Gower 62 Community Newsletter
May 22, 2025
The 2024-25 school year has been an amazing one! For starters, Gower West was awarded with its 10th consecutive Capturing Kids' Hearts National Showcase School Award - the longest streak and most decorated CKH school in the country! To be recognized again with a new principal and assistant principal dynamic duo at the helm, is strong evidence that the supportive environment built in Gower has real staying power! Congratulations Mrs. Capizzi and Mrs. Hoff! You have taken the proverbial baton and, with your Superstar Team of Teachers and Staff alongside you, have moved Gower West up a notch! And that is not an easy thing to do!
To keep the Good Things rolling, Gower Middle was awarded with their 4th consecutive CKH National Showcase School Award - one of very few middle or high schools in the country to receive such an honor, let alone four times in a row! Apparently, the staying power is alive and well across the Gower Middle campus too! Mrs. Murphy and her All-Star Squad of Teachers and Staff haven't skipped a beat with our first-year assistant principal, Mrs. Schiffler, stepping into her new role and really taking off!
Leadership transitions can be tricky. I have been involved in lots of them throughout my career and am always reminded by the phrase, 'Change is inevitable. Growth is Optional.', every time such a transition occurs. With three of our four school administrators new to their role this year, this phrase was really put to the test. To see that both campuses have excelled this year, and recognized for their work, is a testament to the level of support we receive across the Gower School Community. From our Teachers and Staff, to our PTO and Foundation, to our incredible Gower Families, to our Board of Education, we have shown, once again, that we truly are in this together and that our public schools are not just something that we pay for, but something that we invest in!
Great job to both of our schools and to everyone that plays a role in providing the wide variety of student services offered in Gower School District!
Enjoy the upcoming summer break that is now only days away! To those students heading on to high school or elsewhere, we wish you all the best. To those returning for another amazing year, we all look forward to seeing you in August. If you're celebrating the 4th of July, keep in mind that our district motto, 'Children at their Best!, will celebrate its 20 year anniversary on July 5th this year. I'd say that's worth an extra sparkler or two:)
As always, if you would like to discuss this or any other Gower Community topic further, please reach out to me directly at vsimon@gower62.com or call the district office directly at 630-286-4929.
Children at their Best!
Dr. Simon
Superintendent of Schools
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