November 24th, 2025

November is a busy and exciting month at Middle School North! In this edition, you’ll find updates on the Accelerated Placement Act, an important safety update, tips for staying connected, an upcoming activity night, and so much more.

~Mrs. Crowley

November 26th - Non-Student Attendance Day

November 27th-28th -Thanksgiving Break (all district buildings are closed)

December 2nd & 4th - NWEA MAP & Horizon Testing

December 5th @ 5pm-MS Activity Night

December 6th-Made-by-Me Market

December 10th @ 7pm - MSN Choir Concert

December 16th @ 7 pm - MSN Band Concert

December 17th @ 7 pm - MSN Orchestra Concert

December 19th - K-12th Grade Early Release

December 22nd-January 2nd - Winter Break

January 5th-Institute Day

The first week of December all of our 6th and 7th grade students will be taking the MAP assessment and our 8th grade students will be taking the Pre-ACT 9 assessment. Both tests will take place on Tuesday, December 2, 2025 and Thursday, December 4, 2025. Both tests will be administered in the morning and we will follow an adjusted schedule for the remainder of the school day.

For more information about the assessments, please see the email sent on Tuesday, November 18, 2025 by Mrs. Aubrey Allen, Director of Curriculum, Assessment.

In an effort to always be prepared to deliver timely/emergency communications, the district contracts with two mass communication vendors - our primary vendor, Blackboard, and a secondary vendor, School Messenger (to be used in the event of an outage with our primary system). These tools enable us to contact you via email, voice mail, and SMS (text message), including during a crisis.

School Messenger requires that all recipients opt-in to receive text messages. Please take a moment to opt-in from your device for text messages so that we are able to reach you when important or emergency information arises if we need to use the School Messenger system.

Opting in is quick and easy - just text “Y” or “Yes” to our school’s short code number, 67587.

Get ready for a fun-filled evening! MSN and MSS students are invited to an Activity Night on Friday, December 5th from 5:00–7:00 PM at MSN.

🎟 Cost:

• $5 admission

• $4 with a donation of a non-perishable food item

🎉 Activities Include:

• Games

• Coloring

• Gym activities

• Snacks

• Photo booth area

• Movie

• …and much more!

This is a drop-off and pick-up event, so students can enjoy a safe and supervised night of winter fun.

We hope to see all our middle schoolers there!

Whitsons Culinary Group is looking for friendly, dedicated team members to join the School Nutrition Program at our District 95 elementary schools. Positions are available immediately, with competitive pay and flexible schedules—perfect for those who want to work while their children are in school.

Open Positions:

• Lead Food Service Worker (Req. #15036)

• Food Service Worker (Req. #15115)

To learn more or apply, scan the QR code on the flyer or visit www.whitsons.com/careers and search for the requisition numbers listed above.

Questions? Contact the hiring team at 630-538-2827 or email recruiter@whitsons.com.

Join a team that brings nutritious meals and a welcoming environment to our students every day!

The 2025 Made By Me Market is officially underway! The Made by Me Market is a creative, student-run marketplace where kids design, make, and sell their own products. Students act as entrepreneurs—planning, pricing, advertising, and selling items they’ve created themselves. It’s a fun, authentic way to build creativity, confidence, and real-world business skills. This year's market will be a joint event with students from Spencer Loomis and Seth Paine and is scheduled for Saturday, December 6 from 12-2pm. Click HERE for more information and HERE to sign up as a vendor! Registrations for vendors will be accepted through November 7.

Christina Diaz Gonzalez, author of The Red Umbrella and Edgar Award-winning Concealed, will speak at MSN on March 13, 2026, in the cafetorium.

Students, staff, and families are encouraged to preorder a copy of her newest graphic novel, Offside.

Offside is about five kids on a co-ed soccer team who must confront insecurities, language barriers, and gender stereotypes to make a difference in the sport they love. This Breakfast Club-inspired story by Christina Diaz Gonzalez and illustrated by Mari Costa is a must-have graphic novel about soccer, friendship, and what it really means to work as a team.

Below are the links to preorder a hardcover or paperback copy of Offsides, which will be delivered to your address after July 2026 publication.

Hardcover: https://www.bookcellarinc.com/offside-graphic-novel-0

Paperback: https://www.bookcellarinc.com/offside-graphic-novel