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 we go in to this long weekend we hope that you find useful information in this week's Caruso Connect! Make sure to check out how to get tickets for our upcoming musical, Annie Jr, sign up for Track & Field, and 8th grade families please see some additional information about Graduation!

Enjoy your long 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

(Communicated 3/3/23)

There will be a Family Reception in the DHS cafeteria immediately following the graduation ceremony.

Details on purchasing tickets will be communicated by the PTO soon.

Celebratory 8th grade field trip to The Main Event during the school day on 5/30.

Details on ticket purchase coming soon from our PTO. This is the Q4 rewards day.

Finally, the last day of school, 6/1, is a half day for 8th graders.

(Communicated 3/3/23)

Track and Field Season is coming up! We are so excited to have 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students on the team. Track forms are due on Monday, March 13 to Coach Tandle. Our first practice is Monday, March 20, the week before Spring Break. Uniforms must be ordered through the A+ Apparel Online Store and are due Wednesday, March 22 at 11:59pm. Please contact Coach Tandle (ntandle@dps109.org) or Coach Pire (apire@dps109.org) if you have any questions.

(Communicated 3/3/23)

Dear Annie Jr. Families & Friends,

The time has come!! Ticket Sale Information is here!!

The students, Production Team, and I cannot wait for you to experience our wonderful musical, Annie Jr.! Everyone has been working incredibly hard to put together a great show. We hope it'll be an experience you'll never forget!

Tickets can be purchased using the online ticket ordering system from ShowTix4U. Tickets are on sale! Please click the link below to order tickets online.

• https://www.showtix4u.com/events/cmsmusical

(Communicated 3/3/23)

As a 6th grader, your student will have a choice of which world language they would like to take at Caruso or Shepard. District 109 offers Spanish, French, Hebrew, and Mandarin. More information about all of the language options can be found here. You are invited to attend a Zoom meeting on March 7th from 7-7:30 PM so you can learn more about the courses. The Zoom Link is HERE. Following the meeting, all incoming 5th grade parents will receive a link to the presentation and link to select their student's world language preference. This will be due by April 6th.

(Communicated 3/3/23)

Dear 8th Grade Parents and Guardians,

Students in grade 8 will begin taking the Illinois Science Assessment (ISA) March 15 during their core classes. The ISA aligns with our new Illinois Learning Standards in science. This assessment helps families understand how well students are performing academically and see whether they are on track to succeed in college. The ISA represents Illinois’ commitment to preparing all students for college and careers, including in the high-demand science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. The assessment also satisfies federal accountability requirements.

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.

If you have questions about the Illinois Science Assessment, please let me know. As always, we encourage our students to do their best and appreciate your continued partnership.

Sincerely,

Tim Brodeur

(Communicated 3/3/23)

Dear Parents/Guardians of Deerfield 109 students,

Again this year, parents across Illinois have an opportunity to participate in the annual statewide Illinois 5Essentials Survey. 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.

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

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 minutes to complete.

Students at Caruso will be taking this on Wednesday, March 8th during ExSEL.

In addition to parents, 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.

(Communicated 2/24/23)

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)

Is your student interested in joining the Commercial Club? This club is for anyone who is interested in filming. We will meet on Mondays from 3-4 and we will have access to all of the video equipment and editing software. If you are interested in joining, fill out the form in the office before the first meeting and we will get started. This club starts on Monday, February 27th.

(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!

*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 see the list below of our weekly activities at Caruso! If you would like your student to join, please have them reach out to the sponsor / coach. We update this often. You can also access this document in real time.

Please join us and RSVP by calling the main office.

Please see the helpful list below who to contact at CMS for your needs. You may also visit the DPS 109 Website to learn more.