Dear Dunlap School Community,

It's hard to believe that another school year is coming to a close and discussions have already begun for the upcoming 2024 - 2025 school year. I would like to thank our entire school community for your continued support and partnership. Our District has had so much to celebrate this year: Many of our students were recognized for their achievements in academics, athletics, fine arts, career and technical industries, at both state and national levels. Most recently, Dunlap High School was named by U.S. News & World Report as the #1 High School among Peoria, Illinois Metro High Schools and was ranked #49 among Illinois High Schools.

Our staff's dedication to our students' success is the driving force behind everything we achieve. This year we continued to recognize our amazing staff through surprising 2 nominated staff members each month for exemplary service to our district and students. It is truly an honor to surprise our awardees each month with this much-deserved recognition. Any student, parent, or staff member can nominate a current employee for this award and nominations can be made by going to our district website (www.dunlapcusd.net).

To the graduating class of 2024, you have remained committed to your studies, grown in ways you might have never imagined and persevered in times of challenge and great change. As you graduate and embark on new pathways as young adults, I hope that you will remember the special people who have been alongside your journey, the lessons you've learned, and the belief that you can do anything that you set your mind to. Congratulations Class of 2024!

As we continue to plan for the 2024-2025 school year, the district leadership team and Board of Education will continue to collaborate and dive deeper into the goals and timelines associated with our new Strategic Plan. Thank you to all of the stakeholders (students, staff, parents, board members, and community members) who helped identify these priorities through a lengthy community engagement process over the past two years.

I wish everyone a safe and relaxing summer break!

Sincerely,

Dr. Scott Dearman

Congratulations to the students selected from each of our buildings on their recognition at the Illinois Principals Association Student Recognition Breakfasts. Each principal spent a morning with these students recognizing their accomplishments! The future is bright in Dunlap!

Congratulations to these elementary educators on completing LETRS Certification!

This achievement is a testament to their commitment to professional growth and excellence in education. By completing the LETRS certification, they have not only enhanced their own skills and knowledge but have also equipped themselves with invaluable tools and strategies to positively impact the lives of our students.

LETRS (Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling) certification is a significant milestone. It reflects dedication to understanding the complexities of literacy instruction and a willingness to continually evolve and adapt teaching practices to meet the diverse needs of our students.

Congratulations to Mrs. Abouhouli for being awarded an Alumni Award of Excellence in Counseling from Bradley University! Mrs. Abouhouli is counselor at Wilder-Waite Grade School and a 2009 graduate of Bradley. She received this award during the Bradley Brain Summit! We are proud of you!

Deputy Rial has been named one of Illinois' Top 10 School Resource Officers of the Year! This well-deserved recognition highlights your unwavering commitment to keeping our school safe and fostering positive relationships with students.

Notice a district employee going above and beyond? Want to see that individual get recognized for their hard work and dedication to the district? Nominate the employee for the Dunlap Shine Award by clicking here.

Below are the individuals that received this recognition during second semester!

Every morning, rain or shine, your 41 bus drivers and 15 bus monitors arrive early, ready to ensure the safe transport of our children to and from school. This semester they navigated through traffic, construction, multiple adverse weather conditions, and various challenges with patience and skill, always prioritizing the well-being of our students above all else. Each week the buses travel over 3,200 miles just transporting our students to and from school. This year the bus driver also completed over 950 trips for Academic field trips and Athletic competitions. The Transportations Dept. latest project to be completed this June is upgrading the equipment for our 2 Radio towers and bus radios to allow for continued seamless communication for our growing district. Pictured above is just some of the districts awesome bus drivers.

Bus driver, Beth Heinz, and bus monitor, Lonnie Edwards, received the Eagle Tallon award tonight at the Board of Education meeting for their lifesaving efforts and courage during the February bus accident. We are grateful for their service, strength, and compassion on that day and every day!

Over the course of the 2023-24 school year, teachers continued to engage in a number of professional learning opportunities--many in distirict during institute days and early-dismissal, school-improvement afternoons. High-quality professional development/learning has a positive impact on practitioners in any field as it ensures practitioners are abreast of new concepts, methods, and practices (for our educators) to utilize within our schools.

Ahead of the Curve with Literacy

The Illinois State Board of Education was required to draft and pass a comprehensive literacy plan by January 31, 2024. The plan is centered around three goals, providing guidance to ensure:

• Goal 1: Every student received high-quality, evidence-based literacy instruction.
• Goal 2: Every educator is prepared and continuously supported to deliever high-quality, evidence-based literacy instruction.
• Goal 3: Every leader is equipped to create, maintain, and sustain equitable conditions for high-quality, evidence-based literacy instruction.

For the past three years at the elementary levels, teachers have been engaging in professional development around the science of reading and systematic and structured resources intentionally selected to reach the seven components of literacy:

• Oracy
• Phonological Awareness
• Word Recognition
• Fluency
• Vocabulary
• Comprehension
• Writing

The the kindergarten levels, Heggerty (phonolocial awareness/word recognition) and Fundations (word recognition), and decodable texts are utilized for our youngest learners, along with exposure to instructional strategies to prepare them for English language arts in future grades. Together, the materials improve students oracy (ability to express themselves orally), vocabulary, and ability to comprehend what they hear and read.

Heggerty and Fundations are utilized through second grade as well, ensuring the graduated and increasing complex concepts are mastered by third grade. Assessments that isolate the different literacy strands allow educators to target skill deficits in order to provide intervention when students are not meeting grade-level expectations. Wit & Wisdom addresses the writing and comprehension strands, focusing around an essential question that is the driving force in each learning module. Over the past two years, piloting teachers have helped us fine-tune the resources and make sure they are ready for full implementation during the 2024-25 school year.

For more information on the Illinois Comprehensive Literacy Plan, click here for a resource made specifically for families and community members.

Planning Strategically

Goal 2 of the updated Dunlap CUSD #323 Strategic Plan focuses on academics and achievement which in large part hones in the work and focus of the Curriculum Department. The goal is made of two parts, reflecting what responses to the community survey showed was a priorty and need in order to prepare our students to be successful in their post-secondary goals:

• Create opportunitties for students to explore college and career patheways.
• Utilize stakeholder feedback and applicable data to create/revise Curriculum, Special Education, and Student Services Department Plans.

The first part of the comprehensive goal is well underway thanks to the many offerings available at Dunlap High School. As part of the Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness (PWR) Act , school districts can offer college and career pathway endorsements to certify the attainment of a pathway endorsement that supports students transitioning to college and a career by a graduating public high school student in an endorsement area. Lisa Vogel, DHS Business Teacher, has worked diligently the past several years on this component of the PWR Act and as a result, DHS has nine pathways approved by ISBE, placing Dunlap CUSD #323, again, well ahead of expectations. The endorsement pathways include:

• HST Certified Nursing Assistant
• FBS Accountancy
• FBS Accounting Bookkeeper
• METT Construction
• HPS ECE Education
• HPS Education
• HST EMS
• HPS Fire Science
• METT Welding

For more information on these pathways and which courses would need to be selected, DHS students need only schedule time to meet with their guidance counselor.

We have more work to complete to meet our goal of preparing students for success after they graduate from our school district and are excited for the potential partnerships and opportunities!

During the 2024-25 school year, the Curriculum Department will be focusing on providing differentiated professional development for staff members based on surveys they took during the May 3rd Institute Day. The overall theme of the school year will be focusing on student intellectual engagement, discussing how students can be fully engrossed in the learning process, ensuring the encoding of relative, life-long skills.

In an effort to ensure consistency in expectations, reporting, and documenting absences for the 2024-2025 school year, an updated attendance policy has been approved and adopted for all K-12 students. This is summarized in the document below.

Positive school attendance is important for students.

1. It supports academic success

2. It encourages positive social and emotional wellness and development

3. It creates responsibility and discipline

4. It lays the foundation for healthy work habits for a successful career or future work

5. It is the law

The definitions of truancy and chronic absenteeism are differentiated in the graphic below. Our focus with the updated and consistent K-12 Policy is to reinforce the importance of school attendance.

We recognize that individual circumstances and conditions may require student absences. The list of valid causes are also listed in the document below. Furthermore, doctors notes will medically exempt a student from attendance and will not count toward the 7 semester days allotted for parent excused absences. It is important to note that students can still accrue 14 parent excused absences per year (7 per semester).

The Standard Response Protocol (SRP) is a set of research-based actions/drills designed to prepare students, staff and parents for emergency situations.

Staff had the opportunity to participate in a training led by a national trainer from the I Love You Guys Foundation in May with the expectation to fully implement the SRP in August 2024. Throughout the school year, all students and staff members participate in various drills to educate students on the five possible actions of the SRP: Hold, Secure, Lockdown, Evacuate and Shelter.

Signs detailing the protocol are posted in each classroom and in various common areas throughout our schools. Our hope is that these signs serve as a visible reminder, not only for students and staff, but also for visitors should they hear an announcement of a specific action in the protocol over the public address system.

One of our safety objectives is to practice the standard response protocol drills repeatedly throughout each school year in order to create a shared language among all those in the Dunlap Community Unit School District #323 Community. Dunlap works collaboratively with Peoria County Sheriff's Department, Peoria City Police, Peoria and Dunlap Fire Departments, IEMA, and other emergency service providers to ensure everyone is following the same emergency protocols and procedures in our schools.

Further details about the SRP can be viewed in the video below.

Protecting our schools starts with us! Remember to use Safe2helpIL to report anything concerning - whether it's about reports of self-harm or thoughts of suicide, bullying, or threats to safety. Your alertness could be a lifeline. Let's keep our schools safe, together!

The Student Services Department has compiled a community resource directory for families. Please note that these are community resources that may change programming, services, or support at any time. Dunlap School District does not specifically endorse or promote any one agency over another. To be considered for inclusion in the directory or to suggest an edit, please email Dunlap Community Unit School District #323 Director of Student Services, Mandy Ellis, at mellis@dunlapcusd.net

We are extremely excited to announce that new Translation Devices have been purchased, through grant funding, for every building in our district! These devices will allow parents to communicate with staff in their native language. It also allows for people with hearing disabilities to communicate. Some buildings have had the opportunity to pilot this device already. The feedback has been very positive! Watch for information about this device at the start of the school year! Click the image to see how it works.

Dunlap High School was once again recognized in the US News and World Report of Best High Schools! DHS received the #1 ranking for high schools in the Peoria Metro Area, #49 in the State of Illinois and #1,117 in the National rankings! Congratulations to the Dunlap High School staff, students and community on this outstanding recognition!! To see the entire Dunlap High School profile on the report, click here.

Dunlap High School will hold their Class of 2024 Graduation Ceremony on Sunday, May 19th @ 12:30pm. The ceremony will be held at the Renaissance Coliseum on the campus of Bradley University. Congratulations to all the graduates and best of luck in your future endeavors!!

This year, the Dunlap High School St. Jude Club raised $21,500 for St. Jude! The club presented the check during the last club day of the year. Club members have worked tirelessly over the school year to host many fundraising events.

A huge congratulations goes out to Maira Khan for placing 1st in the 16th Congressional District Student Art Show. This show is hosted by Congressman LaHood and featured over 125 works of art by high school students located within the congressional district. Maira's ink drawing will be on display in the capitol in Washington DC for the next year, along with the other congressional winners from across the country. Also recognized for placing in the top 10 was Lauren Altorfer. Her watercolor painting will be on display in Congressman LaHood's Peoria office.

Congratulations to Nick Mueller, who won Dunlap's first State Wrestling Championship EVER!! Nick was the first place finisher in the IHSA Class 2A Individual Wrestling Finals in the 165# bracket. In his four career, Nick was a three time state qualifier, finishing 2nd in 2023.

Congratulations to the Dunlap High School Chess team on winning the IHSA Sectional Championship! They advanced to the IHSA State Championships and placed 13th!

Congratulations to the DHS Eaglettes on their IHSA Sectional Championship! The Eaglettes won the Fieldcrest Sectional and advanced to the IHSA State Finals, where they finished 22nd! Way to go, Eaglettes!!

The following DHS students were honored by the Illinois Music Assocation:

Instrumental Music: Jude Cairns & Evelyn Frese

Chorus: Humza Javed, Sofia Cordes & Allison Ninnam

Orchestra: Aiko Tello, Rachel Kim, Arh-J Doromal & Isaac Jin

Congratulations to the following DHS teachers who will retire following the 23-24 school year:

Jeff Barker-Math

Rob Beckman-Social Studies

Amy George-Life Skills

Bill Seiler-Social Studies

Thank you for all your years of service at Dunlap High School! Enjoy your retirement!

Dunlap Middle School was a recent recipient of a grant from Green Chevrolet in Peoria, Illinois! The grant was a great partnership between Dunlap Middle School and a local business serving the Peoria area. With the grant money, new volleyball uniforms and chairs for students were purchased. Thank you, Green Chevrolet for your partnership and generosity!

On March 22, 2024, Dunlap Middle School eighth graders participated in a Reality Fair hosted by CEFCU. Students learned to find a job, were “paid” for their work, and experienced how to budget. They were also able to experience finding housing, purchasing a vehicle, and planning for social activities while remaining within their budget. The Reality Fair was a great experience for DMS eighth grade students. Thank you, Ms. Taylor and CEFCU, for partnering together to bring this event to Dunlap Middle School!

Mrs. Jody Brooks, eighth grade social studies teacher, and Mrs. Diana Fry, head cook, are both retiring at the end of this school year. Please join us as we thank them both for their dedication to and hard work for all of the students and families they’ve worked with over their tenure at Pioneer Junior High School and Dunlap Middle School. Congratulations on your upcoming retirement, Mrs. Brooks and Mrs. Fry!

Dunlap Valley had the honor to host State Command Chief Master Sergeant Marlon Burton of the Illinois Air National Guard Friday at our spring activities assembly. His message to students included understanding self-awareness, self management, and surrounding yourself with people of quality.

Dunlap Valley students had the opportunity to take in the Solar Eclipse on April 8, 2024. The total solar eclipse moved across North America, passing over Mexico, the United States, and Canada. A total solar eclipse happens when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth, completely blocking the face of the Sun.

Mr. Jefferson, Principal at Ridgeview is retiring at the end of the school year. He has had a long career in Dunlap and we are thankful for the memories and all the lives, both students and staff, that he has impacted

Our Banner PTO held three FREE family events this spring! We had a BINGO night, a Math Night (with the help of Mathnasium), and a Reading Night! Families enjoyed these events and there was a great deal of participation. Thank you to our PTO for planning these fun events for our families! If you would like more information about Mathnasium and how your child/ren could get involved, visit their website here.

Once again, Banner families supported Almost Home Kids (affiliated with OSF) with a Diaper and Wipes Drive in February. We collected over 3,000 diapers and 16 large cases of wipes to help those families with children who are medically fragile. Well done by our Banner community! For more information about Almost Home Kids and how they support families, visit their website.

March 21 was World Down Syndrome Day and April was Autism Awareness Month. On March 21, students and staff were encouraged to wear crazy, mismatched socks (Rock Your Socks) to celebrate World Down Syndrome Day. On April 2, students and staff wore colors on the color wheel in honor of Autism Awareness. We plan on having an assembly, sponsored by Easter Seals, in educating our students further on autism. Banner has such a variety of students with all sorts of abilities and we love to recognize and celebrate them!

Kindergarten grandparents (and special guests) showed up on April 26 for a breakfast, a coloring activity, and a song in sign language! The Bobcat cafe was packed with loved ones for a wonderful morning!

Mrs. Frederiksen, our amazing music teacher, is retiring at the end of this school year! Join us in thanking her for her dedication, passion, and love for teaching music to our students! We wish her the very best and will miss her immensely!

Dunlap Grade School (DGS) embraced the magic of storytelling and the power of literature as it celebrated World Read Aloud Day with a series of engaging activities. Students embarked on an enriching walking field trip to the Dunlap Public Library, where they were captivated by guest readers who shared mixed up fairy tale stories. The day culminated in a hilarious all-school read-aloud and enactment of "It's Not Jack and the Beanstalk." Students sat in awe as staff made the story come to life and were filled with delight when the music started playing, the balloons were released, and all the Royals broke out in dance. This day captured not only the joy of reading aloud but also deepened the bond within the Royals, emphasizing our shared connection and togetherness.

The DGS Parents Club recently hosted the much-anticipated Royal Remix Carnival. This event not only thrilled attendees but also served as a significant fundraiser for the school. From raffle tickets to enticing auction items, from entertaining games to delicious food, and from balloon animals to intricate face painting designs, there was something for everyone.

Beyond the joyous festivities, the underlying purpose of the carnival was to generate funds to support various initiatives within the school. These include funding for teacher materials and supplies, upgrading sound equipment for the gym, enriching the library with additional reading materials, providing field trips, and much more. We surpassed our fundraising goal raising over $14,000 and celebrated this accomplishment with an all school movie and popcorn.

As the school year draws to a close, Dunlap Grade School bids farewell to three Royal staff members who have dedicated their lives to serving the next generation. Mrs. Genia Workheiser, leaves behind a legacy of nurturing young minds and instilling a love for learning. Throughout many of her 34 years, she has helped firsties take their leap into learning to read. Mr. George Horrie (retired at the end of January) served as custodian for over 18 years ensuring the safety and cleanliness of the school environment. He demonstrated a genuine care for the students and staff's wellbeing. Additionally, Mrs. Jean Lang, the head cook has served countless students over the last 17 years with her nutritious meals, creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere in the cafeteria. As we say farewell, we want to express our gratitude and appreciation for their dedication. Never forget: once a Royal, always a Royal!

The HGES PTO was very excited to bring back the Culture Fair this year! The evening started with engaging performances from our students and families. Then, students grabbed their "passports" and took a tour around the world. During this unique event, everyone was treated to traditional dress, delicious food, informational booths, and so much more! We are so lucky to have such a diverse community that embraces different cultures and traditions.

The HGES PTO is dedicated to creating a state of the art Outdoor Learning Center for our students. This year's Fun Run, in conjunction with the Silent Auction, was able to raise over $15,000! This money is going towards Phase 3 which includes the completion of the art and music areas. The students are very excited to take their learning outside because not all classrooms have four walls!

From wacky penguins, to colorful crayons, to Tackylocks, the students of HGES had a wonderful time listening to story performances by our talented teachers. During this special day, the teachers transformed their pods into storybooks, and took the students on fun adventures!

HGES embraced all the "Madness" that goes along with the month of March.

First, Mrs. Hess was declared the champion of the HGES Pop a Shot Tournament. Throughout the month, over 30 teachers competed for the title of Champion. Mrs. Hess battled Deputy Medina in a close match for the championship! The students of 4H were very excited to bring home the trophy.

Then, 2nd Grade had a "Slam Dunk" event. Their March Madness brought in students and their families for basketball themed activities, snacks, and all around fun.

March was a great month for HGES!

Congratulations to Beth Koehler on being nominated and recognized by the Greater Peoria Resilience Project as an outstanding support staff member.

Mrs. Beth Koehler has served as the building secretary at Hickory Grove Elementary School for the last 12 years. You could not ask for a better all-around person. She is kind, compassionate, and understanding. She does whatever is needed and never complains. She is competent, capable, and makes a challenging job seem easy. Mrs. Koehler goes above and beyond to make students feel safe, welcomed, and supported. Her presence has a positive impact on everyone in the school. HGES would not be the same without her.

Mr. Jefferson will be retiring at the end of this year. His last day of work will be June 7 and Mr. James will be taking over his new role as Ridgeview principal on July 1. Mrs. Chambers, who has served as a kindergarten and 2nd grade teacher at Ridgeview over the past 5 years, will be assuming a new role next year as the assistant principal. She will begin her new role in August.

The development of our outdoor learning space continues to be a work in progress. With help, support, resources, and hard work from our PTO, outside volunteers, and staff we are at a point where we now want to, not only maintain the space we have created, but provide professional development to our staff on how to utilize this unique learning space to maximize its potential.

We have partnered with Nature Explore who will be providing a 3-hour workshop for our teachers on the afternoon of Wednesday, May 15. Nature Explore is a Nebraska-based organization that supports design, development, and usage of outdoor learning spaces for schools. Their workshop will help our teachers understand the importance of outdoor learning in the daily lives of children, how to use our space and design to create lessons, and how to use the space to enhance instruction across all curricular areas.

Ridgeview is hosted a Cystic Fibrosis Coins for a Cure event the first week of May. Students raised money through their classroom collection containers and the classroom that collected the most money (based on average per student) won a pizza party for their class. To learn more about Cystic Fibrosis, check out the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation website.

Barnyard Discoveries visited Ridgeview on Monday, April 29. You can learn more about Barnyard Discoveries at https://www.barnyarddiscoveries.com/whats-inside. Barnyard Discovery's goal is to share “a day at the farm” with our visitors without having to leave their school or residence. It truly is a field trip in your parking lot.

The mobile farm experience provides a rare opportunity to learn about the importance of farming while enjoying a truly interactive experience for all the senses. Our mobile farm features a fully enclosed, handicap accessible trailer filled with a variety of animals and interactive learning tools. Farm Facts are posted about each animal in the exhibit along with explanations of all types of farming methods.

Our grains display allows you to see firsthand examples of local crops and the role they play in our daily lives. A scale model farm machinery display lets you take an up close look at some of those big machines and explains how they are used in today's modern farming operations. Visitors will not only make important connections between agriculture and contemporary consumer products, but begin to understand the continued impact of farming on American life.

Donuts with Grownups is an annual spring tradition at Wilder-Waite. Over a three day period, students and their parents, guardians, special friends are invited to attend a donut breakfast with their student(s), hosted by the Wilder-Waite PTO, before the school day begins. It is an opportunity for families to get to know each other while enjoying a special, sweet breakfast. Special thanks to the Wilder-Waite PTO for hosting this wonderful event!

It was March Madness "Wilder-Waite style" as team Wildcats versed team Wilder-Waite in our annual basketball game. Fans enjoyed the student pep band, a halftime show of dancers and treats delivered throughout the stands. The event concluded with the announcement of our book bracket winners and a celebration of our collection for Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, which totaled just over $2300. This was such a fun-filled event, and the perfect way to head in to Spring Break!

Wilder-Waite students participated in their monthly Wildcat Den throughout second semester. Most recently, April's Wildcat Den theme was cooperation. Students had discussions and activities centered around how to cooperate through communication and teamwork. Students participated in a challenge to line up by birthdate without speaking and worked in small groups to build the tallest marshmallow/ toothpick tower. April's den activities turned out to be a favorite of the year based on feedback from students and their den leaders! May dens will support activities for the 2nd Annual Wilder-Waite Walks for a Cure event on May 17th.