On a mission to ignite the power and potential of each student.
DISTRICT 20 eNEWS
December 2019
Events Around The District
District 20 Celebrates Coding
Students across the district participated in an Hour of Code during the week of December 9th as part of a global movement engaging millions of students in over 180 countries, with free activities provided online in over 45 languages.

"The Hour of Code" started as a one- hour introduction to computer science, designed to simplify "code" to show that anyone can learn the basics and to encourage students to consider the field of computer science. By starting early, students will have a foundation for success in any 21st-century career path. Learning coding helps to encourage problem-solving skills, logic, and creativity. The website www.hourofcode.com provides free resources including tutorials and activities that can be used any time of the year. Check-it out with your student for fun activities during Winter Break!

District 20 teachers led their classes through fun and engaging coding activities like "Dance Party." Students as young as Kindergarten even participated. Some students worked independently on their project, while other classrooms engaged students in larger team-building activities. Regardless of the format, the students demonstrated hard work, perseverance and excitement for coding!

Please visit the D20 Photo Galleries to see more photos of the D20 Coding Week activities.
Kindness Matters
To help promote a positive and caring culture in our schools, we provide many different opportunities to inspire students to be kind and respectful to others. Lessons about kindness and respect are an important part of the Social Emotional Learning (SEL) that occurs at all grade levels throughout the year in classrooms, as well as in school assembly programs.

"NED's Kindness Adventure" was presented at both elementary schools this year. This program shares its message through storytelling, music, interactive videos, magical illusions and audience participation. The presentation helps to support a positive school climate and prevent bullying and mistreatment of others through a virtual journey to Africa with a cartoon character named Ned. The students learn that although there is some fear and reluctance at the start of their "visit" to Kenya, a kind heart and caring attitude helps to break down barriers and create a bond. The key themes addressed include: caring is cool, include others, I can make friends anywhere, each person matters a lot, and different can be good.
The Sound of Holiday Music
The Sound of Holiday Music could be heard throughout Keeneyville D20 this week! There were multiple student performances, including holiday shows by the Fifth Grade Combined Bands from Greenbrook and Waterbury, the Spring Wood Band, Spring Wood Choir, and the Faubourg Literacy Through the Arts Program. The hard work of all of the students and musical directors could be seen by enthusiastic audiences at each perfomance.

The Board of Education was also treated to a holiday showcase by members of the Spring Wood Choir and Bands at their monthly meeting. And to send everyone off for the winter break, both elementary schools held traditional Sing-a-Longs which got everyone in a festive spirit!
Seeking Parent Feedback
District 20 Board of Education
The Keeneyville Elementary School District 20 Board of Education held a regular board meeting on December 19, 2019 at Spring Wood Middle School. Meeting highlights are listed below. The next regular meeting of the District 20 Board of Education will be held on Thursday, January 23, 2019 at 7:00pm at the Spring Wood Middle School Library (2nd Floor).

Meeting information and minutes are located on the website, or click here . You can also view video recordings of Board Meetings on the Keeneyville YouTube Channe l .

December Board Meeting Highlights

  • The Board was recognized for their excellent work and service in assisting neighboring School District Bloomingdale SD 13.
  • Board Committee Reports were presented with Quarter 1 progress on the District 20 Strategic Plan. Click here to view the District's Strategic Plan 2019-2022.
  • Board Members shared information that they gathered from Triple I Conference workshops that they attended in Late November.
  • The Financial Dashboard was presented by Director of Operations/Treasurer, Wendy Flaherty.
  • Updates on the design phase of the Waterbury and Spring Wood library rennovations were given by Mrs. Flaherty.
  • The Superintendent's Dashboards on Student and Staff Attendance were presented by Superintendent Dr. Omar Castillo.
Board Salute

The Board recognized Donna Rivard, who works in the District Office as Assistant to the Director of Student Services, for her tireless commitment to students and families throughout the district. Donna routinely goes above and beyond to help students and families during the preschool registration process, tackling challenging transportation issues, and supporting special education students and their families.
Spring Wood Choir and Band

Members of the Spring Wood Band and Choir performed highlights from their holiday concert for the Board of Education.
School Highlights
Visit District News for more information about district-wide events.
EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTER
ECC held the second Parent Education Day of the year in December. Parents were encoruaged to come with their child and go to different classrooms for Make-and-Take Sessions. Teachers walked them through different activities and families went home with the student-made projects. They were also given a packet of fun and easy activities to do at home with their families over break. It was wonderful to see some many ECC families in attendance.

Visit School News to see other events and photos for ECC.
GREENBROOK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Some of the 4th Grade Classroms at Greenbrook participated in the Nora Project this month, which is a program that seeks to normalize difference, demystify disability, and promote meaningful connections with students and their peers with disabilities. The students participated in a yoga lesson and holiday crafting with the Nora Project staff and had a great time getting to know one another better. To learn more about the Nora Project, visit their website here .

Visit School News to see other events and photos for Greenbrook.
WATERBURY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Waterbury's 3rd Grade Music Program was held on December 4th. The third graders went back in time and sang some golden oldies during their musical performance, entitled Rocking Around the 1950s! They worked hard on their songs and everyone at the performance had a rockin' time!

The entire school participated in the annual Holiday Sing-a-Long today before they head off to Winter Break. Everyone was very excited and ready for the holidays!

Visit School News to see other events and photos for Waterbury.
SPRING WOOD MIDDLE SCHOOL
Be Passionate, Persistent + Present
You could have heard a pin drop in the Spring Wood Thunderdome during Jarrett Payton's motivational presentation this month. The students listened attentively to heartwarming stories about Jarrett's famous father Walter Payton and other Chicago sports figures.

He spoke about the importance of being passionate about something you love. He encouraged the students to work through their fears and be persistent to reach their goals. He also emphasized the value of being present in the moment, making everything that they do and say a reflection of themselves and their values. Like his father, Jarrett was inspirational and motivating!

Visit School News to see other events and photos for Spring Wood.
Community Connections
Visit D20 VIrtual Backpack for information about community events and programs.
Warm Coats Project
The Bloomingdale-Roselle Rotary Club was very generous and donated many coats again this year to our students across the district. We are grateful for the Rotary's continued commitment to our students and district! The Administration will distribute the warm coats to children who will benefit the most from this donation.
Community Tree Lighting

Dare to Dream from Spring Wood MS attended the Hanover Park Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony - Posada in early December. The group decorated a Christmas tree representing SW with blue and gold. It was a festive community holiday event!
Keeneyville Elementary School District 20 | 5540 Arlington Drive E | T (630) 894-2250