Marquardt Magazine: Volume 4, Issue 1

M A R Q U A R D T M A G A Z I N E V O L U M E 4 | I S S U E 1

from the Superintendents

Dear MSD15 Community,

As we wrap up the first half of the school year, we would like to thank the MSD15 Board of Education, staff, and families for welcoming us to the District Since our first day, it was obvious that there were so many positive things to celebrate at Marquardt School District 15

The students across our District are bright, kind, and have such exciting opportunities ahead of them Our students come to school each day with a can-do attitude and an inquisitive spirit We see many students expand their learning opportunities beyond the classroom by participating in sports, clubs, our Saturday STREAM

program called Exploration University, and more

The collaborative culture of MSD15 staff is unparalleled Each building is filled with passionate and talented educators and support staff, who continue to put students at the center of everything they do

And lastly, we are incredibly grateful to the families of MSD15 We thank you for all that you do for these young learners, putting them in a position to succeed in the classroom each and every day.

Please enjoy this issue of the Marquardt Magazine.

15 M A R Q U A R D T M A G A Z I N E

DR RAY LECHNER & DR REBECCA NELSON INTERIM SUPERINTENDENTS

MARQUARDT SCHOOL DISTRICT

Black Hawk student, Rex O., learned more about Veterans day during a special PowerPoint in his class Winnebago 3rd Grade Teacher, Linnea Jessen, participated in the Trunk or Treat event for families The Hall Chorus took their holiday show on the road and performed at the MSD15 District Office MMS students put on a fall play of, "McQuadle: A Dragon's Tale" inside the Performing Arts Center Reskin EL Specialist Mariana Tsigistras and volunteer Chessmaster Mr Promisel teach students the game of Chess in a new after-school club. MMS student, Santa L, wraps gifts for the Northeast DuPage Special Recreation Association. Hall students walk in to school for the first day of the 20222023 school year Reskin students pet comfort dog Benjamin during the outdoor Walk-a-Thon

Winnebago student, Victoria K., enjoys a pumpkin cookie during a taste testing with MSD15 Food and Nutritional Services Black Hawk Safety Patrol recites the Pledge of Allegiance during a Board of Education meeting. The MMS wrestling team participates in a meet at Grove Junior High in Elk Grove Village The MMS Choir performed in their Winter Concert inside the Performing Arts Center MMS cheerleaders put on a halftime performance during a boys basketball game Hall Paraprofessional Markita Miller has a heartwarming reunion with a student during the first day of school Black Hawk student, Ardi D, taste tests different apples with the MSD15 Food and Nutrition Services Department Reskin teachers and students celebrate Mexican Independence Day with decorations and special outfits

STREAM Program Continues Strong

Exploration University continues its second year of Saturday programming at MSD15

Marquardt School District 15 is once again offering a first-of-its kind Saturday engineering

than 100 students signed up for Exploration University which began in September

the second year of the program MMS teachers, Hyon Elsner and Ken Zaboth, are the

works as the program's instructional coach

Exploration University provides engaging, problem-based learning opportunities outside of the traditional school week Students are invited to apply their knowledge in hands-on activities centered around STREAM, which stands for science, technology, reading, engineering, arts, and mathematics Through these interactive lessons, students can also develop their collaboration, problem-solving, critical thinking and creativity skills Exploration University was first offered in the fall of the 2021-2022 school year

“After the overwhelming support of the program last year, the District is excited to once again offer students more time in the classroom by expanding learning opportunities into the weekend Since the start of the pandemic, we know that this has been a great area of need for school districts across the country,” said Dr Ray Lechner and Dr Rebecca Nelson, Interim Superintendents of Marquardt School District 15

Exploration University, including transportation for students outside of walking distance to Winnebago Elementary, is free to families through the American Rescue Plan (ARP) This federal funding, known as ESSER III, addresses the impact of COVID-19 on students’ academic, social, emotional and mental health needs

Similar to last year, Marquardt School District 15 partnered with Northern Illinois University College of Education to recruit the next generation of educators for Exploration University. NIU students are hired as Exploration University Teaching Interns to lead classrooms through Engineering is Elementary ® curriculum from the Museum of Science in Boston

Exploration

MMS students in Exploration University built and tested water timers using the engineering design process

program to K-8 students across the District More at Winnebago Elementary This marks the beginning of administrators of Exploration University Sarah Slater University students built different light technology and tested their designs MMS students worked in a small group to design a water timer using different materials Exploration University student, Arisa M, designs a flower pollinator using cotton balls

Painting the School Purple

Hall Elementary centers positive school-wide initiatives around the book, "The World Needs More Purple People" by Kristen Bell and Benjamin Hart

Hall Elementary has kicked off an exciting initiative across the school Social worker team, Erin Lescher and Linda Bryant-Klaft, centered Red Ribbon Week around the book, "The World Needs Purple People" back in October

"The World Needs Purple People" is written by actress Kristen Bell and Benjamin Hart It teaches young people how to purple person-- by embracing what makes them special treating others with kindness and compassion

"Our hope is that with this continued emphasis on "being purple," our students will come to see the positive impac can have on others - HERE (at Hall), NEAR (in our surroun communities) and FAR (around the world)," said Social W Team Erin Lescher and Linda Bryant-Klaft

The book inspired Hall to host an Anti-Bullying Rally insid gymnasium, where all students and families were invited attend The rally included readings, skits, songs, and mor Glendale Heights Mayor Chodri Ma Khokhar, the police department, and the fire department showed their supp attending.

Since the rally, Hall also incorporated the purple people i during the holidays Kindergarten and first graders creat beautiful holiday cards, while second through fifth grade blankets. These items were donated to the Midwest Shel Homeless Veterans and to a shelter/pediatric unit at a ho

Instructional Tech Specialist, Nicole Zedrow, shows a student how to make a blanket Hall student, Bhavya P, reads "The World Needs More Purple Schools" during the anti-bullying rally Hall student, Niyel K, glues cotton balls to a holiday card to be donated to individuals in need All Hall students and families were invited to attend the anti-bullying rally inside the gymnasium

Winning Seasons

Marquardt Middle School Mustangs Varsity and Junior Varsity Teams Both Celebrate Undefeated Seasons in fall 2022

The Marquardt Middle School athletics department is celebrating an outstanding accomplishment The Varsity and Junior Varsity soccer teams both finished the 22-23 fall season undefeated Coaching staff includes teachers Kate Kram, Sean Foster, and Marguerite Hendzel. This is an incredible milestone for student-athletes and the coaching staff

“For any team to have an undefeated or successful season they need to work together effectively. This team supported each other on and off the field through practice, games, classes, and at home," said Coach Sean Foster

At the November Board of Education meeting, MMS Principal Dr. Rebecca Gabrenya presented the teams with a new banner The custom designed piece will be displayed in the MMS gym for students and staff to view

MMS Principal Dr, Rebecca Gabrenya presented a special banner for both teams at a Board of Education meeting. MMS Soccer Coaching staff (LEFT: Kate Kram, CENTER: Sean Foster, RIGHT: Marguerite Hendzel) pose for a photo during the regular season MMS Varsity and Junior Varsity teams pose for a team photo during the 22-23 season.

Q&A with Bilingual Parent Advisory Committee

Officers Emily Orizaba & Erika Galaviz & BPAC Presenter Giselle Jiménez

Q: Tell us a little bit about BPAC and your involvement.

Emily: I have been the president for three years but I have been attending the meetings for five years. The BPAC is a group of bilingual parents who work together to learn more about our children’s education and their wellbeing, about how we can improve their lives at home and about how we can work together as a community

Erika: I am the vice president of the BPAC in District 15 I have been part of the BPAC for two years I have stayed involved because I really value the assistance the committee gives to the families We would like for what we offer, and for our conversations to be a blessing for families The BPAC gives advice about what families and parents need Most of all, the BPAC is a place where parents can find support for anything we need, a place where we get help, and a place where we know there is someone to help us

Giselle: There are a variety of topics that are discussed in BPAC workshops Each subject is very interesting and relates to parents’ expectations and needs For example, we have presented about complex subjects such as bullying, how it affects the children and the family, as well as how it can be handled at home and in school We have presented about the danger of social media networks and how parents can allow their children to use social media safely and under supervision. We have presented about the importance of being connected to the school and the family, and we have also had presentations about rules and strategies that should be established at home in order to maintain discipline with children. We discuss how to navigate emotions with children, because we often forget how important it is to work with emotions, especially early on in their lives There are many very interesting topics that we are going to discuss in each of the parent workshops, and I hope, we hope, that day by day we will find more parents participating in these workshops

BPAC is an incredible resource for MSD15 parents/guardians. It offers interactive parent training sessions, a connection to community resources and keynote presentations on a number of topics directly impacting our local community No need to preregister to BPAC meetings Events are offered in both English and Spanish. For more information, please visit https://www d15 us/bpac

This Q&A was part of an episode of Inside MSD15, a podcast produced by the District To listen to the full conversation in Spanish, please visit https://www.d15.us/inside-msd15-podcast

Emily: BPAC always offers many valuable resources We share the resources that our community provides Together we learn about the schools, we talk about what is happening in the buildings every day, and we attend workshops that show us how we can help our children with everything, including life at home and at school.

Q: Why is what BPAC offers so important for the Marquardt School District 15?

Q: There is a series of fantastic topics scheduled for our next meetings in the 22-23 school year. Can you tell our listeners what type of information will be presented in the meetings? BPAC Vice President Erika Galaviz (left), BPAC President Emily Orizaba (left center), BPAC Secretary Gladis Basilio and MSD15 Director of Language Learning Laura Hodge (right) gathered during a meeting

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