UPCOMING EVENTS


January 5-14 - Adaptive Pause (At Home Learning for ALL Students)
(See below for additional information and schedules)

January 11 - Instructional Material Pickup 8:00 AM-3:30 PM Bus Shelter Doors

January 15 - Institute Day - NO SCHOOL

January 18 - Martin Luther King Jr. Day - NO SCHOOL

January 19 - Start of in-person learning for students who opt to attend in person
(See below for additional information and schedules)

January Learning Schedule
Dear Maine East Families,

I hope this email finds you and your family in good health and looking forward to the new year. Please note the following information regarding the learning schedule for the next few weeks:

Monday, January 4 is Material Pick-up from 8:00 am - 3:30 pm at the East Bus Shelter. There are no classes for students on January 4 due to the Teacher Institute. 
Instruction for ALL students will resume on Tuesday, January 5.

January 5 through Thursday, January 14 - We will implement an Adaptive Pause during this time, meaning that all learning will occur virtually for ALL students including students in Special Education.
(Combined In-Person A/B Groups) starting Tuesday, January 19

Please remember that you need to self-certify before coming to campus so that
you can show your certification when you arrive. That link is HERE.
Google/Zoom Icon Expectations
The challenges of teaching and learning during a pandemic have been complemented by opportunities to support our students in developing critical social-emotional skills that will support them now and in their future.  

Our R-Code expectations (image left) call on all students to be inclusive. Being inclusive requires that we have social awareness in our learning community. Growing our social awareness means that we want students to increase their ability to understand and empathize with their peers, especially those from diverse backgrounds, cultures, and identities. One way to do this is to ensure that students are representing themselves in a way that shares their true identity and prepares them for their future endeavors. The goal of having students represent their true identities helps us, as a school, become more rooted in community and valuing one another, not just compliance. 

For these reasons, in classes this week, we are asking that students update their virtual icons to pictures (Google, Zoom, etc.) with a current image that clearly depicts who they are. If students are not comfortable sharing their own images, they have the option to create a BitMoji as their virtual icon!  

Our teachers will also stress the importance of relationship-building in their classroom communities. Feeling connected to one another, even in a virtual world, is critical to a successful learning environment. Many teachers will take this opportunity to discuss a shared
commitment with their students around their icons and intentional camera usage.

Thank you in advance for your support of this expectation. We appreciate your partnership!
The Illinois Music Educators Association (ILMEA) recently released the names of students across the state who earned ILMEA All-State honors and several District 207 students were recognized.

Savannah Bensing, Future Music Educators Seminar, Maine South
Daniel Cho, All-State Honors Chorus, Maine East
Iva Galic, All-State Honors Chorus, Maine East
Julia Gulgulski, All-State Band, Maine South
Zack Hassman, All-State Orchestra, Maine South
Nicolette Mayer, Honor Chorus, Maine South
Eden Paterno, All-State Chorus, Maine South
Sid Pearl, All-State Band, Maine South
Francesca Starecheski, All-State Band, Maine South
Vinny Tran, All-State Chorus, Maine South

There were more than 6,000 high school students who auditioned and approximately 1,500 students were honored. In-person auditions were suspended in 2020 due to COVID-19. Audition videos were submitted and all videos were adjudicated by a panel of professional musicians. The highest scoring musicians were named as All-State Musicians.
Nerdy Girl Success Career Prep
Join Nerdy Girl Success for their Career Prep Camp this Spring! This camp is designed specifically for young women ages 17-22 who are looking for guidance in starting their careers and/or landing an internship. Application deadline is January 12th!

Tentative schedule and application located here: https://www.nerdygirlsuccess.com/career-prep-program/
CLUBS & ACTIVITIES SPOTLIGHT
GRAPHIC ARTS CLUB
Sponsor - Drew Schneider
Students have fun while learning how to use graphic arts software (Adobe: PhotoShop, Illustrator, and InDesign) to create their own projects or projects for other Maine East clubs. Club members support Maine East sports teams, departments, clubs, and organizations by providing graphic design assistance whenever needed. Club members may be able to submit graphic design work to local and state competitions.
Quick Links