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Monday, September 28

• PTO Washington DC Informational meeting-VIRTUAL 6:30 p.m.

Wednesday, September 30

Thursday, October 1

Friday, October 2

• Registration for in-person conferences starts at 8 a.m. Monday, September 28. In person conferences are scheduled for Wednesday evening, October 14. If you’d like to schedule an in-person conference please contact Mrs. Lifshitz in the Maple office at 847-400-8900.

• Registration for online conferences begins at 6 a.m. Monday, October 5 and runs through 3 p.m. Friday, October 9. Details on how to log in and register will be sent the weekend prior to this window; registration codes and directions will also be available on that date in the Parent Portal on form 2026-27 School Year Information.

Conferences are collaborative meetings between families and teachers, with time for your questions. Your classroom teacher will discuss academic and social-emotional goals, talk about how your child's learning experience is progressing at school and at home, and share details about the classroom community with you. Thank you for your partnership in supporting our students!

Our Maple students have been shaped by the Digital Citizenship lessons they learned in elementary school through our One-to-One iPad Program. Today, watch the fourth video in our series here or by clicking below, which continues exploring how Digital Citizenship lessons guide students' online safety and ethics.

You can also click here to explore a parent handbook that also answers frequent questions on our One-to-One iPad Program. Next week, please watch this newsletter for the final video in the series.

We are excited to invite Maple grandparents to our Fourth Annual Grandparents’ Night, a special evening celebrating the important role grandparents play in our students’ lives. The program will be on Wednesday, October 7 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the Maple LMC.

This year, we are excited to welcome keynote speaker, storyteller, and educator Ada Cheng, who will share the importance of generational storytelling. Grandparents will also enjoy a student-led panel discussion and a guided school tour led by Student Council members and Peer Partners.

MustangGrams will be available for purchase during the event and delivered to your child’s classroom the following day. Proceeds will support student clubs and activities.

While this event is designed to engage and honor grandparents, all family members are welcome to attend together. We look forward to celebrating this meaningful connection with you!

This year, Maple 7th grade students are invited to attend a day trip to Springfield, Illinois, on Monday, November 2. We are excited to be able to offer this opportunity in partnership with WorldStrides. Please click the link for more information about registering (use TRIP ID Code: TDGZMAE) for this opportunity.

Please register by the end of the day today, September 25. In addition to registering on the World Strides Site, please complete and sign the Student Expectations form for the trip through the parent portal.

First Action: register through link above (use TRIP ID Code: TDGZMAE)

Next Action: You will need to complete the Maple forms through the Parent Portal.

• Log on to Parent Portal: ps.district30.org/public
• Click on Forms in the left panel
• Click "Maple School Springfield Trip 2026” under Permission Slips on the All Forms or General tab

Please reach out to kdarling@district30.org with any questions and we are thrilled to continue our practice of offering such enriching opportunities for our students.

On September 22, Maple students participated in a bus evacuation drill, practicing how to safely and efficiently exit a school bus in the event of an emergency. Students successfully followed directions and demonstrated their understanding of the evacuation procedures.

Maple will conduct a law enforcement drill with the Northbrook Police Department on Friday, October 2, at 1:40 p.m. The drill will be developmentally appropriate and similar to last year’s drill. Students will receive advance notice and will be told the location of a pretend “disturbance” in the building. As a class, students will discuss the scenario and choose whether to run or hide.

We will reinforce the safety guidance of “Run, Hide, Fight”: escape if you can, hide if you cannot safely escape, and fight only as a last resort if necessary. Our goal is to help students and staff understand how to make informed choices to maximize their safety in an emergency.

Please reach out to the Maple office with any questions or if you would like your child to opt out of the drill.

Maple School continues to create a safe and supportive learning environment for all students. This includes reviewing our social and emotional learning curriculum and our preventive measures to support all students’ social, emotional, behavioral, and mental health needs.

In addition to programs such as Snowflake, Erika’s Lighthouse, RULER, Illuminate, and our Social-Emotional Learning curriculum, Maple uses the SAEBRS universal screener for all students in the fall, winter and spring. (SAEBRS: Social, Academic, Emotional, Behavior Risk Screener)

The fall screener will be administered during the week of September 28.

Students and teachers will complete a short questionnaire that explores social, academic, and emotional behaviors. This screener will help Maple provide necessary prevention through early identification and interventions, ensuring all students have access to the mental health, social, emotional, behavioral, and academic support they need to succeed in school.

Parent(s) and guardian(s) will be notified by a Maple Social Worker or School Psychologist if the results of the SAEBRS identify a child as at-risk or qualify for an intervention. The next steps may include support and resources such as school counseling interventions, community mental health resources, and/or additional classroom support.

All Northfield Township middle schools will administer the PreACT 8/9 to 8th-grade students during the school day. At Maple School, testing is on Wednesday, October 7, and will take about three hours (including login and a short break). Please avoid scheduling appointments on that day. Students who arrive late or leave early will be required to complete the full test on a makeup day.

Why it matters:

• Meets Illinois’ Accelerated Placement Act (APA) requirements; students meeting state benchmarks may qualify for automatic placement into accelerated/honors courses in high school.

• Helps Glenbrook High School District 225 with preliminary course placements; family-school placement conversations begin in November.
  

• Provides practice for the ACT and insights into strengths and growth areas.
  

• Minimal prep needed—good sleep, breakfast, and hydration are best.
  

• Results will be sent directly by the high school (no ACT account required).
  

• IEP/504 accommodations will be provided per ACT guidelines; we’ll notify you if any specific accommodation is not permitted.
  

We are excited to welcome speaker and philanthropist Jakhil Jackson to Maple on October 9! At just 8 years old, Jakhil founded the I Am Project to support individuals experiencing homelessness. More than 10 years later, the organization has grown to include sites across several countries. Now a first-year college student, Jakhil will speak with Maple students about social entrepreneurship and how young people can use their ideas to make a positive difference.

If your family is interested in purchasing one of Jakhil’s books, you can find "Don't Wait to Be Great" and "Built Different" on Amazon, and Jakhil will be available to sign them during his visit.

• Health examination form:

  • Required for students new to District 30, entering kindergarten, or entering 6th grade.
  • Must complete the State of Illinois Health Examination Form, dated within the last 12 months.
  • Students without this form and current immunizations may be excluded from school starting October 15, 2026.

  
  

  Eye examination:
  

  • Required for kindergarten students and students new to District 30 that have moved to the district from out of state
  • Submit the completed State of Illinois Eye Examination Form by October 15, 2026
  • The eye exam must have been conducted on or after August 20, 2025.

  
  

  Dental examinations
  

  • Required for all kindergarten, 2nd grade and 6th grade students
  • Due by May 15, 2027

  
  

  Questions?

  • Contact your School Registered Nurse Mrs. Lisa Mullen at lmullen@district30.org or 847-400-8860.

Maple will hold tryouts for all 6th, 7th, 8th grade girls and boys basketball in October.

Tryouts are as follows:

Boys and girls - 6th grade - October 21-22

Boys - 7th and 8th grade - October 26-27

Girls - 7th and 8th grade - October 28-29

Tryouts will be held over two days in the West Gym, beginning at 3:35 p.m. and ending at 5:00 p.m. sharp. Students who do not come in athletic attire to school will be allowed to change and participate in the tryout. Athletes are expected to attend both days of tryouts.

Poms - This is a non-tryout sport. We will have more information to come soon!

Important reminders:

• Basketball is open to boys and girls in grades 6-8. Please note that teams are not co-ed, and tryouts are required.

• Students interested in Poms will receive more information at the first team meeting. Please watch here for the date.

• The basketball schedule can be found on the district website under Athletics and will be shared to student emails.

Please click here or below to complete the form if interested in participating in Basketball or Poms. We look forward to a great season ahead!

PLEASE NOTE: All athletes need a sports physical on file with the school nurse.

Northbrook/Glenview School District 30 will have four school board seats to be filled at the Consolidated Election on April 6, 2027. Candidates who are elected will fill four-year terms expiring in April 2031.

Candidates for the office of the school board can begin circulating nominating petitions for signatures. The period for filing nominating petitions runs from November 16-23, 2026.

A candidate for the school board is required to file the nominating petitions, Statement of Candidacy, and receipt for filing their Statement of Economic Interests with the applicable county election clerk and not with the school board secretary or the administrative offices of the school district. The county clerk may have petition forms available, or blank petitions may be downloaded from the State Board of Elections website.

Candidates may also want to consult the “2027 Candidate’s Guide,” which can be downloaded from the Illinois State Board of Elections website, or contact the county clerk or board of election commissioners regarding the requirements of filing. Candidates and voters can get information about District 30 from our website and learn about being a school board member from the Illinois Association of School Boards at: iasb.com/elections.

Candidates who are interested in seeking endorsement from the District 30 School Board Caucus should contact Katie Schick (kateschick0609@gmail.com) by Friday, October 16. The School Board Caucus is a committee of District 30 residents that includes families both with and without children enrolled in Willowbrook, Wescott and Maple schools. The Caucus's role is to source, screen and endorse potential school board candidates. To be considered by the Caucus, candidates will need to complete a detailed application as well as an interview. If you are interested in learning more about joining the Caucus, please contact Katie.

First Student, which provides bus service for District 30, offers a bus tracking app for smartphones called First View that is now available. Additionally, this app provides communications regarding delays and/or important reminders.

You may download the app on your smartphone by searching "First View." When setting up, you will be prompted to:

• Enter the District Code B9P4M
• Enter your student’s ID number (available in the Parent Portal)
• Enter your student's last name.

For First View customer support, contact them at 888-889-8920 or support@firstview.com.

Incoming freshman night for Glenbrook North and Glenbrook South High Schools is scheduled for January 12, 2027 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Please continue to watch here for more information.

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The next Ice Cream Day is on October 14. All purchases must be made through the PTO registration form. PTO registration is required to order ice cream. No cash purchase on the day of. Thank you!

The next Special Lunch is on October 21. Orders are due by 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, October 15 - details can be found at this link.

Please register at this link to attend the Washington D.C. Parent Virtual Meeting. Before the meeting, please visit our trip website to explore everything students will see and experience. There is a $175 credit for families that attend this parent meeting and sign up by October 3.

Thanks to the volunteers, Trish Larson, Nari Mun, and Shalini Shah for making the first Boba Day a special treat for the students!

Our school Book Fair is coming the week of October 26, and we need parent/guardian volunteers to help make it a success!

Volunteers are needed to assist with setting up/taking down, helping students during the fair, and keeping things organized. Whether you can help for one shift or several, your support is greatly appreciated.

Please consider signing up to volunteer and help our students enjoy a fun and successful Book Fair! Volunteer for the Book Fair

Follow Maple PTO on Facebook and Instagram!

Stay up to date on: school events and activities, important dates, reminders, volunteer opportunities, PTO news, and updates.

Facebook: Maple School PTO
Instagram: @MapleSchoolPTO

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Science Olympiad is a true community effort, and our program cannot run without parent volunteers! We are looking for parents who are willing to serve as volunteer coaches for individual events. You do not need to be a professional scientist or engineer—if you have an interest or experience in a particular area, we would love to have you share your expertise with our students.

We need coaches for the following events: Anatomy & Physiology (Immune, Respiratory & Digestive Systems), Botany, Elastic Launch Glider, Experimental Design, Meteorology, Roller Coaster & Solar System( Habitable Places).

If you have questions about the Science Olympiad team or would like to volunteer as a parent coach, please contact Mrs. Kearns. tkearns@district30.org.

Mrs. Kearns
Maple School Science Olympiad Coach

Glenbrook North High School's Girls IN2 STEM (GIS) Fall 2026 mentoring program is accepting middle school students

Girls IN2 STEM is a student-led organization dedicated to encouraging middle school girls to explore STEM and pursue their interests in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Through mentorship, hands-on activities, and workshops, the group connects middle school students with high school mentors who help them discover new STEM fields and build confidence in their interests.

During this six-week cohort, each student is paired with 1-2 other mentees and 1-2 GBN mentors who share similar STEM interests and schedules. The program includes both virtual and in-person sessions at GBN, where mentors guide students through a STEM-focused curriculum and help them develop a final project based on their interests.

Click here or below to apply!

Anyone wishing to purchase a yearbook for their student should click here to complete the online order or call Jostens at 877-767-5217. Purchasing the yearbook is optional, but most students like to have one at the end of the year. The current cost per book is $35.00. This will increase to $37.00 after winter break.

Please use your students full name when ordering, do not use a nickname or a parent name. You will also be asked to provide your students MRT/Advisory Teacher name.

Any time a student feels unsafe, any adult in their school can help!

But sometimes, students or parents wish to reach out for help in a different way or after school hours. Safe2Help Illinois offers students a safe way to share information 24/7 that might help prevent any threat to school safety, including bullying, self-harm or other serious concerns.

The goal of this program is to get students to “seek help before harm;" it is not intended to suspend, expel, or punish. Safe2Help Illinois also offers a Mental Health Toolkit that provides resources for parents and educators reinforce the components of this program.

Safe2Help Illinois offers around-the-clock help via:

• Hotline: 844-4-SAFEIL
• Text line: 72332
• Email HELP@Safe2HelpIL.com
• Plus a website full of resources for young people seeking help for themselves or a friend. Its Ways To Get Help page is a directory of specialized hotlines, and other sections of its website provide practical steps for dealing with depression or helping a distraught friend. The checklist called "20 Questions To Ask Yourself If You Feel Like Giving Up" can help older children overcome a bout of anxiety or depression.

Maple School is part of Northbrook/Glenview District 30, which exists to create an inclusive community that inspires learning, fosters resiliency, and cares deeply for every child. We honor childhood and foster intellectual, physical and social-emotional growth. District 30 serves more than 1,200 students in pre-K through 8th grade across Willowbrook, Wescott and Maple Schools.

We prohibit harassment and discrimination of all forms within our district and follows all policies and procedures to ensure a safe environment for all.

Main Office: 847-400-8900

Location: 2370 Shermer Road, Northbrook, IL, USA

Website: district30.org/maple