News from Park Ridge-Niles Schools
District 64 eNews Vol. 10, No. 4
Welcome to 2017-18 from Dr. Laurie Heinz
On behalf of the Board of Education and all of us at District 64, I’d like to welcome our families to the start of a new year. After a busy summer -- developing our new Reading Workshop resources, upgrading technology, and completing facility improvements, to name just a few projects -- we are eagerly awaiting the arrival of students on Thursday, August 17! The 2017-18 school year promises to be another exciting year of teaching and learning in D64. I invite you to take a few moments to view my short video welcome message. Afterwards, please take some time to refresh your understanding of important health reminders and safety tips, and review them as appropriate with your child. Safety around our schools, especially at the very busy morning drop off and afternoon pick up, is a responsibility we all must share. As always, I appreciate your partnership and commitment to District 64. Together, we will make the 2017-18 school year a positive one of growth and engaged learning for every child!
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Parents invited to "back to school" curriculum nights
Parents/guardians are invited to visit their child's schools at special adults-only evenings planned for the start of the 2017-18 school year. These are invaluable events -- reserved exclusively for parents/guardians -- to meet with their child’s teachers, see a glimpse into daily classroom life, and find out the many exciting learning opportunities and curricular resources your child will be engaged in throughout the school year. 

The school evenings include:
  • Carpenter Elementary School - August 31
  • Field Elementary School - August 22 (Grades K-4); August 29 (Grade 5)
  • Franklin Elementary School - August 23
  • Roosevelt Elementary School - August 24 (Grades 3–5), August 29 (Grades K–2)
  • Washington Elementary School - August 22
  • Emerson Middle School - August 24
  • Lincoln Middle School - August 30
  • Jefferson Early Childhood Center will be hosting an afternoon gathering on August 18 for students and parents. The morning classes for 3-year-olds will meet at 1:00 p.m. and afternoon classes for 4-year-olds at 2:00 p.m.
Updates on August special Board meetings 

August 14, 2017
A video of the August 14, 2017 Board of Education special Board meeting is available on the  Board meetings webpage . All videos are conveniently time-marked; simply slide the counter to any agenda topic to begin viewing. The meeting began with a closed session [5 ILCS 120/2(c)(10)].

Highlights of the special meeting include:
  • In-depth discussion of FY18 District 64 budget - The Board continued its in-depth review of the tentative budget for the 2017-18 fiscal year, which may be viewed on the Financial Data - Current webpage. The budget continues to be refined and revised as new information becomes available through the summer and as actual enrollment is known when the new school year opens in August. A public hearing on the budget will be held at 6:45 p.m. on Monday, August 28 in advance of the regular Board meeting (see details below). The budget in its final form will be officially adopted on September 25, 2017. 
  • Other Board actions taken - The Board approved a Settlement Agreement with Student 2017-18(1) and the Recommended Personnel Report.

August 17, 2017
The Board of Education will meet on Thursday, August 17, 2017 at Jefferson School (multipurpose room), 8200 Greendale, Niles, beginning with a closed session [5 ILCS 120/2(c)(10)] at 6:00 p.m. followed by a special meeting at 6:30 p.m. The agenda and reports are now available on the  Board meetings webpage . The meeting will be recorded, and the video will be available for viewing through the same webpage. The agenda for the special meeting includes:
  • Public comments
  • Discussion on Student Discipline and Privacy Rights
Parent permission needed Friday for students to participate in August 21 solar eclipse viewing
District 64 is making arrangements for grades K-8 students to take advantage of the invaluable learning opportunity to experience the rare solar eclipse on Monday, August 21. All schools have organized structured, supervised viewing opportunities for students. Detailed information, precautionary measures and rules were distributed to parents, along with a permission form to be returned by Friday, August 18. View elementary school information here . View middle school information here. This unique opportunity to learn about and experience a solar eclipse will be a memory to last a lifetime for our students! (Poster by NASA)
August 28 Board meeting will be at Lincoln Middle School to tour newly updated LRC
Continuing a long-standing tradition of rotating meetings at our neighborhood schools, the Board of Education will kick off the year at Lincoln Middle School to include a tour of the newly updated LRC. Upcoming meetings include:
  • August 28, 2017 - Lincoln Middle School (gym), 200 S. Lincoln, Park Ridge: 6:00 closed session, 6:45 p.m. public hearing on 2017-18 budget; 7:00 p.m. regular Board meeting
  • September 11, 2017 - Jefferson School (multipurpose room), 8200 Greendale, Niles: 7:00 p.m. Committee-of-the-Whole: Facilities, TBD Special Board meeting
  • September 25, 2017 - Field School (gym), 707 N. Wisner, Park Ridge: 5:30 p.m. Committee of the Whole: IASB Starting Right Workshop, 8:30 p.m. regular Board meeting (rescheduled from 7:00 p.m. start)
As the schedule is subject to change, please confirm meeting dates and times on the Board meetings webpage .
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Contact Board Members or District 64
Comments and questions may always be directed to the Superintendent or Board members through these links:
Email Dr. Laurie Heinz, Superintendent
Contact members of the Board of Education via email links.
Park Ridge-Niles School District 64 | 847-318-4300 | news@d64.org