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The ABCs of IEPs: helpful information for parents
The ABCs of IEPs
Tuesday, Oct. 7, 7:00-8:00 p.m.
Benjamin Franklin School
350 Bryant Ave., Glen Ellyn
If your child receives special education services, here is a chance to learn about an important aspect of your child's education-the Individualized Education Program (IEP). The IEP represents the best thinking on the part of the child's teachers, service providers and parents about the child's goals for the year and the best way for the child to meet them. The District 41 Special Education Department and the PTA Special Education Resource Committee (SERC) are sponsoring a panel discussion as part of the first SERC meeting of the year. All parents are welcome, regardless of whether they have a child in a special education program. Featured speakers are Sandra Haugh, Occupational Therapist; Melanie Attaway, Elementary Resource/Inclusion Teacher; Linda Mijal, Special Services Coordinator for Hadley Jr. High; Jenny Geighes, Social Worker for elementary schools; Karen Grieger, Social worker for Hadley Jr. High; Linda Richardson, Early Childhood Speech and Language Therapist; Judy Fisher, Early Childhood Teacher; and Myra Duffy, School Psychologist. Space is limited, and we regret that children cannot be accommodated. To reserve your place, please call Lann Booton, (630) 534-7234.
Partners in Learning
Partners in Learning, a free District 41 enrichment program for families with children ages 3-5, has immediate openings. This parent-child program focuses on promoting school readiness and cross-cultural interaction and offers fun activities for parents (or caregivers) and child to do together in a friendly group setting. A nutritious snack is provided. Participants have access to a toy and book lending library and information on parenting and child development. Transportation is provided if needed. Sessions meet on Wednesdays starting on Oct. 8, either morning or afternoon. Class size is limited. For more information, please call Partners in Learning at (630) 534-7662.
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Oct. 23, 2008
Dedication for Hodkinson Outdoor Reading Room Nov. 8
Churchill Elementary School invites community members to a dedication ceremony for the Sue Hodkinson Outdoor Reading Room. The event will be held on Saturday, Nov. 8, from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. at Churchill School, 240 Geneva Rd., Glen Ellyn. Sue was a long-time teacher at Churchill who died in July of 2006. Her wish was to leave behind an inviting, special place at Churchill for children, staff and parents to read, reflect and cherish the out of doors. Sue's students, colleagues and friends from throughout the community contributed to create this legacy. Now, Churchill has a serene space of attractive brick pavers and benches that has been landscaped for privacy for outdoor reading, learning and remembering. The dedication will feature short remarks at 1:00 p.m., followed by refreshments, socializing and a chance for guests to try out the outdoor reading room for themselves.
Reminder...Hadley New Horizons Town Hall Meeting tonight
Thursday, Oct. 23
7-8 p.m. in the Hadley Library
Hadley New Horizons (HNH) is an organizational improvement effort that has been underway since the summer of 2007. The HNH project involves teachers, parents and administrators working together to improve the overall Hadley experience: academic, social and emotional. A number of recommendations are being shaped with the goal of presenting them to the Board of Education in January for consideration. If endorsed by the Board, the recommendations would be implemented next year. Tonight's HNH Town Hall Meeting is an informal opportunity to hear an overview of the work so far from those who are closest to it. Among the topics discussed will be proposed changes and enhancements to the Exploratory program; scheduling options; and work that is beginning on social-emotional aspects of Hadley. This information is not just for Hadley parents; parents of elementary students will benefit by understanding the HNH work, because it will affect their students in years to come. For more information about HNH, please visit click here. You may also email questions or comments to horizons@d41.org. |
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Candidate packets available now
Four seats on the seven-member D41 Board of Education will be on the ballot in the April 7, 2009 election. Candidate packets may be picked up at the District 41 Central Services Office, 793 N. Main St., Glen Ellyn, on any business day between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Candidates must submit petitions signed by at least 50 registered voters residing within District 41. Nominating papers may be filed at the District 41 Central Services Office starting on Tuesday, Jan. 20 through Monday, Jan. 26. Filings can only be accepted during this time period, not at any other time.
Candidates elected will serve four-year terms expiring in April 2013. The board election is non-partisan, meaning that candidates do not run under any party affiliation, and all board members are elected at-large to represent all residents of the District.
To be eligible to run, a candidate must be on the date of election a US citizen 18 years of age or older, a resident of Illinois and Glen Ellyn School District 41 for at least one year immediately preceding the election and a registered voter.
The State of Illinois Candidate's Guide 2009 and Election & Campaign Finance Calendar 2009 are available for your review at the District 41 office or can be found on the Illinois State Board of Elections web site.
For more information, please contact the District 41 Election Official, Maureen Stecker, at 630-534-7236 or mstecker@d41.org
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School Report Cards now online
The 2008 School Report Cards for District 41 are posted on the District 41 Website. These report cards are provided by the Illinois State Board of Education, and show comparative information about student achievement, school finances and school demographics for each school, for the district as a whole, and for the State of Illinois. The academic results are based on the Illinois Standards Achievement Test (ISAT) which is how Illinois measures compliance to the No Child Left Behind law (NCLB). Overall, 91.3% of D41 students meet or exceed standards on the 2008 ISATs; the state average is 79.1%.
If you would like a paper copy of a School Report Card, please contact Communications Director Julie Worthen, (630) 534-7218, and provide your name and mailing information. |
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Fifth grade family projects on display
District 41's first Parent Involvement Family Home Project is now on view at the Glen Ellyn Public Library, 400 Duane St, with hundreds of bright yellow stars adorning the windows of the Youth Services section. Students and their families are urged to stop by to see the stars, and think about the starring role families play in helping students succeed in school. The Fifth Grade Family Home Project was a simple but compelling activity in which the student illustrated his or her dreams and goals on one side of a star, and the family illustrated its goal for the child on the other. Some are simple line drawings or phrases, others are three-dimensional works of art. They represent everything from the concrete (I want to be a good reader), to the philosophical (I wish for a peaceful world), to the truly ambitious (Summer Olympics, 2016!). The purpose of the District 41 Parent Involvement initiative is to increase participation of parents, guardians and other adult family members in the child's education. The upcoming Fourth Grade Family Home Project will focus on family, and will offer a choice of either sharing family stories or developing a family tree.
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Dedication for Hodkinson Outdoor Reading Room Saturday
Churchill Elementary School invites community members to a dedication ceremony for the Sue Hodkinson Outdoor Reading Room. The event will be held on Saturday, Nov. 8, from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. at Churchill School, 240 Geneva Rd., Glen Ellyn. Sue was a long-time teacher at Churchill who died in July of 2006. Her wish was to leave behind an inviting, special place at Churchill for children, staff and parents to read, reflect and cherish the out of doors. Sue's students, colleagues and friends from throughout the community contributed to create this legacy. Now, Churchill has a serene space of attractive brick pavers and benches that has been landscaped for privacy for outdoor reading, learning and remembering. The dedication will feature short remarks at 1:00 p.m., followed by refreshments, socializing and a chance for guests to try out the outdoor reading room for themselves.
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| "A good place to remember"
The Sue Hodkinson Outdoor Reading Room at Churchill School was dedicated Saturday afternoon, with the former fourth-grade teacher's family, friends, colleagues and students on hand. The ceremony marked the attainment of Sue's dream for a lasting outdoor reading area. Sue, who had been with the district since 1989, and at Churchill since 2002, died in July of 2006. The inviting, semi-circular space constructed of brick pavers is versatile and can accommodate individual readers, small groups and even small performances of the type Sue was known for during her years at Churchill. Students, who had written down their thoughts about the space, captured the spirit perfectly: "It is quiet and peaceful. It is a good place to remember all the good times with Mrs. Hodkinson." A number of fundraising activities took place over the last two years to fund the project, which was designed at no cost by architectural firm FGM, Inc. |
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Veterans honored at Benjamin Franklin
Veterans and current members of the armed services were invited by students to a Veterans Day assembly traditionally hosted each year by Benjamin Franklin. The event featured an explanation of Veterans Day, patriotic songs performed by each grade and recognition of the veterans.
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District 41 Math Specialist named ICTM chair
District 41 Math Specialist Linda Schweikhofer has been named Chairperson of the Board for the Illinois Council of Teachers of Mathematics. "It's an honor to be on the board, and to be named chair," said Linda, adding that as part of ICTM, "you are always in contact with people who know the best practices, are current in the research, and are active in state and national education." Linda has been a member of ICTM for a number of years, and has presented at conferences at the state and national levels. Linda started her career in District 41 teaching math at Hadley, then became the Hadley math specialist. She has been the District math specialist for four years. During that time, she has worked to improve student achievement in math throughout the district, including working with the 24-member math committee in aligning the curriculum and math assessments to state learning standards, developing student-friendly learning targets and researching instructional materials. |
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| Hadley recommendations to be presented at public meeting
Hadley New Horizons Town Hall Meeting
Tuesday, Dec. 2
7-8 p.m. at Hadley
240 Hawthorne Blvd., Glen Ellyn
The public is invited to an informal meeting explaining recommendations for improvement at Hadley Junior High. The recommendations will be presented to the Board of Education in January; if endorsed by the Board, they would be implemented next year. For nearly two years, Hadley has been involved in an organizational improvement effort called "Hadley New Horizons" (HNH). Many staff members and parents have worked to develop recommendations to improve the curriculum, schedule and other aspects of the Hadley experience. Over the course of the HNH work, stakeholder input has been solicited and incorporated; parent and community member feedback and perspectives continue to be extremely important and will be considered as the HNH recommendations are finalized for Board review. The Dec. 2 meeting is the third such Town Hall Meeting and the last one that will be held before the recommendations go to the Board in January. More information about the Hadley New Horizons improvement effort is posted on www.d41.org. |
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Progress Report on Master Facility Plan
MFP Public Forum
Tuesday, Dec. 9
7-8:30 p.m.
Forest Glen School, 561 Elm St., Glen Ellyn
The public is invited to hear about the progress so far on the District 41 Master Facility Plan. A Master Facilities Plan (MFP) will outline facility needs for the next 10-20 years, possibly longer. By spring of 2009, District 41 expects to have completed an MFP that aligns with its Vision, Mission, Values and Long-Range Plan, is created with input from key stakeholders, and addresses immediate, short-term and long-term needs. An intelligent, practical MFP with a sound rationale will help the district plan for what lies ahead. The plan is expected to be completed and brought to the Board of Education in March, with a number of informational forums such as this one along the way to help the public keep abreast of the progress. Building site committees and a 24-member steering committee have been working since October gathering data, researching trends and developing other information to be used by the district architects, FGM, Inc. to create concepts. At the Dec. 9 forum, the steering committee will share its progress and outline some of its next steps. Future forums will address concepts and options as they are developed.
A note on parking: Limited parking is available at Forest Glen on Elm St. and Highland Ave. There is also parking in the Central Services parking lot across the street from Forest Glen at 793 N. Main St.
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Informational meeting for potential Board of Education candidates
Monday, Dec. 15
6-7 p.m.
Churchill School
240 Geneva Rd., Glen Ellyn
District 41 will have four Board of Education seats on the ballot April 7. Anyone interested in running for the Board of Education in District 41 is invited to attend an informational meeting to learn more about what it means to serve on a Board of Education. Also welcome are those who would like to learn more about the role of board member and the purpose and process of board governance, regardless of whether they are considering candidacy.
Candidates elected to the District 41 Board of Education will serve four-year terms expiring in April 2013. The board election is non-partisan, meaning that candidates do not run under any party affiliation, and all board members are elected at-large to represent all residents of the District.
To be eligible to run, a candidate must be on the date of election a US citizen 18 years of age or older, a resident of Illinois and Glen Ellyn School District 41 for at least one year immediately preceding the election and a registered voter.
Candidate packets may be picked up at the District 41 Central Services Office, 793 N. Main St., Glen Ellyn, on any business day between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.The State of Illinois Candidate's Guide 2009 and Election & Campaign Finance Calendar 2009 are available for your review at the District 41 office or can be found on the Illinois State Board of Elections web site.
For more information, please all or email the District 41 Election Official, Maureen Stecker, at 630-534-7236.
The informational meeting will be followed at 7:15 p.m. by the annual District 41 Truth in Taxation public hearing and the regular Board of Education meeting at 7:30 p.m.
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Hadley New Horizons Recommendations
Hadley New Horizons (HNH) is an organizational improvement effort that began in summer of 2007 with the goal of improving the academic, social and emotional experience for all Hadley students. Some minor adjustments have been made for the 2008-2009 school year: opportunities for structured assistance with learning was incorporated into the day, Math was scheduled differently in order to better meet student learning needs, and six portable classrooms were added to provide enough space so that language arts could be taught in a 90-minute block with the same teacher in the same classroom.
Hadley has sought feedback on changes under study for 2009-2010 and beyond using surveys, town meetings and email. Last night, Hadley New Horizons recommendations were presented at a town hall meeting; these will be brought to the Board of Education for discussion and action in January, 2009. Some of the recommendations are meant for the coming year, some for further in the future, and some are under study with no target implementation date at this time. The summary follows, or you can print a copy of the recommendations to read at your convenience.
Questions or comments on HNH may be sent to horizons@d41.org.
Summary of HNH Recommendations
Exploratory
Exploratory recommendations are intended to provide courses that are aligned with learning standards and student interests, as well as provide some choice for students in their course selection. Exploratory is defined as any class outside the core curriculum. This includes the newly recommended Core Extensions as well as PE and Health, Academic Support, Foreign Language and Band and Orchestra.
Target date of implementation beginning school year 2009-2010
1. Students and parents have some focused choice in the Exploratory experiences at 6th grade, with greater choice in the 7th and 8th grades. Course selections will be presented to students in February.
2. Sixth graders have a required sequence of four quarter-year classes that include: Art, Applied Technology, Life Skills, and Health. All students take PE every day.
3. The State requires 18 weeks of Health-one quarter of Health will be at 6th grade, one quarter of Health will be at 7th grade.
4. In order to eliminate pull-outs for sectionals, Band and Orchestra become classes that are part of the school day. The group would also like to suggest that all pull-outs of students for non-academic reasons, such as extra-curricular activities, be reduced or eliminated in order to maximize valuable instructional time.
5. An A/B schedule is under consideration for all Exploratory courses except PE. This means that 9-week courses would be offered every other day over an 18-week period (2 days during week one, 3 days during week two, or vice versa). In addition, an Academic Support Plus class will be developed to provide identified students with special education resource time and/or additional support skills.
Time and organization
Time and Organization recommendations are intended to maximize learning time for students and provide greater flexibility in meeting student academic, social and emotional needs.
1. Schedule Target date of implementation beginning school year 2009-2010
· The schedule will be built using 15-minute units (27 in total)
· Lunch: 30 minutes (2 units); lunch may be staggered, every 15 minutes
· Language Arts: A 90-minute block (6 units) with the same teacher and in the same room
· Mathematics: 60 minutes (4 units). Math time will increase by 15 minutes per day to allow for a 60-minute math block and to better meet student learning needs.
· Teams include Language Arts, Science and Social Studies. These teachers will have a common plan time to allow for team collaboration, as well as individual plan time.
· Mathematics and Exploratory classes may be multi-grade when appropriate.
2. Starting and Ending Times Under study by the Steering Committee
· Starting the school day 30 minutes earlier (at 8 a.m.) would minimize the need for students and teachers to leave early for extracurricular activities and provide the opportunity to expand participation in co-curricular activities. The committee recognizes that there are other implications both pro and con to an earlier start time. The Time and Organization Group recommends further study of issue by the Steering Committee.
Respectful Relationships
Respectful Relationship recommendations are meant to improve how Hadley promotes, supports and embeds positive relationships and connections between adults and students in a systemic way.
1. Establish an Encore (Encouraging Relationships) program: Encore would be an interest-based program to build connections between students and staff. The program would be:
· organized around student interests
· involve all teachers and school staff
· provide for student choice
· possibly consist of multi-grade groups
Program goals would mirror Illinois Learning Standards for Social Emotional Learning Goal
2: Use social-awareness and interpersonal skills to establish and maintain positive relationships. Encore would:
· Foster more meaningful adult/student relationships through shared interests
· Change perspectives of teachers (make teacher more of a person)
· Teachers would get to know students well
· Include lots of conversation while involved in the activity
· Promote greater student voice
Program Rationale: Building and maintaining positive relationships with others are central to success in school and life and require the ability to recognize the thoughts, feelings, and perspectives of others, including those different from one's own. In addition, establishing positive peer, family, and work relationships requires skills in cooperating, communicating respectfully, and constructively resolving conflicts with others. (From SEL Goal 2)
The program would meet weekly; on that day, other periods could be shortened to provide the time for this "bonus" period. Encore is under study by the Steering Committee.
2. Houses: Organize Hadley into three multi-grade houses. We envision each house consisting of three teams-one 6th, one 7th, and one 8th. Students would typically remain in their house for all three years. Target date of implementation beginning school year 2009-2010
3. Looping: The staff in each house would be strongly encouraged to adopt a looping model for 7th and 8th grade with implementation beginning in the Fall of 2010. Research shows that long-term relationships have a positive impact on both student learning and school climate.
Looping is under study for potential implementation in 2010-2011
4. Mentoring: Implement a mentoring program characterized by the following:
· For identified students (counselor and teacher identified)
· Throughout the year (variable start and end)
· Start with teacher-to-student mentoring; evolve to include student-to-student mentoring
· Volunteer teachers
· Include an assessment or monitoring component
· Inform all teachers of the mentors for identified students
· Flexible schedule
· Provide training for mentors
Mentoring is under study by the Steering Committee
Teaming Effectiveness
Teaming Effectiveness recommendations focus on aspects of staff interaction like collaboration, team meetings, and all those things that can contribute to a strong staff united in meeting student needs in a middle-level environment
1.Team Leader: Each teaching team has a team leader to facilitate the work of the team and provide communication with the administration, with other teams and with parents. Team leaders would have a job description, receive training and receive a stipend to be determined. Under study by the Steering Committee
2. Team planning: Every team is guided by a set of expectations about how they utilize team planning time. Under study by the Steering Committee
· As recommended by the research, at least half of team planning time would be devoted to issues of curriculum, instruction and assessment
· The remainder of weekly team planning time should be used for student management issues, for team operational issues and for working with special services personnel (ELL, Special Education, school psychologist, math and literacy consultants, school counselors)
3. Each team has a set of beliefs and annual goals aligned with the school's mission and goals. Potential implementation beginning school year 2009-2010
Home-school communications
Home School Communications: This study group is focused on all aspects of communications, particularly that between Hadley and its families, and how communication can support student learning and the Hadley Mission. This committee has met once. Recommendations will be forthcoming once they are fully developed.
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Recap of Master Facility Plan Forum
District 41 is developing a Master Facility Plan (MFP), and on December 9, the MFP Steering Committee talked about its progress at a public forum. The group is charged with developing a long-range facility plan that will prioritize short-term, intermediate and long-term needs and goals. It expects to present its recommendations to the Board of Education in March. The MFP Steering Committee, composed of parents, community members and staff members, has met numerous times since October; to date, it has:
- Established a Leadership Team (Jim Bourke, Jack Kahler, John Mulherin and Debby Richardson).
- Examined the five school Site Committee reports. The Site Committees were small groups convened to define the positives, lacks and opportunities at each building.
- Developed Guiding Principles for its work based on the facility themes that emerged from the Site Committee work.
- Researched and reported on existing and future trends around Curriculum and Instruction, Technology, School Site Usage and Interior Space.
- Identified priorities such as facilities that help maximize instructional time, provide flexible and appropriate instructional space, adequately provide for lunch, assemblies and other large-group needs, improve safety and security, address infrastructure needs, and allow for incorporation of learning technologies of the future.
Over the next two months the MFP Steering Committee will examine and refine options and concepts in concert with District architects FGM, Inc. It has scheduled two more public forums on Jan. 26 and Feb. 23, both at 7 p.m. at Hadley. During these forums it will share its progress and gather feedback as it prepares its recommendation for the Board.
Click here to listen to an mp3 recording of the forum
Click here to read the presentation
Click here to read the MFP Guiding Principles
Click here to read the Study Group Summary Report
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