The Raider Times

Emmons School District 33

Volume 2, Number 26                March 12, 2010 

Emmons is students, staff, parents, and community working together to prepare our students for a
successful future through excellent experiences and growth opportunities. 
 

Starla Williams All You Can Eat Fundraiser!!...This Sunday, March 14th, noon-4pm, a
fundraiser will be held at RJ’s Eatery, 1913 Grand Avenue, Lindenhurst. All proceeds will go to
pay for funeral expenses and leftover money will be donated to the Starla Williams Memorial
Scholarships being established at her alma mater, IPFW, and here at Emmons School. Come out
and enjoy all you can eat pizza and soda for only $17.99. There will also be raffles and bracelets
for sale. Spread the word to all your friends and family. Even if you didn’t know Starla or her
family, we would greatly appreciate you choosing RJ’s for lunch on March 14th and helping a
good cause!

Half-Day Attendance Next Friday...Parents are reminded that students have a half-day of
school on Friday, March 19th. Dismissal will be at 11:30am and no lunches will be served that
day.

Speaker Returns to Emmons…Jim Williams is coming back and you will not want to miss
his powerful story and message about parenting and getting along with your kids. Save the date
for March 17th and 18th. You can spend one or both evenings with Jim and walk away feeling
glad you did. Bring a friend! See attached flyer for more information.

March Parent-Teacher Conferences…Optional Spring Conferences will be held from

12:30-6:30pm on March 24th and March 25th. A letter went home in yesterday’s Thursday
Folders detailing step-by-step instructions for using our online Parent-Teacher Conference
scheduling program. Registration will run from this Monday, March 15th, 8:00am, through
Friday, March 19th at noon. Parents can sign up to meet with any of their child’s teachers;
students are encouraged to attend with their parents. If you do not have Internet access in your
home, you may come in to school to register for conferences. Parents needing to make other
conference registration arrangements should contact Mrs. Pratt at (847) 395-1105 x210.

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Drama Club News…The Emmons Players will be performing their first play, “Where The
Wild Things Are.” The show will take place Monday, March 22nd at 8:55am. Please join us and
cheer on The Emmons Players! Please see attached calendar for next week’s meeting times.

Middle School Dance Date Changed…Please mark your calendars: this Trimester’s
Middle School Dance will take place on Friday, March 19th, 7-9pm.

Principal’s Cabinet to Meet…The next Principal’s Cabinet meeting will be at 7:30am on

Thursday, April 8th, in the upstairs Team Room. Agenda will include a discussion of school
lunches, anti-bullying efforts, and 100% club.

Superintendent’s Forum…Dr. Machak invites all Emmons parents to participate in our

Trimester 3 informal “state of the school” conversation, to be held on Tuesday, April 6th, from
5:30-6:30pm in the Emmons library. Topics for this meeting include programming for the 2010-
2011 school year, including a discussion of our middle school sports eligibility policy, our K-8
Gifted program, and changes in our staffing and scheduling needs for the new school year.
Refreshments will be served. Please contact Carla Pratt at (847) 395-1105 x210 by April 5th if
you can attend, so that we know how many folks to plan for. Dr. Machak will host the final
Superintendent’s Forum discussion of the school year in early May.

Communication Committee Needs Volunteers…The District 33 Communications

Committee is looking for parent volunteers who would be willing to submit information about
Emmons School (like calendar dates, sporting events, and District activities) to our local Pioneer
Press, Daily Herald, and Chicago Tribune correspondents. If you have about an hour a week that
you would be willing to devote to helping us in this way, please contact Dr. Machak at (847)
395-1105 x213. Thank you - we need your help!

PTO Board Vacancies…The PTO will have several vacancies for next year. If you are
interested in being on the PTO Board, please contact Dawn Latakas. The nominations for the
Board will be at our next meeting, April 13th, and the elections are at our May meeting (May
11th).

Are You Ready to Rock?…The Emmons PTO proudly presents its Rock N Roll Auction &
Golf Outing. Join us Friday, April 30th, at the Antioch Golf Club, for our annual outing to
benefit the students and programs at Emmons School. Enjoy a day of fun with friends while
enjoying a round of golf, then wrap up the evening with conversation over dinner & the auction.
Don’t golf? Just come for dinner & the auction. Three of our goals for money raised at this
year’s auction are new tables for our lunchroom, a ventilation system and a kiln for our art room,
and provide new technology to many of our classes. We will have our raffle where you could
win up to $250. These raffle tickets will be available before and during the golf outing or until
50 are sold. Don’t miss this exciting event! Watch for reservation forms in Thursday Folders.
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Have You Heard About Saturday School?... The next Saturday School session will be
Saturday, March 20th, from 8am to 11am. If you need to make up work, access technology, get
tutoring in Math, Science, Language, or Literature, need feedback on a project or essay, or just
need a quiet place to read, this is for you. Please let a Middle School teacher know by the Friday
before the scheduled date.

Relay for Life…The tradition continues with Stephanie Masse’s team, Emmons Raiders. You
are welcome to participate by joining Stephanie’s team or by supporting her team’s efforts to
raise funds for this event. For details, contact Stephanie, Mrs. Wu, or visit:
www.relayforlife.org/relay.

Kindergarten Screening…Screening of incoming Kindergarten students for the 2010-11

school year will take place at Emmons School on Thursday, May 13, and Friday, May 14, from
8:00am-3:30pm. Parents should contact Carla Pratt at 847-395-1105 x210 to schedule a 30-
minute appointment, which will include a brief evaluation of the child’s social and academic
readiness level, as well as speech and hearing screening.

Law Day Essay Competition…Chief Judge James K. Booras and the judges of Lake
County invite students to participate in our Lake County Law Day celebration on April 30, 2010.
This year’s Law Day theme is “Voices of Freedom – What Does Freedom of Speech Mean to
Me.” The essay competition, based on this theme, is open to all 7th and 8th grade students
throughout Lake County. Entries are to be received by Wednesday, April 7, 2010. If you are
interested, please contact your homebase teacher for rules and more details.

Character Matters in Lake County…You are invited to participate in the 5th Annual
Character Matters in Lake County Excellence in Character Awards Program. This awards
program honors those who exhibit outstanding character within their school communities. To
nominate an Emmons student or staff member, contact your child’s teacher. The deadline for
nominations is Friday, April 2, 1010.

Sox Student Achievers Program…The Chicago White Sox organization is proud to

announce the return of the Sox Student Achievers Program. The program provides students that
have displayed scholastic excellence and perseverance in the classroom with free tickets to a
White Sox home game. To participate, students must have exemplary attendance in school,
excel in academics and be proactive in other areas outside the classroom, such as community
service and civic contribution. Please see attached order form.

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The Week Ahead…

Monday, March 15th Study Hall – 3:30-4:15pm
Drama Club – 3:30-4:15pm Music Room
Tuesday, March 16th Intro to Literature Class – 7:45-8:25am Room 211
Study Hall – 3:30-4:15pm
Drama Club – 3:30-4:15pm Music Room
Wednesday, March 17th Study Hall – 3:30-4:15pm
Chess Club – 3:30-4:15pm Room 211
Drama Club – 3:30-4:15pm Music Room
Market Day Pick-up 4:30-6:00pm Band Room
Jim Williams Parent Meeting 7:00pm Tabar Gymnasium
Thursday, March 18th Intro to Literature Class – 7:45-8:25am Room 211
Study Hall – 3:30-4:15pm
Drama Club – 3:30-4:15pm Music Room
Jim Williams Parent Meeting 7:00pm Tabar Gymnasium
Friday, March 19th Early Student Dismissal – 11:30am
Middle School Dance – 7:00-9:00pm
Saturday, March 20th Saturday School – 8:00am-11:00am
Drama Club – 9-12am Music Room

Emmons Spirit Club!..At our last meeting, the kids were busy making posters to advertise
for our up and coming St. Patrick’s Day Spread the Spirit event. We also decided on a name…
The Rockin’ Raiders! Please be watching in April for the date and time of our next meeting.
Keep up the spirit!

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Top 10 reasons why all parents should come see Jim Williams: 

1. He’s funny 
2. It is important to your kids that you come 
3. He tells great stories         
4. It is important to your kids that you come  
5. His message is powerful 
6. He is a changed parent and will openly admit his mistakes 
7. You will learn something about yourself 
8. It is important to your kids that you come 
9. You will learn something about your kids 
10. It is important to your kids that you come 
 

 
Jim Williams is the epitome of what happens when ‘gifting’ and ‘calling’ come
together. Since his life change from Fortune 50 Company Financial Officer to
Speaker/Motivator, the best fortune for audience groups is the profound
impact of dynamic truth he brings. The tragic loss of 19 year old son, Curt,
killed by a drunk driver on November 11, 1995 is part of that truth, providing
powerful opportunity for Jim to share authentically with youth and adults
alike. Now, after fifteen years, Jim Williams has been to hundreds of schools
across the country and has spoken to thousands of students about bullying,
tolerance, and building better relationships. As a speaker and presenter, he is
used regularly by the United Way, the National Center for Youth Issues, the
Love & Logic Institute, and American Legion. Mr. Williams is the author of
the book Parenting on Point and the video series Proactive Parenting.

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“This is my calling – this is what I am doing to honor my wife, Carol, and my children’s lives.”
—Jim Williams

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