We’re thrilled to share some exciting news about the Lincoln Phase 1A construction progress! It all kicked off in the summer of 2024, and we’ve made some fantastic updates to the basement. Our auditorium has been transformed into a vibrant space for multiple Industrial Arts classes, and we’ve also given the broadcast classroom/studio suite a much-needed upgrade. Words can’t really capture all the changes, so check out the video recap below! 

Visit our website to learn more about what Phase 1A involves. We can’t wait to show you everything we’ve accomplished!

Dynasty talk is on the minds of the country as the Chiefs look for their 3rd straight Super Bowl, but we have our own repeat winner to celebrate here in D64.

Congratulations to Sarah Kurian on winning the 2025 D64 District Spelling Bee! Sarah, an Emerson 6th grader, has gone back to back and is a repeat winner for our District. She represented D64 last year as well. 

Emerson was well-represented on the medal stand. Micah Cronin (6th grade) took home 2nd place, and Roosevelt’s Alexandra Apostol (3rd grade) rounded out the top three! The 21 spellers put on an excellent display, and the event went 13 rounds before Sarah won it by spelling anxiety right as the championship word.

Read more about the Spelling Bee.

(From left to right) - Alexandra, Micah, Sarah

The Illinois 5Essentials Survey will be completed by staff, students, and parents from Feb 18-March 7. Student participation includes students in grades 4-8.

Results will provide information to schools in five areas: instruction, environment, leaders, teachers, and families. Data from this report will be used by our district and our school to help inform our school improvement planning efforts and to provide a picture of our school’s performance beyond test scores.

The survey will take about 20 minutes to complete. All responses are completely confidential. Aggregated data will be shared with parents and the general public on our school’s report card. 

Principals will share more information soon about the 5Essentials Survey. An opt-out form will be shared in the event that you do not want your child to participate.

Do you know the differences between Extended School Year (ESY) and Worlds of Wonder (WOW) Basic Skills Classes? We've put together a list to help explain things.

Student Eligibility for ESY:

• Students become eligible for ESY services through an IEP team decision; these services are then written into a student’s Educational Services and Placement in the IEP for the upcoming summer. Parents will receive notification of their student’s ESY eligibility through an IEP meeting or an IEP amendment, and the IEP will document these services.
• Students who are eligible for ESY are demonstrating significant regression and recoupment of skills on their IEP goals following an extended break from instruction. Students can also become eligible for ESY services due to being significantly (ex. multiple grade levels) below grade level.

Invitation to D64 WOW Basic Skills (Reading and/or Math) Classes:

• Students are invited to participate in the D64 WOW Basic Skills (Reading and/or Math) classes if they are not eligible for ESY but have reading and/or math goals on their IEP.
• Students with IEPs who participate in WOW reading and/or math classes will not work on IEP goals.

For a more comprehensive list, please visit our website.

Please get in touch with Elisa Leporini- Assistant Director of Student Services, with any questions or concerns at eleporini@d64.org.

We appreciate your continued support and involvement in our District! As we explore implementing a new mass communication system for our staff and families, we invite you to take a short survey to help us evaluate and enhance our tools and strategies.

Your feedback is essential in shaping a more effective communication system, and the survey will only take 5-10 minutes of your time. Your input can make a real impact—thank you for sharing your thoughts and helping us strengthen connections across our schools and community!

Alongside this family survey, a separate survey will be distributed to staff next week. We will share the results of both surveys in March.

Registration is open! You can find all the information on our Registration Page. Please take a few minutes to follow the necessary steps. Even though the deadline is March 14, the earlier we get students registered, the better we can hire staff, plan for classes and classrooms, get necessary materials, and organize transportation.

The registration deadline will be noon on Friday, March 14, and if you register your child and pay the fees by then, you will receive the early bird discount. You must fill out and submit registration forms by Monday, March 10, at 3:00 pm to take advantage of the fee discount. This allows our staff time to verify documents and send out invoices so you can pay them by noon on Friday, March 14. Any families who do not register by this date will receive a records release, as we assume you’re going to another district. 

There will be no school on Friday, February 28, 2025.

We have not had any school closings due to inclement weather before February 1st, meaning Friday, February 28, becomes a Records/Planning Day. Staff will work, but there will be no student attendance on Friday, February 28.

Additional dates to remember this month:

• February 14: No School (Teacher Institute Day)
• February 17: No School (Presidents’ Day)

Upcoming Board Meetings

The following are the next Board meetings:

• February 20, 2025 - 7:00 p.m. - Hendee Rooms at the Jefferson Early Childhood Center
• March 20, 2025 - 7:00 p.m. - Hendee Rooms at the Jefferson Early Childhood Center

Looking to catch up on past meeting highlights? A summary of each meeting is available on our Current Board News webpage.

Please confirm meeting dates and times on the Board meetings webpage.

Comments and questions may always be directed to the Superintendent or Board members through these links:

Email Dr. Ben Collins, Superintendent or contact members of the Board of Education via email links.

Park Ridge-Niles School District 64 | 847-318-4300 | news@d64.org

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