June 2024 Family Newsletter (English)

SUPERINTENDENT'S MESSAGE

Dear CCSD21 Families and Community Members,

Welcome to June and the official start of our summer break! As you settle into and enjoy your well-earned summer break, we are keeping busy across the district with our summer construction season. We have already seen tremendous progress in our schools, including the four that will receive new libraries and the three that are receiving new playgrounds! We are also excited about our next wave of classroom furniture replacement, where all third- through fifth-grade classrooms – along with math and language arts classrooms in the middle schools – will see updated 21st century furniture

Some other updates:

● Returning student registration is ongoing, so if you have not registered your child for the 2024-2025 school year yet, now is your chance! We will also be hosting a student registration event on June 17 for any family that may need additional assistance in registering their child

● Our eighth grade promotion ceremonies went off without a hitch! Head to our website to view some of our great photography from each of the three events

● Our District 21 Health Center is officially open! We’ve seen a lot of patients come through since opening it about two weeks ago, and we’re very excited about the reception it has received so far Head to our website to learn more about it!

● Welcoming two new principals, an assistant principal, and three new administrators to our family.

It’s shaping up to be a busy summer in the district, but we hope you all will have a tremendous break We’ll be taking July off for the newsletter, so we’ll see you again come August!

Respectfully,

Dr Michael Connolly Superintendent of Schools

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

IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER…

● Monday, June 17 - Student Registration Event, 7 p m @ District Office

● Wednesday, June 19 – District Office Closed for Juneteenth

● Thursday, June 20 – Board of Education Meeting, 7 p.m.

● Thursday, July 18 – Board of Education Meeting, 7 p.m.

BUSINESS OFFICE UPDATES

Micheal DeBartolo

Assistant Superintendent for Finance & Operations/CSBO

micheal debartolo@ccsd21 org

Tel 847-520-2707

● CCSD21’s Seamless Summer program now available! The initiative, which runs through August 9, aims to ensure that all children in the community have access to nutritious meals throughout the summer months Read more here

● CCSD21 to host student registration assistance event on June 17: The event is designed to make the registration process easy and convenient for new and returning students and their families. Read more here.

● Several construction, renovation projects lined up for summer break: All of the district’s 13 schools will have some form of construction underway over the coming months These projects are crucial for creating a better learning environment for our students, improving safety measures, and enhancing the overall infrastructure of our schools Read more here, and follow our social media channels (Facebook | Instagram) to see the latest updates on our projects this summer!

COMMUNICATIONS UPDATES

● Eighth grade promotion ceremony photos are now available! We are thrilled to announce that the photos from each ceremony are available online. This special event was a wonderful celebration of our students’ hard work, dedication and growth, and we are delighted to share these cherished memories with you. You can view and download the photos from Cooper, Holmes and London here.

C ng

Director of Communications

cassandra young@ccsd21 org

Tel. 847-520-2728

● ICYMI! Check out photos from Cooper’s spring musical, “Singin’ in the Rain Jr!”

● A heartfelt thank you to our inaugural class of student representatives who joined our Board of Education this year You brought fresh perspectives and invaluable contributions to our discussion, helping to shape the future of our community. See more here.

● Join us for a job fair on June 20! The fair aims to connect job seekers with numerous employment opportunities in the local business community Read more here

COMMUNICATIONS UPDATES (CONT.)

● Please join us in welcoming our two college interns for the summer – Thomas Parker and McKenzie Unamboowe! Thomas is a senior at Carthage College, where he is studying public relations, and McKenzie is a junior at Winthrop University, where she is studying political science We look forward to working with them over the summer!

HUMAN RESOURCES UPDATES

Robert Gurney

Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources robert gurney@ccsd21 org Tel 847-520-2724

● CCSD21 names new principals for Field and Twain, new assistant principal for Riley: Julie Shaver will join Field as of July 1, while Winnie Clausell returns to the district as Twain’s new principal Jonathan Sanchez assumes the assistant principal role at Riley Welcome to all of our new administrators! Read more here

● CCSD21 names new director of MTSS, coordinator of language services, student services coordinator: After serving successfully as the principal of Twain since July 2020, Dr. Alyssa Shapiro will become the district’s new director of multi-tiered systems of support. Diana Granados joins the district as a language services coordinator. Cristy Martinez joins the team of student services coordinators. Welcome all! Read more here.

● Now Hiring! Middle School Family and Consumer Science Position (Career Community Connections or CCC): Do you know a teacher who is looking for a change or a way to turn their passion for cooking into their daily lessons?

We are looking for a middle school educator that approaches teaching hands-on Someone who wants to support students’ learning and life-long skills with an emphasis on classroom instruction, laboratory experience and a collaborative working environment. Career Community Connections (CCC) is an exploratory class at each of our middle schools. We have an opening at Cooper for the 2024-2025 school year due to a retirement.

ISBE offers a short-term approval for three years if you pass a content test in the area or have nine credits in this content. Read the job description here, or apply here!

Contact Chris Lapetino or Bob Gurney for more information.

HUMAN RESOURCES UPDATES (CONT.)

● Becoming a Substitute in District 21: We had some wonderful new sub candidates that applied to work with us this past spring and throughout the summer Many of these subs are from our community! We’re excited for these additions to our sub group but we’re not done yet We are continuing to hire subs each month Please let your neighbors and friends know that we are still hiring throughout the school year

Whether you want to help us out one day a week or every single day, the choice is yours Apply here

We still have openings in our sub pool for the following positions:

● Secretary - $100/day

● Health Assistant - $100/day

● Teaching Assistant - $125/day

● Teacher - $137/day

● Long term teacher (more than 10 days in the same classroom) - $220/day

In addition, any subs who work 100 days this year will receive a $1,000 bonus at the end of the year.

● How to Apply for a Short-term Substitute License

● How to Apply for a Short-term Substitute License

INFORMATION SERVICES UPDATES

Mike Frantini Chief Technology Officer

mike frantini@ccsd21 org

Tel. 847-520-2732

Student Chromebook Reminders

Like previous summers, all students returning for the 2024-2025 school have taken 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 still need to return their Chromebook to their school if they have not already done so. Please reach out to your child’s school or the District with any questions or concerns.

INFORMATION SERVICES UPDATES (CONT.)

Digital Citizenship Helpful Tips: Here are some things to keep in mind as students use their devices throughout the summer to keep up with friends and explore new websites:

● Set time limits: Encourage your student to limit screen time and make the most of the nice summer weather. It may help to charge devices in a communal space to set boundaries. Take advantage of community activities such as library summer reading programs, outdoor concerts, pools, parks, and more!

● Remember to stay safe online: Online strangers know that students are home during the summer months That means it’s especially important that students do not share personal information such as their full name, address, town, school, or birthdate to people they don’t know in real life Also consider reviewing your child’s profile settings on personal accounts to ensure that strangers cannot message them or see their location

● Encourage transparency: Start a conversation with your student about their activity online so you know which websites they’re using, what they’re posting, and who they’re speaking to. Let your student know that they can always come to you no matter the situation.

● Set a good example: Your student notices more than you think! Be mindful of your own screen time, and make sure you’re also making the most of your summer!

EQUITY & LEARNING UPDATES

Beatrice Reyes

Childress

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

● Student report cards and Power Standards summary reports are now available through the PowerSchool Parent Portal. Report cards were also emailed home to parents/guardians as of June 4. You can access the report cards by logging into the Parent Portal, then clicking on the “Student Reports” button in the navigation bar to the left, and selecting the T3 report card in the “Currently Published Reports” section. Student Power Standards summary reports, found in the same section, provide an overview of all the content standards that students have been assessed throughout the school year

● 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 during the month of June: Father’s Day, Flag Day, Juneteenth, Caribbean American Heritage, LGBTQ+ Pride, and Immigrant Heritage. If you’d like to learn more, click on the links! If there is a celebration that we missed, don’t hesitate to reach out and share it with our Language Services Department.

EQUITY & LEARNING UPDATES (CONT.)

Summer Reading

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 the flyers below for the libraries in your community and what they have to offer this summer.

We have also partnered withBeanstack, the reading incentive platform all elementary schools use to promote reading incentives throughout the school year to link accounts between the local libraries and D21 schools Students are then able to participate in school as well as community library programs You can read about how to initiate the link below

Beanstack Link to Community Libraries: English | Spanish | Russian

Community Library Summer Reading Flyers

Arlington Heights Memorial Library

Prospect Heights Public Library

Indian Trails Library

Mount Prospect Public Library (English & Spanish | Russian)

Promotional Videos

Arlington Heights Memorial Library

Indian Trails Library

Mount Prospect Public Library

BOARD OF EDUCATION

May 16, 2024 Board Meeting

The livestream video of the May 16 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 June 20, 2024 at 7 p.m. at the CCSD21 Community Service Center and Administrative Office, 959 W Dundee Rd., Wheeling IL, 60090