Spring Break is Right Around the Corner...
We've almost made it to spring break! In this edition of Inside 62 you will see that nothing has slowed down and the upcoming break is well-deserved.
The district has had many reasons to celebrate over the last few weeks! Just this past Monday evening District 62 had the honor of recognizing the 2024 Gallery 62 artists. In addition, one of our very own principals has been named a Golden Apple Finalist and the district received a very generous grant from Rivers Casino!
Meanwhile, the unique opportunities and learning experiences for all of the students in the district continue to grow, whether through an all-day jazz festival, a visit from a Cook County Judge, or the chance to create and present a brand new invention to a panel of judges.
And, at the heart of it all, is the message of kindness, which was expressed by the youngest District 62 students at their recent Kindness Parade at the Early Learning Center.
We wish everyone a fun and restful spring break. We will see you in April!
The Community Relations Team
(Jennifer, Dan & Tracy)
#62united
Come Out to Trivia Night on Friday, April 26!
The D62 Education Foundation is hosting its annual Trivia Night on Friday, April 26 at the Frisbie Senior Center, 52 E. Northwest Highway in Des Plaines. It's always a fun night raising money for the students of District 62! We hope you can join in on the fun.
More details and registration information will be coming soon!
Little Angelo's Crowned the Pizza Wars Champ!
The foundation congratulates Little Angelo’s Pizza and Catering of Rosemont for being named the winner of its first Pizza Wars event on February 25.
Over 170 tickets were sold for the event that was hosted at the Society of the Danube Swabians in Des Plaines.
“The Foundation extends its appreciation and gratitude to those who supported this event,” said President Betty Murphy. “Our success is based on the generosity of our community. With their support, we are able to continue our focus on providing the students and staff of District 62 with enriching opportunities.”
At the March 18 Board of Education Meeting, the district recognized the students whose artwork was selected to be featured as part of Gallery 62 for 2024. They are:
Angelee Adasa, Algonquin Middle School
Meder Abdykalykov, Central Elementary School
Eva Bors, Chippewa Middle School
Isabella Greco, Cumberland Elementary School
Emma Murphy, Forest Elementary School
Melat Kassa, Iroquois Community School
Haquim Safdary, Iroquois Community School
Alexa Garcia Tenorio, North Elementary School
Denise Bolanos, Orchard Place Elementary School
Syeda-Zara Fatima, Plainfield Elementary School
Dakota Doerr, South Elementary School
Teddy Laya, Terrace Elementary School
The Gallery 62 Art Exhibit was introduced in 2008 as a way to recognize works of art created by District 62 students under the guidance of district art teachers. The Board of Education presents the original art to the parents or guardians during eighth grade promotion ceremonies.
The students put on a Kindness Parade, wearing t-shirts and hats, and carrying messages of ways to spread kindness to others.
One of the classes made up an entire train, complete with an engine. Every student that was part of the train wore a conductor hat and carried posters with ways they can show kindness to others. Another class wore hats with examples of ways they have personally been kind to others.
As the students paraded down the hall they were excited to see their family and friends cheering them on!
Cook County Judge Sharon Kanter visited Algonquin Middle School recently to talk to students about the US court system and her role as a judge.
Kanter is an associate judge on the Cook Judicial Circuit Court and serves out of the Skokie Courthouse. She was a Cook County Assistant State's Attorney for more than 28 years and is also an Adjunct Professor at Oakton College, specializing in Laws of Evidence and Criminal Procedure.
Kanter has strong ties to District 62, as she is married to Algonquin Art Teacher Howard Kanter, and is the mother of Chippewa Middle School Art Teacher Carli Kanter.
She spoke to the students about how she became a judge and all of the various job opportunities in her field. She also took that time to answer the many great questions that students had.
A key component of Kanter's message was that everyone can make a difference, just by being kind.
Four groups, each consisting of four to five students, had a chance to pitch an invention to three judges or "sharks." Some of the groups even created commercials for their products.
One group had a device called “The Buddy Robot,” which was a tablet-like device that would tell a person where items were located in a store, saving time when shopping. Another group designed a weather hat which would change colors to inform a person of the weather when worn. The third group designed a utensil that consisted of a fork on one side and a pizza cutter on the other side, specifically designed to cut up long noodles when eating pasta. The final group, “The Clean Team,” designed a multi-use cleaning tool that allows a person to dust, vacuum, mop and clean up messes.
The judges asked the students some very intelligent and tough questions, but the students were prepared and had answers for all of them. All of the students involved worked hard on their products and their presentations!
Great job, Central School inventors!
The club, under the direction of Ms. Samantha Heindl-Porter and Ms. Catherine Sommer, allows the students the opportunity to sing, dance and support their singing friends.
The club started because there was a Karaoke Club at the district's middle school level, and South School teachers thought it would be a great idea to have one at the elementary level as well.
Ms. Heindl-Porter said they loved the idea of the club for a few reasons. First, Ms. Heindl-Porter said singing is fun and many of the students have developed a love for music. Second, she said they saw an opportunity for students to practice reading fluency in an informal way as lyrics to the songs are projected on a screen. And finally, she said there is always a need for social emotional learning (SEL) support and friendship groups.
"We hoped that we could create a safe, creative environment in which students would collaborate, share and support each other," Ms. Heindl-Porter said.
"The joy, silliness and camaraderie that we have found in this club is unmatched," Ms. Heindl-Porter said. She said many students approach her and Ms. Sommer in the hall throughout the week, requesting songs and sharing that they can't wait to hold the microphone on Friday and laughing about something silly from the week before.
Dr. Lisa Carlos has been named a finalist for the 2024 Golden Apple Awards for Excellence in Leadership. She was one of six finalists selected from 111 nominees from schools across the State of Illinois.
Dr. Carlos has been Principal of Plainfield Elementary School since 2018.
According to the Golden Apple Foundation website, the Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Leadership honors exemplary performance in school leadership by a principal or head of school who has had a significant and sustained positive impact on the school, created a culture of inclusivity, and delivered dramatic student growth.
“Congratulations to Dr. Carlos on this extraordinary honor,” said Superintendent of Schools Dr. Michael Amadei. “Under Dr. Carlos’ leadership, the Plainfield Elementary School learning community has flourished into a caring and supportive environment. Dr. Carlos’ impact goes beyond the school walls, resonating within the community as she and the staff at Plainfield support students every day.”
Learn more about Golden Apple here: http://www.goldenapple.org.
Members of the D62 Administration Team formally presented the proposed strategic plan to the board members at the Board of Education Meeting this past Monday. The board had the chance to hear the proposed mission, motto, core values, goals and strategies of the new five-year plan.
A few members of the strategic planning team, including a D62 student, personally shared their experiences of being part of the strategic planning process over the last several months.
The Board of Education will vote on whether or not to approve the new plan at the April 15 board meeting.
Be sure to visit our website to stay informed on all of the latest strategic plan updates and results. All of the information can be found here.
