Superintendent's Corner
January 26th, 2024
Open Houses: Learn About the Referendum
On December 14, 2023, the Board of Education took action to invest in its schools and its community by unanimously voting to place an $89.8 million bond issue on the ballot for voter consideration in March 2024. Passage will secure a future for generations of students by funding major improvements to Marie Murphy School and building a new Pre-K through fifth grade school on the Marie Murphy campus.
The Board’s decision to place the referendum on the March ballot is a direct result of feedback received from the community throughout the All In for Avoca 37 engagement process. And the All In effort does not end there.
Going forward, the District's goal is to ensure that all our citizens are informed about what the referendum provides an how much it will cost to construct and the investment needed on the part of our property tax payers.
This includes Open Houses (total attendance time is about 45 minutes) at both schools on the following dates and times:
Saturday, February 3 - Avoca West - 9 to Noon
Tuesday, February 6 - Marie Murphy - 5 to 8
Wednesday, February 7 - Avoca West - 5 to 8
Tuesday, March 5 - Avoca West - 5 to 8
Wednesday, March 6 - Marie Murphy - 5 to 8
The Open House tours will be similar to those in the Fall but will end with a Q & A session for attendees. Tour groups will start as enough people arrive in groups of 5-10.
Be on the lookout for more communications about the referendum and how the Board can be sure it fulfills its duty to secure the schools' and community's future.
To see the full announcement click here
To see the Facilitating Team's Final Report to the Board, please click here
To learn more about the entire All in for Avoca 37 process and related FAQs click here
Registering to Vote
No matter you view on the future of our schools, our democracy's success depends on citizens participating by exercising their right to vote.
If you are not currently registered to vote on March 19th, there is still time. Below are links to instructions from the County Clerk's Office on how to register.
Click Here for How Can Register to Vote Online or In Person
Click Here to Look Up Your Current Voter Registration Information
Holocaust Remembrance Day - January 27
Every 8th grader at Marie Murphy engages in deep learning related to the Holocaust, experiencing reading and confronted with facts in an age-appropriate way. 8th graders who attend the Washington, D.C. trip also visit the National Holocaust Memorial Museum.
January 27 is Holocaust Remembrance Day and can signal an appropriate time for parents or guardians to engage with their children about what they know. Only you can know if it is appropriate to for you to engage with your child on this topic.
If you do, I encourage you to consider reviewing the website of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and see if there are resources there that you might find appropriate for engaging with your student. Click Here to Access the Memorial Museum's Resources
Black History Is Not Just a Month
Unfortunately, in some communities, the teaching of race and history in America has become an unnecessarily divisive issue. Frankly, race and history in America are largely inseparable and ignoring the connections is more harmful than good. From our country's founding to its development, to its tragedies and its triumphs, we should all have a full picture of what has happened and who has been involved or, in some cases, excluded. Without such learning, we are doomed to repeat mistakes or make bad decisions that will negatively affect our future.
And the teaching of Black History, of the role of Black people throughout history, is consistent with our values and vision as represented in our Portrait of a Graduate, specifically when we think of graduates who are Culturally Competent and Socially Grounded.
The teaching of any people's history should not be compartmentalized in a given month - February. Our teachers strive for inclusive learning - and research shows that such inclusion (around race, gender, ableness, language, ethnicity) leads to better experiences for students - whether in literature, writing, language, history, science, music, art, or more. So during the next month, there might be a greater emphasis placed on those experiences, tribulations, triumphs, and contributions of Black Americans. I encourage you to explore what you can learn about Black History, preferably with your student at home. Below are some websites that can help get the ball rolling:
National Museum of African American History & Culture - Digital Resource Guide
"Black History Month: Teaching the Complete History" by Coshandra Dillard
Healing Everyday Racism in Our Schools
Choral Performers at New Trier and SciOly Winners
Students experiencing a Balanced learning experience is foundational to our values, as stated in the Portrait of a Graduate. Nothing exemplifies this principle better than our students engagement over the last two weeks.
On January 18, choral students from Avoca West and Marie Murphy participated in a township wide choral festival, getting the chance to perform with students from other township schools and the very advanced New Trier choral performers. If you would like to see all or part of that performance, click here. (And thanks to Ms. Weismehl and Mr. Kirby for leading our choral students.)
Likewise, just two days later, our nationally ranked Science Olympiad Varsity and Junior Varsity teams competed at the University of Chicago. Not only did Varsity take first place over all, but the second best performing team at the Varsity level was our Junior Varsity team. Again, head and shoulders above so many other accomplished schools, this program could not thrive without the leadership of our coaches Mr. Gravagna, Mr. Persino, and Ms. Kim and the engagement of parent/guardians who coach teams and help with logistics.