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From the Superintendent
Welcome, and thank you for your support!
I hope the beginning of the 2016-17 school year has been a positive and productive experience for each of you.
I eagerly anticipate the start of each new school year because everyone always approaches it with such hope and enthusiasm for all of the exciting possibilities that it holds. Whether you're a parent, student, staff member, or community member, you will play a vital role in fulfilling that promise, as you are an important part of the "connected learning community" that we strive to build.
So, on behalf of the District 15 Board of Education, thank you for your continued support of our ongoing effort to produce "world-class learners." Together, your many different contributions will make 2016-17 another excellent school year in Community Consolidated School District 15.
Sincerely,
Scott B. Thompson, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools
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School Building Bond Referendum
Presentations, proposed boundaries, financial information, FAQs, meeting dates, and more -- it's all available on the District 15 website.
On
Tuesday, November 8, voters will decide if Community Consolidated School District 15 will build an elementary school at Osage Park in northeast Palatine, and a middle school on the Ela Road property it owns in the southwest portion of the District.
Community members interested in learning more about the School Building Bond Referendum are encouraged to visit the District 15 website at
www.ccsd15.net for more information.
Please consider sharing your input into this matter through Let's Talk
.
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Give me five!
District 15's latest financial forecast basically projects balanced budgets for the foreseeable future.
District 15's current financial forecast indicates that -- excluding expenses on life safety projects -- its revenues are projected to exceed its expenditures in each of the next five years. These small budget surpluses, which are projected to top out at about $1.3 million in 2020-21, are expected to preserve healthy fund balances in the range of 35 percent of the District's operating expenses -- or roughly $56 million -- over the course of the next five years.
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Cleared for Takeoff!
New math and science programs have taken flight in District 15, and two more pilots are approaching the runway.
Attention District 15 passengers!
This year, the District has launched a new math program for Grades K-6 and a new science program for Grades 6-8. It is also continuing its pilot of math programs for Grades 7 and 8, and launching a new pilot of a science program for Grades 1-5.
So fasten your seat belts and return your seat backs and tray tables to their full, upright positions! The 2016-17 school year is ready for takeoff!
Envision 2.0
This fall, the District began implementing the Envision 2.0 math program throughout its elementary schools, and piloting it at its junior highs.
After piloting the Go Math program last year, junior high math teachers have begun piloting the Envision 2.0 materials. Data related to student assessments and teacher satisfaction will determine which of the two programs will be implemented at the junior high level. The District 15 Board of Education will likely adopt the chosen materials in February, and implementation of the new junior high math program will follow in the fall of 2017.
A similar piloting process that began last fall led the District to adopt Envision 2.0 as the District's new elementary math program last year. Administrators, teachers, and support staff worked all summer to ensure that the more than 25,000 pieces of curriculum materials were inventoried, delivered to the District's 15 elementary buildings, and ready for student use on the first day of school.
Implementation of this new elementary-level math program also required a great deal of professional development. Envision 2.0 implementation specialists provided teachers with training during the District's Teacher Institute Days in both January and May. They will continue to provide that support throughout the fall via online forums, and will return to provide another full day of training for the District's January 17 Teacher Institute Day.
Prior to this effort, District 15 had not had a full-scale math materials adoption since 2003. Since then, the state has adopted the Common Core state standards for math, and they require the teaching of more rigorous math practices than the 1997 Illinois Learning Standards that were in use 13 years ago.
So, moving forward, teachers will be using these newly adopted curriculum materials to help their students develop proficiency in the following required key math practices under the Common Core:
- Making sense of problems and persevering in solving them
- Reasoning abstractly and quantitatively
- Constructing viable arguments and critiquing the reasoning of others
- Modeling with math
- Using appropriate tools strategically
- Attending to precision
- Looking for and making use of structure
- Looking for and expressing regularity in repeated reasoning
Interactive Science
The District has also introduced new science materials that will support its plan to provide students with a "deeper dive" into specific areas addressed by the Illinois Learning Standards in Science, and the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) upon which they're based.
These new science standards reflect a contemporary understanding of what students need to know in this content area. Just like the Common Core State Standards do for English, language arts, and math, the Illinois Science Standards outline the most important concepts in science that students should be taught at each grade level.
In the spring, District 15 science teachers at Grades 6, 7, and 8 piloted and selected the Interactive Science program for adoption. They were trained in the use of this new program during the District's Teacher Institute Days in May, and this fall they began using their new curriculum materials to provide an entire year of instruction in the following disciplines at the given grade levels:
- Grade 6: Earth Science
- Grade 7: Life Science
- Grade 8: Physical Science
Now, teachers in Grades 1-5 are also piloting the Interactive Science program. The focus of the pilot program at these grades is to continue to providing instruction that uses hands-on experiences that help students develop clear and grade-level appropriate understanding of the scientific method.
This effort will run throughout the fall, at which point the teachers will provide their feedback regarding their experiences using the Interactive Science materials with their students, and the District will decide if it will adopt the program at the elementary level, too.
"The Department of Instruction is committed to keeping students engaged and involved in their learning and shares the excitement of our teaching staff in our endeavors to bring new knowledge and skills to our students," said Meg Schnoor, Ed.D., Assistant Superintendent for Teaching and Learning.
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 What's Your Superpower?
District 15 posed this playful question during its recent Google Summit, and -- as it relates to its teachers, administrators, and staff members -- it thinks "innovation" is the answer.
Superman is, of course, "Faster than a speeding bullet! More powerful than a locomotive! Able to leap tall buildings at a single bound!"
And that's nice and all, but let's be honest -- his skill set hasn't changed much since his character was created in 1933.
On the other hand, District 15's own cast of superheroes -- its teachers, administrators, and staff members -- continue to expand their talents. As the world continues to evolve, they continue to innovate.
That dynamic was on full display August 11 as more than 250 of them gathered at Plum Grove Junior High for the District's Google Summit. Hosted by District 15's Superintendent's Office, Department of Instruction, and Technology Services, this volunteer, half-day, technology-focused professional development opportunity featured a variety of differentiated breakout sessions focused on such topics as Google Chrome, Google Drive, Google Apps for Education, Google Classroom, and -- of course -- Google Chromebooks.
"Everyone from the most tech-savvy teacher to the computer novice was able to take what they learned there and use it to improve their productivity, increase student engagement, and create more opportunities in their classrooms for both collaboration and content creation," said Matthew Barbini, Ed.D., Deputy Superintendent of Schools.
The Google Summit is part of the District's expanded Google Chromebook pilot program. This program includes plans for the District to use funding budgeted for the replacement of desktop computers and iPads over the next two years to instead purchase Google Chromebooks. (The District can purchase two of these devices for the price of one iPad, and three for the price of one desktop computer.)
The Google Chromebook pilot program launched last year, as 300 Chromebooks were piloted at five D15 schools, each of which received 60 devices and directions to evaluate their use with students in both shared and one-to-one settings. This year, the program calls for the rest of the District's schools to receive a cart of 30 Chromebooks for shared student use, and for a total of 60 teachers who work directly with students in Grades 6-8 to pilot the devices on a one-to-one basis with their students.
Then, in 2017-18, these plans will put a Google Chromebook in the hands of every sixth, seventh, and eighth grader in the District. When these grade levels go one-to-one, the approximately 1,650 Chromebooks they used in the extended pilot -- along with most of their iPads -- will be placed into carts and reallocated for shared student use in the District's elementary schools.
"Professional development is an absolutely vital part of these exciting plans to improve our use of instructional technology across the District," noted Dr. Barbini. "That's why we asked those who participated in the Google Summit, 'What's Your Superpower?' We believe that the event's theme -- 'I Innovate' -- is the answer to that question. We believe that the innovative spirit that these everyday heroes in our schools and classrooms already display on a day-to-day basis will powerfully and positively impact the lives of our students as they become more and more familiar with all of the new and different technological tools that are available to them."
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Edyta Medina served for six years as a bilingual program assistant in a kindergarten classroom at Virginia Lake School before becoming a bilingual resource teacher at
Jane Addams School this year.
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Familiar Faces
Many of the District's new teachers are beginning their careers after serving the District in different roles last year.
More than 60 teachers began their careers with District 15 this fall.
However, about a third of them were already familiar faces.
For instance, last year, 15 of them were interns in the Illinois State University College of Education's Professional Development School (PDS) in District 15. The PDS program offers ISU's senior education students yearlong internships in D15 schools. So while this is technically their first year teaching, they have already lived the life of a D15 teacher for a year.
"This particular group of new teachers is hardly new to us," said Lisa Nuss, Executive Director of Personnel & Human Services. "We watched all of last year as they met and worked with the students in their classes, learned from and collaborated with the teachers they were observing, and participated in a full year of the same professional development activities we provided all of our classroom teachers. So we knew them, and we knew they had proven themselves ready to be District 15 teachers."
In addition to these former ISU PDS interns, the District's class of new teachers also includes four former program assistants and one former substitute teacher.
"These new teachers had already been a part of the District 15 family for a long time," said Mrs. Nuss. "They not only excelled in their previous positions; they worked incredibly hard to take these next steps in their careers as educators. We're proud of them, and we're glad they've found a home as teachers here in District 15."
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| Those Who Excel
District 15 receives five honors in ISBE's awards program recognizing exceptional contributions to schools throughout the state.
The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) recognized each of District 15's five nominees with awards in its prestigious "Those Who Excel" awards program this year.
Each year, ISBE's "Those Who Excel" awards program honors outstanding teachers, administrators, student support personnel, educational service personnel, and community members for their exceptional contributions to schools throughout the state. Candidates are nominated by their local schools or people in their communities. Letters of recommendation are also required. A committee of peers, including representatives from statewide education organizations and former award recipients, determines the level of recognition nominees will receive -- Excellence, Merit, or Recognition.
District 15's honorees will receive three Awards of Excellence and two Awards of Merit when they are recognized at ISBE's "Those Who Excel" Banquet, which will be held Saturday, October 22, at the Marriott Bloomington-Normal Conference Center in Normal.
- Christie Samojedny, Ed.D., Jane Addams School Principal, will receive an Award of Excellence in the "School Administrator" category.
- Kathleen Becker, Willow Bend School Lunch Coordinator, will receive an Award of Excellence in the "Educational Service Personnel" category.
- Krish Revuluri, Ph.D., District 15 MATHCOUNTS Coach, will receive an Award of Excellence in the "Community Volunteer" category.
- Kristie Charles, a third-grade teacher at Hunting Ridge School, will receive an Award of Merit in the "Classroom Teacher" category.
- Carl Sandburg Junior High's PBIS Green Team will receive an Award of Merit in the "Team" category.
 Christie Samojedny, Ed.D.
Dr. Samojedny joined District 15 in 1999 and served for six years as third-, fourth-, and fifth-grade teacher at Virginia Lake School. Then, in 2007, she was named to her first administrative position, moving straight from the classroom to serve as principal at Lincoln School, the District's largest elementary site. After four years at Lincoln, she moved to Stuart R. Paddock School, where she served as principal for four years, as well. She moved to Jane Addams School in 2015, and is serving her second year as the school's principal.
Dr. Samojedny was nominated for this award by Mary Beth Knoeppel, Lincoln School Principal; Michelle Acosta, Winston Campus Junior High Assistant Principal; and Kristin Jares, Stuart R. Paddock School Assistant Principal.
"Observers only need to watch Christie interact with students to truly see what an impactful and effective principal she is," stated Dr. Samojedny's administrative colleagues in their nomination. "She is a fierce advocate for her students. She learns their names, connects with them positively, and cheers them on if they need that extra push. Every day, Christie strives to build better home-school relationships, and works tirelessly to help improve the education of District 15 students. Her impact is far-reaching and lasting."
 Kathleen Becker
Mrs. Becker joined District 15's School Nutrition Services staff three years ago, serving as an assistant lunch coordinator at Jane Addams for a year before accepting her current position as lunch coordinator at Willow Bend School. In addition to being a District 15 employee, Mrs. Becker is also a D15 grad and parent. She attended Winston Churchill School and Winston Park Junior High, and her two children who are now in high school attended Lake Louise School and Winston Campus Junior High.
Mrs. Becker was nominated for this award by Melissa Sabatino, Willow Bend School Principal.
"It can be easy to overlook the service provided by those whose daily efforts feed our students' bodies as opposed to their minds, but it is vitally important work that they do, and Kathleen does it far, far better than anyone I've ever encountered in her role," stated Mrs. Sabatino in her nomination.
 Krish Revuluri, Ph.D.
Dr. Revuluri, who is a retired math professor at Harper College, has been a volunteer MATHCOUNTS coach in District 15 for 30 years. In particular, he turned Plum Grove Junior High's team into a powerhouse that has qualified to compete in state competitions in 21 of the past 23 years, placed among the top five teams in the state on 18 occasions, and won the state title three times. Along the way, he has also helped coach numerous other teams across the District, and has even coached the Illinois National MATHCOUNTS team on six occasions.
Dr. Revuluri was nominated for this award by Kerry Wilson, Ed.D., Plum Grove Junior High Principal; Kristine Seifert, Virginia Lake School Principal; David Morris, Pleasant Hill School Principal; and Jenny Grosch, Marion Jordan School Principal.
"Truly, his dedication to and passion for teaching young people math has positively impacted the lives of hundreds upon hundreds of District 15 students, so many of whom have, themselves, followed in his footsteps," wrote the principals in their nomination. "Dr. Krish Revuluri embodies his motto -- 'If you share your wealth, you divide it; if you share your knowledge, you multiply it.' -- and District 15 is incredibly grateful for his 30 years of volunteer service to its students."
Kristie Charles
Mrs. Charles has been a teacher for 32 years, and has taught third grade at Hunting Ridge School for the past 21 years. In 2006, she was named a recipient of the prestigious Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching. She is also a National Board Certified Teacher, and she frequently serves as a mentor for high school and ISU interns, student teachers, first and second-year teachers, and National Board candidates in the District.
Mrs. Charles was nominated for this award by Christine Ortlund, Hunting Ridge School Principal, and Kristine Seifert, who served as Hunting Ridge School Principal for the past two years, and is now serving as Virginia Lake School Principal.
"Kristie received the Golden Apple Award for her innovative teaching practices and proven results; an honor indeed," stated the Hunting Ridge administrators in their nomination. "However, our hope in reaching out to Those Who Excel is to honor Kristie beyond the teaching of teaching -- to help others see the HEART that goes into her efforts as a teacher -- to recognize the connections and impact she has had not only at Hunting Ridge, in Palatine, and across District 15, but on students, teachers, community members, and individuals across the globe."
Carl Sandburg Junior High's PBIS Green Team
Carl Sandburg Junior High's PBIS Green Team was nominated for this award by Erika Johansen, who served as Carl Sandburg's principal for the past two years, and is now serving as Gray M. Sanborn School Principal.
"What this team has done these past two years demonstrates that any school and every student can benefit from implementing Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports," stated Mrs. Johansen in her nomination. "The team's efforts have infused our already successful PBIS program with renewed energy, and have made what was already a great school filled with wonderful kids and an awesome staff a more fun and happy and positive place to learn and teach each day."
Members of Carl Sandburg's PBIS Green Team include Ellie Tixier, seventh-grade English and language arts teacher; Jennifer Sprenzel, eighth-grade English and language arts teacher; Erin Howe, seventh-grade math teacher; Philip Webb, seventh- and eighth-grade math teacher; Amy Van Dyke, eighth-grade English and language arts teacher; Al Stevenson, STEM teacher; Matthew Schmidt, seventh-grade English and language arts teacher; JoElle Cooper, English Language Learners teacher; Maria Romero, English Language Learners teacher; Marge Unger, program assistant; Deanna Nemchock, student advisor; Douglas Harter, who became Sandburg's principal this year after serving as its assistant principal for six years; and Mrs. Johansen.
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Celebrating School Spirit
District 15 and its community partners helped students and their families wrap up the summer and prepare for a new school year at the Better Together Community Block Party.
It was August 10 -- a sizzling summer afternoon one week before the first day of school.
Nevertheless, or perhaps therefore, it was the perfect time for a back-to-school blowout!
The annual Better Together Community Block Party gave hundreds of students and families from throughout the District 15 community an opportunity to gather at Falcon Park and celebrate school spirit with their friends and an array of celebrities ranging from school mascots to Palatine High School football players and cheerleaders. In addition to enjoying games, prizes, and music, partygoers visited booths and received a variety of information about local agencies and organizations. Many who preregistered and provided proof of residence and their child's report card also received a limited quantity of free school supplies to start the year.
This is the third year that the Better Together Community Block Party has been sponsored by District 15, Palatine Park District, the Palatine Police Department, Partners for Our Community, and Buehler YMCA.
"So many of our students and parents had such a great time at the party, and not only walked away with supplies they needed to start the school year, but also resources that will help them succeed as it progresses," said Cheryl Wolfel, Ed.D., Executive Director of Second Language Programs. "Thank you to all of the families and community organizations that came together to make it another great success. You're the reason this back-to-school celebration just gets better and better with each passing year."
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Community Consolidated School District 15
David W. Seiffert
