BSD2 News & Notifications | District & Community Flyers | BSD2 Events Calendar

Halloween is a week away, and celebrations are already in the works across District 2.

Blackhawk Middle School's Halloween dances are Tuesday, October 25 -- Grade 6 from 3:30-5 p.m., and Grades 7-8 from 6-7:30 p.m. 

Tioga and W.A. Johnson Schools have also planned costume parades and classroom parties, and will be sharing those details with families in the coming days.

Parents, please review the reminders below to ensure a safe and fun Halloween celebration for everyone!

• TREATS: Due to allergy concerns and ongoing COVID safety measures, students will not be allowed to pass out anything edible this year, including pre-packaged, store-bought treats.

• COSTUMES: Students are encouraged to wear their Halloween costumes to school. Face paint, fake blood, and look-alike weapons are not allowed. Masks may be worn during the Halloween parade, but not during the regular school day.

• ALTERNATE ACTIVITIES: Parents who do not want their children to participate in Halloween celebrations should send a note to their child’s teacher as soon as possible. Students not celebrating will be in the library, engaged in non-Halloween related activities.

• MORE SAFETY TIPS: Of course, the celebration continues after school with trick-or-treating. The National Safety Council recommends following a few simple steps to ensure you have an extra safe Halloween. Click here to review them.

• VILLAGE OF BENSENVILLE TRUNK-OR-TREAT: From 3-5 p.m. on Halloween, Bensenville organizations and businesses will be decorating their trunks and handing out candy to children ages 3-11 years old in the parking lot behind Village Hall. Click here for more details.

Throughout October, the Frida Community Organization has held Día de los Muertos workshops, guiding families as they create their own papier-mâché versions of La Catrina.

The iconic image of La Catrina -- an elegantly dressed skeleton wearing a fancy dress, feathered hat and extravagant makeup – was originally created as send-up of “can’t take it with you” materialism.

Over time, though, she became a reminder to enjoy life and embrace mortality.

Now La Catrina is a celebratory symbol of Día de los Muertos, a predominantly Mexican holiday traditionally celebrated on November 1 and 2.

For Día de los Muertos, families and friends gather to pay respects and remember friends and family members who have died, often enjoying traditional dishes while trading humorous stories about their departed loved ones.

Led by the Frida Community Organization, the District’s partner in administering its 21st Century grant programming, families have gathered at W.A. Johnson School the past three Wednesday evenings to create their own La Catrina sculptures.

They’ve made great progress to date, and will gather one more time on Wednesday, October 26, to complete their work before the holiday.

• Click here for more Día de los Muertos workshop photos.

Bensenville-Wood Dale Rotary Club's Coats4Kids distribution was held Saturday, October 15, at W.A. Johnson School.

This annual event provides around 500 new winter coats for BSD2 students in need. Their families are referred to Coats4Kids by teachers and school staff looking to ensure that every student has a warm coat to wear in the winter.

District 2 both benefits and supports Coats4Kids. Lara Schwarz, BSD2 Community Liaison, is President of Bensenville-Wood Dale Rotary, and James Stoltman, Vice President of the Board of Education, is its Vice President.

Every year, numerous staff, students and community members also support the program by donating money to buy new coats and by volunteering to help with distribution.

Thanks to everyone who supported Coats4Kids this year!

In particular, thank you to Grand Subaru and the Bensenville Community Foundation, which awarded Bensenville-Wood Dale Rotary a $10,000 grant to support the 2022 Coats4Kids program.

• Click here for more Bensenville-Wood Dale Rotary Coats4Kids photos.

Now a student at Fenton High School and a member of the Bison football team, Dorien was awarded the Latino Heritage Youth Leadership Award at Soldier Field during halftime of the Chicago Bears October 13 game against the Washington Commanders.

Only two high school students were selected for this honor. 

According to the Bears, the Latino Heritage Youth Leadership Award recognizes exceptional high school student athletes of Latino heritage that display outstanding leadership on and off the field, excel in the classroom, and make a positive impact in their school and local community through service to others.

The Chicago Bears praised Dorien for his 3.6 grade point average, being a leader in three sports, earning All State Academic Honors, and for his volunteer time with Habitat for Humanity.

DEDICATED

New park bench a memorial to long-time CARE volunteer Jean Messina

Jean Messina was a dedicated CARE volunteer for 23 years. She absolutely loved working with Patty Vlangos and her class of second graders at W.A. Johnson School.

Unfortunately, Jean passed away last winter at the age of 88.

Earlier this month, the Messina family gathered at Johnson to dedicate a park bench placed in the courtyard, right outside Ms. Vlangos’ classroom, to the memory of their mother, grandmother, and great grandmother.

The District 2 connections run deep in the Messina family. Sam, Jean’s son (pictured center), was a night custodian in District 2 about 40 years ago. He and his wife are former BSD2 students who’ve known each other since they were 9 years old. Their daughter was also a District 2 student.

“It was such a touching moment when her son thanked us for helping him make his wish become a reality,” said Lara Schwarz, the District’s Project CARE Coordinator. “Talk about a touching, feel-good story!”

BOOK SWAP

Monthly exchange provides Johnson students new books to read at home

W.A. Johnson School held its first monthly book swap of the year on Friday, October 14. In all, 54 students participated.

Earlier in the week, students dropped of books they had already read at home. Teachers documented their names and the number of books they donated, then sent them off with a reminder of how many “new” books they could pick up at the end of the week.

Then, on Friday, those students dropped into the Innovation Lab before heading to class in the morning to shop for new titles to take home and read over the next few weeks. Teachers assisted them in picking not only the right number of books, but also the right books in general – ones appropriate for their age, reading level and interests.

Teachers also send letters home with students whose families may be in need of books to read at home, encouraging them to participate in the monthly exchange. Even if they’re unable to donate the first time, they can still swap out books throughout the school year.

• Click here for more Johnson Book Swap photos.

GOING GLOBAL

Tioga brings back International Night

COVID led to the cancellation of many large, popular community events at schools over the past two years.

On October 12, though, International Night returned to Tioga School, and families were there for it!

The evening featured crafts and activities from Ireland, China, Japan, Mexico, South America, the Netherlands, and the Slavic countries.

• Click here for more photos from Tioga International Night.

Bensenville School District 2 and Fenton High School's Padres Unidos are partnering this year to present a yearlong parent education series facilitated by Chicago-area psychologist Dr. Ferney Ramirez (Spanish) and YWCA clinical therapist Theresa Taylor (English).

The third offering in the series will be held from 6-8 p.m. Tuesday, November 1, at Blackhawk Middle School, located at 250 S. Church Street in Bensenville.

Titled "Positive Involvement - a Need: Connected Parents - Educating Children with Leadership," the presentation will help parents teach their children the importance of family and build relationships between parents, children and their siblings.

This presentation will be offered in English and Spanish.

Childcare and food will be provided.

• Click here for a complete schedule of topics for the BSD2-Fenton Parent Education Series. 

If social media is your thing, we’d love it if you’d visit our Facebook and Twitter pages, click the “like” button, and follow our postings to keep up with the latest BSD2 News.

Just login and search for “Bensenville School District 2.”

You’ll know you’re where you belong when you're on a page with the District's new "Learning & Growing Together" logo shown to the right.

• Click here to visit the BSD2 Facebook page.
• Click here to visit the BSD2 Twitter page.

District 2 has gone "green" in its approach to distributing community flyers.

Rather than sending flyers home with each student via backpack mail, District and community flyers are posted on the BSD2 E-Flyers page for parents to view or print 24/7.

It is estimated that this saves our schools hundreds of hours per year spent sorting and handling the materials, not to mention the number of trees and other resources saved in producing them.

• Click here for the current list of BSD2 E-Flyers.