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District 15 Board of Education News
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May 8, 2024
RETIREMENT CELEBRATION 2024
Retirement Celebration 2024
Prior to the Board of Education meeting, the district invited its soon-to-be retirees to be celebrated in a ceremony to recognize their years of dedicated service. Together, the 31 members of the Retirement Class of 2024 have a combined total of 718 years of service! Additionally, 22 retirees have been with the District for 20 years or more, 6 of them more than 30 years, and one of them has dedicated 35 years to District 15!
We are so grateful to have such amazing staff who make saying goodbye so difficult. We wish our retirees nothing but the best as they begin the next chapter in their lives. They will be deeply missed.
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
Pledge of Allegiance - Winston Campus Junior High
Interim Principal, Tomás Reyes and Warrior Way students were invited to lead the Pledge of Allegiance at the Board of Education meeting. Mr. Reyes shared that students were selected by their teachers at WCJH because they embody the Warrior Way. The Warrior Way means they are kind, welcoming, accepting, respectful, and hard-working. The students exhibit the Warrior Way traits in and out of the classroom with their peers and WCJH’s staff every single day.
Thank you, for being leaders at Winston. Way to go, Warriors!
RECOGNITION
ILMEA Students
District 15 students auditioned for and were selected to participate in our Illinois Music Educators Association (ILMEA) region’s “district festivals.” These honor ensembles bring together students from all over the area who are required to audition to be selected for their instrumental skills and achievements. This year, through the hard work of our students and staff, we had several students participate in the various band, jazz band, and orchestra festivals, and they were invited to be recognized at our board meeting.
Robert L., ILMEA Junior Band Participant
Siona A., ILMEA Junior Band Auditionee
Eleanor L., ILMEA Junior Band Auditionee
Chloe K., ILMEA Junior Orchestra Participant
Erin S., ILMEA Junior Orchestra Auditionee
Ysabella F., ILMEA Junior Orchestra Auditionee
Emmie K., ILMEA Junior Orchestra Auditionee
Thank you to our band and orchestra directors for continuing to instruct, support, and foster these musicians – as well as provide these excellent opportunities for District 15 students to shine in regional and state organizations.
Revised National Board Certified Staff
The District was informed of additional National Board Certified staff who were not included in the original list sent to us by the organization. We invited the additional staff to our Board meeting to ensure they had the opportunity to be recognized by the Board of Education as well.
National Board certification provides teachers, social workers, psychologists, speech and language pathologists, as well as occupational and physical therapists an advanced level of knowledge, skills, and training toward excellence in their field. For this reason, National Board Certification is recognized as the “gold standard” for professional educators and has a direct impact on the quality of services received by our students.
National Board Certified New or Renewed:
Jennifer Clarke, Marion Jordan- Gifted 5/6 Teacher
Julie Davis, Marion Jordan- Grade 5 Teacher
Kristen Eckman, Marion Jordan- Grade 3 Teacher
Sue Faulhaber, Winston Campus- SP ED Hearing Impaired Teacher
Minerva Milford, Plum Grove- Foreign Language Teacher
Jill Schwartzers, Frank C. Whiteley- Library Innovation Teacher
Allison Willis, Pleasant Hill- Grade 1 Teacher
Andre Zielinski, Stuart R. Paddock- Art Teacher
Above and Beyond - Dana Karnia
Dana Karnia, a 1st Grade Teacher at Stuart R. Paddock, was selected for the Above and Beyond recognition for the month of May following a nomination submitted by SRP’s administration on behalf of a group of Karnia’s parents.
Karnia’s nominators shared, “Mrs. Karnia embodies the qualities of an outstanding teacher who consistently goes above and beyond for her students. Her passion for teaching, dedication, and compassionate approach make her truly deserving of the District 15 Above and Beyond Recognition Award.”
This nomination was submitted by Principal Mr. Christ on behalf of the following parents: Sarah Doyle, Dawn Kozlicki, Nicole Jordan, Kelly Salemi, Susan Liss, Kadie Panayi, and Ami Shah. We feel so lucky to have Mrs. Karnia in District 15. Thank you for going above and beyond for your students.
Above and Beyond - Laura Dudycha
Laura Dudycha, a 2nd Grade Teacher at Lincoln School, was selected for the Above and Beyond recognition for the month of May following a nomination submitted by a parent of a student in her classroom.
Dudycha’s nominators shared that this year, they were excited to find out that their second child had Mrs. Dudycha as her teacher as their first child had such a great experience in her class. Additionally, they shared, Mrs. Dudycha continues to be a positive role model in their children’s lives. Laura creates a wonderful classroom environment that allows all children to thrive.
This nomination was submitted by Ryan and Megan Lettieri. We feel so lucky to have Mrs. Dudycha in District 15. Thank you for going above and beyond for your students.
PRESENTATIONS
Strategic Plan Priority 1 - Success and Belonging
Tom Edgar, Ph.D., Assistant Superintendent for Educational Services; Lori Lopez, Ph.D., Assistant Superintendent for Teaching, Learning, and Assessment; and Laura Swanlund, Ph.D., Director of Comprehensive Mental Health and Related Services, presented an update on the district’s Strategic Plan Priority 1: Success and Belonging.
Priority 1 in the District 15 Strategic Plan focuses on Success and Belonging and encompasses two main goals:
- Attaining equitable growth and achievement for all students, and
- Increasing a sense of belonging, engagement, and enjoyment for all students.
This school year, efforts to attain equitable growth and achievement for all students have focused on creating a collaborative process for establishing rigorous goals and planning for instruction. Teacher leadership committees have designed lessons for all middle school students to support executive functioning and a successful start to the school year. In addition, curriculum maps, pacing guides, common assessments, and report card assessment guides are being developed for all subject areas at each grade level.
Electric Buses in District 15 - POSTPONED
The electric bus presentation was postponed and will be shared at our June 12, 2024, meeting.
Transportation Update
Claire Kowalczyk, Ed.D., Deputy Superintendent, and Tom Bramley, Director of Transportation, presented an update on drivers, tiered busing, busing next school year, and planning for Mr. Bramley’s retirement in 2025.
Resource for Middle School Health Units: Emotional & Mental Health; Nutrition & Physical Activity; Tobacco, Alcohol, and Other Drug Prevention; and Violence & Injury Prevention
This year, the Middle School Health Committee reviewed resources to support four units of instruction: Emotional & Mental Health; Nutrition & Physical Activity; Tobacco, Alcohol, & Other Drug Prevention; and Violence & Injury Prevention.
The Committee recommends the adoption of ETR HealthSmart to support these four units. This curricular resource offers updated health materials available in both English and Spanish. The lessons are aligned to Illinois Learning Standards and Mandates. In addition, the ETR HealthSmart teacher presentation materials will support consistent instructional experiences for students across all middle schools.
The resource for middle school health units was approved.
First Reading of PRESS 114
The Board of Education had its first reading of PRESS 114. The following policies were updated as part of PRESS 114:
2:40 - Board Member Qualifications
2:60 - Board Member Removal From Office
2:140 - Communications To and From the Board
2:260 - Uniform Grievance Procedure
2:270 - Discrimination and Harassment on the Basis of Race, Color, and National Origin Prohibited
4:20 - Fund Balances
4:165 - Awareness and Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse and Grooming Behaviors
4:190 - Targeted School Violence Prevention Program
7:10 - Equal Educational Opportunities
7:20 - Harassment of Students Prohibited
7:180 - Prevention of and Response to Bullying, Intimidation, and Harassment
5:10 - Equal Employment Opportunity and Minority Recruitment
5:20 - Workplace Harassment Prohibited
5:100 - Staff Development Program
5:120 - Employee Ethics; Code of Professional Conduct; and Conflict of Interest
5:300 - Schedules and Employment Year
6:60 - Curriculum Content
6:185 - Remote Educational Program
There will be a seconding reading and action taken on the policy updates from PRESS 114 at the June 12, 2024, Board of Education meeting.
COMMITTEE REPORTS
ED-RED Committee
Board Member Annerino shared that legislature is nearing the end of their spring session which ends on May 24, 2024. They are still negotiating the house bill regarding Newcomers. They are also still working on the equalized reimbursement of high cost special education; this bill has passed out of senate and will be going to house for vote.
one-five Foundation
Board Member Taylor shared that the one-five appreciates everyone who purchased a chocolate bar for the Staff Tributes. Additionally, they are still looking for new trustees for next school year.
Finance Committee
Board Members Wang and Hunt shared that they met May 7 and discussed adminitrative salaries and retaining talent in District 15.
Equity Committee
Board Members Khan and Ader shared there is nothing new to report for the committee. Samantha Ader gave a shout out to Mr. Mario for winning the RISE award. She also thanked the District for hosting José Hernández, Astronaut, a Bilingual Parent Advisory Committee (BPAC) event with over 800 students and family members in attendance.
ACTION ITEMS
- 9.1 Approval of Personnel Report: Administration, Certified, and Non-Certified - approved
- 9.2 Approval of Bid Award #24-015 Milk - approved
- 9.3 Approval of Bid Award #24-017 Fresh Produce - approved
- 9.4 Approval of Bid Award #24-016 Double Deck Natural Gas Convection Ovens - approved
- 9.5 Approval of Middle School Health Curricular Resource - approved