NSSEO Governing Board Brief

January 2025

Upcoming Events & Dates

1/20

Martin Luther King’s Birthday - All Buildings Closed

1/22
Strategic Plan Action Plan Writing

1/25 - 11:00 am - 3:00 pm

Winter Wonderland @ SLOEC

1/29
Strategic Plan Action Plan Writing

2/5 - 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
NSSEO Governing Board Meeting

2/7
School Improvement Day - Students Not in Attendance

2/13 - 10:30 am - 11:30 am
Kirk Cubs vs Park School Basketball Game @ Park School

2/14
Valentine’s Day

2/17
Presidents’ Day - All Buildings Closed

2/20 - 10:15 am - 11:15 am
Kirk Cubs vs Hope Wall Basketball Game @ Kirk School

2/28 - 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Amy Rudolph Basketball Tournament @ Hoffman Estates High School

NSSEO Strategic Plan Update

The Governing Board members will be providing a summary of the proposed Strategic Plan Priorities at the member district board meetings in the month of January, with a vote to accept the established priorities at the February Governing Board Meeting. The proposed priorities, created through a collaborative process including all NSSEO stakeholders, are:

1. Instructional Programming: We will design and utilize a continuous improvement process for instruction and program development that is responsive to the evolving needs of all students.

2. Facilities and Finance: We will develop and execute a fiscally responsible long-range facilities plan that prioritizes a safe and supportive environment for all students and staff.

3. Highly Qualified Staff: We will recruit and retain high-quality staff through effective hiring and a positive work culture that demonstrates support, value, recognition, and growth.

4. Governance: We will implement a well-defined advisory plus governance structure that ensures collaborative decision-making and engagement of all member district superintendents and NSSEO.

The priorities will be further defined during the month of January at collaboration meetings and action plans and measures of success will be established and presented at the February Governing Board Meeting.

Shining Stars - Allison & Christian

Allison is actively engaged in a comprehensive literacy program that emphasizes emergent literacy skills through explicit instruction and hands-on practice. Each day, she participates in alphabet instruction, shared writing, shared reading, independent reading, and independent writing, using tools like partner-assisted auditory scanning and alternate pencils. These activities help her build skills such as letter recognition, commenting on text, dividing sentences into words, and selecting letters with purpose. Allison also uses adaptive switches to turn pages and manipulate materials, fostering her independence and interaction with texts.

Allison’s favorite part of literacy is writing, where her enthusiasm shines. She loves creating meaningful messages, especially through independent and shared writing activities, and often writes letters to others with clear intent. Her active participation, including commenting during shared reading and using switches to engage with books, highlights her progress and excitement for learning.

Christian is a bright and engaging 12-year-old with a love for baseball and dreams of becoming a baseball coach. His favorite colors are blue and red, and his vibrant personality shines in everything he does. Over the past year, Christian has made remarkable progress in his language and social skills, increasing his Milestones score from 20.5 to 73.5 and his Transition score from 4 to 37 while reducing his Barrier score from 80 to 70. These achievements reflect his growing independence, improved communication, and ability to generalize skills across various settings and staff.

Christian has become more socially aware, greeting both familiar and unfamiliar people, and showing a greater interest in engaging with others. He actively participates in daily lessons and activities, advocates for his needs, and continues to develop his social skills. Known for his radiant smile and sense of humor, Christian is a joy to be around and an inspiration to his peers and teachers. In his own words, he expresses gratitude to the board and his teachers for their support in helping him reach these milestones.

Miner Continuous Improvement Plan Update

Miner's administrative team, Dr. Tiffanie Jeffrey and Ms. Jaime Lenhart, presented on their Tier 1 system for student success which is grounded in the principles of Structured Teaching, focusing on physical structure, schedules, task organizers, routines, and visual supports. This year, the rubric for self-assessment and feedback was updated to emphasize literacy, with new staff using a general rubric and returning staff applying the literacy-focused version. During the first round of assessments in the fall, staff completed self-assessments, followed by administrative walkthroughs and feedback sessions. A second round in February will see all teachers using the literacy-focused rubric, with each selecting 2-3 specific goals to target for the remainder of the year.

To ensure safety and preparedness, Miner School has emphasized staff training and collaboration. Safety-focused discussions during staff meetings have improved responses to behavioral scenarios, while a comprehensive safety training on February 7th will address the Decision-Making Matrix, restraint and time-out definitions, and crisis protocols. Tailored safety training for teams and Educational Support Personnel (ESP) has included strategies like effective prompting and behavior intervention plan implementation. Our Behavior Analysts are also refining the Functional Behavioral Assessment (FBA) and Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP) processes to provide more individualized support. Together, these initiatives foster a safer, more supportive learning environment for students and staff.

2025 Winter Wonderland

On January 25th, we will all collectively wish for an abundance of snow, and then we will all get together and have a fantastic time at SLOEC's 10th Annual Winter Wonderland!

Miner North Pole Party

The North Pole Party at our Miner School was a festive celebration filled with holiday cheer! Students enjoyed a visit from Santa Claus, who spread joy and holiday spirit. Activities included decorating ornaments, bowling, and indulging in delicious cookies, snacks, and drinks. The event brought students and staff together in a warm and welcoming atmosphere to create memories all will cherish. It was a wonderful way to kick off the winter holidays and celebrate the season with our beloved staff and families!

Timber Ridge Holiday Store

A unique twist on a common holiday event, Timber Ridge has a whole classroom full of donated gifts where each student gets to spend time carefully picking out two perfect gifts. Now, these choices are not for the student to keep but to give to two very special people in his life: mother, father, grandparent, sibling, best friend, favorite neighbor, or teacher. It really is a special thing to watch each of these kids go through a room full of items and come out with two heart-fueled gifts to give to their favorite people. To add another level of favorite people, NSSEO's central office workers are invited over to help the students wrap these gifts up and ensure they are all ready for the holiday celebrations.

Meg Schnoor helping a student wrap their gift

A classroom full of gifts from wonderful donations

Business Updates

The Governing Board approved a three year transportation contract renewal with RichLee Vans. The Governing Board also approved the return of NSSEO's unreserved fund balances to our member districts.

Recruitment and Hiring

NSSEO is looking to grow our teams with talent people, just like you! If you or know others looking for a wonderful job opportunity for the 2024-25 school year, click the link below to search our openings.

Making a Difference

NSSEO continually seeks ways to expand partnerships with parents, districts, community leaders, and legislators to join as a community committed to deepening understanding and positively impacting NSSEO students and families. To learn more about how to make a difference, visit us at Make A Difference as well as on our social media platforms:

Important Dates