School District 57
From the Desk of the Superintendent
Friday, November 11, 2022
Dear District 57 Families,
Today is Veterans Day. It was incredibly moving to see our schools honoring veterans and currently-serving military at the various District 57 Veterans Day events. Lincoln Middle School held an assembly welcoming guest speaker Sergeant Scott Filipek of the Mount Prospect Police Department and a local men's acapella group called The Arlingtones. Lions Park’s chorus students sang at the Village of Mount Prospect Veterans Day Celebration at the Lions Park Recreation Center, and all Lions Park students attended this event. Fairview Elementary School's Media Club featured a segment in their weekly news series on the topic of Veteran's Day. On behalf of all of us here at District 57, we would like to thank all who serve - now and in the past - for their sacrifice and service to our country.
November is also Native American Heritage Month. District 57 would like to formally recognize the rich cultural diversity and the historical legacy of Native Americans. Throughout the month of November, classrooms in our District are exploring Native American history, traditions, lore, farming, culture, and more. Schools will use read-alouds, videos from BrainPop Junior, activities from Scholastic News and other sources, projects from National Geographic, and poster projects. This student immersion throughout the month of November will reflect the significance our District puts on Native American Heritage Month.
November 15 marks School Board Member Appreciation Day. Our seven-member District 57 Board Members were elected to be champion for the educational needs and aspirations of children in our community. This includes stewardship of financial resources and facilities, as well as defining the District’s vision and maintaining only the highest of standards for our student’s education. Our deepest gratitude goes out to the District 57 School Board Members: President Eileen Kowalczyk, Vice-President Kimberly Fay, Corrin Bennett-Kill, Vicki Chung, Jennifer Ciok, Jennifer Kobus, and Chris Lettow
Last night our Board of Education met in an open session in Fairview’s multi-purpose room. Fairview’s principal Dan Ophus joined us to highlight both the school’s incredible Media Club as well as– through a video the Media Club created specially for this Board meeting - the numerous clubs that Fairview offers. This cohort of Media Club and their instructor Kelly Soderholm are the first to produce a weekly news segment for Fairview, and their efforts have created a great synergy and excitement among students and staff. Great job, Media Club!
Below are some relevant highlights from the Board meeting. You can view the meeting in its entirety here.
Dr. Kristin Vonder Haar, Assistant Superintendent for Teaching & Learning, presented data to Board on the Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR), Measure of Academic Progress (MAP), and FastBridge scores. District 57 continues to score well above national averages; however, we still see gaps between pre- and post-pandemic achievement and growth. Dr. Vonder Haar provided a detailed analysis of our student achievement data and described how this data is used to inform instructional and programming decisions to drive strong learning outcomes for all students.
Jason Kaiz, Assistant Superintendent for Facilities and Operations, requested approval from the Board to apply for a state-matching school maintenance grant in the amount of $50,000. If awarded, this grant will be used to fund an upgrade to the HVAC controls to current technology at Fairview. Kaiz also updated the Board on the delayed tax levy that is the result of the Cook County Clerk’s Office delayed collection of tax revenue this fall; this is expected to be resolved at the next Board meeting on December 22, 2022.
Board President Eileen Kowalczyk recently was honored by the Illinois Association of School Boards (IASB) for reaching an “Established” Status as a Board Member. This well-deserved honor was earned through President Kowalczyk’s frequent participation in school board professional development. District 57 is fortunate to have her guidance and dedication.
As a reminder, you should have received both a Mount Prospect School District Survey postcard and email. If you haven’t, or if you need additional surveys or assistance, please contact Heather Salerno at 847-394-7300, ext. 1023. More information can be found here. I can’t stress enough how important it is that we hear from you. Your feedback on this survey will help guide the District as we move forward in our strategic planning. The deadline to submit your survey is November 18.
November is quite a busy month for everyone with parent/teacher conferences, holidays, and national observances. Yet, amid all this activity, I hope the month brings you and your family some downtime to connect, relax, and reflect on the things in your life you are most grateful for.
Finally, if you aren’t already connected with D57 on social media, I encourage you to do so. We highlight important District information there, as well as many of the incredible events, students, and staff at each of our four schools. Links to our social media pages can be found here: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram.
Thank you for taking the time to stay informed. Enjoy your weekend!
In the spirit of education,
Dr. Mary Gorr
Superintendent of Schools
Mount Prospect District
Dr. Mary Gorr
Email: mgorr@d57.org
Website: https://www.d57.org/
Location: 701 West Gregory Street, Mount Prospect, IL, USA
Phone: 847-394-7300
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dist57/
Twitter: @dist57