Shine Bright with Supt. Rebecca A. Jenkins
Dear District 70 Families and Community:
It’s a new year at Libertyville District 70! I’m certain 2023 will be another year of progress and growth for our students, staff, and families. I’m confident because we have you, a world-class staff and community.
For many, January marks a time to work toward New Year’s resolutions. Here at District 70, however, our only resolution is to continue building on our past successes. Our new Strategic Plan, which I’m excited to begin unveiling with our various stakeholders next week, means we have a new vision and mission, but our overarching goal remains the same: preparing students for long-term success.
We may use new tools and resources to achieve this plan in 2023 and beyond, but you will remain the heartbeat of our district. You demonstrated over and over again throughout 2022 why you are our superpower; maybe none more so than during our strategic planning process. The strongest school districts are those that are a reflection of their community and it is your direction, your values, and your support that will take District 70 to the next level.
I want to once again thank those who participated in this process and thank our community at large for helping us start the new year on the right foot. I hope 2023 is shaping up to be a great year for you and your loved ones, and I can’t wait to continue Learning Together, just as our new vision states.
Shine Bright,
Rebecca
Rebecca A. Jenkins
Superintendent of Schools
Libertyville School District 70
Rebecca's Twitter
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Check out this student's artwork inspired by Vincent Van Gogh!
Registration Opens Feb. 2!
- For returning students (students now enrolled in D70), log onto PowerSchool here. Click on "School Forms" and proceed to complete Student Registration. Directions also can be found on the D70 website under Department, Student Registration, to Re-Enrollment for Current Students.
Once you've clicked on School Forms, proceed to update and complete all requested information for your student.
If you have more than one child, select a child’s name from the bar just below the PowerSchool logo, then click the SchoolForms icon.
Verify that all pre-populated information is correct and enter any remaining information necessary to complete your student's registration.
Registration for each child in the family must be completed separately through the PowerSchool parent portal.
- For new kindergarten or new student enrollment, go to the D70 website (d70schools.org), click on Department, then Student Registration, to New Kindergarten, New Student Registration to Pre-Registration Form. Follow the procedure.
D70 Preschool Open House on Jan. 19th
You're invited to a preschool Open House for District 70's Blended Early Education program, called Little Learners, from 6 to 7 p.m. on Jan. 19 at Butterfield School, 1441 Lake St.
During the Open House, families can learn more about opportunities in Little Learners, including what the unique program offers:
- A tuition-based program that is open to families who reside within District 70 boundaries
A certified teacher instructs classes in early childhood and special education.
For more information or to RSVP, contact Pamela Damesek at pdamesek@d70schools.org
Copeland Manor Principal Search Update
The slate of candidates for Copeland Manor principal has been narrowed to six candidates, with the first round of interviews set for next week on Jan. 18.
The strongest candidates will then move forward for interviews on Jan. 24th with various stakeholder teams consisting of parents, staff, administrators, and students. A new principal will take the reins of D70's third-largest school in July to replace retiring Principal Dr. Lori Poelking.
Earlier on Jan. 10, parents and teachers joined administrators for a Focus Group discussion. Participants shared what they are looking for in the next principal, processes that are currently working well, challenges that the next principal should expect, traditions and programs that should be maintained, and the leadership style and experiences that would be valued in the next principal. In December, the Copeland community had the opportunity to complete a survey regarding their thoughts on the principal position.
Poelking is a beloved principal in the District 70 community who will retire at the end of June after a 10-year career in District 70.
No Idling in School Drop-Off Lines Now
Supporting a Sustain Libertyville Commission request, District 70 is working to protect the environment by creating idle-free zones in school drop-off and pickup areas by posting "No Idling" signs.
You may notice the first signs have been posted at Highland Middle School. The program is expected to be expanded to include all District 70 schools. The signs were suggested by the village Commission, with D70 providing the artwork and the village creating the signs.
By using the No Idling signs, the hope is that they will "reduce vehicle emissions, especially where our children are breathing," said Doug Reed, chairman of the Sustain Libertyville Commission. "I believe that Highland's students will remind their parents about "not idling" while at our schools, as well as other places."
- According to the online site energy.gov, one idling car can use up to half a gallon of gas in an hour. This may not seem like much until we factor in that every gallon of gas burned creates 20 pounds of CO2,” according to a story announcing the partnership with schools in Libertyville's fall community newsletter. When we put 15 gallons of gas in a car, SUV, or truck, that gas becomes 300 pounds of CO2 in a single tank.
District 70 Supt. Rebecca A. Jenkins said she and board members support the "No Idling" signs and that it follows D70's long history of reducing its carbon footprint with solar panels and posting community fliers online rather distributing paper copies.
Upcoming Student Assessments
Students in second grade will be taking the CogAT (Cognitive Abilities Test) from Feb. 1-3.
CogAT is used in District 70 to guide efforts to adapt instruction to the needs and abilities of students, identify students whose predicted levels of academic achievement differ markedly from observed levels of achievement, and measure cognitive development to help identify academically talented students.
CogAT results will be mailed to parents sometime in March. A good night’s sleep and a healthy breakfast are recommended to prepare for the tests that week.
Support Charlotte Strong!
District 70 staff and families are working together to support Charlotte, a fifth-grader who is battling a rare type of cancer that affects mostly children.
Charlotte has a quiet strength and a quick-witted sense of humor. Along with her gorgeous wide smile and determination in everything she does, we know that she will overcome this diagnosis with the help and love of family, friends, and the Libertyville District 70 community.
- Charlotte Strong t-shirts are being sold at D70 schools and you also can purchase one through the D70 website Revtrak store for $15.
- All proceeds from t-shirt sales will go directly to Charlotte's Go Fund Me.
- To follow Charlotte's journey, please find her on CaringBridge.
Help Your Children Offer Their Opinions on the Future of Bicycling in Libertyville
District 70 is assisting the Libertyville Bicycle Commission in developing a comprehensive Bicycle Plan to make bicycling for both recreation and transportation, safer and more accessible throughout the village for bicyclists of all ages and abilities.
With safety in mind, we're joining the village in asking bicyclists of all experience levels to provide feedback on potential improvements using an interactive map at https://wikimapping.com/Libertyville-Bike-Network.html
If your children ride bikes to school, downtown, or the park, please take a few minutes with them and register their feedback too! Their insights could be especially helpful as they likely have a different perspective than adults.
Near the top of the interactive map, you can select various types of opportunity pins (“improvement needed”, “bike rack needed”, etc.) and place them on the map along with your comments and details. Even if there’s already a pin where you intend to put one, please add yours - more pins reflect stronger opinions about an opportunity for improvement.
It doesn’t take long to add a comment, and you can return as often as you like to add more ideas that may come to mind. The survey closes on Jan. 20.
Safety button
Responding to parent/guardian suggestions on the Safety Committee, the District 70 website now hosts a special Safety button on the front of the district and all the schools' website pages. You can find the new Safety button on the top right-hand corner of the D70 home website pages. The button will guide people to the:
D70 Bullying/Harassment Form
See Something, Say Something/Safe2Help
D70 Safety Information
Website Warriors - Where Can I Find?
A: Known as Curriculum Guides, the guides were developed within grade levels and teams and provided information about identified learning objectives aligned with state and national standards.
- Navigate to the district website and go to Teaching & Learning (Curriculum) then to Curriculum Guides.
- You can also check out how the district is doing under School Report Cards.
Q: My child's mood seems to be changing and I don't see as many get-togethers with friends. What do I do?
A: We're here to help.
- Check out the D70 Counseling Corner under Student Supports on the website (d70schools.org)
- Talk to your school psychologist or social worker.
Here's How to be in the Know in D70
- Instead of sending fliers home in student backpacks, Libertyville School District 70’s Virtual Backpack is a place for families to find important fliers and information from community groups, schools, and the district.
- The D70 website is your official guide to preK-8 public schools in Libertyville.
- You can also "like" District 70 on:
Crossing Guards are Needed!
The Village of Libertyville Police Department has an opening for a school crossing guard at the corner of Rockland Road and Stewart Avenue for this school year. This is a paid position with the department.
The position is for about 2.5 hours on school days from 7:35 to 8:50 a.m. and from 2:40 to 3:55 p.m. on Monday through Friday.
For more information, contact police Lt. Ed Swider at eswider@libertyville.com
Questions?
Email: rkollman@d70schools.org
Website: d70schools.org
Location: 1381 Lake Street, Libertyville, IL, USA
Phone: 847-362-9695
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LibertyvilleSchoolDistrict70/
Twitter: @libertyville