District 64 Foundation Selects Trio of Students for 2013 Ethical Leadership Award

btramm — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 18:30:12 +0000

(From LEFT): Katelyn Kahn and Grace Janes, both Emerson Middle School; District 64 Superintendent Philip Bender; Maria Francque, Lincoln Middle School

The Elementary Learning Foundation (ELF) of Park Ridge-Niles School District 64 has selected three students to receive the 2013 Judith L. Snow Ethical Leadership Award. The grade 8 students received their awards at the June 10 Board of Education meeting.

“The award fosters awareness and respect for ethical behavior in a leadership role among our eighth grade students,” according to ELF Trustee Dana Silber, selection committee chairman. “These well-deserving young women represent this award with the values and commitment to service that Judith Snow did,” she added.

Superintendent Philip Bender noted the announcement of the winners earlier at the two middle schools always is a highlight of year-end activities for eighth graders. “The awards recognize students for how they live their lives and influence their peers by being involved, caring and conscientious young teens,” he added. “Students always respond to the announcement with thunderous applause, because they genuinely admire these classmates for being ethical leaders,” he noted.

“We are so delighted that ELF gives us this opportunity each year through the Snow Awards to take pride in these fine young student leaders and to reinforce our ongoing Civil Behavior skills and expectations for all students inside and outside of school,” Dr. Bender stated.

The students’ names will be engraved on a plaque displayed at their middle schools. The 2013 winners are:

Grace Janes, Emerson Middle School – Janes is the daughter of Vivian and the late Tim Janes of Park Ridge. Janes says: “Service is my core value.” At school, she is a Soaring Eagle and a Rachel’s Challenge ambassador, and she also finds time to play on the basketball team and in the band. Knitting has become a real “ministry” to Janes. She has knitted more than 25 “preemie” hats for local hospital neonatal intensive care babies, prayer shawls for people experiencing difficult times, and scarves and blankets for cancer patients. She also devotes her time or resources to support Feed My Starving Children, Habitat for Humanity, the Wounded Warrior Project and Locks for Love, among others, and has volunteered at an inner-city care clinic. A teacher describes her “as a person who leads naturally, with honor, generosity, loyalty, caring and with justice in her heart.” Reflecting on how to live each day as an ethical leader, Janes says: “I will never forget how one small act of kindness can make a positive impact or change in someone’s life.”

Katelyn Kahn, Emerson Middle School – Kahn is the daughter of Karen and Fred Kahn of Park Ridge. Kahn believes that “your internal values and external actions should match in order to be a true, strong, and pure leader.” Kahn admits being an ethical leader in middle school can be challenging, but she has demonstrated that staying strong to what she believes in helps her navigate an ethical path. Kahn saw a need and came up with an idea to help children in the hospital over the holidays, called “Give a Bear, Get a Smile.” She made stuffed animals and delivered them to pediatric patients at Lutheran General Hospital. She also supports rescue efforts for dogs and cats, as well as PAWS. At Emerson, Kahn is a student ambassador for Rachel’s Challenge and the Soaring Eagles program. A nominator describes Kahn as having “a great versatility of gifts and a rich personality.” Reflecting on how to live each day as an ethical leader, Kahn says: “I always try to do my best with everyone and everything. It doesn’t take much to treat others as you would want to be treated.”

Maria Francque, Lincoln Middle School – Francque is the daughter of Cynthia and James Francque of Park Ridge. Francque says her core values are “kindness, fairness, integrity, service and discipline.” She displays these values by volunteering regularly at Misericordia Heart of Mercy, Feed My Starving Children, and a woman’s shelter near Chicago. One of her teachers points out: “There is no small assignment to Maria.” Francque has this attitude about her academic achievements, her community service and her many other activities, including participating in the Lincoln Swing Choir, running cross country or working with younger children. Francque is known for her ability to make everyone feel accepted and her compassion toward her classmates and family. Reflecting on how to live each day as an ethical leader, Francque says: “I always try to be fair and treat people the same way. I don’t care if someone is popular or not, if someone is rich or not, if someone is a great athlete or not. I don’t judge people based on the way they look, or the way they carry themselves. To me, it is what is on the inside that matters.”

The annual award is named in memory of Judith L. Snow, a 25-year resident of Park Ridge and dedicated member of the League of Women Voters. She gave selflessly of her time and talent, and was highly respected within the League and the community for her courage and leadership. ELF selects one or more eighth grade students annually for this special recognition.

# # #

Visit the District 64 News Archives January - June 2013 for a PDF of this article or for more news!

District 64 Student Artwork Showcased for the Community

btramm — Fri, 31 May 2013 16:41:09 +0000

Artwork from Park Ridge-Niles School District 64 students at all grade levels is showcased this spring in two public venues for the enjoyment of community members.

Now in its fifth year of a unique partnership, District 64 students’ works fills 42 frames from May through October and Brickton Art Center exhibits children’s projects from November thru April in a permanent gallery at the Le Peep Restaurant, 100 Euclid Ave., Park Ridge.

Each District 64 school is allotted six frames and selects highly creative and visually entertaining works to feature. This year, 58 individual student-artists are included in the exhibit.

District 64’s middle schools provided works by:

Emerson – Sarah Anderson, Mickey Mouse (quilling); Melissa Belmont, Pluto (quilling); Sidney Simner, Thumper (quilling); Micayla Paterno, Toad (quilling); Hristina Marcheva, Landscape Painting (tempera); Connor Mullowney, Dirt Biking! (colored pencil); Rida Mughal, Flying High (colored pencil); Elaine Smith, Castle (pen and ink, water soluble Caran d'Arche); Daniel Tinaglia, View of Venice (two-point perspective, colored pencils)

Lincoln – Melissa Kann, Bass Lake & Cranberry Lake Rd (black and white photograph); Danny Cerniglia, The Gutter (black and white photograph); Abigail Flood, London (one-point perspective cityscape); Dominique DiValerio, Kissed (35mm film); Iza Rostkowski, Watermelon Wonders (charcoal, pastel); Grace Rumbaut, Eye of the Ocean (charcoal, pastel)

The five elementary schools offered the works of:

Carpenter – Roman Hryb, “Blue” Guitars (collage, crayon); Megan Ward, Matisse and Me (drawing with scissors); Maggie Gaughan, Fantasy Fish (glue, chalk, recycled materials); Kate Klier, Pysanky (oil pastels, scratch tools); Grace Verheyen, Byzantine Domes (paint, crayon); Odin Herrara, Self-Portrait (ink, watercolor); Katie Straka, ZAP! (clay)

Field – Susan Enkhjargal, American Gothic (color sticks, permanent marker); Mason Par, Japanese Bridge (tempera paint, oil pastel); Ella Sciortino, Starry Night (plaster, acrylic paint, paint pen); Maura O'Driscoll, My Name in Chinese (homemade paper, acrylic paint); Georgia Fosse, African Batik (cloth, permanent marker, dye, wax); Gianna Capesius, Weaving (string); Michael Milanowski, Rousseau Rain Forest (tempera, oil pastel, colored pencil)

Franklin – Weston Bukar, Book (mixed media); Peter Wissman, Book (mixed media); Julianna Moore, Isabela Brown, Caroline Anderson, Lindsey Gulliksen, Eva Frank, Jenny Nikolic, Aliyah Edelstein, Alexa Kwapisz, Kevin Sagat, Andy Warhol Soup Can (watercolor); Sophia Rentas, Sunflowers (tempera paint, pencil, marker); Angela Ginnane, Inspiration (mixed media); Sierra Ehrenberg, Cityscape (mixed media); Sabrina Moore, Wayne Thiebaud Cake (oil pastel, tempera paint); Jacob Grandinetti, Wayne Thiebaud Cake (oil pastel, tempera paint)

Roosevelt – Rumeli Espinosa, Still Life Collage (pastel, construction paper); Sam Thompson, Roy G. Biv (collage, painted paper); Gavin Walsh, Self-Portrait (foam print, ink, oil pastel); Brianna Irizarry, Warhol-Inspired Giraffe (chalk pastel, photocopy); Alissa Friel, Chicago Cityscape (marker, liquid watercolor); Reena Wagner, Owl (chalk pastel)

Washington – Niki Iatrides, Lichtenstein Self Portrait (marker); Amanda Cascio, Lichtenstein Self Portrait (marker); Lexi Pachonphai, Cardboard weaving (fiber); Katie Gleason, Lichtenstein Landscape (tempera paint); Maddie Baumann, Fauve Landscape (tempera paint); Joana Flores, Linear Weaving (fiber); Madeline Parrino, Monet’s Garden (tempera, watercolor, oil pastel).

Earlier this spring, 27 students from District 64 had their works displayed at the Park Ridge Public Library in celebration of Youth Art Month. The exhibit showcased how students' creativity and visual communication skills grow through the grades.

The students and their works for 2013 included: Carpenter – Shane Iralson, grade 1; Mia Lee, grade 3; Ben Romo, grade 4; Milica Barac and Kamila Perkowski, grade 5; Field – Annamarie Milazzo, Kindergarten; Sylvia Pasieka, grade 3; Kasia Lorenc and Logan Murray, grade 4; Franklin – Rachel Martin, grade 3; Sierra Ehrenberg, grade 4; Giana Dounis, grade 5; Roosevelt – Madelyn Rutherford, grade 1; Alex Scuras, grade 2; Sophia Kappel, grade 4; Christopher Bisson, grade 5; Washington – Aidan Lawrence, grade 4; Alex Bigos, Al Gillani and Bella Marzano, grade 5; Emerson Middle – Sabrina Nash, grade 6; Frank DeJulio and Desiree Tobias, grade 7; Rachel Shammo, grade 8; and Lincoln Middle – Sara Ignoffo, Gabi Kobolarz and Elaina Wilkens, grade 8.

Sponsored by the Illinois Art Education Association (IAEA), Youth Art Month showcases the growth of students’ creativity and visual communication skills through their original art.

# # #

Visit the District 64 News Archives January - June 2013 for a PDF of this article or for more news!

School District 64 Budget Process Gets Underway for 2013-14

btramm — Tue, 21 May 2013 16:50:07 +0000

The Park Ridge-Niles School District 64 Board of Education at a May 20 Committee-of-the-Whole meeting explored the first draft of a tentative budget for the 2013-14 school year.

Calling it a budget of “controlled growth,” the draft includes expenditures needed to continue fulfilling initiatives related to the 2007 referendum; provides for the implementation of the fourth year of activities scheduled under the District’s Strategic Plan and other District-wide priorities; and accommodates work on the District’s Facility Master Plan and 2013 capital projects at Carpenter, Field, Franklin and Lincoln schools, according to Business Manager Becky Allard.

Estimated operating fund revenues are expected to increase by only 0.7 percent to about $70.4 million while expenditures will rise by 7.2 percent to almost $73.9 million. “Without capital outlay, however, the budget-to-budget increase in annual expenditures would be only 3.9 percent,” Allard pointed out.

The estimated Operating Funds balance at the end of the fiscal year will decline from about $44.2 million expected on June 30 this year to almost $40.7 million in 2014 or a ratio of 59.2 percent. The Board’s policy is to maintain at least a 33 percent ratio, or about four months of operating expenses.

Discussing revenues, Allard noted that about 85 percent of District 64’s revenues are from local property taxes.

Due to funding formulas and pro-rations applied by the State, District 64 will receive only about 2 percent of its revenue in General State Aid. “In the current fiscal year, we received $385 per student, compared to the $6,119 set as the ‘foundation’ level by the State, and we expect this amount to decrease in 2013-14,” Allard reported.

Moving to expenditures, Allard noted that when capital outlay for facility projects is removed, salaries and benefits account for 83 percent of the Operating Fund budget in keeping with the “people-intensive” nature of schools.

Investments in student learning include work on implementing the District’s priority standards developed through its Strategic Plan and common core state standards with technology integrated into the instruction of the standards; new grades K-8 mathematics curriculum materials in conjunction with the new standards; professional development needed to support the transition and the new math resources; and technology hardware to maintain, refresh and provide additional resources for student learning.

On the facilities side, Allard noted that the District 64 Board has already approved more than $4.7 million on four capital projects for summer 2013, which are included in the 2013-14 budget.

The Board is considering additional capital projects of more than $8 million at Field School for future years. Other maintenance work on the District’s aging schools also lies ahead as described in the Facility Master Plan, she pointed out.

Allard shared a long-range projection that indicates the District’s fund balance falling steeply if those cash reserves are used to pay for the work at Field School.

“The fund balance is expected to stay above the Board’s policy level of 33 percent until 2016-17, thereby meeting the original referendum commitment of not returning to the community for 10 years, but it will not extend beyond,” Allard said.

The summer 2013 projects include:

Phase 2 of a two-year mechanical upgrade at Carpenter School that will install a new heating plant to replace the original boilers and complete the air conditioning of the building.
New, more efficient boilers will be installed at Lincoln Middle School.
Boilers will be replaced at Franklin School and the school’s heating and air conditioning systems will be improved. The drinking water pipe system also will be replaced.
At Field School, the north gym will be air-conditioned and other smaller projects will be completed.

The Board of Education will continue to analyze and discuss the draft budget through June, with a tentative budget expected to be adopted on July 8. The July 8 version will offer year-to-year comparisons to the District’s actual 2012-13 financial performance; the tentative draft uses budget-to-budget data.

The budget will continue to be refined over the summer as new information becomes available.

Current plans call for a public hearing on the final District 64 budget on September 9, with approval of the final budget on September 23.

The draft budget is available on the District 64 website: www.d64.org; updates will be added as they become available.

# # #

Visit the District 64 News Archives January - June 2013 for a PDF of this article or for more news!

Teachers and Staff in School District 64 Mark Career Milestones

btramm — Tue, 21 May 2013 16:49:00 +0000

As the 2012-13 school year draws to a close, Park Ridge-Niles School District 64 is celebrating career milestones of 29 teachers and staff members.

Board of Education members at the May 20 meeting congratulated 13 teachers who will achieve tenure. Tenure marks the successful completion of four consecutive years as a probationary teacher in District 64 and is an important achievement in a teacher’s career, according to Superintendent Philip Bender.

In addition, District 64 announced the retirements of 13 staff members. As a group, these individuals have contributed 235 years of service to District 64.

“We are grateful that the dedication of these enthusiastic, caring individuals working to keep kids first, whether in our classrooms or in behind-the-scenes roles, has benefitted our students and schools for so many years,” Dr. Bender stated. “The high expectations for excellence they placed on themselves each day directly inspired students and colleagues,” he added. “We wish them good health and well-deserved time to enjoy the new interests and opportunities now opening for them,” Dr. Bender noted.

District 64 also honored four staff members who have attained 25 years of service, including one who is also retiring.

The 29 staff members being recognized this year include:

Carpenter School

Danielle Bielenda – tenure, grade 5 teacher
Laura Campbell – tenure, social worker
Carol Ann Regner – retirement, instructional resource assistant, 15 years of service to District 64
Joyce Zimny – retirement, special needs assistant, 17 years of service to District 64

Educational Service Center

Betty Lattanzio – retirement, purchasing manager, 30 years of service to District 64

Emerson Middle School

Tim Benka – 25 years of service, Assistant Principal
Abigail Sloan – retirement, grade 6 language arts teacher, 22 years of service to District 64
Christopher Speilburg – tenure, grade 8, mathematics/science teacher
Debra Stefan – retirement, special needs assistant, 12 years of service to District 64

Field School

Karen Brandenburg, retirement, instructional resource assistant, 26 years of service to District 64
Julie Chalberg – tenure, grade 1 teacher
Lindsey Hejza – tenure, grade 5 teacher
Jennifer Johnson – tenure, music teacher
Laureen McGuire – retirement, special needs assistant, 8 years of service to District 64
Bridget Nagai – tenure, instructional resource/Channels of Challenge teacher
Kellie Sultan – tenure, grade 4 teacher

Franklin School

Amy Blobaum, retirement, special needs assistant, 17 years of service to District 64
Matthew Gembala – 25 years of service and retirement, head custodian
Andrea Hetzke – tenure, Learning Resource Center Director
Mary McCabe – tenure, Instructional Resource teacher

Lincoln Middle School

Eric Lawson – tenure, grade 6, social studies teacher
Robert Miller – retirement, grade 8 science teacher, 21 years of service to District 64

Roosevelt School

Jennifer Adams – tenure, instructional resource teacher
Sandra Christman – retirement, instructional resource assistant, 11 years of service to District 64
Kristie Harvalis – tenure, grade 5 teacher
Roberta Pallasch – retirement, Instructional Resource assistant, 23 years of service to District 64
Dana Randel – 25 years of service, grade 2 teacher
Janet Weimerslage – retirement, instructional resource assistant, 8 years of service to District 64

Washington School

Eugenia Kotis – 25 years of service, grade 4 teacher

# # #

Visit the District 64 News Archives January - June 2013 for a PDF of this article or for more news!

Spotlight Shines on School District 64’s Outstanding Students for 2012-13

btramm — Tue, 21 May 2013 16:47:54 +0000

Park Ridge-Niles School District 64 at the May 20 Board of Education meeting recognized students for their outstanding achievements during the 2012-13 school year, including remarkable academic, artistic, literary and musical efforts.

Scholastic Art & Writing Awards
Dating back to 1923, the nation-wide Scholastic Art & Writing Awards 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. This year, more than 230,000 works were submitted in regional judging for their “originality, technical skill and the emergence of a personal voice or vision.”

District 64 this year had two grade 8 students receive awards:

Writing - Lincoln Middle School student Anastasia Dalianis was a national winner and received a Silver Medal in the category of Novel Writing for her work, “The Experiments.”
Art – Emerson Middle School student Emma Asson was a regional winner in Photography, and was awarded: Honorable Mention for “Beach At Sunset;” a Silver Key for “Oregon Coast;” and, a Gold Key for “Quiet Beach.”

Young Authors
In the literary category, the District-level winners of the annual Young Authors creative writing competition were announced. Students wrote and illustrated an original story independently at home, and were selected from a pool of outstanding school winners at all grade levels.

This year’s outstanding Young Authors are:

Kindergarten – “The Adventures of Space Bunny on Earth,” Noah Felipe Munoz-Lo, Field School
Grade 1 – “Dolphin and the Seal,” Maddie Parrino, Washington School
Grade 2 – “A Girl Who Wanted to be President,” Irene Zheng, Franklin School
Grade 3 – “Mr. Bean in the Farmer’s House,” Nathan Fernando Munoz-Lo, Field School
Grade 4 – “Secrets of the World,” Billy Buerk (author) & Danny Guay (illustrator), Field School
Grade 5 – “Lavender,” Keeley Flynn, Carpenter School
Grade 6 – “The Thing from Area 57,” Gus Ebling, Emerson Middle School
Grade 7 – “Nova,” Margaret F. Muellner, Emerson Middle School
Grade 8 – “Finding Drakons,” Robbie Skoronski & Joey Maltese-Miller, Emerson Middle School

Spelling Bee
Also in the academic area, the District’s annual Spelling Bee winners were recognized. This year’s bee broke the record for overall participation, with 303 students competing at bees held at all seven schools as an extracurricular activity for students in grades 3-8. The top three spellers from each school participated in a District 64 competition as part of the Scripps National Spelling Bee. The District 64 Bee lasted a record 58 rounds, with students returning the following day to complete rounds 22-58. The two final spellers – both from Lincoln Middle School – dueled during the final 36 rounds, with 7th grader Elisa Marr spelling the word “kudzu" correctly to capture the championship over 8th grader Abigail Ekstrom. Third place went to Christo Fosse, a 7th grade student from Emerson.

Music Achievements
Turning to musical achievements, 15 students were acknowledged for being selected to perform with three all-star instrumental music ensembles assembled by the Illinois Music Educators Association (IMEA) in competition among outstanding students in a 50-school northern Illinois region.

The District 64 middle school students selected following rigorous auditions were:

IMEA Band – Emerson – Joseph Hands, clarinet; Johnny Maltese-Miller, baritone sax; Lincoln – Dominique DiValerio, French horn; Emily Donahue, clarinet; and Benjamin Levin-O'Leary, trumpet.
IMEA Jazz Band – Emerson – Christo Fosse and Owen Kopka, trombone; Johnny Maltese-Miller, baritone sax; Joey Maltese-Miller and Kara Swanson, trumpet; Lincoln – John Bauch, tenor sax; and Wesley Dziedzic and Shea Walters, piano.
IMEA Orchestra – Emerson – Eva Nicholson, violin; and Lincoln – Julia Benbenek, violin.

In addition, District 64 reported that choral groups maintained a busy schedule this year:

Middle school choral groups performed at the Maine South Choral Festival in January alongside their high school counterparts. Middle school choruses also performed in the community throughout the year, including appearances at St. Matthew’s Rehabilitation Center, the Kalo Foundation, and the Golf Mill mall among other events.
Grades 4-5 elementary school choral groups from Field, Roosevelt and Washington schools also performed in service concerts locally at Resurrection Nursing, Bethany Terrace Health and Rehabilitation Center, Summit Square, Iannelli Studios, Park Ridge Fire Department’s Patriot Day memorial, and the Park Ridge Police memorial, among other appearances.

# # #

Visit the District 64 News Archives January - June 2013 for a PDF of this article or for more news!

Roosevelt School Assistant Principal Andy Petroline Will Move to Washington School

btramm — Fri, 17 May 2013 23:31:47 +0000

The Park Ridge-Niles School District 64 Board of Education at its May 20 meeting is expected to approve the transfer of Roosevelt School Assistant Principal Andy Petroline to the same post at Washington School.

Petroline has been Roosevelt’s assistant principal for five years, and is known as a “kind, nurturing administrator and a great communicator with everyone,” according to Roosevelt Principal Kevin Dwyer. “He developed the Roosevelt ‘5-Bees’ civil behavior system and coordinated the annual Camp Duncan fifth grade trip among his many responsibilities,” Dr. Dwyer added.

At Washington, Petroline will team with Jessica Hutchison, who earlier this spring was tapped to step up as Principal effective July 1. The school also was guided by Interim Principal Kathy Creely during the 2012-13 school year.

“We believe Mr. Petroline’s clear strengths and depth of experience in District 64 will have an immediate impact as we complete our leadership transition at Washington,” District 64 Superintendent Philip Bender said. “We appreciate his willingness to take on this new challenge, and know that Mr. Petroline will quickly create the kind of positive, caring relationships with Washington’s students, families and staff members that he did so successfully at Roosevelt,” he added.

District 64 will now begin a search for a new assistant principal at Roosevelt.

Prior to joining District 64 in 2008, Petroline served as assistant principal of Park View School in Morton Grove School District 70. Earlier in his career, he was a physical education teacher at several north suburban school districts.

Petroline holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the State University of New York (SUNY) Brockport, and received his master’s degree in leadership/administration from Northeastern Illinois University in Chicago.

# # #

Visit the District 64 News Archives January - June 2013 for a PDF of this article or for more news!

District 64 Schools Boost “Green” Initiatives through Grants

btramm — Fri, 17 May 2013 19:51:51 +0000

Park Ridge-Niles School District 64 has garnered more than $1,000 in grants to boost “green” initiatives at schools this year.

The Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County (SWANCC) awarded $200 grants to four District 64 elementary schools to help reduce waste and increase recycling:

Carpenter School is equipping every classroom with at least one recycling bin and is providing larger bins for the hallways and art room. The school also purchased two large totes on wheels for the lunchroom.
Field School is using its grant to boost the visibility of its recycling center. “We purchased signs to make our recycling center more noticeable and encourage families to drop off their ink cartridges, cell phones, batteries and eyeglasses for recycling,” according to Assistant Principal Katie Kelly. “We also purchased several reusable sandwich wrappers for raffle prizes to help publicize the center’s grand re-opening,” she added.
Roosevelt School is using its grant to purchase paper shredders for the office area to reduce its total volume of recycled paper.
Washington School purchased additional large recycling bins for the lunch program. “Our Green Team is very active at lunch and we are excited to expand our efforts by encouraging recycling and student mindfulness about trash,” according to Assistant Principal Jessica Hutchison.

In addition to these local grants, Lincoln Middle School has won a national grant valued at about $225 through Keep America Beautiful and The Coca-Cola Foundation. Lincoln will be adding five large, bottle-shaped plastic recycling containers around the school to encourage students to recycle more. Lincoln was one of 156 to capture a grant this spring in this competitive, nationwide program.

Lincoln’s initiative sprang from a lunchtime “garbage audit" conducted by grade 7 science students of teacher Andy Duerkop to examine the trash collected during the lunch periods and discuss what could have been recycled instead of thrown away.

“Students thought that with more noticeable recycling containers, hopefully more kids and staff members would recycle their plastic and aluminum at lunchtime and throughout the day,” according to Lauren Maloney, Assistant Library Information Specialist, who assisted students in filing their online grant request.

# # #

Visit the District 64 News Archives January - June 2013 for a PDF of this article or for more news!

District 64’s Roosevelt School 4th Graders to Skype with New British “Mates”

btramm — Fri, 17 May 2013 19:43:40 +0000

A class of Roosevelt School grade 4 students in Park Ridge-Niles School District 64 are eagerly preparing to Skype with their new “mates” in England on Wednesday, May 22.

Teacher Jean Kulnig arranged the opportunity through the family hosting her son who is playing soccer there. The host family’s 9-year-old is in the equivalent grade as her Roosevelt fourth graders.

“We have all experienced in some fashion that the world is truly getting ‘smaller’ and through technology, only a click away,” Kulnig said. “I recognized these circumstances presented a unique opportunity to engage my students directly with students in England,” she added.

Roosevelt students will Skype through the classroom’s SmartBoard technology with their counterparts in teacher Gemma Taylor’s class at St. Katherine's Primary School on Canvey Island. The island sits in the River Thames’ estuary directly east of London along England’s southeast coast.

The 9-year-old students on both sides of “the pond” have been busily brainstorming topics to present to their new friends, Kulnig said. They will share “big picture” information about Roosevelt School’s location and make-up, and what they study as fourth graders including art, music and gym.

“They are also looking forward to sharing two special social studies experiences, including the Ellis Island immigration study that all Roosevelt fourth graders enjoy as well as a mock ‘trial’ of B.B. Wolf vs. Curly Pig our room completed,” Kulnig said.

Her students will describe the many ways they use technology in their learning, and wrap up with a topic of universal interest – homework, describing assignments and the school’s after school homework help club. They expect to hear similar accounts from the St. Katherine’s students.

After the presentations, both classes will have an opportunity to ask and answer questions.

“The six-hour time difference has proved to be challenging in scheduling a live chat,” Kulnig added. Her students will arrive at school a bit early to accommodate the time zones.

“I'm already looking forward to planning more visits with Ms. Taylor's class next year,” she added.

# # #

Visit the District 64 News Archives January - June 2013 for a PDF of this article or for more news!

School District 64 Seats New Members, Elects Officers

btramm — Tue, 07 May 2013 16:50:06 +0000

The Board of Education of Park Ridge-Niles School District 64 conducted its organizational meeting on May 6. New Board members Terry Cameron, Vicki Lee and Dathan Paterno along with re-elected member Scott Zimmerman took the oath of office for their four-year terms expiring in 2017.

Members then elected Board officers to serve until 2015. Anthony Borrelli will be President, Zimmerman will continue as Vice-President, and Cameron will be Secretary. Also continuing on the Board are Dan Collins and John Heyde.

In addition, the Board expressed its appreciation to retiring members Pat Fioretto, Sharon Lawson and Eric Uhlig for their efforts on behalf of the schools; all served four-year terms.

# # #

Visit the District 64 News Archives January - June 2013 for a PDF of this article or for more news!

District 64’s Lincoln Middle School to Showcase Technology at State Capitol

btramm — Fri, 03 May 2013 14:09:15 +0000

A team of two grade 8 students and two teachers from School District 64’s Lincoln Middle School will be at the State Capitol on May 7 to showcase for the public and State legislators how technology is being used in Park Ridge-Niles classrooms to improve student achievement.

Computer workstations will be set up in the Capitol Building Rotunda so students can demonstrate how technology is helping them with their schoolwork. Lincoln is among approximately 60 schools statewide that will participate in the afternoon TECH 2013 “Students for the Information Age” annual event.

The Lincoln team includes students Emily Donahue and Marisa Wilkens, and teachers Kate De La Pasqua and Amanda Walsh. Walsh serves as the school’s Instructional Technology Coach.

“We will be sharing how we used an iPad app to create eBooks about contemporary authors and also show eBooks we created for younger, elementary age students to read about current topics they are learning,” the Lincoln team said.

“Our eBooks are highly interactive with images, videos and links embedded,” they added.

# # #

Visit the District 64 News Archives January - June 2013 for a PDF of this article or for more news!

School District 64 Earns 4th Consecutive Perfect Score in State Financial Review

btramm — Thu, 02 May 2013 21:21:59 +0000

For the fourth consecutive year, Park Ridge-Niles School District 64 has earned a perfect 4.0 score on the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) School District Financial Profile. This again places District 64 at the peak of ISBE’s “Financial Recognition” range, the highest category of financial strength.

This is the sixth year that District 64 has been ranked in the top category.

“The community’s support for education in the 2007 property tax referendum, coupled with ongoing spend management, has allowed the District to rebuild and maintain financial strength,” Business Manager Becky Allard recently told the Board of Education.

The current Board of Education spotlighted managing costs to maintain the District’s sound financial condition as one of its critical goals over the past two years.

Looking back a decade, however, District 64’s profile actually has spanned all four categories the ISBE uses to designate a district’s financial condition.

The 2013 profile offers a “snapshot” of the District’s financial condition at the close of the fiscal year on June 30, 2012. It allows taxpayers to see how District 64 compared to other districts on five key indicators: fund balance to revenue ratio; expenditure to revenue ratio; days cash on hand; percent of short-term borrowing available; and percent of long-term debt remaining.

District 64 also announced an update to the Education Finance Fact Book, originally created in conjunction with the Community Finance Committee. The “ISBE Financial Profile” chapter is the first to be revised and re-published to the District 64 website www.d64.org > Business Services.

# # #

Visit the District 64 News Archives January - June 2013 for a PDF of this article or for more news!

District 64 Jazz Festival Rescheduled to May 8; Arts Grant Brings Jazz Community Big Band to Perform with Students

btramm — Thu, 02 May 2013 21:02:54 +0000

The District 64 Jazz Festival will now be held on Wednesday, May 8 at 6:00 p.m. at Emerson Middle School (multipurpose room), 8101 N. Cumberland, Niles. The event was rescheduled due to an April storm-related school closing.

The Jazz Community Big Band from Chicago will join jazz bands from Emerson and Lincoln middle schools in District 64 along with the Maine South High School Jazz Band as originally planned in a workshop/performance format, thanks to a $1,000 grant from the Park Ridge Cultural Arts Council and the Illinois Arts Council, according to District 64 Music Curriculum Specialist Brian Jacobi, who won the grant.

“Tremendous learning and excitement takes place when student musicians have the opportunity to perform with professionals,” Jacobi said.

During the workshop segment, the Big Band musicians will play along with students. “Teachers will use the professional band as a teaching and demonstration resource to help students realize the full potential of the music,” he added.

The Big Band also will play its own featured selections during the concern portion, as will the three student jazz groups.

This year’s workshop/performance festival is similar to experiences provided in recent years for band students with the Northshore Concert Band and for orchestra students by rock violinist Mark Wood, former lead violinist with the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Jacobi noted.

The Park Ridge Cultural Arts Council is providing the grant through its Arts and Education Program. The Council receives funding through the Illinois Arts Council.

# # #

Visit the District 64 News Archives January - June 2013 for a PDF of this article or for more news!

Recent News Articles for Park Ridge - Niles

District 64 Foundation Selects Trio of Students for 2013 Ethical Leadership Award

District 64 Student Artwork Showcased for the Community

School District 64 Budget Process Gets Underway for 2013-14

Teachers and Staff in School District 64 Mark Career Milestones

Spotlight Shines on School District 64’s Outstanding Students for 2012-13

Roosevelt School Assistant Principal Andy Petroline Will Move to Washington School

District 64 Schools Boost “Green” Initiatives through Grants

District 64’s Roosevelt School 4th Graders to Skype with New British “Mates”

School District 64 Seats New Members, Elects Officers

District 64’s Lincoln Middle School to Showcase Technology at State Capitol

School District 64 Earns 4th Consecutive Perfect Score in State Financial Review

District 64 Jazz Festival Rescheduled to May 8; Arts Grant Brings Jazz Community Big Band to Perform with Students