D15 Family Newsletter
October 6, 2023
Dear District 15 Families,
Hello October! Trick-or-Treat? We Choose 'Treat' with our monthly D15 Family Newsletter packed full of District 15 delights! As the seasons begin to change, the learning continues here in District 15! Our schools continue to be full of learning and engagement and we love seeing our students grow each and every day. Below we have shared important updates and news from our departments and community.
No School - October 9-10
Important Reminder - November 7
At the August 8, 2023, Board of Education meeting, the 2023-2024 school calendar was revised with November 7 to reflect a half day of school for students (AM) and a full day for staff with Teacher Institute for staff (PM).
For November 7, Half-Day Kindergarten and Half-Day Early Childhood do not attend school. Students are dismissed before lunch so we do not serve lunch on half days. Students will be served breakfast at schools that serve breakfast. Please click here to view the updated calendar!
We’re Glad You’re Here!
Partners for Our Communities (POC) Needs
The POC’s Clothing Closet needs your fall/winter clothing. They are currently experiencing many shoppers and it is difficult for them to keep clothing on the racks! The POC is now accepting clothing donations that will directly support people in our community. The Community Resource Center is located at 1585 N. Rand Road, Palatine, IL 60074.
The POC is looking for volunteers for a few of their upcoming events!
Saturday, October 7 from 9-11 am - Roots Garden End of Season Clean-Up. Location: 1475 N Hicks Rd.
Friday, October 20 from 6:30-7:30 pm - iCompete Candy Crawl. Location: Falcon Park Recreation Center at 2195 N. Hicks Rd.
In Our Community
The POC’s annual event, the iCompete Candy Crawl, is coming up on Friday, October 20! This event is for D15 students who are eligible to receive free and reduced lunch. We are excited to participate and can’t wait to see some of our students and families there!
Enjoy the beautiful fall weather.
Your partner in education,
Laurie Heinz
Superintendent of Schools
MOVING 15 FORWARD
NUTRITION SERVICES
How to Set Up Your School Café Account
If you would like to see what transactions your student has on their breakfast/lunch account, here’s how you can set up an account: On the Nutrition Services page on the D15 website, click on the green icon for School Café.
This link will take you to the website where you can pay for school meals and monitor student account balances, transactions, and request low balance alerts. There is also a quick guide to help with creating your student’s account.
Be sure to type in “Community Consolidated School District #15” for the school district when asked. You need your student's school ID number to create an account.
If you need any assistance with creating an account, please reach out to Nutrition Services at (847) 963-3929 or woodst@ccsd15.net.
Adding Money to Your Student Account:
If you need to add funds to a student's meal account, there are two ways to do this.
You can add money to any student's account on School Café. There is a service charge.
OrPut cash or a check made out to Nutrition Services in an envelope with your child’s name and “student meal account” on the envelope, and drop it off at your child’s school. There is no service fee for this transaction.
TRANSPORTATION
Bus Drivers Wanted!
No experience necessary - We offer paid training to help you earn your Commercial Driver’s License. Once licensed, the starting rate of pay is $25/hour.
Benefits include:
Blue Cross Blue Shield HMO and PPO coverage options— no-cost health insurance for employee, District-paid long-term disability insurance, Dental, and vision;
Flexible spending account;
$50k life insurance;
403b/457 savings accounts;
IMRF pension;
9 paid holidays, 10 sick and 3 personal days.
Schedule: 25 hours/week qualifies employee for full benefits. 25-40 hours/week are available. These are 10 month positions with optional summer hours.
Find additional details and apply today at: www.ccsd15.net/hiring
Please contact Andy Elbert with any questions - elberta@ccsd15.net.
COMMUNICATION
Reminder - Complete Our Survey About District 15's Website
High Five Fridays are Back!
We are so excited to share this year's dates for High Five Fridays! District 15 has invited local first responders and community partners to join our schools each Friday in October, November, April, and May to greet our students as they arrive at school. This partnership between District 15 and our local first responders brought so much joy to the students, staff, and first responders last year and we are so excited to bring it back!
EDUCATIONAL SERVICES
FastBridge Test Results
Each year, District 15 carefully monitors each child’s academic progress. Part of this monitoring includes using a series of quick, standardized tests using the FastBridge Assessment System. This data, combined with information from other assessments, is used to guide instruction and assess growth. All students in kindergarten, first grade, second grade, and third grade take FastBridge assessments in the Fall, Winter, and Spring of each school year. FastBridge uses brief measures of early literacy and math at the Kindergarten and first grade levels. These brief assessments provide data on an early learner’s reading and math development. The FastBridge assessments typically take less than 10 minutes per student, but the data gained provides teachers with insights and suggestions to help address each child’s needs.
STUDENT SERVICES
Free Developmental Screenings for children age birth to 33 months
Free developmental screenings for children ages birth to 33 months old are offered to families who live in District 15 through the District's Early Intervention Program.
The D15 Early Intervention Program offers playgroups and assessments for children turning three years of age who may display developmental delays or may be at risk for learning problems. The program encourages parents to be active participants during the assessment process.
A nurse, social worker, psychologist, and speech pathologist work closely with families to ensure a positive and comfortable transition into early childhood services.
Screenings are held at the John G. Conyers Learning Academy, 2800 Central Road in Rolling Meadows.
Dates offered for 2023-24:
October 18, 2023
February 12, 2024
April 10, 2024
To make an appointment or for more information, visit the Free Developmental Screenings webpage or contact Genna Guttman, at 847-963-3434.
Upcoming SPARK Meeting
This month's virtual SPARK Meeting will be on Monday, October 23, 2023 beginning at 7:00pm. Nimra Burney, SLP from In2great Pediatric Therapy will join us to discuss “Gestalt Language Processing”. Please help us spread the word to anyone you know who may benefit from this information.
Community Events and Resources
Make sure to check out the e-flyers page on our website for available events and resources for our families including an adaptive soccer program, support groups, parent resources from NSSEO, and an Autism Discovery Team. For these resources and more, head to www.ccsd15.net/e-flyer.
TECHNOLOGY
CALENDAR
Upcoming Dates:
- October 7 - IESA Regionals
October 9 - No School (Indigenous Peoples’ Day)
October 10 - No School (Teacher Plan Day)
October 11 - D15 Job Fair
October 11 - D15 Tournament
October 11-12 - Board of Education Meeting
October 12 - BPAC Meeting
October 14 - IESA State Meet
October 18 - Free Development Screenings
October 18 - D15 Job Fair
October 23 - SPARK Meeting
October 25 - D15 Job Fair
November 7 - Half Day of School (Half Day Teacher Institute Day)