Dear District 115 Families,

Thank you for your support of our students as they continue to shine in the classrooms, on the courts/fields/tracks, backstage and on the stage, and as they stay connected within a variety of clubs, activities, and philanthropic endeavors. 

As we sunset the 2018-2019 school year, we excitedly plan for what lies ahead for our staff and students. As school resumes on August 13, new technologies will be incorporated into our K-3 classrooms, sixth-graders will join our 1:1 Chromebooks initiative (fully implementing the initiative with all grade 4-12 students), the K-8 academic schedule will be reviewed, and we will continue exploring future facility needs to support the most effective teaching and learning practices in our schools and the expansion of programs across the district. 

I'm proud of the students and staff and the progress we have made in academic growth, achievement, social-emotional development, skill acquisition, and the mastery of content. I am equally as proud of how all members of our school community continue to model compassion, kindness, grit, and the overall concern for the well-being of others before themselves. 

I sincerely hope you have an enjoyable summer spent in the company of friends and family. I hope you are safe in all your activities and travels and look forward to the start of the 2019-2020 school year!

Sincerely,
Dr. Timothy Shimp
Superintendent of Schools
Strategic Plan Update Video
The Board of Education adopted a three-year strategic plan in 2016. This video provides the community with an overview of the accomplishments that were achieved, as the district now works to develop its strategies for the next three years.

Upcoming Events
Summer Hours:
 The district's Administrative Service Center at 602 Center Parkway, Yorkville, will be open to the public during summer break (June 10-August 1) at the following times:

Mondays through Thursdays: 7 a.m.-3 p.m.
Fridays : 7-11 a.m.
District Calendar: www.y115.org
June 12
Elementary Buildings Close for Summer
June 24
Board of Education Meeting
July 1
Online Fee Payments Accepted
July 4
District Offices Closed
July 29
Board of Education Meeting
August 1
Elementary Buildings Open & YMS/YHS Registration Day
August 5
YMS Locker Fest & Board of Education Meeting
August 6
Bus Routes & Elementary Classroom Assignments Posted
August 12
Elementary Supply Drop-Off
August 13
First Day of School for Students
Summer Camps: Information on all District 115 summer camps--including enrichment, athletic, and performing arts programs--are posted on the district website at www.y115.org under the 'Information Center' section.
Parents asked to register students for next school year
Registration is underway in Yorkville CUSD 115 for the 2019-2020 school year. District families who will be returning to a District 115 school in the fall are asked to complete their child(ren)’s online school registration.

District families are encouraged to register their child(ren) as soon as possible so that the district can finalize its staffing needs, classroom assignments, course schedules, and bus routes, all of which are based on the fall enrollment numbers. 

Parents and guardians of returning students have been emailed detailed information on how to register, including the online registration link and each family’s registration code. Students new to the district should register at the child’s school and will be required to show their student’s original birth certificate, proof of immunizations, and three proofs of residency. Elementary schools close for summer break on June 12; registration questions after that date should be directed to employees at the district’s Administrative Office at 602 Center Parkway, Yorkville. 

School fees can be paid online starting July 1 through the Home Access Center ( www.y115.org/hac). 

For more information regarding registration, please visit the district website at www.y115.org/registration. Questions regarding the process can be directed to the school of attendance or the district office at 630-553-4382.
Employment opportunities available within District 115
Interested in working for your local school district for the 2019-2020 school year? If so, please click on the following links to view and apply for open positions or follow the job postings on the district's Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn pages.

Employment Information:

Open District Positions:

Substitute Positions:

Septran Transportation Service:

Aramark Food Service:
Food Services
Food Service Survey
District 115 is seeking constructive feedback regarding its food service program to help the district and its food service provider, Aramark, enhance its offerings to students.

Below is an opportunity for parents and students to provide input through a brief survey. The survey will close June 14.

Changes made to the district's Wellness Policy
On Monday, April 26, the Yorkville CUSD 115 Board of Education approved changes to Policy 6:50 – School Wellness. Changes to the current policy were necessary in order to comply with the requirements of the federal National School Lunch Program and Illinois State Board of Education.

What is the National School Lunch Program (NSLP)?
The USDA offers the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast programs to school districts throughout the country. The benefits of participating in the program include:
  • Healthy, research-based food choices for students
  • Since 2012-13 the district has received an average of $488,000 per year as a participant in the NSLP federal grant program (the district gets reimbursed for a portion of each meal)

To receive the program benefits, the district is required to follow specific federal and state requirements.

What is different in the new wellness policy?
The most significant change to the district’s wellness policy is that starting in the 2019-2020 school year, food and beverages can no longer be provided to students as a reward or as part of a celebration. 

ALLOWED:
  • food (including snacks) consumed during the school day that a parent/guardian provides for his/her own child
  • food that is part of the district’s curriculum
  • food that is part of a student’s Individualized Education Plan or medical plan
  • food provided after normal school day hours

NOT ALLOWED:
  • food that is used as a reward (e.g., a pizza party as a classroom prize)
  • food that is part of a celebration (e.g., snacks distributed as part of a holiday celebration)

Additional information regarding the changes to the Wellness Policy are available on the district website at www.y115.org/foodservices.
Staff & Student Celebrations
Congratulations to Yorkville CUSD 115's retirees. Their dedication and 215 combined years of service to the district's families have been remarkable. Retiree Video
 Terri Frisk
Al Gonnerman
Colleen Konop
Terrance LaFleur
Kim Pearce
Seth Schoonover
Diane Wallin
Harry Wolf
Teacher Leslie Kressin receives top employee honors at YEF event

Circle Center Grade School Third Grade Teacher Leslie Kressin received the Golden Fox Award as employee of the year at the Yorkville Educational Foundation's annual Fostering our Future Awards—a community-wide celebration in recognition of the exemplary achievements by District 115’s employees and supporters.

Also receiving top awards at the event were: Stephanie Prentice, Circle Center Grade School third-grade teacher, Rookie of the Year Award; Mickey Nauman, Yorkville High School business teacher, Educator of the Year (Grades 7-12) Award; Robin Owens, Grande Reserve Elementary School library paraprofessional, Non-Certified Employee of the Year Award; Josh Slavin, Timeout 4 Kids founder, Partner of the Year Award; Sherri Farley, Yorkville Area Chamber of Commerce executive director, and Melissa Wojowski, Yorkville High School Field Experience Program coordinator, Project of the Year Award; and Shawn Harris, district parent, Spirit of the Fox Award.

Award details and photos of the event can be viewed on the foundation website at www.yef115.org.
Yorkville High School makes
2019 Best High School List 

Yorkville High School made U.S. News and World Report's list of the 2019 Best High Schools in the nation.

The report ranked YHS as 152/665 of high schools in Illinois and 4,495/17,245 of high schools in the nation.

The U.S. News Best High Schools rankings include data on more than 23,000 public high schools in 50 states and the District of Columbia.

The factors considered in compiling the list include college readiness, reading and math proficiency, reading and math performance, underserved student performance, college curriculum breadth, and graduation rates. College readiness measures participation and performance on advanced placement and international baccalaureate exams.

The data also take into account school enrollment, student diversity, participation in free and reduced-price meal programs, graduation rates, and the results of state assessment tests. 

Circle Center students present at Illinois State Capitol

Three third-grade Circle Center Grade School (CCGS) students presented at TECH 2019, a student technology demonstration at the Illinois State Capitol. Students Cambria Cann, Duncan Heminthavong, and Alice Mattson presented on their “Tech Task Force,” an entrepreneurial technology-consulting agency, at the 29th annual TECH 2019 student technology showcase in Springfield.

At the event, the students and their teacher, Leslie Kressin, showed the public and state legislators how they use technology to increase student engagement and improve achievement. At CCGS, Tech Task Force students visit neighboring classrooms to assist teachers and mentor students with technology-enriched lessons that transform learning.

“These students are a great example of how District 115 continues to seek new and additional technology tools to increase engagement, transform learning, and modernize our classrooms,” said Superintendent Dr. Tim Shimp.

Six from District 115 honored in statewide awards ceremony

Public education advocates from throughout the state were honored for their support of their local schools and districts during the Illinois Chapter of the National School Public Relations Association’s annual Distinguished Service Awards.The awards are presented to those who make a difference in their school communities by helping to promote public education and enhance its programs and services.

Six individuals representing District 115 took home the highest award--Awards of Excellence. The honorees were Cathy Anderson, administrative assistant to the superintendent, in the Support Staff Member category; Jorge Ayala, president of the district's Bilingual Parent Advisory Council, in the Parent category; Alicia Lingane, Yorkville Educational Foundation president, in the Community Member category; Josh Slavin, founder of the Timeout 4 Kids charity, in the Student Category; and the Team category award winners Sherri Farley, Yorkville Area Chamber of Commerce executive director, and Melissa Wojowski, teacher, for their work with the district's Field Experience Program.
YMS' Tessa Snicker competes in national spelling bee

Tessa Snicker, a Yorkville Middle School student, competed in the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Maryland.

Tessa earned the opportunity after she won the local Kendall Grundy Regional Office of Education spelling bee in February. Tessa made it all the way to the third round of the national competition.

YHS students earn gold at
NIU Business Olympics 

Yorkville High School students Kyle Koch and Jimmy Eberhart took a first place in Accounting at the Northern Illinois University Business Olympics competition.

Working as a team, Kyle and Jimmy developed a plan to earn the highest return for their property versus the other teams against whom they were competing. There were 12 schools and 84 participants at the NIU Business Olympics this year.
YHS juniors participate in a
Community Service Day

YHS juniors spent a day helping the Yorkville community. At the YMCA students picked up trash and mulched two playgrounds along with other cleaning projects. At New Life Church, students cleaned up the volleyball and basketball courts, while other students helped out at the Kendall County Food Pantry. The students also cleaned up debris, mulched and weeded at two district schools. Another student group volunteered at the Beecher center assisting with projects and Bingo.
YHS graduate invited to speak at United Nations in New York City

Emily Burd-Thomas, a 2005 graduate of Yorkville High School was invited to speak during the 63rd session of the Commission on the Status of Women for her work to help impoverished children in Kenya. At the event, held at the United Nations headquarters in New York City, Emily talked about her co-founding of Dignified Children International, for which she also won the African Role Model Award.

Board of Education
Board of Education information is available through the district website at y115.org/BOE with meeting agendas/documents and Board policies on the eGovernance System site.
Goal 1: Student Success
The Board of Education approved:

  • the assessment calendar for the 2019-2020 school year (the calendar reflects the changes in state and local assessments)

  • the LAS Links Español Spanish language oral proficiency assessment for the Dual Language Program

  • the kindergarten math curriculum that was revised to more accurately reflect and represent the Common Core State Standards and Illinois Model Math Curriculum

  • placing Board of Education Policy 7:270 pertaining to administering medications to students on public display
Goal 2: Community of Learners
The Board of Education approved:

  • 37 summer school hires, 1 retirement, 1 transfer, 12 resignations, 1 leave of absence, 1 termination, 13 co-curricular hires, and 4 co-curricular resignations 

  • the hiring of 8 certified staff members: Tara Olsen (YHS), Nicole Hoffman (YIS), Destinee Gonzalez (YIS), Amanda Petro (YIS), Allyson Buczyna (YIS), Joseph Jaeger (YHS), Margaret Schell (YMS), and Patricia LaBore (YHS) 

  • the tenure of Patrick Jecmen, Compass Program teacher 
Goal 3: Partnerships with Home & Community
The Board of Education recognized Kristen Fapp for her years of leadership as she steps down from her position as the chairperson of the Citizen’s Advisory Council. 

Also, Yorkville Grade School and Bristol Grade School students (pictured below) shared the wonderful actives occurring in their schools through their Heart of the Fox presentations.
Yorkville Grade School
Bristol Grade School
Congratulations to the members of the Yorkville CUSD 115 Junior Track & Field Special Olympics Team for a great season. 
Congratulations to Class of 2019 Graduates Austin Gilstrap, Julia Nauman, Sam Ocker, and Jordan Randa.
Goal 4: Operational Excellence
The Board of Education approved:

  • a one-year contract renewal with the district’s current food service vendor, Aramark, at a 1.6 percent increase (there will be no change in the student meal prices for the 2019-2020 school year) 

  • placing Board of Education Policies 7:40 and 6:190 regarding Home School and Parochial Students Participating in Extra-Curricular Activities on public display