I hope this newsletter finds you excited and anticipating your first day as a Nichols' lion on Wednesday, August 23rd! We are so happy and excited to have you as a part of our school community. It was great meeting your child during their 5th grade school visit. It was also great meeting many of your during the 6th grade open house.

Transitioning to middle school is a huge step and to some of our students it can be quite scary! We want to make this transition for them as smooth as possible. Last year, I also had a daughter who started 6th grade. I wanted to ensure that she would feel safe emotionally, mentally, physically, and socially. I wanted a place for her to thrive academically and to be able to make new friends. Going from an elementary school with one main teacher to having multiple teachers can feel insurmountable. As a mom, I understand your concern and misgivings. But, let me tell you about the Nichols community that I know where your child will be safe, cared for and can thrive in every way.

We have the most amazing team of teachers. They are committed to the well-being of your child. We have teachers that have spent over 20 years teaching at Nichols because of the amazing school community that has been created. Our mission is to be a collaborative learning community centered in instructional equity, creativity, critical thinking and resilience, supporting one another to this end. This is what you can expect from each of our Nichols teachers and from me as the Dean of Academics.

I am excited to be working at Nichols. I have spent the last two years working here as the academic instructional coach. Some of the things that I love about Nichols is how incredibly brilliant our students are and how the staff provides them opportunity to express their creativity and to showcase their talents and abilities while challenging them intellectually. It is truly a great place of learning.

As the new Dean of Academics, I will be working with the 6th grade team. I am here to support you, your child and our teachers as we work together to ensure a successful year of learning. One of the best ways to communicate with me is through email. You can expect to receive a response within 72 hours. If you have any issues or concerns, please reach out to your child's teachers first. They may be able to provide more insight into the situation. But, please feel free to follow up with me in an email or a phone call. My email is brunsone@district65.net. My phone number is 847-859-8650. I look forward to hearing from you and meeting each of you throughout this year.

In this newsletter, you can find information about our bell schedule, 2023-2024 school calendar, iPad pickup information, Back to School night information, and Chicago SunTimes articles on back to school tips written by one of our 6th grade teachers, Mrs. Larson.

AVID is an amazing elective that we have at Nichols for our 6th and 7th graders. I have included a link to one of our last newsletters from last year. Students are taught executive functioning skills. They are taught how to ask different type of questions to elicit thinking of others and themselves. They are taught self-advocacy. They have weekly tutorials to assist each other with their learning. They also go on college field trips and host guest speakers to best help them to become goal-oriented by thinking of their college choices or career options. This is a truly great program that your child has an opportunity to participate in. Email me or Kirby Callam (callamk@district65.net) if you want more information.