Meyer Star Spotlight!

Dear Meyer Families,

It has been wonderful to see all of the exciting things happening throughout Meyer! Our classrooms are filled with learning, laughter, and growing friendships, and our Meyer Stars continue to amaze us with their curiosity, independence, and enthusiasm each day.

One of the things that makes Meyer so special is the incredible generosity and kindness of our school community. Our Socktober collection is well underway, and I want to extend a huge THANK YOU to all of our families who have already donated socks! Every pair collected will help support individuals and families in need through the Niles Township Clothing Closet. It is a wonderful reminder that even the smallest acts of kindness can make a big difference. We are excited to see how many socks our Meyer community can collect by the end of the month!

We also had a wonderful time at our PTO Trunk-or-Treat event on Saturday, October 17! It was so much fun seeing our Meyer Stars and their families come together for an afternoon filled with costumes, creativity, treats, and smiles! A special thank you to our PTO, the families who decorated their trunks, and everyone who helped make this event such a fun experience for our students. Events like these are a great reminder of how special our school community truly is!

As we continue through the school year, I also want to recognize the incredible commitment our families show to Meyer each and every day. Whether you are participating in school events, supporting classroom learning at home, contributing to our community initiatives, or partnering with our teachers and staff, your involvement makes a meaningful difference. Strong schools are built through strong relationships, and I am so grateful for the partnership we continue to build together.

There is so much to celebrate and even more to look forward to as we finish out October! Please take a look through this week's Meyer Star Spotlight for updates, reminders, and all of the exciting things happening at Meyer.

Thank you for everything you do to help our Meyer Stars shine. Have a wonderful weekend!

Marty Heffner

Our Pre-K and Kindergarten teachers recently completed a brief social-emotional learning (SEL) screener to help identify students’ strengths and potential areas for growth. Our teachers and Student Support Team (SST) will review this information to help guide social-emotional learning opportunities within our classrooms and determine whether any students may benefit from additional support through small-group interventions.

If your child is identified as someone who may benefit from a small-group intervention, a member of our Student Support Team will reach out to your family to share more information and discuss next steps. Our goal is to continue supporting the social and emotional growth of all our Meyer Stars while ensuring each student has the tools and support needed to thrive!

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.

Get free books for your child every month!

Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library sends free books to kids from birth up to age 5 living in Niles Township. You can choose English or bilingual English/Spanish books. To sign up, scan the QR code on the flyer or visit www.imaginationlibrarynt.org.

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.

PJ Day to Celebrate

Students are welcome and encouraged to wear PJs to school next Thursday, October 29 to celebrate our Socktober Dance Party and the end of Socktober.

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!

• 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!
• PTO Meeting: The next PTO meeting will be on Monday, November 2 at 7:00pm via Google Meets. All are welcome and it's a great time to learn about upcoming opportunities to volunteer and help with the PTO. Check the PTO website for the agenda and link to join.
• 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

Families are invited to join our School and Family Shared Success Team, an opportunity to come together, connect, and discuss topics that help our students thrive both at school and at home. Throughout the year, conversations may include play, screen time, social interactions, learning opportunities, and other topics based on family interests.

Our next meeting is Tuesday, October 27th from 6:30–7:30 PM in the Middleton Library!

We hope you will join us for an evening of learning, conversation, and partnership as we work together to support our students!

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:

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

• October 29, 2026: Socktober Fest (School Wide PJ Day!)

• 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)

• November 30-December 7, 2026: Coins for Kindnes

• December 1, 2026: School and Family Shared Success Team Meeting

• December 7, 2026: PTO Meeting

• December 11, 2026: Coffee with the Principal (8:45 AM - 9:30 AM in Meyer Conference Room)

• December 21, 2026-January 3, 2027: Winter Break (No Student Attendance)