Message from your Superintendent!
Superintendent
Tim Shimp
District 115 Employees,

This week marks the beginning of our winter School Improvement visits to each of the schools. These are very purposeful opportunities that help the District Office administrators understand the work being done with students across the district, and to discover additional ways we can assist and support the staff. 

Through these discussions, we find trends across grade levels, gain greater clarity on challenges with students, learn about new resources and strategies that are having positive results, and have time to speak directly to and learn from the staff members who represent each of the schools. 

Lastly, the information we gather is incredibly valuable as we prepare to share a winter student growth/achievement update with the Board of Education members at the February 27 meeting. I look forward to learning from, and sharing with, all of you in the coming days/weeks.
 
In addition to the School Improvement visits, I am excited about the February 10 Institute Day and the variety of learning opportunities that will be provided by our colleagues. The day will begin with a   District 115 faculty and staff gathering in the YMS auditorium.  This will provide an opportunity to share progress on our Strategic Plan goals and action items, and to celebrate our successes as a team. Also, for those interested, prior to the  gathering  we will have a continental breakfast to start the day between 7:15 and 8 a.m. I look forward to seeing you all then.

Institute Day Information:
Schedule  | Session Selection (by Feb. 6)
Sincerely,
Tim



P.S. If you haven't seen this ESPY speech by Jim Valvano, take the 10 minutes to view it, and then take another 10 minutes to reflect. Hopefully each of you laugh, think, and find something to emotionally move you each day. Click Here

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Upcoming Events


SAVE THESE DATES!  
YEA Charity Volleyball Tournament: Friday, April 7 at 4 p.m.
State of the District & Information Fair: Saturday, April 8 at 4:30 p.m.

 
Feb. 2 YHSA Curriculum Night/Expo, YHS Main Campus at 6:30 p.m.
Feb. 3 YHS Art Show, YHS Library at 5:30 p.m.
Feb. 9 All Staff Art Show, YHS Library at 6 p.m. | Details
Feb. 10 Teacher Institute Day
Feb. 13 Board of Education Committee Meetings, YHS Library at 7 p.m. 
Feb. 20 No School
Feb. 27 Board of Education Meeting, YHS Library at 7 p.m.
 
Welcome to our Fox family!

Ridley Asher
December 9
8 lbs., 11 oz.;  21"
Mom: Victoria Espinoza, YMS Paraprofessional

BGS teacher recognized as 'Top Shelf'


The Chicago Blackhawks and the University of Phoenix recognized Bristol Grade School third-grade teacher, Karen Weir, as a Top-Shelf Teacher during the Blackhawks'  game against the Vancouver Canucks on January 22. The Blackhawks and the University of Phoenix work to recognize and reward hardworking educators in the states of Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin.
 
As part of this honor,   Weir received tickets to the game and was recognized on the jumbotron !

Welcome to District 115

The Board of Education approved the following hires in January.



Lisa Burki Paraprofessional Yorkville Middle School 
Joshua Gyovai 5th Grade Teacher Bristol Bay Elementary School
Bridget Harris Paraprofessional Autumn Creek Elementary School
Jacqueline Hitt Paraprofessional Grande Reserve Elementary School
Jeffrey Jett Title 1 English Interventionist Yorkville High School
Sandy Longust Long-Term Substitute Yorkville Grade School
Michelle Murray Title 1 Math Interventionist Yorkville High School
Tina Palmer Long-Term Substitute  Yorkville Grade School
Rachael Scott Paraprofessional  Bristol Bay Elementary School
Kate Smyrock Speech Language Pathologist  Yorkville High & Middle Schools
Aynn Springborn Long-Term Substitute Bristol Grade School
Natashia Waramit Title 1 Math Interventionist  Yorkville Middle School
Melissa Wright Paraprofessional  Autumn Creek Elementary School
Upcoming Hire:   District 115 plans to make final decisions regarding the hiring of the Assistant Director of Student Services position in February. The candidate pool was significant with 54 applicants, and the three remaining individuals are all strong candidates for the position.    
Staff recognized at January Board of Education meeting

Shannon Martin

The Illinois Education Association awarded YHS drivers education teacher, Shannon Martin, a $1,000 grant. Martin applied for the grant as part of the IEA's Schools and Community Outreach by Educators program, which is a grant program designed to give educators in the first 10 years of their career a chance to apply for money for a service project.
 
Martin chose to bring awareness to the dangers of distracted driving through multiple programs that include Operation Impact, Operation Safety, and Pledge to be Hands Free. 


YHS Athletic Department & Coaches



The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) recognized the YHS Athletic Department and coaches with a "Sport A Winning Attitude" certificate for their exemplary act of sportsmanship on December 13. The recommendation comment stated:

"Great hospitality shown by athletic staff, coaching staff, and the scorer's table personnel. From the time we arrived to when we left, we had great escorts, trainers, and staff attending to our needs providing a warm reception on a cold Tuesday December night. They even supplied our staff with a complimentary pizza in the locker room after the game was over. A job well done!"

2017 enrollment projections forecast increases at each school

Over the past several months, administration has been working with a consultant to build projections for future enrollment for each District 115 building. This review and future estimates takes into account historic enrollment change, current student population at each building, and new home construction data provided to the district by the City of Yorkville. Future estimates provide a range of potential enrollment, based on weighted averages and existing trend data. This range provides a baseline for staffing for the coming year and highlights concerns for building capacities. 2017-2020 Projections
 
Draft 2017-18 budget process underway


Development of a "draft" budget for the 2017-18 school year is underway. Major factors have been taken into account including estimated revenues, staffing costs, and general expense increases based on inflation and Strategic Plan initiatives. The completion of this "draft" budget will lead to planning for the tentative budget development and then the final budget for the new school year. Based on initial projections within this work, the district will be working through a deficit reduction between the draft and tentative budget. This is primarily due to the reduced growth in state funding and limited growth in local resources combined with increases in fixed expenses. 

State of the District Address 

A parent committee has begun to plan a special event to highlight the wonderful things occurring in District 115 and to update the community on the progress towards the district's strategic goals. The State of the District Address has been scheduled for Saturday, April 8 at 4:30 p.m. and will include a district information fair for parents.  

2017 Homecoming 

The Board of Education approved a change in the 2017 Homecoming schedule that will move the parade to Thursday evening and include the development of a District 115 Hall of Fame. See the full Homecoming schedule by clicking here.

One Book. One Community. Yorkville Reads.

An initiative is underway to get the entire Yorkville community on the same page! A committee is working on a community reading program in which students, parents, and community members read the same book title and then enjoy a variety of planned activities related to the book. The tentative timeline is for the book to be read in August, with activities beginning mid-September.
Co-Curricular Review Committee

Work began in September 2016 to prepare for a review of the district's co-curricular compensation model. A joint committee representing both administration and association members was formed and has been hard at work. This work has consisted of a review of the existing co-curricular compensation structure, looking at compensation models from other school districts, comparing compensation between districts, and beginning the development of a new plan for District 115. This effort will continue through March of this year when a recommendation will be prepared and then presented to the Board of Education in April. The focus of the new plan will incorporate the key themes providing a competitive compensation, an equitable design, and creating a definable and repeatable process for reviewing co-curricular proposals. 
Performance-Based Compensation Committee

A committee was formed in November 2016 that has been charged with developing a non-binding proposal to the Board of Education for performance-based compensation for certified staff. This committee has looked at, collected, and reviewed 54 independent resources and pulled both themes and compensation models from these texts. Over the coming months, this group will continue its research and development of a proposal to share with the Board of Education in April. 
Emergency Management Plan Committee

In December, a committee was formed to develop a new Emergency Management Plan (EMP) for the district. Committee members include emergency responders from police, fire, and county agencies along with district staff members from administration and certified staff. To support this effort, Paul Timm from RETA Security, Inc., has been retained to guide the committee's objectives and outcomes. Timm is a national security consultant who regularly speaks on the topic of school security.
 
Each of the committee members completed a school-based incident command system course provided by the Department of Homeland Security via the  www.FEMA.gov website. Over the remainder of the school year, the committee will walk through the review and development of scenario planning, identify professional development needs, and prepare a roll-out of the new plan. The plan will include not only procedures and training but physical needs such as EMP quick sheets and emergency kits for classrooms. Additionally, a review of the security improvements such as digital radio coverage and new cameras and displays for entryway verification will be completed to gather feedback. 
 
Day of Acceptance celebrated throughout District 115

District 115 celebrated Disabilities Awareness Day on January 20 with a week focused on activities that celebrated disabilities and diversity. With the support of staff, students, and the community, participants embraced diversity, offered experiences to show diversity, and empowered all involved to celebrate each person's uniqueness. Each school building planned special activities throughout the week to recognize this initiative.

Student Services Department staff members celebrate the International Day of Acceptance.

Minibus (activity/athletic) reservations and scheduling


Please contact YHS Athletic Secretary Eva Shoenfielder at [email protected]  to reserve a minibus to transport students to events and activities. 

In the email request, please note the the following information:
  • Purpose of the Request (event/activity)
  • Date and Time of Use
  • Number of Buses Needed (each bus seats 14, plus a driver)
  • Name of the Driver
Eva will send a reservation confirmation via email.  

In addition, those who need to be trained to drive a minibus should also contact Eva. Group trainings are scheduled in advance, so early reservations are encouraged. Contact Eva by email or at ext. 4082 with any questions.


Live Well - Work Well

The January edition of the district's wellness newsletter, Live Well - Work Well, is available through the following link:


Topics: The new year and how it may affect benefits; lifestyle changes versus quick changes; blood donations; and a simple green smoothie recipe
New mileage rate set to $0.535 for 2017

The IRS has changed the mileage reimbursement rate for 2017 to $0.535 per mile. This was effective with any mileage starting January 1, 2017.
 
The various forms that reflect this rate have been revised. These new forms are available through the Employee Portal:

Infinite Visions > Employee Resources > Information Center  

If you still need to be reimbursed for mileage incurred during 2016, please make sure to use the old forms and NOT the new ones. Also, below is a link to the district's travel guidelines, which is also available on the Employee Portal.
 
Once the online form is completed, please print it out and sign it. The documents will need to be scanned and submitted to the building secretary as a pdf file. Attachments in the system must be in pdf format in order to be read properly.
 
Questions about the forms can be directed to Finance Coordinator  Carrie Franck at [email protected] or ext. 4703.





Aurora University
Graduate Education Open House
Thursday, Feb. 2, 3:30-5:30 p.m.
AU Orchard Center (located just south of I-88)
2245 Sequoia Drive, Room 328 (third floor)
Reading Teacher Endorsement
Technology Specialist Endorsement

Master of Arts Programs:
Educational Leadership-Principal
Educational Technology
Reading Instruction




Olivet Nazarene University

Masters and Endorsement Programs
Programs beginning March 13
20% Discount for 3 or More
*Masters Option Available
Master of Arts Curriculum & Instruction
ESL or Bilingual Endorsement*
Reading Endorsement & Reading Specialist* 
Teacher Leadership Endorsement
Middle School Endorsement



Illinois Association of School Administrators
Alliance Legislative Report: January 26, 2017
Governor's Address; Senate Resets
Alliance Leadership Summit, Feb. 21-22 in Springfield



ELA resource adoption to be finalized this semester

This year has been a busy and exciting one for English Language Arts teachers. The ELA Subject Area Committee (SAC) continues to work on several curriculum goals in coordination with building administration and the Curriculum Coordinating Council (CCC). The collective goal is to maintain a strongly-aligned and appropriately scaffolded curriculum from kindergarten through grade 12 to provide our learners a gateway to professional and academic life after high school. Below is a quick snapshot of our continuing action items:
  • Curriculum and assessment validations
  • Report Card discussions/modifications
  • Resource vendor evaluations and selection
Our ongoing resource evaluation process, which has used  district-wide  survey data from our ELA staff, has involved a vetting process by a group of TOSAs and literacy coaches along with evaluations by our whole SAC. After resources are chosen, a professional development schedule will help staff orient and prepare to use the updated resources. The goal is to have a decision made during this semester with professional development beginning before summer. Please review the recorded committee notes ( SAC 2016-2017 agendas and minutes ) or contact Nathan Schroll at [email protected] with questions.

1:1 initiative continues to expand

The first semester for Blended and 1:1 courses here in Yorkville recently ended. A great deal was learned about Chromebook distribution, Chromebook return, and the needed professional development to help make a 1:1 initiative successful.

Some new and expanded courses have been added f or second semester at YHS.

  • Dan McGuire created a Blended Government class for YHS students
  • Jennifer Waldvogel added a second Blended section of Creative Writing
  • Tracy Anderson is offering a second semester Blended Health class
  • Seth Hettel's Blended PLTW class is a full-year course
At the YHS Academy, the 1:1 classes are also doing well. 
  • Julie Renda's Honors Biology classes are year-long courses
  • Jessica Bantz's teaches English 1 courses
  • Amanda Jarosz has two new sections of General Health classes

All of the 1:1 classes at YMS are year-long courses, with the exception of Tammy Eaton's Drama classes. These classes are each one quarter long. She just began her third iteration of 1:1 Drama on January 9.

Due to the success of the Blended and 1:1 programs, on November 12, 2016, the Board of Education approved the purchase of 2,700 additional Chromebooks for the 1:1 initiative. These Chromebooks will be distributed to all students in grades 7-12 and will also be provided to all fourth-grade students in the district for the 2017-18 school year. The approved plan will create a 1:1 device environment for all students in grades 4-12 by the 2019-20 school year.

Have you updated your laptop lately? When you are on the login screen, look for the message in yellow in the lower right hand corner of your screen. If so, log in, swipe from right to left/Settings/Control Panel/Windows Updates. If there are a lot of downloads suggested, break them into smaller groups so they will run faster. If they still not running, put in a SchoolDude request  for assistance.


Canvas  Check out these videos to learn more about Canvas, our new learning management system:



Google Tips   Did you know you could right click on an image and save it directly to Google Drive? Double click on a word you don't know and it will show you the definition. As you learn more, you can share this new knowledge with your students.



Duolingo  
Learn languages for free with no ads, or download the free app at the iTunes store.    


Try These Check out these Google extensions and apps for professional and student use.

Epson app - download to your phone or iPad to access your projector wirelessly  
https://epson.com/wireless-projector-app?utm_source=marketing&utm_medium=van&utm_campaign=us-projectorapp 


TimeMaps - this is the most comprehensive world history atlas on the internet; easily navigate to any time or place in history (app)

Quick Docs Create - create new documents for Drive from your browser bar (extension)

Save to Google Drive - save web content or a screen capture directly to Google Drive (extension)


Google Dictionary - view definitions easily as you browse the web (extension)

1 Click Timer  - use this reliable timer app from Google Chrome (extension)

Cite this for me  - create citations for APA, MLA, and Chicago or Harvard referencing style (extension)

Google url shortener - shorten urls with goo.gl (extension)



Tab Scissors and Tab Glue  - the scissors clips a window into two at the selected tab; the glue puts the windows back together (extensions)



Permanent Clipboard  - store and access multiple elements in a clipboard (extension)

Awesome Screenshot and Capture -  save a screen capture for all or any part of a web page, add annotations and comments, blur sensitive info, and share with a one-click upload (extension)

Epic - use this free, all-you-can-read library for kids 12 and under (extension)


Kristine Liptrot | Communications & Community Engagement Department | [email protected] 
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