VVSD Superintendent Dr. Keith Wood’s End of the Year Message to VVSD Community
The end of the calendar year is a time for numerous celebrations and also a time for reflection during the few remaining days of the year. For those of us who are old enough to remember, there was nothing more indicative of a simultaneous ending, and a new beginning, than when the calendar on the wall or desk was down to one page.
As we run out of days in 2024, I want to express my gratitude to the entire VVSD community for everything each and every one of you do to support the education of VVSD students.
Stop for a moment and think about the coordinated, community-wide effort performed in our community every school day.
We are grateful for the effort of our entire community in support of our learners. The efforts by parents and guardians who send their students to school ready to learn. The efforts of our entire VVSD staff who meet the needs of our students by providing a safe, secure, caring, and academically robust learning environment. Most importantly, the effort of our community members who provide the resources that make the entire operation happen. To that effort for Every Learner, Every Day, we say “Thank You” for a year well-done.
Friday, December 20 is the last student attendance day before Winter Break and is an Early Release Day. Monday, January 6 is a Teacher Work Day with no student attendance. Classes for students resume on Tuesday, January 7.
On behalf of the VVSD Board of Education and Senior Leadership, I extend my heartfelt best wishes for a safe and healthy holiday season.
Please Click Here to Enjoy the VVSD 2024 End of the Year Video
Dr. Keith Wood
VVSD Superintendent of Schools
A Holiday Musical Interlude Courtesy of Hermansen Elementary 5th Grade Students
We’re going to go out on a limb and say that when Ludwig van Beethoven penned “Ode to Joy”, he never envisioned what is now one of the most well-known tunes in the world would be played on ukuleles!
That’s exactly what the Hermansen Elementary School 5th graders did at their Winter Concert and did quite well.
Watch and listen to the Hermansen 5th graders.
(For that matter, Beethoven also never imagined “Ode to Joy” would provide the accompanying music for the scene in the all-time great Holiday movie “Die Hard” when the vaults finally open in the Nakatomi Building!)
Start the New Year by Joining the VVSD Team
VVSD is still hiring for a wide range of positions for the 2024-25 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
Kudos for Noteworthy Achievements
Romeoville HS Science Teacher Mike Stoehrmann will appear as a contestant on the TV game show “Wheel of Fortune” in the episode that will air on Tue. Dec. 31 at 6:30 pm on ABC 7 Chicago. Mike responded to a Wheel of Fortune contestant search on Facebook seeking Disney fans and Mike submitted a picture of him and his family at Disneyland. After passing some Zoom auditions, it was off to Los Angeles for auditions. Mike became a fan of the show years ago as he would watch “Wheel” with his mother.
VVSD Speech Pathologists prepared alternative communication devices for 60 VVSD students who need a voice. The work by our SLP's honors the memory of VVSD Assistive Technology Coordinator Kristen Ternig and her life dedicated to giving every student a voice.
The Red Blood Cell team at the Irene King Elementary 5th grade “Blood Cell Wars” confers on how to counter the arguments by the Platelet team and the White Blood Cell team as to which group is most important to the health of the human body. The three teams present their case to an audience of parents and fellow students who then vote on which group made the most convincing case.
To close out the year, the latest look at the progress of Dr. James A. Mitchem, Jr. Early Childhood Center Bolingbrook Extension. Inside, the walls are being framed, defining the classroom spaces for future students.(This view is looking northeast from Schmidt Rd. The existing Oak View Elementary building is behind the new construction.