BSD2's Community Newsletter | May 2, 2018
PLAN OF ACTION
District 2 is updating its three-year strategic plan.
This spring, Bensenville School District 2 is updating its three-year strategic plan. 

As part of this process, the District is conducting four strategic planning workshops facilitated by Dr. Joe Porto, a retired superintendent with more than 33 years of public education experience. Dr. Porto facilitated the strategic planning process for the District in 2015, as well.

The District held its first workshop on April 25. The remaining workshops will be held May 2, May 9, and May 16 from 6-9 p.m. at W.A. Johnson School.

A team of about 40 teachers, staff members, parents, and community members is participating in these workshops, and will incorporate the District's mission and vision into a new plan that will outline the goals and objectives that will drive the District's work over the next three years.
SPREADING OUR WINGS
By joining SWAN network, Bensenville Community Public Library provides BSD2 students access to 97 libraries.
Bensenville Community Public Library and the learning centers in BSD2 schools have joined the System Wide Automated Network (SWAN), and are now part of a large library consortium in northern Illinois consisting of 97 libraries!

As a result of its outstanding working relationship with Bensenville Community Public Library, District 2 is the only school district participating in SWAN.

BSD2 students can already use their school ID cards at the public library, and schools and the public library send books back and forth daily.

Now,the District's students and teachers will have access to more resources for their classroom through the 9.8 million cataloged items in SWAN.

AND THE WINNER IS ...
Every March, Blackhawk Middle School's annual Book Madness competition celebrates the books students like best.
Students at Blackhawk Middle School chose Scythe by Neal Shusterman as the winner of the school's fourth annual Book Madness competition.

Book Madness is a spin-off of the excitement generated by the March Madness NCAA basketball tournaments. Students create trailers to promote their favorite books, and vote from a list of match-ups pitting 32 of the top young adult titles against each other. By the end of the month, they crown a Book Madness champion during an exciting school-wide assembly.

This year, Scythe -- portrayed by the always entertaining Bill Zeitler, a special education resource teacher at Blackhawk -- took home the title. Before that, though, everyone reviewed the Elite Eight books by playing a game of "Have You Met Your Match?," and then got reacquainted with the Final Four titles when teachers shared their dramatic portrayals of the competition's semifinalists .
CELEBRATE!
Children's Day activities aim to make every student feel special.
Children’s Day, el Día del Niño , is a Mexican holiday celebrated annually on April 30. The goal of this holiday is simple: to make children feel special. 

For the occasion, Tioga School's teachers and students planned a variety of exciting activities, and they invited parents and community members to help them celebrate. For example, fourth-grade students challenged their parents and special guests to a game of "Are You Smarter Than a Fourth Grader?," and second graders held a contest to see who could build the tallest tower using paper cups and popsicle sticks .

W.A. Johnson School celebrated Children's Day on April 27 with a number of similar activities. For instance, second graders decorated clay pots and planted zenia seeds in them , and students at a number of different grade levels were treated to an extra recess on the school's Kaboom playground .
MEET MATT!
Award-winning author and illustrator pays special visit to Tioga School.
Author/Illustrator Matthew Cordell visited Tioga School in late march, about a month after the American Library Association awarded him the 2018 Caldecott Medal for the most distinguished American picture book for children for his book Wolf in Snow .

During his visit, Mr. Cordell explained how he became an author and illustrator, and even drew several original characters based on students' descriptions. He also showed students how he created the beautiful illustrations in Wolf in Snow and a humorous book about a boy with the worst cold ever, Bob, Not Bob!
A WILD TIME!
Johnson students learn about the world's rainforests by meeting some of their inhabitants.
Students at W.A. Johnson School met a variety of animals during a rainforest assembly presented April 23 by Understanding Wildlife.

Understanding Wildlife is a non-profit organization dedicated to rainforest conservation, and it has visited thousands of elementary schools all over the United States. During its visits, it brings a large assortment of live animals, including birds , snakes , monkeys , and kinkajous.

Mike Kohlreiser, founder and director of Understanding WIldlife, believes t he tropical rainforest are the most enchantingly beautiful, mysterious, transcendental, and biodiverse place on Earth, and strives to show students the reality of what the world stands to lose if it doesn't preserve this precious gift.
Bensenville School District 2
210 S. Church Street
Bensenville, IL 60106
 630-766-5940