D73 Digest

Our 7th and 8th grade orchestra students are joining musicians from Vernon Hills High School for two special performances!

• Tuesday, November 17 | 7:30 p.m. Hawthorn Middle North will perform alongside the VHHS Symphony and Concert Orchestras. WATCH LIVE
• Thursday, November 19 | 7:30 p.m. Hawthorn Middle South will perform alongside the VHHS Chamber and Philharmonic Orchestras. WATCH LIVE

Both concerts will take place in the Vernon Hills High School auditorium. Families are invited to attend in person or watch online! Ticket information can be found at this Ticket Purchase Link or purchased at VHHS.

Are you interested in learning more about the Be Seen and Heard© program? Hawthorn District 73 and the Hawthorn PTO invite parents from all District 73 preschool and elementary schools to attend an informational meeting prior to our student assembly programs. Please join our presenter via Zoom on Tuesday, November 17th at 7:00 p.m. to meet with our Be Seen and Heard© program presenter, ask questions, or inquire about additional resources. Many thanks are extended to the Hawthorn PTO for their partnership in hosting this special parent event! ADD EVENT TO YOUR CALENDAR

Good food for a great cause! Skip cooking next Wednesday, November 18, and support Key to 73 – Hawthorn Education Foundation at Panera Bread! Grab your favorite meal while helping us support Hawthorn D73 students and families! Eat good. Do good. Support Key to 73! ADD EVENT TO YOUR CALENDAR

Report cards will be available in your PowerSchool Parent Portal by the end of the day on November 20. If you need assistance accessing your student’s report card, please contact your school office.

The race is on, but our donation boxes could use a little love. Elementary North is currently leading with $500 and multiple donations, followed by Aspen.

With the holidays approaching, The Nest needs our community's support to help stock its shelves and provide essential items for Hawthorn families. Anyone can help by donating non perishable food items at the schools, shopping our Amazon Wishlist, or making a monetary donation.

The race ends November 20! Will Aspen hold its lead, or will another school swoop in and claim the trophy? Every donation counts, so let's get those boxes filled!

Parent-Teacher Conferences are coming up on Monday, November 23, and Tuesday, November 24! This is a valuable opportunity to connect with your child's teacher, celebrate their progress, and discuss how we can continue supporting their success. If you have not yet scheduled a conference, please reach out to your child's teacher as soon as possible to make arrangements.

Hawthorn District 73 will conduct a routine test of our emergency notification system (BrightArrow) on Tuesday, November 24. This test helps us ensure that families and designated emergency contacts can receive important district alerts during emergencies, severe weather, or unexpected school closures.

During the test, families and their emergency contacts should receive a phone call, text message, and email through BrightArrow. This is only a test, and no action is required.

We encourage all families to take a moment to review their contact information, including emergency contacts, in the PowerSchool Parent Portal to ensure it is accurate and up to date.

Every year students in the Dual Language program in Grades 3-8 participate in the annual AAPPL assessment to determine their Spanish proficiency level in reading, listening, speaking and writing. The AAPPL test will be taken the week of Nov. 30-Dec. 4.

• AAPPL Demonstration: https://www.languagetesting.com/aappl2-demo
• AAPPL Scoring and Reporting: https://www.actfl.org/assessment-professional-development/assessments-the-actfl-testing-office/aappl/scores-reporting

For questions or more information, please contact your child’s teacher, your child’s school principal, or Nicole Merryfield Coy (Director of Multilingual Learning).

• December 16, 2026 (Wednesday)
• January 14, 2027
• February 4, 2027
• February 18, 2027
• March 17, 2027 (Wednesday)
• April 15, 2027
• May 13, 2027 (Originally May 20)
• June 17, 2027

A new Illinois Law mandate (SB3484) will go into effect January 2027,

• Riders of e-bikes and e-motos capable of traveling over 28 mph will be required to have a driver’s license, title, registration, and insurance. (Riders of class 1 and class 2 e-bikes must be at least 15 years old).

• High-speed micromobility devices such as e-scooters, electric skateboards, and electric unicycles will be prohibited from operating over 28 mph on roads, bike lanes, bike paths, and sidewalks. In addition, riders of any of these devices must be at least 16 years old.

• Please review the Illinois Secretary of State Know the Rules for additional information.

From the Hawthorn District 73 Handbook (updated):

"The use of bicycles, scooters, skateboards, rollerblades, motorized vehicles, etc., is prohibited on district property. Once on district property, students must walk with their equipment. Students who travel to school in this manner must use extreme care and are encouraged to wear helmets. Students must also be aware and respectful of other riders, pedestrians and vehicular traffic. Hawthorn takes no responsibility for bikes or other equipment, which should be chained and locked in the available racks. Equipment is not to be used during the school day. Students are not allowed to ride motorized vehicles. In addition, shoes with built-in wheels are not allowed to be in the rolling position while students are on district property."

📸: Communications

A HUGE shoutout to Knights of Columbus #8022, St. Mary of Vernon Catholic Church for their generous donation of 100+ winter coats for our Hawthorn families! cabachuelas@hawthorn73.org

The Foundation is still looking for a Treasurer to join the team. This is a meaningful opportunity to get involved, support districtwide initiatives, and help advance the Foundation’s mission to advocate, promote, and fund opportunities that support the success of every student, every day, across Hawthorn District 73. Interested or know someone who may be a great fit? Please contact Sol Cabachuela at cabachuelas@hawthorn73.org.

The Key to 73 Foundation is excited to announce an upcoming Golf Outing at White Deer Run on June 18, 2027! Mark your calendar and stay tuned for more information about registration, sponsorship opportunities, and ways to join the fun while supporting Hawthorn students. ADD TO CALENDAR: Apple/iCal | Google

There are many exciting things ahead with the Hawthorn PTO this school year! From family nights and student socials to book fairs, staff appreciation, and community events, the PTO helps create meaningful experiences for students, staff, and families across Hawthorn District 73.

We had our very 1st McTeacher's Night for the '26-'27 school year for Middle School North and South!! Let's give our teachers & staff a HUGE shoutout and congratulations for raising $785.82! Everyone had a wonderful time seeing their teachers and friends while helping to raise money for our district.

Come out and support your school at McTeacher Night from 4-7 pm! Join us for a fun evening of food, family, and familiar faces as our Hawthorn teachers and staff trade their classrooms for McDonald's! Bring your family, grab a meal, and help support your school! We can't wait to see our Hawthorn families come together for another successful year of McTeacher Nights! ❤️💛

• Dec. 10 - Lincoln and HSYL | ADD TO CALENDAR
• Jan. 7 - Dual Language, Townline, and John Powers | ADD TO CALENDAR
• Feb. 3rd - Elementary North | ADD TO CALENDAR
• Mar. 4th - Aspen & Elementary South | ADD TO CALENDAR

The PTO fully operates on the dedication of parent (and staff) volunteers for all of the planning and executing of events! Check out the list of open opportunities for the upcoming school year and consider getting involved! Once you sign up, someone from the appropriate committee will be in touch with event needs and to understand how you would like to be involved.

Don’t miss important messages from Hawthorn

We've noticed MANY families are not receiving emails or text alerts due to full inboxes or not being opted in. To ensure you stay informed, please follow the steps below to update your contact preferences for Hawthorn District 73’s mass communication system:

• Text Messages: To receive text alerts, text “Yes” to 79041 from your cell phone (must be listed in PowerSchool).
• Emails: Add no-reply@hawthorn73.org to your contacts or safe senders list to prevent messages from going to spam.
• Phone Calls: Save 847-973-5958 in your contacts as "Hawthorn District 73" so you recognize important calls and they don’t show up as spam.

These simple steps help ensure you receive timely updates, emergency alerts, and key information throughout the school year. Thank you for staying connected!

• 🌮 November 20: Nacho Fiesta

• 🍒 November 23: Crazy for Cranberries

• 🦃 November 23: Thankful & Grateful

In response to Erin’s Law (House Bill 6193), which requires all public schools to implement a prevention-oriented child sexual abuse program, Hawthorn District 73 is hosting the Be Seen and Heard© assembly program for all preschool and elementary students during the week of November 30, 2026. This assembly is designed to create an age-appropriate, safe, and engaging environment in which students learn the difference between safe and unsafe touch, and the importance of having trusted heroes. Please review this letter for additional details about the Be Seen and Heard© program.

Families may have experienced more frequent delays on morning and afternoon bus routes recently. We are working closely with First Student to improve service and restore more consistent, timely transportation.

First Student has shared that high driver turnover has contributed to the recent delays and anticipates additional drivers becoming available soon. We will continue monitoring route performance and working with First Student to address concerns.

Please read, The Connection Corner, a parent/guardian newsletter focused on supporting the social, emotional, and behavioral needs of our students. In this first edition, we’re sharing practical strategies and resources to help families support their children at home, including information about SOAR expectations, Community Circles, and more. We hope these resources help families stay informed and connected as we support the whole child together!

Hawthorn School District 73 uses Securly to help keep students safe while using their school-issued devices. Families of students in grades 6–8 also have access to tools that provide greater visibility into their child’s online activity. With the Securly Home App, parents and caregivers can monitor activity at home and sign up for weekly email reports with a snapshot of their child’s internet use. This information can help families better understand digital habits and support conversations about safe and responsible technology use.

Learn how to download and use the Securly Home App →

Questions about your Securly account? Email help@securly.com

Hawthorn District 73 has partnered with Youth & Family Counseling to provide additional support for student well-being. Through this partnership, a licensed therapist is available on-site at Hawthorn each week, making counseling services more convenient and accessible for families who choose this option.

Learn more about Youth & Family Counseling and how to schedule an appointment →

Looking for mental health support for your child or family? ReferralGPS is a free, confidential resource that helps Hawthorn families find local providers based on location, specialty, insurance and other needs. Families can search for services on their own or connect with a Care Navigator for help finding providers and scheduling appointments.

Explore ReferralGPS →

The BrightArrow ParentHub app is more than a place to find school messages! We’ve added direct links to some of the resources families use most, so you can quickly:

• 📅 Check your school calendar
• 🍎 View the lunch menu
• ✏️ Report an absence
• 🚌 Submit a transportation change

All from your phone, without hunting around the website.

Already using ParentHub? Help us make it better! If there’s a resource you’d like to see added, click the Contact button at the bottom of this newsletter and send your suggestion directly to District Communications.

Vernon Hills High School's National Honor Society is offering FREE tutoring for middle school students through its Cougar Tutor Program!

Tutoring sessions are held on Thursdays from 4:00–5:15 p.m. at Aspen Drive Library. Students can sign up for 25-minute sessions with high school NHS volunteers, with additional help potentially available depending on volunteer availability. Students can sign up independently or with a parent.

The Winter/Spring 2027 Program Guide is here! Explore programs, events, sports and more for all ages. Registration opens November 17 for residents and November 24 for nonresidents.