The 929
Principal Introduction
Hello Edgewood Families,
I’d like to take a moment to introduce myself. My name is Louis Kotvis, and I am the principal of Edgewood Middle School. This is my second year in this role, after serving as the associate principal here. Before joining Highland Park, I worked as an administrator in Park Ridge and Winnetka and was a teacher and instructional coach in Skokie, Illinois.
I live in Deerfield with my wife, Hannah, who teaches kindergarten, and our 15-month-old daughter, Noa. I enjoy spending time with my family and friends, staying active (you might see me running in local forest preserves), and playing pickleball or basketball at nearby courts. I’m also a big sports fan, cheering for the Packers and White Sox (yes, I know!). I have a background in wrestling and broadcasting from my time at Stevenson High School.
I look forward to meeting many of you during the upcoming Open House. I want to express how much I value being part of the Edgewood community. I am committed to ensuring that your students have a successful and positive experience at middle school. My goal is for every student to feel welcomed and connected, fostering a strong sense of community and pride in our school.
Please feel free to reach out to me with any questions or comments. You can contact me via email at lkotvis@nssd112.org or by phone at 224-765-3201. Although I am often in classrooms and with students throughout the day, I will do my best to respond as quickly as possible, typically by giving you a call.
This communication, titled “The 929” (after Edgewood’s address), will be my primary way to share important information. I aim to keep it user-friendly and organized, with both new and ongoing updates. Based on feedback and the busy nature of weekends, I will now send out “The 929” on Wednesday evenings instead of Friday afternoons.
Thank you for your support, and I look forward to a great school year!
Best regards,
Louis Kotvis
Principal
For The Calendar
Eagle Days
We’re excited to offer various dates and times for students and families to visit Edgewood and walk through their schedules before school starts. If you cannot attend, that’s perfectly okay—students will have designated times during the first days of school for activities such as lock setup and familiarizing themselves with the Edgewood layout. We appreciate your understanding and flexibility. Additionally, we’ve added an extra block of time to accommodate the Washington, DC trip for our 8th graders. Thank you for your support!
August 13th, 2024
9:00-10:30 - Transfer Student Orientation
10:30-12:30 - 6th Grade Students Only
August 14, 2024
9:00 am-2:00pm-All Students
August 16, 2024
9:00 am-11:30pm-All Students
Open House- August 28th
We are excited to invite you to our Back to School Open House at Edgewood from 5:30 to 8:00 p.m.! This event is a wonderful opportunity to kick off the school year and for parents and guardians to meet their students' teachers. We will provide more details soon, but in the meantime, please save the date!
To Do List
Assignment Notebooks:
All 6th graders are required to bring their Edgewood assignment notebook to school on a daily basis. We have these available to purchase for $5 each through Infinite Campus. Other grade level students may also purchase, however they are not required. **Please note, these are NOT included in the Back to School, School Supply kits.
Good to Know Information
Family Advisory Committee
This school year, I aim to increase family engagement by starting a Family Advisory Committee to boost parent involvement and create a more favorable environment for Edgewood. This committee will focus on creating goals based on the family engagement survey from HumanEx and the 5 Essentials survey. If you are interested in volunteering please fill out this form to get future communications from me after school begins.
Schedules
Schedules will be released on August 9th at noon. Parents should receive an email from the district which will give directions for how to access the schedule in the "portal" on Infinite Campus.
Associate Principals Roles
You will notice that while we have three Associate Principals for the 2024-2025 school year we have moved away from having "grade level" associate principals and will be going to a different model. For instance, our associate principals will take on an "alpha" list to oversee 504s and behavior. We will also have one associate principal handling most IEPs. Please read about our new APs here, Mrs. Keri Williams will return for her second year. Please stay tuned closer to the start of the year and at Open House to learn more about the APs roles and responsibilities.
Welcome New Eagle Staff
Edgewood also has many new staff members this school year. Please help me warmly welcome the following new Eagles!
Ari Feinberg, 6th Grade ELA Teacher
Amy Oyer, 7th Grade Special Education Teacher
Barb Alvarez, Paraprofessional
Chris Pomeroy, 6th Grade ELA Teacher
Deirdre Morelli, 8th Grade ELA Teacher
Emma Homer, 8th Grade Special Education Teacher
Greer Deutsch, SAIL/ILP Social Worker
Jenna Bauer, Math Lab Teacher
Lindsay Page, 6th Grade Special Education Teacher
Lili Sanner, General Music
Mary McGilvray, Paraprofessional
Sarah Glazier, ESL Teacher
Savanna Culhane, Nurse Clerk
Tiffany Melvin, Chorus Teacher
Arrival and Dismissal Procedures
Please click here to read about the arrival and dismissal procedures for Edgewood (same as last year for any returning parents).
New Bell Schedules
Starting this year, we will have a single, consistent daily schedule and will no longer have "Eagle Days," "Block Days," or similar variations! Please review the new Daily Bell Schedule and Early Release Bell Schedule for Edgewood. You will also see something abbreviated as SSB in the schedule. This stands for “Student Support Block,” a new addition at Edgewood that will occur each day. It will serve as each student's "homeroom" or "advisory" period for the year.
Clubs/Sports and More
At Edgewood, we offer a wide range of clubs, sports, and after-school activities for students. It's important for students to engage in these extracurricular activities, as they provide valuable opportunities for personal growth, teamwork, and skill development beyond the regular classroom experience. Stay tuned for future communications and links about the exciting opportunities available for your student to get involved and make the most of their time at school!
Bus Information
“For students riding the bus, bus information will be sent by mail a week before school or listed in IC under Transportation. If you have questions, please contact the Transportation office at 224-765-3011”
Edgewood’s“Late” Bus Service
Our late bus service has started. It is open to ALL students. How does it work? Every full day of school the bus picks students up around 4:00 p.m. from the circle drive. All students must do is inform the driver where they live and they will be dropped off at home.