Julian Middle Matters Newsletter

District 97, in collaboration with the Oak Park Teachers' Association (OPTA), has decided to make Thursday, June 4, the last day of student attendance for the 2019-20 school year. June 5, the date that was previously designated as the last attendance day, will instead be used as a teacher institute day.

This institute day will be used to provide support and professional development to staff in preparation for the 2020-21 school year. Although the district has not made any decisions about the fall, we believe this extra time is critical as we continue to build our staff’s capacity to provide high-quality instruction to all of our students—whether it’s remote or on-site. For more details, please visit https://bit.ly/2ZJWa4M.

Families will be receiving the end of trimester 3 report cards on Tuesday, June 9. These will be sent to families via email. PowerSchool is designed to provide grades based on percentages. We are not giving grades based on percentages, but rather following the guidelines from the Illinois State Board of Education. Please disregard the percentage grade for each course in PowerSchool, as it will not represent or align with the Progressing (PR) or No Grade (NG) mark for the trimester. For your reference, below is the information shared previously regarding Trimester 3 grade marks.

Based on guidance from the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), we have developed grading guidelines for Trimester 3 that support students’ social-emotional health during this time. As such, we have shifted the Trimester 3 reporting to a Progressing or No Grade model to record student participation and academic progress during remote learning.

Progressing (PR):

The student participated in the remote learning process and demonstrated academic progress on the identified critical standards. The teacher engaged with the student/family.

No Grade (NG):

The student could not or did not complete the work. The teacher and/or administrator documented attempts to make contact, and/or support the student.

Note: If a student could not or did not participate during the remote learning period, a No Grade mark will be provided to indicate that learning did not continue during their time away from school. A No Grade mark does not suggest the student’s performance during Trimester 3 resulted in an “Unsatisfactory (U)” or “Not Yet (N).” Students who receive a No Grade mark will advance to their next grade level and will be provided an opportunity to make up content during the Virtual Summer Step Up Program here in our district during the end of July and beginning of August. More information from the district office will be forthcoming regarding this summer program.

Please click on the following links below for information regarding the Pickup and Drop Off Process for Student / School Belongings

• Pick Off and Drop Off Process for Student / School Belongings - 6th and 7th Grade

• Pick Off and Drop Off Process for Student / School Belongings - 8th Grade

District 97 is providing a variety of enrichment opportunities to support student learning over the summer. More than 50 staff members collaborated to create our optional Summer Learning Plan for Grades 1-8, which includes suggested activities and online resources in the areas of reading, writing and math. The document also includes a comprehensive list of virtual field trips for families to enjoy. This list will be posted on our district and school websites, and we will continue to provide resources for families throughout the summer. To access the optional Summer Learning Plan, please visit https://bit.ly/2X68WIN.

Trimester 3 Assessment, Grading, and Report Cards Update: As we lean into our equity imperative in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, we understand that not all students are experiencing remote learning in the same way. Based on guidance from the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), we have developed grading guidelines for Trimester 3 that support students’ social-emotional health during this time. As such, we have shifted the Trimester 3 reporting to a Progressing or No Grade model to record student participation and academic progress for grades K-8 during remote learning. Additionally, report cards will be distributed for all students on June 8, 2020. Click here for the complete update >

Returning Students - All current families received an email on May 6 from InfoSnap@is.op97.org to remotely register your child for the 20-21 school year. We ask that all returning students complete registration as quickly as possible in order to accurately plan staffing, materials, devices, etc. for the upcoming school year. Remember to upload any required documents to InfoSnap (PowerSchool Enrollment) before submitting. Click here for the May 6 communication to families. Detailed information about the returning registration process is available on the district website at https://www.op97.org/hr/student-registration. If you have any additional questions, please email d97registrar@op97.org.

New Students and Kindergarteners - Please note that Kindergarten and New Student Registration will be open through June 6. Families who wish to enroll a kindergartner or new student should start the registration process now by completing a Google survey form on our website.

Please watch this brief video on how to navigate PowerSchool during remote learning. Angelica Love, an assistant principal at Brooks, put this together for our middle school parents/guardians.

Please contact Cory Marshall (cmarshall@op97.org) if you need assistance with accessing PowerSchool for your student.

Join for a remote check in and an opportunity to get some academic support. We miss seeing you in the media center so come and "stop in" if you need some tips on staying organized or motivated or just wanted to say hello!

MONDAY

Ms. Winchell and Ms. Tucker

• Monday, June 1 - 8:00 am

meet.google.com/ruz-cxho-vig

Ms. Omenazu

• June 1 - 3:30

https://zoom.us/j/99740235674?pwd=bk5wOUl2U2k0dGs0R0daTE5FL2tPdz09

Meeting ID: 997 4023 5674

Password: 2Vhh7p

TUESDAY

Mr. Murawski and Ms. Brazen

• June 2 - 8:30-9:00

https://meet.google.com/rww-ovtp-hzp

WEDNESDAY

Ms. Buccieri

• June 3 - 9:30-10:30

meet.google.com/fai-uess-tpv

Attention all readers! Join Ms. Winchell in a virtual community with other Julian readers on Mondays at 2pm. Share what you are reading and get new book ideas. Be ready to share and listen!

• Monday, June 1 @ 2pm

meet.google.com/xqt-xgom-kaa

We believe that during this time, it is important for our students to have the opportunity to come together. Starting next week, we are offering a space for Julian students to get together to socialize with their peers. Assistant principals will be facilitating these sessions next week. The “Julian Jayhawks Lunchtime Socials” will take place every Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday from 11:00-11:30 using Google Meets. We will be sharing this information and the Google Meets link with our students on Monday morning.

• Monday: 6th Grade

https://meet.google.com/jfe-hwao-wwr

• Tuesday: 7th Grade

https://meet.google.com/tja-scvf-zfb

• Wednesday: 8th Grade

https://meet.google.com/tto-ixpv-pte

We are super proud of the work our students are doing. We also know that it is important for them to take care of their social and emotional self. We will be sharing some interactive social emotional learning activities with them weekly. Students will be receiving an email Monday mornings around 9:00 with activities that have been created by the middle school Culture and Climate coaches.

The Community Mental Health Board of Oak Park Township, Oak Park Elementary School District 97, and DePaul University’s Community Counseling Center have partnered to deliver a vast array of educational and therapeutic services to staff, families, and youth through the “Mindful Middle-Schoolers Program.” Below is a list of upcoming VIRTUAL talks, which will be held via Zoom. Registration via the Eventbrite links below is requested. Once you register, a link will be emailed to you four hours prior to the start of each event.

"Mindful Middle-Schoolers" Community Talk Flyer

Wednesday, June 3: Technology and Mental Health: Strategies to Promote Mindful Digital Citizenship https://www.eventbrite.com/e/technology-and-mental-health-strategies-to-promote-mindful-digital-citizenship-tickets-104361018616

​​​​​​Wednesday, June 10: Understanding Depression in Youth and Strategies for Treatment and Support https://www.eventbrite.com/e/understanding-depression-in-youth-and-strategies-for-treatment-and-support-tickets-104459673696

We recognize that this time of crisis may create stress and trigger emotional difficulties for your child. D97’s school psychology department is offering acute (short-term) access to mental health wellness checks. Scheduled appointments are available daily between the hours of 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. for mental health triage services during the COVID-19 school closure beginning April 13, 2020.

Parents/Caregivers, you may sign up your student for a 15-minute slot here: https://calendar.google.com/calendar/selfsched?sstoken=UUVKMGZxZ0E0ZkpvfGRlZmF1bHR8ODI4ZTEzZmFkOTFjYWY5OGU5NjFiZDBkMDExZjkzNmY if you think your child would benefit from an empathetic ear and a few coping and self-care tips. When signing your child up, please provide the email (for video chat) or phone number you’d like us to contact at the time of the appointment.

Although this crisis may also be tough for adults, these mental health triage appointments are reserved to focus on student needs. If you have questions as a caregiver/parent, please email your building’s assigned school psychologist, your child’s educational team, or refer to this resource guide, created by the District 97 Social Work Department: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1uKPIgKHr6sDnj_YHb1t6S9UbukwE2JUAZS4cv37H9QY/edit

District 97 will hold meal distributions every Monday, from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Longfellow Elementary School (for Julian and feeder schools), 715 S. Highland Ave., and Brooks Middle School (for Brooks and feeder schools), 325 S. Kenilworth Ave. Meals are available to any District 97 family in need. Each student will receive breakfast and lunch items for five days.

Meal distributions will continue through Monday, June 29.

If you have any questions, please contact our food service coordinator, Carla Ellis, at cellis@op97.org.

Commemorate this Historic School Year with a 2019-2020 Julian Yearbook - $30.00

Available on the Oak Park SD97 Webstore. Please contact Nancy Guarino at nguarino@op97.org if you have any questions regarding yearbook orders.

Last Day of School - Thursday, June 4

Teacher Institute Day - Friday, June 5

Email: tfitzgerald@op97.org
Website: op97.org/julian
Phone: 708-524-3040