Hello, our October newsletter is here!

NATIONAL BLUE RIBBON AWARD

Massac Unit School District #1 Franklin Elementary School has been honored with a National Blue Ribbon Award! Franklin Elementary is one of only 353 public schools across the country and only 20 in Illinois to earn this award, which is the result of their committed teachers, engaged parents, and AMAZING students! Click here to learn more about the National Blue Ribbon Award.

Check out the Massac Unit #1 Podcast with Superintendent Jason Hayes, where you can hear Franklin’s celebration after learning that they received the award!

There is still time to sign up for the Teacher Appreciation Event to be held NEXT WEEK on October 12th!

ROE #21 will be hosting An Evening with Hamish Brewer (The Tattooed Skateboarding Principal), and all educators in Area VI are welcome to attend. Click the button below to sign up!

44th ANNUAL MT. VERNON CONFERENCE

This year’s conference will be held in-person at the Mt. Vernon Township High School on Friday, October 27, 2023 from 8:00am-1:50pm. The keynote speaker is Dave Burgess and there will be a variety of breakout sessions and PD credit will be available. ROE #21 will pay the $35.00 registration fee for all individuals in our 4-county region who would like to attend. All individuals registered will also receive a $10.00 meal ticket for the conference. There will be complimentary donuts and coffee available in the morning. If you are interested in attending, please check with your school administration to register!

Learn More About Brain Games

SAVE THE DATE FOR THESE EXCITING OPPORTUNITIES--REGISTRATION COMING SOON!

A Day with Ruby Payne: A Framework for Understanding Poverty

Thursday, November 30, 2023
The Pavilion in Marion, IL
9:00am-3:30pm
The Area VI SEL Hub and McKinney Vento have partnered to bring Dr. Ruby Payne to Southern Illinois for a full day training! Dr. Payne is an international speaker on economic diversity & social economic class and an expert on the impact of financial & emotional poverty on learning. Mark your calendars and make plans to attend this workshop!

Summer Institute 2024: Building Intention, Connection, and Direction

in our Schools

Wednesday, June 5, 2024
John A Logan College in Carterville, IL
9:00am-2:15pm
A full day of professional learning will include a variety of meaningful breakout sessions and Dr. Joe Sanfelippo (Lead Where You Are) will be featured for the keynote speaker!

FOOD, FAMILY, FUN

September 21, 2023 was the first in our series of nine "Food, Family, Fun" events. "Food, Family, Fun" is a partnership developed between the Regional Office of Education #21, ECHO School, and the University of Illinois Extension. The goal of the program is to bring families and communities together through food.

ECHO students were able to learn new recipes, food prep, and of course, they got to eat! They also received a crockpot to take home and all the ingredients to cook the recipe for their family. Fun was had by all!

Our next scheduled event is Thursday, October 19th from 5:30pm - 7:00pm at the University of Illinois Extension Center in Marion. We invite all ECHO/Starquest students and their families residing in Williamson County to attend! You can sign up at ECHO, but if you aren't signed up and are able to make it, please come on out!

WELCOME, NEW ECHO STAFF!

ECHO Alternative School welcomes four new members to the team. We are so excited to have you join us!

Lucie Keena

Instructional Aide/Support Staff

Daniel Lynn

ACR Supervisor/Instructional Aide

Makayla Short

Junior High Instructor

Debra Whitledge

High School Instructor

EDGE STUDENTS MEET NOAH COUGHLAN

The EDGE (Entrepreneurial Development, Growth and Education) class had a unique opportunity to meet and interact with Noah Coughlan on September 19, 2023, on the Benton Square during a brief stop on his Run for Revival. This is Coughlan’s fourth run across America; the focus of this run is to pay tribute to the American Soldier. He began the Run for Revival on Memorial Day in Blaine, WA, and will finish on Veterans Day at the Atlantic Ocean near Miami, FL. His message is as simple as a general thank you to all who have served and are serving today.

CAREER FAIR AT REND LAKE COLLEGE

“The Amazing Race” took place at the Event Center at RLC in Ina, IL, with over 650 regional fifth and sixth graders participating. This career exploration experience was sponsored by Rend Lake College in partnership with ROE #21. The initial “Amazing Race” was a two-day event held last Spring. That event was a very successful and fun learning activity that shared information and hands-on assignments with students on a variety of potential careers that they might be interested in pursuing. Within two days of registration opening, the two-day event was maxed out to the limit allowed by the Fire Code for the Rend Lake College Event Center! As additional requests to attend kept flooding in, Kristina Shelton (the event organizer) arranged to extend it to three days!

GOLDEN APPLE ACCELERATOR'S PROGRAM

Looking to become a licensed teacher? The Golden Apple Accelerator's Program is a 15-month pathway for individuals who hold a bachelor's degree. Accelerators take virtual courses at one of four partner colleges/universities. They also complete a residency in a school within their community. The residency lasts an entire school year and takes place during the 15 months. After completing the program, Accelerators will have earned their Professional Educators License and be ready to enter the classroom for the 25/26 school year!

To support Accelerators, The Golden Apple Foundation pays the tuition and fees for the virtual coursework, provides the Accelerator a $10,000 stipend for any additional education expenses, and provides mentoring for three years! After obtaining their license, Accelerators agree to teach for four years in a partner district. Apply by January 10, 2024, to be considered for the Golden Apple Accelerators Program.

SEL COHORT KICK OFF

ROE #21 was excited to welcome back the Cohort #1 and #2 Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Leaders for another year of learning and growing together in SEL and trauma responsive practices! We were also excited to onboard the new SEL Leaders for Cohort #3. The kickoffs for each cohort were a great success! This year there were 65 SEL Leaders representing 36 schools in our region. We can’t wait to see what a positive impact this work will have on the students, staff, and communities in the coming years!

TAOEP GRANT RENEWED

ROE #21 is pleased to announce the renewal of the Truants Alternative

and Optional Education Program (TAOEP) grant! Through a competitive process, this grant is awarded every three years.

In a bid to address attendance challenges and potential dropouts, a suite of comprehensive programs has been meticulously designed through the TAOEP grant, extending support to students up to 21 years of age. These initiatives, provided through staff trainings by the ROE #21 PACT Team, aim not only to mitigate truancy but also to instill a genuine enthusiasm for learning and a drive for academic success. Programs which primarily provide truancy prevention and intervention services integrate resources of the school and community to meet the needs of the students and parents. These programs furnish tailored instructional modalities and an array of services, igniting a fervor for education and deterring disengagement. We are so excited to be able to continue this important work in our communities!

ATTENDANCE AWARENESS MONTH

As we finish September, we also recognize it as Attendance Awareness Month—a crucial campaign shedding light on the pivotal role that consistent attendance plays in the educational journey of our youth. Addressing chronic absence stands as a cornerstone for enhancing graduation rates and bolstering academic achievements, offering our young learners the best prospects for success as they step into adulthood. While we may often assume that reducing absences falls solely under the purview of parents or school administration, communities nationwide have united in supporting schools to tackle chronic absence by fostering public awareness and pooling resources.

One impactful avenue in this endeavor is the involvement of volunteer mentors, whose dedication helps inspire students by showcasing a genuine interest in their future triumphs. Remarkably, studies reveal that regular interactions with mentors lead to a 52% reduction in the likelihood of students skipping a school day. This insight underscores the transformative potential of investing in meaningful relationships and demonstrates how we can collectively contribute to improving attendance rates. Let us come together, strengthen these connections, and pave the way for a brighter educational future for our young learners. To learn more about attendance awareness, head to PACT Team webpage or visit the Attendance Works website.