Dr. Michael Connolly, Superintendent

 It is unprecedented in the history of our state that a full ten months after a state budget was due, there is still political gridlock in Springfield and no budget. 

PreK-12 education was largely spared from the worst of the impasse this year as the only area of the state budget that was actually signed into law, but as we have seen in the news, public colleges and universities, human services, and many other areas of critical service in the state have not been so lucky. 

Unfortunately, the situation in Springfield also means that it is very likely that the State will not fulfill its obligations to school districts across Illinois in the remaining months of this school year.  This means a possible loss of state funding for District 20 of just over $500,000 for this school year!

Worse still, districts are being told to prepare for the very real possibility of no state budget as we enter into the 2016-2017 school year.  Should this come to pass, Keeneyville District 20 and other districts across the state will be supported solely by local property taxes.  Keeneyville's loss of funding could be upward of $3 million and may require the district to dip into its limited reserves to make ends meet throughout the 2016-2017 school year.  Other districts in DuPage County and across the state will be in far worse condition should this occur. 

Keeneyville District 20 has prided itself on maintaining balanced budgets, living within our means, and being good stewards of our valuable and limited local resources.  We need to the State of Illinois to do it's part as well. 

Now is the time for parents and members of the community to get involved and let our state legislators know that failing to approve a budget that adequately funds our schools and other vital state services is unacceptable.  Please consider calling, emailing or visiting your state legislators and tell them how important it is that they pass a budget that fully funds education in the communities they serve.  Click here for your legislators' contact information. 

Keeneyville District 20 is a member of the Legislative Education Network of DuPage (LEND.)  LEND has launched an action network that will keep members updated with news, alerts, and ways parents and community members may get involved.  I urge all parents and community members to join this network by clicking on the following link:  www.lend-dupage.org

A funded public education is a constitutional right of the residents of the State of Illinois.  Please tell our elected leaders that we will not accept them not fulfilling their constitutional duty.   

District 20's One to One pilot officially kicked off March 16^th at Spring Wood Middle School and on March 17^th at Greenbrook and Waterbury Schools! 

Students and teachers were so excited to see the cart of Chromebooks get rolled into their classrooms!  To prepare for the One to One pilot program launch, teachers and students completed lessons in digital citizenship teaching them about their digital footprint and how to keep their personal information private.  They've also gone through a "Chromebook Boot Camp" to help them learn how to use their Chromebook and how to access some of the bells and whistles and shortcuts that are built into the Chromebook experience.  It's no surprise, but students are teaching the teachers a few things along the way!

Teachers are very excited about the connections their students are making with fellow classmates as they use Chromebooks.  Students are commenting on each other's writing and sharing documents and creations like never before.  Students are asking to have more assignments shared with them so they can work on them at home.  And it's just the first full week!  To see the students in action, follow the district Twitter hashtag:  #esd20learns.  Teachers are posting photos and updates daily.

 

On Friday, January 22nd, the Early Childhood Center held an "in-house" field trip with the Medinah Clowns. From 9:00-11:00am, our preschool students came to the ECC for a variety of activities. The students started out in our motor room to watch one of the clowns, who came in "plain face", show them how he puts his make-up on. Since some children have a fear of clowns, this showed them that clowns are just people dressed up and erased any fears they may have had. Once that was completed, the 4 other clowns who came that day were introduced and the students were put into 3 groups, rotating through our 3 stations. These stations included making balloon animals, making sock puppets, and face painting, all lead by the clowns. To conclude the day, Mrs. Molyneaux and her husband, who happened to be one of the clowns, did a puppet show. The students were actively engaged and all seemed to enjoy it and have a lot of fun. Their smiles, laughter, and squeals of excitement really said it all!

 

As part of their 100th Day of School celebrations, Mrs. Thede's and Mrs. Hendry's first grade classes collected food for the Bloomingdale Township Food Pantry. Their goal was to collect 100 food items, celebrate the 100th day of school and give the students a lesson in helping those less fortunate. Both classes surpassed their goal with a combined total of 307 food items! The children loved bringing in their cans and dry goods each day and counting how many items they had. This project focused on math skills but it also emphasized the importance of being a good member of the community. The children were extremely proud of their efforts. A big thank you to all of the families who contributed to the project and to our children for their act of kindness.
 

On February 20, 2016, staff members of Greenbrook School volunteered time and energy to support the Feed My Starving Children program.  The staff worked a shift and packed up sacks full of nutritious non-perishable meals to be transported and distributed to the areas of famine and need around the globe. 

Students who are part of Spring Wood Middle School's Dare to Dream Club will be visiting Feed My Starving Children to volunteer on April 7th. 

We are very proud of our students and staff who give back to those in need.