On September 6th, we focused on school safety. We conducted our fire drill, bus evacuation drill, lockdown drill, and practiced our "shelter-in-place" for hazardous weather. Additionally, each advisory class made a poster for our Safety Poster competition. Here are our winners from a judging panel that included members of our D23 administrative team and the police department:

Most Creative: Ms. O'Connor(6), Mrs. Halpin(6), Mrs. Brunner(7), Mrs. Vargo(7), Mrs. Kalaras(8), and Mrs. Godek(8).

Most Effective: Mrs. Ritter(6), Mrs. McWilliams(6), Mrs. Moon(7), Mrs. Cisneros/Mrs. Kraus(7), Mrs. Teramoto(8), and Mrs. Quesea(8)

Last week we talked about PRIDE at MacArthur each day in advisory. This is how we talk about the expectations of what to do at MacArthur each day. We ended the week with a student lead assembly planned by our PBIS Tier 1 (PRIDE) committee. The 8th graders were the top point winners after five skills competitions.

MacArthur Physical Education is starting the 2022/23 school year with a variety of activities and Fitnessgram testing. The gym and the soccer/football fields are filled with excitement and enthusiasm from our middle school students. Sports that have been played so far include, flickerball, soccer, and football. The PE classes have focused on PRIDE expectations that reinforce teamwork and good sportsmanship. Fitnessgram assessments consist of cardiovascular testing (Pacer and Mile), muscular endurance and strength (push-ups/curl-ups/flex-arm hang), and flexibility (Back Saver Sit n Reach). Great start to a fantastic year!

The 8th graders are wrapping up their final week of activities in the Organism Interactions bundle. In this unit, they explored five types of ecological relationships and studied the impact of population changes on an ecosystem’s health. They became biologists as they investigated the impact of invasive species and also monitored population sizes on specific populations like the moose/wolves on Isle Royale and the rabbits/foxes on Linworth farm. Earlier this week, they took their first science test on Tuesday, 9/20. How did your child do?

Last week, Dr. Amy Zaher (Assistant Superintendent) and Kelly Brockway (Instructional Coach) joined Ms. Gage and I for our first Parent Coffee of the year. We focused on our new English Language Arts program, StudySync. The main highlights of the discussion came from reviewing the importance of close reading strategies and how the program can changes reading levels, specific to the needs of the student.

Creativity club is back! After a two year break from COVID, one of MacArthur's favorite clubs has returned. Each week there is a new recipe or idea to try out. Last week's Cream Cheese bombs were a hit! Try out the recipe if you are looking for some thing new this weekend!

This is MAC's first year offering both Cheerleading and Poms (Dance) Teams. An interest form MUST BE FILLED OUT if you want to try-out. Once the form is filled out, that is how you will be receiving more detailed information about the season including the schedule and tryout details. Tryouts are scheduled for OCTOBER 4th (Clinic-learn cheer & dance) & OCTOBER 6th (actual tryouts- perform what was learned). 

This year, our Erin’s Law mandate is being fulfilled by Childhood Victories, Inc.  The Erin’s Law mandate requires schools to implement an annual age-appropriate sexual assault and abuse awareness and prevention curriculum for grades pre-K through 12.  It also expects all school staff members to be mandated reporters and report any suspicion of child sexual assault or abuse.

All 8th grade students will take the PSAT on 10/29. Please save the date for your calendars. D214 will be sending more information to you in early October!

Vaccination Event

In partnership with the Cook County Department of Public Health, District 23 is hosting a vaccination event at:

Eisenhower School

Saturday, September 24

8:30-12:00

Preregistration is helpful, but not required. Those with insurance coverage will be asked to provide information, but insurance is also not required.  

District 23 is focused on continuous improvement and creating opportunities for all students to grow.

Our Strategic Plan, based on input from community stakeholders guides this work. At the request of the Board of Education, the administrative team is investigating fiscally responsible opportunities to serve the community, meet unmet goals, improve safety and security, repair and maintain facilities, and expand early learning educational programming.

Four preliminary areas of need were identified and a potential solution has been developed. The District will be seeking additional community input in Fall 2023 to refine the plan so we can best support ALL of our students, their families, and the communities we serve.

Please attend an informational meeting to learn more and share your thoughts. All sessions will take place Eisenhower School on:

September 29 6:00pm - Eisenhower School 

October 6 10:00am - Eisenhower School 

October 6 6:00pm - Eisenhower School 

October 18 6:00pm - Sullivan School or VIRTUAL 

October 27 7:00pm - Eisenhower School (as part of the PTO Meeting)

For more information, you are also encouraged to visit our

BUILDING A BETTER D23 Website.

-Institute Days: 11/8, 1/9, 4/10

-School Improvement Days: 5/12

-Holidays: No School

  -Thanksgiving Break: 11/21-11/25

  -Winter Break:12/23-1/6

  -Martin Luther King Day: 1/16

  -Presidents' Day: 2/20

  -Spring Break: 3/27-3/31

  -Memorial Day: 5/29

-Additional Non-Attendance Days: 9/26, 10/5, 11/7, 2/17, 4/7

-8th Grade Promotion (tentative): 5/31

-Last Day of Student Attendance (if no emergency days used): 6/2