VVSD Class of 2025 Spotlight- Claire An, Romeoville HS Salutatorian
Romeoville HS Class of 2025 Salutatorian Claire An began her educational path at R.C. Hill Elementary School, through A.Vito Martinez Middle School and ended as a graduate of Romeoville HS. Along the way, Claire excelled in both the classroom and on the badminton court, capping her athletic career by representing RHS at the IHSA Badminton Finals.
Claire will attend the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign in the fall and Human Development and Family Studies with the goal of becoming a pediatrician. Claire began our conversation by saying there’s more than just one thing she will remember fondly about her four years at Romeoville HS.
Jane Addams Principal Sonia Ruiz Named National Distinguished Principal
Jane Addams Middle School Principal Sonia Ruiz is the National Association of Elementary Schools Illinois Representative on the NAESP’s 2025 list of National Distinguished Principals.
Sonia is among 43 state representatives selected for this honor and will attend this year’s National Distinguished Principal® Program October 23-24, 2025, in Washington DC, where she will be honored for her dedication and accomplishments. Principal honorees are selected by NAESP state affiliates and by committees representing private and overseas schools.
“I’m incredibly grateful for this honor,” Ruiz said. “I truly see it as a reflection of the amazing work happening every day at Jane Addams and the support I’ve received from our District leadership.”
“The importance of principal leadership has never been more important as schools and communities continue to recover from the challenges of the past few years,” said Dr. L. Earl Franks, CAE, NAESP’s executive director.
“That is why we are so proud to recognize the outstanding leadership of the 2025 class of NAESP National Distinguished Principals; these principals lead highly successful learning communities and serve as examples of excellence for all school leaders.”
Sonia began her service to the VVSD community as Principal of Jane Addams Middle School at the beginning of the 2022-23 school year. Sonia is the current Illinois Principals Association Middle School Principal of the Year, and the 2025 IPA Three Rivers Region Middle School Principal of the Year. In addition to being the leader of the Jane Addams MS learning community, Sonia also serves as the Illinois Principal Association Diversity and Equity Chair for the state of Illinois, and on a national scale, is a member of National Association of Elementary School Principals National Task Force on Race and Equity.
Will County Regional Superintendent’s Commitment to Safety Takes Her Back Home to BHS
In Photo (Left to Right): Dr. Lisa Capparelli-Ruff, Will County ROE Superintendent; Kyle Hunter, Clear-Armor Sales Manager; Dr. Carter Larry, VVSD Director of Safety & Security; Dave Trudeau, Clear-Armor CEO; Theresa Ward, Will County ROE School Safety Director.
Will County Regional Superintendent Dr. Lisa Caparelli-Ruff has a long- standing commitment to ensuring safe schools, going back to her days as a dean at Bolingbrook HS. During her time as a dean, she worked side by side with her favorite School Resource Officer, Carter Larry of the Bolingbrook Police Department. They were a hands-on team and prioritized making BHS a secure environment for all students, staff, and visitors.
Dean Caparelli-Ruff and School Resource Officer Larry are now Will County Regional Superintendent Dr. Caparelli-Ruff and VVSD Director of Safety and Security Dr. Larry, and their partnership and focus on school safety is stronger than ever. They both endeavor to foster a culture focused on keeping all students, staff, and parents safe.
When Dr. Caparelli-Ruff announced the Will County Regional Office of Education’s Clear-Armor project at the beginning of 2025, she was proud to be able to include her home of Bolingbrook HS as a recipient of Clear-Armor’s patented shooter-resistant window laminate. On May 19, Dr. Caparelli-Ruff met with Valley View and Clear-Armor staff at BHS to view the finished product. Phase 1 of the Clear-Armor project throughout Will County is on schedule to be completed on time by the end of this school year.
VVEEF Awarded American Water Charitable Foundation STEM Education Grant
The Valley View Educational Enrichment Foundation received a donation from the American Water Charitable Foundation STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) Education grant, focusing on STEM-related curricular and extracurricular programs for underserved students. The grant from American Water Charitable Foundation ensures that several education programs, designed and delivered by VVSD educators, and submitted to the VVEEF can be delivered for the upcoming 2025-26 school year.
The Education Foundation received a record 131 grant applications requesting over $173,000 in this grant cycle.
“The Valley View Educational Enrichment Foundation Board, consisting of community leader volunteers, is extremely grateful for the support from the American Water Charitable Foundation,” said VVEEF President Mike Lawler. “We were deeply concerned with being able to fund many grant applications due to the volume submitted this year. With these funds, we can certainly fund more than expected, enable our students to receive amazing educational experiences.”
The STEM Education grant is part of the American Water Charitable Foundation’s Keep Communities Flowing Grant Program. The Foundation is a philanthropic non-profit organization established by American Water the largest regulated water and wastewater utility company in the U.S., supporting high-impact projects and initiatives that further American Water’s commitment to the communities it serves.
“The American Water Charitable Foundation is proud to support initiatives that provide access to high-quality learning students need to be successful,” said Carrie Williams, President, American Water Charitable Foundation. “We take pride in supporting American Water's continued efforts to be a responsible neighbor and reliable partner in the community.”
The VVEEF is a 501c3 not for profit organization, which relies on the generosity of individuals, local organizations, and businesses to raise funds for the programs which go above and beyond the VVSD curriculum. Since the beginning efforts of the Education Foundation 30 years ago, they have been able to fund 1,191 grant programs for nearly $2 million.
VVSD Student Online Enrollment for 2025-26 School Year
Online enrollment for all returning 2025-26 students and students entering kindergarten is now open.
To be eligible to register for kindergarten, a student must be five years old on or before Sept 1, 2025, and the family must live with VVSD boundaries.
Families of current VVSD students are able to register via their Infinite Campus Parent Portal account while families new to the District will be able to register online. Click here for more details about the enrollment process.
Get Ready for the 2025-26 School Year by Joining the VVSD Team
VVSD is still hiring for a wide range of positions for the 2025-26 school year with an emphasis on adding to our teams of paraprofessionals, lunchroom/playground aides and special education teachers.
We are also seeking new team members including guest teachers, bus drivers, operations & maintenance, nutrition services, and special education staff.
VVSD’s employment opportunities offer schedules for staff members that are in synchronization with school schedules, making VVSD a great choice for parents who need to have their work schedule match up with the school hours, and Winter and Spring Break for their children. To see all VVSD job opportunities and to apply, visit www.vvsd.org/jobs
VVSD Nutrition Services Shares Information Regarding USDA SUN Bucks Summer Program
SUN Bucks is a nutrition program authorized by the United States Department of Agriculture to help families buy food for their school-aged children during the summer. SUN Bucks 2025 will provide a $120 annual benefit to eligible children, via an Electronic Benefit Transfer issuance by the Illinois Department of Human Services. Complete information on this program is available on the IDHS Summer EBT Webpage.
Illinois Summer EBT information is also available via the customer help line at (833) 621-0737. The agency will be able to assist with such things as the card distribution timeline, usage, allowable expenses, and lost or misplaced cards.
Free Summer Meals for VVSD Students Enrolled in VVSD Summer Programs
VVSD Nutrition Services is once again offering FREE summer meals for students attending our summer programs. For more information, visit www.vvsd.org/food
One of the first “Now That School is Out” jobs all over VVSD is changing the letters in the signs in front of the schools, such as the one at Jonas Salk Elementary.
During the last week of school, Brooks Middle School 8th Grade Honors English Language Arts students gave author’s tea party presentations in the library. Students created and then displayed 3D presentations portraying work by a deceased author and gave two-minute presentations in a gallery walk format. The author’s work in the photo is Ray Bradbury’s Something Wicked This Way Comes.
