In addition to voting in Tuesday’s midterm elections, Evanston residents made their voices heard in the City of Evanston and D65 Recycling Design Competition. Zeynep Bilgic, an eighth grader at Chute Middle School, was named the winning illustrator out of five middle school finalists. As a student in the advanced art program, she said she was interested in the contest concept, adding, “I also support recycling and doing something about climate change.” More than 400 people voted in the competition — way to go, Zeynep!

You may see her design around town, as the image of a dolphin balancing the earth on its nose will be printed and wrapped on a City recycling truck. This contest promoted America Recycles Day, which is coming up on November 15. Learn more about the District’s sustainability efforts here.

November 15 is School Board Members Day — join us in saying thank you to our Board of Education for their tireless efforts to support D65! These seven volunteers’ hard work earned the 2022 School Board Governance Recognition honor, which was celebrated at this fall’s local meeting of the Illinois Association of School Boards (IASB). Only 33 school boards in the state received this honor, which D65 also received in 2013 and 2011. Our School Board is deeply committed to advancing policies that foster racial and educational equity, improve academic outcomes for all students, and create an inclusive and welcoming environment for all.

Learn more about the work of our School Board by visiting our website, where you’ll find meeting information and minutes, a calendar, agenda packets and more! You can also follow along from home; meetings are live-streamed and are also available as recordings.

Board President Sergio Hernandez (third from left) was recognized at the North Cook Division Meeting in celebration of the Governance Recognition.

Mark your calendar for 7 p.m. on November 16! As part of the District’s commitment to fostering an inclusive learning environment, we have partnered with Chicago Therapy Collective for monthly virtual support group meetings. These are on Zoom and provide a safe space for families to share their stories, learn from each other, gain access to resources, and receive support throughout the school year.

Find the Zoom link on our website, and learn more about our Gender Support Team here. Monthly sessions will also be held for LGBTQ+ staff members; details will be forthcoming via email.

As part of our commitment to equity, all District 65 employees are in the process of completing the two-day Beyond Diversity Seminar. Now District 65 parents/caregivers can attend, too!

WHAT: An opportunity to learn how your values, beliefs and assumptions influence worldviews and behaviors, and how to go beyond tolerance of others to true respect for cultural differences.

WHEN: December 1 and December 2 from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

• Must be able to attend entirety of both sessions

WHERE: Joseph E. Hill Education Center, 1500 McDaniel Ave., Evanston

COST: Free!

IMPORTANT: Registration closes at 5 p.m. November 18.