D75 Spotlight Newsletter
December 19, 2024
Dr. Kevin Myers, Superintendent, Districts 75 and 120
From math to dual language and reading, our students have made tremendous progress since August.
Now, as we reach the halfway point of the 2024-25 school year, it’s worth looking back on how far we’ve come these past four months. One of the best ways to show what they’ve been learning is to let the students tell us themselves.
This is exactly what we’ve done during our School Board meetings in September, October and November. Representative groups of students from Washington, Mechanics Grove and Carl Sandburg have taken turns presenting on their learning to our School Board.
In November, Carl Sandburg Middle School students gave a presentation on their Dual Language program (in both Spanish and English, of course) with a focus on oral literacy and a portfolio activity board. The presentation also recognized the goals on which the school has been focusing to support student achievement. Nine Carl Sandburg students modeled oral literacy (in both English and Spanish) and invited Board Members to participate.
Mechanics Grove elementary students gave a presentation on the Reader’s Workshop model in September, explaining how the model is used and described its various components. Students then gave examples to Board Members showing how the model works by working individually with them to reflect, react and respond as readers to a particular passage from a book. The Reader’s Workshop model is helping Mechanics Grove to meet the District’s strategic goal of showing continuing improvement in literacy and math annually based on appropriate standardized assessments.
In October, Washington administrators presented an update on Mathematics Instruction and Assessment, one of the District’s School Improvement Plan Goals. The update showed initiatives in place and how they are designed to improve math learning. Students then showed School Board Members some of the games they are playing to improve their math skills.
The presentations were all impressive. It’s one thing for students to do well in the classroom. It’s much more challenging for elementary and middle school students to stand up in front of School Board Members and explain what they’re learning.
The presentations were all very impressive. Not only did the students show how much they are learning, but they proved what kind of learners they are by displaying great maturity, enthusiasm and fearlessness in speaking in front of the School Board.
We’re proud of our students and the leadership and guidance they’re getting from our teaching staff. It’s great to have this to build on going into the second half of our school year.
Board News & Notes
Technology Update
Director of Technology Dan Crowe updated the School Board on a technology plan focusing on data security, physical security, improved network performance and instructional technology. The plan included implementation of advanced SPAM protection tools, replacing antiquated video surveillance cameras in the schools, and upgrading wireless access point to cloud-based controlled Wi-Fi.
CSMS band students qualify for ILMEA
Six Carl Sandburg eighth graders qualified for the Illinois Music Education Association (ILMEA), making it the largest number of CSMS students ever selected for this prestigious honor.
The students, Justin Carvalho, Stella Hunter, Kimberlyn Diaz, Noah Jarrett, Cami Plohr and Cassidy Langford, were selected from among hundreds of middle school musicians in the Lake County area. Only a handful qualified based on their audition scores.
“We are so fortunate to have an extremely talented 8th Grade Symphonic Band this year,” said CSMS Band Director Moulee Gupta. “I am truly honored to be their teacher.”
The students had the unique opportunity to join other qualifying musicians for a concert on Nov. 2 at Wauconda High School featuring both the Honor Band and the Jazz Band.
District prepares for Carl Sandburg stage addition
Plans to build stage to Carl Sandburg Middle School are moving ahead. The District 75 School Board in December awarded the bid of $7 million from Stuckey Construction of Waukegan to complete the work.
The L-shaped addition on the school’s southeast side, will include a handicapped accessible stage, dressing rooms and storage. The estimated capacity will be about 200, similar to the size of the Lincoln School stage. The gymnasium near the school office will remain in place and serve as a seating area for performances. The addition will not interfere with the school’s bus lanes.
The project could begin during Spring Break, weather permitting, and be completed over the summer.
Young cancer patient trades balloon art for smiles
There’s nothing that 12-year-old Misheel enjoys more than seeing other people smile. It makes her smile - and giggle.
So when she found herself battling cancer at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, the seventh-grader from Springman Middle School in Glenview began making balloon art for others.
Misheel told her story to students at Mechanics Grove School Friday morning as a special guest of Principal Tanya Fergus. The two had met through the Make-A-Wish Foundation. On Friday, Misheel and her mother, Undra, brought more balloon creations to share with MG students. Misheel also shared her story.
Not long after she was diagnosed with cancer, Misheel and her family moved to St. Jude for seven months for radiation and chemo treatment. Misheel’s God-father first taught her how to make balloon art by showing her how to make three basic animals. Misheel picked up all of her other designs from YouTube.
At first, the balloon hobby gave her something to do while recovering from cancer treatment at St. Jude. But eventually, Misheel found a purpose for her new talent.
How Washington's focus on math will lead to student success
With the use of playing cards and dice, Washington students are having fun playing numbers games at school. It’s clear from the smiles on their faces that they’re having fun. What they may not realize is that by playing games, they are becoming more proficient at foundational math skills.
“It just comes from repetitive practice,” said Washington Math Interventionist Jeanette Bucks. “They don’t realize they’re learning. They just want to win.”
Four second-grade students attended the District 75 School Board meeting on Oct. 22 and demonstrated one-on-one with Board Members one of the games. In the first part of the game, the student flips over a card, writes the number in a box, then rolls a single die and writes that number in a second box. They add up those two numbers for the answer. In the second part, the numbers are subtracted.
The math games are part of a renewed focus on math. Goal number 2 for the Washington School Improvement Plan is about improving Mathematics Instruction and Assessment.
Washington staff, PTO paint playground
Recess at Washington School just became a little more fun.
With no classes scheduled on Oct. 25, the staff scheduled a Community Action Day and achieved a project that was long overdue. Teachers and parents added a splash of color to the school playground.
They painted the blacktop with fun and engaging activities such as four-square, bean bag toss, sensory paths, and a track for bicycle riding.
Preschoolers meet animals during in-house field trip
The students in Mallary Burke’s preschool class didn’t have to travel very far for their first-ever school field trip. No buses or permission slips were required. They simply walked down the hallway to the multipurpose room at Lincoln School.
But the students wouldn’t have seen as many creatures if they had spent the entire day in a forest. That’s because Jan Ward, Environmental Educator for the Lake County Forest Preserve, brought the wildlife to them.
From stuffed animals (a robin and a chipmunk) to live animals (turtles, a toad and a snake) Ward taught the children the difference between reptiles, amphibians and mammals and let them meet the animals up close.
