Email: em-office@d64.org
Website: https://www.d64.org/ems
Location: 8101 North Cumberland Avenue, Niles, IL, USA

Student Portal - TLC Schedule

Hello Emerson Families!

Those of you dropping middle-schoolers in the morning may be wondering who the man dressed in his best winter-gear is, guiding your sleepy [pre]teens safely to the crosswalk amidst the morning traffic. I am pleased to introduce myself!

I am Randy Needlman, the Interim Principal here at Emerson. As you know, Tessa Shulman departed Wednesday for her maternity leave, with a planned return in early May. I will be here throughout Tessa's time away with her growing family, working closely with Maria Soulias and Pat Conlin, as a member of the administrative team. After many years as principal in Skokie and the city, I am thrilled to be joining the Eagle-community this winter and spring. I look forward to getting to know the students in the weeks and months ahead. If there is anything I can do to support you or your child throughout my time at Emerson, please do not hesitate to contact me! I am excited to be a part of this great community!

Dr. Randy Needlman

Emerson Middle School

Interim Principal

rneedlman@d64.org

(847)318-8110

To begin registration, please visit your PowerSchool parent portal at ps.d64.org. This applies to both students returning to Emerson AND to our incoming 6th grade students. Once logged in, please click on “forms” on the left hand side, click on the “enrollment” tab, and then begin completing the forms for the 2025-2026 school year. If for any reason you can not log in to your parent portal and you have tried resetting your password, please contact the main office at 847-318-8110 or you can email em-secretaries@d64.org for assistance.

Once registration is submitted, you will receive an invoice from the District Office within 3-5 days. Please note, this is NOT a registration approval. You will receive a separate email confirming registration approval. If you have any questions regarding the registration process, please email the Administrative Secretary, Melissa Arnos at marnos@d64.org. She will be happy to assist you.

Tryouts for this year's Emerson Boys' Volleyball Teams will be held on the following dates:

8th Grade

Monday, March 3rd 8th Grade Tryout Day #1 6:45 - 8:00 am

Thursday, March 6th 8th Grade Tryout Day #2 3:00 - 5:00 pm

*Plan on attending both tryout days.

Use this form to sign up for 8th-grade boys' volleyball tryouts.

7th Grade

Tuesday, March 4th 7th Grade Tryout Day #1 6:45 - 8:00 am

Friday, March 7th 7th Grade Tryout Day #2 3:00 - 5:00 pm

*Plan on attending both tryout days.

Use this form to sign up for 7th-grade boys' volleyball tryouts.

************ IMPORTANT ************

In order to try out for Boys' Volleyball, students must submit both an Athletic Participation Health Form and a Parent Permission Form. These forms must be submitted through Powerschool. Submission instructions can be found here.

You can find out more about Emerson Boys' Volleyball by visiting our team website.

Email Coach Schauer with any questions (aschauer@d64.org).

8th Grade Promotion Party: 5/16/2025

8th Grade Great America Trip: 5/21/2025 - more info coming soon

8th Grade Promotion Practice: 5/27/2025 - all students must attend (more info coming soon)

8th Grade Promotion @ Maine East: 5/27/2025 (4 promo tickets per student, no wait list, 5:30 ceremony)

The Maine South World Language and Multilingual Department would like to inform you that we are offering language placement exams in Spanish, Italian, German, French and Chinese for all incoming Maine South freshmen. These exams are for heritage speakers and/or students that have extensive exposure to their chosen language outside of the classroom. The language placement exams are designed to see if incoming freshmen are prepared to take on a more advanced level in their language of choice.

There is an upcoming language placement exam that will take place next week on Thursday, February 6th at 7:30am.

**Some students have already been tested**

Below, you will find some helpful information. Please feel free to contact me or our Department Chair Ms. Tona Costello (847.692.8134 / tcostello@maine207.org) if you have any other questions.

• The test will be taken in four sections: Reading, Listening, Writing and Speaking
• Children will not be left unattended at any time and should plan to be here for at least two hours (1 hour for German and Chinese speakers). If they finish early, they will be able to depart early as long as a parent/guardian is here pick them up
• Children should be dropped off promptly at 7:30am at the Main Entrance of Maine South High School 1111 South Dee Road, Park Ridge
• If possible, they should bring some type of ID (student, passport, etc.)

We are now accepting applications for the Raymond E. Hendee Rotary Scholarship. It is a special tradition that we have been able to do with the help of the Park Ridge Rotary Club, which donates $1,000 to a District 64 staff member to use towards their own professional development classes.

This scholarship is presented annually in memory of Dr. Hendee, who was the Superintendent of Park Ridge-Niles Community Consolidated Schools from 1970-1990. The award recognizes and commemorates his dedication to the children of the District, his support of the teaching staff, and his lifelong commitment to serving the community as a Park Ridge Rotarian.

You can view the requirements here. If you qualify and are interested, your application (attached) must be received by March 3, 2025.

Please send applications to clilly@d64.org.

As a reminder, the state deadline for 6th grade dental exams is in May. If you have not already done so, please upload your completed dental examination form to PowerSchool. An exam dated after 11/15/23 will fulfill the requirement. If you need to schedule an appointment, please do it now to ensure completion by the deadline. Thank you!

The District 64 1:1 Digital Learning Program started in 2014. The purpose of our 1:1 Digital Learning Program is to provide tools and resources to our 21st Century learners.

District 64 is now conducting a comprehensive Student Device Evaluation as part of our 1:1 Digital Learning Program. The goal of this evaluation process is to ensure that our student devices support the district’s vision, mission, and strategic plan, provide learners with access to needed curriculum, and are affordable and sustainable for the future.

We are asking families to complete this survey. Your responses will help inform the District's next steps in regards to our 1:1 Digital Learning Program and student devices.

In January, students engaged in our Dance unit, a dynamic and collaborative experience blending movement, rhythm, and teamwork. As part of this unit, students choreographed routines incorporating sequences from various dance styles, aligned with our Trimester 2 standards. This activity encouraged creativity, collaboration, and self-expression while promoting physical activity in a fun and engaging way.

Students also enjoyed a week of student-choice activities before beginning our Pickleball unit. In this unit, students are building foundational skills, including proper forehand and backhand strokes, understanding game rules, and demonstrating safe and responsible behaviors during physical activities, while using exercise equipment. Additionally, students continue to utilize the fitness center, focusing on strength and endurance while exploring technology tools to support their fitness goals. They are also deepening their understanding of heart rate and its connection to overall fitness.

In February, students will complete the Pickleball unit and transition to Badminton and other net games. These activities will further develop their skills in following game rules, demonstrating sportsmanship, and engaging in safe physical activity.

Our Wrestling team is wrapping up an excellent season, with their final meet scheduled for February 1st at Emerson. Meanwhile, our 7th and 8th Grade Girls’ Volleyball season is in full swing! For game schedules and updates, please visit the Girls’ Volleyball Athletics page.

Our intramural program continues to offer students additional opportunities to stay active after school. Sessions run from 3:00 to 4:00 PM, with an activity bus available at 4:00 PM for transportation. For information on upcoming activities, please click here.

Need a new uniform? If so, students can bring in cash or visit MySchoolBucks to purchase a new uniform online. A new t-shirt is $7 and likewise for shorts. Any questions, please feel free to reach out to your student’s PE teacher.

Monday 2/3 - Math Room 301, LA room 109

Tuesday 2/4 - Math Room 301, LA Room 102

Thursday 2/6 - Math Room 301, LA Room 202, Science/Social Studies Room 203

In ASSP, you can get help in math, language arts and miscellaneous (science and social studies) with a teacher from 3:05-4:00 PM. Come to ASSP if you need to:

• prepare for a test

• get questions answered from your homework

• review a concept that you missed or confuses you

• finish that writing assignment

Our students have been busy during our SOARS extended homeroom time! Please click the link below to read about everything they have been doing and exploring!

Is your student an aspiring author? Here's a chance to let their creativity shine! The Young Authors Contest is a districtwide program for students interested in writing and publishing their work for others to read. It is running now through March 1st. Please see the guidelines for details and contact Mrs. Prokos with any questions.

Submissions are accepted through February 28th! We can’t wait to read our student's submissions. Best of luck to everyone in writing the winning manuscript!

From Your Emerson PTO:

• Next PTO Meeting Tuesday, February 11th, 2025 6:30 -7:30 pm Zoom link: https://zoom.us/s/4091204929?pwd=K1drNHltMWZSb2h3K2dmQ1poSkxhUT09#success ID: 409 120 4929 |Password: Eagle

• Join the Emerson PTO for our next Dine to Donate at Portillo’s on Wednesday, February 19th from 5-8PM. Use the below flyer or code PORTILLOS20 and 20% will be donated.

• The 8th Grade Shirts are in! Congrats to Margaret F for the winning design. The PTO gifted t-shirts will be distributed to all 8th graders and 8th grade teachers next week.

2025 - 2026 PTO Board Members Needed

• We are recruiting for some open positions to begin next school year. It’s a great opportunity to be more connected to Emerson and help support the students and staff. Open positions include Treasurer, Special Event Chairs, and more.

• Email ems.pto.64@gmail.com for more information!

Spiritwear Store Great Present ideas! There are sales posted every week with flat rate shipping regardless of order size. Check out our updated store.

Not a PTO Member Yet or WANT TO VOLUNTEER with an Event?
Join the Emerson PTO for the 2024-25 school year and stay connected! Sign up here.