Don't Forget to Vote

I have heard many people say of late that they will not vote in the presidential election next week since they do not approve of either candidate. Given the tumultuous times and terrible financial uncertainty it is easy to be distracted from our duty as citizens to participate in the election process. I encourage everyone to exercise their right as a citizen of this country to get out and vote. Not voting abdicates our responsibility to be heard in this important matter. Participating in OUR Democracy is to be a positive role model for our children.

Head Lice

As we enter the winter season the potential for head lice seems to increase due to the use of heavier coats and hats by our students. The issue of head lice is one that often causes strain on families and the school. In the coming days we will be communicating with all parents about this issue in an attempt to increase understanding about “head lice” as well as District policies and procedures for dealing with head lice.


Here is the procedure followed by our schools with regard to head lice:

• When a parent notifies the school that a child has lice we check the classmates of that child to insure that the lice have not spread to other students.


• If a child is found to have lice at school, the child is sent home immediately with instructions on how to eliminate the lice. Once the child has been treated he/she may return to school.


• Mrs. Heckman, our school nurse, checks all students who have been treated for lice after seven days to insure that they are free of lice.


• When a child is confirmed to have lice in school, the classroom is vacuumed and desks and chairs cleaned in the event that a louse has jumped off the infected child.


• The District complies with all suggestions of the Center for Disease Control, American Academy of Pediatrics, and DuPage County Health Department. To our knowledge there are no additional steps that we can take to reduce the incidence of lice in the school setting.


• We rely heavily on parents of students to control the spread of lice! Parents are an essential part of the solution to reduce lice!
  

Future communications will include information about lice facts to help all of completely understand this issue. Should you have specific questions about this issue please contact your

Lakeview Varsity Girls Volleyball Team Wins Tournament

On Saturday, October 25th, the Southeast DuPage Elementary School Association Volleyball Tournament was held at Lakeview Junior High School. Little did we know that the Lakeview Spartans would hang tough and win this annual tournament. The girls, coached by Mrs. Sarah Wagner outlasted Cass and then defeated Westmont to win this year's tournament. Congratulations to Mrs. Wagner and the team.

Bus Driver Appreciation Day - October 22, 2008

Wednesday, October 22nd has been designated as Bus Driver Recognition Day to honor the thousands of men and women that work tirelessly through hot and cold, rain and snow and day and night to transport children safely to and from school. At Center Cass we salute our faithful and reliable school bus drivers who never let us down. This would be a great time to write a note to your child's driver thanking them for the safe ride your children enjoy everyday. Congratulations to our fine District 66 Transportation Department (name and employment year); Twanna Anderson (2007), John Cesal (2004), Toni DePisa (2001), Noreen Dvorak (2002), Paul Jonauskas (2006), Jim Gismondi (2001), Jim Hagan (2005), Jim Mathiasch (2004), Art Mueller (2004), Zach Munoz (2003), Kate Nikiel (1997), Pat Romaniszak (1991), Walt Sangaila (1996), Manny Staiger (2008) and Tom Tiede (2001).

These are the people that make it possible for school to start on time each day regardless of the weather or road conditions. They are true professionals! We will be celebrating Bus Driver Recognition Day with a breakfast in their honor next week. Please let them know you appreciate their efforts.

Memory Bridge Initiative

This fall the District approved a new activity for middle school students called the Memory Bridge Initiative. This program is operated by the Foundation for Alzheimer's and Cultural Memory and coordinated by teacher, Kristy Mixon. Students meet for two hours each week after school to learn about the causes and effects of this disease. Students are introduced to communication and intergenerational relationship-building skills that will be an asset to them in the future. Every third week the students visit the Fairview Baptist Home in Downers Grove where they are paired up with a “buddy” who is suffering from Alzheimer's Disease. During these visits the students implement the skills they have learned in the classroom and visit with residents. Students have the opportunity to learn about the the lives of their “buddies” and what they are able to remember. These new relationships are beneficial to both the student and the patient since many patients do not have family able to visit regularly. These student visits are a special treat for those with Alzheimer's Disease and provide the opportunity for students to help others within the local community.

The program operates in 12 week segments offering both a fall and spring session. For more information contact Mrs. Mixon kmixon@ccsd66.org with any questions about this program.

More Blagojevich Rumors

What do you think of the news that US Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald filed a motion to postpone the sentencing of convicted fund raiser Tony Rezko? This move should help remove the pressure from the Obama presidential campaign. I suspect this move will be bad news for our governor and his cronies. It seems as if the US Attorney's office must believe whatever Mr. Rezko has been telling them or the sentencing would not have been delayed.

Apparently, a grand jury has been convened to examine the Rezko information and people identified as potential witnesses. Supposedly the FBI has been making home visits to some people involved in this situation. It appears that there may be a scenario similar to that of convicted former Governor Ryan in that they are looking at financial deals and campaign contributions. If the Blagojevich campaign is with a RICO complaint the governor could be in deep trouble with no way to pay his enormous legal bills.

In the meantime, there has been little or no progress in establishing a sound fiscal plan for the state. We continue to operate with smoke, mirrors and high hopes. The state continues to operate with little cash to pay obligations and there are no plans to generate additional funds in spite of the efforts of legislators such as Senator James Meeks.

RtI In Action

I have spent two days this week visiting Lakeview and Elizabeth Ide. On these visits, I spent an entire day at the building to observe teachers' teaching, students' learning and the general operation of the building. During my visits this week, I have had the opportunity to observe first hand the operation of the RtI program at these two buildings. The RtI program is based on skill-based instructional groups, rigorous research based classroom instruction, frequent monitoring of progress and flexibility. In the RtI program, students are instructed in “skill-based” groups so the instruction which is research based can be focused to meet their specific needs in the area of reading. At the elementary level this means students work in flexible groups with more than one teacher during a concentrated instructional block. I was very pleased to see the intensity and rigor of the instruction. Our teachers and building administrators have worked very hard to plan and implement this program that should help support the achievement of all district students. At the middle school level, this program becomes an additional specialized reading support class that is an extension of the regular reading program. We will continue to monitor the implement of this state mandated program.