June 19, 2025

Board Recognizes Track and Field State Champion!

At our June 17 Board meeting, the Board recognized our IHSA state champion in the 3200-meter run!

Mia Sirois, who just finished her sophomore year at BHS, set a personal record and IHSA Class 3A state record in the race, finishing in 10:01, a full 15 seconds ahead of the 2nd-place finisher!

BHS Artist's Work To Be Featured in U.S. Capitol Building

The Board of Education also recognized Kalyani Manjunadh, soon to be senior at BHS, for receiving the 2025 Congressional Art Award for Illinois' 5th District.

Each spring, the Congressional Institute sponsors a nationwide high school visual art competition to recognize and encourage artistic talent in the nation and in each congressional district. Students submit entries to their representative’s office, and panels of district artists select the winning entries. Winners are recognized both in their district and at an annual awards ceremony in Washington, DC. The winning works are displayed for one year at the U.S. Capitol.

Kalyani's piece is called “Child’s Play.”

She said: "I was inspired by a picture of my sister and I playing in the snow when we were younger, which I reimagined by using vibrant colors to capture the nostalgia and joy of youth, and to explore the unique ways in which play has affected my life."

Since the Artistic Discovery competition began in 1982, more than 650,000 high school students have participated. You can read more about the process and typical entry deadlines on the U.S. House of Representatives website.

Board Approves Bonds as Part of Transform 220 Initiative

The Board voted to approve the issuance of up to $25 million in General Obligation School Bonds, approved by the District 220 voters last year, to continue our path forward on the district's $64 million Transform 220 initiative. You can click here to see an overview of the initiative that was presented at the June 3 meeting. By law, the funding secured by the bonds can only be used for needed infrastructure projects. As a AAA bond-rated school district, Barrington 220 receives the lowest competitive interest rates when seeking bond financing.

Nearly all projects are currently in the design phase through January 2026. Focus groups have been meeting with team leads—staff members with direct connections to each planned project—to identify opportunities, discuss challenges, and share inspirational images. Accessibility and creating spaces conducive to authentic learning experiences are top priorities.

• As a reminder, you can click here to check out draft design plans for performing arts spaces at BHS, including the new community auditorium.
• You can also click here to check out draft design plans for the new 4,000 square foot career pathways addition at BHS. The draft design includes spaces for automotive, manufacturing, and aviation. BHS currently offers career pathways in each of these three areas, which were selected based on student demand and industry trends.

This summer, new flooring will be installed at Arnett C. Lines Elementary School, which marks the initiative's first construction project to get underway. Next spring, the district is anticipated to break ground on several exciting projects, including the new community auditorium at BHS and the renovation of our middle school science classrooms and BHS fine arts classrooms! To view additional information, including a detailed timeline, click here.

New Leader Hired for Grove Elementary School

The 220 Board of Education accepted Dr. Winkelman's recommendation to hire Ms. Michelle Friedman as the next principal of Grove Elementary School.

Ms. Friedman joins us from District 21 in Wheeling, where she has been the principal of Longfellow Elementary School since 2018. She also held school leadership roles in Deerfield District 109 and Morton Grove District 70.

She earned a Masters Degree in Curriculum & Instruction from National-Louis University, where she also completed advanced studies in Educational Leadership. She also holds a Superintendent Endorsement certificate from Loyola University.

Welcome to 220, Ms. Friedman!

Celebrating Creativity Across 220!

Dr. Winkelman also wanted to give a big thank you to the Barrington Educational Foundation for funding the Creativity Project for students K-5 in all of our elementary buildings during the course of the 2024-2025 school year. Over 300 students across the district worked with "Creativity Guides" to develop and implement original projects in the areas of STEM, visual arts, video, performance, philanthropic outreach, small businesses and more!

The project culminated earlier this month with a "Creativity Celebration" showcase at BHS, where our creative minds got share artifacts from their projects with the wider public, and to describe their creative process with friends, family, and interested community members.

A special thanks to the teachers and support staff who served as guides after school, allowing students to create and express their ideas!

ABOVE: The Board of Education received some student-designed Bronco-colored shades that stemmed from The Creativity Project.