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| Parents and Students Listening Together at Waterbury Family Reading Night. |
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"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them." -- John F. Kennedy
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This time next week we will celebrate the Thanksgiving Holiday. On behalf of the Board of Education, administration, faculty and staff, we wish all District 20 families and residents a very Happy Thanksgiving!
We're always looking for ways to make sure this newsletter is seen by parents and community members so feel free to forward this email on to someone who may be interested in signing up to receive them by clicking the sign up link on our
District Home Page.
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Career Opportunities at Keeneyville District 20
Keeneyville District 20 currently has several open teaching assistant positions. These school year positions at Greenbrook Elementary and Spring Wood Middle Schools work directly with students, providing additional learning support throughout their day. Individuals with an professional educator license or paraprofessional license from the Illinois State Board of Education are encouraged to apply by visiting the District 20 website by clicking here. For those interested in obtaining additional information on obtaining a paraprofessional license from the ISBE please click here. District 20 is also in need of substitute teachers. All those interested with completed four year college degree who have obtained a substitute teaching license are encouraged to apply. |
Does your place of employment offer a corporate giving or matching program?
If so, please consider listing District 20 and or your child's school as a donation site. In a time of uncertain state budgets, our schools would greatly appreciate any additional financial support from the business community to enhance learning opportunities for our students.
For more information on your place of employment's corporate giving program please contact their human resources department and please don't hesitate to contact the District Office at 630-894-2250 for help with obtaining any kind of information required to add us to your employer's corporate giving list.
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Board Briefs for November 2015
The Keeneyville District 20 Board of Education met for their Regular Board Meeting on Wednesday, November 18th. The Board discussed and took action on the following items:
- Heard a presentation from 8th grade Science students from Spring Wood Middle School on the use of Next Generation Science Standards in class.
- Approved the 2016 Local Tax Levy.
- Authorized the sale of General Obligation Bonds for the completion of life safety work including replacement of roofs in all District 20 schools, replacement of plumbing and windows at Spring Wood Middle School, and replacement of HVAC systems in all District 20 schools.
- Approved the Negotiated Professional Agreement between the Board of Education and the Keeneyville Education Association for the years 2015-2017.
The next meeting of the Board of Education will be held on Wednesday, December 16, 2015 at 7:00 P.M. in the Spring Wood Library.
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Anti-Bullying Week Assembly at Waterbury Featured BMX Biker Matt Wilhelm
Waterbury students and staff held an Anti-Bullying Week from November 9-13. The entire school participated in different themes and heard different anti-bulling messages each day during the week. On Friday, November 15, the students and staff heard the story of Matt Wilhelm, a champion BMX biker, who was bullied as a child. Growing up, Matt told the students he was called "Ears" and was the target of bullies. During this presentation, Matt shared what it felt like to be bullied and how a friend used six little words which made a big difference in his life. Matt would have never been a successful BMX rider had a fellow student at his school not said, "You can always ride with me." It was a small thing, but those six simple words changed Matt's life forever... in a positive way. Matt told us that often the smallest act of kindness can make the biggest difference. The right word at the right time from the right person can seriously change someone's life. Today, Matt is known as the fastest spinner in the world on a BMX bike. His amazing BMX bike tricks have earned 3 X-Games Medals, 2 National Championships, and a host of other awards. Most recently you may have seen Matt on "America's Got Talent" where he rode his bike all the way to the Semi-Finals in Hollywood.
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Waterbury ELL Teacher Receives a Surprise Donation from Macy's
Macy's in Stratford Square participates in a program called "Partners in Time". Partners in Time is Macy's corporate volunteer program in which employees share their time and talent to benefit the community-based organizations and programs of their choosing. These agencies focus on education, women's and children's issues, and food aid programs, as well as support for the homeless and the elderly. The more volunteer hours employees complete, the more money they can earn to donate to community programs.
Recently, Macy's employees earned gift cards by volunteering their time and participating in a breast cancer awareness walk in October. Michele Casey, Macy's Cause Marketing Manager, indicated that her employees wanted to donate the money to a local school as a way to support their own shopping community. They looked for a school with a high need in order to make the strongest impact. When searching for schools and projects, they found Ms. Catie Boznos' story on donorschoose.org. Ms. Boznos' project, Technology is the Campfire Around Which We Tell Our Stories, was asking for donations to support the purchase of four iPad minis to use with her English Language Learners. After reading her story, Macy's employees felt that is was important for all students to have access to the same quality technology as may be available in surrounding schools. They also really wanted to select a school in their local area as a sign of support for the community. As a result, Macy's donated $100 to Ms. Boznos' project. Waterbury Elementary School, Ms. Boznos, and her students send a big Thank You for your donation!
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Fall NWEA MAP Results show District 20 students continue to grow!
Fall NWEA MAP assessment data was reviewed at the October board meeting. As part of its process to more closely reflect the population taking the test, the NWEA organization updated testing norms for students over the summer, a process that is done every four years. Because of this, the district compared the average RIT score of the district to the national average. A RIT score is a measurement of specific student skills. When we compare RIT scores, we're comparing the level of skills across a grade level at a given time. Keeneyville's students compare very favorably to the national average across the grades in both math and reading. Our teachers, staff, students, and family should be very proud of the work they've done! A link to the presentation can be found
https://www.haikudeck.com/p/4LZCDFnXfN/fall-map-review.
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STEM Learning at Spring Wood Middle School
On October 29th, 40 Spring Wood students participated in an after school STEM workshop. In May, the DuPage county Regional Office of Education selected Spring Wood Middle School as a site to host after-school STEM explorations. The county STEM team led a 90 minute session where students worked with multiple materials to make a pumpkin limo for Halloween. Several groups created some interesting modes of transportation! Then the groups worked to make some lava lamps, exploring what causes a change in the attraction between certain types of liquids (water and cooking oil). A fun time was had by all. The next Spring Wood STEM exploration workshop is December 8th. Students will be working with circuits and electricity. Several more activities are scheduled throughout the year, including an afternoon of coding and an afternoon of forensic science, among other things. Spring Wood parents should watch for registration information through the Skyward messaging system. These activities fill up fast!
In other STEM news, several teachers across the district are attending a workshop on Elementary Science Olympiad on November 21. They'll bring back information to help the district begin an Elementary Science Olympiad team. Look for more information in January!
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Full Day Parent-Teacher Conferences
11/23/2015
Students do not have classes.
Students do not attend.
11/26/2015-11/27/2015
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Greenbrook 3rd Grade Team
From left: Mrs. Rutke, Mrs. McVicar, Mrs. Stephens
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Greenbrook 4th Grade Team From left: Mrs. McDonough, Mr. Vernetti, Mrs. Poulopoulos, Ms. Contursi
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Waterbury 4th Grade Team
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From left: Mr. Poulopoulos, Mrs. Moctezuma, Mrs. Baumert, Mrs. Trippiedi, Ms. Padron
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Meet your Board of Education:
Mrs. Jennifer Johnson, Vice President
Year first elected: 2011
Hometown: Roselle
Family: Married, 4 Children.
Do you have children currently attending or having graduated from District 20?
2 have graduated; 2 are attending.
Why did you run for the Board?
I ran for the board to ensure the children receive the best education that the District can offer. My motivation comes from the fact that we as board members can truly make a positive impact in the communities we serve. Supporting the community, students and staff and witnessing the success makes it all worthwhile.
What is the most rewarding part of being a member of the Board of Education?
Witnessing the realization of the District 20 Mission statement.
What is your biggest challenge as a member of the Board?
School board members have a fiduciary duty to provide oversight regarding expenditures of taxpayer dollars while ensuring the best available education. In the past several years there have been federally and state mandated educational requirements along with financial reductions. Our board needs to remain vigilant.
As an individual Board member, what is your biggest goal for Keeneyville District 20?
To ensure that the decisions made are student-focused.
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