• Attendance Matters: Below are our attendance rates for this week. We encourage all students to attend school everyday. Please contact the office if your child will be absent. 

  • Monday= 92%

  • Tuesday= 94%

  • Wednesday= 95%

  • Thursday= 96%

  • Friday= 94%

• Long Weekend: As a reminder, there will be no school next Monday, September 21st. We look forward to seeing everyone back on Tuesday, September 22nd. 

• Mid-Terms: All families should receive their child's Mid-Term grades via email next Friday, September 25th. Please contact the Main Office if you do not receive this communication. Below are a couple of reminders:

  • Standards that are assessed will receive a number grade of 1-4, with no letter grades being given. 

  • Standard grades will probably be a little lower at this point because students are just being exposed to their class' learning standards and will work towards mastery as we move further into the year. 

• Standards-Based Grading: Once again this year, Standards-Based Grading will be provided in order to give students and parents a clearer, more accurate, reflection of student learning and mastery of specific skills needed for each course. This approach focuses on individual standards rather than overall grades, allowing students to understand their strengths and better identify what they need to improve and achieve. Please refer to this page for more information. 

• STAR Testing: Fall STAR test scores for Reading, Math and Lectura (for Dual Language students) will be emailed to families with students in grades 1-8 next Friday, September 25th. These initial benchmark scores provide us with an opportunity to set goals with students and ensure that we are adjusting our teachings, lessons, and practices to meet the needs of our students and establish a growth mindset. Students will take STAR tests again in December to establish our winter benchmark.  This will provide us with data to compare to the fall benchmark scores and measure how much academic growth our students achieved.  Fall benchmark scores are an excellent tool to use as informative data that can assist in establishing academic routines and practices at home.  Additional academic support within the home can significantly impact student performance and growth.  If you have any questions about your child’s STAR score report, please contact your child’s Principal or teacher.

• ACCESS Testing: If your child took the ACCESS English language proficiency assessment last winter, their score report will be sent home soon, along with an annual notification letter about English Learner services and programming, if applicable. If you need help understanding either document, please contact the Director of Multilingual Learning, Yolanda Roldan yroldan@dist76.org.

• BPAC Meeting: Join us for District 76’s first Bilingual Parent Advisory Committee (BPAC) meeting of the school year on Tuesday, September 22nd, from 5-6:00pm at Diamond Lake School! This is a great opportunity to connect with other families, learn about district programs, and share your voice. The presentation will be in Spanish, and light snacks will be served.

• Health Physical and Immunization Requirements Due 10.15: As a reminder, all students entering Preschool, Kindergarten, 6th grade, and any student new to Illinois schools are required by Illinois School Code (105 ILCS 5/27-8.1) to have a current physical examination (must be completed within one year prior to the first day of school) and up-to-date immunization records on file. The deadline for this is October 15th and students who do not submit a completed physical and proof of required immunizations by this date will be excluded from school. They will not be allowed to attend classes or participate in school activities until the required forms are received. Please schedule any needed appointments as soon as possible and submit forms to the school office. If your child has an upcoming appointment, please provide written confirmation from your healthcare provider to the school nurse prior to October 15th. If you have questions or need assistance accessing health services, please contact the school nurse or main office. Thank you for helping us keep all students healthy, safe, and ready to learn!

• Countryside Fire Open House: The Countryside Fire Protection District is excited to invite the community to our 2026 Open House & Pancake Breakfast on Sunday, October 4th, from 8-12:00pm at Station 2 in Vernon Hills. Here is a flyer for this event.  The Open House is a great opportunity for families to visit the fire station, meet our firefighters, and see live demonstrations, including vehicle extrication, a side-by-side burn demonstration, high-angle rescue, and more. A pancake breakfast will also be available during the event.

• Social Media: D76 will be transitioning away from x.com and will continue sharing district news and information through Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube. By focusing our efforts on the platforms our community uses most, we can continue to effectively share important updates, upcoming events, student and staff accomplishments, and stories from across our schools.

• Diamond Awards: To continue to spread the positivity around the building and district, here is the Diamond Award nomination Form to spotlight staff that are going above and beyond with what they do. This Form will be available at the bottom of each Parent Newsletter for easy access throughout the year. 

• PowerSchool Parent Portal: Parents will be able to view their child’s schedule for the year via our PowerSchool Parent Portal. Helpful login information for parents and guardians can be found here.

• ParentSquare: New to ParentSquare? ParentSquare is a user-friendly way for parents and staff to communicate throughout the year. Please review these helpful instructions on how to access your ParentSquare account.

• WOMS Schedule and Calendar: The West Oak Middle School day starts at 8:25am and ends at 3:25pm. Here is our district calendar and here is a document showing all of our bell schedules. 

• 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.

• MHS Parade: MHS Parade: October 2nd will be an Early Release day and we would like to invite you to attend the Mundelein High School's homecoming parade which will begin at 3:30pm. Below is the route of the parade. We hope to see you there!

Your student's classroom teacher should be your first point of contact. For building-related information, please call the front office at 847-566-9220 or contact the following individuals via email: 

• Front Office Staff: Mrs. Mitzy Mondroy: mmonroy@dist76.org & Ms. Jennifer Sanjines: jsanjines@dist76.org 

• Principal: Brandon Pedersen bpedersen@dist76.org 

• School Nurse: Julie Marchese: jmarchese@dist76.org