Welcome to this week's edition of:

Happy Friday, Morton 709 Families, Staff, and Community,

A Statement of Gratitude: On this day of remembrance, we extend our heartfelt thanks to our police, fire, EMS, healthcare personnel, and service members. You represent the very best of us—ordinary people performing extraordinary acts of service. Thank you for your unwavering commitment to our safety.

Looking ahead to next week, we celebrate the 60th Annual Morton Pumpkin Festival. We hope you take time to enjoy all things pumpkin and make wonderful memories that will last a lifetime.

Quote of the Week:

" When Americans lend a hand to one another, nothing is impossible. " –Jeff Parness

Go, Potters.

Dr. Joe Sander

Superintendent

Another great week of learning, leading, laughing, and more!

Special thanks to Morton Potter Athletics, Paul F Photo, and Sue's Sports Posts and Pictures!

Where is the one-cent tax applied? Identify the many important exemptions.

Click for the Morton-Redefine 709 Video.

Be a part of the conversation about how this could benefit students, staff, and our school community by attending a

Town Hall Meeting at:

Grundy School - September 29, 2026 (Tuesday) 6-7 pm

Morton Public Library - October 13, 2026 (Tuesday) 6-7 pm

Jefferson School - October 22, 2026 (Thursday) 6-7 pm

Learn more by visiting Redefine 709, tazewellforstudents.com, or contacting Dr. Sander directly through this convenient "Got Questions?" form.

Please see the attached letter from Dr. Sander about student-driven motorized vehicles on school property. Students are often observed making unsafe choices on their scooters and bikes. Please review THIS LETTER and have a conversation with your child if they use one to get to or from school.

A recent news report from Madison, WI, shared one young man's story and recent emergency room visits related to motorized/electric bikes and scooters. Together, we can help keep our students safe and support them in making smart choices that protect their health and well-being.

🐻🐻🐻🐻Home of the Lettie Brown Bears🐻🐻🐻🐻🐻

First, second, and third graders at Lettie Brown recently embarked on an exciting field trip to the Peoria Riverfront Museum!

Students toured two engaging exhibits that brought learning to life in unforgettable ways.

In The Promise of Liberty, young learners explored the rich tapestry of American history, discovering stories and artifacts that shaped our nation. Next, they stepped into Toytopia, a playful and interactive journey through the history of toys—a exhibit that reminded us all why play is such an important part of childhood and learning.

What made this experience extra special? This fantastic learning adventure was right in our own backyard—just across the river and minutes from home.

Our first, second, and third grade historians and toy enthusiasts returned with new knowledge, cherished memories, and big smiles!

Lettie Brown's 6th graders recently discovered that math is everywhere—and they counted on it! In their Measurement unit, students explored countless opportunities to count, compare, and measure their way through real-world problems.

From calculating dimensions to tackling practical applications, these mathematicians proved that when it comes to learning, they always measure up!

The Lettie Brown Bears recently took on an exciting challenge that combined gross motor skills and balance! In this dynamic PE game, students protected their "sphere of cones."

While strategizing their movements, they took on their opponents. It was a fantastic display of quick thinking and athletic prowess!

This week, Lettie Brown sent out its inaugural newsletter, Lettie Brown News, using the Smore platform. Principal Waterfield will be adding more information next week.

Watch for her newsletter on Mondays! It is a great way to stay informed.

Always learning, we have educators leading by example!

Friday & Saturday, Sept. 11th and 12th Playground Installation

Monday, Sept. 14th 5th & 6th Choir MEC 2:30-3:45pm

Tuesday, Sept. 15th Tuesday Running Club 2:30-3:30pm; 1st & 2nd Grade Tuesday Art Club 2:40-3:50pm

Wednesday, Sept. 16th: 1st & 2nd Grade Wednesday Art Club 2:40-3:50 pm

Thursday, Sept. 17th: Thursday Running Club 2:30-3:30 pm

Friday, Sept. 18th Early Release 11:45 am

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It has been a hot couple of weeks.

Even when its hot, but these Patriots keep moving during PE with Mrs. Emmons!

Physical activity is a great way to reset. Movement helps students be ready to learn.

The cooler temperatures are very welcome.

Keep moving, Patriots!

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Cooling off and conversations with friends are memory-making moments that these Patriots will carry with them forever.

A refreshing treat on a hot day is always welcome—and our Jefferson community appreciated the cool-down moment together.

Students followed a visual recipe, using their listening and observation skills as they watched the magic happen.

The process was delightfully messy and wonderfully fun, reminding us that sometimes the best learning happens when you're willing to get your hands a little cold and sticky!

These Jefferson Patriots absolutely nailed the exercise, demonstrating the quick thinking, good listening, and teamwork our school community needs when it counts. A special shout-out to Mrs. Camp, our school nurse, who is a trusted helper and leader when our students and staff need her most.

• 11: 1st Quarter Midterm
• 14: PTO Meeting at 6:30 at Jefferson
• 16-19: Pumpkin Festival
• 18: Early Dismissal at 11:55 am
• 24: Kindergarten Library Field Trip
• 25: Popcorn Friday

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🐊🐊🐊🐊🐊"Home of the Grundy Gators"🐊🐊🐊🐊🐊

Fourth graders are deep in the weeds—literally! They're discovering the root of morpheme magic, breaking apart words to uncover their origins, syllables, phonemes, and meanings. The study of words has never been so spell-binding!

If a tree comes down while kindergarteners are at recess, will they stop and watch? Yes!

These students were completely mesmerized by the process. Principal Higus cannot wait to see what they think when the construction starts soon.

Mrs. Fisher, our Grundy librarian, has crafted a creative new chapter in our library experience! She borrowed the makerspace concept from Morton Public Library and brought it to life here—complete with puzzles that made the journey across town with her.

Here's how library time now unfolds: After storytime and book checkout, students choose their own adventure from three options. They can settle in for quiet solo reading, buddy up with a whisper-voice reading partner, or dive into hands-on makerspace activities—solo or with a friend. The result?

Students get the peaceful reading time they need while also enjoying social and emotional connection, all while discovering that libraries are so much more than shelves of books. It's been a wonderful way to spark screen-free joy and creativity in our young readers!

Whatever the weather, the Grundy Gators are active and learning.

Have you taken the time to read the Grundy Newsletter?

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🦁🦁🦁🦁"Home of the Lincoln Lions" 🦁🦁🦁🦁

Lincoln students and staff have been learning, leading, and raising funds through "Acts of Kindness." It is a great way to build community while raising funds for the extras the PTO provides to students and staff. They call it the Raise Craze.

Some of our local coffee shops will have cups with special messages. It is art from the heart.

Kindness is never wasted.

Mrs. McKee's 5th grade science classes recently discovered that good science starts with great safety! During an exciting gummy bear lab, students practiced essential lab safety protocols while exploring the scientific method from start to finish.

From forming hypotheses to making careful observations and recording data, these young scientists engaged in authentic scientific thinking.

What made this lab extra special? Using gummy bears as their experimental subject kept students engaged and excited about the process.

The hands-on experience reinforced critical skills they'll use throughout their science careers. Mrs. McKee's classes proved that learning can be both rigorous and delicious. Science is sweet—literally and figuratively!

Congratulations to Mrs. Schelkopf, our wonderful para in 1st and 3rd grade, on being named Student of the Week in first grade! Her special guest reader was her daughter Tess, a former Lincoln Lion, who read The Wonky Donkey—a hilariously wobbly tale that had students giggling all the way through.

Welcome back, Tess! It was wonderful to have you share the joy of reading with us!

Lincoln's RISE classroom had a rising good time during a special Social Communication class led by Student Support Services Morgan Bush, SW, and Celeste Schwind, SLP. They were joined by Social Work intern Jaxon Vogel, who didn't just rise to the occasion—he jumped right in to become part of the dynamic teaching and learning experience.

Another example of leading and learning together.

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🐺🐺🐺🐺🐺🐺 Home of the Huskies 🐺🐺🐺🐺🐺🐺

Once upon a time, in our Morton 709 family, Lettie Brown had their back-to-school pool party canceled twice by the weather. Jefferson Patriots were sad for their Lettie Brown friends and invited them to join their pool party. An act of kindness saved the day for the Lettie Brown family.

Kindness tends to multiply, and it did. Lettie Brown had an opportunity to pay it forward.

Morton Academy is our smallest school. Lettie Brown thoughtfully shared their "Popcorn Friday" treats with the MA Huskies. Fewer than two dozen bags of popcorn produced huge smiles and big gratitude from Morton Academy students and staff.

Kindness can be delicious. I am sure Morton Academy will look for ways to pay it forward, too.

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Future careers are taking shape! Our 8th graders are rolling up their sleeves and exploring a variety of Career Maker modules—from criminalistics and sports medicine to virtual architecture, cosmetology, and dentistry!

Hands-on experiences like these give students the chance to try something new, discover their interests, and imagine what their future might look like.

Who knows? We may have some future doctors, architects, forensic scientists, and entrepreneurs in the making!

Congratulations to the boys golf team for winning the first Sectional as a team in school history! The Junior Potters were led by Brooks Birkey who placed 2nd overall individually by shooting a 77. Luke Bolliger placed 8th with an 86 and Reeve Juricic placed 10th with an 89. Elijah Smith also shot well and will round out the team as they travel to Metamora Fields next Friday to compete at State. Great job, boys!

The MJHS softball team delivered an unforgettable night of regional action at Birchwood on Thursday evening with an amazing come-from-behind extra-innings victory! The team showed true grit and determination, refusing to let the game slip away. What a performance!

Congratulations to Cora Roth, our Rotary Student of the Month for September! She is the daughter of Andrew and Katerina Roth.

Cora and her 8th-grade English Language Arts teacher, Rachel Gianessi, were recognized at Thursday's Rotary luncheon.

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💫💫💫💫"Home of the Potters!"💫💫💫💫

Morton Food Services Director Ms. Crystal Lohnes and District Grant Writer Mrs. Katie Bolkema collaborated on a latte of hard work, submitting a grant to bring a coffee bar to Morton High School. Their efforts percolated into success! MHS students now have something espresso-ly exciting to look forward to every day.

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Please join us on Friday, September 25th, as we honor these Potter Legends. The ceremony will take place before the varsity football game at approximately 6:45 pm. Congratulations to our Class of 2026 Hall of Fame Inductees.

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Join us this week on MPTV Coaches as we celebrate the victories that made headlines on the field! We're bringing you highlights from impressive soccer, football, and volleyball wins from the past week. Stick around to see the plays, the teamwork, and the pride that define our athletic community!

In this episode of Care U, Don & Stephanie unpack four common beliefs that can leave caregivers feeling overwhelmed.

• We’re already behind.
• Everyone else has it figured out.
• Everything will fall apart if we stop.
• We should know what we’re doing by now.

From comparison and changing expectations to sharing responsibilities and giving ourselves permission to learn as we go, we reflect on how caregivers can slow down, question these assumptions, and make room for growth.

As always, the conversation invites caregivers to approach ourselves and the children in our care with curiosity, flexibility, and grace. We hope you enjoy the episode.

Questions? Want to hear more about something? Did something really hit home? We love FEEDBACK at Care U.

Multi-Language Learning at Morton 709 brings cultures, families, and communities together.

The 2026-27 Early Childhood Education and Preschool for All calendar is available. There are times when these young learners will have a unique schedule due to their half-day schedule. Please review this schedule and share it with family and other caregivers.

• The next Developmental Screening is on October 14, 2026
• Screenings are by appointment only.
• Call 309-284-8033.

The next regular meeting of the Board of Education is on Tuesday, October 6, 2026, at 5:30 PM at the District Office.

Morton 709's Hannah Johnson, Director of Business Services (third from the left).

Mrs. Hannah Johnson won the Illinois ASBO Foundation School Business Scholarship to further her education toward certification as an Illinois School Business professional. She holds a degree in Business Administration, but she is eager to sharpen her skills in the complicated field of school finance. She is working toward her Master's in Education with a CSBO endorsement.

Mrs. Johnson and Ms. Lisa Kowalski, CFO, attended the IASBO President's Gala event on Wednesday evening in Naperville, IL, where Mrs. Johnson was recognized for her accomplishment.

September 2026 Dining Menus and September Newsletter

Click here for: 🎃 September 2026 Breakfast Menu

Breakfast Prices: Grades K-12: $1.85

Student Extra Entrée: $1.10; Extra Milk: $0.70

Adults/Visitors: $2.75

Click here for: September 2026 Elementary LUNCH Menu

Click here for: 🌞September 2026 Morton Academy LUNCH Menu

🎃Grundy Preschool Snacks: September 2026

Click here for: September 2026 MJHS Lunch Menu

MJHS Extras cost extra: MJHS A La Carte Menu

🌮This Week at MHS:

MHS Lunch Menu -

🍝September 14th - 18th (Pasta Bar)

🥗September 21st - 25th (Salad Bar)

🍕September 28th - Oct 2nd (Pizza Bar)

Extras cost extra: MHS A La Carte Menu

NEW!!! MHS Coffee Bar Menu

Morton Food Services is excited to offer breakfast for all. What started as a trial at Jefferson School has grown to every Morton 709 school.

Breakfast is a great way to start the day!

⚾👟🏐 MHS Athletics & Activities Homepage 🏀🥎⚽🏌🏻‍♀️

⚾👟🏐 MJHS Athletics & Activities Homepage 🏀🥎⚽🏌🏻‍♀️

2026-27 Early Childhood Education and Preschool for All calendar

2026-27 School Year Public Calendar

2027-28 School Year Public Calendar

How do I pay for it?

Safety Letter

Please request these records before the June 15, 2027, deadline.