River Forest
District 90  
Primer
 May 2016    

Superintendent's Message
Photo Courtesy of Karrin Burns
Dear Parents, Staff, Students, and Community Members,
 

In the closing weeks of this school year, it's important to reflect on how far we have traveled since September. We have grown a lot and, I hope, had lots of fun, too. Students from Kindergarten to 8th grade have developed many new skills. They have learned a great deal about themselves and the world they inhabit. It is our hope that this been an awe-inspiring journey of deep and lasting learning.
 
On behalf of the faculty and staff, please know that we feel exceedingly fortunate to have your ongoing support as we work with your students every day. Together, staff and parents in District 90 work to make sure that all students have the opportunity develop a love of learning and to have access to an exceptional educational experience.
 
As your child begins summer vacation, please continue to support your student's continuous learning by encouraging reading for pleasure and incorporating practical math in daily activities. Prompt children to observe the natural world around them. Most importantly, be sure to have some fun as a family.
 
I appreciate all that you do to support our students, our schools, and our District. Thank you for sharing your student and trust with us.
   
With warm regards,
   
Ed Condon, Ph.D. 
Superintendent
District News
Inclusiveness and Equity Update 
The Inclusiveness and Equity work in District 90 marches forward with two crucial initiatives. Recently, District 90 selected the National Equity Project (NEP) to become its organizational partner in its work with the Inclusiveness Advisory Board (IAB) and the Board of Education's Equity Committee. The NEP believes that "every child has a right to a quality education," and coaches individuals and organizations in order to bring that belief to fruition. The NEP provides guidance in building equitable instructional cultures through the development of competencies that promote excellence and equity. It achieves its goals by leveraging the technical, relational, social and cultural issues for deep cultural change with its partner organizations. Development activities between the District and the NEP will begin in mid-June.  Click here to learn more about the National Equity Project.
 
In conjunction with the NEP partnership, Board members recently approved several recommendations from the Board of Education's Equity Committee that affect professional development, pedagogy and instruction, recruiting and hiring, and the Strategic Plan. Included in the recommendations was the establishment of the Equity Committee as a permanent Board Committee. Click here to view the Equity Committee's recommendations to the Board of Education. Together, the partnership with the NEP and the Equity Committee's recommendations promote and support the ongoing alignment of the District's efforts with the Common Core State Standards.
Curriculum Update
District 90 has recently recommended to the Board of Education the adoption of several curriculums. All of the adopted or pending curriculum endorsements are designed to support and advance alignment with the Common Core State Standards and the Next Generation Science Standards. 

Continuing in the 2016-17 school year, faculty and students will use the Units of Study in Opinion, Information and Narrative Writing curriculum, which provides teachers with the tools to instruct and assess student writing by using a workshop model. The Units of Study curriculum was recommended by our K-4 teachers and approved by the Board of Education. Please click here to review materials about the Units of Study curriculum. 
 
Roosevelt Science teachers and the District's administration have recommended that the Board of Education adopt the IQWST Science curriculum for students in grades 6-8 for the 2016-17 school year and beyond. IQWST is a research-based, Next Generation Science Standards-aligned resource that was developed by the National Science Foundation, University of Michigan, and Northwestern University. With the adoption of the IQWST curriculum, teachers will have the tools to encourage even deeper scientific thinking and the "doing" of science. Please click here to review materials about the IQWST Science curriculum. 
 
Based on the recommendations of the Math teachers at Roosevelt, the Board of Education is considering adopting the Discovering Geometry curriculum by Kendall Publishing for our ATP Math students who are working in Geometry . This represents a shift from the teaching of an Honors Advanced Algebra course to an Honors Geometry course, and reflects our goal to match the changes to OPRF High School's Math course progression. This resource is aligned with the Common Core State Standards and OPRF High School's Math curriculum. Additional information can be viewed by clicking here. 
IMSA STEM Fusion Expanded for Another Year
Since October, about 30 students in fourth and fifth grade have participated in a weekly after-school program called the IMSA STEM Fusion program. Sponsored by the Illinois Math and Science Academy (IMSA), students explore science, technology, and engineering to learn about roller coasters, catapults, chemistry, and other subjects. The year-long program ended on May 5. However, the District has agaom been approved to host the class for fourth and fifth graders, as well as another section for students in grades 6-8. Both sessions will be offered as an after-school program that will meet once a week for two hours. The details are still being finalized, but please keep an eye out for more information in the near future. 
Free Early Childhood Screening
District 90 is hosting a free Early Childhood Screening on Saturday, April 14 from 9 a.m. - noon at Willard School, 1250 Ashland Avenue. Early Childhood Screening helps to identify children who may need some extra support before they start school. The screenings take a developmental snapshot of children between the ages of 3 and 5 in the areas of hearing, vision, coordination, speech, cognitive development, and social and emotional skills. Early Childhood Screening gives parents valuable information about their child's growth, and helps identify any developmental factors that may interfere with a child's learning, growth and development.
 
While free of charge, appointments are required for the screenings. To schedule an appointment for an Early Childhood Screening, please contact Sandy Truitt at 708-771-8282 extension 8286.
WSCAE Art Expo
Photo Courtesy of Sally McPartlin
The West Suburban Consortium for Academic Excellence recently held its 2nd annual Student Art Expo at Cheney Mansion in Oak Park. District 90 students had nearly 40 pieces of art selected for the event. Our schools were among the 49 schools representing 14 west suburban school districts that displayed 525 pieces of student artwork. The show was well
Photo Courtesy of Sally McPartlin
attended with approximately 1,500 visitors to the mansion and its grounds. Art was displayed throughout the rooms inside the mansion, in the greenhouse, on the patio and in the garden. The Oak Park Art League sponsored working artists who conducted live demonstrations in a variety of mediums including clay, watercolors and ink. Visitors were also given the opportunity to create their own works of art using different mediums including drawing, textile work with looms, and clay. Congratulation to all of our student presenters!
There's Still Time to Register for Summer School
Registration for Summer School is still open. District 90's Summer School offers opportunities for students to be engaged in fun and enriching courses and to receive additional support in academic subjects. All classes will be held at Lincoln School. Summer School starts on Thursday, June 9 and ends on Friday, July 8. There's no school scheduled on Monday, July 4. This year, the District is also offering two-hour afternoon camps in crafts, volleyball, and engineering.  Registration for Summer School closes on Friday, May 27 at midnight. To register, visit the District 90 website, click the web pay link on the lower right hand side of the home page, then follow the directions for registering for Summer School. The web pay link is also available on each school's web page. Financial assistance scholarships are available for eligible students. Families interested in financial assistance scholarships should contact Josephine Ribaudo at 708-771-8282. For more information about Summer School classes, click here for the brochure!
Green4Good Holds Recycling Extravaganza
District 90's Green4Good committee will host its fifth drive-up and drop-of  recycling event May 7 from 8:00 am - 1:00 p.m. at the River Forest United Methodist Church, 7970 Lake Street (at Thatcher) in River Forest. Previously the event was free of charge. This year, however, there will be a charge for anyone dropping off televisions (plasma or CRT) and monitors. The fee is $10.00 for two screen items.    
 
Drivers will enter off of Lake Street and will be asked to remain in their cars while volunteers unload items.  A wide variety of items are acceptable for recycling including electronics, scrap metal, certain prescription medications, musical instruments, school supplies, eye glasses, bicycles, sewing machines, apparel, and small household items. No hazardous waste of any kind will be accepted. 

Partners for this event include the Parks Foundation Sustainability Committee, River Forest Citizens Corps, River Forest United Methodist Church, Roy Strom Company, Working Bikes, Elgin Recycling, and the Village of River Forest. Please click here for more information about this event.
Willard's Big Hearts, Little Hands Senior Tea 
For the 28th year, Willard students hosted the Big Hearts, Little Hands Senior Tea. This well-known school event invites students' grandparents, grand-friends, and seniors from the community to an afternoon reception. Every student is involved in some manner, with some students directly interacting with guests and others working "behind the scenes." For example, some students served as greeters welcoming the guests to the event. Other students entertained the visiting seniors with performances in the auditorium, which were followed by refreshments in the gym, where third and fourth grade students were servers. Sponsored by the Willard PTO, the tea represents an opportunity for students to learn about the gift of service, and for them to connect with the older generation in our community.
Roosevelt and the Flame Challenge
What is sound? So starts this year's Flame Challenge, an initiative of the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science at Stony Brook University. Roosevelt Middle School fifth graders, along with students from six other schools across the country and in India and England, participated in the skype webcast that determined the winner of the 2016 Flame
Photo Courtesy Becca Dee and Ella Suchomel
Challenge. Participating students voted for the best explanation of the challenge's question: What is sound? The Flame Challenge is the brainchild of actor Alan Alda, who as an 11-year-old asked the question, "What is a flame?" only to receive the totally inadequate answer, "A flame is oxidation." It is designed to get scientists to explain science to an 11-year-old. Several Roosevelt students were able to give the reasons for their votes on the scientists' explanations. Roosevelt students did the River Forest community proud with their well-considered rationales of their votes. The Flame Challenge's winner will be announced in June. You can view the entire webcast by clicking on the video.
Lincoln Welcomes Arbor Day with a Native Garden and Habitat and Tree Planting 
Photo Courtesy of Karrin Burns
With the help of parents, volunteers from the Garden Club of OPRF, and a bounty of plants from the Good Earth Greenhouse, Lincoln School's Native Garden and Habitat Creation is a bounty of native plants and flowers. Students and teachers from all grades and volunteers recently planted more than 100 plants that are native to the Midwest region of the country including Black-eyed Susan, Sky Blue Aster, Butterfly Weed, and many others. Located in the Kindergarten play area just south of the front entrance, the garden will serve as a hospitable environment for native and migrating birds, butterflies, and pollinators. Sponsored by Lincoln's PTO and Green4Good Committee, the Kindergarten Native Garden and Habitat will serve as the basis for a project-based learning unit, an extra-curricular club called Habitat Helpers, and is available to other classrooms that want to participate. As part of the garden planting, the Village of River Forest donated a Black Tupelo tree to Lincoln, while Village arborists explained the importance of trees to our community. 
Roosevelt's Cultural Extravaganza Takes Visitors on a Worldwide Trip
Photo Courtesy Roosevelt Yearbook Staff
Roosevelt students and families were able to visit countries around the world without leaving the school. Roosevelt's recent 17th Annual Cultural Extravaganza featured a variety of cultural performances and activities, including hip-hop
Photo Courtesy Roosevelt Yearbook Staff
dance lessons, piƱata making, drumming circles and international games. Along with cultural activities, such as Bollywood-style dancing or a martial arts lesson, participants could also sample foods from around the world. In addition to foods and activities, the extravaganza featured an international market for guests to shop for their own unique items.  
Argonne National Laboratory Holds Open House 
Interested in learning what is going on at a national research facility? Argonne National Laboratory is holding an Open House on May 21 from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. The Open House is an opportunity to learn more about how national and international researchers tackle global challenges such as clean energy, environmental sustainability, transportation, and other issues. Guests will be treated to interactive demonstrations, exhibits, and tours of the facility. The Open House is free and open to the public. However, advance registration is required. All children under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult. Click here for registration information and more information about the Argonne National Laboratory Open House.
In This Issue
Inclusiveness and Equity Update
IMSA STEM Fusion Expanded for Another Year
Free Early Childhood Screening
WSCAE Art Expo
There's Still Time to Register for Summer School
Green4Good Holds Recycling Extravaganza
Willard's Big Hearts, Little Hands Senior Tea
Roosevelt Flame Challenge
Lincoln Welcomes Arbor Day with Native Garden and Tree Planting
Roosevelt's Cultural Extravaganza Takes Visitors on a Worldwide Trip

Important Dates
May 7
Green4Good Recycling Extravaganza
8:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. 
River Forest United Methodist Church
 
May 14
Free Early Childhood Screening
9:00 a.m. - Noon 
Willard School 
 
May 16
Board of Education Meeting
7:30 p.m.
Roosevelt Middle Library Learning Center
April 14

May 19
Staff Recognition Dinner
4:30 p.m. 

May 27
Early Dismissal 
11:25 a.m.

May 30
Memorial Day
Non-Attendance Day

June 1
8th Grade Graduation
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