October 2019 eNewsletter
District 181 students excel
Students in Community Consolidated District 181 continue to perform at high levels, according to the School Report Card, released Oct. 30. The Report Card also shows how well our schools are progressing on a wide variety of indicators.
 
We are proud that all of our schools are either exemplary (six schools) or commendable (three schools) according to the State’s four levels of performance. These designations indicated that D181 schools fall in the top two tiers of elementary schools within the state and represent an increase in the number of schools that fall within the exemplary (Top 10%) category.
 
According to the state’s targets, we are one of the highest performing elementary districts; exceeding all of the state’s academic targets for student proficiency on state-mandated assessments. During the 2018-2019 school year, 77 percent (State avg. 38%) of our students demonstrated proficiency in English Language Arts, 72 percent (State avg. 32%) were proficient in math, and 87 percent (State avg. 49%) were proficient in science. 
 
We are proud of our students’ continual growth and progress in all areas. Our educators continue to focus on elevating our curriculum and boosting student achievement and, most importantly, meeting the needs of each and every child.

New this year, the state report cards also show spending per school as part of a new mandate called Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). As with any school system, some variability in spending exists in District 181 schools due to a variety of factors such as special needs services, District-wide programs, a varying number of staff members, their seniority, and the size of the building.  
 
We would like to take this opportunity to thank all stakeholders for their continued partnership in the education of our students. We know that our students and schools are much more than test scores and our mission continues to be that students discover their talents and abilities and be prepared to pursue their dreams and aspirations while contributing to the greater community.
 
Sincerely,

 



Hector Garcia, Ph.D.
Superintendent
 
Elementary School Highlights
Have stories or photos to share? Simply reply to this email.
Monroe School
Students riding a bike, balancing on a Bosu ball and playing hopscotch while learning multiplication tables. These aren’t activities you often see in school. But at Monroe School, students were demonstrating the new Movement Lab where they can move, stretch and exercise outside of PE. The unique lab demonstrates how recent brain science shows cognition and focus are improved by movement. Teachers sometimes will bring their entire class and some students may self-select to go to the lab for a short period of time. A special ribbon cutting and celebration was held this month.
Walker School
The 5 th grade Eco Club at Walker has started Waste Free lunches, meeting with each classroom to talk about the global plastic problem and encourage students to pack a garbage-free lunch. As an incentive, students who bring a waste-free lunch can win an eco-friendly prize like a reusable lunch container or metal straw.
Prospect School
Prospect School was a sea of orange on Unity day as the entire campus came together to celebrate kindness, acceptance and inclusion for all. Students were encouraged to look for kind acts and the good in their neighbors as they moved throughout the day. It ties into Principal Kristin Cummings' “Year of Kindness” campaign.
Madison School
Opera came to Madison and students were excited to be part of it. Students in choir participated as both on-stage and off-stage choir in the production of Pirates of Penzance along with professional singers with the troupe Opera for the Young.
Oak School

For principal appreciation day, the Oak PTO created an opportunity for students to wear hats if they donated $1 to a charity of Principal Dr. Martha Hendrikson's choice. She chose the Alzheimers Association. Here are some 1st, 2nd, 3rd graders with their hats.
Elm School
The entire school at Elm celebrated Unity Day. A national commemoration, Unity Day was an opportunity for Elm students to wear and share orange to show they are together against bullying and united in kindness, acceptance and inclusion. It part of the schools' social emotional curriculum.
The Lane School
Ten students from The Lane and nine from Prospect School were selected to participate in the Illinois Music Education Association (ILMEA) Elementary Music Festival. They participated in workshops with master teachers and in a variety of ensembles along with 150 other students from the region. The day culminated in a performance for families and friends.
Middle School News
HMS & CHMS
BMX bike trickster and motivational speaker Matt Wilhelm brought his anti bullying and resilience message to CHMS and HMS. He encouraged students to never give up and to stand up to bullying. “Everyone can be a hero,” he said. He encouraged students to be an “upstander,” not a bystander, to think before they speak and that your differences make one great. He also talked about the myth of “overnight success” and said that hard work pays off. The field trip ties into the schools’ social and emotional curriculum.
What is French class without art and food? Middle School students from both CHMS and HMS attended a field trip to the Chicago Art Institute to learn about impressionist artists and dined at the French restaurant Le Sardine. It was the first combined field trip for French classes. Similarly, the HMS 8th grade class spent the day experiencing Hispanic culture firsthand, enjoying a morning of dance and music followed by an authentic Mexican lunch.

Music and More Music
Middle School Bandamonium
The CHMS and HMS concert and symphonic bands performed at Hinsdale Central High School's "Band-a-monium" concert. Each middle school and high school ensemble performed a selection of their own and at the end of the concert every student musician performed "Hand Clap" and the "Red Devils" fight song together. Check out a snippet of their performance.
Choir Fest

The Middle School Choir Festival featured area middle school choirs, including HMS and CHMS. Each choir performed and then more than 300 students joined together on stage for the finale at Hinsdale Central High School in a moving performance.
State Honor Band
Two Clarendon Hills Middle School students and three Hinsdale Middle School students were selected to perform in the honor ensemble for the Illinois Music Education Association Junior High Honor Band. 

CHMS students Richard Chen and Andrew Kim; and HMS students Catherine Yan, Sofia Antonelli and Patrick Benington will participate in the prestigious honor band at the ILMEA Music Festival on Nov. 9. They will join more than 500 students selected from 60+ schools in the region. Pictured at top are (l to r) are Patrick Benington, Catherine Yan and Sofia Antonelli. Bottom photo is Andrew Kim and Richard Chen. Congratulations students!
In the News

HMS new tech helps budget savings and curriculum innovations
When the new HMS school was built, one of the goals was to incorporate modern technology for efficiencies, curriculum innovation and budget savings. From electrical to digital screens and sound recording, the school has some of the latest technology to help student learning and cut energy costs.
Exercise helps cognition
Monroe School's innovative Movement Lab was featured in the Chicago Tribune. The lab is a place where classes and individual students can exercise. Brain science shows that exercise helps students perform better and focus more.
Walker Fest

Walkerfest was featured in the Clarendon Hills Courier. The PTO fundraiser is a popular event especially when student auction winners get to dunk their favorite staff member.

Community Speaker Series on stress

The recent Parent Series program, featuring the author of the The Self Driven Child , talked about how to manage stress and the root cause of it in children. Read the story here.

Saluting our leaders

A recent column in the Hinsdalean asked what our school leaders liked about their work. Of course, it's the students!
Community House offers 'no school' camps
Thanksgiving Break Camp
Looking for somewhere to go with the extra time off from school this Thanksgiving Break? The Community House will be offering care Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday from 7-3:30 p.m. (Extended hours available until 6 p.m. for an additional fee). Activities will include holiday crafts, cooking projects, S.T.E.M. projects, and a field trip. Sign up for just one day or the entire week for a discounted rate! Register here.
 
“No School” Studio
Handmade fun in a screen free zone and cool projects to take home.
Nov. 1, 25 and 26 from 9 a.m.-noon and 1-4 p.m. Register here .
 
Breakfast with Santa
Bring the family together during the holidays, eat breakfast, meet Santa and take photos.
Students honored by Rotary
Four District 181 8 th grade students were honored with Youth Merit Awards by the Hinsdale Rotary Club. This award recognizes extraordinary middle school students for services to their community and classmates, leadership qualities and academic achievements. “This award recognizes students who are pace-setters among their peers,” said Hinsdale Rotary President Thomas Norton.
Pictured are (l to r) Madeline Gambla, St. Isaac Jogues School; Anya Raman, HMS; Thomas Norton, President of the Rotary Club; Willem Marginean, CHMS; Katelyn Stern, CHMS, Shivum Banerjee, HMS.
Nurses Notes
It’s flu season again! The Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommends that all persons aged 6 months and older should be vaccinated annually. Other things that students can do to minimize their exposure and spread to other students include: regular hand washing; covering their mouth when coughing and sneezing; avoiding touching eyes, nose and mouth; and proper disposal of used tissues. According to our school handbook, students should not come to school for 24 hours after a fever of 100 degrees or greater, heavy coughing, vomiting, or diarrhea. For more information about the flu, go to www.cdc.gov/flu or call the Health Office.

With colder weather upon us, we are noticing that some students are arriving to school dressed in shorts, wearing flip flops and without coats. Please double-check that you are dressed appropriately for the weather. 

Fun at the Rotary Run
District 181 students, families and supporters joined in for the 25th Anniversary Rotary Run Charity Classic and so did the school mascots. Again, Oak School won the participation "Mrs. B" trophy for having the largest number of students participating and HMS similarly won the "Mr. K" cup.
It was a photo finish for the Mascots in the last race of the day. Pictured are D181 principals, staff, families and some furry friends.
Happy Halloween
Halloween is an opportunity to build school spirit, create positive relationships with students and make coming to school fun. Pictured clockwise from top left are some educators and classes who joined in the Halloween celebration: Walker staff selfie, 'Da Bears at The Lane, 6th grade CHMS "spice girls," CHMS administrators, District staff, Monroe staff, Walker 1st grade class, Dr. Garcia and parent at Elm School. Center, pictured, are Walker 1st grade teachers showing that we could all use a warm beverage today.
Important Calendar Change
The 2019-20 calendar was updated with a change in student attendance days.  Students will be in school on March 6, 2020 , which had originally been scheduled as an Institute Day and non-attendance day. The Institute Day is now scheduled for Feb. 28, 2020, which means it is a non-attendance day for students. The Board of Education approved the calendar change at its meeting Sept. 16. The revision was made to align our calendar with the Regional Office of Education Institute Day.

Feb. 28, 2020  – Teacher Institute Day: No School  
March 6, 2020  – Student attendance day
Community Calendar
Nov. 7  – 9 a.m. Board Academic Success Committee, District Office
Nov. 12 – 5 p.m. Board Finance Committee, District Office
Nov. 12 – 7 p.m. Board Facilities Committee, District Office
Nov. 18 – 7 p.m. Board of Education Regular Business Meeting, District Office
Nov. 25-26 - Parent Teacher Conferences
Nov. 27 - No School
Nov. 28 - Thanksgiving
COMMUNITY CONSOLIDATED SCHOOL DISTRICT 181
115 West 55th St. Clarendon Hills, IL 60514
© District 181. All rights reserved.
PH: 630.861.4900
FAX: 630.887.1079