District Newsletter

Happy New Year! As we embark on another exciting season of learning and growth in 2025, I am reminded of the incredible partnership that makes our district such a special place. Our schools are not just places to learn, they are hubs of joy, relationship building, and inspiration for all of our students and staff. Thank you for being part of this community! Our shared commitment truly shapes a future of #LimitlessPossibilites for every child in our district.

There will be no school on Monday, January 20 in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

There will be no school for students on Tuesday, January 21 for a Teacher Institute Day. These days provide valuable time for our staff to work and learn together.

As winter settles in, please ensure your child is dressed appropriately for school each day. In order for students to be able to play off the blacktop during recess, they need boots and snow pants. If you are not able to afford winter gear for your child(ren), please reach out to your school for support as they have gear available for those in need.

Please review the guidelines we follow when making decisions about indoor vs. outdoor recess.

Did you know? Regular school attendance is one of the strongest predictors of a student’s success, not just in school but in life.

Tip: Celebrate your child’s good attendance so far and encourage them to keep it up for the rest of the year. Small rewards or special recognition can motivate them to stay committed to attending school daily. Let’s stick to our goal of 9 or fewer absences a year and build a positive attitude about regular attendance at school.

Thank you to our partners at the Palatine Police Department for putting this important school bus safety video together. In this video, Winston Campus Middle School Resource Officer (SRO) Gancarz and Sundling Middle School SRO Patrick discuss critical school bus safety laws. They emphasize the importance of following regulations to protect students, including stopping when bus lights are flashing.

This video is meant to help raise awareness and promote safety in the community, please share it around! This discussion is vital for both drivers and students to ensure a safer school transportation environment.

Our Blue Jay athletes braved the cold to compete in the Snowshoeing Olympics last weekend, and they did an awesome job taking Gold in several events! These three students are great representatives of District 15, and we’re so proud of their dedication!

A special thanks to our coaches; Mr. Donatowicz, Ms. Rosenblum, and Mr. Simonian for the time and energy they put into getting the best out of our athletes. We cannot wait to see how our Blue Jays do in Soccer and Track and Field this spring.

Our next Board of Education meeting will be held on Wednesday, January 15, 2025 at 7:00 p.m. at Walter R. Sundling Middle School (1100 N Smith St, Palatine, IL 60067)

Not receiving Board Briefs? Join our email list.

As always, thank you for your support and partnership.

Proud Superintendent of Schools

Every student—new and returning—must register for school each year. Please plan to register early and take time to ensure your contact information and your child’s emergency contact information are correct and up to date. Registration for the 2025-2026 school year will open in February, but we encourage families to start preparing their documents as soon as possible. Learn more about the registration process on our website.

As part of our commitment to transparency and best practices, we want to provide additional resources related to the recent Powerschool situation for families who may need them. For those seeking further details or support, please click here to access helpful resources, including support contact information for Powerschool and guidance from federal agencies.

On e-Learning Days, students and staff will transition to virtual learning from home, following their regular school schedule. Live instruction will be provided online through a Google Meet to ensure continuity of learning. This means:

For grades K-2, students should sign in to Seesaw through Clever and click on the Google Meet link to join their virtual classroom session. In Seesaw, students will also access activities and assignments as directed by their teacher.

For grades 3-8, students should sign in to Google Classroom and join the virtual classroom and access assignments set up by their teachers.

PreK students will be asynchronous meaning that they will not be online virtually. Teachers will have activities planned and sent home the day before an eLearning Day.

Please review the guidelines we follow when making decisions about inclement weather days.

At District 15, you'll find a community of faculty and staff deeply committed to fostering both academic rigor and character development in our students. Join us, and you'll have an opportunity to contribute to an empowering learning environment where you can have a lasting impact on the next generation of leaders. View open positions and apply today!

Our staff is always eager and excited to connect with families. If you need to contact a staff member for any reason, please use the Contact Us form on the school’s website. Once we receive a form submission, we will ensure it gets to the appropriate person.

In August of 2024, District 15 launched our updated website. Many changes and upgrades were made to our website, using data and feedback that was collected from families and community members last year. We are proud to share that our new website was named one of Finalsite's Best School District Websites of 2024.

The Communications Department continues to seek feedback to ensure that our website and other communication efforts are serving families, staff, and community members efficiently and effectively. Please complete the survey below by Thursday, February 6 regarding your experience with our website and other communication efforts. Thanks in advance for sharing your thoughts with us!

LAST CALL! Deadline approaching January 15th for Band or Orchestra Enrollment for incoming 5th-grade students for the 2025-2026 school year is now open! 4th-grade families, learn more about our program and register your child here or visit our website for more information.

As a reminder, 2024-25 Student Fees were due on June 1, 2024. Please log in to Infinite Campus to review your balance and make any necessary payments. Any questions regarding student fees can be directed to Kameswari Pullela, Business Department at 847-963-3065.

Our one-five Foundation is a nonprofit organization that supports all of the students, staff, and schools in District 15. They plan a 50/50 raffle, staff mini-grant, and staff tributes each year, and they're looking for more members! Are you interested in joining this exciting group of volunteers? Email Jen Dunkin at dunkinj@ccsd15.net for more information.

Special Education Parents Accessing Resources and Knowledge (SPARK) serves families of children with disabilities in District 15. SPARK hosts monthly meetings providing parents information to help them in their current and future steps of the journey of parenting children with disabilities. Join SPARK for this virtual meeting on Wednesday, January 29 from 7:00-8:30 p.m. to discuss future transition planning with Clearbrook Transition Outreach Specialist

Michelle Schwartz M.S. Ed.

Please join us to learn more about Dual Language Programming for potential incoming kindergarten students for 2025-26. Meetings will be held:

• February 6, 2025, at Jane Addams School, at 6:30 p.m.

• February 13, 2025, at Winston Campus, at 6:30 p.m.

• February 20, 2025, at Kimball Hill School, at 6:30 p.m.

For detailed information about the Spanish Dual Language program for your Kindergarten student, please view the February 2024 Dual Language Presentation to Kindergarten Parents (English) | (Spanish)

The Early Intervention team at John Conyers Learning Academy is holding three free screenings (by appointment only) this school year for children up to 33 months old. The next screening date is January 29. Please see the flyer or call Conyers Learning Academy (847-963-3400) with any questions.

• January 15 - Board of Education Meeting

• January 20 - No school, MLK Day

• January 21 - No school, Teacher Institute

• January 23 - Catch up with Heinz in Rolling Meadows

• January 29 - Free Developmental Screenings

• January 29 - SPARK Transition Planning virtual meeting

• January 31 - Grade 6-8 end of quarter

• February 3 - D15 Spelling Bee