Caruso Connect - April 29th
#CarusoWay
We hope you were able to catch us on NBC 5 this week! On Wednesday, Charles J. Caruso Middle School was renamed Alex Caruso Middle School. We had a huge turn out of Blue Jays wearing bulls gear and their favorite headband in support of Bulls star Alex Caruso and the team.
8th Grade Families, new this year, we will be delivering your student's graduation sign. If you would prefer to pick it up, please email Tim Brodeur by Friday, May 13th.
In this week's Caruso Connect please look for the following updates / reminder:
- ABC Countdown to Summer
- 8th Grade Meeting Recap
- Ways to help Ukraine at Caruso
- Last call for 8th Grade graduation ticket lottery
This week coming up is Teacher Appreciation Week! We encourage you to take a moment and thank members of our staff for all they do for your students. We are an amazing school and we would not be who we are without the staff we have. Each and every day they are here to work hard to support, encourage, and teach your students! Please join us in celebrating them.
As always, if you have any questions, please reach out to any of us.
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
Alex Caruso Middle School ... for the day!
Upcoming Events
May 10th and 12th MAP Testing
May 10th - Spring Orchestra Concert
May 16th - Spring Band Concert
May 24th - Variety Show (During the Day, Parents/Guardians of those performing are welcome to attend.)
May 27th - 8th Grade Rewards Day
May 26th, 27th & 31st - 8th Grade Graduation Practice
May 31st - 8th Grade Graduation
June 1st - 6th Grade Rewards Day
June 2nd - 7th Grade Rewards Day
June 2nd - Fly Up Day (5th to 6th, 6th to 7th & 7th to 8th)
June 3rd - Last day, 1/2 Day
Blue Jays of the Week
2022 ABC Countdown to Summer (Dress Up Days)
8th Grade Meeting Recap
Hello 8th Grade Families!
Today our 8th grade team was able to present to our entire 8th grade. They went over information that your student and you need to know for the end of the year. You may view the presentation HERE. Here is the link to the Google Form that is the permission slip and payment information. Payments for the Par-King, our Q4 rewards day, and the class tree go to the Science Teachers/Team Leaders. As Par-King is our Q4 rewards day, students should be aware of the choice they are making so they do not loose the ability to attend this.
At the end I spoke to them about the legacy that they can choose to leave here at Caruso. In the short year I have known this class I am so impressed with them. We reminded that we have high expectations for them these last few weeks and want them to finish 8th grade strong.
If you have any questions, please reach out.
Tim and the 8th Grade Team
Help Ukraine
8th Grade Graduation Ticket Lottery
Each family will receive 4 tickets*. Below you will be able to enter in to a lottery to receive an additional one or two tickets. Please enter by Friday April 29th. If you have been selected to receive one you will be notified on or before May 13th. If you have needs beyond these tickets, please work with other families; often families do not use all of their tickets.
*Families with twins will receive 6 tickets.
Erin's Law Presentation Information
Dear Parents and Guardians of Middle School Students:
Erin’s Law (House Bill 6193) was signed by Governor Pat Quinn on January 24, 2013. This law requires schools to implement an age-appropriate sexual assault and abuse awareness and prevention curriculum for grades Pre-K through 12. District 109 partners with Childhood Victories, Inc., an organization founded by Victor Pacini who is a motivational speaker and a survivor of sexual abuse. Speakers from Childhood Victories, Inc. provide programming for our students that teaches them basic skills to keep them safe from dangerous or abusive situations. The program, Be Seen and Heard 2.0, is developmentally appropriate, interactive, aligned with learning standards, and will cover the following topics:
Distinguishing safe from unsafe touches
Safety rules at home and school
Saying “NO”
Secrets
It’s not the child’s fault if someone touches them
Telling a trusted adult
The staff from Childhood Victories, Inc. will be presenting to our middle school students on the following date:
Caruso: Tuesday May 10th
Parents can view Victor Pacini’s parent video to preview the concepts of the Be Seen and Heard 2.0 program.
Requests to Opt-Out: If you prefer that your child opt-out of this prevention education session, please email your child’s school principal by Friday May 6. Please also feel free to reach out to me directly with any questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Joanna Ford
Assistant Superintendent for Student Services
847-945-1844 x7229
School Supply Info for 2022-2023
8th Grade Save the Dates
Information for Families
CMS Clubs and Activities
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, 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:
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