Holiday Concert Schedule

The month of December will bring forth the annual holiday band and choral concerts that will bring a smile to your face and joy to your heart! On Wednesday, December 5th the 5th Grade Cadet Band and 6th Grade Concert Band will present a concert at Lakeview beginning at 7:00 p.m. The following evening Thursday, December 6th we will feature the Lakeview Jazz Ensemble, Symphonic Band and Wind Ensemble in concert beginning at 7:00 p.m. The final concert of the season will be held on Wednesday, December 12th and will feature our fine choral groups from both Prairieview and Lakeview. We are thrilled to be able to present the first Lakeview Chorus in three years under the direction of new middle school music teacher, Ms. Jennifer Berman. Be sure to attend any or all of these delightful performances and enjoy the efforts of our fine students and their teachers, Ms. Berman, Mr. Ohlsen, Mr. Tedeschi and Ms. Wyse. It will certainly be worth your trip.

Silent Reflection Law Blocked

Silly season continues! Judge Robert Gettlemann last week issued a preliminary injunction baring the “moment of silence” mandate from being implemented in one suburban high school district. The Judge also ordered State School Superintendent, Chris Koch not to enforce this law in any school. Last Friday, Representative John Fritchey (D-Chicago) and Representative Roger Eddy (R-Hutsonville) filed a bill to end further litigation on this bill. This bill would remove any references to “prayer” and return the law to the permissible category making reflection optional. Both legislators feel that dollars spent on this issue take away funds that could be used in Illinois classrooms. Center Cass District 66 will continue to pause for a moment of silence until there is further guidance from Springfield regarding this issue.
What next???

Still BIMPless

The Illinois Legislature sent SB 783 (BIMP) to the Governor on November 5th but he has still not taken action to sign this 400 page budget bill. In the meantime, local school districts continue to receive GSA at the FY07 levels and no increases in any of the budget line items that were increased by SB 783. Our illustrious Governor has three options with regard to the BIMP; he can sign it, veto it or use his amendatory veto which would include his recommendations for changes in the bill. Any other action other than to sign the BIMP will result in additional acrimonious activity in Springfield since the Legislature would be called back to approve or override any vetoes by the Governor. In the meantime, many local district are borrowing funds to meet expenses while the political crisis continues. My prediction of no BIMP until January looks more and more likely as a scenario. Stay tuned!

Thanksgiving Break

In celebration of Thanksgiving and Veterans' Day school will not be in session on November 21-23 as we pause to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday. I hope that everyone has a joyous and restful break and finds thankfulness during this season. Enjoy your break. Classes resume Monday, November 26, 2007.

Parent Teacher Conferences

Parent Teacher conferences are scheduled for next week. Please be sure to take advantage of this opportunity to meet with your children's teachers and discuss their academic progress. To insure that these conferences are beneficial here are some tips that will make your conference more effective.

• Be punctual to your appointment.
• Make a list of questions that you wish to have addressed.
• Be prepared to share any pertinent information about your child with the teacher if it has a bearing on classroom performance.
• Listen carefully to any suggestions the teacher may share with you.
• Make a plan for further communication, follow up or monitoring if required.
• Remember to be effective; student, school and home must work harmoniously and support each other.
  

Lighting the Way

Last weekend members of the District Administrative Team and Members of the Board of Education had the opportunity to attend the 75th Joint Annual Conference of the Illinois Association of School Boards, Illinois Association of School Administrators and Illinois Association of School Business Officials conference in Chicago. During the weekend we had the opportunity to attend workshops on school governance, school finance, school law, educational technology, and NCLB. In addition to the educational workshops, we also had the opportunity to hear prominent speakers and network with school board members from all over the state. This event is a wonderful learning opportunity for Board members and administrators to stay abreast of current trends and requirements in public education.

School Board Members Day

November 15th has been designated School Board Members Day! On this day we honor and recognize the seven members of the Board of Education. These dedicated and caring public servants are elected in April of odd numbered years to serve unpaid four-year terms. The Board of Education is charged with employing a Superintendent to implement their policies and direction. This volunteer board works diligently to insure that students of the Center Cass School District enjoy the absolute best academic and co-curricular program possible while maintaining, on behalf of the community, financial prudence and oversight. Do you know your board members?

Jeanne Grimmer currently serves as the President of the Center Cass School District Board of Education. Mrs. Grimmer who joined the Board in 1995, has previously served as Board Treasurer and is in her third term as President. The Grimmer's have three daughters who have attended our schools. Jeanne is employed as a financial officer and accountant at a local consulting firm.

Ron Eberhart currently serves as the Vice-President of the the Center Cass School District Board of Education. Mr. Eberhart joined the Board in 2001 and has previously served as Board Treasurer. The Eberhart's have two children including an 8th grader currently at Lakeview. Mr. Eberhart operates a manufacturing business in the area.

Cathie Killian currently serves as Treasurer of the Center Cass School District Board of Education. Mrs. Killian joined the Board in 2005 and is in her first term as Treasurer. The Killian's have two children including an 8th grader at Lakeview. Mrs. Killian is employed as a department manager in the medical field.

Susan James is our senior Board member and serves as Secretary to the Center Cass School District Board of Education. Mrs. James joined the Board in 1993. Mrs. James has two college aged daughters and is employed at a local church.

Robert Koch currently serves as a member of the Center Cass School District Board of Education. Bob joined the Board in 2005. The Koch's have two daughters attending Downers Grove South High School. Mr. Koch is employed in senior management at a technology service firm in the metro area.

Suzanne Armato joined the Center Cass School District Board of Education in April of 2007 and is serving her first term. The Armato's have two daughters attending our schools. Mrs. Armato is employed as the director of an educational advocacy group.

Dan Slayden joined the Center Cass School District Board of Education in April of 2007 and is serving his first term. The Slayden's have three children including one attending Lakeview and two attending Downers Grove South High School. Mr. Slayden is active as an attorney specializing in medical issues for a large commercial firm.

Please extend your thanks to these outstanding Board Members who represent you in the operation of our school district.

No BIMP Signed

Over a week has passed and Governor Blagojevich still has not signed the Budget Implementation Plan (BIMP) that was passed by both houses over one week ago. While he does have several options with regard to signing this bill, it is apparently not as important to him that he needs to sign this bill as it is to the general public. This past week, while ignoring the BIMP there has been more rhetoric about the Chicago mass transit crisis and how the Legislature is not working cooperatively with the Governor to correct this situation. It is hard to believe that any one stop gap bill is going to solve this situation after decades of neglect similar to the pension issues we also face. It is becoming more obvious that it is unlikely for a mass transit bill to pass without some form of a capital expenditure plan to placate the Republicans from downstate who are not likely to support a bailout for the CTA. When will it end?

Market Day Update

Thank you to all of the many volunteers that heard the call from our PTO Market Day committee and came out to help with our monthly sale held at Prairieview this past Saturday. After having only a handful of workers for the October sale we had over 40 parents and students helping this weekend. This help allowed the PTO to pre-fill all orders and earn over $1200 in profits for the children of the District. Mark your calendar for the next Market Day sale on December 15th to be held at Lakeview Junior High School. Volunteers are needed beginning at 9:30 a.m. Come out and enjoy a morning of service to your school community and meet your neighbors. I will be looking for you!

BIMP BILL Passed

After several weeks of waiting, both the Illinois House of Representatives and the Senate have passed SB 783, the Budget Implementation bill. Key provisions of this bill will ensure that no school receive less state support than received in FY 2007, increases personnel reimbursement for special education staff members, increases the Foundation Level by $400 to $5,734 per student and continues Poverty Grants to districts receiving supplemental general state aide based on Low Income Concentration levels. This bill also continues the valuable School Safety and Educational Improvement Block Grant but will dilute the impact of these dollars by allowing them to be distributed to non-public schools for the first time. In the next few weeks school district should begin to see increased levels of funding. As soon as Governor Blagojevich sign it. This is good news but does not address the lingering ever-present issue of school funding in Illinois. At some point, the legislature needs to deal with school funding rather than annually creating a “band-aid” solution. The state is in a fiscal crisis that demands attention!

Winter Season Begins

The Winter Sports Season has begun. Teams have been selected through tryouots and competition begins this week. Lakeview Junior High Spartans will begin competition in boys and girls basketball at both the 7th and 8th grade levels, Cheerleading at both 7th and 8th grade is also underway. Coming soon will begin the annual Fall music performances by our wonderful preforming groups. Watch for concert announcements for the 5th Grade Cadet Band, Prairieview Chorus, Lakeview Concert, Symphonic and Wind Ensemble and Jazz Band, as well as the newly re-constituted Lakeview Chorus. All groups will be performing during the month of December. We hope to see you at our many games and performances in the next few weeks.