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! I hope everyone had a great week. I want to take a moment to thank our students and staff for their hard work during IAR testing. We are proud of the effort our students showed and appreciate your support at home in helping them be prepared.

Looking ahead, our 8th grade students will participate in the Illinois Science Assessment (ISA) next week. Additional information is included below. To help your child be successful, please encourage a good night’s sleep, a charged Chromebook, and a positive mindset each day of testing.

This past week, our staff also engaged in professional learning focused on executive functioning, which helps us better support students with organization, planning, and overall success in the classroom.

It’s hard to believe, but we will already be halfway through April next week—time is flying! We are looking forward to another great week at CSMS.

Thank you for your continued partnership and support.🐯

Dr. Andrew Vondran

We are proud and excited to invite our CSMS families and community to the Grand Opening of the Carl Sandburg Stage—a huge moment for our school and our students!

Join us on Tuesday, April 28, 2026, as we celebrate this incredible addition that will elevate student voice, creativity, and performance opportunities for years to come. The evening will include an Open House from 5:30–7:00 PM and a Ceremony at 6:00 PM.

This new stage represents more than just a space; it’s a place where our students will shine, build confidence, and showcase their talents. We cannot wait to celebrate this milestone together as a school community.

No RSVP is required. Just bring your Tiger Pride. We hope to see you there!

Our 8th grade students will be taking the Illinois Science Assessment (ISA) this week. This is an important opportunity for students to demonstrate their understanding of science concepts and their ability to think critically. We will be testing Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday.

To help your child do their best, we encourage the following:

• Get a good night’s sleep each night
• Eat a healthy breakfast
• Bring a fully charged Chromebook each day
• Arrive to school on time and ready to do their best

We are proud of the effort our students have shown throughout the year and are confident they are prepared for this assessment. We’ve got this, Tigers!

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out.

Did you miss ordering a yard sign to celebrate your 8th Grader? Good news, we have a limited number of extras. Place your order here, and we’ll follow up with pickup information

We invite all families to attend our D75 Cultural Celebration on Friday, May 1st at 6:00 PM at Carl Sandburg Middle School. Families can reserve a table to represent their home culture or attend to learn about the multiculturalism of our community. Please RSVP using this google form: D75 Cultural Celebration Google Form

Invitamos a todas las familias a nuestra Celebración Cultural D75 el viernes 9 de mayo a las 18:00 en la Escuela Intermedia Carl Sandburg. Pueden reservar una mesa para representar su cultura o asistir para aprender sobre la multiculturalidad de nuestra comunidad. Por favor, confirmen su asistencia utilizando este formulario de Google: Formulario de Google para la Celebración Cultural D75.

PTO Board Nominations Open

Interested in getting involved? PTO Executive Board nominations are now open. Each position is voted on yearly. Any parent, guardian, or D75 staff member may nominate themselves for a position on the D75 PTO Board, provided they will be part of D75 during the 2026–2027 school year.

Nomination Deadline: May 12 at 9 PM
Voting: May 13 at our final PTO meeting

Nomination Link: https://forms.gle/xpp45FFBZXggZhqn8

Have questions? Email mundelein75pto@gmail.com (Subject: Nominations).

A big congratulations goes to five of our National Junior Art Honor Society members for currently having their artwork exhibited at the Adler Arts Center in Libertyville! Their work is being featured in the Youth Art Month Exhibition, "a special exhibit that celebrates the creativity and talent of young artists in our community." If you appreciate the fine arts and are looking for a local art event to attend with your family, consider stopping by! (See the poster for more details.)

District 75’s Bilingual Parent Advisory Council (BPAC), in collaboration with the National Association of Hispanic Nurses (NAHN), invites families to participate in Fuel2Flourish!

Join us for three engaging evenings focused on healthy habits, family wellness, and celebrating Latino culture. This program is designed for the whole family and includes interactive activities, learning, and opportunities to connect with other families in our community. The primary language of the sessions will be Spanish, and all families are welcome! Please RSVP using the QR code on the attached flyer. We hope you can join us for this fun and meaningful experience!

Incoming freshmen have several summer school options at MHS. Students may take Personal Finance during the summer to fulfill the consumer education graduation requirement. This option can free up a class period during the school year for a study hall or an additional elective.

All freshmen are required to complete one full year of P.E., which includes one semester of Health and one semester of P.E. Incoming freshmen may enroll in the online summer Health course. Students who complete Health during summer school must still complete a full year of P.E. during the school year. Some students, particularly athletes, prefer this option so they can enroll in Freshman Strength or another P.E. course for the full year. Students in band or choir who are eligible for a P.E. waiver may take Health in the summer to open an additional class period for an elective or study hall during the school year.

All summer school information can be found on our website: MHS Summer School

Summer School Schedule:

• Session 1: June 8 – July 2, 2026

• Session 2: July 6 – July 30, 2026

• Days/Times: Monday–Thursday, 8:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.

Resources:

Summer School Calendar

Summer school course guide

Guía del curso de la escuela de verano.

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!

Camp Duncan Lou Malnati's Pizza Card Fundraiser (Flyer Attached)

We’re excited to officially kick off our Lou Malnati’s Pizza Card Fundraiser! This fundraiser helps support our current 4th-grade students so they can attend Camp Duncan next year—for FREE.

Goal: Each 4th-grade student is asked to sell 15 pizza cards at $16 each to cover the full cost of camp.

Here is our library newsletter. Also, please check out our LMC Padlet and see what #D75 reads

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.

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 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 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:

• 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:

Track and Field has started. Good luck to our athletes. Any questions, please contact Mrs. Gomez or Mrs. Schaefges.

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

🎈April 2026

13th - ISA Day 1

14th - ISA Day 2

15th - 7th Grade Field Trip to Art Institute

15th - PTO Meeting @ CSMS

16th - ISA Day 3

🍎 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.