News

Dear Addams Families,

Upcoming Events

9/18 – Half Day Student Attendance 10:40 am dismissal
9/22 – D54 Run to Read Event
10/14 – No School-Columbus Day/Indigenous People’s Day
10/23 – PTA Culver’s Night Out
10/30 – Half Day Student Attendance 10:40 am dismissal
11/5 – No School-Presidential Election
11/8 – End of Tri 1
11/25-26 – No School-Parent/Teacher Conferences
11/27-29 – No School-Thanksgiving Break

We had another successful week at Addams.  I say with confidence that our staff and students definitely ACCEPTED, ACHIEVED, and AMAZED this week.  I was so impressed with the student efforts regarding their approach to MAP testing.  As the assessment window closes, our focus will shift to student goal setting that will support their journey to achieving academic and social-emotional growth.

Do not hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or concerns as we work together to ensure that our students maximize their learning potential. 

Regards,

Bill Musselman    Tricia Leong

Principal               Assistant Principal

FLEX

This Thursday, students experienced their first FLEX session where they began the day in their Inspire classes for 40 minutes. FLEX is a program at Addams where the staff spends structured time with small groups of students to facilitate a variety of activities designed to raise student achievement. Each FLEX period begins with students logging onto the Infinite Campus portal and checking their grades. Students also make sure they have no missing assignments. Next, teachers pull small groups while other students are working on homework or completing any work that is missing. Sometimes, the staff member works with a targeted group(s) to reteach material that the students have yet to master after initial instruction. Other weeks, teachers pull small group(s) that have already met the learning objective to offer an enrichment activity that will challenge these students. Finally, some weeks a whole department will pull a group of students to prepare for an upcoming assessment or concert, etc. It truly is a FLEX period, as the staff has flexibility to complete many tasks, all related to increasing student achievement. 

No Food Deliveries Allowed

With a focus on student and staff safety, District 54 does not allow food delivery services (including, but not limited to, GrubHub, DoorDash, and local restaurants) to our schools.

Activity Buses

Activity buses leave Addams at 4 pm every weekday except Wednesdays.  Activity Buses are made available to students who are eligible to ride the bus to and from school.  If your student rides a small bus to school, they must order a small activity bus by 10 a.m. each day.  All students riding the 4 p.m. activity buses must have their bus passes available for the driver. The bus will stop at community stops, which may not be the same as the student’s regular bus stop. To find the closest stop and the correct route for your student, you may contact our main office at 847-357-5900.  Club sponsors and sport coaches will assist the students in determining their activity bus.   

Pizza Sales

Every Tuesday and Thursday we will serve Old Town Pizza for interested students. Pizza is $3 per slice and sold during lunch hours.

Infinite Campus Parent Portal

Infinite campus is District 54’s student information system that connects parents to information.  Through Infinite Campus, parents will have access to the Parent Portal. The Parent Portal provides access for parents to information regarding their child including paying fees, viewing assignments, attendance, grades, academic schedule, and teacher comments. 

If you currently do not have a Parent Portal account, please email [email protected] or you can call our front office at 1-847-357-5900 and our secretaries can assist you.  If you need help logging on to the Infinite Campus portal click here, email [email protected], or call portal support at 847-357-5110.  If you have previously created a Parent Portal account and cannot recall your username or password, you can reset them yourself from the portal website by selecting forgot password.    

Drop-off procedures

Thank you to all of the families who ensured our students arrived safely last week.  To ensure student safety, cars are not allowed in the Addams parking lot from 7:20 – 7:40.

• All big bus riders will enter the building through Door 1
• All small bus riders should enter the building through the cafeteria doors
• Students who walk or are dropped off from the Atcher and Dartmouth Lane directions should enter the building through door 5 (YELLOW pathway on map)
• Students who walk or are dropped off from the Norwell and Westover Lanes should enter the building through door 21 after utilizing the crosswalk in our parking lot (BLUE pathway on map)

Supervision and Behavior Expectations for Athletic Events at Conant and Schaumburg High School

When attending athletic events, the safety and well-being of all event attendees is the priority.  Please refer to the attached letters from Schaumburg High School regarding their practice for junior high school students attending their sporting events.  

The Schaumburg Teen Center
 The Schaumburg Teen Center, or The Club, provides afterschool programming to teens throughout Schaumburg, including D54 students.   At the Club, we aim for each teen member to have fun in a safe environment, while fostering supportive relationships with staff and peers, exposing youth to unique program opportunities, and recognizing members for their efforts and accomplishments.  For a glimpse into life at the Club, check out our latest video from this summer!

• The Basics:
  • Our teen program offers FREE membership to ensure that all students interested in participating can join.  The program is sponsored by various funding sources that are invested in the youth in their community.
  • Programs are offered Monday through Friday from 2:00 P.M. until 7:00 P.M. at “the barn” on 231 Civic Drive.  The Club also opens early on D54 half days and is open on select non-school days.  View our calendar for more information.
  • D54 provides transportation from Addams, Frost and Keller on days when school is in session, beginning Monday August 19th.         Limited close-to-home evening transportation is also provided throughout the afternoon and evening.
  • A 1:15 staff-to-student ratio is maintained to ensure that members get the support and attention needed from our team of youth development professionals.
  • Nutritious snacks are provided daily after school.
• What We Offer:
  • Academic Enrichment – Students participate in hands-on learning activities that promote academic success, literacy and STEM.
  • Life & Workforce Readiness – Students participate in career-exploration programs with community partners and other activities to build life and workforce readiness skills
  • Social Emotional & Community Building Activities– Our students participate in positive community activities that develop social skills and relationship building. 
  • Sports & Recreation – Activities will build self-esteem, positive communication skills and promote physical fitness, leadership skills and working as a team.
  • The Arts – Visual arts, crafts, and performing arts help promote creativity and self-expression.
  • Field Trips – Teens from across Schaumburg have the opportunity to participate in fun field trips locally, as well as opportunities to connect with teens in Elgin, Streamwood, South Elgin and Aurora.
• How to Join:
  • Register online via our MyClubHub parent portal at https://bgcncil.org/register/.         
  • Completed applications will receive a confirmation email with the child’s start date.

Call our bilingual team at 847-608-5017 for more information or enrollment support.

Join PTA

Help support the PTA by purchasing a membership.  Memberships are only $10 or 2 for $15.  Purchase memberships online and your membership card will be emailed to you. Anyone can join: Mom, Dad, Grandma, Grandpa or any community members.  PTA is an organization that advocates for the students at Addams Jr. High. All funds are used to organize activities and events that benefit Addams Jr. High students and teachers.  PTA helps support many great events including: assemblies, Addams 5k in the fall, 8th grade activity day and dance, and to show our appreciation for the Addams teachers throughout the year.  

FUN LUNCH

Fun Lunches will be on Fridays beginning  on Friday, September 6th. Order Fun Lunch through the Marla’s Lunch website. Here are directions on how to order. If this is your first time making an account, please see the directions for the one-time school password.  All orders are due on Tuesday at 9am for the following week. 

SPIRIT WEAR

Addams Spirit Wear is now available! Show your school spirit by ordering yours today. Order yours online here. 

NIGHTS OUT

Our first night out will be at Culver’s on October 23rd from 5pm to 8pm.

Culver’s of Schaumburg

1800 Wise Rd

847-891-5660

Come join your PRINCIPAL and TEACHERS (from 5pm-7pm) at Culver’s of Schaumburg and support Jane Addams PTA at the same time.  Culver’s is donating 15% of the group’s sales during this time period.  Bring your Aunts, Uncles, Grandparents and ALL of your friends.  Don’t miss out on a great opportunity to help, see your friends and have a great meal! Please mention you are with Jane Addams PTA at the time of ordering.  Click HERE for the flier.

Our second night out will be at the Chicago Wolves Game on Saturday, November 16th. See flyer for more details. Order tickets HERE.

2024 – 2025 District Calendar

The 2024-2025 District Calendar can be viewed here: https://sd54.org/calendar/. Please click on the link for the Spanish version of the calendar.

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.

School District 54 Job Fair – September 10
We are so grateful to the amazing individuals who support our students and our staff by serving as paraprofessionals, custodians and substitute teachers – and we need more of you to help ensure the success of all students.

 Informational Meeting

 Want to learn more about what the job entails, how to apply and why working in   District 54 is so rewarding? Join us for the District 54 Job Fair from 1:30 to 3:30   p.m. or 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Sept. 10 at the District 54 Professional Learning Center   (522 E. Schaumburg Road in Schaumburg). Walk-ins are welcome, or click here to register in advance. If you are interested in learning more but cannot attend one of   the sessions, email [email protected].

 Ready to Apply?

 Visit our Careers Website for a list of job openings, current rates and additional   information. Interviews for paraprofessionals and custodians will take place at the   Sept. 10 event for people who apply in advance. We will also try to accommodate   individuals who walk in that day with their resumes.

E-Learning Public Hearing Notice

The District 54 School Board will hold a public hearing at 7 p.m. Sept. 12 to discuss proposed plans for utilizing e-learning during some emergency school closure days. The meeting will take place in the Board Room at the Rafferty Administration Center, 524 E. Schaumburg Road, Schaumburg. 

The current calendar year is set to end on Wednesday, May 28, 2025.  In the event of emergency closings, the first two closures would be traditional cancellations.  Additional days (up to three), would follow the eLearning structure.  This would ensure the last day of school ends no later than Friday, May 30, 2025.  

Collaboration: The Key to Success for Multilingual Learners in District 54

You are invited to join us on September 17, 2024 from 6:30-7:30 p.m. as District 54’s Multicultural Parent Advisory Council presents a session for parents entitled “Collaboration: The Key to Success for Multilingual Learners in District 54.”  We will review how English Learners are identified in District 54 and discuss the information that ACCESS test scores provide regarding your student’s learning. We will also share tips for preparing for your child’s conference and review evidence-based funding in District 54. Translators will be available.

To sign up for the session, please complete the Collaboration event registration form by Monday, September 16. If you have any questions regarding the meeting, please feel free to contact the Department of Language and Culture at (847) 357-5150.

20th Annual Run to Read – September 22

Join the District 54 Education Foundation, School District 54 and our Title Sponsor, Northwest Ballet Academy, at the 20th annual Run to Read on Sunday, September 22, 2024 at Dirksen School. This event will include a 5K run/walk, a 1-mile walk and children’s races. This year the event will be hosted by the District 54 Education Foundation. The District 54 Education Foundation is committed to providing support to children from financially struggling families in our district. With this change in host, all funds raised this year will be used to support programs for these families. By meeting the basic needs of students, they are preparing students to be successful at school, thus the name Run to Read still applies.

Register for the event, donate or sign up to be a sponsor here Run to Read Website. Not a runner? With a $10 donation, you can sponsor a District 54 student whose family cannot afford to participate in this race.