In This Issue
- Bus safety video for the upcoming school year
- Kane County early childhood forum
- Call for presenters: 2027 Kane County Institute Day & Arts Ed Institute
- School safety meetings in Central 301 and St. Charles 303
- Celebrations with West Aurora and U-46
- Upcoming professional learning opportunities
- New dates for the 2026 Kane County Student Photography Contest
- Branching Out video series returns September 3
- On-demand professional learning courses
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| | | Welcome back to school, Kane County! | |
With Kane County students heading back to the classroom, the ROE has released a new video on school bus safety. Regional Superintendent John K. Jonak and Assistant Regional Superintendent Katie Algrim walk drivers through when to stop, how far back, and what it costs if you don't.
Thank you to Geneva School District 304 and their transportation department for their collaboration with the video!
| | Kane County forum on early childhood | | |
Regional Superintendent John K. Jonak recently joined families, providers, advocates, and community leaders at the Kane County Early Childhood Community Action Forum at the Prisco Community Center in Aurora.
Hosted by We, the Village, this forum provided updates on recent policy developments, funding changes, and legislative priorities—along with what those shifts mean for children, families, providers, and the broader early childhood community.
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Do you have an area of expertise that could inspire and support educators? You are invited to submit your proposal to present at the 2027 Kane County Institute Day or the Arts Ed Institute, both taking place on Friday, February 26!
We are currently seeking engaging breakout sessions that offer meaningful learning opportunities for educators across roles, grade levels, and content.
| | Our primary site will be the Q Center in St. Charles, where hundreds of educators will engage in a day of professional development and networking. The goal of each breakout session is to equip attendees with new ideas and strategies that can be used to enhance their instruction and students' engagement. | | |
As part of Kane County Institute Day, this event, which will be held at Central High School in Burlington, is dedicated to visual arts, media, theatre, drama, and more.
We invite fine arts educators that are interested in sharing their expertise with colleagues to submit your presentation proposal.
| | Central 301 and St. Charles 303's school safety meetings | | | | Central School District 301 and St. Charles School District 303 recently held their annual school safety meetings, bringing administrators and first responders together to discuss safety updates and district-wide changes aimed at protecting students, staff, and visitors. | | Regional Superintendent John K. Jonak, Assistant Regional Superintendent Katie Algrim, and Chief of Executive Services Jeff Aranowski attended both meetings as part of the ROE's ongoing focus on school safety. | | West Aurora's back-to-school kickoff | | |
West Aurora School District 129 welcomed staff back with an energizing kickoff event! Performances by the high school marching band, color guard, dance and cheer teams, choir, and JROTC — along with inspiring remarks from district and community leaders — set the stage for the year ahead.
Regional Superintendent John K. Jonak and Assistant Regional Superintendent Katie Algrim were honored to attend and help celebrate the people who make the school year possible!
| | Ribbon-cutting at Kenyon Woods Middle School | | |
School District U-46 marked the completion of a major renovation and expansion at Kenyon Woods Middle School with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. This project allows the school to welcome sixth graders this year, serving grades 6–8 for the first time.
Alongside district leaders, staff, and community members Regional Superintendent John K. Jonak and Assistant Regional Superintendent Katie Algrim joined in on celebrating this new chapter and recognizing U-46's commitment to welcoming, engaging learning environments that support student success and strengthen school communities!
| | Registration closes soon for these professional learning opportunities | | Leading the Message: Building Leadership Team Capacity Around Summative Designations & School Improvement | |
In the second workshop in our FREE Accountability Redesign Series, participants will explore strategies for communicating accountability outcomes with clarity and confidence, strengthening leadership team collaboration, and building a culture of shared ownership around continuous improvement efforts.
Date: September 1
Time: 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Location: 28 N. 1st St., Geneva, IL
PD Hours: 6 | Cost: FREE
| Registration closes August 25 | | Gathering Evidence During Observations and Conferencing Using the Danielson Model for Teacher Evaluators: Professional Practice | |
Strengthen your observation and evaluation practices with AA#1801! Learn effective strategies for using Charlotte Danielson’s Framework in a summative setting to identify evidence during observations, accurately rate staff performance, and support effective collaborative conferencing.
Date: September 3
Time: 8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Location: Fully Online
PD Hours: 6 | Cost: $175
| Registration closes August 27 | | 2026 Kane County Student Photography Contest | | |
The competition will now run from Monday, September 14–Monday, November 16!
Kane County high school art teachers from public, private, and homeschool settings are encouraged to sign up their class!
Visit our website for full details, including weekly themes and how to register.
| | New episodes of Branching Out coming soon! | | | | |
Get excited for the return of weekly, bite-sized videos from our Professional Learning department featuring engaging instructional strategies to try in your classroom.
Branching Out will return with new episodes for the 2026-2027 school year on September 3!
| | LOOKING FOR MORE PROFESSIONAL LEARNING? | | |
AA#1374 | Implementing Social & Emotional Learning System-Wide to Improve Student Achievement
(Online, $150)
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Inclusion
(Online, $200)
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