Dear Addams Community:
We would like to thank all the families that came out for Family Bingo Night! We hope you had as much fun as the staff did! It is always great to bring families into Addams Junior High as it helps to continue our mission to create a warm, positive environment where learning will flourish.
In addition, we will be taking part in Respect Week from 2/27 to 3/1. Students have received reminders, however, please see the picture above for the colors we are asking students to wear each day in support of the group.
Today is the last day of the 2nd trimester. Please take a minute to check the Infinite Campus Parent Portal and discuss any missing work with your child. Some teachers will still accept late work until early next week before officially closing the books. Thank you for your continued partnership in supporting the growth of our students.
Finally, best of luck to our wrestling and girls’ volleyball teams as they compete in the District 54 tournaments this coming week.
Enjoy the sunshine today and have a great weekend!
Regards,
Chris Bingen Bill Musselman
Principal Assistant Principal
Important Dates to Remember:
- March 6: Report cards posted online
- March 7, 9 and 10: IAR Assessment testing
- March 27-31: Spring Break
IAR (Illinois Assessment of Readiness)
Each spring, students in District 54 take federally mandated assessments (IAR) designed to help school districts understand how our students are growing academically. This year, the English Language Arts and Math Assessment for grades 3-8 will be given at school starting March 6th. At Addams, students will test on March 7, 9 and 10.
Continuous Reflection and Goal Setting
Winter has always been a time in schools for reflection and goal setting. Currently, our students and staff are reflecting on their academic and social emotional progress while creating new goals for the second half of the school year. We value the strength of our home/school connection, so please make sure to ask your child(ren) what goals they have set for the remainder of the school year. Please know that the Whole Child Profile which includes the winter MAP scores, can be found in Infinite Campus.
Parents/Guardians can log in to your Parent Portal Account, select MORE, then Student Reports and select your child’s name. Please reach out to your child’s classroom teacher with any questions.
SOS Program
As we do each year, school staff are working to teach students about mental health and how to seek help if they are worried about themselves or a friend. We use a program called SOS Signs of Suicide. The program teaches students about this difficult topic and encourages them to seek help.
SOS has been used by thousands of schools over the past few decades. Studies have shown that it effectively teaches students about depression and suicide while reducing the number of students’ self-reported suicide attempts.
Through the program, students learn:
- that depression is treatable, so they are encouraged to seek help
- how to identify depression and potential suicide risk in themselves or a friend
- to ACT (Acknowledge, Care and Tell a trusted adult) if concerned about themselves or a friend
- who they can turn to at school for help, if they need it
Students will watch age-appropriate video clips and participate in a guided discussion about depression, suicide, and what to do if they are concerned about a friend. Following the video, students will complete a response slip which asks whether they would like to talk to an adult about any concerns. School staff will conduct brief meetings with any student asking to talk.
We encourage you to visit www.sossignsofsuicide.org/parent for information on warning signs for youth suicide, useful resources, and some of the key messages students will learn.
Graduation Gowns and Medallions
The 8th grade graduation date will not be finalized by the school district until March. The School Board and administration wait until the threat of inclement weather/snow days are over before settling on a date. However, we have already begun preparations for graduation. We have gathered student sizes for graduation gowns. As part of our ceremony, all students will wear a gown and receive a keepsake medallion. Payment for gowns and medallions can be made in one of three ways:
- Log on to the school store on the Infinite Campus Parent Portal and purchase the gown/medallion. The cost is $22 (with a $2 processing fee).
- Make a check out to Addams Junior High for $22 and drop it off at the Addams office.
- Send your student with $22 cash in an envelope with their name on it, labeled “graduation fee”.
All payment is requested by no later than February 24.
Today is the LAST DAY to order a Yearbook
Yearbook orders will close February 24, 2023 and can be purchased online only. No yearbooks will be available to purchase in person.
To place an order, go to www.jostens.com.
- Click on “Order Yearbook”.
- Type “Jane Addams Junior High School, Schaumburg, IL” in the search bar.
- Click on the “Jane Addams Junior High School” crusader icon.
- Click “Buy Now”.
- Complete the online order form. Be sure the order goes through and you receive a confirmation
- number. Please keep your confirmation number!
- Yearbook distribution procedure will be announced in May.
5Essentials
Once again we are reaching out to our families and asking you to participate in the annual Illinois 5Essentials Survey to provide us with your perspective and help guide our school improvement efforts. The parent survey will be available online through March 31, 2023, at survey.5-essentials.org/Illinois.
The survey takes about 10 minutes to complete and is available in English and Spanish. Note: the survey will time out and you will need to start over if you don’t finish in one sitting.
If you have more than one child, you may complete the survey for each child. You will be asked to select your county and then your child’s school. Be aware that there are other “Jane Addams” schools in Illinois so make sure you are picking the one in Schaumburg.
Windy City Bulls Game – March 21
The Windy City Bulls will host a District 54 takeover night on Tuesday, March 21, at the NOW Arena in Hoffman Estates, and a portion of the proceeds from each $20 ticket purchased will be donated to the District 54 Education Foundation Crisis Fund to support families in our community.
Click here for more information or to purchase tickets!
The District 54 takeover night will feature District 54 students participating in performances and other on-court experiences before and during breaks in the game, as well as a District 54 Special Olympics basketball match at halftime.
District 54 Personal Assessment of Core Competency Survey
District 54 is committed to ensuring not only the academic success of each child, but also their social-emotional wellbeing. Your insight as a parent/guardian is essential in creating the most well-rounded picture of your student’s strengths and opportunities for growth. To gather your perspective, District 54 will send families of students in grades 3-8 an email link for each child to the District 54 Personal Assessment of Core Competency Survey on Monday, January 9th. Thank you in advance for participating in this survey, as we believe the home-school collaboration is critical to best support your child’s overall well-being.
Residency for 2023-24
District 54 will hold kindergarten/new student registration for the 2023-24 school year by appointment only. Starting Wednesday, January 25, 2023, families that have a student currently enrolled in District 54 can register incoming kindergarten students through their Parent Portal account. Families new to District 54 can register through the link on our website (http://sd54.org/registration ).
Once your online registration is complete, please contact your school to schedule your in-person appointment to complete your student’s registration and provide documentation. If you have any questions, please contact our office.
Registration Assistance
Do you have a child who will be starting school in August 2023? If you do and would like support with registering, we are here to help! You are invited to join us at any of the sites listed below. Staff will be available to help you complete the form and answer any questions you may have.
- Blackwell Elementary School – 6-8 p.m. Feb. 16 at 345 N. Walnut in Schaumburg. Translators available for Spanish.
- Lakeview Elementary School – 6-8 p.m. Feb. 16 at 615 Lakeview Lane in Hoffman Estates. Translators available for Spanish.
- John Muir Elementary School – 6-8 p.m. Feb. 23 at 1973 N. Kensington Lane in Hoffman Estates. Translators available for Spanish and Ukrainian.
- Stevenson Elementary School – 6-8 p.m. Feb. 23 at 1414 Armstrong Lane in Elk Grove Village. Translators available for Spanish and Polish.
- Aldrin Elementary School – 6-8 p.m. Feb. 28 at 617 Boxwood Drive in Schaumburg. Translators available for Spanish.
Now available! Become a District 54 Paraprofessional Using a Short-Term Paraprofessional License.
Have you always wanted to work full-time in District 54? Have you always liked the idea of assisting a teacher or helping a student reach their full potential? If you hold a high school diploma (or the equivalent) you are now qualified to become a District 54 Paraprofessional through the short-term paraprofessional license. It is simple to apply for this license and the information is available here. Be sure to visit the District 54 website and click on the Careers button to apply!
English Learner Kindergarten Information Night – Feb. 22
Does your soon-to-be kindergarten student also need support learning English? If you answered yes, please attend the District 54 English Learner Kindergarten Information Night to learn more about dual language and English resource programs in District 54. The event will be held from 6-7 p.m. Feb. 22 at the District 54 Professional Learning Center, 522 E. Schaumburg Road in Schaumburg. Information will be shared about how students who need help with learning English are identified and supported in our schools. Spanish, Ukrainian and Japanese translators will be available.
District 54 Severe Weather Response Plan
In order to help parents better prepare for the severe cold weather and snow we often get during winters in our community, please review the District 54 Severe Weather Response Plan.
District 54 Virtual Backpack
District 54 shares information about community events with our students and families through our Virtual Backpack. We know that parents are interested in extracurricular activities. At the same time, we don’t want the homework, letters from the teachers, school news and other important district information to get lost among the countless other pieces of paper in our students’ backpacks. Please click here for additional information.
Addams Junior High