20th

• 5:30PM Call Time

• 6:00 PM Concert

Advanced Music:

Required Events for Advanced Music students

Performing/Singing with the ETHS Choirs

• Thursday, May 1st

• 7:00 PM Performance (More details coming soon)

Advanced Music Spring Showcase

• Thursday, May 22nd

• 5:30 PM Call time

• 6:00 PM Showcase

Choir:

• Congratulations to the Chute Choir on their winter concert and Evanston Sings Event at ETHS

• There is no spring concert for choir.

• Open Sing, will be happening Mondays after spring break. We will sing karaoke and learn music for next Fall’s concert.

Attention all 6th and 7th grade students:

Chute 2024-25 yearbooks are for sale! Pre-order your Chute yearbook now! The cost is $25. Cash is preferred, or make a check out to Chute Middle School. Turn in your order form and payment to Mrs. Kushner in room 109, or to Mrs. Kushner's mailbox in the office. Order forms are due Friday, March 7th. The yearbook includes student portraits, team and club photos, candids, and snapshots from the many wonderful activities and learning experiences we have here at Chute!

Congratulations to our Chute Yearbook Cover Design Winners

Shout out to our 2024-25 yearbook cover design winners- Ariya Thomas, 8th grade, front cover, Isaac Larson, 8th grade, back cover, and Audrey Hwang, 6th grade, inside cover. We had many incredible cover entries this year! Thanks to all our amazing Chute artists who participated in the design contest!

Tuesday, March 11 from 4-5pm on Zoom

We're inviting our community of teachers, staff, caregivers and community members who are interested in helping us build a brighter, healthier, more equitable future for our children.

Join Zoom Meeting: https://district65.zoom.us/j/5239615597?omn=83200117246

Meeting Agenda:
- D65 Sustainability Plan: Share Draft and Feedback
- School Sharing: Sustainability + Gardens

You are invited to an upcoming Tenant rights community event, Evanston Renters Coming Together on March 13th at 6.30pm. This community gathering will educate renters on their increased rights and build momentum to further the cause of housing security for the 43% of Evanstonians who rent.

Evanston renters have increased rights!

Almost half of our neighbors in Evanston are renters and this past summer they gained increased protections when the local landlord tenant ordinance was improved as a result of community effort. We know many of our staff, participants, and supporters are renters in Evanston and we want to ensure they know about their increased protections. Moran Center is partnering with other community organizations to invite renters to learn about their increased protections and discuss ways we can continue to improve the landlord tenant ordinance. Being a renter is hard right now for many of our neighbors and we want to do what we can to make it easier to live and stay in Evanston! Join us! Here are the details:

• Evanston Renters Coming Together
• Thursday, March 13, 2025
• 6:00-7:30pm
• @ YWCA Evanston/North Shore, 1215 Church Street

Free parking, childcare, light snacks, Spanish translation, and ADA accessibility.

Please register in advance using the attached flyers, in Spanish and English, or at this link: bit.ly/evanstonrenters2025

6th Grade Orchestra meet on Tuesdays after school from 3:15-3:50.

Please reach out to Ms. Berger if you have any questions.

Café Chute French Club meets on Monday, March 10 after school in room 101. You do not need to be in French class to come! Questions? See Prof. Cope!

Our next session will be March 11th in the gym. See you there!

Please join the Chute Chess Club that runs at 3:15pm-4:15pm every Thursday. If interested, please contact Coach Chris Christmas at chrschess@yahoo.com.

meets on Monday, February 24 after school in room 101. You do not need to be in French class to come! Questions? See Prof. Cope!

Teen TEE at Chute is recruiting a new round of Black girls to join us for the Spring 2025 cohort. Teen TEE is designed for Black girls to nurture healthy identities and supportive relationships. We will work together to build a courageous space where girls feel seen and valued. Teen TEE will meet for 10 consecutive weeks after school in the library from 3:15-4:30pm. Snacks will be provided. We are currently recruiting 10-12 girls to join us for the spring cohort to start mid-February 2025. To register: https://forms.gle/9s4gwytxqUGpHXNs9

Stage Crew will be meeting after school on Tuesday March 4th as we prepare for our show the following week. Permission slips to be a part of the backstage crew during the performance went home on Tuesday February 25th. Please get those returned as soon as possible and see Ms. McGuire if you need a new copy.

Meets Wednesdays!

Is your student interested in performing or what it takes to put on a show? Drama club is open to all students! Students play theater games, talk about plays, and produce a student-driven show for the Spring! Please contact Ms. Dardai at dardaid@district65.net if you have any questions. Students can just show up or stop by Ms. Dardai's room (110) to find out more information. Late bus is available.

Attention students and families!

Chute Middle School's first Star Wars Club meeting will be held on select Thursdays for the rest of the year in room 324. If you're a fan of the galaxy far, far away, this club is for you! To sign up for more information and stay updated, join our Google Classroom using the code "tvlbrlr." We look forward to seeing you there!

Come join Green STEAM Wednesdays 3:15-4:15pm in Room 313! Green STEAM connects Chute's garden with science, technology, engineering, art and math. We do sustainability projects, garden, cook delicious recipes with food we grew, do experiments, and create art. This school year we will be designing and making a mural for our butterfly garden next to the parking lot!