Weekly Update - June 11, 2021 |
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Thank you from Dr. Garcia |
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An extraordinary year of hard work and dedication
Dear D181 families and staff,
As this year comes to an end, I want to once again recognize the extraordinary hard work and dedication of our amazing staff throughout the year. Thank you for your continued support and teamwork as we navigated all of the health protocols and procedures.
Earlier this year there were several challenges and obstacles with no clear path. Yet, under tremendous pressure and challenging circumstances, we focused all our energy on developing the best learning environment for our students. As you recall, we had changing and conflicting state and health guidance and had to develop new health and safety measures, new learning models and a more robust infrastructure that supported remote learning. Despite this unique situation, we forged ahead with our students in the forefront of our efforts and had a successful year from various perspectives. From high quality live daily instruction throughout the year to safety protocols that were consistently implemented district-wide, the District culminated with full in-person learning even when some schools were in full remote.
Throughout the year, our teachers also carved out classroom time to build relationships with students and support their social emotional learning whether they were in-person or remote. Knowing that the pandemic brought difficult challenges to individual students, we provided additional support for special education and EL students as well as deployed more interventions for all students.
Whatever lies ahead, I know we will be in a better place next year due to the dedication, selflessness, and countless hours of work from our teams across the district. Our plan is to continue full in-person instruction and closely monitor the guidance from the Illinois State Board of Education, Illinois Department of Health and CDC throughout the summer.
Our success this year was truly a team effort and your continued support was instrumental. I hope that you are able to enjoy time off this summer with your family and friends.
Sincerely,
Dr. Hector Garcia
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Congratulations Graduates! |
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Graduation is always a bittersweet event. We send off our students to their next chapter in life, knowing we will miss them. Yesterday, CHMS and HMS held separate in-person ceremonies at Westmont High School’s outdoor field. Check out the photos and details on the ceremonies. Congratulations graduates!
Hinsdale Middle School
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The HMS graduation ceremony included recorded performances by the HMS Band (“Don’t Stop Believin’), HMS Orchestra (“Million Dreams”), and HMS Choir (“You will be Found”).
Graduation speakers were students Tyler Thick (pictured at podium in center photo) and Zoe Wiemeyer (pictured top right at podium). The 8th Grade Book, a gift from the PTO, presented to graduates is “Be You” by Peter Reynolds.
Students receiving awards were:
American Legion Awards: Shreeman Patel and Catherine Yan
Graduates were recognized by Mrs. Grace Shin, Board of Education Member; Mr. Ruben Peña, Principal; Mr. Rocky May, Assistant Principal; and Dr. Hector Garcia, D181 Superintendent.
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Clarendon Hills Middle School |
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The CHMS graduation ceremony followed the HMS ceremony and included recorded performances by the CHMS Band (“Integrity”), CHMS Orchestra (“Night Voyage”), and CHMS Choir (“Turn the World Around”).
Graduation speakers were students Addison Griebenow (pictured in top left photo) and Owen Saka (pictured in center left photo with Principal Levi Brown).
Students receiving awards were:
Walter A. Kistenfeger, Jr. Humanitarian Award: Elia Crisan and Pietro Pamfili
American Legion Awards: Maya Gin and Alex Rivera
Eagle Award: Allie Tonjes and Jack Crabb
Graduates were recognized by Mrs. Margaret Kleber, Board of Education President; Mr. Nathan Lucht, Former Board of Education Member; Dr. Levi Brown, Principal; and Dr. Hector Garcia, D181 Superintendent.
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Celebrating the End of the Year |
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That's a Wrap and a Clap
Wednesday marked the end of the 2020-2021 school year. There were clap out celebrations, brief ceremonies, picnics and fests to honor 5th graders who are moving on to middle school and to celebrate the end of the school year. The pandemic brought some creative changes to the end-of-year traditions, including a ukelele performance at Elm and a drive-in recognition ceremony for The Lane.
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Teachers Get Start on Next Year |
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School was over on Wednesday and on Thursday, teachers were getting a jump on next year. In a day focused on professional development, teachers heard from educator Thomas C. Murray, author of Personal and Authentic. The goal of the day was to work on strategies to build connections with students, or as Murray said, “When I changed my mindset from what I taught to who I taught, everything came into focus.”
Murray led faculty through exercises to create a culture of learning and design personal and authentic learning experiences. The day was part of an overall plan to expand social emotional learning experiences for students next year, an outgrowth of a difficult year from the pandemic. “Social and emotional learning (SEL) provides a foundation for safe and positive learning, and enhances students' ability to succeed in school, careers, and life,” said Assistant Superintendent of Learning Kathleen Robinson. “Skills learned through a SEL program have been shown to help students better cope with emotional stress, solve problems, avoid peer pressure and build resilience. We can help set students up for success throughout their school years and beyond.”
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Sixty-three student artists were selected to participate in the virtual D181 Middle School Art Show. Their works, chosen by art teachers Michael Bale and Theresa McGee, showcase the high-quality arts program at CHMS and HMS that encourages creativity, self-expression, discipline and more. The art show was sponsored by the D181 Foundation and features a soundtrack by the CHMS and HMS Jazz Ensembles. View the show here.
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Exhibit will Feature Students' History on Pandemic |
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Join us at an Open House and reception June 15 for an exhibit and performance of students' work in the D181 Foundation Young Writers - The 2020 Project. Students and the project were featured on CBS News recently, highlighted at left. The Open House will be held at Immanual Hall, 302 Grant St. on June 15 from 6-8 p.m. The exhibit is a partnership between the Foundation and the Hinsdale Historical Society. The exhibit will be held Wednesdays – Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. – noon from June 16 – July 3. Books can be purchased at the exhibit for $25.
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Welcome to New Board Committee Members |
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Welcome to the community members who will serve on the following Board of Education committees. The committee meetings are held monthly and are open to the public. More information can be found here.
Academic Success Committee
Ronne Malham
Lois Mejdrich
Ryan Trombly
Virginia Malinas
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Finance Committee
Chris White
Rich Giltner
Jerry Mejdrich
Nathan Lucht
Asim Aleem
Facilities Committee
Lois Mejdrich
Thank you for your involvement and thank you to the outgoing committee members.
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COVID Positive Cases
As of June 11, 2021, there were no positive Covid cases reported this past week and no students in quarantine. The D181 Positive Case Report Spreadsheet is updated daily on student attendance days at 4 p.m. To view the latest dashboard, click here.
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Sign Up Now for Rotary Run |
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Mark your calendars for the 2021 Rotary Run Charity Classic! The annual Rotary Run, which benefits local nonprofits and organizations including District 181, will be held on Sunday, Oct. 3, 2021. For more information or to register, visit www.rotaryruncharityclassic.com.
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About Those Student Devices |
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Here are a few reminders for the summer:
Device turn in
Kindergarten - 7th-graders: Please keep your child(ren)’s device(s) over summer break
8th Grade: If you have not yet turned in your child’s device, please contact your child’s school promptly
Moving Out of District: Please return your child(ren)’s District device to your school building’s secretary promptly.
Summer software resources
During the summer, your child will have access to any District subscriptions during the summer month. Some great resources to continue to work on during the summer are: IXL, TumbleBooks, Axis360, Brain Pop and Brain Pop Jr, Starfall (early primary), and Actively Learn (middle school).
Broken Devices
If your child’s device encounters any issues during summer break, ie. cracked screen, please visit the D181 eLearning support website here to submit a tech support request.
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Meal Pickup Extends Through Summer |
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D181 meal pickup for all families in the community (with children ages 0-18) will continue throughout June and July. Pick up will be on Wednesdays from 4-6 p.m. at Hinsdale Middle School, Door 902B on Washington St. No pre-registraton is required. If you are unable to pick-up please email Laura Allgaier, Food Service Director, at laura.allgaier@questfms.com
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COMMUNITY CONSOLIDATED SCHOOL DISTRICT 181
115 West 55th St. Clarendon Hills, IL 60514
© District 181. All rights reserved.
PH:630.861.4900
FAX:630.887.1079
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