Hauser Junior High

Tuesday, March 17th is an election day. Since Hauser is a polling place, Hauser students will participate in an E-Learning day. Hauser is the only school in District 96 that will have an E-learning Day. Hauser students will follow the E-Learning schedule that's posted in teachers' Schoology pages.

Yesterday, Hauser held its annual Student vs. Staff Basketball game, where the 8th grade boys' and girls' basketball teams faced off against the Hauser teachers and staff. The students came away with major bragging rights, as they defeated the staff with a final score of 27-24. Thank you to all the students and staff for participating and to all the Hauser students, staff, and family members for cheering everyone on!

Congratulations to the 7th and 8th grade band students on a terrific performance last Thursday night!

Students in Mrs. Mackley's Advanced ELA class concluded their Shakespeare unit with our annual debates on whether fate or free will ultimately determines one's destiny. Then they ended their intense debate week by creating masks as seen in Romeo and Juliet's masquerade ball! Thank you to all the families who were able to attend the debates, and to those who gave their support from afar; your support means so much to Mrs. Mackley and her students!

As Lord Capulet puts it: "Come, musicians, play. / A hall, a hall! Give room, and foot it, girls."

We absolutely LOVED how these students showcased the Hauser Way during the month of February. Congrats to the February Students of the Month:

6th Grade: Elannie M, Alejandro T, Olivia S
7th Grade: Abe E, Declan R, Jesiah M
8th Grade: Ruben A, Cowen M, Nicole A

Yesterday, Hauser's French students held their annual Croissant Sale in celebration of French Week. The croissants sold in within minutes, making the sale a huge success! All proceeds from the sale will go toward the 8th Grade French Picnic at the end of the year.

Boys' Volleyball Tryouts are coming up soon for 7th and 8th graders!

Information Meeting: March 2nd, 3:30-3:45 pm in the Large Gym
7th Grade Tryouts: March 9th, 3:30-5:30 pm
8th Grade Tryouts: March 10th, 3:30-5:30
Makeup Tryouts: March 11th

All students trying out must have an up-to-date physical turned into the office.

Questions? See Mr. Brown or Mrs. Staib

Congratulations to the members of the Hauser band program who participated in IGSMA Solo & Ensemble on Saturday! We had students in all three grade levels involved, and our students all took home Division 1 gold medals, several with perfect scores. Way to go!

Mrs. Esposito and Mrs. Harvey's 6th grade Science classes put on their investigator hats for a hands-on lab exploring the characteristics of shadows! Students used light sources and various objects to observe how shadows are formed and how their size, shape, and direction change depending on the position of the light. Through experimenting and recording their observations, they discovered that shadows are created when an object blocks light and that moving the light source closer or farther away can dramatically change a shadow’s appearance. It was exciting to see students making predictions, testing their ideas, and drawing conclusions like true scientists!

Next week (February 9 - 13), SLT hosts Spirit Week. Show your school spirit by participating in the themed dress up days!

Monday: Dress as your favorite Marvel character
Tuesday: Wear neon colors
Wednesday: Wear sports gear or team sports apparel
Thursday: Wear red, white, or pink
Friday: NO SCHOOL!

Yearbook Personal Ads Deadline Extension
YEARBOOK PERSONAL AD DEADLINE EXTENSION!!! NOW FEBRUARY 12! Every year Hauser offers families an opportunity to surprise their students in the Hauser yearbook. Purchase a personal ad with or without a picture in the yearbook. Check out the district webstore, https://store.district96.org/, for purchase. Contact Mrs. Koncius with questions at konciusk@district96.org. Please make sure to fill out the Google Form in the district webstore prior to purchase. The deadline is NOW Thursday, February 12, 2026.

While the cold and snowy days of winter may have given us the January blues, these Hauser students gave us something to be proud about! Congrats to Hauser's January Students of the Month:

6th Grade: Evelyn P, Luka T, and Addison L
7th Grade: Sarah A, Emma C, and Rylee O
8th Grade: Lilie S, Lionel O, and Angelina R

Congrats to this group of 8th grade band students who participated in the Fenwick grade school honor band on Saturday! Students signed up to be nominated by Mr. Fenne and were selected from a pool of students from other surrounding school districts. They combined on Saturday to rehearse and perform some challenging music in the Fenwick auditorium. Way to represent Hauser!

On Friday, Hauser held its annual Book Bowl, which is a competition where teams answer questions related to a set of various pre-determined books. It was a nail-biting finish, but Team Gilligan came away victorious and won 1st Place. Congrats to the Team Gilligan members: Sofia, Sakina, Jayashree, and Lilie, and thank you to all the students who participated in this year's Book Bowl!

Many of our 8th-grade students recently completed their research projects focused on technology and the effects it has on our brains. Mrs. Moroney, Hauser's library specialist, spent the week in our classrooms teaching students how to search academic databases and create Works Cited pages using the MLA format required in high school. The 8th-grade team would like to thank Mrs. Moroney for always finding engaging ways to make learning fun! 🎉📚

The Creative Writing Contest is back! This year’s picture prompt is a feather—light, fragile, and full of possibility. What could it symbolize? A clue? A memory? A turning point? Check out the contest posters around the school for the photo, rules, deadline, and Schoology information. Write an original story inspired by the image for a chance to win prizes. See or message Mrs. Clark if you have questions or want help getting started.

Every year when Hauser has E-Learning, STEAM teacher Mr. Hanke has made it a tradition to teach his classes from outside in the snowy and frigid conditions. Mr. Hanke continued this tradition today, and he even experienced some freezing tea!

Thank you to all the teachers, students, and families for your flexibility in allowing student learning to continue today. Stay warm, and we will see everyone in person on Monday.

In anticipation of inclement weather, we have made the decision to shift to an eLearning day on Friday, January 23. Student devices will be sent home with them today. To review our eLearning plan, instructions, and student expectations, visit district96.org.

Riverside Parks & Recreation will be offering supervised childcare and eLearning support at the Quincy Street Community Center (43 E. Quincy) for $38 from 8:00 AM-3:00 PM. Before and after care can be added for an additional fee. Participants can register online or onsite.

After school activities on Thursday, January 22 will continue as scheduled. Friday, January 23 before and after school activities are canceled.

Stay safe and warm!

2025 is so...last year! But special shout out to these students who wrapped up 2025 in an exceptional way. Below are our December Students of the Month:

6th Grade: Hervey N., Leonora G., Luca K.
7th Grade: Jack G., Anisa H., Raegan M.
8th Grade: Emerson N., Gaby S., Emily E.

Congrats to all of you!