Today we welcome all District 64 families joining us as the 2017-18 school year gets underway! We hope you will enjoy receiving the eNews periodically with the latest from District 64, including updates on student learning and academics, important happenings, and Board meeting notes. You may unsubscribe at any time via the link at the foot of this email. Unsubscribing from the eNews will not affect the communications you receive directly from your child's school. Happy reading! 

Upcoming parent nights help develop strong home-school partnerships

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.  

Mark your calendars:

• 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.

Students will view rare solar eclipse while at school

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.

This is the first time since 1918 that a solar eclipse will be visible on a path across the United States! The eclipse will occur in our area beginning at 11:54 a.m. and ending at 2:42 p.m.; nearly 90% of the sun will be covered at 1:19 p.m.

To participate in this event, all schools have organized structured, supervised viewing opportunities for students. Safety during the eclipse viewing is our top priority, and students will be required to wear special eclipse glasses during the entire time they are outside. District 64 has purchased the NASA-endorsed, eclipse-safe viewing glasses for students and staff.

Detailed information, precautionary measures and rules have been 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)

Students benefit from $3.8 million in summer facility improvements

As they head back to school, students and staff will be enjoying more than $3.8 million in Health Life Safety, critical infrastructure, and capital project improvements as part of a five-year plan to ensure all schools are safe, warm, and dry.  View the full list of 2017 projects on this webpage.

The District's three oldest buildings dating to 1928 -- Lincoln, Field and Roosevelt -- were an important focus of work this summer. Here is a short overview of projects completed over break:

• Lincoln Middle School's Learning Resource Center was transformed; extensive work was completed both indoors and outdoors, too. The LRC has been transformed into a flexible learning space that will benefit all students to support future ready learning focused on the 4 C's of communication, collaboration, creativity and critical thinking. The adjacent entry on Crescent Avenue was reworked to enhance security and accessibility, and provide supervised entry directly to the school office. (PHOTO) The school office (being readied for move-in) was reoriented and will better serve the needs of students, staff and visitors. Old galvanized water piping also was replaced throughout the school, while hallways and stairwells have been resurfaced. Major improvements were completed outside Lincoln, too! Earlier this spring, new thermal windows were installed to stop drafts and water leakage into classrooms. Tuckpointing of the bricks was completed to ensure the building remains watertight. An additional area of Lincoln's roof was replaced as part of a multi-year project. 
• A new roof was the focus at Roosevelt School. The roof was replaced to stop leakage that disrupts learning while also damaging the ceilings and walls.
• New windows at Field School will provide more light and thermal efficiency. As at Lincoln, the new windows throughout the building will eliminate drafts and leakage into classrooms. 
• Updates to Learning Resource Centers at Field School and Franklin School will create flexible learning spaces. The renovations will allow students to engage in future-ready learning focused on the 4 C's. The renovated LRC's received new flooring, shelving and paint. PTO/As and the District 64 Elementary Learning Foundation are helping to fund flexible seating and other furnishings. With the shift to 1:1 learning, the former computer lab inside Franklin's LRC also was dismantled and combined into the open space.
• Elementary school kitchens are being prepared for the new hot lunch program. The serving kitchens are being remodeled and outfitted to serve food delivered from the full-service kitchens at the middle schools. Read more below.

New in 2017-18! District 64 extends lunch program to elementary students

For the first time this year, District 64 is pleased to offer a daily lunch program to students at our five elementary schools. The District has selected Quest Food Management Services to partner with us in providing a high quality hot lunch program for all grades 1-8. In addition, District 64 also is introducing a new food composting program in all school lunch rooms this year as part of our sustainability initiatives.

District 64 elementary students now will have the opportunity to preorder a hot lunch four days per week. The daily lunch includes choice of entree, the fresh fruit and veggie bar, and choice of milk/water. A pizza day lunch one day per week will continue to be organized by the individual school PTO/As as a fundraiser. Students may also choose to bring a lunch from home, and provide their own beverage or preorder daily milk/water.

Earlier this week, elementary school families received email instructions on how to get started. Milk/water service will begin on Thursday, August 17; hot lunch service will begin on Tuesday, September 5. Read more on the Elementary Lunch Program webpage here. Bon appetit!

August 28 meeting will be at Lincoln Middle School to tour newly updated LRC

Lincoln Middle School will host the first meeting of the Board of Education as it continues a long-standing tradition of convening once each year at each neighborhood school. A complete schedule of 2017-18 Board meetings is now available via the Board meetings webpage. 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.