Mechanics Grove School

February is Black History Month

Black History Month is observed in February primarily because it coincides with the birthdays of two men who were instrumental in the fight for freedom and equality for Black Americans: Abraham Lincoln (born February 12) and Frederick Douglass (celebrated on February 14).

Bessie Coleman(1892-1926)

The skies had never seen a pilot like Bessie Coleman before. She was the first African-American woman to obtain an international pilot’s license, soaring to new heights that Black people in the United States had never reached before. But as a Black woman in the 1920s, she faced many obstacles because of her race and gender. She would say that “the air is the only place free from prejudice.”

Congratulations to all of our MG students on a successful fundraiser for The American Cancer Society.

We raised a total of $1,873.00!!

Here are the final point values for each grade level...

3rd Grade: 19, 320

4th Grade: 15, 481

5th Grade: 13, 349

MG Welcomes Author Aaron Reynolds

Author Aaron Reynolds, best know for his Creepy Carrots, Creepy Crayon and Creepy Underwear books, will be visiting MG and Washington schools on March 2. Mr. Reynolds will talk with students about his career as an author and discuss his books, including his newest release, Unsettling Salad. Next week, students will be receiving information about getting a books signed by Mr. Reynolds. An order form will be sent home to purchase a book to be signed, or students can bring in a book from home to be signed. We look forward to the visit from this funny, creative, talented author!

NOTE: An updated order form is below as there was an issue with the one sent home.

The Best Family Leader in Me Night Ever!

Come join us for an exciting night of food, raffles, student organized math games, and so much more!

5Essentials Parent Survey

You received a special email about our 5Essentials survey yesterday. We are hopeful that all families will participate in the survey in order to help us better understand our strengths and areas for growth.

To take the survey please visit https://survey.5-essentials.org/Illinois/ and select the appropriate survey to begin.

For more information about the Illinois 5Essentials Survey, or to view previous years’ Reports, please visit https://www.5-essentials.org/illinois. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact UChicago Impact Survey Support at 1-866-440-1874 or impact-surveys@uchicago.edu.

Front Office Communication

Need to report an absence? Change your child's transportation? Or, get your child a message?

Email the office at mgoffice@d75.org.

Multiple people will receive your message, and you'll receive a confirmation once the message has been read. We kindly ask that any same day needs are emailed before 1pm. If it is after 1pm, please call the office at (847) 949-2712.

A Note from our Multilingual Teacher

Create the Need - If there is a need to use a language, then children will use it. Creating that need is key. For bilingual parents this can sometimes be a struggle, especially for the parent speaking the minority language. If your child knows you speak a second language, they may realize they don’t “need” to speak their native or second language for you to understand them. Create expectations for your children and help them know which language to speak and when. Students have set routines at school to help them know what the expectations are in their classroom. One example for home is to set an expectation that your family only speaks your native language during dinner time. This shows your child what to expect and creates a routine. Consistency is key with creating a need.

Below are examples of ways to get children speaking:

Family Discussions and Dinner Conversations - Regular, structured family discussions during dinner can significantly enhance a child’s oracy skills. These discussions can be about daily events or important family matters. The key is to ensure that each family member, including the children, gets a turn to speak and listen.

Reading Aloud and Listening to Audiobooks - Reading aloud to children and encouraging them to read aloud offers dual benefits: it builds oracy and improves reading skills. Listening to audiobooks also introduces children to fluent, expressive language, increasing their listening skills and vocabulary.

Playing Language-Based Games - Play games that involve word uses, such as Scrabble, storytelling dice, or charades. These games not only build vocabulary but also enhance quick thinking and articulation.

A Note from our Enrichment Teacher

What can families do at home to challenge students?

Math games, logic puzzles, and math puzzles are a great way to challenge students to think outside the box. Just playing a game of Sorry, Sequence, or Yahtzee will challenge students to strategize next moves and plan ahead to win the game. Logic and math puzzles encourage students to persevere and try new strategies. This is called productive struggle. More often than not adults want to step in and help before that struggle happens. Productive struggle encourages perseverance and flexible thinking. Math is not always about getting the correct answer, but the struggle to get the correct answer. Trying new strategies, willing to make mistakes, and learning from those mistakes are the benefits of productive struggle. Here are a few puzzles that will encourage productive struggle for any grade. Math Logic/Puzzles

Girls on the Run at MG

4th and 5th grade girls - are you ready to show the world how friendly, smart, talented and sporty you are? Join our amazing coaches for a new season of Girls on the Run! Girls on the Run® is an after school program in which we will meet as a team to become stronger emotionally, mentally and physically! At each practice, we will have important discussions and do fun activities about girl power, empowerment, problem solving skills and leadership qualities. We will also do some physical activity, like running, power walking, stretching, playing games and working out in order to train for our ultimate goal...which is to run a 5K in Chicago in May! If you’re interested, please see the attached flyer below to register and start your own Girls on the Run journey! Contact Mrs. Frank (kfrank@d75.org) with any further questions.

SPORTS SUMMER CAMP AT MG

Hi everyone! This is Mr. F, one of the PE teachers at MG. If you’re looking for a fun and active way for your child to spend part of the summer, Mr. G and I are excited to once again offer our annual Summer Sports Camp this June.

The camp is open to incoming 3rd graders and current 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade MG students and will run from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on June 8–11, 15–18, and 22–25 (no Fridays), for a total of 12 days filled with sports, games, and activity. The cost is a one-time fee of $150, payable by cash or check to MG Summer Sports Camp.

If you’re interested in signing up, please take a look at THIS FLYER, which includes a QR code for easy registration. We hope to see your kids there for a great summer experience!

PIZZA THROWDOWN

Please join the D75 STEAM Foundation on Thursday March 5th at 5:30pm in the MPR at CSMS for our 7th annual Pizza Throwdown! We will have plenty of local pizza establishments donating their delicious pizzas as we once again raise funds for the D75 STEAM Foundation. Tickets are available now by either going to the website listed or scanning our QR code. We can't wait to see everyone on the 5th!

Our District is Hiring Paraprofessionals and Guest Teachers

Please visit the district website for more information on how to join our amazing D75 Team!

A Note from our PTO

Box Tops (Flyers attached)

We're getting closer to reaching our Box Tops goal of $1,000.00!

If you haven't yet, you can still download the Box Tops for Education App and start earning for our schools today!

How to Start Earning:

Go to your app store and download the Box Tops for Education App
Look for District 75 PTO Mundelein (enter code PNKN0SEQ) for bonus earnings
Scan a receipt that includes any Box Top eligible item.
Have family and friends near and far join.

Don't forget to opt-in for our monthly bonus opportunities! Watch the Box Tops (and $$) quickly add up for our schools as you scan.

Dine Outs

Join the PTO on February 16th for a Dine Out at the Mundelein Panera Bread. This Dine Out runs all day long. Flyers will go home next week.

February PTO Meeting

Our February 18th PTO Meeting is canceled, and we will send an update detailing the PTO's recent activities.

March Madness (Letter Attached)

The Mundelein District 75 PTO is excited to host our 6th Annual March Madness Fundraiser! What is March Madness you ask, it is a month long raffle!

How can you help?! We're looking for District 75 families who own or work with local businesses--or community members who may be interested--in donating a gift card, certificate, item, or sponsorship. Even small donations make a big impact, and raffle items are always a hit with our families! If you are interested in donating, please contact our team at d75mmcommittee@gmail.com. More information can be found in the attached letter and here.

Important Dates

2/13- No School- Teacher Institute Day

2/16- No School (Presidents Day)

2/16- PANERA PTO Dine Out Event (all day)

2/24- School Board Meeting (6:00pm at District Office)

2/25- Leader in Me Family Night (5:15pm at MG)

Do you want more information about your student?

Text the word YES to 79041 to receive text message notifications from their school. Click here for more information.

Find Information HERE

RevTrack: this document has details. For help with payment and balances, please contact Patty DeLozier, pdelozier@d75.org or 847-949-2700 ext. 2014.
PowerSchool: directions for parent accounts is HERE If you have any questions, contact Diana Solis via email dsolis@d75.org.
Teacher contact info: our staff list is on our WEBSITE.