411 on 67 - 4.26.23

April 26, 2023

Good afternoon,

Last night at our District 67 Board of Education meeting, I shared an update on District 67 staffing with the Board and community. I provided a similar update to our District 67 staff the week before.

Five-Year Staffing and Enrollment Trends
In both presentations, I shared a slide with divergent five-year trend lines, showing a pattern of increased staffing and declining enrollment - with a pronounced increase in District 67 staff during and immediately following the pandemic. Since 2018, our District 67 staff has grown from 297 to approximately 337, while student enrollment continues to decrease. We need a course correction.

Planned Adjustments
This pattern is neither fiscally responsible nor financially sustainable for our District, requiring us to begin efforts to bring staffing levels closer to pre-pandemic levels. We have engaged in a thoughtful process with our District 67 principals and administrators to initiate this work. Together, we have created a 2023-2024 plan that is meant to minimize impact through the movement of certain staff members to different assignments, as well as through the attrition created by planned retirements.

At Cherokee, Everett, and Sheridan:

• We are reducing the number of preferred substitutes in each building from four to three.

• We are reassigning our Library Teaching Assistants/Media Center Assistants. We will work with the librarians on how best to fill the gaps created by this change.

• Our current Library Teaching Assistants will move into teaching assistant roles in their buildings.

At DPM:

• We are not replacing any of our retiring Advanced Learning Specialists through attrition. Our coaches will support differentiation for our advanced learners. Pending board approval, our new ELA resource offers opportunities for enrichment and differentiation. There will be an intentional focus on effectively utilizing the extended ELA block, partnering with instructional coaches to differentiate for learners, and supporting our needs through other professional learning opportunities.

• We are reassigning our Science Lab Teaching Assistants. We are grateful for the support of our Science teachers who will now prep their own labs.

• We will no longer offer a Wellness Teaching Assistant position in the future. Wellness teachers will continue to facilitate these responsibilities.

• We will no longer offer a Spark Lab Teaching Assistant. Moving forward, we will reimagine use of the Spark Lab space for students.

Balancing Priorities
At last night's Board meeting, we also heard the voices of teachers, staff, parents, and guardians who expressed varying perspectives about these changes. I am grateful for the engagement of our community. While there are differing opinions, we share in common a deep respect for our staff and the desire to put our students first. Always.

To maintain the level of programming and resources we offer our students while, at the same time, remaining fiscally responsible to our tax payers, we are constantly evolving. The 2022-2023 school year has been devoted to putting the frameworks in place for the future of our District with our Portrait of a Learner visioning, strategic planning, and, now, a more complete view of enrollment and staffing. Our job is to meet the needs of today’s students, while maintaining the District in a manner that allows us to serve our students of the future. We will not trade one for the other.

The Challenge of Change
Change continues to be one of life's greatest challenges, and we have persevered through more of it in the last three years than many of us have experienced in a lifetime. We will continue to be faced with choices about how to best prepare ourselves for the future in all facets of the organization - from programming, to finances, to facilities. This is a culture shift for us.

I look forward to our continued partnership in service to today’s and tomorrow’s students.

Sincerely,

Superintendent

• May 2, 2023 - Organizational Meeting (New Board/Old Board)
  
• CANCELLED: May 23, 2023 - Regular Meeting
• NEW DATE: June 20, 2023 - Regular Meeting
  
  

• Agenda

• Recording of Meeting

• Board President's Report

• Superintendent's Report
• School Spotlight: Cherokee and Everett Elementary Schools - Watch Below!

With the passage of the Lake Forest Community High School District 115 $105.7 million 20-year bond referendum, District 115 will now move into the next phase of planning with the assembly of a District 115 Capital Projects Advisory Committee to provide community consultation on projects funded by the bond. This will be a small group of qualified volunteers with relevant backgrounds such as architecture, construction, engineering, and interior design. Applications for the District 115 Capital Projects Advisory Committee may be submitted using the button below no later than Monday, May 1 at 5:00 PM.

For more information about the bond, please visit our District 115 referendum website.

Click here to apply for the District 115 Capital Projects Advisory Committee

The Spirit of 67 Foundation awarded nearly 30 educational grants totaling over $200,000 for the upcoming 2023-24 school year! Thanks to our generous community and nearly 75% of our District 67 families who support the Spirit of 67, these grants will enrich the education of our students for years to come.

Click on the link below or visit the Spirit website to view this year's grants!

Grants Recap 2023-2024

Before the music begins at Rock the Spirit, review the Auction items and Bid! We hope to see you at the event, but even if you cannot make it, you can still participate in the raffle and online auction. The auction includes one top Hit after another. Don’t miss out!

Use the link below to view and BID on more than 80 exceptional auction offerings.

Click Here to View Items and Bid!

Please join the District 67 APT for the School's Out Food Drive to benefit North Chicago Community Partners. Donations will be accepted from Monday, May 1 to Friday, May 5 at all of our District 67 Schools.

Requested Donations

The following items for your school may be dropped off in your school lobby:

• Cherokee: Canned Mixed Vegetables, Bagged Pinto Beans, Vanilla Extract, Peanut Butter or Jelly
• DPM 5/6: Cereal Boxes, Individual Snack Boxes, Baking Soda or Baking Powder, Peanut Butter or Jelly
• DPM 7/8: Mac & Cheese Cups, Juice Boxes, Cooking Oil, Peanut Butter or Jelly
• Everett: Pasta, Pasta Sauce, Chocolate Chips, Peanut Butter or Jelly
• Sheridan: Apple Sauce, Granola Bars, Canned Corn, Rice, Peanut Butter or Jelly

Volunteers Needed

Join us to help sort the food after school on Friday, May 5, 3:30pm at CROYA.

It's hard to believe, but our 8th-Grade Graduation Ceremony is only 5 weeks away! There have been some changes to a few of the end-of-the-year events that our 8th graders will experience together as they close out their time in middle school.

Highlights include:

• 8th Grade Graduation: Tuesday, May 30, 2023
• Community Service Reminder: Friday, May 12, 2023 Deadline
• Special Activities for the Last Week
• An Adventure Uptown, Wednesday, May 24, 2023
• Field Trip to Launch, Thursday, May 25, 2023
• 8th Grade Celebration, Hosted by the APT (NEW LOCATION): Friday, May 26, 2023
• 8th Grade BOC Instrument Returns: by Friday, May 19, 2023

Please use this link to read all the details: https://www.smore.com/vfpjy

We are pleased to share that District 67 has received a Best Communities for Music Education Award for the 6th consecutive year! We are incredibly proud of the robust music programming offered to our students. D67 is one of 830 districts across the nation to receive this designation this year and one of 25 in Illinois. This award is given based not only on the depth of curriculum offered but also the variety of music courses, ratio of certified music staff with advanced degrees, courses offered during the school day for 30 or more minutes, and maintained funding we have had since the pandemic.

Congratulations to our talented students, staff, and families!

Deer Path Art League is promoting the arts within the Lake Forest/Lake Bluff community through their 16th annual Emerging Artists Exhibit, held in the windows in Market Square. Art teachers from 14 local public and private schools submit 2-D and 3-D works by students in grades pre-school through high school. Ribbons are awarded for student work from each of the participating schools. One of the most exciting aspects of this month-long exhibit is the presentation of the Mayoral Award to student ribbon winners at the Lake Forest City Council meeting. The show will be displayed through the month of April 2023 so you have a few more days to stop by and take a look!

Congratulations to the following D67 young artists whose beautiful works were selected for the 2023 Emerging Artists Exhibit in Market Square:

Cherokee Elementary School (M on the Square and J. McLaughlin)

Eliana H. (Mayoral Award Winner)

Olivia W. (Mayoral Award Winner)

Stella D. (Mayoral Award Winner)

Luca N., Adriana P., Lizzie C., Clarke M., Cullen F., Catalina T., Miles W.

Everett Elementary School (Williams Sonoma)

Osten B. (Mayoral Award Winner)

Grace U. (Mayoral Award Winner)

Heidi C. (Mayoral Award Winner)

Jack O., Olivia D., Zoey B., Addison T., Isabela T., Hope G., Lucas G.

Sheridan Elementary School (The Lake Forest Shop)

Leah T. (Mayoral Award Winner)

Ellis C. (Mayoral Award Winner)

Julia S. (Mayoral Award Winner)

Lilly K., Andrew S., Ray C., Tommy D., Elodie B., Sophie C., Camilla F., Apollonia J., Charlie S., Rylan M, Anne S., Harry R., Evelina Z.

Deer Path Middle School (Evereve)

5/6 “Narrative Names”

• Josephine P. (Mayoral Award Winner)
• Nathan L., Norah R., Maizy M., Grace A., Caroline P., Zeena T., Kittery E., David J., and Teagan S.

• Evie M. (Mayoral Award Winner)
• David P. (Mayoral Award Winner)
• Charlie S., Rowan P., Zoe F.

7/8 Mixed Media Block Print and Ceramics

• Runo O., Tavin W., Helen C., Megan W., Avery L.

LFHS Reads is a summer reading program offered annually at the high school that offers a great way for students and staff to connect and read for the fun of it! Students and staff sign up for a book to read over the summer and join a book discussion breakfast in the fall. Participants will receive a free copy of the book they select! This year, we are offering a discussion group designed for only incoming freshman hosted by Superintendent Dr. Matthew L. Montgomery. This freshman-only discussion group will be based on the young adult fiction novel In the Wild Light, "A poignant coming-of-age novel about two best friends whose friendship is tested when they get the opportunity to leave their impoverished small town for an elite prep school."

Sign your incoming freshman up here: bit.ly/lfhsreads.

We are excited to continue our 411 series celebrating this year's retirees. Our “graduating class” of seven talented teachers and staff members represent a total of 140 years of service. Together, they have taught and supported thousands of students during their careers. We will share their profiles in each issue of the 411. Please join us in thanking and congratulating them!

Please join the LFHS Girls Varsity Lacrosse team for Future Scout Night! Come cheer on the team as they compete against Warren High School on Wednesday, May 3rd at 6:45pm. Wear your club or team jersey or your favorite school’s gear. Girls playing youth lacrosse or interested in playing will be invited on the field at halftime to be recognized.

Featuring Rachel Macy Stafford & Shefali Tsabary, Ph.D.

Apr 27, 2023 07:00 PM

Learn more and register: www.bit.ly/StaffordFANSponsor

In Soul Shift: The Weary Human’s Guide to Getting Unstuck and Reclaiming Your Path to Joy, New York Times bestselling author and celebrated motivational speaker Rachel Macy Stafford guides us on a journey to remember and reconnect with what truly delights and fulfills our hearts. Throughout this shame-free, hope-filled guide, you’ll follow the guidance of your soul through eight key areas of discovery—self-worth, forgiveness, authenticity, and more. As you gain valuable awareness, you’ll be able to shift how you respond to life’s challenges, replacing depleting habits with growing presence and healing joy.

Featuring Gretchen Rubin, Five-time New York Times bestselling author and host of the Happier with Gretchen Rubin podcast; and Olga Khazan, Staff writer for The Atlantic and author of the 2020 book Weird: The Power of Being an Outsider in an Insider World.

Tuesday, May 2, 2023, 7:00 PM (on Zoom)

Learn more and register: www.bit.ly/RubinFANWebinar

In her latest book, Life in Five Senses: How Exploring the Senses Got Me Out of My Head and Into the World, a revelatory journey of self-experimentation, Rubin explores the mysteries and joys of the five senses as a path to a happier, more mindful life. Drawing on cutting-edge science, philosophy, literature, and her own efforts to practice what she learns, she investigates the profound power of tuning in to the physical world.