La Grange District 102
January Newsletter
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Every Student, Every day; No Exceptions, No Excuses
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Notes from our Superintendent
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We have truly amazing children in our district. I was at the Mighty Patriots Game on January 14. For those who don’t know, Mighty Patriots is a basketball team of Park Junior High Students who are differently-abled who, along with other Park students serving as mentors and coaches, play various teams around the area and, on February 5, will play a game against our local police and fire department. I encourage you to come. If you ever want to see a group of students who capitalize on remaking themselves each day, this is the group. I witnessed children students encouraging each other, clearing the path for their friends to get a clean shot at the basket, high-fives and smiles. Our team played hard and they made more baskets then the other team, but this is a perfect example of they both won, and so did the fans.
The New Year is upon us. Resolutions are made and often already broken by now. We enter the year with the best of intentions and hopes; I will spend more time exercising and watching what I eat; I will reduce my technology obsession and spend more time with family, reading, or meditating. The lists of promises and dreams are endless and often ultimately pointless. Or are they? We all need renewal and a chance to begin again. I always feel we have those points in education twice each year. Once at the beginning of the school year when all the transitions happen and our students meet new friends and new teachers and once after January 1 when we return from a two-week break.
I would like to think that we have that opportunity 365 days a year. Each day is a new day for all of us. I don’t mean that we forget everything from the past and begin each day with no recollection of what we have learned or done. Instead, we have the opportunity to build upon the day before and start fresh from where we left off. Our children need this fresh start. They need to know they can learn from the past and build an even better tomorrow. They need to know they have adults around them that don’t hold onto all our past transgressions, but instead create that new day for them.
As we wrap up the first month of 2019, I encourage you to sit down with your children if you haven’t and ask them three things that they love about themselves, three things they are proud of, or three things that they really enjoy doing. Not things they think YOU are proud of them for or that you think they do well or that YOU love about them. Have them focus on recognizing and acknowledging what THEY think about THEMSELVES. Every child needs to build their positive self-image and develop CONFIDENCE and COMPETENCE to be successful in anything they do. As we progress through 2019, help your children, your students build their CONFIDENCE and COMPETENCE and help them recognize their unique strengths and interests. It really does make a difference.
Happy New Year!
Kyle
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Teaching and Learning Department
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Teaching & Learning UPDATE Newsletter - Winter Edition
The Teaching & Learning Department will be sending out the Winter Edition of the Teaching & Learning UPDATE Newsletter at the beginning of February. Inside will be updates on various curricular initiatives and also a new series of Parent Education opportunities for the Spring.
Elementary SEL Curriculum Review Committee:
The SEL Curriculum Review Committee met on January 7th. The committee began an initial review of SEL programs that align to the Illinois Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Standards and focus on relationship-building and inclusiveness.
State Assessment Update:
Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) Grades 4 and 6, January 2019
Students in Grades 4 and 6 participated in the CogAT assessment this week. The CogAT measures a student’s verbal, quantitative, and nonverbal reasoning abilities. The Verbal portion of the assessment measures verbal reasoning abilities that are essential for successful learning across the curriculum. The Quantitative battery measures the ability to organize, structure, and give meaning to quantitative concepts. It assesses problem-solving abilities required not only in mathematics, but in other disciplines as well. The Nonverbal battery measures reasoning abilities using shapes and visual patterns. It requires minimal outside knowledge. The results from the CogAT test will be mailed home in March.
Illinois Assessment of Readiness (Formally PARCC) Grades 3-8, Spring 2019
For the last four years, students in grades 3-8 participated in the
Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) assessment each spring. The state has now changed the company responsible for the test administration, and has also changed the name from PARCC to “Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR)”.
The Illinois Assessment of Readiness is the accountability measure for Illinois students enrolled in a public school district. IAR assesses the Illinois Learning Standards incorporating the Common Core in the areas of English Language Arts and Mathematics.
The State of Illinois has reported that for Spring 2019 and 2020, the Illinois Assessment of Readiness will be essentially the same as the former PARCC assessment. The exact dates for the spring administration have not been released at this time. More information will be reported as it becomes available from the state.
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The Science Center’s annual event to share our District 102 love of all things science and technology is now the STEM EXPO! On March 2nd, STEM EXPO will showcase the talents of students in the areas of
S
cience,
T
echnology,
E
ngineering and creative
M
aking. We know that our students are creative and inventive so use those skills to do a project at home and share it with us. This event is designed to show off those talents in the scientific areas.
Who: All students grades K-6
When: Saturday, March 2, 2019 9:00 AM- Noon
Set-up is Friday, March 1st from 5:00PM - 6:30 PM
Where: Forest Road School
901 N Forest Road, LaGrange Park
Students can choose from one of the four project categories and create a STEM project that will dazzle and amaze others while learning about a scientific concept.
S = Science experiment or exploration
T = Technology project
E = Engineering project or invention
M = Maker-style project
Did you test it? Did you make it? Did you collect it? Did you try it? Did you build it?
What did you learn? How cool is that?
Bring it to EXPO and share it with your teachers, friends and neighbors!
For more information visit our website
here.
Do you have your project planned? Go ahead and register
here.
All exhibitors will receive a participation award and a STEM EXPO t-shirt. Exhibits will not be judged; exhibitors will be assigned a 1/2 hour time period when they will be required to be at their table to answer questions and explain their project to an EXPO Official.
Questions? Call or email Mrs. Hohl or Mrs. V. at the Science Center.
We are happy to help! 708-215-6405 sciencecenter@dist102.k12.il.us
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Luke Wins Park’s National Geographic GeoBee
Students from Park Junior High participated in the school-level competition of the National Geographic GeoBee on Dec 20, 2018. Luke Whittleton, an 8
th
grade student, won first place. The school-level competition is the first round in the annual National Geographic GeoBee, a geography competition designed to inspire and reward students’ curiosity about the world. Questions cover geography, cultures, physical features, history and earth science.
The National Geographic Society developed the GeoBee in 1989 in response to concern about the lack of geographic knowledge among young people in the United States. Over more than three decades, 120 million students have learned about the world through participation in the GeoBee.
School champions, including Luke W., will take an online qualifying test; up to 100 of the top test scorers in each state then become eligible to compete in their State GeoBee. The winners of the State GeoBees receive an all-expenses-paid trip to National Geographic Society headquarters in Washington, D.C., next May to participate in the GeoBee national championship, competing for cash prizes, scholarships and an all-expenses-paid Lindblad expedition to the Galápagos Islands aboard the National Geographic Endeavour ll.
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Save the Date
Sunday, May 19, 2019 at 8:00 am is D102's annual Race to the Finish 5K and 1-mile fun run. Early-bird registration starts February 1st.
Sign-up early and get a discount! This year's course will start and finish at Forest Road School. We are also excited to announce that "Run for the Roses" will be joining us on race day to help further support our schools.
For more information click
Here!
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Volunteer
Friday Night Live is a fun 2 hour lock-in with games, activities and food for Park Students. The theme for this FNL is sleepover. All the things you'd imagine at a sleepover and more! FNL is a well-attended event, with over 200 students typically attending. Therefore, we need plenty of adult supervision. We hope you can volunteer a couple hours of your time.
When: 02/08/2019
Where: Park Junior High
Time: 7:00pm - 9:00pm
For more information about how to volunteer, click
here!
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Dozens of senior residents at the retirement community listened to the choral program The Sound of Christmas, which, as the name suggests, was holiday-themed. The intergenerational choral partnership is part of an ongoing collaboration between
La Grange
Elementary District 102 Superintendent Kyle Schumacher and Bethlehem Woods seniors.
For Full Story Click
Here!
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Mighty Patriots Special Olympic Basketball Team
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The Mighty Patriots, Park’s beloved Special Olympic Basketball team, had their annual Kid’s Day home game on Monday, January 14
th
. It was a huge success from the minute it began with Park’s Forte Chorus’ beautiful harmony of the National Anthem, and the team’s 4 mascots passing out pom-poms for every one in attendance to cheer with, even extra treats for younger fans.
It’s always free admission, free handout and free raffles, and at this game 4 official size basketballs were raffled off and it was only the start of the event. The half time show alone was a treat in itself with performances by Park’s Cheerleaders and with Park’s Pom Squad dancing to the crowd’s delight. The half time candy throw by Mighty Maximus and the mascots was the icing on the cake for all the kids in the stands.
The sportsmanship of the team was a pleasure to see and was felt by all. The Mighty Patriots won the game against Hinsdale South High School but both teams really won before it even started. The acceptance, excitement and pride of the fans made everyone a true winner.
Please join The Mighty Patriots at their next Home Game on Tuesday, February 5
th
in Park’s North Gym at 4:00. It is their annual Heroes vs Heroes game where they will play against local police officers and firefighters. All are welcome for a guaranteed hour of pure delight!
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The New Year brings new free days at Brookfield Zoo! Every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday through February 28, Brookfield Zoo offers free admission during regular zoo hours!
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Run For D102
Sunday May 19th, 2019
Start times: 5K at 8:00am; 1-mile fun run at 9:00am Location: Race starts/finishes at Forest Road School
For 2019 the Run for 102 and the Run for the Roses are joining together for one amazing community event. Sprinters, joggers, walkers...students, neighbors, friends - it's the race for everyone!
The race will take place on Sunday, May 19th, 2019 starting and finishing from Forest Road School in La Grange Park. The event offers a 5K at 8:00am as well as a 1-mile event (for those under age 14) at 9:00am. A post-race party follows at 9:15am and includes food, drinks, raffles, games and vendor booths as well as an awards ceremony presenting medals to the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place finishers in both the 5K and 1 mile in multiple age group categories.
The Run for the Roses benefits the La Grange Park Community. The Run for 102 benefits the six schools in District 102's PTO/PTCs, which supports both curricular and non-curricular projects in addition to organizing student and family activities. These District 102 schools include: Barnsdale Road School, Congress Park Elementary School, Cossitt Avenue Elementary School, Forest Road Elementary School, Ogden Avenue Elementary School and Park Junior High.
Click
here
for more information.
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January 19:
Band/Orchestra Mid-year Celebration
4pm Park Auditorium
January 21:
MLK Day No School
January 24:
District 102 Board Meeting
7pm Park JH Library
January 28th:
Q BBQ and Hot Dog Company Restaurant Fundraiser
January 28th:
Parent Advisory Committee 7:00pm – 8:30pm
January 31st:
#RealTalk about Vaping
February 7th:
Board Meeting 7pm-9pm
February 8th:
Screening of The Year We Thought About Love
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