Principal’s Message
Dear Addams Families,
Welcome to the 2025-206 school year at Jane Addams Junior High! We hope everyone is having a relaxing and enjoyable summer break. Each year, it seems that the summer flies by more quickly! Once again, August is here and it’s time to start thinking about “back to school”. We are excited for another highly successful year and cannot wait to build our partnership with families to ensure student success. In order to assist with the transition into the start of the school year, listed below is important information. We look forward to seeing you in the upcoming weeks!
Regards,
Bill Musselman
Principal
School News
Addams Office Hours
The Addams main office is currently closed and will open on Monday, August 4.
Addams office hours are Monday – Friday from 7:00 AM to 3:30 PM beginning August 4. Please note that our student absence line (847-357-5902) is available 24 hours a day. If your child will be absent from school, please call before 7:30 AM to report an absence.
Information Day:
Information Day is Tuesday, August 12th from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. If families choose to attend Information Day, students will receive a copy of their schedule, be given the opportunity to buy PTA spirit wear and can take self-guided tours of the building. Students must be accompanied by a parent to attend Information Day.
What happens if you cannot attend Information Day?
We realize that many families may be out of town or not available on August 12th. This is perfectly OK! As long as residency is up-to-date, you can log on to the Infinite Campus parent portal on August 6th to view your child’s schedule. Please ensure to view or print your child’s schedule prior to arriving for Information Day. Students will also be receiving tours and refreshers during their first days of school, so it ok if you are unable to join us on the 12th.
Proof of Residency/Registration (REQUIRED for all families)
Prior to your arrival, please check your registration/residency to ensure that it is complete and update all email addresses and phone numbers. If you have not proven residency for the upcoming school year, please visit the Addams Main Office with the proper documentation to serve as proof of residency (lease, closing documents, in lieu of lease). Please know that if proof of residency is not current or registration is incomplete, then your child will not be able to obtain their class schedule until updated.
Jane Addams Annual Block Party
On Information Day, we will be holding our Annual Block Party from 4:00 p.m – 6 p.m. This will provide an opportunity for our Addams students and parents to mingle with some of the Addams staff. Old Town Pizza and Culvers on Wise Road team up to generously donate pizza, water and custard. Bring a blanket and enjoy some DJ music and good friends. See the flyer for more information about the block party.
Student Schedules in Infinite Campus:
On Wednesday, August 6, your student’s schedule will be visible on the Infinite Campus Portal. Please know that our priority when creating your student’s class schedule is ensuring that your student is placed in the appropriate core content subject classes (Language Arts, Mathematics, Social Studies, Science, and PE). Once those classes are scheduled, every effort is made to honor your student’s elective requests.
However, due to priority scheduling placed on core content class placement, we cannot guarantee that your student will get both of the electives they have requested. With over 700 students in our school, the task of ensuring that all students are placed into both of their requested electives is quite challenging. Thank you in advance for your continued support.
First Day of School:
The first full day of school is Thursday, August 14 and will be for 7th grade students ONLY. This day is designated for seventh grade students to get acclimated and comfortable with Jane Addams Junior High. The first day of school for both 7th and 8th grade students is Friday, August 15.
Curriculum Night:
Addams Curriculum Night will take place on Thursday, August 21 from 6:00-8:00 PM. This event will begin with a brief presentation from families in the Addams Gym @ 6:00 PM, followed by an opportunity to visit your child’s classes and meet their teachers! More information will be sent in the coming weeks regarding this event.
Addams Supply Lists
Click
here to find the 2025-26 school supply list. Teachers would like your student to bring all supplies with them on the first day of school. Remember to mark your student’s personal items with his/her name to avoid confusion if an item is misplaced. In addition, if any parent would like to donate extra boxes of Kleenex, it would be greatly appreciated. Kleenex can be dropped off when you come for Information Day.
Bus Passes
Families will be sent bus passes and pick up/drop off locations in early August. Please contact our office if you have not received a bus pass by the morning of Wednesday, August 13.
- All students riding a bus are required to show their bus pass upon boarding the bus. If a student loses their bus pass, a replacement bus pass may be acquired in the main office.
- If your child is assigned a bus, please encourage them to take the bus home after school for safety reasons.
- For students who are eligible for busing and choose to stay after school hours for sports and/or clubs, an activity bus is available to take your child home once after school activities begin on Thursday, August 21. The after school buses begin loading students at 3:50 PM and depart Addams at 4:00 PM. Please encourage your child to take advantage of the activity bus and stay at Addams for our great extra-curricular offerings.
School Hours
School hours are 7:30 a.m. – 2:15 p.m. with first period beginning at 7:40 am. Please note: beginning Wednesday, August 20, every Wednesday is designated for staff development. Students are dismissed 30 minutes early at 1:45p.m.
Fall Sports
Girls basketball tryouts will begin on August 21. In addition, all students are welcomed to join the Addams Cross Country team. Cross Country begins on August 26. In order to participate in these or any sport, an approved physical examination must be on file with the school.
Physical Examinations
If your child plans to try out for one of our athletic teams and/or participate in intramurals, per School Board Policy, current physicals are required of all students to be on file prior to try-outs and/or participation in any inter-scholastic or intramural sport. All new students entering our district must present proof of immunizations and a health examination prior to the first day of attendance. Please note that physical examinations are good for one year from the date of the exam. If you have any additional questions about your child’s physical, please contact our school nurse.
PTA News
We are excited to announce our PTA Executive Board for the 25-26 School Year:
- President – Amanda Whelan
- 1st V.P. – Ranzie Wilson
- 2nd V.P. – Sophia Arikenbi
- Treasurer – Zara Ajdari
- Secretary – Michelle Tunquist
During Information Day, you will also have the opportunity to sign up for our PTA. We have an absolutely amazing and dedicated PTA that works diligently to support our students. Please stop by the PTA tables to receive hot lunch forms and learn more about how you can help this organization that provides meaningful learning opportunities for your children.
PTA Fun Lunch
We work with Marlas Lunch to offer:
- Fun Lunch options available every Friday, starting September
- Fresh, daily deliveries from both national and local restaurants
- Great vendor rotation and a wide menu variety
- Convenient online ordering, making it easy to shop, order, and pay
- Flexibility to order weekly, monthly, or for the entire session
Registration and ordering for the upcoming session will open in early August. For more information, please visit our website
District 54 News
NEW – Motorized Bikes, Scooters, and Skateboards Prohibited
Electric bikes, scooters and skateboards are not permitted on District 54 property, due to safety concerns including the potential for accidents and the possibility of fire associated with such devices. This applies to students, as well as to family members and friends who may be picking up or dropping off students at school.
Registration for 2025-2026 School Year
Registration for the 2025-2026 school year is now available through the
Infinite Campus Parent Portal. Please login to review the current information and make any necessary changes. Reminder you can also register your younger children who will be starting kindergarten in August 2025 through your portal account.
If you do not have a portal account, or cannot remember your username or password, please contact
[email protected].
If you do not intend to return for the 2025-2026 school year, please notify our school office and we will coordinate the transfer of records to your new school district. If you have any questions, please contact our office at 847-357-5900.
No Food Deliveries Allowed
With a focus on student and staff safety, District 54 will not allow food delivery services (including, but not limited to, GrubHub, DoorDash, and local restaurants) to our schools. We will continue to have hot lunch days, which are planned events, organized and supervised by school or PTA volunteers. However, we will no longer accept other outside food deliveries to keep our schools secure.
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.
Important Dates to Remember:
- August 12: Information Day (3:30 to 6:30pm)
- August 12: Block Party (4:00 to 6pm)
- August 14: 1st Day of school for 7th grade Crusaders ONLY
- August 15: 1st Day for 7th and 8th grade Crusaders
- August 21: Addams Curriculum Night @ 6pm (Parents Only)
Addams Junior High