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District 64 eNews December 8th, 2023

Students Showcase Skills During Hour Of Code

Students across the district have been celebrating "Hour of Code" this week, and there have been so many cool activities! What is Hour of Code? It's a global celebration of computer science education hosted each year in December in honor of the birthday of computing pioneer Admiral Grace Hopper.

There was a good mix of students who had tried coding before or were hopping into these exciting adventures on code.org for the first time.

At Franklin Elementary School, more than a dozen Accenture volunteers spent the day doing coding activities with students. Bethany Garza, an engineer at the tech company, spent one of the hours in Mrs. Pater's 4th-grade Classroom.

Early in the "Hour of Code," it was nearly silent as these 4th graders worked through different Minecraft coding activities. That didn't last long as the energy only continued to build, and the students bubbled with excitement as they started to figure things out and advance in the lessons using coding. One 4th grader in Mrs. Pater's Class even said she liked it so much that she wanted to enter the computer science world as a career!

Not only was it fun to see the problem-solving happening in real-time, but as some students finished, they were eager to share tips and help others get to the finish line. It was a superb example of kindness and showcasing how to be a great classmate.

Bethany also brought in her very own BB-8 ( Star Wars fans know) that she built. Students took turns moving the robot around, and then she took it apart so everyone could see the computer chips inside and how it was made.

Carpenter Elementary collaboratively celebrated Hour of Code as well. Mrs. Komenda's 1st Grade Class and Ms. Keenan's 5th Grade Class had a lot of fun working on coding with their Book Buddies!

Preview Of Dec. 12 Special BOE Meeting

The District 64 Board of Education will hold a special meeting on Tuesday, December 12th, in the Hendee Rooms at the Jefferson Early Childhood Center. This meeting will start at 8:00 pm.

Below is a look at the agenda:

Pledge of Allegiance
Opening Remarks from the President of the Board
Public Comments
Approve Summer 2024 Construction Projects
Update on Lincoln Construction and Discussions with the City of Park Ridge
Approve Resolution #1325 declaring the intention to issue not to exceed $10,000,000 Working Cash Fund Bonds for the purpose of increasing the District’s Working Cash Fund, and directing that notice of such intention be published in the manner provided by law.
Adjournment

Upcoming Board Meetings

The following are the next regular Board meetings:

December 21, 2023 - 7 p.m. - Jefferson School
January 25, 2024 - 7 p.m. - Jefferson School

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.

64 in 64: Roosevelt's Salute To Service

It's Army-Navy week, and what better way to celebrate than looking back at how Roosevelt Elementary School continues to honor Veterans by hosting a Veterans Day assembly every year. We had more than 20 Veterans come to speak this year! Our students loved getting to hear all of the stories and to ask questions. Our Roosevelt Choir also had a wonderful performance at the Park Ridge Veterans Day Ceremony!

Click below to watch the newest episode of 64 in 64.

Coffee With The Community

This week, we held our 3rd Beans, Brew and Ben event of the school year! We are so grateful for the families who take time out of their busy days to sit down and talk with Superintendent Dr. Ben Collins about all things D64.

Some of the topics discussed this time were all of the fun events that Dr. Collins has been a part of recently, student listening sessions at the middle schools, curriculum, safety/facilities updates, and transportation.

The next Beans, Brew, and Ben, will be after Winter Break, scheduled for Tuesday, February 13th, from 9:00 am to 10:30 am. The location will be announced closer to the event.

Safety Training With I Love U Guys

D64 hosted more than 70 people on Tuesday for school safety training led by the I Love U Guys Foundation. Our admin team, along with the Park Ridge Police Department, Niles Police Department, and 13 other area school districts, were in attendance.

Spelling Bee Information

All students in grades 3-8 are invited to participate in District 64's School Level Spelling Bees! The top 3 spellers from each school will be invited to participate in the District 64 Spelling Bee on Monday, February 5, 2024.

The Spelling Bee page has more info on registration and the School Spelling Bees.

Sign Up For The Young Author Contest

Are you an aspiring young author ready to share your work with others? The Young Authors Contest is an independent, voluntary, at-home project for students interested in writing and publishing their work for others to read.

The District 64 Young Author Guidelines have more information and details on how to enter! The deadline for stories is Friday, March 1st.

Around D64 #engageD64

"It’s a busy time of year for all of our musicians!! Within the past week the Lincoln and Emerson Choirs performed at the Park Ridge Police Department’s annual Toys for Tots event."

~@District64news

"Congrats to the Lincoln Jazz Band on their performance at city hall last night! 🎷🎹🎶"

~@d64imusic

"Singing freely on the song "Get Back Up Again" -Words and picture by 4th Grade Chorus Reporter"

~@MrsKapustka

"@Gina_Larucci leading an interactive new teacher workshop focused on movement strategies. @D64News"

~@TombsTech

"Thanks to Noel, Dieter and staff for helping keep our gym polished! #Thankful #engageD64"

~@rcacini1

"Room 135 Hour of Code" !

~@MrB135_D64

"Participating in the mid-year property, casualty, cybersecurity, and liability insurance seminar with @IllinoisASBO & @IllinoisASA colleagues. Bringing information and ideas back to @D64News!"

~@AdamParisi21