CSMS Newsletter

Click on the Tiger above for the Weekly Announcements

It’s a great day to be a Carl Sandburg Middle School family member! We are excited to welcome our students and families back to school as we begin the 2026 calendar year. January is always a busy and important month, and we are looking forward to a number of upcoming events. We will be hosting our annual Spelling Bee on Friday. For our 8th grade families, Freshman Night will take place at Mundelein High School on Thursday. The following week, we will observe Martin Luther King Jr. Day. As we return to routines and embrace new, positive habits, this is a great time to check PowerSchool to monitor academic progress. Please do not hesitate to reach out to your child’s teachers or the main office with any questions or concerns. We are here to support your child’s success.

Let’s make it a great start to 2026, Tigers and Tiger Families!

Dr. Andrew Vondran

The Class of 2030 Night is scheduled for Thursday, January 15th, 2026. Information was send via email and posted to the D120 website under the parent tab- incoming 9th-grade students.

Welcome to Mundelein High School! We are very excited to have you join the MHS family. We are looking forward to assisting your child in making the important transition from middle school to high school. On Thursday, January 15th, we are hosting our Class of 2030 Night at Mundelein High School for both families and students. Students with last names A-L arrive at the MHS auditorium by 6:00 PM for a 45-minute presentation on our ninth-grade academic programs, student supports, and extracurricular opportunities. Students with last names M-Z should attend the 7:15 PM session in the auditorium. The presentation will also be offered in Spanish in the cafeteria during both sessions. The Activities and Athletics Fair will be hosted in the Main Gym immediately following the formal presentation.

Bienvenidos a Mundelein High School. Estamos muy entusiasmados de darles la bienvenida a la familia de MHS. Esperamos poder acompañar a su hijo/a en la importante transición de la escuela secundaria a la preparatoria. El jueves 15 de enero, realizaremos nuestra Noche de la Clase de 2030 en Mundelein High School para familias y estudiantes. Los estudiantes con apellidos de la A a la L deberán llegar al auditorio de MHS a las 6:00 p.m. para una presentación de 45 minutos sobre nuestros programas académicos de noveno grado, los apoyos para estudiantes y las oportunidades extracurriculares. Los estudiantes con apellidos de la M a la Z deberán asistir a la sesión a las 7:15 p. m. en el auditorio. La presentación también se ofrecerá en español en la cafetería durante ambas sesiones. La Feria de Actividades y Atletismo se llevará a cabo en el Gimnasio Principal inmediatamente después de la presentación formal.

Class of 2030 Placement Letter

Incoming Freshmen Night overview

This is a message from Lisa Johnson from Mundelein High School Adult Education. She can be reached via email ljohnson@d120.org:

Mundelein High School Adult Education offers free English classes for adult immigrants in the Mundelein community. Our second semester begins in January, and new students are welcome to join us.

We are hoping to advertise our free English classes and would greatly appreciate your assistance in promoting this opportunity with our D75 families. I have also reached out to Stevee to share this information via email with our D120 families. Registration for new students will take place on Monday, January 12, from 5:30–8:00 p.m. and Wednesday, January 14, from 5:30–8:00 p.m. at Mundelein High School.

Attached is a flyer with additional details. We kindly ask that you share this information with your families. If possible, we would be grateful if this information could be shared either late this week or early next week, as our goal is to reach as many members of the Mundelein community as possible.

Thank you for your continued support in sharing this important information with our students and families.

Warm regards,

Lisa Johnson

Director of Adult Education

On Friday February 6th, we will be hosting our Valentines Dance. More information about times will follow. The dance is planned to be right after school instead of later in the evening. Please check back next week as we finalize our information.

Please click here for updates on the project.

Thank you for all the support.

Box Tops (flyer attached)

Thank you to all of our families who have joined our Box Tops Team! If you haven't downloaded the Box Tops For Education App yet, you can still do it! Simply go to your app store and download the Box Tops for Education App and enter code PNKN0SEQ (District 75 PTO Mundelein), scan a receipt with a Box Top eligible item, and you'll start earning for our schools! There are monthly bonus opportunities too, so watch the Box Tops (and $$) add up for our schools! We are well on our way to hitting our goal of raising $1,000 this year!

PTO Meeting

Our January PTO Meeting will be held on Wednesday, January 14th at 7pm at Carl Sandburg in MPR and all D75 Families and Staff are invited.

Please check out our LMC Padlet and see what #D75 reads

Please see the flyer for information about the 8th Grade Springfield Field Trip. Please contact Mr. Sather (nsather@d75.org )with any questions.

There are many activities for your student to enjoy at CSMS. Here is a breakdown of some of the clubs we offer here. We also run an activity bus that leaves school at 4:30. We want our students to be involved here at CSMS. Please keep checking here for updates on clubs.

Flag Football start Tuesday, August 28th and goes until October 29th. Please see Ms. Gigiano with any questions: bgigiano@d75.org.

Gaming and Chess Club will start in October and run on Tuesdays and Wednesday right after school. Please see Mr. Skura or Ms. Quint with any questions: eskura@d75.org or gquint@d75.org.

Homework Club: The club meets in the library on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 3:30 PM to 4:30 PM for a dedicated time when students can get help with homework and projects, or just find a quiet place to work. Students are required to sign a permission slip that they can get the first time they attend the club. Any questions, please see Mrs. Quint: lquint@d75.org.

Art Club meets every Tuesday and Thursday after school. This club start this week. You need parent permission to attend. Any questions, please see Mrs. Shirley: lshirley@d75.org.

Community Service Club is running this year. The club will meet on Wednesdays start September 3rd. Please see this flyer for more information. See Mrs. O'Malley or Mrs. Seibt with any questions: jomalley@d75.org or nseibt@d75.org.

Gardening Club aka the Terra Tigers are run by Mrs. Seibt. Please see her with any questions: nseibt@d75.org.

After School Choir will start on September 3rd. Please see Ms. Freeman with any questions: bfreeman@d75.org.

D&D is a tabletop role playing game run by the GM (Game Master, Mr. Fink) and played by player characters (your students)! Together the GM and player characters weave a fantastic story of heroism, adventure, and intrigue. Your students will have to work together building critical thinking and social skills to solve complex puzzles, defeat foes, and save the world from disaster. Playing through a world of my design, your students will gain confidence and life skills as we explore the world of Ruhass. Any questions, please see Mr. Fink or Mr. Spoden: mfink@d75.org or cspoden@d75.org.

There is also the Musical, Dance Ensemble, Band Practice Club, and Color Guard. If you're interested in these clubs, please reach out Mrs. Gupta: mgupta@d75.org.

French Club, a new club this year which will be led by Madame Adrienne Hugo, if she looks familiar it is because she used to teach kindergarten at Washington.. Check out this video from Madame Hugo to learn more about the club

NJHS meets Monday mornings in Mr. Shrank's room from 8:15 - 8:40. Meeting dates are the following:

• January 12th
• January 26th
• February 9th
• February 23rd
• March 9th
• April 6th
• April 20th
• May 4th
• May 11th (LAST MEETING)

See Ms. Gigiano bgigiano@d75.org or Mr. Schrank tschrank@d75.org for details.

Turn up the fun—join Mariachi Club!

Join us on Tuesdays after school in the choir room!
Don’t miss your chance to make music that’s full of energy, tradition, and fun! Learn to play instruments like guitars, vihuelas, and guitarrons, jam with friends, and experience the powerful sound of Mariachi. No experience needed—we’ll teach you everything. Just bring your enthusiasm and a willingness to try something new!

• Meets: Tuesdays, 3:30–4:45 PM (September–May)
• Directors: Carol Holck, Ashley Oropez, Matt Fink & Lauren White
• Permission slip: Pick up in the MPR or follow CSMS Mariachi Permission Slip Form 25-26 to complete the Google Form
• Questions? Contact Mrs. Holck at cholck@d75.org

Sports update: Here are the links to our current sport schedules:

Wrestling Schedule

Boy's Volleyball Schedule

We have some amazing artist here at CSMS. Please check out the CSMS Funky Art Gallery.

Check out Carl Sandburg's YouTube Channel. Here you can find the projects done in the multimedia classes as well as CSMS's famous TNN episodes.

This section has a few links that can be helpful if you need anything:

Website

Power School

Student Handbook

Year long calendar

January 2026

Jan 14 - PTO Meeting at CSMS

Jan 14 - Wrestling vs Beach Park

Jan 15 - Wrestling vs Woodlawn

Jan 15 - Freshman night for 8th Graders at MHS

Join us for the 8th Grade All-Star Band Concert at Mundelein High School on January 13, 2026, starting at 7 p.m.

🍎 My School Menus - is now ONLINE

🍎 Step-by-Step Instructional Video

🍎 Mundelein District 75 Online Menus

🍎 Access the RevTrak website to pay for school meals for your child.

Carl Sandburg Middle School is committed to success, prepared for a future of possibilities.
Live the Tiger CODE. Community. Ownership. Discovery. Effort.