Leyden Pride

Nov 27, 28, 29 - No School , Thanksgiving Break

Dec 23 - Jan 3 - No School - Winter Break

Jan 6 - No School - Institute Day

Link: Subscribe to the Leyden calendar

American Education Week (November 18-22) is a special time when we celebrate our public school community. The designation was created by the National Education Association (NEA) as a way to honor the team of people who work in our nation’s public schools, everyone from the bus driver and classroom teacher to the cafeteria worker and administrative staff, plus countless others.

Here at Leyden, we celebrate by recognizing our staff through written acknowledgments, tokens of appreciation and treats throughout the week.

“This week gives us a great opportunity to recognize and thank each and every one of the Leyden staff for all of the hard work they do to positively impact the students and families in our communities,” said Superintendent Dr. Nick Polyak. “And to all those who are working in public education, we express our sincere gratitude for your ongoing commitment to kids.”

Leyden High School District 212 offers two west-suburban public schools to serve the communities of Franklin Park, River Grove, Rosemont, Schiller Park, unincorporated Leyden Township and portions of Northlake and Melrose Park. The total student enrollment is approximately 3,500 distributed between East Leyden and West Leyden.

Leyden employs 600 professionals who each contribute to the educational experiences of our students. From teachers, support staff, food service staff, bus drivers, security, maintenance and administrators, we are each committed to “Doing What’s Best for the Kids.”

Students attend two half-days as part of Leyden’s end of semester schedule. December 19 (day 1) and 20 (day 2), students attend from 7:35 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Grab and go lunches are provided both days.

The potential for winter weather school building closures is upon us. In the event that in-person instruction would need to be canceled due to snow, freezing temperatures, or other hazardous conditions, all families, students and staff would receive direct communication (email, phone, text) from Leyden. In addition, the information would be posted on the Leyden website and in local and social media outlets.

As a reminder, the general plan would be to move to an E-Learning, asynchronous schedule. This means that assignments would be posted in Schoology by 9 a.m. and students would need to complete them by the end of the day. If the emergency situation continues longer than one day, the district plans to switch to a synchronous E-Learning schedule for the second day and beyond, as necessary. The synchronous schedule would follow the same format as a regular school day bell schedule.

Link: Emergency closings

This month's One Amazing Story continues with our 100th anniversary themes, and looks deep into the story of West Leyden senior Aidan Jaffray. He comes from a family that has attended Leyden for five generations, starting with his great grandmother, then grandmother, and mother. Aidan is one of five children, who all either have attended or are attending Leyden currently, and has younger cousins set to arrive in the next couple of years. By learning more about his story, we get to see how Leyden has changed over time, through generations of involved students.

Link: Watch Video

Leyden’s award-winning, bilingual theatre program, Teatro Leyden, presents Augusta and Noble, a play by Carlos Murillo, November 21-23 in the West Leyden Auditorium.

Augusta and Noble tells the story of Gabi who has lived her whole life amid a vibrant Latino community in the West Town neighborhood of Chicago. Gabi is starting high school across the city at Northside College Prep, where she is quickly exposed to new people and possibilities. As Gabi begins asking questions about her heritage, including the truth about her parents' harrowing journey across the border to the United States, she struggles to discover exactly where in this world she belongs. This story told old in English peppered with Spanish, celebrates the rich history and resilience of the many immigrants who call Chicago home.

Performances will take place at the West Leyden Auditorium on November 21, 22, and 23, starting at 7:00 pm. Seating is limited, as the show will be staged in a theater-in-the-round format so it is highly recommended to purchase tickets in advance.

Link: Buy tickets

Leyden Student Services offers a virtual parent series through a partnership with Glenbard Parent Series (GPS) that provides free, public, day and evening sessions.

On Wednesday, November 20, Nick Sheff and Jessica Lahey will host a virtual event, “Understanding and Preventing Addiction: Beautiful Boy.” Link: Information

On Thursday, November 21, Dr. Ferney Ramirez will present an in-person event at Glenbard East High School, "How to Help Teens Manage Their Emotions for Greater Wellbeing." Link: Information

Tuesday, December 10, between 4 - 7 p.m., the McDonalds on North Avenue in Northlake will donate 20% of proceeds to the West Leyden Parent’s Club. Mention the fundraiser when ordering or show the picture of the flyer. Also, parents interested in joining the club can email leydenparentsclub@gmail.com to get involved.

Leyden Art teacher, Anna Reed, has been honored with a Me & Eve Award sponsored by CENTER, a not-for-profit organization that supports lens-based projects through education, public platforms, funding, and partnerships.

Link: CENTER website

Chamber Singers sang the National Anthem at the Triton College Basketball game on November 9.

The Illinois Music Education Association (ILMEA) selected 15 Leyden Music students to participate in the D1 Senior Festival on November 9. The following Seniors spent the day at Elmhurst College creating music: Choir members: Wren Arguezo, Marwa Avinger, Edgar Garcia, Yurem Mesa, Lily Montes, Sonya Morales, Nathan Pera, Caludine Ricana, Katya Solis and Shaina Vasa; Band members: Julia Blonski and Sebastian Cabezas and Orchestra members; Joshua Corral, Gameliyel Graciano and Natalia Gabryel.

Moody’s Ratings upgraded Leyden High School District 212 credit ratings to Aa1 from Aa2, as a result of the district’s consistently strong financial performance. This distinction helps the district receive better interest rates on bonds and saves valuable funds over the course of loans. This ratings change will represent a savings of $190,714 of interest on current bonds as of today.

“For the district, this is equivalent to a person improving their credit score,” said Andrew Sharos, the district’s Chief Financial Officer. “It demonstrates strong budget management and reflects the financial stability of Leyden. A higher rating will allow the district to attract the best offers in the bond market and open up other avenues of long-term savings.”

The 100th Anniversary Traveling Exhibit, Leyden: Making History, made its first of many appearances throughout the community as it arrived at the Schiller Park Public Library on November 4. The exhibit will be on display until December 5, with public viewing of the exhibit during normal public library hours. After December 5, the exhibit will make its way to the Franklin Park Public Library.

Leyden Township will host its annual tree lighting ceremony on Friday, November 22, from 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. at Westdale Park, 3045 Sandra Ave. in Melrose Park. This free event will include pictures with Santa, a petting zoo, community vendors, a tree decorating contest and more.

Link: Leyden Township Website

Email: pr@leyden212.org
Website: www.leyden212.org
Location: 3400 Rose Street, Franklin Park, IL, USA
Phone: 847-451-3000
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