Evans Jr. High School - September 4th, 2026

It was great to see so many of our families at Nest Fest as we started the school year. We are off to a great start at Evans and really excited to see what this year has in store for our students.

September is a very busy month; the late-summer/fall sports are wrapping up, students are setting goals with their teachers for academic growth this year, and we are teaching and reinforcing expectations for behavior in and out of the classrooms at Evans. Thank you to our families for helping to reiterate those expectations with your students, especially the reminder that there are no cell phones (even for texting mom and dad) during school hours and that they should wear their ID at all times in the building. Please remind students to put on their ID before they even leave the house in the morning!

We will also celebrate the first full month with our family fun run/walk (supporting our community through food donations), our Back-to-School Bash (9/11, 4-6 p.m. is an activity night for students), and our first Bird Bin of the year. The bird bin is a school store during lunch, where students may use their Elite Eagles (positive rewards) to purchase items or privileges, such as reading the announcements or controlling the playlist in PE for a day. Also be sure to mark your calendars for School Picture Day on September 21st. All students will take a picture for the yearbook, and families may purchase prints if they choose.

Respectfully,

Kimberly Martin-Boyd

Evans Jr. High School Principal

Chess Club

We are about a month away from the Chess Club starting!!! You will see information coming out at the beginning of October! Please be on the lookout on our social media and here in the News from the Nest posts!

Family Support

Elaina Albrecht is our Family Coordinator and would love to help you and your student(s) transition back to school this year. Please reach out to her regarding school supplies, attendance, community resources, social/emotional support, etc.

You could also complete the family survey to help us better understand how we can further assist you and your student(s). Family Survey.

We are also looking for donations to help meet student needs: new girls' underwear in adult sizes small and medium, as well as new or gently used sweatpants/shorts in any size. Those can be dropped off at Evans or shipped to the attention Mrs. Albrecht

Elaina Albrecht, Family Coordinator

albrechte@unit5.org

office: 309.557.4177

cell phone: 309.684.2776

Fidgets in the Classroom

While fidgets can sometimes be a great tool for students requiring accommodations through their IEPs and/or 504 plans, students often need guidelines to help them understand when it is appropriate to use a fidget. As we start the year, we wanted to send these reminders about how fidgets, when misused, can affect the learning environment.

Instructional Disruptions: Many fidgets have become social status symbols or toys. We are seeing items being traded, compared, and even thrown during lessons, which pulls focus away from instruction
Noise and Mess: Popular "squishing" fidgets (such as Needohs) often pop and make a mess!
Lost and Stolen Items: High-value or "trendy" fidgets are frequently lost or stolen, leading to significant classroom time spent searching for them and causing unnecessary distress for students
Safety and Hygiene: Some items are easily broken or collect dirt quickly, making them unsanitary for a shared classroom environment

Guidelines

Students with an approved IEP or 504 plan that specifically authorizes fidget use may use fidgets in class. These students must:

Use the fidget quietly and on-task only
Not distract peers
Follow all classroom rules regarding fidget use

Teachers may rarely grant permission to other students on a case-by-case basis. This will be up to the teacher.
Even with approved fidget accommodations, students who misuse fidgets or create disruptions for peers may lose fidget access

Consequences for Misuse

First offense: The teacher will direct the student to put the fidget away
Continued violations: Students who bring or use fidgets without permission will be referred to the administration and may receive consequences

How You Can Help

Do not send fidgets to school unless your child has an approved IEP or 504 plan
Explain to your child that fidgets are learning tools for specific students, and aren’t necessary for all students
Contact your child's teacher if you believe they would benefit from a fidget accommodation

Thank you for your support in keeping our classrooms focused on learning.

Family & Student Activity Passes

All family, friends of family and student Activity passes will be sold through GoFan.co or scan the QR Code below. These passes are good for ALL Unit 5 regular-season athletic events (middle school and high school). These passes will not work for regular-season tournaments and IHSA postseason events.

EJHS Athletics Updates

DnD Club @ Evans

DnD club starts on Sept. 9th after school until 5 p.m. Our main sponsors are Mrs. Hoy, Mrs. Morris, and Mrs. Teagarden.

Here are the dates for this year:

September 9th & 23rd

October 7th & 28th

November 4th & 18th

December 9th

January 13th & 27th

February 10th & 24th

March 10th & 17th

2026-2027 Unit 5 Calendar

No Outside Food or Drink

Outside food and drinks are not allowed in the building, and students may not have food/drinks outside of the cafeteria. Please do not bring large bags of food to "share" they will be taken away. Students are allowed to have a water bottle filled with water only. Do not bring energy drinks, soda or coffee drinks to consume throughout the day. Students should also not have outside food delivered to them throughout the day (by parents or outside groups like Door Dash), this includes celebrations like birthday lunches, parents should not bring in treats.

Student Dress Code

Please help your student understand what is considered school-appropriate clothing - staff does not want to address dress code issues with students; it is uncomfortable for all involved. The Unit 5 Handbook outlines specific terms of what students cannot wear to school; please review:

Student dress (including accessories) may not advertise, promote, or picture alcoholic beverages, illegal drugs, drug paraphernalia, violent behavior, or other inappropriate images.
Student dress (including accessories) may not display lewd, vulgar, obscene, or offensive language or symbols, including gang symbols.
Coats and sunglasses may not be worn in the building during the school day.
No head coverings are allowed that obscure the view of the student's face. (No sweatshirt hoods are to be worn up at Evans).
Hairstyles, dresses, and accessories (scarfs/headbands) that pose a safety hazard are not permitted in the shop, laboratories, or during physical education.
Metal studs, chains longer than jewelry, and any other objects that may be used as weapons or that may be hazardous to persons or property are specifically prohibited.
Clothing which fails to adequately cover the body, or which is torn or altered in an explicit or suggestive manner, will not be permitted. Shirts, blouses and tops which are not tucked in must be long enough to cover the midsection when the student is in a standing or sitting position (this is a new addition). Pants or shorts must be worn at the waist.
Appropriate footwear must be worn at all times. Slippers and shoes with wheels are prohibited.
If there is any doubt about dress and appearance, the building administration will make the final decision.
A student whose dress causes a substantial disruption to the orderly process of school functions or endangers the health or safety of the student, other students, staff, or others may be subject to discipline.

Who Do I Contact?

Knowing who to contact about certain issues can be challenging. We hope this mini-guide helps as to who to contact first when you need assistance.

Absences (partial or full day): EJHS Attendance Line 309-557-4455
Classroom level issues (grades, behavior, etc.): Your Student's teacher(s) (Staff Contacts)
General Questions about Evans: EJHS Main Office line 309-557-4406
Physicals, Medical or Illness Related Questions: Nurse McCaw 309-557-4682 or mccawj@unit5.org
Student Records/Registration: EJHS Student Services Office 309-557-4694
Student Schedule Issues: EJHS Student Services Office 309-557-4694
Athletics Issues/Questions: Mr. Papoccia 309-557-4163 or papocciab@unit5.org
Student Behavior Issues: Dr. Burt (Assistant Principal) burtm@unit5.org or Mr. Gliege (Associate Principal) gliegeta@unit5.org

Cell Phone Policy

Unit 5 handbook states: Students are allowed to possess and use electronic mobile devices prior to 8:45 a.m. and after 3:45 p.m. providing they do not cause a disruption. To clarify this - cell phones are to be "silent and away throughout the day", phones and wireless earbuds/headphones are not to be seen or used between 8:45 a.m. and 3:45 p.m. Only with staff permission may students use wired headphones/earbuds in the classroom, connecting to the student's chromebook. Smart watches are also not to be used for communication purposes during the school day.

If you need to contact your student do not text them - please call the EJHS main office at 309-557-4406. If your student needs to contact you they will be allowed to use the school phone as well. Please partner with us on communicating the expectation to your student.

All parents/family members are welcome to join us for our first PTO Meeting of the year, Tuesday, 9/8 @ 6 p.m. Come find out how you can help support the Evans students and staff.

The back-to-school spirit wear sale is ending soon, with up to 35% off various items. It's never to early to start thinking about holiday gifts! These items can ship straight to your home.

Upcoming Important Dates:

September 7th - No School - Labor Day
September 8th - PTO Meeting - 6 p.m.
September 11th - Back to School Bash (Student Activity Night!)
September 18th - Bird Bin (Student Reward Store during lunches)
September 21st - School Picture Day

Check out our Amazon Wish List if you are looking to make a donation to EJHS!

Donate without spending any extra money by scanning your Box Tops for Education by getting the app and selecting Evans Jr. High for your school!