I continue to be proud of the wonderful student and staff accomplishments that have occurred thus far in the school year; in the classrooms, on stage, on the courts and fields, and within the wide array of clubs and activities occurring across all the schools. I appreciate the amazing parent and community support, and thank you for your partnership and involvement! With the spring season upon us, please take a look at the District 115 calendar and consider attending various theatre and musical performances, as well as the many athletic and extracurricular events occurring throughout the district. Also, please be reminded of the State of the District event (District 115 Vision Update) scheduled for April 8 from 4 to 6 p.m. at Yorkville Middle School.  The future success of our schools requires the continued dialogue and joint efforts of our schools, parents, and community.  
 

Teaching and Learning Update

At the February 27 Board of Education meeting, Chief Academic Officer Dr. Nick Baughman provided a mid-year update on winter testing results of District 115 students. This information revolved around the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) assessments that students took back in December. Shortly after returning from the winter break in January, each of the schools spent a great deal of time reviewing student growth and achievement information based upon the results between spring 2016 and winter 2017.
  

Our District 115 faculty and staff continue to work with their grade-level teams to adjust their lessons and how they approach classroom instruction. They also work with students both individually and in small groups to practice skill deficits, and provide students with various enrichment opportunities. Additionally, District 115 uses both mathematics interventionists and Teachers on Special Assignment (TOSAs) to work with classroom teachers to address the learning needs of our students at the various grade levels. Finally, in the area of reading, our reading specialists provide coaching to classroom teachers as a means to increase the skills of our elementary and middle school learners. The reading specialists co-teach with, and model lessons for, the classroom teachers. They also review student learning data, and offer new approaches to assist our students.
 

In the coming month, District 115 will propose a new English language arts (ELA) resource to the Board of Education. The new PreK-12 resource will support teachers, students, and parents in the 2017-18 school year as the District 115 ELA curriculum is learned by our students. 

Please look for District 115 Summer School information that will be shared with our parents and community in the coming weeks. We are excited about our extensive summer offerings, and feel blessed to have the support of our District 115 Board of Education to provide extended learning across multiple programs and grade levels. Summer School information will be available on the District 115 website, and communicated to all families no later than March 24.