• SEL Focus of the Month: October's SEL focus is RESPONSIBILITY! Students will be developing skills like focusing, organizing, and goal-setting through our Character Strong curriculum during morning meeting. Please see below for the monthly family newsletters: 

  • 3rd Grade Family Newsletter: English  Spanish  

  • 4th Grade Family Newsletter: English  Spanish

  • 5th Grade Family Newsletter: English  Spanish

• Halloween Celebrations 10.30: We are excited to be planning some fun Halloween celebrations for October 30th! One of our events will be our annual Halloween parade from 8:45-9:00 a.m. that day. Families are invited to watch the parade outside at the front or side of the school during this time. We are also partnering with the PTO, who will be providing snacks, crafts, and fun activities for the classroom parties. For additional information, please click here. 

Please note, there will be no 5th grade Band or Choir on Friday, October 30th. Students will go home on the 3:00 p.m. bus. 

• HallowSTEAM: Mundelein High School is running its HallowSTEAM event again this year!  This event will be on Thursday, October 29th from 6-8:00pm at MHS.  The event will feature a plethora of STEAM styled activities for kids and is suitable for students from Pre-K through 8th grade. Here is the flyer: English/Spanish

• Student Council Candy Collection: The WOIS Student Council is collecting extra Halloween candy November 2-6. The candy will be donated to shelters, hospitals, and the troops. Bring your candy to school if you’d like to donate! Please click here to view the flyer. 

• Dia de los Muertos 11.6: Join us on Friday, November 6th, at our annual Dia de los Muertos event from 6:00-8:00 p.m. This event has been a community and cultural celebration for our students and their families, providing food, games, music, dance, and arts/crafts.

• Mundelein Feeder Basketball Tryouts: If your 4th-8th grade student loves basketball, consider having them try out for the Mundelein Feeder Basketball team! Tryouts will be held on November 7th and 8th. Here is the flyer!

• Erin's Law: In accordance with Erin’s Law, all Illinois public schools are required to provide age-appropriate lessons each year to help students recognize unsafe situations, understand personal body safety, and know how to seek help from trusted adults. We will be presenting the lesson(s) during the weeks of November 2, 2026 through November 13, 2026. These lessons are designed to empower students with knowledge and skills to protect themselves. They focus on:

• Understanding the difference between safe and unsafe touches

• Identifying trusted adults at home and school

• Learning how to say “no” and get help when feeling unsafe

• Recognizing personal boundaries and respect for others

The lessons are presented in a sensitive, age-appropriate manner by our trained staff and/or approved curriculum resources. Our goal is to ensure students feel safe, supported, and informed. If you have questions about the content of these lessons or wish to review the materials before they are presented please contact your school social worker by Wednesday, October 28, 2026:

Diamond Lake School: Deborah Wargaski 847-566-6601

West Oak Intermediate School: Lisa Brickert 847-970-3544

West Oak Middle School: Lindsay Harmon 847-566-9220

Thank you for your partnership in helping us keep all students safe and informed.

• MHS Turkey Trot: The Mundelein High School Student Leadership Group is planning with Stand UP and Hope Squad to put on their second annual Turkey Trot event. This year it will be at Independence Grove on November 14th.  All proceeds go to the MHS Welcome Center and to the Student Leadership Group. Here is a flyer with more information. 

• Student Needs: D76 is proud to have a Community Liaison on our staff, whose primary goals are to strengthen the home/school partnership and to provide needed educational wellness, resources and supports to students and families. In our efforts to continue creating an equitable education space, please complete this survey to help us support families for the 2026-27 school year. If you have more than one child enrolled in school, please answer these questions about your oldest child or complete the survey once for each child. 

• Diamond Awards: We invite you to use this form to recognize a staff member who is going above and beyond to make a difference in our classrooms, school, or district. Help us spread the positivity by celebrating and highlighting the incredible work our staff members do each day!

• D76 CARES: At D76, the well-being of our students and families is our top priority. Understanding the critical role mental health plays in student success, we have launched D76 CARES - a comprehensive initiative aimed at improving access to quality mental health services across our community. D76 CARES stands for Community, Advocacy, Resilience, Engagement, and Support. Treatment services are initially provided free of charge to district families for up to 8 sessions. Click HERE for treatment request.

Your student's classroom teacher should be your first point of contact. For building-related information, please call the front office at 847-970-3544 or contact the following individuals via email: 

• Front Office Staff: Ms. Kailey Leon: kleon@dist76.org & Kayla Rodriguez: krodriguez@dist76.org 

• Principal: Natalie Kalette: nkalette@dist76.org 

• West Oak Campus Nurse: Julie Marchese: jmarchese@dist76.org 

• West Oak Intermediate Health Clerk: Cinthia Maldonado: cmaldonado@dist76.org

Holiday Party Donation Request: The D76 PTO is happy to support Diamond Lake School and West Oak Intermediate School as they celebrate Halloween and Winter Break. These celebrations will include a snack, a craft, and an activity. You are invited to help us support our students and teachers by donating $6 per student to fund both parties.  Please send in cash or check with your student in an envelope marked ‘PTO Holiday Parties,' or you can donate to the PTO via Zelle using the email d76ptopayments@gmail.com. The Account holder is Dezerae.  Please include ‘Holiday Parties’ in the memo. 

Winter Clothing Drive: It’s been warm this week but winter is coming.  If you have gently used winter clothing that no longer fits your family, the Winter Clothing Drive will run from October 19th through November 6th.  We are collecting new hats, new gloves, and new scarves, as well as gently used snow pants, coats, hoodies, and boots. Clothing can be dropped off in the collection bins at any school office. Notify the office of your donation to receive a raffle entry for prizes at the Dia de los Muertos Celebration. Help us keep our community warm this winter! 

Spirit Wear Pop-up Sale: Back by popular demand, our Spirit Wear store is reopening. This limited time opening will not be extended.  All orders must be shipped to home. Here is the link to order now!

Board Game Club: Did you know that West Oak Middle School has a Board Game club?  They are looking to expand their game collection.  If you have gently used, complete board games that are not getting used at your house, please consider donating them. Donations can be dropped off at the West Oak Middle School to the attention of Adam Dorr. Contact dist76pto@gmail.com with any questions.

Lunch time Volunteers: Our food service company is providing monthly tastings for new menu items.  If you would like to volunteer to help pass out samples during lunch, please sign up below.  Please note, each school is on a different day for the duration of all the lunch periods. Volunteer during food tasting lunches

Ice Cream Day: Ice Cream Day will be November 11 for Kindergarten - 8th Grade. Culver’s custard cups will be available during lunch with optional sprinkles and chocolate sauce.  By paying $3.00 per cup, you help us raise funds for other school activities and provide students a special treat. Please use our online registration and pay via Zelle or return the registration form with your payment to the school office.