Caruso Connect - September 9th
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:
As many know, this has been an extremely difficult week for our community. Please know that we are here to support all of our students, every day. These are challenging times that we can only get through by working together and supporting one another as a community, especially those most impacted by this tragedy.
During this difficult time, we want to take a moment to remind you that our clinical services are available to every student, at any time. Our teams are monitoring the well-being of all students; however, we also encourage our families to reach out if you believe your child could benefit from a personal check-in.
In addition to school-based supports, Text-A-Tip is available to all students in our community. Students can simply text LAKECO (and your message) to the number 1-844-823-5323. Within seconds, they will receive an automated response, and within minutes a live mental health counselor will respond to their text.
Please read on to see updates from our school, including opportunities for your student(s) to be more involved in school.
Our hearts and thoughts are with our community.
-Tim
Tim Brodeur - Principal - tbrodeur@dps109.org
Jim Monaco - Associate Principal - jmonaco@dps109.org
Caitlin Lucci - Coordinator of Student Support - clucci@dps109.org
Upcoming Events
September 12th - PTO Meeting (7 PM)
September 13th and 15th - Map Testing AM
September 21st - 7th Grade Camp Duncan
September 26th - No School
October 5th - No School
October 10th - No School
Caruso News
Blue Jays of the Week
Map Testing Schedule
6th Grade Forms
Forms can be turned in to Mrs. Dowell in the Caruso Nurse's Office or emailed to gdowell@dps109.org.
Please contact Mrs. Dowell if you have questions or need assistance at gdowell@dps109.org or (847) 945-8430 x6103
JOIN INTRAMURALS
JOIN INTRAMURALS
The purpose of this program is to keep kids moving and develop minds, bodies, and relationships through a variety of sport and fitness activities. Each and every sport and fitness activity listed below is available to all Caruso students 6-8th grade.
Available dates and activities:
Friday, September 9 Flag Football
Monday, September 12 Flag Football
Wednesday, September 14 Basketball
Friday, September 16 Softball
Monday, September 19 Lacrosse
Wednesday, September 21 Gaga
Friday, September 23 Flag Football
Wednesday, September 28 Basketball
Friday, September 30 Lacrosse
Monday, October 3 Soccer
Friday, October 7 Flag Football
Wednesday, October 12 Basketball
Friday, October 14 Flag Football
Monday, October 17 Softball
Wednesday, October 19 Gaga
Friday, October 21 Flag Football
Monday, October 24 Soccer
Wednesday, October 26 Basketball
Friday, October 28 Flag Football
During the 1st quarter, our intramural program will be offered every Monday and Friday after school 3:00-4:00pm (late bus is available) and Wednesday (mornings) 7:00-7:55am. Please understand that these activities can and will change depending on weather, available space, and the number of participants present each day. If you have questions please feel free to contact Mr. Hoy. at thoy@dps109.org or call (847)945-8430 ext. 6150.
Destination Imagination Begins Soon!
There will be a Zoom meeting on Tuesday, 9/13, at 6:30 PM for parents with 4th-8th grade students interested in participating in Destination Imagination this year. D.I. is a project-based STEAM learning program where students work in teams to complete both long-range and fast-paced challenges. Join us at this link for the meeting. A recording will be available. Contact Kelly Jahng kjahng@dps109.org with any questions.
Join Comedy Club
Join Comedy Club
Order Your Yearbook Today!
(Communicated 9/2/22)
NWEA Map: Testing Environment Expectations
(Communicated 9/2/22)
Parent Preparation -
Student Preparation -
Use the videos and practice tests available here: studentresources.nwea.org.
Every test proctor should review these resources with their students before the Fall MAP administration, regardless of what grade. Reviewing student testing resources is part of preparing students and ensures students are ready for the structure of the MAP test. No matter how many times students have taken the MAP test in the past, reviewing student resources that are shared by the testing company is a good practice to mentally prepare students for the assessment.
District News
UPCOMING COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES
DPN EVENT ON 9/13
(Communicated 9/2/22)
The Deerfield Parent Network is an all-volunteer organization that provides community wide and single-issue programming on timely topics of concern among our parent communities. Their first event, “The Tween Social Scene” (geared towards families with 6th & 7th graders) will be held on Tuesday, September 13th at Shepard Middle School at 7:30 p.m.. Visit their website for more information.
PPS 109 EVENT ON 10/25
(Communicated 9/2/22)
We are excited this school year to return to offering in-person parent/guardian networking and educational opportunities for our community in collaboration with PPS109.
PPS109 is a partnership of DPS 109 administrators, teachers and parents/guardians who provide education and support to families of children with a wide range of needs. Our first event of the ‘22-’23 school year will be An Overview of District 109 Student Services. This event will take place on Tuesday, Oct. 25 at 6 pm at the District Office.
We are also asking for your help! Please click here to help us prioritize the next community event that will be offered during this school year. There is also an option on the form to let us know if you are interested in participating in PPS109 parent/guardian networking opportunities.
Gear Up and Homework Club
Google Classroom Guardian Invitation
(Communicated 8/19/22)
You should receive a Google Classroom Guardian invitation by the end of the day Friday, August 19th. Accepting this invite will set things up so you start receiving email summaries of your child's Google Classroom classes. The email used to send the invitation is the one you've provided in Skyward. If you'd like the email changed, please contact your student's first period classroom (CORE) teacher (math, ELA, science, social studies).
Please watch this video to learn more about how Google Classroom Guardian Summary Emails work: https://youtu.be/ugSvRwEp99E
A few notes to help!
When accepting the invitation:
- To adhere to student privacy, guardians will not be joining the actual classes, so you won't need a class code or the Google Classroom app or Google Classroom login.
- When prompted, select DAILY as the frequency otherwise the email summary will be delivered only once a week. You can always change the frequency anytime: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HeLemCnYF1E
Please feel free to direct all questions regarding Google Classroom to our Innovation Curriculum Specialist, Maria Galanis mgalanis@dps109.org, and she will be happy to help.
Include the following information when contacting Maria:
Your child' name, school, grade, team, and first period core area teacher (math, ELA, science, social studies).
Caruso Bell Schedules
PTO Information
(Communicated 8/5/22)
Check-In System
(Communicated 8/12/22)
The Check-in system at Caruso is a way for staff to proactively engage with students in making better choices for both academics and behavior. The key to this program is allowing students to reflect on their area(s) of growth.
The first component is a behavioral plan which will promote a positive environment in our school. Social responsibility begins with taking ownership for behaviors and how they impact others. It is our expectation that your student will behave responsibly in school just as you expect them to do so at home and in public. We believe this plan will encourage positive behavior in all common areas. The goal of this plan is to raise students’ awareness concerning appropriate behaviors and build within them the proper tools to behave in a way to achieve success. Please note that behaviors that are unsafe for a student or to others may result in an immediate office referral.
The second component of this plan is to achieve the common goal of having students come to class “Ready to Learn.” Our expectations are that students will come to every class with the needed materials and completed homework. This preparedness increases essential student instructional time.
A student will “check-in” during the class period when expectations have not been met. The student will meet with the teacher to reflect upon classroom behavior either after school that day or the following morning to develop a plan to increase their success in class. We believe the reflective process is the most important piece of this plan for the student. If multiple check-ins occur, we will implement a sequence of interventions to support the student’s future success.
Check-In System Intervention Ladder:
At the beginning of each quarter, students will start with a “clean slate." If they earn check-ins throughout the quarter, the following steps will be taken:
Rewards Day:
At the end of each quarter, students who have demonstrated positive behavior and completed all assignments, will be invited to participate in the Rewards Day celebration. Students who do not meet these requirements will not be able to participate in the planned Rewards Day activity and will have an alternative activity.
Reflection Room:
When students are assigned a visit to the Reflection Room, they will stay after school from 3:05 to 3:55 pm on Monday or Thursdays where they will complete a reflection form. The intention is for students to have a stronger understanding of their actions and abilities to change them for the positive. The reflection room supervisor will then email a copy of the reflection form to families.
We look forward to your support in this endeavor. By working together, we can improve student success in school with the goal of graduating productive members of society. If you have any questions, please reach out to your student’s homeroom teacher.
Attendance and Tardies
(Communicated 8/12/22)
Attendace:
If your student will not be in school, please report the absence to the health office by phone ((847) 945-8430 x6103) or email (carusoattendance@dps109.org) before 8:00 am. If you do not contact our school nurse by this time, she will contact you at home or at work to ascertain your child’s whereabouts. Children must be fever free for 24 hours before returning to school. Students will only be dismissed to a parent or legal guardian, or to emergency contacts designated in Family Access.
Student Tardiness to School:
Students who arrive late are greatly disadvantaged because they miss starting the day with their peers and miss out on the instruction given at the beginning of class. This means that they are often unsettled and confused about tasks, resulting in reduced achievement, regardless of academic ability. It is also very important that students establish good routines and habits in preparation for the rest of their lives. Punctuality is a life skill that is important to develop.
Tardiness to school will be unexcused even if a family member brings the student(s) to school. Oversleeping, missing the bus, car/traffic problems, etc. are all unexcused. Tardies are excusable under the following circumstances: personal illness of student, serious illness or death in the family, a doctor/dentist/professional appointment (a note or phone call from a parent or a professional), family emergencies, and religious holidays.
School begins promptly at 8:00 am. Students are expected to be in class ready to learn by 8:00 am. If students are not in the classroom, they will be sent to the office for a pass. The consequences for tardiness are as follows:
Tardy #1: No consequence
Tardy #2: Warning and a phone call home
Tardy #3 & 4: Student will be assigned to the after school Reflection Room.
Tardy #5: Return with a family member. A family member must meet with a member of the administrative team and the student to discuss intervention measures going forward.
Please note: at the beginning of each quarter, students’ tardies will be reset to zero.
Student Tardies to Class:
Students are expected to be in class, in their seats, ready to learn at the start of class. Students who are not will receive a check-in.
Coffee w/ Caruso
Join Cross Country
(Communicated 8/5/22)
HERE is the information needed to be completed to sign up. Hard copies are available in the main office at Caruso.
For more information contact dspies@dps109.org or msigna@dps109.org
Who to Contact?
Mrs. Lucci, District Coordinator of Student Support
Mr. Brodeur, Principal
Mr. Monaco, Associate Principal
Caruso Middle School
Email: cmsoffice@dps109.org
Website: https://www.dps109.org/Page/9
Location: 1801 Montgomery Road, Deerfield, IL, USA
Twitter: @109Caruso