Caruso Connect - March 18th
#CarusoWay
Reflecting on this week, it has flown by. It was so great to see so many students dressed in our theme days, participate in roller skating, and accomplish a lot as we head into break. In this week's edition of the Caruso Connect please see our Blue Jays of the week, a special announcement for our 8th grade families, a needs assessment for our new AP, and other important reminders. We hope that you are able to enjoy your Spring Break. You and your students have certainly earned it!
As always, if you have any questions, please reach out to any of us.
Have a GREAT Spring Break!
Tim, Caitlin, and Heidy
Tim Brodeur - Principal - tbrodeur@dps109.org
Caitlin Lucci - Associate Principal - clucci@dps109.org
Heidy LaFleur - Interim Coordinator of Student Support - hlafleur@dps109.org
Upcoming Events
3/21 - 3/25 - Spring Break
4/5 - 4/7 - IAR Testing - 6th - 8th Grade
4/13 - ISA Test - 8th Grade Only
4/15 - Non Attendance Day
4/25 - PTO Meeting 7pm
Blue Jays of the Week
Caruso Construction Update 3/18/22
8th Grade Graduation Slide: Action Required
Dear Families and 8th graders.
During the past two weeks in ExSEL class we have been working on our "graduation slide". Thank you to those who have already submitted their single slide. If you have not yet submitted your slide, please read below. Students have access to the template and the Google Form needed to submit their final work. Both are found in both 8B and 8W Google Classroom. The due date for the completed slide is Wednesday, March 30, 2022. If a slide is not received by then, it will not be included at graduation.
Graduation is coming and while it still seems to be quite far off, it will be Spring soon and preparations for graduation will be upon us. We will create a video to help celebrate your big day. The video is played before and/or during graduation. The video will be played while your family and friends are being seated and while they wait for the ceremony to begin. It may also be used for different events and times surrounding your graduation events.
You will be tasked with completing your individual slide that will become a part of this graduation montage video. An example slide template has been created for you to make a copy of, edit, and return to us by Spring Break. Instructions are below and the link to the google form you will need to complete this has been emailed to you.
Your slide needs to have:
- 1 larger picture of you by yourself placed in the center of the slide
- 1 smaller picture of you as a kid when you started school (somewhere from Kindergarten to like 2nd grade)
- 3 other 'wild card' images. These can be you with a group of friends, playing sports, a musical, participating in a club, ice skating, weekend hobby, images of your favorite teams, clubs, camps, or anything else like that. These 3 'wild card' images should tell us a story of you and your life during middle school. Like a biography.
If you have any questions, please reach out to your student's ExSEL Teacher.
8th Grade Save the Dates
New Blue Jay Parent Night
As we head into the final months of this school year we wish you the best and look forward to welcoming our incoming 6th grade class. Behind the scenes, we are hard at work helping prepare for a smooth transition from 5th grade to middle school, and we wanted to invite you to an opportunity to learn more about Caruso! We will be holding an optional incoming Blue Jay night for parents only on Thursday, April 7th from 6-7pm in the Caruso Cafeteria. If you are unable to attend, the presentation will be sent out.
Thank you in advance for your patience as we plan. Please do not hesitate to reach out if you have any questions following our informational night once all resources have been shared.
Blue Jay Connect Group
IAR Testing
Students across the district in grades 3 through 8 will be participating in the Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) in English/Language Arts & Mathematics. At Caruso we will be testing April 5th - 7th.
These state assessments help us understand how students are growing academically year to year, while also providing an achievement comparison to grade-level peers across the state. By measuring both mastery of the Illinois Learning Standards and the College and Career Ready benchmarks of the PSAT and SAT, the IAR is also designed to help prepare students for success in high school and beyond. The overall performance of each school, by grade, also impacts our designation, which is reported on the Illinois School Report Card. If you have questions about the Illinois Assessment of Readiness, please let me know. As always, we encourage our students to do their best and appreciate your continued partnership.
Please find the testing schedule below:
ISA Testing - 8th Grade Only
The ISA is designed to reflect classroom experiences. Many students who took the assessment last year said the ISA seemed more like instruction than a test. Students do not simply select an answer and fill in the bubble of a multiple-choice test. Rather, the ISA pushes students to apply their knowledge when they give answers, thus better preparing them for higher education and a career. All students deserve the opportunity to demonstrate what they know; they get to see how knowledge is applied to real-life situations.
The ISA has three sections and is untimed. The average student time-on-task is estimated at 120 minutes. The results provide administrators with important data to help them make broad curriculum decisions at the school and district levels. But classroom educators will not use the results to make teaching adjustments year-to-year for individual students.
We encourage you to talk with your children about the importance of doing their best on the ISA, while communicating that the assessment yields only one piece of information about them and their school’s progress. Students’ attendance, classroom work, homework, projects, performance on local tests, participation in sports and extracurricular activities, and contributions to the school’s climate and culture all help them grow and learn.
We all work together to ensure Illinois students build a cohesive understanding of science over time. Thank you for your role in developing lifelong learners and successful citizens.
If you have any questions, please reach out to Tim Brodeur.
Information for Families
Caruso Auditorium Renovation
This upcoming Thursday, you will begin to notice temporary fencing going up around the northeast corner of CMS. This will make door 18 unavailable for use for the duration of the project. Door 17, the one with the large Caruso Activities Entrance sign above it, will still be accessible. Traffic in our loop of the building will not be impacted.
Work will be going on to lay foundation throughout the spring. All work doing the school day will take place outside of CMS. Anything that needs to be done inside the building would happen after school hours.
We are excited for this new space! Check out the rendering of what the finished space should look like below.
CMS Clubs and Activities
Wednesday and Friday Spirit Days
All students and staff are encouraged to join us for Wednesday and Friday Spirit Days!
Every Wednesday is Caruso Day! Wear your Caruso Wear!
4/1 - Backwards Day
4/8 - Color War Day 8: Black 7: Blue 6: White
4/22 Earth Day (Blue and Green)
4/29 - Crazy Sock Day
5/6 - Socks and Sandals
Heath and Wellness Reminders
SHIELD Results
SHIELD Testing
Students will begin SHIELD testing at 8:30 AM. Please ensure that students do not have food, gum, or drinks an hour prior to testing. Students will be called out of class for SHIELD testing according to the schedule below. Please communicate with your student if you would like them to test or not. We make reminder calls for all students for testing, and if students have your consent they can test even if they do not have a QR code/lanyard yet. (We are working with district office to ensure everyone has one soon!)
8th Grade 8:30-8:50 from Encore 1
6th Grade 8:50-9:10 from Core 1
7th Grade 9:20-9:40 from Core 2
CARUSO - 8:30 AM - 10:45 AM
Wednesday, March 30
Wednesday, April 6
Wednesday, April 13
Wednesday, April 20
Wednesday, April 27
Wednesday, May 4
Wednesday, May 11
Wednesday, May 18
Wednesday, May 25
Wednesday, June 1
Testing is not mandatory. By consenting to the testing, your child’s name is put on a roster and the expectation is that they will be testing weekly unless a parent/guardian notifies us otherwise.
IF YOU ARE LOOKING TO FILL OUT THE SHIELD CONSENT FORM…
Log in to Skyward/Family Access and it should appear as a green box next to your child’s name. Contact Kristen Neu (kneu@dps109.org) with any Family Access questions.
IF YOU WANT YOUR CHILD TO OPT OUT OF A WEEK OF TESTING…
Fill out this Google Form prior to 7 AM on the day that our school tests: Wednesday
COVID Information
TESTING FOR SYMPTOMATIC STUDENTS
DPS 109 will be offering testing for symptomatic students Monday through Friday afternoons during the school year. The BinaxNOW test will be administered outside of the District Office in the beige testing building (please look for sign on door). Testing is free of charge to families. Click here to read more about testing.
WHAT DO I DO IF MY CHILD WAKES UP SICK? DO OTHER SIBLINGS HAVE TO STAY HOME?
It’s always a tough situation when this happens in the morning! Be sure to read this section in our COVID information hub, especially if you have multiple children enrolled in DPS 109. Our school exclusion guidance comes from the Illinois Department of Public Health.
8th Grade Transition to DHS
DHS Registration Dates for the Class of 2026
Special Education Articulation Meetings are scheduled Mid-January – Early February. DHS Special Education staff meet with 8th-grade families to review plans for incoming freshmen with Individualized Education Plans.
Calendar of Events:
April 11, 2022: Extra-Curricular Night
May 2, 2022: Health Forms Due to DHS Health Services Office
Mid-August, 2022: Schedules posted on Infinite Campus
August 15, 2022: Warrior Welcome for Students & Parents/Guardians (6:30 pm- 8:00 pm)
August 17, 2022: First day of student attendance
Who to Contact?
Mrs. Lucci, Associate Principal
Mr. Brodeur, Principal
Mrs. LaFleur, Interim Coordinator of Student Support
Caruso Middle School
Email: cmsoffice@dps109.org
Website: https://www.dps109.org/Page/9
Location: 1801 Montgomery Road, Deerfield, IL, USA
Twitter: @109Caruso