McKenzie Monitor

Board of Education

The Board of Education will gather on Monday, Nov. 16 at 7 pm at the Mikaelian Education Center for its monthly business meeting. The evening will open with a public hearing on the 2026 tax levy before adjourning into its regular meeting. In addition to committee reports, the Board is expected to:

• Approve the 2026-30 Support Staff Union Collective Bargaining Agreement

• Be presented with information from the new social-emotional behavioral, and mental health assessments administered in October

• Receive an update on the New Trier Township algebra initiative

• Hear our annual long-term enrollment projection

• Conduct a second and final reading of several Board policies

Agendas and materials for Board of Education meetings are posted online the Friday prior to the meeting. More information on our new Strategic Plan (2026-31), including a video highlighting our strategic priorities, is available on our strategic plan webpage.

Nominate An Educator for the District 39 Educational Foundation’s Innovative Educators Award!

Nominations are now being accepted for the 2nd Annual D39 Educational Foundation’s Innovative Educators Award! The Innovative Educators award will recognize teachers who demonstrate excellence in innovative teaching and learning practices in their classrooms and who model the characteristics of the D39 Educational Foundation’s mission.

Parents/Guardians can nominate educators online through this brief Google nomination form. The nomination window will remain open until early December and all nominated educators will receive recognition from the Educational Foundation. Winners of the award, which carries a cash prize, will be announced to our community in February.

Parent Education

District 39 is committed to providing access to important and relevant Parent Education events. Please make plans to join us for our next D39 Parent Education event titled “E-Bikes and E-Scooters: Know Your Device, Know the Rules, Ride Safely” on Wednesday, Dec. 9. This event will be held virtually via Zoom and online registration for this event is now open.

District 39 Angel Fund

The District 39 Angel Fund is a donation-based community fund which helps D39 families in financial need cover school and activity fees, including extracurricular activities such as athletics, band/orchestra, and student activities. The fund is supported entirely through contributions of families, residents, and community businesses. Your contribution can make a real difference!

Donations to the Angel Fund are tax-deductible and can be made online via RevTrak. Contributions of any dollar amount are appreciated and 100% of all donations go towards District 39 families in need. Please visit our Angel Fund webpage for more information.

Staff Holiday Gift Fund - Donation DEADLINE on Friday, Nov 20 🎁(only 1 week away!)

We’re only halfway to our goal, so we need every family’s help to reach 100%! Our goal is to give every McKenzie staff member a $200 gift card this holiday season. It’s one way we can all thank the teachers and staff who make such a difference in our children’s lives every day.

Haven’t given yet? The last day is Friday, November 20. DONATE HERE

Not sure if you’ve given? Log in to your McKenzie PTA account to see your purchase history.

NOMINATE AN INNOVATIVE EDUCATOR

Who makes learning more engaging, welcoming or meaningful for your child? Families are encouraged to nominate any D39 educator—not only classroom teachers, but also specialists, social workers, interventionists, librarians, support staff or administrators—who uses creative approaches, provides new opportunities, or helps students feel known and valued for the 2nd Annual D39 Educational Foundation Innovative Educator Award.

All nominated educators will receive special recognition. Submit a nomination through this short form by December 2.

McKenzie Annual Parent Party- Buy Tickets Now!

When: Friday, November 13, 2026 (7-10pm)

Where: Michigan Shores

Saddle up for a Wild West night filled with food, music, drinks, dancing & plenty of fun! 🌵 🥃 🎶

Link To Buy Tickets HERE

Sharing committee is back with Share the Warmth this fall!

We’re collecting clothing and winter essentials for our long-time sister school, Carman-Buckner School, a pre-K–5th school in Waukegan, and would love your help!

We’re looking for gently used or new items in a wide range of children’s sizes for boys and girls:

• Pants — all sizes, especially sweatpants

• New underwear — sizes 4T- Youth XL

• New socks — all sizes

• Snow boots — all sizes

• Gloves/mittens — all sizes

• Jackets/coats - children’s sizes

Place items in designated bins located in the front and back of McKenzie.

Garden Volunteer Sign Ups

The McKenzie Garden is officially closed for the winter. We will be back in the spring. Watch this space for a link to sign up when the weather warms up!

Join the PTA & Access the Family Directory: CLICK HERE

We encourage all families to join the PTA ($25). Membership provides access to the Membership Toolkit app, including our convenient online family directory and classroom lists.

Teacher & Staff Gift Donation: : CLICK HERE

The Teacher & Staff Gift Donation replaces the individual collections previously coordinated by room parents. Donations allow the PTA to provide gifts to teachers, paraprofessionals, specialists, and other staff members throughout the year.

Lunch Volunteer Sign Ups!

McKenzie welcomes volunteers to help in the cafeteria during lunchtime. To provide the opportunity for all to participate, please limit your initial signups to 2. Please CLICK HERE to sign up. Questions? Reach out to cafeteria@mckenziepta.com

Lost & Found

Did you know that the Lost & Found is cleared out every month to allow space for MORE lost items? Grab your kids' sweatshirts and water bottles while they're still in the cafeteria! Browse online to see what's there! Check out the virtual lost and found HERE.