Huntley 158 Newsletter

Dear Huntley 158 families,

This is truly a special time of year. Our students are reaching important milestones and taking stock of their learning as this first semester comes to a close and we gear up for the joys of the holiday season. I congratulate all of our students on their progress so far this year and am looking forward to seeing what the rest of the 2022-23 school year has in store.

As the excitement and stress of the holidays approaches, I encourage you all to take a moment over this well-deserved break from school to recharge and reconnect with what matters most. In the midst of hectic schedules and in the face of full plates, it is often hard to step back and find space for time with our loved ones. I know our students and staff are not immune to these struggles and I hope that they are all able to take some time offline in preparation for a successful start to next semester.

As a reminder, tomorrow, Wednesday, December 21 will be an early release day across the district and is also the final day before winter break begins. School will resume and students will return to our buildings on Wednesday, January 4, 2023.

As always, thank you for taking the time to connect with us; I encourage you to explore the rest of this month's newsletter to get just a sample of the celebrations happening all across Huntley 158. I also encourage you to take a look at Huntley 158's 2021-22 Annual Report, which is currently being mailed to all Huntley 158 residents, to take a look back at our celebrations and successes from last school year. We have so much to be proud of!

I wish all of our students, staff and families a holiday season filled with joy, rest and new memories.

Sincerely,

Scott Rowe, Ed.D.

Superintendent

Wednesday, December 21 is a scheduled early release day for the district. Please see the dismissal times listed below for all buildings:

• Elementary schools will dismiss at 1:30 p.m. and middle schools will dismiss at 12:30 p.m.
• Martin Elementary School students will dismiss at 12:55 p.m.
• Huntley High School students will follow their final exam schedule and dismiss at 10:30 a.m.
• The Early Childhood Center will not have school. December 21 is a scheduled Parent Education Day.

December 21 is also the final day before winter break. Students will return to school on Wednesday, January 4, 2023.

With winter break upon us, we encourage you to relax, unwind, and settle into a safe and restful break. The holiday season is a time for togetherness and joy, but it can sometimes bring unwelcome guests, like stress and grief. Some of us may be experiencing the holidays without a loved one. Some of us may be balancing endless to-do lists from shopping to entertaining. While we each celebrate this season’s joys, it’s important to stay mindful, acknowledge our feelings, and reach out for help if needed. To help keep your holidays bright, we have included helpful information and resources through the district's partnership with Care Solace below. We encourage you to save these resources so you can easily reference them should you or a family member need help.

Huntley 158 has partnered with Care Solace to support the well-being of our community. If you or a family member are looking for help with mental health or substance use, Care Solace can help you quickly find treatment options matched to your needs, regardless of the circumstance. This is an optional, complimentary and confidential care coordination service provided by Huntley 158. If you would like to use Care Solace to help you find a mental health care provider:

• Call 888-515-0595. Support is available 24/7/365 in over 200 languages.
• Visit www.caresolace.com/huntley and either search on your own or click “Book Appointment” for assistance by video chat, email, or phone.
  
  

May you enjoy your break and return rested and reinvigorated for a fantastic new year!

This month, our extraordinary students and staff in the district's LIGHT (18-22 transition) program gathered for the second annual Winter Holiday Talent Show in the Cosman Theater at the Huntley Park District. This event was designed to be a celebration for our students and their loved ones as an opportunity for the program to come together in honor of our students' many talents. This year, the talent show featured musical numbers, a few comedy routines, basketball skills, dancing and plenty of holiday spirit. LIGHT staff members participated to support students in their talents, moderate the show and even provide a panel of staff judges. We appreciate everyone's efforts to bring this opportunity to life for our students once again. We are already looking forward to next year!

Heineman Middle School was proud to host a very special Heroes' Breakfast on December 9 to honor the efforts of first responders, fire departments and local law enforcement officers in Huntley, Lake in the Hills and Algonquin. Students participated in the breakfast to serve these community leaders and provide messages of gratitude for their service. The HMS band, orchestra and choir also performed several holiday themed songs over the course of the morning. In addition to Huntley 158's resource officers who serve all of our three campuses each day, we would like to thank our community's very own heroes' for your commitment to the safety of our students and families. And a very special thank you to the Heineman students and staff who made this morning a success!

This month, the Board of Education honored some truly outstanding Huntley High School students for their accomplishments in the classroom and on the cross country course. Breanna and Brittany Burak, sisters and seniors at HHS, both received All State honors at the Class 3A State Cross Country Meet this year. With this award, both girls were recognized among the top 25 runners in the state. Congratulations to Breanna and Brittany on their incredible careers as students and athletes at HHS.

The Board also recognized a group of eight Huntley High School students who represented four engineering teams that placed at the Illinois State University Technology Day on November 4. This competition involved hundreds of secondary (grades 6-12) students from 114 schools all across the state. Students competed in various engineering challenges during the annual competition, which has been held at ISU for over 20 years. The day consisted of a series of STEM-based, hands-on simulations and competitions which are based on state learning standards for technological literacy, mathematics and science. The students listed below combined to place in all four engineering challenges offered during the 2022 competition!

Congratulations to GianMarco Milan, Davis Tomlinson, Brendan Hollow, Nathaniel Persino, Madelyn Glanton, Ashlyn Rakin, Deigo Luna and Mason Tatone!

In what has become a beloved annual tradition for our students and community, the Huntley 158 Education Foundation hosted their annual Santa Express on Saturday, December 3. Santa, Mrs. Claus and several other famous holiday characters gathered to create a "winter wonderland" at Marlowe Middle School. The event reached capacity with approximately 600 participants registered from across our community. Thank you to the Education Foundation for offering this opportunity for our students and families to come together in celebration this holiday season!