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September 19, 2021
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Come Join Us for the First PTO Meeting of the Year 7:15pm on Tuesday, September 21st


Please attend the first PTO meeting of the school year this Tuesday evening at 7:15pm via this zoom link  All parents, guardians and teachers are members of the PTO, whether you attend or not. However, we encourage you to take an active role in the PTO for these reasons:
  1. It takes a village to raise and make things happen for our kids
  2. It's the best way to learn what's happening around the school
  3. Your kids may not admit it, but they appreciate knowing you're taking an interest in their school lives
  4. This is the first meeting of the year-perfect time to join a meeting.
  
News you can use:

Covid Shield Testing is Every Wednesday
Students should not eat any food or drink, 60 minutes prior to their test time. See this link from Julian with the times for each grade.

Picture Day is Postponed
Due to a recent staff quarantine from the photography vendor, the original picture day that was scheduled for the end of the month will be postponed. The school will be communicating additional days within the upcoming weeks.

Friday Night Place
Friday Night Place is an program for middle schoolers held every Friday after school at Julian from 3:30-5:30. The focus is on recreation and tutoring. Admission is free. It is not run by D97 or the school – however, D97 and the Oak Park Township are sponsors. Find out more info here:

Remote Learning for Quarantined Students
Learn more about D97’s plan for remote learning for quarantined students here.

DePaul "Mindful Middle-Schoolers" Program
DePaul University, in partnership with the Oak Park Township Community Mental Health Board and D97, offer the following services and supports to the Julian community during the 2021-2022 school year:
  • School-based group mindfulness-based services for students
  • Individual and family therapy at school and home
  • Care Coordination services to help families navigate and connect to community resources
  • Community Talks (virtual) on a variety of topics such as: technology, anxiety, depression, executive functioning, mindfulness and the social and emotional needs of youth, culture and mental health, coping with the pandemic & transition back to in-person
If you would like your child to be considered for participation in a mindfulness-based small group, individual or family therapy, or would like to request support from the Care Coordinator, complete this Request for Assistance Form.

Volunteer with the PTO - or Donate!
We need help to sustain the momentum and try to re-create the normalcy our kids enjoyed pre-pandemic. There are dozens of ways you can help our kids, teachers and community through PTO support activities. There are opportunities for all interests and time commitments. Sign up for specific tasks here. You can also support the PTO through donations. It's easy!  Donate here

Questions? Email us at ptojulian@gmail.com.
 
- Your Julian PTO Executive Board
 

 

Clubs & Extracurriculars recap Please remember that this information is subject to change, so if you have questions about clubs, sports and other activities, reach out to the activity sponsor or Ms. Carr, the AP responsible for extracurriculars. 

Competitive Robotics Team
  • All students interested in trying out for the Competitive Robotics Team should plan on attending the short  informational meeting on Friday,  September 24th from 3:30 till 4pm in the Design Wing (Room D202)   
     
    The Julian VEX Robotics Competitive League is an intensive program for the student who has or wants deeper experience with competitive VEX Robotics.  (No previous experience is required.)  Students will work in teams of 4-5 to design, build and program robots to play the VEX Robotics challenge game, “Change Up.”
     
    The culmination of the season will be the Battle of the Bots League Championship on March 5th, 2022. The Competitive VEX Robotics team is one of the programs brought into District 97 in collaboration with the Oak Park Education Foundation. 

    Note: Practices will be on Tuesdays and Fridays from 3:30 - 5 pm, starting October 19th until March 8th, 2022. Practices are mandatory for all students that make the team.
     
          Questions? Contact: Mr. Walsh

Yearbook Club
Cast
  • Want to get involved with CAST, Julian's drama program? Fill out this form here
Best Buddies
  • Best Buddies will meet every other Wednesday from 3:30-4:30 in the Commons. Please contact: Ms. Kiska/Ms. Touchette for more information .
Rainbow Tribe
  • From Mr. Kannan: Right now, we are aiming for our first Rainbow Tribe Meeting to take place on September 22 in Mr. Kannan's room, B405 from 3:30- 4:30. We will anticipate meeting every Wednesday at this time.
Gaming Club
  • The Gaming Club provides a safe space for all students to come together and play their favorite games. Some of our students enjoy card-based games such as Magic the Gathering, Pokemon, or Yu-Gi-O!, while others prefer the adrenaline rush of a hard-core Dungeons and Dragons campaign, or even an intense game of Chess!  Regardless of which game(s) a student may play, the Gaming Club offers the kids a chance to forge new friendships and interact with others who share common interests. Gaming Club is sponsored by Mr. Vincenti  and meets every Thursday from 3:30 - 4:45 p.m. in the Julian Media Center for the entire school year.

Jazz Ensemble and Jazz Band
  • Jazz Ensemble/combo is for any 7th or 8th grade Saxophone, Trumpet, Trombone, Piano, Bass, guitar or drummer who is a daytime member of choir, band or orchestra.  Auditions will take place at 8 AM on Thursday, September 9th.  After students audition and are placed,
  • Jazz Combo will start on Monday, September 19th at 8 AM and Jazz Ensemble will start Tuesday, September 20th at 8 AM.    Julian Jives will start on Thursday, September 16th at 8 AM in Room D-110.  This jazz group is open to all 7th/8th grade students in daytime band, orchestra or choir classes.  No audition required  
  • 6th Grade Jazz Band will start on Friday, September 17th at 8 AM in room d-110.  This jazz group is open to all 6th grade students in daytime band, orchestra or choir classes.  No audition required.
Questions? Contact Mr. Kanwischer

Cross Country
Cross country practice has begun. "We are so happy to announce that there will be a 2021 Cross Country Season! Though things might look very different from past years we can't wait to get back to running together as a team. All sixth through eighth grade students are invited to join the Julian Cross Country team." See all details here.
Questions? Contact Ms. Tysse

Ultimate Frisbee
Ultimate frisbee practice has begun. Weekly practice schedule:
  • Mondays: 7th and 8th graders; 3:30 - 5pm w/ Mr. Seymour 
  • Tuesdays: 6th  and 7th graders; 3:30 - 5pm  w/ Coach Stacy and Mr. O'Brien
  • Wednesdays: 7th and 8th  graders; 3:30 - 5pm  w/ Mr. Seymour
  • Fridays: 6th graders and 7th graders; 3:30 - 5pm   w/ Coach Stacy and Mr. O'Brien
Questions? Contact Mr. Seymour

Learn more about Julian Winter/Spring sports and sports physicals here

Morning Choir
Auditions were last week- please contact Mr. Seymour if your child is still interested in participating in choir. What are the Morning Choirs at Julian.

What are the Morning Choir Ensembles? The Morning Choirs are extremely popular ensembles at Julian and are made up of 6th, 7th, and 8th Graders. The groups rehearse once a week in the morning from 8:00 - 8:50am. All groups are audition-only, however the audition process is NOT stressful and you do not need to prepare a song in advance. These co-curricular groups are meant to complement and not replace the curriculum of the Julian Music Department (choir, band, and orchestra). You are required to be a member of Daytime Band, Orchestra, or Choir to audition for Morning Choirs (see below for exemption).  Exemption: You MAY join Do Re Mi’s or Men’s Ensemble for ONE YEAR without enrolling in a daytime band, choir, or orchestra.  After ONE YEAR, you must join a daytime group.  This is only available to people who have never been in any choir before (usually 6th graders).  
 
Do Re Mi’s
Grade 6, 7, 8
Mondays 8:00 - 8:50am    
A treble (high voiced) ensemble for singers who will grow up to have a high voice their whole life (no vocal change) that sings a wide variety of repertoire from Renaissance to Pop to Rock!  The group typically performs SSA (3 part) music and sings some very difficult - but amazingly beautiful music! 
 
Men’s Ensemble 
Grade 6, 7, 8 
Thursdays 8:00 - 8:50am   
A treble and bass (high and low voice) ensemble for singers whose voices will go through a "vocal change" as they grow into adulthood who sing a wide variety of music of all styles. They perform SAB, SATB, TB, and TTB arrangements depending on how many LOW voices are in the group. They are famous for their antics on the stage (and lately on the screen).
 
Jukebox 
Grade 7, 8  
Friday's 8:00 - 8:50am
A mixed SATB ensemble that often performs pop and jazz music, however Mr. Seymour also challenges them with serious choral repertoire.  It is the only selective group at Julian with only 40 members.  This award-winning ensemble performs mostly music of a high school level (and beyond!).    
 

Daily Schedule and FAQs

Daily Schedule
Need clarification on the daily schedule? Each day is designated as a Black day, Red day or J day. Black and Red are also called A/B days, when kids go to half of their classes each day for 76 minute periods. On J days, kids will attend all 10 periods for 36 minute classes.
  • On Black (A) Days, students will attend periods 1,2,3,4 & 5. 
  • On Red (B) Days, students will attend periods 6, 7, 8, 9 & 10.
  • On J days, they will go to all 10 periods. 
Check out the schedule here. Find a template to customize your child's schedule in a printable size to insert in their ID here.

Frequently Asked Questions (Fall 2021 version)

Will there be weekly PTO or CAST lunches this year?
For new families, the PTO and CAST's largest fundraiser involved supplying lunch 2 days a week from a pizza and sub sandwich purveyor. PTO and CAST each supplied lunch one day a week for students who opted in for a fee. As of this publishing date, these lunches are on hold due to COVID restrictions that don't allow parent volunteers in the building, which makes these lunch programs possible. Stay tuned for more details since both the Julian PTO and CAST greatly want to resume these popular fundraisers as soon as conditions and regulations allow.

 
Technology Roundup
  • Help Desk: If your student is having issues with their Chromebook, including connectivity issues, email the D97 Help Desk at helpdesk@op97.org. This will set up an official Help Desk Ticket and allow a D97 staff person to respond and help resolve the problem. 
  • Canvas and Powerschool Guidance: Those new to Julian or even those with years of experience in the school may want to become familiar with Canvas and Powerschool. Follow this link to parent guides to both platforms. What's the difference between the two?
    * Canvas is a course management system that supports online and in-person learning and teaching. It allows teachers to post grades, information, and assignments online. Our teachers use Canvas to provide updates upon assignments, allow students to hand in assignments, and provide feedback to students electronically.
    * PowerSchool is our school’s information system that alerts of student grades, absences, and assignments. Grades will be updated weekly to provide a live account of your child’s academic progress and standing.
  • New Student Google Accounts (@stu.op97.org). Your student's email address has changed from @students.op97.org to @stu.op97.org and they won't be able to access their old emails and files unless the parent/guardian requests access to migrate data from the previous account. To do that, email:helpdesk@op97.org
 
SHIELD Testing 
D97 will move forward with large-scale deployment of testing K-8 students starting Tuesday, Sept. 7. District 97 is utilizing SHIELD testing as an additional mitigation strategy to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Learn more about it in Mr. Christian's email  
PTO Meeting Schedule

Our first PTO meeting is tentatively scheduled for Tuesday, September 21 at 7:15, held virtually by Zoom. Public meetings will be every other month, on the 3rd Tuesday of the month. Stay tuned for confirmation of dates and details to join the PTO Executive Board and Principal Christian. 

Executive Council Members
Presidents:  Dave Gullo (co-chair position open)
Co-VPs of Programming:  OPEN
Co-VPs of Communications: Jennifer Alten and Susan Raphael
VP of Wellness: Meredith Farster (co-chair position open)
VP of Green: OPEN
Co VP/Treasurer: Jamie Howe and Sanjay Patel
Secretary: Lisa Cohen and Jean Dawson
Volunteer Coordinator: Gail Gearhart  (co-chair position open)
VP of Fundraising: Gina Demes  (co-chair position open)
VP of Diversity/Inclusion: Kate Walz (co-chair position open)


Want to volunteer either for the Executive Council or a task? Go here. 
 
KEY DATES
Monday/Wednesday:  A/Black Day
Tuesday/Thursday: B/Red Day
Friday: J (all schedule) Day


Mon, Sept 20
Yearbook Club, 8:00am, Room C205

Tues, Sept 21
First Julian PTO meeting, 7:15 pm via this Zoom Link

Wed, Sept. 22
Rainbow Tribe's first meeting, 3:30-4:30 pm, B405 
Shield Testing Day

Fri. Sept 24
Competitive Robotics Team 2021-22: Interest Meeting, 3:30-4:00pm, D202
 
Mon, Sept 27th
CAST Tryouts, 3:30pm, 8th Graders


Tues, Sept 28
CAST Tryouts, 3:30pm,7th Graders
D97 Board of Education Meeting, 7 pm

Wed, Sept 29
Julian 1st Dine Around Day- Surfs Up of Oak Park- 11am to 9pm
CAST Tryouts, 3:30pm, 6th Graders

Mon, Oct 11:
Indigenous Peoples' Day (No school)


COVID-19 LINKS  
TECH SUPPORT
D97 Tech Support


CALENDAR
2021-2022 School Calendar

 
AMAZON SMILE
Designate Percy Julian School PTO as your organization for Amazon Smile. The PTO will receive 0.5% of your total purchase, at no expense to you. Please share this link with friends and relatives.
 
 
Percy Julian Middle School Parents Facebook Group Page
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