School Scene - Monthly Newsletter, April 2022

Prospect Heights School District 23

April 15, 2022

Celebrate the end of the year with a special D23 Day at the Dogs!

Dear Parents and Staff,

While we know there is still much work to be done, the approaching end of the school year builds excitement and anticipation. End of trimester projects, assessments, and special events will fill the To-Do list quickly.

We want to celebrate our success this year and the start of summer break with a D23 Day at the Dogs!

We have worked with the Chicago Dogs Baseball team to reserve a District 23 section for the game on Tuesday, May 31st at 7:00pm.

Tickets are $12.00 and can be purchased directly through this link using the code: DISTRICT23

If your family wants to attend this event but the cost is prohibitive, please reach out to me (dangelaccio@d23.org) directly as confidential financial assistance is available.

Our District 23 students will be performing the National Anthem and we will have a very special guest throwing out the first pitch! We hope you can join us for this fun event to kick off summer and celebrate as a community.

Best Wishes,

Dr. A

Purchase your CHICAGO DOGS Tickets Here Code: District23

TRAFFIC TRIAL AT ROSS/SULLIVAN

We thank you for your patience and flexibility as we conducted our traffic trial the past two weeks. This is a reminder that we will return to the original traffic pattern next week. As we do so, we ask your continued caution and consideration while driving through the lots for student drop-off and pick-up.

We have collected data and observations that we will use to make a decision about the best options for traffic patterns, sharing the recommendation and information prior to the start of the school year. We would like to gather your feedback as well.

Please use this link to access a brief survey.

As you evaluate the plan, please keep our three goals/strategies in mind:

Eliminate bus and car traffic overlap
Move primary entrance and exit away from Palatine and Schoenbeck intersection to reduce congestion
Increase linear footage of car lines to move traffic off Schoenbeck

Upcoming Events

To all who celebrate in our community , we wish you a Happy Passover or Happy Easter.

No School

Monday, March 18

Teacher/Nurse Appreciation Week

May 2-6

Spring Performing Arts in D23

7:00pm @ MacArthur

Sullivan Orchestra

May 5

MacArthur Band

May 10

MacArthur Musical

May 11 & 12

Sullivan Band

May 16

Sullivan and MacArthur Chorus

May 17

MacArthur Orchestra

May 19

May 11, 2022

Board of Education Meeting at Grodsky Admin Bldg.

PTO Meeting

May 12

No School

May 13

Quick Links

Visit the D23 website

Link to: Board of Education Agendas and Meeting Highlights April 13, 2022

Betsy Ross Ambassadors lead the Pledge of Allegiance

Representatives of the Betsy Ross Bulldog Ambassadors led the Board of Education in the Pledge of Allegiance, then shared their experiences and goals from this year.

The excitement for serving their school, helping others, and planning fun activities was very clear.

Early Learning Expansion Investigation

Work continues on the investigation into opportunities to expand early learning in District 23. A Parent/Community Focus group was held in late April to discuss the needs and gather input.

A formal presentation will be made to the Board of Education at the May meeting with DRAFT ideas and sketches.

Betsy Ross School Improvement Team Presentation

Dr. Curtis and the School Improvement Team at Betsy Ross presented a summary of the work they have completed this year. They highlighted goals in each of the strategic areas: Student Success, Teaching, Learning and Innovation, Parent and Community Partnerships, and Sustainable Resources.

Thank you PTO, AVIC Teachers, and Volunteers

April is Volunteer appreciation month and the Board expressed their appreciation for the work of all of our volunteers.

A special mention was made of our PTO and the volunteers to teach in the Art Volunteers In Classrooms (AVIC) program! Their direct service enriches the school experience for our students and we thank them for their time and dedication.

New Literacy Programs Adopted for 2022-23

Dr. Amy Zaher, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction, and representatives of the English/Language Arts committee presented an overview of their work including the review of standards, needs assessment, screening and selection of a new Literacy Curriculum.

We thank this committee for their service and look forward to the launch and implementation of these new curricular materials next school year.

News and Information

April Recognitions

April is recognized as School Library Month. We appreciate our Library Media Specialists Ms. Hauschild, Mrs. Strachn, Mrs. Yager, and Mrs. McWilliams for their dedication and inspiration that leads our Media Centers into innovative and Future Ready places of learning.

We also recognize Autism Awareness Month in April and thank all of our professionals who bring this specialized skill and expertise to serving our students and families.

April 6th was National Assistant Principal Appreciation day and we that and recognize our outstanding AP Chris Alms for his awesome work.

Last, but certainly not least we celebrate Teacher Appreciation and Nurse Appreciation Week in early May. We thank all of our professionals for their dedicated service and contributions that make District 23 an amazing place in which students learn and grow.

D23 Community Connection is in the Mail

The Spring edition of our Proud2BD23 Community Connections newsletter will arrive at all residents' homes in the next weeks.

For an early, digital copy, click THIS LINK and enjoy reading about the amazing things happening across the District and at each of our schools.

Registration for 2022-23 continues - Please complete by May 1st

Monitoring COVID Data and Guidance

The CDC and IDPH have recently updated their guidance documents and metrics to inform planning and decision making. The focus has shifted from community spread to community impact. The data now being monitored includes rates of hospitalizations and hospital bed availability.

We continue to recommend and encourage vaccination, mitigation, and symptom monitoring to minimize the impact of COVID in our community.

Special Thanks to our CommunityPartners

As part of their career studies unit in Family and Consumer Science, each quarter 8th grade students participate in "Mock Interviews". MacArthur teacher, Mrs. Alvaro actively reaches out to our community partners to provide a real world experience for the students. We thank PH City Manager, Joe Wade, PH Police Chief Jim Zawlocki, PH Park District Director Christina Ferraro, PH Library Director Alex Todd and River Trails Park District Director Brett Fahnstrom for sharing their time with our students.