As a quick reminder, our exclusionary date for student immunization records is approaching fast! All families must submit their child's immunization records to their school by October 15. Failure to provide these records by this date will result in your child being excluded from attending school until the documentation is received.

As we move into the fall season, the District 21 Health Center is here to support your child's health with a range of services. We provide essential vaccinations, including those required for school, as well as COVID-19 and flu shots. Additionally, we offer care for illnesses that may arise during the cooler months. Our aim is to ensure you have the information and resources you need to keep your child healthy and well-prepared for the school year, whether you choose to come to our health center or visit your primary care provider.

Please call ahead to confirm vaccine availability before scheduling your appointment.

If your student needs transportation to the health center during school hours, the school nurse can help arrange it. After consulting about the student's health, either you or the nurse can schedule a same-day appointment. With a consent form on file and your verbal consent, transportation will be arranged between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. If you can't attend the visit, the nurse practitioner will call you with the results and guidance on whether the student can return to school or should be picked up. Consent forms are recorded in PowerSchool for easy access by the health office.

As part of our continued effort to ensure the safety and well-being of all students in our district, we would like to address a growing concern: the use of Orbeez water pellet guns and other look-alike toy guns. While these toys may seem harmless, they pose several risks, not only to children’s safety but also in how they are perceived in the community, especially by law enforcement.

Did you know...a day of missed school is a lost opportunity for social development? By coming to school every day they're not sick, your child is gaining social skills that will land them their first job as an adult.

✅ Time Management

✅ Collaboration

✅ Problem-Solving

Here are some helpful tips to be safe online:

• Use 2-Step Verification This makes a stolen password useless without the right device.
• Use Unique Passwords: If a hacker steals a password for one site, they can try that same password on many other services too.
• Use an Ad Blocker: Advertisements are not only a distraction, but bad web ads are the #1 source for malware. In CCSD21, we’ve installed a trusted extension called uBlock Origin on all computers, which blocks advertisements, trackers, and malware.
• Calls and Emails from Banks and Tech Support Be careful what you share and consider calling the company directly through their official numbers.

Please take some time to review the Federal Government Cybersecurity Awareness Month webpage for more tips and helpful information.

The Glenbard Parent Series (GPS) is back, offering a dynamic lineup of expert speakers, workshops, and resources designed to help parents, educators, and community members navigate the challenges and opportunities of raising and educating today’s youth. Whether you’re looking for insights on mental health, academic success, or fostering resilience, GPS provides practical advice and research-backed strategies to support the growth and development of children from early childhood through adolescence.

Teachers across the district spent the first days of their math classes engaging students in activities to promote problem solving, collaboration, perseverance, and growth mindsets. By investing time in building classroom norms and structures in support of positive math learning environments, students are prepared for the rigorous year of math ahead!

Within our communities, we have encountered an increase of juveniles who were in possession of toy firearms/weapons that mimic the real thing. This kind of toy has no place in a school setting, including on the school bus or at the bus stop. Our main function at the school is to make these buildings the safest place for your students. Students in possession of these toys do not help us accomplish the goal of maintaining a safe building and learning environment.

The Illinois State Board of Education has extended the timeline for the short term substitute license through 2028. We had some wonderful new sub candidates that applied to work with us this past year. Many of these subs are right from our community! We’re excited for these additions to our sub group but we’re not done yet. We are continuing to hire subs this summer. Please let your neighbors and friends know that we are hiring for next year.

We still have openings in our sub pool for the following positions:

• Secretary - $100/day

• Health Assistant - $100/day

• Teaching Assistant - $125/day

• Teacher - $141/day

• Registered Nurse - $309/day

• Long term teacher (more than 10 days in the same classroom) - $227/day

In addition, any subs who work 100 days this year will receive a $1,000 bonus at the end of the year.

Check out this video on how to apply for a short-term substitute license, and this link for more information.

The holidays are a time of joy, reflection and celebration, and in District 21, we want to showcase the diversity of holiday traditions across the globe! We invite all students to take part in this year’s Season’s Greetings Holiday Card Design Challenge, themed “Holidays Around the World!”

Submission Deadline: November 6, 2024, at 5 p.m. CST

Did You Know… As a district, we are proud to celebrate the diversity of our learning community! During this month many countries around the world celebrate their day of independence. Many people in our community acknowledge their native country’s independence by displaying a flag and participating in festivals or parades. Some celebrations during October include Indigenous People's Day, Columbus Day, Italian-American Heritage Month, German-American Heritage Month, Oktoberfest, Polish American Heritage Month, Filipino History Month, and Halloween. If you’d like to learn more, click on the links! If there is a celebration that we missed, don’t hesitate to reach out and share it with our Language Services Department.

The three have joined the Board of Education for a one-year term to provide a unique lens and valuable insight on life as a student in the district for current board members as they conduct their business. Welcome Santiago, Karla and Aiden! We look forward to working with you!

Our Falcons at Frost Elementary School recently donated their spare change as part of a schoolwide "Change Wars" fundraiser that asked classrooms to donate coins in increasing increments. All funds - an astounding $1,657 - will be put toward an assembly in November.

The activity also gave staff members the chance to incorporate lessons about various coins, the value of money, and additional facts about our currency.

The winning three classrooms - Mrs. Rink, Mrs. Mangione and Ms. Bauerle - will receive a popsicle party on our new playground!

This apprenticeship with CCSD21 has helped me refine my journalism skills but I think my most important lessons have come from the people I have interacted with while doing interviews or just taking photos. Listening to stories and fully taking in what a person is saying is much harder than I would have ever imagined, but I am getting a lot of good practice.

The Illinois Association of School Boards formally recognized Community Consolidated School District 21’s Board of Education for its exceptional governance practices, one of 46 school district boards out of 850 in the state to receive this designation.

The livestream video of the September 19 meeting of the Board of Education can be viewed here.

The next regularly scheduled meeting will be held on October 17, 2024, at 7 p.m. at the District 21 Community Service Center and Administrative Office.