Caruso Connect - August 19th
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.
We have enjoyed having your students back this week and are excited for next week as it is our first full week of school. We approach this week in a structured manner with the intention of ensuring that students were provided with both the knowledge and support they need to be successful this year. Your students have done an amazing job these past few days, and we will continue to support them. Below you will find a few pictures from this week!
Finally, I would like to thank Ms. Lynch for her service to our school community in her role in our front office. While we are sad to see Ms. Lynch move on, we are excited to welcome Ms. Kaplan. Ms. Jenny Kaplan joins us in the front office and has been learning the role more in depth all week. We are confident that she is the right person to be the welcoming face of our school office. Here is a short message from Ms. Kaplan, "As a former Blue Jay, myself, I am so excited to join the Caruso Middle School staff. Outside of school, I love to workout and spend time with my two teenage sons, husband, and new puppy, Murphy! I'm looking forward to meeting everyone. "
Please enjoy the weekend!
As always, if you have any questions, please reach out to any of us.
Tim
Tim Brodeur - Principal - tbrodeur@dps109.org
Jim Monaco - Associate Principal - jmonaco@dps109.org
Caitlin Lucci - Coordinator of Student Support - clucci@dps109.org
6th GR Class Assembly
7th GR Class Assembly
8th GR Class Assembly
Students on a School Tour in their ExSEL Group
Students Ready for the 1st Day!
Our Staff on the First Day of School
Staff Covered the Sidewalks with Welcome Messages!
Students Excited for the Year!
Part of our First Day was Team Photos in Front of the School
Our Staff Learning from Each Other
An ExSEL Team on the 1st Day!
Students Starting the Year in ExSEL
Upcoming Events
August 23rd - Open House (6-8 PM)
August 25th - Coffee w/ Caruso (8-8:40 PM)
September 5th - No School
September 9th - Picture Day
September 12th - PTO Meeting (7 PM)
September 26th - No School
October 5th - No School
October 10th - No School
Caruso News
Open House August 23rd
All School Assembly
Google Classroom Guardian Invitation
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).
District News
Is your child symptomatic for COVID?
SHIELD Take Home Testing Begins Next Friday
If your family opted in prior to August 11th, expect your child to bring home testing supplies next Friday along with information on what to do. Those that opted in after our initial deadline will begin testing next month.
Turn in those required health forms!
There’s still a few weeks to accomplish this. Check this list by grade to make sure you’ve got all the right forms submitted!
Opening Message from Last Week's Caruso Connect
(Communicated 8/12/22)
Grade Level Student Support: We are fortunate enough to have added an additional counselor to our clinical team. This allows us to have a dedicated support member at each grade level. We are excited to offer more group counseling opportunities, as well as continue individualized support to students as needed.
A Revamped ExSEL Program: New this year, every student will be part of a small (8-10 students) advisory group during ExSEL. Your student's ExSEL teacher is listed on their schedule as Homeroom/Period 0. This is our dedicated time to directly teach Executive Functioning and SEL skills at the beginning of every Wednesday. Moving forward, students will loop (6th graders will have the same teacher for all three years at Caruso, and 7th for two) with their ExSEL teacher. This will allow students to build a meaningful and ongoing relationship with a staff member for their middle school experience.
A Redesigned First Two Days of School: On Wednesday, August 17th, students will report to their Homeroom locations to meet with their ExSEL (Executive Functioning/Social Emotional Learning) teacher. They will remain with their ExSEL teacher and group until dismissal at 11am. Students will build relationships with their peers, learn about our school-wide expectations, complete a scavenger hunt to find important locations throughout the building, receive their Chromebooks, receive/practice their lock (if they did not do so on Monday at New Jay Day), and locate all of their classes.
On Thursday, August 18th, we will be running our normal Wednesday schedule (in order to buy an hour back for grade-level meetings). Students will begin their day with their ExSEL teacher and then move through all their core and encore classes. Then, at 2:00, we will run three grade level meetings before a 3:00 dismissal. This will allow students to hear from their grade level team, school counselor, Caitlin, Jim, and me. We feel the combination of these two days welcomes students back to school in a way that provides support for them.
Structured Lunch: We will be starting this school year with assigned tables at lunch by pairing two ExSEL groups (18-20 students) to sit at specific tables within the lunch room. We are doing this to be able to structure a return to a "normal" lunch. When looking back at past school years, it is clear to us that lunch time can be a very stressful time for students. We need the ability to equip our students with the skills to find success at lunch. We also have revamped our training for staff who supervise lunch in order to better meet the needs of our students.
A Focus on School-Wide PBIS: Our SEL (Social Emotional Learning) Team has worked with the help our building leadership team to design school-wide PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports) referred to as the Caruso Way: Act Responsibly, Care for Self and Others, and Give Your Best. This work will allow us to explicitly teach our students and staff the expected Blue Jay behaviors, regardless of where they are in the building. See below for our full PBIS matrix.
Cell Phones: Below you will find our cell phone policy. We have seen the negative impact of cell phones on students during the school year, and all the anxiety, social drama, and distraction they can cause. As a staff we will of course ensure that if your student needs to communicate with home they are able to do so throughout the day. If you need to get a message to your student during the day, please contact the office. An important article used in our decision making is linked here.
Student Deliveries: We ask that you try to limit student deliveries during the school day. We have extra Chromebooks, chargers, and copies of books here at Caruso, so it is not necessary to drop what you're doing and run these items to school. If something is truly needed during the day, we ask that you bring it in to the front entrance, label it with your student's name and grade, and leave it on the Drop Off table in the vestibule. We will then bring it into the office and ensure that your student receives it. Please note, students are not permitted to order their own lunches during the school day. If you order/bring lunch for your student, please do not provide food for other students.
Caruso Bell Schedules
PBIS Matrix
Cell Phone Policy
(Communicated 8/12/22)
Cell phones may be used on school grounds before and after school. Between the hours of 8am-3pm (8am-2pm on Wednesdays), cell phone use is prohibited in hallways, restrooms, lunchroom, and classrooms unless otherwise stated by a teacher. During the instructional day, cell phones must remain out of sight and silent. It is recommended that they are in the student's locker and turned off. Smart watches are to be used to tell time during the school day and are otherwise considered cell phones.
A student who fails to meet the expectations will be asked to comply with them and may be subject to a verbal warning or behavior check in.
Arrival and Dismissal
(Communicated 8/12/22)
If arriving between 7:30 and 7:45, students should enter at the north side of the building at the Athletics Entrance. Students will wait until 7:45 to head to class. If a student needs to see a teacher before school, they will need to present a pass/note/email from the teacher to do so.
After 7:45, students should utilize the following entrances:
All students riding the bus: Athletics Entrance (north side of building)
6th Grade - Front Door (south side of building)
7th Grade - 7th Grade Door, north side of building (walk down sidewalk towards building)
8th Grade - 8th Grade Door, west side of building
Students should enter and exit vehicles only on the passenger side and on to the sidewalk or grass, and once you drop off, please keep moving.
Respect the staff working and please follow their directions. They are doing all they can to keep all students and staff safe.
When the weather is beautiful, we have many students who walk or ride their bikes to school. When the weather is less than ideal, many more students are driven. Please ensure that you leave home early enough to account for the increased volume of traffic. It is expected that students are in class at 8:00 AM ready to learn.
Students entering after 8:00 AM must do so at the main entrance and will receive a tardy pass.
If you are picking up your student during the school day, please contact the main office by calling or buzzing the front door.
Please help us be good neighbors, and do not turn around in driveways in the neighborhood.
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.
Marla's Lunch Order Deadline: Tuesday 8/16
It's time to register for Marla's Lunch! Please see the attached flier for information on how to register and begin ordering lunches.
Parents will need to indicate the following teacher (the period preceding lunch) when placing orders:
6th Grade - Period 2
7th Grade - Period 3
8th Grade - Period 5
Deadline to order for the following week is every Tuesday at noon. First lunch date is Monday 8/22. If you have any questions, please contact your Caruso PTO Lunch Chair, Judith Belofsky (judithbelofsky@gmail.com) or email marlaslunchinfo@gmail.com or (224.269.0068)
Coffee w/ Caruso
District News
COVID PROTOCOLS FOR THIS SCHOOL YEAR
(Communicated 8/5/22)
Visit www.dps109.org/covidinfo for the latest information and for Superintendent Simeck’s presentation from the 7/28 Board Meeting.
We continue to move towards a school environment that better reflects pre-pandemic times, while providing enhanced sanitization and protection measures for students and staff. As part of this, we will be resuming normal lunch protocols in our lunchrooms. Some other points of note:
Unlike the last few years, there will not be any daily COVID certification forms to fill out.
Masking is not required inside our schools except for when visiting the nurse’s office and for recent COVID-positive cases.
Individuals that test positive for COVID will need to be out of school for 5 days.
They will be required to mask at all times days 6-10, aligning with IDPH guidance.
Families will be notified if there is a situation in their child’s class that could be potentially identified as a COVID outbreak
Our COVID dashboard is being retired with the move to take-home testing.
Zoom live streaming will no longer be offered for students who are absent.
Like all other absences, students/families are encouraged to contact the teacher(s) to find out about any missed classwork. Some assignments can be made available when the child is absent while other assignments may need to be completed when the child returns to school. Our teachers will partner with families to determine what will work best in each situation.
BUS ROUTE INFORMATION
(Communicated 8/5/22)
The district will post 2022-2023 bus route information at www.dps109.org next Wednesday, August 10.
Caruso News
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
Cross Country Spirit Wear
(Communicated 8/5/22)
Anyone interested in purchasing Cross Country Spirit Wear (Set includes all 5 items w/ options to put name on back of t-shirt & sweatshirt.) Please use the QR code attached to the flier or click HERE.
Deadline to order is August 22, 2022. Questions, email Coach Signa 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