May 2024 Family Newsletter (English)

SUPERINTENDENT'S MESSAGE

Dear CCSD21 Families and Community Members,

Welcome to May: the final full month of the 2023-2024 school year! I hope everyone is getting used to the spring weather and as the activities of the end of the year really start to ramp up, that you have an opportunity to enjoy those as the month of May rolls on

We had a very active month across the district, so I wanted to spend a little time updating you on some very exciting things that are coming over the summer and into the next school year First and foremost, our official final day of school is Monday, June 3!

Some other updates:

● Returning student registration opened on May 1, so if you have not registered your child for the 2024-2025 school year yet, now is your chance!

● The Board of Education approved a plan to update our school intercom and clock systems, which will take place over the next two summers

● Welcoming a new principal at Kilmer and new assistant principals at Field and Longfellow

● Welcoming our three new student services coordinators

We’re looking forward to a really exciting and eventful May, and ending what we hope that you will agree has been a very, very successful school year We’ll talk to you again in June!

Respectfully,

Dr Michael Connolly Superintendent of Schools

Watch the full video message here: Message from the Superintendent – May 2024

IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER…

● Thursday, May 9, and Friday, May 10 – Cooper’s Spring Musical, “Singin’ in the Rain Jr”

● Thursday, May 16 – Board of Education Meeting, 7 p.m.

● Friday, May 17 – School Improvement Day (AM Classes Only, No Pre-K)

● Monday, May 20 – Preschool Non-Attendance Day

● Monday, May 27 – No School, Memorial Day

● Wednesday, May 29 - Holmes Eighth Grade Promotion, 5 p m @ Wheeling High School

● Wednesday, May 29 - London Eighth Grade Promotion, 7 p.m. @ Wheeling High School

● Thursday, May 30 - Cooper Eighth Grade Promotion, 6 p.m. @ Buffalo Grove High School

● Monday, June 3 – Last Day of Classes

BUSINESS OFFICE UPDATES

Micheal DeBartolo

Assistant Superintendent for Finance & Operations/CSBO micheal debartolo@ccsd21 org Tel 847-520-2707

● As we approach the summer break, we are excited to announce that we will continue the Seamless Summer program, which is designed to ensure that your child continues to receive nutritious meals and engaging activities throughout the summer months. Follow this link to view a flyer with dates, times and locations.

● Returning student registration is now available! This is your opportunity to secure your spot for the next school year and streamline the process for the year ahead Follow this link to start the registration process

● CCSD21 to complete finishing kitchens over summer break: After previously putting the project on hold as it reviewed “its processes and priorities,” the district will resume its work on installing “finishing kitchens” at the remaining 12 schools that serve breakfast and lunch but do not have a production kitchen. The installation of these kitchens will give food service management provider OrganicLife the opportunity to provide better and more nutritious food options. Read more here.

● CCSD21 appoints inaugural members of health center advisory board: The board will be tasked with making recommendations and providing community support and feedback, and is one critical step to opening the center Read more here

● CCSD21 receives highest financial profile designation for fiscal 2023: The audit from Baker Tilly credited the district for continuing to move forward with additional capital improvements that “have positively impacted its educational program,” including a number of playground and bathroom projects completed during the fiscal year. Read more here.

COMMUNICATIONS UPDATES

● Mark your calendars for our promotion ceremonies! It is time to celebrate our eighth graders between Cooper, Holmes and London Middle Schools These ceremonies mark a pivotal moment for students as they reflect on their accomplishments, acknowledge their challenges and embrace the opportunities that lie ahead Click here for more information, including dates, times and locations!

C ng

Director of Communications cassandra young@ccsd21 org Tel 847-520-2728

● Kilmer to add modular classrooms, implement enrollment management plan as student numbers spike: As a result of the ongoing increases in enrollment, varied programming needs and the resulting shortage of available instructional space, a four-classroom modular structure will be added to the grounds of Kilmer Elementary School for use during the 2024-2025 and 2025-2026 academic years. Read more here.

What I Learned… (contributed by Sofia Horwitz, communications intern and senior at Buffalo Grove High School): Happy May! Summer is coming up quickly and with that the end of the school year It’s an exciting but also nerve-racking time as a senior It’s a bittersweet feeling, but I’m happy to go into this new chapter Whether you loved or hated high school, it’s definitely a transformational period in your life Read more here

● As we head into the summer months, stay in touch over our social media profiles, as we’ll keep you up to date on all of our construction, policies and procedures for the new year, and more! Here’s our Facebook, and our Instagram!

● ICYMI! Holmes and London staged their spring musicals, “The Little Mermaid Jr” and “Seussical Jr,” respectively Head here to see photos from Holmes’ dress rehearsal, and here for London’s dress rehearsal

● You are cordially invited to a community job fair on June 20! Hosted by State Representatives Mary Beth Canty and Tracy Katz Muhl, along with Cook County Commissioner Scott Britton, the fair will provide new opportunities for local businesses to find candidates to fill roles within their organizations Check out a flyer here

EQUITY & LEARNING UPDATES

Beatrice Reyes Childress

Assistant Superintendent for Equity & Learning beatrice childress@ccsd21 org Tel 847-520-2743

● MAP Growth and MAP Reading Fluency Spring Benchmarks: During the first two weeks of May, students in grades 2-8 will take a MAP Growth test from the Northwest Evaluation Association MAP Growth scores help teachers check student performance by measuring achievement and growth

● Kindergarten Preview Nights are here! Thanks to everyone who attended Tarkington’s event on May 2. If your school hasn’t come up yet, check out this link to find dates and times.

● Each year, many staff members open their classrooms and professional spaces to high school and university students pursuing a career in education. These meaningful partnerships enrich the learning experiences for CCSD21 students, the visiting students, and staff This year, thanks to our amazing group of professionals, the district hosted 44 D214 high school seniors for their Education Academy experiences, 33 university students for partial-year student teaching and internships, 15 university students for year-long internships, and 40 university students earning observation or fieldwork experience. Here is a picture from our Professional Development Schools Celebration with Illinois State University on Thursday.

EQUITY & LEARNING UPDATES (CONT.)

● Talented Programming: Here’s a handy flyer documenting some of the many activities from our Talented Programming initiative throughout the district this year

● ICYMI! Check out some photos from our three Arbor Day celebrations across the district!

● Summer Reading at Your Local Library! Hey there, bookworms and adventure seekers! Get pumped for an epic summer of reading fun! Cozy up with a fantastic book under the summer sun, discover magical lands, solve mysteries, and laugh along with unforgettable characters Whether you're into wild adventures, heartwarming tales, or gripping mysteries, we've got the perfect read for you! Let's make this summer one for the books literally! Join us at the local library summer reading programs to start your reading adventure and let your imagination run wild Get ready to dive into a world of stories, where every page turn brings new thrills and surprises See you between the pages!

All D21 students can participate in any of the local library summer reading programs Check out these flyers from the Arlington Heights Memorial Library, Prospect Heights Public Library and Indian Trails Public Library District (The Mount Prospect Library flyer will come next month!) and what they have to offer this summer!

Language Services: Did You Know… As a district we are proud to celebrate the diversity of our learning community! These are some traditions and holidays celebrated and acknowledged in our community this month This month we begin by celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islandar Heritage Month, Cinco de Mayo, Orthodox Easter, Mother’s Day, Memorial Day

If you’d like to learn more, click on the links: Don’t hesitate to reach out and share it with our Language Services Department to add to our resources!

HUMAN RESOURCES UPDATES

Robert Gurney

Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources

robert gurney@ccsd21 org

Tel 847-520-2724

● CCSD21 names new principal for Kilmer, new assistant principals for Field and Longfellow: Colleen Goodrich will take over the helm at Kilmer, while Lauren Thomas joins Field and Tracy Heitman joins the Longhorns. Read more here.

● CCSD21 promotes three to student services coordinators: Alanna Lambert and Jennifer Foraker are both currently special education instructional specialists, while Melissa Mariconda is the assistant principal at Riley Elementary School Read more here

INFORMATION SERVICES UPDATES

Mike

Frantini Chief Technology Officer

mike frantini@ccsd21 org Tel 847-520-2732

● Student Chromebook Information: Like previous summers, all students returning for the 2024-2025 school year will be taking their District issued Chromebook home for the summer We are happy to be able to provide this learning tool to students and families over the summer to allow for expanded learning opportunities at all times We do ask that you please keep the device in a safe place and provide care for it over the summer, as this device will be needed and used for the upcoming school year If you have any specific questions regarding this process, please reach out to your child’s principal. Further information on the CCSD21 1:1 Chromebook Program can be found here which will include links to our 1:1 Chromebook Parent and Student Handbook and our Student Care Presentation.

As a reminder, students that will NOT be returning for the 2024-2025 school year, will need to return their Chromebook to their school prior to leaving for the year.

● Online Safety Middle School Parent Night recap: Click here to learn about last month’s Online Safety Middle School Parent Night! Our school resource officers are wrapping up their middle school Digital Citizenship lessons, and they’ll begin fifth grade talks this month! Give your students an introduction to topics such as cyberbullying, copyright, secure passwords, and more with Common Sense Media’s Digital Passport Games (available until June)

● CCSD21 to revamp intercom, clock systems at all buildings: The district will undertake a two-year project to replace its simplex intercom and clock systems at all buildings. The current systems are not efficient and are in a state where the district is seeing increased failure rates. The new system comes with a range of features and integrations that “will be a great solution moving forward ” Read more here

● CCSD21 entered a contract with Esscoe for the partial refresh of security cameras and management servers in the amount of $478,236 51 Following an evaluation of the current state of the entire fleet of security cameras and servers, district administrators identified a plan to replace all high-priority quad cameras (interior and exterior) that are starting to experience a degradation of performance and reliability. The district will phase in a plan to refresh the remaining fleet of security cameras over the next few years.

SUPPORT SERVICES & SCHOOL SAFETY UPDATES

Kim Cline

Assistant Superintendent for Support Svcs & School Safety kim clilne@ccsd21 org Tel 847-520-2717

● A Message from the School Resource Officers – Bike Safety: As the weather gets warmer, it’s important to encourage your students to spend more time outside and for them to walk away from their electronic devices. With that being said, bicycle riding is a fun outdoor activity and a great form of transportation for your student during the summer. Your school resource officers wanted to give some helpful tips on bicycle safety. Read more here.

● May is Mental Health Awareness Month: Modern life can have a significant impact on mental health for better or for worse The disturbing imagery in the media we are exposed to today can be deeply unsettling At the same time, our current technology also allows us to mobilize and provide collective support more efficiently in times of natural disasters or injustice Read more here

● Safe 2 Help: In the absence of a trusted adult, Safe2Help Illinois will offer students a safe, confidential way in which to share information that might help prevent suicides, bullying, school violence or other threats to school safety. This program is not intended to suspend, expel or punish students. Rather, the goal is to get students to "Seek Help Before Harm."

Safe2Help Illinois will also develop an educational curriculum aimed at changing the culture in Illinois schools while also providing the resources to help parents and educators reinforce the components of this program

Read more here

BOARD OF EDUCATION

April 18, 2024 Board Meeting

The livestream video of the April 18 Board of Education meeting can be viewed here

Next Meeting

The next regularly scheduled Board of Education meeting of Community Consolidated School District 21, Wheeling, Cook County, IL, will be held on May 16, 2024 at 7 p.m. at the CCSD21 Community Service Center and Administrative Office, 959 W Dundee Rd., Wheeling, IL 60090