Dear Orrington Parents and Caregivers,

As we approach the end of the school year, we are in the process of reviewing our School Work Plan (SWP) goals for the 24-25 school year, and beginning the development process for next year's goals. The School Work Plan ensures that building-level goals are in alignment with the pillars of the District 65 Strategic Plan. The focus areas for our goals include student growth and achievement in the areas of literacy and mathematics; professional learning communities to support teaching and learning, and culture & climate and student sense of belonging. Part of the SWP process is to gather collective perspectives and priorities from families to help inform our goal setting for the 25-26 school year.

Thank you in advance for taking the time to provide us with your valuable input.

The link for the survey is HERE!

Dear Orrington Families,

It's hard to believe that we are starting to wrap up the 2024-25 school year. As we are now in full-planning mode for next year, we are hoping you would be willing to provide us with feedback regarding your child(ren)'s experience in the areas of Drama, Music, PE, and Library. Your feedback is a critical component to our continuous improvement in all areas of your child(ren)'s experience here at Orrington. Thank you in advance for taking the time to share strengths and growth areas with us.

Dr. Alison Schoeffmann

Parent/Caregiver Feedback: Fine Arts, Physical Education, and Library

Dear Orrington Families,

We thank you and your family for being our valued partners as we work together to educate the children in our district. As you may already be aware, we are striving to make our schools more equitable and inclusive spaces for all of our students. Over the next two weeks, students will participate in several exercises to better understand these concepts and to reflect on how they perceive these skills in themselves.

We will be asking for your child to reflect on their own mindsets and approaches to learning via an online survey they will be completing at school. The survey shouldn’t take more than 15-20 minutes to complete.

The survey content will ask students to self-reflect on Teacher-Student Relationships, Sense of Belonging, Engagement, Diversity and Inclusion, and Wellness and SEL.

We are asking that all of our students participate in the surveys, as their responses will provide invaluable insights into their experiences and how we can improve and adapt our district to their needs. If a student doesn’t feel like they have enough information to answer a question, they will be able to skip the item altogether. The responses to these surveys will be completely confidential. We are partnering with a third-party vendor to support us in administering these surveys.

Please notify us if you would like your child to opt out of taking the surveys by emailing the school administration and your child's teacher by Friday, May 9th. We thank you in advance for your thoughtful responses. If you have any questions about the survey administration, please don’t hesitate to contact us!

Sincerely,

Dr. Schoeffmann & Ms. Yoo

What is Summer EBT?

Summer EBT, or SUN Bucks, is a nutrition program authorized by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to help families buy food for their school-aged children during the summer. Summer EBT for 2025 will provide a $120 annual benefit to eligible children via an Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) issuance by the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS). Complete Summer EBT information for Illinoisians can be found on the IDHS Summer EBT webpage.

Is my child eligible?

Your child is eligible for Summer EBT without an application if they meet one of the following

requirements:

• The child’s date of birth is between July 2, 2006, and August 13, 2019, AND they received Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP); Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF); foster care; or Medicaid (income under 185% Federal Poverty Level) any time between July 1, 2024, and August 13, 2025; or

• The child attended a school that participated in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) during the 2024-25 school year and was deemed income-eligible to receive a free or reduced-price lunch through direct certification or a school meals application at the school.

A child that does not meet one of the requirements above can apply for Summer EBT if they attend an NSLP school during the 2024-25 school year and believe they meet the income threshold. See below for more information on submitting a Summer EBT Application.

Note: Beginning in Summer 2025, if your child attends a school operating the NSLP under the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), alternative applications (such as fee waiver applications) processed at the school cannot be used for Summer EBT issuance. Therefore, all households are encouraged to check the IDHS Summer EBT screener to determine if a Summer EBT application may be needed.

Households should be encouraged to visit the IDHS Summer EBT webpage where they can access Summer EBT 2025 program information, as well as the Summer EBT Screener to check eligibility. If not determined automatically eligible and believe that you meet the requirements, complete and submit a Summer EBT application.

CHECK OUT MORE INFO ON THE ATTACHED FLYER.

The Kuumba Evanston Olympic Games are BIGGER & BETTER than last year (watch video)!!

Aimed at fostering a love of sports, teamwork, and personal growth among current 3rd to 6th-grade students, the games bring children from all across Evanston together for 3 weekends of fun at Evanston Township High School. There are 21 different Olympic sports including ours!! In addition to competitive, Olympic style games and challenges, experienced coaches and mentors from Evanston will not only teach their sport but also instill the Core Values of the games: Spirit, Effort, Teamwork and Sportsmanship.

Here’s how to get started:

1. Save the Dates:
• Sports Carnival: April 26 (4-6pm) & 27 (3-5pm) and May 3 (4-6pm) & 4 (3-5pm) - each date offers 10 different sports experiences (not mandatory)
• Kuumba Olympics Family Festival presented by Girls Play Sports: Sunday, June 1 (3-5:30pm) - kids meet their teammates and nation leaders and get their uniform, and the whole family gets to play fun games and have a pizza party
• Olympic Games: Begin Friday, June 13 and end with the Closing Ceremony on Sunday, June 29 - kids participate in one or twelve sports over three weekends
2. Register Here - it’s FREE
• You will need to create an account. Once an account has been created, you will be prompted to fill out 3 quick forms. Please complete the forms in their entirety. You will receive a confirmation email once your registration has been submitted.

Summer Camp Registration Now Open!

We’re excited to share that our after school partner, Right At School, is offering Summer Camp

at Kingsley Elementary! RAS Camps include full-day and half-day options, with weekly themed

adventures.

Camp runs from Monday, June 9th to Friday, July 25th and is open to children in grades K-8.

Register today at RASCamps.com

Y.O.U. Expands Summer Program for Evanston Youth

Evanston, IL – Youth & Opportunity United (Y.O.U.) is excited to expand its Summer Program for 2025, offering youth in Evanston a summer full of learning, creativity, and fun. The program will run from June 16 to July 25, with a Special Field Trip Week from July 28 – August 1. Youth entering grades 2–8 this fall are welcome to join, with free and paid options available based on household income. Registration opens to the community on March 29, with priority given to Y.O.U. families, and early registration is encouraged due to limited space.

This year’s program features creative workshops in art, music, and writing, STEM projects that foster curiosity in science, technology, engineering, and math, and weekly field trips to exciting locations around Evanston. Participants will also engage in sports, games, mindfulness activities, and other recreation and wellness options designed to keep them active and engaged. The program fosters community building by providing youth with opportunities to connect with peers and caring mentors in a safe, supportive environment.

Program Details:
Dates: June 16 – July 25 (Field Trip Week: July 28 – August 1)
Location: Oakton Elementary School (Elementary), Chute Middle School (Middle School)
Hours: 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Registration: Opens March 29, closes May 1.
For more information about Y.O.U. or to learn how to support our programs, please visit www.youthopportunity.org

MetroSquash is hosting a free summer camp for rising 6th - 9th grade D65 and D202 students this summer! We will be exploring topics like STEAM, environment, literacy, learning the sport of squash, and going on weekly field trips. This would be a great program for students who want to try something new over the summer and/or might be interested in our after-school program. The camp will be for families who qualify for free and reduced lunch and will occur from June 23rd through July 25th from 9:00 am - 2:00 pm. Parents can use this link to fill out the interest form: https://www.tfaforms.com/4973674

🍎 Honor a Teacher, Inspire a Future! 🍎

Show your appreciation for a teacher who has made a difference in your child’s life by making a gift to Foundation 65 in their honor. The teacher will receive a special note, and your donation will help fund innovative educational programs for District 65 students.

Fill out and return the attached Honor a Teacher form to Foundation 65 or go to https://www.foundation65.org/honor-a-teacher to fill out the form online.

It's time to get ready to celebrate our 5th grade graduates!

Action items for all parents and caregivers:

*Send in photos for the Memory Book! orrington2025memories@gmail.com OR add photos into THIS GOOGLE DRIVE

*Donate if you can to help pay for every child to receive a Memory Book and T-shirt: $35 suggested donation to info@orringtonpta.org or check made payable to Orrington PTA, memo-"5th Grade Celebration"

YMCA/Northwestern Water Safety & CPR Family Day

TEACHING SKILLS THAT SAVE LIVES
BUILDING CONFIDENCE AROUND WATER

Summer safety found here! Join us for a free community water safety and CPR family day in partnership with Northwestern University, as we further our commitment to social responsibility, diversity and inclusion by breaking down barriers and expanding our footprint in the community to increase swim participation, decrease drowning rates and support knowledgeable, confident community CPR responders - all with the flavor of FUN!

YMCA/Northwestern Water Safety & CPR Family Day
Saturday, May 10 from 1:00-4:00pm
McGaw YMCA, 1000 Grove Street

- Safety Around Water learn-to-swim clinic for ages 6-14
- Family Swim**
- Hands-on CPR workshop for teens/adults (ages 16+)*
- Water safety resources
- Family Fun Gym with sports and bounce houses**
- Movie and board games**

*Childcare is available for CPR Workshop for ages 3-11.
**Siblings ages 3-11 are welcomed.

More details can be found within the registration form: YMCA/Northwestern Water Safety & CPR Family Day

Want to know what's going on around the community? District 65 uses a "Digital Backpack" to share community information. Please click the button below to view upcoming community events and activities.