School District 64 Student Artists Spotlighted this Spring

btramm — Tue, 15 May 2012 16:02:02 +0000

The talented creations of student artists from Park Ridge-Niles School District 64 are in the public spotlight this spring to the delight of community members.

Artwork from 49 students representing all District 64 schools is currently on view at the fourth annual art display at Le Peep restaurant, 100 Euclid Ave., Park Ridge. In a unique partnership, District 64 exhibits works from May through October and Brickton Art Center exhibits children’s projects from November thru April in a permanent gallery at the restaurant.

This year, students were inspired by a variety of themes and used a wide range of techniques and media to interpret them. The colorful 2012 display features creations from students at District 64 elementary as well as middle schools:

Carpenter – "Monochromatic Haunted House" (watercolor), Anna Kobylarczyk, grade 2; "Gargoyle" (charcoal, colored pencil), Keeley Flynn, grade 4; "Face" (black marker, colored pencil), Alice Petrick, grade 6; "Theseus and the Minotaur: Graphic Novel" (pencil), Foster Townsend, grade 4; "Iowa" (tempera paint), Angelica Hryb, grade 3; and, "Greek Temple" (pencil), Sophia Vowell, grade 4.

Emerson Middle – "Evening Street Scene" (2-point perspective, colored pencil), Matylda Sojko, grade 6; "Dog Portrait" (charcoal, white colored pencil), Jacqueline Betthauser, grade 8; "Lion King" (Doodle 4 Google, colored pencil), Haley Mech, grade 7; "Salvador Dali" (Doodle 4 Google, colored pencil), Liv Conklin, grade 7; "Lagoon" (tempera paint), Julia Borrelli, grade 7; "Spirit Circle" (colored pencil), Natalie Markech, grade 7; and, "To the Lake" (black and white darkroom photography), Will Nicholson, grade 8.

Field – "African Masks" (foil, raffia, markers, feathers), Anna Rutkowski and Michael Cardella, both grade 4; "My Family Portrait" (tempera paint, markers) Kristians Neilands, grade 2; "Native American Batik" (cloth, dye, wax), Jaivon Harris, grade 5; "Van Gogh Inspired Sunflowers" (oil pastel, watercolor, tissue paper, paint), Anabella Venetucci, Kindergarten; "Homemade Paper With My Name Painted In Chinese" (homemade paper, acrylic paint) Miranda Pittges, grade 4; "Dia De Los Muertos Calavera" (clay, paint, foil, sequins) Mia Pomilia, grade 3;" i-PORTRAITs" (mixed media) Ana Birkett and Jessica Beck, both grade 3.

Franklin – "The Four Seasons" (mixed media), Dina Hagerty, grade 1; "Matisse Goldfish" (mixed media), Sara Goldberg, grade 1; "Self-Portrait with Animal Mask" (mixed media), Elsa Diaz, grade 2; "Stopping By Woods" (mixed media), Juliana Piotrowski, grade 3; "Cake" (oil pastel), Themi Bournias, grade 5; and, "Paul Klee's A Birthday Party" (watercolor, marker), Abigail Rice, Kyle Hauser and Nicholas Kazmer, all Kindergarten.

Lincoln Middle – "Lily’s Lily" (colored pencil), Lily Stipetic, grade 7; "Chris Martin, M.X." (colored pencil), Hannah Flood, grade 7; "Give Yourself Away" (colored pencil), Mary Yarck, grade 7; "Chicago" (colored pencil perspective drawing), Pearce Carlson, grade 6; "The Bean" (black and white darkroom photography), Aileen Thornton, grade 8; and, "Untitled" (yarn weaving), Kalina Gardiner, grade 8.

Roosevelt – "Shape Robot" (crayon, watercolor resist), Sophie Pop, Kindergarten; "Starry Night" (mixed media), Katie Langlands, grade 1; "Owl" (collage), Will Heneghan, grade 2; "Cardinal" (tempera paint), Kevin Dienhart, grade 3; "Skyscraper" (ink print), Kate Stewart, grade 4; and, "Pet Portrait" (tempera paint), Sophia Albano, grade 5.

Washington – "Skyscraper Paper Weaving & Public Sculpture" (colored paper, fingerpaint), Johnny Fiszer, grade 1; "Music, Marc Chagall & Me" (colored pencil, watercolor), Erin Weiss, grade 3; "Escher inspired tessellations" (marker), Gigi Hreczuch and Mohammed Rasheed, both grade 5; "Radial designs" (chalk, paint), Karinne Ehni and Paige Colonna, both grade 3; and, "Family Portrait" (tempera paint), Ryne Downing, grade 2.

Earlier this spring, community members viewed art from 23 students in District 64 displayed at the Park Ridge Library in celebration of Youth Art Month. The exhibit showcased how students' creativity and visual communication skills grow through the grades. District 64 art teachers selected the works that best captured the creative challenge presented in each project.

The students and their works for 2012 included:

Carpenter – grade 2: David Zdrzalka, “Monochrome Houses;” Colin Sexton, “Portrait;” Andrea Smith, “Turkey;” Emerson Middle – Molly Paddock, grade 7, glazed clay coil vessel; Sander Sudreynzki, grade 7, tempera painting; Anna Wolsza, grade 6, perspective drawing; Field – Michael Milanowksi, grade 1, “Recycled Owl;” Laura Pomilia, grade 4, “Homemade Paper with Name in Chinese;” Olivia Heffernan, grade 5, “Egg Shell Trees;” Franklin – Mia Salemi, grade 4, mixed media, "Matisse's Window;" Samantha Hecker, grade 2, tempera paint, "Chinese Dragon;” Josh Felsing, grade 2, chalk and glue, "Fish;" Lincoln Middle – Brynn Keller, grade 8, ceramic sphere; Anne Reardon, grade 8, ceramic sphere; Jake Geraci, grade 8, black and white photography silver print; Maddie Malinowski, grade 6, contour line still life; Roosevelt – Isabella Landerghini, grade 1, Park Ridge Starry Night, collage; Bonnie Harris, grade 4, printed skyscraper; Austin Tauber, grade 5, dog painting; and, Washington – Sophia LaCoppola, grade 3, paper tape mosaic mask; Niamh Gardiner, grade 3, paint and cut paper design; Molly Russell, grade 3, chalk and paint symmetry; and, Maria Dobrilovic, grade 2, family portrait painting.

School District 64 Emerson Middle School Artists Win Regional Awards

btramm — Mon, 14 May 2012 21:52:53 +0000

Six student artists from Emerson Middle School in Park Ridge-Niles School District 64 have captured Midwest regional honors for their creative works through the 2012 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards national competition. The grade 8 students were among a larger group nominated by teacher Sonja Dziedzic for their exceptional work.

The students and their families collaborated with teacher Dziedzic to photograph each work, register the students online and electronically submit images of the works for judging. It was the first time in six years that District 64 students participated in the at-large regional competition coordinated by the Belin-Blank International Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development at the University of Iowa.

Four students captured top “Gold Key” awards:

Photography – Anna Campbell (fall gourds) and Isabel Diaz (Soldier Field)
Ceramics – Karolina Koszczuk (jack ‘o lantern) and Marisa Owen (teapot).

“Silver Key” awards also were earned in the Photography category by Mike Chrisos (Baha’i House of Worship) and Claire DeRosa (child with wagon).

The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards date back to 1923, and are considered the most prestigious program to recognize youth and teens in grades 7-12 in 28 categories of art and writing. Students compete to win scholarships and have their works exhibited or published. Each work is judged for “originality, technical skill and the emergence of a personal voice or vision.” The awards program is sponsored by the non-profit Alliance for Young Artists & Writers.

Images of the Emerson students’ artwork submitted for judging can be viewed on the teacher’s website: http://d64art.com/sdziedzic/Scholastic_Art_Awards.html

School District 64 Adds 2012 “Bright Red Apple Award” to its Accolades

btramm — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 22:47:43 +0000

Park Ridge-Niles School District 64 is one of only 79 Illinois school districts to earn the 2012 Bright Red Apple Award for educational excellence from SchoolSearch, an independent research and consulting firm. It’s the 18th year that District 64 was selected for “providing students with an outstanding educational environment,” the award notes.

Using objective data from the 2011 Illinois State Report Cards, only 9 percent of the state’s 868 districts received the accolade.

“We are very fortunate that District 64 schools enjoy tremendous support from our community that allows us to perform at high achievement levels over such a sustained period of time,” Superintendent Philip Bender noted. “This tradition of great schools defines Park Ridge-Niles as a family-friendly community that continues to draw new generations of students here,” he added.

The award is based on five, “family-favored” factors: academic performance; pupil/teacher ratio; operating expenditure per pupil; educational level of teachers; and average teacher salary. “District 64 is strong in all five categories,” according to SchoolSearch.

District 64 Sponsors Healthy Living Month Special Events: Internet Safety Program on April 24 and Bike Helmet Sale on April 25

btramm — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 15:39:30 +0000

Park Ridge-Niles School District 64 is offering two special programs during April, which is celebrated as Healthy Living Month in Park Ridge.

To provide parents with the tips they need to keep children tech safe, District 64 is hosting a “Surfin’ Safety” internet program on Tuesday, April 24 from 7:00-9:00 p.m. in the multipurpose room at Emerson Middle School, 8101 N. Cumberland, Niles. The session helps parents become more savvy about up-to-the-minute trends, so they can better supervise their children’s use of computers, cell phones and other mobile devices. Wide-ranging topics include cyber-bullying, junior identity theft and sexual predators. Sgt. Robert Tornabene of the Niles Police Department will share his years of experience and a wealth of practical knowledge at this free, community event.

To enjoy safe rides of a different kind this spring, District 64 is offering a special bike helmet sale to make sure children through adults have access to low-cost, top quality head gear. The District 64 Traffic Safety Committee is teaming up with Advocate Lutheran General Hospital Trauma Services to present a walk-in bike helmet sale on Wednesday, April 25 between 5:00-7:00 p.m. Advance orders are not required. Just drop by Franklin School, 2401 Manor Lane, to pick out and purchase a helmet for only $10. Sizes for anyone 12 months or older will be available on a first come, first served basis. Trauma room nurses will custom-fit the helmets to each child or adult, too! This is an easy way to protect your family from the risk of serious head injury with helmets certified by the Consumer Product Safety Commission and designed to meet or exceed safety standards. District 64 policy requires students to wear helmets while riding and/or using bicycles, roller blades, scooters, skate boards and similar devices while going from home to school, while on school property, and while going from school to their first intended point of destination.

Healthy Living Month is a community-wide initiative that focuses on healthy behavior choices through education. The month targets health, nutrition, fitness, safety and understanding the environment. Weekly April events include: Health & Nutrition Week; National Library Week; Neat to Use Your Feet Week when students are encouraged to walk to school; and, Screen-Free Week when students are encouraged to rediscover healthy alternatives to television and computers.

School District 64 Seeks Community Opinions on Facilities through April 20

btramm — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 21:24:14 +0000

Park Ridge-Niles School District 64 has launched a public opinion survey to offer residents an opportunity to share thoughts and opinions regarding its school buildings. The online survey will be available through Friday, April 20 on the District’s website: www.d64.org. An overview of the needs already identified for each school also is available on the same website.

The survey data will be incorporated into a Facility Master Plan being developed by the District’s architects to help prioritize the “bricks and mortar” needs of schools. “The master plan will provide a sound framework to better manage our facilities in support of quality teaching and learning for many years to come,” according to Superintendent Philip Bender. “We conducted two public forums in March and now an online survey offers virtually all local residents a way to contribute their views about our buildings, which add such character to our neighborhoods and are such vital community assets,” he explained.

 A master plan typically incorporates planning for all aspects of the school building’s interior and exterior. Survey results will be posted to the website later this spring when they are presented to the Board of Education.

District 64 Announces Administrative Changes for 2012-13

btramm — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 14:44:43 +0000

The Park Ridge-Niles School District 64 Board of Education at its March 12 meeting authorized several additional personnel changes effective for the 2012-13 school year. The District previously announced the promotion of Lincoln Middle School Principal Joel Martin to become Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources and the appointment of Dr. Lori Hinton from Glenview School District 34 to become Assistant Superintendent for Student Learning; both posts are being filled due to retirements.

In addition to launching a search for a new Lincoln principal, District 64 also announced that it would begin a search for a new principal at Carpenter School. Principal Marcy Canel is leaving District 64 at the end of the year to pursue other opportunities in education. Dr. Canel has been principal since 2010 and has helped carry on the school’s traditional focus of helping every child become a successful learner.

“Dr. Canel’s extensive background in special education and her unwavering commitment to helping each child reach his or her potential have been sincerely appreciated by so many families at Carpenter,” according to Superintendent Philip Bender. “We wish her well as her career in education moves forward, and will seek a leader to carry on the successful initiatives she has put in place at Carpenter, our smallest school,” he added.

The Board of Education on March 12 also approved the addition of one new assistant principal, effective with the 2012-13 school year, to be shared between Carpenter and Franklin schools. With enrollments greater than 600 students, District 64’s other elementary schools – Field, Roosevelt and Washington – already have assistant principals assigned full-time. “District 64 – as all districts across the state – is preparing for extensive revisions in how teacher performance will be evaluated. This new, shared administrator will help support these time-intensive reviews as well as our ongoing instructional goals for these two schools,” Dr. Bender noted.

“The search for all three administrators this spring will include opportunities for input from parents, teachers, staff and other administrators to select the best candidates to meet District 64’s high standards and find an outstanding match for each school community,” Dr. Bender added.

District 64 Selects New Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources

btramm — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 02:43:16 +0000

The Park Ridge-Niles School District 64 Board of Education at its March 12 meeting confirmed the promotion of Lincoln Middle School Principal Joel Martin to become Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources effective July 1. Mr. Martin is replacing Dr. Sandra Stringer, who is retiring from District 64 on June 30 after 10 years in the post.

Mr. Martin is currently in his second year as principal of Lincoln. District 64 will now begin a search for a new principal, and will include opportunities for participation by the school’s teachers, non-certified staff, and school PTO representatives.

As Assistant Superintendent, Mr. Martin will provide leadership of the District’s overall hiring and evaluation of approximately 750 full- and part-time staff members, including recruitment and orientation, teacher staffing projections and dismissals, employee records, alignment with mandated regulations, collective negotiations, and other related responsibilities.

“We are very impressed by how quickly Mr. Martin has built successful relationships with teachers and staff members at Lincoln, and with employees and administrators across District 64,” according to Superintendent Philip Bender. “We believe his commitment to two-way communication with staff and colleagues, strong organizational skills, and knowledge of the upcoming state-mandated changes in performance evaluations for teachers and principals make him an outstanding fit to help guide District 64 into this new era,” he added.

In addition to his responsibilities as principal, Mr. Martin also has served as a member of several District-wide groups, including the Policy, Response-to-Intervention and Wellness committees. He has also worked on the Maine Township common core articulation committee for language arts and has helped guide two areas within the District’s Strategic Plan.

Mr. Martin came to District 64 in 2010 from Kirby School District 140 in Tinley Park, where he served for six years as a middle school principal. He previously served as an assistant principal and a grade 7 social studies teacher in that district. Earlier in his career, Mr. Martin taught social studies and reading in grades 5-8 for five years in the Chicago Public Schools.

Mr. Martin received a bachelor of science degree from Illinois State University and his master’s from Governors State University. He currently is pursuing his Doctor of Education degree from Lewis University.

In all, 50 applications were received for the post; a screening panel selected nine applicants to interview. A committee of teachers, administrators and a Board of Education member then interviewed five finalists.

District 64 Facility Master Plan Public Forums Set for March 13 & 14

btramm — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 17:48:57 +0000

Park Ridge-Niles School District 64 will conduct public forums on March 13 and 14 to offer community members an opportunity to hear more about the Facility Master Plan being developed, ask questions and offer input. District 64 launched the two-year Facility Master Plan process in summer 2011 to help prioritize the “bricks and mortar” needs of schools.

Two, identical sessions are scheduled from 6:30 p.m. – 8 p.m.:

Tuesday, March 13 at Lincoln Middle School (Winslow Hall), 200 S. Lincoln Ave., Park Ridge.
Wednesday, March 14 at Emerson Middle School (Learning Resource Center), 8101 N. Cumberland Ave., Niles.

The District’s architects, Fanning Howey, will highlight the particular needs that its comprehensive physical assessments have identified at each school. Community members then will have an opportunity to ask questions and offer input about the plan.

“We are anxious to engage all members of our community about the early findings of this essential and far-reaching plan, which will give District 64 a sound framework to better manage facilities in support of quality teaching and learning at our schools for many years to come,” according to Superintendent Philip Bender. A master plan typically incorporates planning for all aspects of the school building’s interior and exterior.

More information about the detailed physical assessments for each building is available on the District’s website at www.d64.org.

District 64 Appoints New Assistant Superintendent for Student Learning

btramm — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 17:35:51 +0000

The Park Ridge-Niles School District 64 Board of Education at its February 27 meeting confirmed the appointment of Dr. Lori Hinton as Assistant Superintendent for Student Learning effective July 1. She will replace Diane Betts, who is retiring on June 30 from District 64 after nine years in that post.

As Assistant Superintendent, Dr. Hinton will provide leadership of the District’s curriculum and instructional programs, including assessment of student achievement, implementation of intervention programs to support student learning, and professional development activities for teachers.

“Dr. Hinton comes to us well-versed in curriculum design and the impact of the new common core standards, and we expect she will be particularly astute in helping to guide the implementation of the student learning goals in our Strategic Plan,” according to District 64 Superintendent Philip Bender. “She also has a proven ability to understand and work well with teachers, and to focus on shaping curriculum to meet the needs of kids,” Dr. Bender added.

Dr. Hinton comes to District 64 from Glenview School District 34, where she has been principal of Westbrook School serving grades K-2 for eight years. In that role, she collaborated with her school improvement team to improve student achievement, design comprehensive staff development, and actively engage the parent community. Her efforts included focusing on improving teacher collaboration, exploring strategies for assessing student progress, implementing research-based math and reading support programs, and creating a professional learning community for teachers. She also served on several district-wide committees focusing on professional development, supervision and evaluation, and personnel, among others.

Dr. Hinton previously was an assistant principal and instructional facilitator in Community Consolidated School District 62 in Des Plaines and a curriculum specialist in Golf School District 67. Earlier in her career, she was a program director at the North Cook Intermediate Service Center leading teacher workshops to improve student achievement.

Dr. Hinton received both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and her doctor of philosophy degree from Loyola University in Chicago.

District 64 carried out a multi-step selection process. In all, 45 applications were received for the post; 12 applicants were invited for interviews with the screening committee. Three candidates then moved on for second interviews with dual committees representing teachers and principals. Superintendent Bender and two Board of Education members interviewed two finalists; Dr. Bender also made a site visit to her current school before tapping Dr. Hinton for the post.

School District 64 among 32 in State with Four Schools on 2011 Honor Roll

btramm — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 17:23:39 +0000

Park Ridge-Niles School District 64 is one of only 32 school districts across the state to have four or more schools earn “Academic Excellence Awards” in the 2011 Illinois Honor Roll sponsored by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE).

As announced at the February 27 Board of Education meeting, Lincoln Middle School along with Carpenter, Roosevelt and Field elementary schools received excellence awards for sustaining very high academic performance over at least three years.

Lincoln Middle School is one of only 18 schools in Illinois to receive an excellence award for the sixth consecutive year. Carpenter and Roosevelt elementary schools were named to the distinguished roster for a fourth straight year, among 124 schools state-wide to do so. In addition, Field School was among 66 schools that joined the list for the first time in 2011.

To earn the excellence award, at least 90% of students at these schools “met or exceeded” state standards in both reading and math assessments for three consecutive years on the Illinois Standards Achievement Test (ISAT). The schools also made “Adequate Yearly Progress” for the past two years.

Overall, 67 middle schools and 366 elementary schools in Illinois received this distinction.

“We are very proud that District 64 schools continue to reach the Honor Roll even as the standards get higher each year, because it demonstrates the commitment of teachers, students and parents to continuous improvement,” according to District 64 Superintendent Philip Bender. “We believe this community’s solid support for local schools combined with the rich, rigorous and innovative curriculum teachers deliver every day in our classrooms is a winning combination for our students,” he added.

The Board of Education acknowledged for their leadership: Lincoln Principal Joel Martin and Assistant Principal Tim Gleason; Carpenter Principal Marcy Canel; Field Principal Susan Walsh and Assistant Principal Katie Kelly; Roosevelt Principal Kevin Dwyer and Assistant Principal Andy Petroline; and, the teachers and staff members at the four schools.

Registration Opens March 1 for 2012 District 64 “Worlds of Wonder” Summer Program

btramm — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 04:23:36 +0000

Park Ridge-Niles School District 64 will begin registration on Thursday, March 1 for its popular “Worlds of Wonder” summer program. Tuition is the same as last year, and priority is given to any child who resides within District 64 and who enrolls on or before Friday, April 20.

The program will be conducted at the same locations as last year: Washington School, for students completing grades K-3, and Lincoln Middle School, for students completing grades 4-7. Two sessions are offered: Tuesday, June 12 – Friday, June 29 and Monday, July 2 – Friday, July 20 (no school July 4). Students may register for one or two, 90-minute classes per each morning session. The program offers an extensive array of fun and stimulating choices, such as science, arts, crafts, cookery, movie-making, sports, music, and theatre. Skill-building classes in reading, language arts and math also are offered. Spanish review is available for students completing grade 7.

A course catalog and registration forms are available on the District 64 website: www.d64.org.

School District 64 Science Olympians Put Ingenuity to the Test

btramm — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 18:41:20 +0000

Park Ridge-Niles School District 64 students put their scientific ingenuity to the test on Saturday, February 4 at the annual Science Olympiad. The Olympiad was held at Emerson Middle School, 8101 N. Cumberland, Niles.

About 175 enthusiastic students competed in a series of Olympic-type team events. The Olympiad is an extracurricular program that challenges students in grades 3-5 to stretch the science skills and technology design they learn in the District 64 curriculum in fun ways.

“The Science Olympiad lets students encounter problems in science and engineering, and become actively engaged in solving them. In the process, they develop skills and dispositions important for 21st century learners, including reasoning, critical thinking, creativity, and teamwork. It’s the type of education we provide across the curriculum, but in a special way at this annual event,” explained Dr. Tony Clishem, District 64 Curriculum Specialist for Science. District 64 has hosted the Olympiad for more than 20 years.

Students registered in November for one of five events. Each event is co-sponsored by District 64 and one of the elementary school PTO/As. Volunteer parents work as coaches for students organized into teams and coordinate the events.

Five competitions were held simultaneously beginning at 9 a.m.: Aerodynamics – design a paper airplane and fly it to a target; Mystery Box – identify the properties of the contents within various boxes using all senses other than sight; Rubber Band Catapult – design and construct a catapult to shoot a rubber band at a target placed within a given range; Structures – build tall, free-standing structures with drinking straws and straight pins; and Egg Drop – design and build a “catcher” from paper and tape to cushion the drop of an egg from increasing heights.

The 2012 Olympiad winners in the five events are:

Aerodynamics

1st Place/Gold Medal: Jack Dombro & Owen Mech, Grade 5, Field Elementary School;
2nd Place/Silver Medal: Mason Conrardy & Nicholas Walczak, Grade 3, Carpenter School;
3rd Place/Bronze Medal: Billy Peck & Cole Schmeisser, Grade 5, Field School.

Mystery Box

1st Place/Gold Medal: Jack Massari, Liam Cannon & Will Stonebridge, Grade 4, Field School;
2nd Place/Silver Medal: Erin Converse, Sarah Biagi & Madeline Biagi, Grade 5, Washington School;
3rd Place/Bronze Medal: Emma Winckler & Sophie DiMaso, Grade 3, Field School.

Rubber Band Catapult

1st Place/Gold Medal: Billy Buerk & Ethan Rich, Grade 3, Field School;
2nd Place/Silver Medal: Stephen Pontikes & Damien Emmer, Grade 5, Franklin School;
3rd Place Tie/Bronze Medal: James Lawrin & Joey Sagmeister, Grade 4, Field School; Victoria Pontikes & James Keefe, Grade 5, Franklin School; Molly O'Brien, Grade 3, Emily Schneider, Grade 4, & Karen Van Den Eeden, Grade 4, Washington School.

Structures

1st Place/Gold Medal: Emily Buerk & Sabrina Nash, Grade 5, Field School;
2nd Place/Silver Medal: Madison Purtell & Katy Harms, Grade 5, Roosevelt School;
3rd Place/Bronze Medal: Matthew Asson & Alex Gonzalo, Grade 3, Field School.

Egg Drop

1st Place Tie/Gold Medal: Nichole Botello & Trisha Warren, Grade 3, Field School; Brian Farrell & Everett Bochat, Grade 3, Washington School;
2nd Place/Silver Medal: Raymond Menarik, Grade 4, & Charles Monical, Grade 3, Franklin School;
3rd Place/Bronze Medal: Bridget Stonebridge, Olivia Sivore & Rhiannon Sites, Grade 3, Field School.

Additional information about each event can be found on the Science Olympiad page on the District 64 website: www.d64.org.

School District 64 Announces 2012 Spelling Bee Winners

btramm — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 17:51:40 +0000

The Park Ridge-Niles School District 64 Spelling Bee was a hive of activity again this year as more than 200 students participated in the extracurricular activity for students in grades 3-8, according to Meghan Keefer, District 64 Language Arts Curriculum Specialist. “We are very pleased to have such a continuing high level of interest, as the bee offers a competitive opportunity in our District unlike any other, sparking excitement for language and vocabulary skills that promote life-long literacy connections,” Ms. Keefer noted.

For the second year, each school conducted its own spelling bee earlier this month to select representatives at large to participate at the District 64 competition. The winners of the individual school bees were: Carpenter – Grace Gallery, grade 5; Will Harter and Georgia Penesis, grade 4; Emerson – Anna Benuzzi and Darragh Dolan, grade 8, Christo Fosse, grade 6; Field – Jessie Beck and Justin Kim, grade 3, and Gabby Galiciano, grade 4; Franklin – Fallon Adams and Deliah ElBekkali, grade 4, and Ethan LaVacarre, grade 5; Lincoln – Julia Araneta, grade 8, and Ned Converse, Anastasia Dalianis and Abigail Ekstrom, grade 7; Roosevelt – Luke Burkum, Jensen Genyk and Anna Sealund, grade 4; and, Washington – Zoe Berthold and Elizabeth Gorney, grade 4, and Catherine Sernel, grade 3.

The District 64 Spelling Bee with these 22 students was held January 30 at Roosevelt School. It lasted 20 rounds, with the two final spellers – both from Lincoln Middle School – dueling during the final seven rounds. In the end, Lincoln grade 7 student Anastasia Dalianis spelled ”imam” correctly to capture the championship over Julia Araneta, grade 8. Third place went to last year’s champion, Anna Benuzzi, a grade 8 student from Emerson.

The District 64 winner now moves on to the North Cook regional spelling bee on February 8 at Sears School in Kenilworth, as part of the Scripps National Spelling Bee for 2012.

Franklin School speech pathologist Jane Tufts was the pronouncer for the District Bee; judges were Franklin School Principal Dan Walsh, Roosevelt School Assistant Principal Andy Petroline, and Field School teacher Anne Ham.

District 64 “All-Star” Musicians Shine at Regional Events

btramm — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 22:33:29 +0000

Top student musicians from Park Ridge-Niles School District 64 middle schools were selected to participate recently in two annual regional events sponsored by the Illinois Music Educators Association (IMEA).

The IMEA District Festival was held on Saturday, November 4 at Wauconda High School. More than 700 of the finest band and orchestra students from over 50 junior high schools in the north suburban area auditioned for seats in this all-star group.

“The district programs present an extraordinary opportunity for our top band and orchestra students to meet and perform with talented students from other schools. Students also have the opportunity to work with nationally known conductors and be inspired to reach for a higher level with their music,” according to Brian Jacobi, District 64 Curriculum Specialist for Instrumental Music.
 District 64 students at the festival included: Emerson – Anthony Dare, bass clarinet; Gillian King and Alec Wojda, cello; Fritz May, violin; and, Lincoln – Emily Donahue, clarinet; Bonnie Millener, flute; Isabella Goldman, French horn; Jacqueline Murphy, violin; Kathryn Gaertner, viola; and, Robby Reinhard, bass. Donald Shupe from Libertyville High School conducted the band, and Charles Abplanalp from Evanston Township High School conducted the orchestra.

The second regional event was the IMEA Jazz Festival, which was held on Saturday, November 19 at Evanston Township High School. District 64 students selected to participate included: Emerson – Max Anderson, drums; Colin Besetzny, bass; Johnny Maltese-Miller, baritone sax; and, Lincoln – Wesley Dziedzic, piano; Jason Giblin, trumpet; and Robert Reinhard, bass. Christopher Madsen from Northwestern University conducted Band 1, and Terry Guynes from Lundahl Middle School in Crystal Lake directed Band 2.

District 64 teachers who instruct these students include: Jacobi, Eric Bachmann, Natalie Jacobsen, Dallas Klytta, Mary Ciccotelli, Jamie Hestead, and Erica Charous.

District 64 Community Preschool Has Openings Now for 3- and 4-Year-Olds

btramm — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 21:45:31 +0000

Openings are available for 3- and 4-year-old children at Park Ridge-Niles School District 64’s community preschool program at Jefferson School, 8200 N. Greendale, Niles. The program has several blended classrooms where students with special needs and community students attend preschool together. Class sizes are small. Children are accepted throughout the year once they turn 3 years of age. The curriculum is research-based and developmentally appropriate, emphasizing language, motor, social, independence and pre-kindergarten skills. Community students pay tuition on a monthly basis and must be District 64 residents or children of District 64 employees. For schedule and registration information, call 847-318-5360 or visit the Jefferson School website at this link: http://www.d64.org/jef/

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