Caruso Middle School is an inclusive and vibrant community where Blue Jays

take ownership of their social-emotional and academic growth by supporting,

challenging, and celebrating self and others.

Good Evening Blue Jay Families:

While this week may have been a short one, it was a good one! On Tuesday all D109 staff participated in an Institute Day, a professional learning opportunity where we learned about how to better engage our students in class. It has been great to see staff immediately implement these practices in the classroom. In this week's Caruso Connect, we've included a few pictures from our 8th graders visit to Wilmot and South Park, our Blue Jays of the week, opportunities for your students to become involved, and information for our 8th grade families about graduation!

Enjoy your weekend!

Tim, Jim, Caitlin & The Caruso Staff

Tim Brodeur - Principal - tbrodeur@dps109.org

Jim Monaco - Associate Principal - jmonaco@dps109.org

Caitlin Lucci - Coordinator of Student Support - clucci@dps109.org

8th grade graduation will be here before we know it. Please see our FAQs below which will address the details. We will continue to update our communication about the big day as we receive it.

FAQ:

1) When is graduation? June 1st, 2023

2) Where is graduation? The big gym at DHS

3) What time is graduation? 7:30 PM

4) When will we receive our tickets? Your student will bring them home following graduation practice

5) How many tickets does each student receive? Each of our students will receive 6 tickets for the ceremony (your 8th grader does not require a ticket). If your student is a twin, you will receive 8 tickets total for your family. For those who may need additional tickets, we will begin a waitlist at our office. Please contact Jenny (jkaplan@dps109.org) or Angie (abeermann@dps109.org) via email to request ONE additional ticket and to be added to the waitlist. We suggest you reach out to your community of 8th grade parents to see if anyone has any extras prior to requesting a ticket from the office. We will alert those who will receive an additional ticket when we have a final head count. This ticket will be included in the tickets your student brings home.

(Communicated 2/24/23)

(Communicated 2/24/23)

(Communicated 2/24/23)

(It's run by Girls Code but boys are also invited - the club is inclusive of all genders!!)

(Communicated 2/24/23)

(Communicated 2/24/23)

The Caruso Middle School Spirit Wear sale is in full force! Click HERE to check out our selections and place your order! Let's show some school spirit in the classroom or from home! Happy shopping!

(Communicated 2/17/23)

Track and Field Season is coming up! We are so excited to have 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students on the team. There will be a student and parent informational meeting on Tuesday, February 28 from 3:00pm - 3:45pm in the LC. At the meeting, we will share more information about the upcoming season and will provide the Track Packet (forms) that need to be filled out. Our first practice is Monday, March 20, the week before Spring Break. Please contact Coach Tandle (ntandle@dps109.org) or Coach Pire (apire@109.org) if you have any questions.

(Communicated 2/10/23)

Parents across Illinois again have an opportunity to participate in the annual statewide Illinois 5Essentials Survey.

The Illinois 5Essentials Survey is administered online by UChicago Impact at the University of Chicago on behalf of the Illinois State Board of Education. The survey gathers data related to five indicators that can predict important student outcomes, including improved attendance and larger test score gains. These five indicators that affect and predict school success are:

· Effective Leaders

· Collaborative Teachers

· Involved Families

· Supportive Environments

· Ambitious Instruction

This survey is designed to generate a detailed picture of the inner workings of your child’s school. As a parent, it allows you to share your thoughts on the important elements of school effectiveness. Your responses also help guide district improvement.

To take the Parent Survey, please visit https://survey.5-essentials.org/Illinois/ and select the appropriate survey to begin. Your identity and responses will be kept completely confidential and will not be connected to you or your child. The survey should take no more than 5-10 minutes to complete.

In addition to parents, teachers and 4th through 8th grade students will also be responding to this survey. Per school board policy 7:15, you may opt your child out of any survey. If you would not like your child to participate in the 5Essentials Survey, please contact your building principal as soon as possible.

Please help Caruso and DPS109 serve you and your students better! The survey window will close on March 31, 2023.

(Communicated 2/10/23)

The informative TEENS & THE LAW presentation is back!

Join us February 28th at 7:30 pm in the Deerfield High School Café to learn from a circuit court judge, criminal attorney, local law enforcement and a DHS Dean as they discuss topics including legal liabilities for social hosts, vaping, curfew, driving violations and underage alcohol and drug related consequences. This program is open to all communities in the North Suburbs and will be invaluable to parents of Teens.

Deerfield Parent Network is a volunteer board made up of parents representing the communities we serve. We are funded primarily by donations from parents, local schools and community sponsors.

We are grateful for the contributions of our donors. Please use the link below to contribute to the continued success of Deerfield Parent Network Donate Here

*If you would like to nominate a staff member for this you may do so HERE!

(Communicated 1/13/23)

Have an incoming kindergartener (or know someone who does?) The registration process for the upcoming school year is now open and the earlier we know who is coming, the better we can plan! Just go to www.dps109.org/kindy to learn how to begin the process. Please reach out to our registrar, Rosa Castillo (rcastillo@dps109.org) with any questions.

(Communicated 9/23/22)

Please join us and RSVP by calling the main office.