Meyer Star Spotlight!

Dear Meyer Families,

October is officially here! It is hard to believe how quickly the school year is moving. Our Meyer Stars continue to grow more comfortable, confident, and independent each day, and it has been wonderful to see our classrooms, hallways, and playground filled with so much learning, laughter, and joy!

This week is Parent-Teacher Conference Week, and I want to thank all of our families for taking the time to connect with our teachers. These conversations are such an important part of the partnership between home and school, and we are grateful for the opportunity to celebrate your child’s growth, share what we are seeing at school, and continue working together to support each of our Meyer Stars.

We also held our very first HOT READS Assembly! Our entire school came together to enjoy a book as one big Meyer family, and we ended by singing our school song, “Together,” as a whole school. It was such a fun way to celebrate reading while continuing to build the sense of community and belonging that makes Meyer such a special place. We cannot wait for our next HOT READS!

Our Meyer Stars also successfully completed our emergency drill practice. Our students and staff did an excellent job following directions, staying calm, and practicing our safety procedures together. As always, we prepared students ahead of time in an age-appropriate way, and I was incredibly proud of how well they handled the practice!

Finally, I want to say a big THANK YOU to our Meyer families for your continued support and partnership. Whether it is helping with arrival and dismissal, reinforcing routines at home, attending school events and conferences, or simply sharing a kind word with our staff, your partnership makes a difference each and every day.

As we continue through October, there is so much to look forward to! Please take a look through this week’s Meyer Star Spotlight for updates, reminders, and everything happening at Meyer.

Thank you for being such an important part of our Meyer community. Have a wonderful long weekend!

Marty Heffner

Hello families! We are excited to share that bestselling author Alex Willan is coming to Meyer on Monday, November 2nd! Alex Willan is the talented author and illustrator of the popular "The Worst" series featuring the hilarious and adorable character Gilbert the Goblin.

Families can purchase signed copies of Alex Willan's books before his visit from local bookstore Booked! Orders are due by Saturday, October 31st. Books will be delivered to students on the day of the author visit.

If interested, please order at this link: https://www.bookedevanston.com/alexwillan and select "classroom pickup" as the shipping option at checkout.

Last Friday, October 2, 2026, we hosted our first school-wide Pajama Day, and it was a huge success! Meyer was filled with comfy pajamas, cozy smiles, and so much joy throughout the building. From classrooms to specials and everywhere in between, our students and staff had a blast spending the day in their favorite PJs.

Days like this are a simple but meaningful way to build community, create special memories, and make school an even more joyful place for our students. It was wonderful to see everyone come together, have some fun, and end the week on such a positive note.

Thank you to our Meyer families for helping your children participate and making our first Pajama Day such a fun and memorable one. We cannot wait for the next opportunity to celebrate together as a school community!

We are still collecting new socks to be donated to the Niles Township Clothing Closet. Children can bring in new socks of any size, which will be donated at the end of the month. We will also be celebrating as a school on October 29th, with a Socktober Dance Party! (Please see flyer below).

Last year, we donated over 1,000 pairs of socks! Help us break our record this year!

Why socks?

Every night in the United States, an estimated 600,000 people live on the streets. We want to prove that even the smallest acts of love, like donating a pair of socks, can make a big difference in the lives of our neighbors experiencing homelessness.

Volunteers Needed!

We need parent volunteers who are interested in helping our Socktober Dance Party! Sign up for volunteers opportunities here.

DRIVE-THRU SPECIFICS

• Enter the Drive-Thru going north on Kildare. If you need to, circle around the block to go north on Kildare, so that you are taking a right turn into the Drive-Thru (and not a left turn). Please help us keep the Drive-Thru safe and moving smoothly by entering from the north on Kildare and making a right turn into the Drive-Thru. Turning left into the line creates congestion and can make it difficult for our walkers.
• If the line is long, please do NOT idle on the sidewalk. Stay in the street and allow for the sidewalk to be clear for the safety of our walkers.
• Stay in your cars at all times, so we can keep the line moving. There is no parking in the Drive-Thru lane.
• Do not pass other cars in the Drive-Thru unless directed by a staff member to do so. The Drive-Thru is one way (going east) and one lane.
• Teach your child to buckle and unbuckle themselves on their own. If your child still needs your help, please park your car and walk to the door, instead of using the Drive-Thru.
• In the morning, please have your child wait in the car until a staff member comes to open the car door. Do not have students exit the car on their own.

Please see updates from the PTO below!

• PTO Trunk-or-Treat 2026: The PTO will be hosting our annual Trunk-or-Treat on October 17, 2026 from 1pm-2:30pm. All District families are welcome to this free family-friendly event, held at the Elizabeth Meyer parking lot. Please see flyer attached. If you are interested in decorating your car and handing out candy, please fill out the Google form HERE.
• District 73.5 Family Night with the Chicago Wolves: November 15, 2026 at 3pm, Allstate Arena -Everyone is welcome to come cheer on the Chicago Wolves at Allstate Arena. We will have our own section - same as last year - lower level, center ice. Buy your tickets HERE before noon on November 13th. A portion of the proceeds will go towards future PTO events. See you there!
• Join the PTO email list: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSciFlbThXOrwnh1_-WX9JvLqn4hfDWSeqw5VBd5xg5oat959w/viewform
• Purchase Spirit Wear and Support the PTO! From shirts to hats to mugs and totes, we have many options! The PTO receives a portion of these sales.
• Meyer
• Middleton
• McCracken

Thank you for supporting our District PTO!

The Parents in Schools Program, offered through the ELL Center from October through March, provides bilingual and multilingual parents with an opportunity to volunteer in classrooms while learning more about our school system and ways to support their children. Participating parents receive a stipend, and teachers have the opportunity to build meaningful connections with families, learn from parents’ experiences, and strengthen home-school partnerships.

For Parents/Guardians:

• Parent/Guardian Flyer
• Parent Interest Form

We invite you to join us as we celebrate student success and discuss the future of our English Language programming!

Student Recognition: Celebrating students who have successfully exited the EL program.
Funding Overview: Presentation by Tina Ewanio, Chief School Business Official, detailing ELL funding.
Community Feedback: An open discussion to share your thoughts and feedback on our programming.

Event Details:
When: Wednesday, October 14, 2026, from 6-7 pm
Where: McCracken Middle School

Attendance

If your child will be absent from school, please use Attendance Monitor; directions are found here. While using Attendance Monitor is preferred, you may also call 847-673-1223 and follow the prompts to report the absence. We will contact the parent of a child absent from school if the school has not been notified in advance that the child will be absent. Please also use these methods to report late arrivals and early dismissals, as described in the District Handbook. The telephone numbers you provide during e-registration will be used for this purpose. If you have questions for our office staff, you may contact them via email at myoffice@sd735.org.

You’re invited to join Superintendent Dr. Kyle for Coffee with the Superintendent—a series of casual, open conversations about our schools, district updates, and vision for the future.

Whether you have a specific question, feedback to share, or just want to connect over a warm cup of coffee, we’d love to see you there!

Please note: The McCracken Middle School date has been revised, and the updated date is reflected in the schedule below and on the attached flyer.

Upcoming Schedule:

• Meyer Elementary: Friday, Oct 16 | 8:45 AM – 9:45 AM

• Middleton Elementary: Friday, Oct 23 | 8:30 AM – 9:30 AM

• McCracken Middle School (NEW DATE): Friday, Nov 6 | 8:00 AM – 9:00 AM

Check out the attached flyer for full details, and please scan the QR code on the flyer (or click HERE) so we can get an accurate head count for coffee and refreshments.

School Calendar

We continue to use Google Calendar for your convenience, available on the website here. This calendar is kept up to date throughout the school year. Take some time to review the information on the calendar and refer to it as a helpful resource during the school year.

Meyer Upcoming Events:

• October 12, 2026: Indigenous Peoples' Day (No Student Attendance)

• October 16, 2026: Coffee with the Principal and Dr. Kyle (8:45 AM - 9:45 AM in Meyer Conference Room)

• October 17, 2026: PTO Trunk-or-Treat

• October 27, 2026: School and Family Shared Success Team Meeting

• October 29, 2026: Socktober Fest

• October 30, 2026: Institute Day (No Student Attendance)

• November 2, 2026: PTO Meeting

• November 3, 2026: Election Day (No Student Attendance)

• November 13, 2026: Picture Retake Day

• November 13, 2026: Coffee with the Principal (8:45 AM - 9:30 AM in Meyer Conference Room)

• November 15, 2026: PTO Family Night with the Chicago Wolves

• November 23-27, 2026: Thanksgiving Break (No Student Attendance)