The day is finally here! The Kane County Student Photography Contest has officially started as of today, October 2, 2019.

Every Wednesday, weekly for 10 weeks, at 8:00 AM on Kane County Connects, you can find the weekly 10 winners that have submitted their photos through the Kane County Regional Office of Education. You can also follow our Instagram, Twitter and Facebook for updates, links to posts, and other awesome content!

If you are a teacher or know of a teacher in Kane County who would be interested in getting involved in the photo contest, please email Matt Muntner at [email protected] for more information!

New Venue, New Logo, New Website, Nationally Recognized Keynotes, Unforgettable Featured Speakers!

Less than one month until Early Bird Registration ends! This is a conference you won’t want to miss! There were over 200 presenter proposals submitted, and over 30 featured school/district applications! This year’s conference has something for everyone K-12. Highlights of the conference include:

View The Flyer Here

Phil Morris, Director of Operations & Technology for the Kane County Regional Office of Education, presented at the K12 Tech Forum in Lake County, Illinois last Wednesday.  The K12 Tech Forum was created by and for K-12 Technology Decision Makers to provide a place where they can meet to share, network, and learn.  Over 30 people attended Phil’s session on 2019-2020 update on technology laws and policies in Illinois. The main topics discussed were eLearning and the updated Student Online Protection Act (SOPA) which has large implications for districts in Illinois.

The Greater Fox River Valley of Operation Snowball (GFRVOS) Fall Event is coming soon! Operation Snowball focuses on leadership development to empower youths to lead drug-free lives and make responsible decisions. For more information visit  http://gfrvos.org

The Fall 2019 Event will take place on Nov 8-10, 2019 and the cost is $175 per person + $5 PayPal processing cost.

Registration is OPEN and will close on Nov 1, 2019. Please complete and turn in the Parent Permission form in order to make registration complete. The medical form must be turned in with medication upon arrival on Nov 8, 2019.

This week's post in The Progress Report writes about Institute Day 2020 (#ID2020) and the planning that goes into this awesome day. Katie also shares some early updates for next year's Institute Day!

The Progress Report is a collaborative discussion space for professional learning. If there are any topics that you would like to see a post on or guest write yourself,  please contact Katie Algrim.

Read This Week's Pos t: Have You Saved The Date?!?!

Institute Day will be on February 28, 2020! Call for Presenters is now open and will close on Sunday, December 1, 2019. The reason County-Wide is such a success year after year is because of the amazing presenters that willingly share their time and talents with others as a presenter. Please consider presenting at Institute Day this year and sharing your knowledge with others.

Kane County Institute Day Presenter Form

Mark your calendars for November 25th from 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM at the Kaneland High School Campus; 47W326 Keslinger Road, Maple Park, IL 60151.

The 2019 IGKnight Professional Development Conference will feature keynote and breakout sessions by PJ Caposey, Author of Teach Smart and Making Education Meaningful.

All area educators are welcome and admission is FREE. Registration details soon to follow.

SPRINGFIELD  – The U.S. Department of Education today announced the 2019 National Blue Ribbon Schools, naming 25 Illinois elementary, middle, and high schools among recipients of the prestigious award. The diverse awardees include an elementary school with less than 200 students and a high school with more than 4,000 students. Sixteen are public schools, and nine are nonpublic schools. Two schools received recognition for their exemplary progress in closing achievement gaps among student groups. Twenty-three schools received recognition for overall exemplary academic performance.

“We are very proud of our 2019 Blue Ribbon Schools for exemplifying Illinois’ commitment to equity and excellence,” said State Superintendent of Education Dr. Carmen I. Ayala. “Illinois’ Blue Ribbon Schools are nationwide leaders in academic achievement. They challenge students to think critically about today’s and tomorrow’s issues and equip students with the skills they need to thrive. To the teachers, staff, administrators, students, families, and volunteers whose passion and drive make their schools great, congratulations on a well-deserved recognition.”

View profiles of the 2019 National Blue Ribbon Schools at https://nationalblueribbonschools.ed.gov/awardwinners/index.php