District 20 eNews March 2019
On a mission to ignite the power and potential of each student!
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Junior National Honor Society Hosts Soup for Superheroes
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The Spring Wood Junior National Honor Society hosted Soup for Superheroes in February to thank staff members and local law enforcement officers for their service.
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Districtwide Enrichment Events
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Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) Expo
On February 21, Spring Wood students enrolled in the GATE program presented on current events to panelists working directly in the fields in which their research applied. To prepare, students used class time to work collaboratively in groups to research, gather information and prepare presentations.
Thank you to our panelists for providing feedback and guidance to our student presenters:
Leanne Deister-Goodwin, Lazarus House, Susan Ericson, non-profit consultant, Michael D. Hovde, Jr., Bloomingdale Township Supervisor, Josie Mattern, DuPage Pads, Ryan Klassy, Elgin Community College, Madhu Krishnamurthy, Daily Herald, Juan Miranda, Hanover Park Police Department, David Pileski, Village of Roselle Trustee and Christi Wessel, Representative for Michelle Mussman, 56th District.
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Sixth grade students presented on how local government can address the crisis of homelessness.
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Seventh grade students presented on protesting for a movement or cause while remaining within the law.
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Eighth grade students presented on how to identify truth in the media and information provided by the government.
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Elementary Enrichment Leadership Panel
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On March 7, community leaders were invited to share their experiences with fifth grade students enrolled in Greenbrook and Waterbury’s reading enrichment program. The goal of the event was to provide students with leadership examples to help them better understand concepts they have studied in the classroom. Students had the opportunity to interview the panel at large and also meet for small group question and answer sessions.
A special thank you to our guest speakers who shared their time with District 20 students:
Andrew Maglio, Roselle Village President, Jeff Janus, Chief, Bloomingdale Fire Protection District, Laura Dihel, CMO, EZLinks Golf, Omar Castillo, Superintendent of Schools, Michael Larson, General Manager, Schaumburg Boomers Baseball and Al Perez, Branch Manager, Chase Bank.
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Spring Testing Information, April 9 - 12
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This year, the English language arts and math assessment for grades 3-8 is called the Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR).
District 20 students will participate in the IAR testing April 9 through April 12.
The IAR assessment is almost exactly the same as the PARCC assessment that students took last year, only slightly shorter. This assessment measures the same Illinois Learning Standards and includes the same high-quality test questions that teachers and students have become familiar with over the past four years. Individual schools will communicate details with parents.
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2019 - 2020 Kindergarten Registration (April 17), Residency Verification (April 23) and Online Registration Information (May 1)
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Kindergarten Registration, April 17
Kindergarten registration will be held on April 17 from 6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. at Greenbrook and Waterbury Elementary Schools. There will be a presentation at 6:00 p.m. followed by the registration process. Please click links below to review the documents required to complete the registration process.
Residency Verification, April 23
On Tuesday, April 23, ALL families residing in Keeneyville Elementary School District 20 will be required to attend District 20’s Family Residency Verification Day. The event will be held at Spring Wood Middle School from 7:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. Please click links below for details. Please note, residency forms will be posted on the District 20 website prior to Spring Break.
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Online Registration Begins
May 1 for Returning Students
Online registration will begin on May 1 for students returning to District 20. Please note, registration cannot be completed until the residency verification process is complete. More details on the online registration process will be available soon.
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The Superintendent's Parent-Staff Advisory Committee will host Parent Café events on April 18 and May 2. A link to register for the April 18 is below.
April 18: How to Help Your Child Address Stress and Anxiety
Psychologist, Dr. Todd Huenecke and counselor, Ms. Stacey Sanicki will present on how parents can better understand and help their children deal with stress and anxiety. This free event will take place from 6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. at Spring Wood Middle School. A light dinner and childcare will be available. Click here to register online. (
English Flier)
(Spanish Flier)
Fliers will also go home with students with RSVP slips.
May 2: International Celebration of Children - SAVE THE DATE!
On May 2, all District 20 students and their families are invited to participate in the International Celebration of Children which will feature games crafts, food and entertainment from a variety of cultures from around the world. More details will be available soon. This event is being co-sponsored by the Bilingual Parent Advisory Council (BPAC) and the Superintendent's Parent Advisory Committee.
Highlights from Previous Parent Cafés
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A Conversation with School Administrators
On February 20, parents, school administrators and representatives from the DuPage Regional Office of Education met to discuss five areas of interest: Technology, Communication, Social Emotional, Academic Skills and Finances.
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"Raising Kids Social" with Author,
Arlene Pellicane
On March 7, over 50 parents, staff and community members attended Arlene Pellicane's presentation on how to successfully monitor social media use for children. For more information on the author, please visit Arlene Pellicane's
website
.
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Spring Wood Students and Staff Collaborate on
Black History Month Project
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During the month of February, Spring Wood students and staff worked on displays to celebrate Black History Month. Click
here to view a PDF of the projects.
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District 20 Board of Education
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February 28, 2019 Meeting
The Keeneyville Elementary School District 20 Board of Education held a regular board meeting on February 28, 2019. Meeting highlights are listed below. The next regular meeting of the District 20 Board of Education will be held on Thursday, March 21 at 7:00 p.m. in the Spring Wood Middle School Library. Meetings are videotaped and can be viewed
here
. Please allow at least one week for video to be uploaded for viewing.
February Board Meeting Highlights
The District 20 Board of Education presented Board Salute Awards to English Language Learners (ELL) teachers from Greenbrook and District 20 psychologists and social workers. More details below.
Designs for the 2019 school summer projects were presented to the District 20 Board of Education.
Greenbrook Elementary School 2019 summer project improvements include;
- modified traffic circulation, defined drop-off/pick-up lane for Early Childhood, playground relocation and expansion and an outdoor eating commons.
Waterbury Elementary School 2019 summer projects include:
- bus lane improvements, outdoor eating commons/foundation landscaping, traffic bollards along playground, school sign relocation and a fall safety surface and shade canopy element.
- Winter Map Scores Presentation
Dr. Emmie Pawlak, Director of Teaching and Learning, shared that winter MAP scores demonstrated that students are keeping pace or surpassing the national average. Dr. Pawlak attributes this to the work teachers are doing and the ongoing professional development being completed.
- Last Day of School: Due to weather related school closings, the last day of the 2018 - 2019 school year will be June 6, 2019.
Action Items:
- Approval of student fees for the 2019 - 2020 school year. Fees will not increase.
- Approval of low bidder for Waterbury Traffic Safety Project.
- Approval of low bidder for Greenbrook Traffic Safety Project.
- Approval to purchase furniture, glass walls and other items for Greenbrook Library Project.
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Jennifer Rolinksi and Alexandra Johnson (not pictured) were presented with a Board Salute for providing above and beyond support to long-term substitute teacher, Nadine Tackitt.
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Jaime Bolognone, Lauren Schmidt, Hilary Young and Laurie Leahy were nominated to receive a Board Salute by Kim Cline and Roslyn Martin. The District 20 psychology and social work departments were recognized for working seamlessly as a team.
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Solo and Ensemble Contest
For the first time, Spring Wood vocal students, under the direction of Jessica Moore, participated in the Solo and Ensemble Contest. All students received a first place rating.
The students selected to participate were required to practice before and after school and then perform a vocal solo in front of a judge.
Congratulations to
Mateo Salazar, Haley Hubert,
Lisa Coman,
Akul Sharma,
Samantha Garcia,
Eden Strahan
and and Maggie Gordan and their first place ratings.
Late Winter Concerts Spring Wood March 19
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Fifth Grade Beginning Band
On March 18, Greenbrook and Waterbury students performed during a late winter concert at Spring Wood Middle
School. Under the direction of Mrs. Teresa Hill, the students performed a remix, an eighth note medley and Gallant March by Michael Sweeney.
The final Beginning Band Concert will be held on May 21 at 7:00 p.m. at Spring Wood Middle School.
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Middle School Band Concert
On March 19, the Spring Wood Middle School Band program, under the direction of Mr. Hellyer, hosted a concert to celebrate Music in Our Schools Month.
Both the Concert Band and Symphonic Bands performed and students shared information about the musical instruments used and why they participate in the band program.
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Elementary School Science Club
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Since January, Greenbrook and Waterbury students have been participating in a Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) club. The before school extra-curricular program runs through April and focuses on hands-on science activities.
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On February 22, Spring Wood Middle School held its second Charger Pride Breakfast of the school year to honor students who have exceeded expectations at school and in the classroom. Click
here
to view recipients.
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Early Childhood Center (ECC) Visits Gymkhana
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In February, our preschool Penguins went on a field trip to Gymkhana in Hanover Park. With all the cold weather we’ve had lately, this was a great way for our youngest learners to burn some energy and have fun while doing it. Parents were invited to observe as the students explored the equipment with their teachers and Gymkhana gym instructors.
Parent Education Day at the Early Childhood Center (ECC), March 22
On Friday, March 22 from 9:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. a Parent Education Day will be held at the ECC. Representatives from community organizations will share information about resources for families. Please note, regular preschool classes will not be in session on March 22.
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Elementary Schools Celebrate Literacy with Read Across America
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Greenbrook hosted a Read Across America Spirit Week from March 11 -15. Each day had a different theme to celebrate reading. On Friday, guest readers, including Mayor Craig from Hanover Park, visited and shared stories with students. At one point during the Friday event, everyone in the school Dropped Everything and Read.
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Waterbury celebrated Read Across America from February 25 - 28 with the theme, “Treasure a Good Book." The culminating activity included guest readers, stories, crafts and wearing pajamas to school. As a special treat, published illustrator, Ginger Seehafer, shared her books and gave students tips on illustrating a book.
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Greenbrook Elementary School Students Attend Conference
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Students in Technology (SIT) Conference
In February, Greenbrook students attended the Students Involved with Technology (SIT) Conference hosted by Bensenville School District 2. The annual event offers workshops and hands-on learning activities in Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM).
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Spring Wood Middle School Pen Pals with Kenyan Students
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After reading the novel, "A Long Walk to Water," seventh grade language arts students organized a penny war and raised $525 for the Hope for Dago Foundation which supports education and schools in Dago, Kenya. With assistance from Brett Weiss, founder of the non-profit organization, students wrote letters to the students living in Dago. Mr. Weiss emailed photos of the students receiving the Spring Wood letters. Response letters are expected soon.
“It has been such an amazing experience for our students to be a part of this cultural exchange,” shared seventh grade teacher, Renee Frelich.
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Waterbury Elementary School Biography Writing Projects
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Students in Mrs. Gillette's class invited parents and staff into class to learn about research projects based on historical and culturally significant figures. Each student read a biography and then based on their research created an emoji of the figure. They presented their ideas and explained the emoji they created to guests.
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Keeneyville Elementary School District 20 | 5540 Arlington Drive E | T (630) 894-2250
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