CCSD66 Notes

January 21, 2012

2012-01-21T11:00:00.002-06:00

It is still hard to type 2012! I remember all of the worries when we turned the calendar over on January 1, 2000 and everyone was waiting for some techno glitch to cripple the world. After all of the worry and money expended nothing happened! We have come a long way!

There are some interesting things going on in the District right now. Lakeview and Prairieview have challenged Eisenhower and Lace to see which school will raise the most money for cancer research in a program called Cancer Smashers. Visit the website of each school to find information about this program as well as videos prepared by students for this event.

The District Spelling Bee will be held Tuesday, January 24^th at Prairieview School. The bee begins at 1:00 pm is the public is welcome to attend.

The Center Cass SD 66 Board of Education last week hired the consulting firm of BWP and Associates to assist them in the search for a new Superintendent of Schools. Watch for your invitation to participate in a focus group to gather input on desired traits for the next leader of our district. Meetings will be head during the week on January 30, 2012.

Lastly, a huge THANK YOU to our entire Transportation Department for an excellent job last night getting all of our students home safely from school in terrible conditions. Although the poor road conditions delayed everyone's progress last night, ALL students arrived home safely!

Have a good weekend!

Dawning of a New Era

2012-01-11T15:31:00.003-06:00

Many of you know that the Board of Education accepted my retirement request at their meeting on January 10th. This has been a long and hard decision to make but I am sure that it is in the best interest of the District to take my leave at the end of this school year.

Obviously, after 39 years as a teacher, bus driver, assistant principal and principal of Ide and Center Cass and now superintendent it is time for a change. It has been and continues to be a wonderful life serving this community!I have and will have mixed feelings like all of our retirees this year as I continue to do the very best I can for the District and until the end of June.

At this time, I have no firm plans for the future but will find a new opportunity to occupy my time when my wife, Cheryl does not have me tagging along on one of her travels. The Board of Education will be busy next week interviewing superintendent search firms to conduct a search for the new superintendent. They hope to have a final candidate by April 1, 2012.

In the meantime, I will continue to love every minute of my time in Center Cass!

Curriculum Meeting

2012-01-10T10:36:00.002-06:00

It was great to see so many people at the Lakeview curriculum meeting last night. Though we obviously missed the planning target in terms of time the meeting was successful and helpful. The greatest part of the evening was to see over a hundred parents and teachers engaged in a healthy respectful discussion of important issues. While everyone brings their own personal viewpoint to these meetings the discussion was productive to illustrate to all the various aspects of proposed changes in the class schedule for next year. I applaud those who came out on the BCS Championship game night because they value their child's education. Such meetings are healthy and productive when the focus is hard on the issues and easy on the people! Now the Board of Education will have the input gathered at this meeting to review and consider as we continue to strive for excellence in programming for the children of our community!

Have a good week. Think SNOW!

Welcome to 2012

2012-01-03T07:28:00.002-06:00

Classes resume today! Buildings are clean, warm and ready for the return of our students. Even though the weather outside is frightful it is warm and comfortable inside. As you can see by the picture the bus parking lot fence has begun to be assembled. We hope to be parked inside it a few days!

Have a great week!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

2011-12-26T11:14:00.002-06:00

I hope everyone is enjoying their winter break and had a peaceful Christmas. It was nice to get away last week with family to a warmer area and enjoy relaxing with the family. Now that our boys are adults and living independently it is a joy to spend time with them relaxing and catching up! I am back in the office today refreshed and renewed for another few months. While the weather on vacation was great, today although cooler, is still a beautiful sunny day.

Buildings are being thoroughly cleaned and readied for the second half of the school year and will be ready for the return of students next Tuesday, January 3^rd. As you see in the picture, progress is being made on the new bus parking lot and which should be completed by the end of this week. We hope to move the buses into their new area as we return from the break period.

I hope everyone enjoys another week of relaxation and has a very happy and safe New Year's celebration. Happy New Year 2012!

Winter Break Begins

2011-12-16T12:34:00.004-06:00

Winter break begins with the close of school today. Classes will resume on Tuesday, January 3. 2012. During this period buildings will be open daily from 8:00 am to 3:00 pm with the exception of January 26th and January 2nd. While school is closed our custodians will be working hard to clean buildings and ready them for the return of students in two weeks. We hope that the new bus parking area will be completed next week so we may begin to use it when we return. I hope that everyone has a restful vacation!

Holiday Cheer!

2011-12-11T13:41:00.001-06:00

This week ends the first half of the school year and Winter Break begins with the close of school on Friday, December 16^th. Classes will resume on Tuesday, January 3^rd. I hope that everyone has a restful and joyous vacation celebrating with family and friends. We look forward to the return on students after the break for the challenges that 2012 will bring to us!

Here are some inspirational thoughts as you contemplate the coming holiday season:

The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree: the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other. ~Burton Hillis

One of the most glorious messes in the world is the mess created in the living room on Christmas day. Don't clean it up too quickly. ~Andy Rooney

Christmas is a necessity. There has to be at least one day of the year to remind us that we're here for something else besides ourselves. ~Eric Sevareid

Our hearts grow tender with childhood memories and love of kindred, and we are better throughout the year for having, in spirit, become a child again at Christmas-time. ~Laura Ingalls Wilder

Never worry about the size of your Christmas tree. In the eyes of children, they are all 30 feet tall. ~Larry Wilde, The Merry Book of Christmas

Christmas is the season for kindling the fire of hospitality in the hall, the genial flame of charity in the heart. ~Washington Irving

Gifts of time and love are surely the basic ingredients of a truly merry Christmas. ~Peg Bracken

Happy Holidays!

Winter Concert Season Is Here!

2011-12-05T13:50:00.002-06:00

The annual District 66 Concert series begins this week. Concerts for this season are scheduled as follows:

Tuesday, December 6^th Lakeview, Concert Band, Chorus and Lab Jazz band

Wednesday, December 7^th Lakeview, Symphonic Band, Wind Ensemble, Jazz Ensemble

Monday, December 12^th Prairieview Concert, Cadet Band , Chorus

Wednesday, December 14^th Lakeview and Prairieview Choirs to Yorktown Mall

Thursday, December 15^th Downers Grove South Choir performance at Lakeview

Community is invited to all of these events. All evening events begin at 7:00 pm in the Lakeview gym.

Blow Blow the Winter Wind

2011-11-28T09:06:00.001-06:00

This cold blustery weather has me thinking of the season and especially of the beautiful seasonal choral piece by John Rutter of the same title. While the wind blows we are trying to work off the excess food consumed over the long Thanksgiving Holiday and regain some form of normal eating. The snow flurries this morning remind me that winter is just around the corner and ski season can't be far behind.

While this sounds nice and pleasant we are still waiting for the construction of the fence to enclose our new bus parking lot so that we can begin to use it. We hope to have this completed before the snow falls in force. The pace of construction for this project has been very slow and frustrating. We had hoped to have this completed by the start of school and now will not complete all of the final landscaping and plantings until the spring time since the vegetation will not thrive at this time of year.

In the next couple of weeks, the winter concert season will begin and bring the sounds of the season to the Lakeview Gym on several evenings. Please plan to join us for one of these evenings as we showcase the talents of our students. The Junior Varsity basketball season is underway and will conclude before winter break begins.

Have a great week and think SNOW!

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-11-19T14:41:00.002-06:00

I hope that everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving break. I hope that everyone has the opportunity to spend time with family and friends and be thankful for what we have. Here are some quotes to help us count our blessings at this time of the year and every day!

Johannes A. Gaertner
To speak gratitude is courteous and pleasant, to enact gratitude is generous and noble, but to live gratitude is to touch Heaven.

Melody Beattie
Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.

Fred De Witt Van Amburgh
None is more impoverished than the one who has no gratitude. Gratitude is a currency that we can mint for ourselves, and spend without fear of bankruptcy.

John Fitzgerald Kennedy
As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.

Estonian Poverb
Who does not thank for little will not thank for much.

William Faulkner
Gratitude is a quality similar to electricity: it must be produced and discharged and used up in order to exist at all.

Happy Thanksgiving to all! Be Thankful!

It's time to “tip your hat” to school board members:

2011-11-10T11:11:00.004-06:00

Robert Koch
President

Cathie Killian
Vice President

Suzanne Armato
Secretary

Mark Motuelle
Treasurer

Charles Blazevich
Member

Linda Millbrandt
Member

Alison Murphy
Member

School board members are ordinary people who wear many different hats in their everyday lives. They maybe farmers or bankers, homemakers or doctors, truck drivers or professors, business owners or retirees. But they all put on the same hat when they get to the board room. It's a hat that represents an extraordinary dedication to our public schools. And it's time we thank them for their untiring efforts.

The time school board members spend in board meetings represents just a fraction of the actual hours they devote to leading their districts. They attend meetings and seminars to learn how to be better board members. They attend extracurricular events to support their schools, and often they are involved in other community activities, representing themselves, their community and and their district.

School board members are charged with a unique job. They must listen to the voices of their community and then craft a vision, mission and goals for their district that accurately reflect those voices in the design. They must guard two of the community's most precious resources – their children and their tax dollars – while they create the best educational environment possible with the money available.

Too often communities are quick to criticize school board members without really knowing all of the details that went into their decisions. As a result, the efforts of school board members often go unrecognized and unrewarded. November 15, 2011 has been designated as School Board Member Day in Illinois. This is a time to show appreciation and to begin to better understand how school board members work together to provide leadership for schools. Join with others from throughout Illinois in a “tip of the hat” to the men and women who provide the grassroots governance of public schools. Make a special effort to tell each school board member his or her hard work has been noticed and is very much appreciated.

Hats off to our Center Cass School District 66 Board of Education!

Robert Koch, President 7 years

Cathie Killian, Vice-President 7 years

Mark Motuelle, Treasurer 3 years

Suzzane Armato, Secretary 5 years

Linda Millbrandt, Member 3 years

Chuck Blazevich, Member 1 year

Alison Murphy, Member 1 year

Information to be Shared

2011-11-07T13:34:00.004-06:00

I am highlighting news about the District this week! First, you will find information about the 2011 School Report Card and then an update on our parking lot construction project.

Highlights From the 2011 School Report Card

Listed below are highlights from the Center Cass SD 66 District School Report Card for 2011 that was just published last week. A complete copy of the District Report Card as well, as individual building report cards are on the webpage under the Heading of Assessment!

Parental Contact District 99.2% State 96%

Student to Staff Ratios

Pupil-Teacher Elementary Ratio District 17.7 State 18.8

Pupil-Certified Staff Ratio District 13.0 State 13.6

Pupil-Administrator Ratio District 185.8 State 211.3

Teacher Information

Average teaching experience District 13.7 State 13.2

% of teachers with Masters or above District 75.0 State 60.4

Financial Information

Instructional Expenditure per pupil District $ 6,555 State $ 6,773

Operating Expenditure per pupil District $10,067 State $11,537

Academic Performance

Overall performance all state tests District 93.3% State 76.5% meets or exceeds standards

ISAT performance District 93.5% State 82% meets or exceeds standards

Attendance Rate District 96.5%

The new parking lot pad for the school buses was poured and sealed last week. This week's weather does not look encouraging for additional work on the site. We need to complete the electrical work, install the fencing, gates and light to complete this part of the project. We hope to have this done by the end of the month. There remains some additional excavation work to be done also. It now appears that the final grading and planting of the vegetation in the water detention pond and around the bus pen may be delayed until spring due to the end of the planting season. The completion of the Lakeview parking lot resurfacing and driveway repairs will be pushed back to next summer because of the poor working conditions brought on by the coming of the winter season. Having the new parking area for the school buses will enhance operations for the winter until the rest of the project can be completed.

Progress Continues!

2011-11-03T08:22:00.001-05:00

The new bus parking lot has moved along quickly this week. Final grading and compaction was completed and cement was poured yesterday! Things are finally shaping up. One more day pouring cement followed by the completion of the electrical work, lights and fencing. This will be a great additional to the campus and smooth operations. See the attached photos of the work in progress!

Tonight is the fall Athletic Banquet where our three undefeated teams, Boys XC, Varsity and Junior Varsity Volleyball will be honored for the their accomplishments this season. Dinner begins at 6:00 pm and the program will begin about 6:45 pm. See you there!

Parking Lot Work Continues

2011-10-25T09:50:00.001-05:00

This week the basic configuration of the detention pond has been completed and as the weather dries the earth it will receive a final smoothing of the walls and floor. The bus parking lot has been marked off by the excavator and is ready for the next stage to begin tomorrow. We continue to hope that we can completed this work before the weather closes the project down. Wish us luck as we move ahead!

Cross Country Team places 3rd in State Meet

2011-10-17T12:08:00.001-05:00

Congratulations to Coach Rodda and Coach Urbas and members of the boys cross country team for placing 3^rd in the Illinois Elementary School Association State Cross Country meet held last Saturday in Bloomington, IL. This is a great accomplishment and caps a great season which will end this Wednesday, October 19^th with the running of the Southeast DuPage Conference Meet at Jefferson Junior High in Woodridge. Go Spartan runners!

I am happy to note that we are again working on the water detention pond so that the parking lot project can be completed. We lost two days of work last week due to the rainy weather and hope to wrap up this part of the project this week so construction of the bus lot can begin next week.

Wonderful Weather...

2011-10-12T12:03:00.001-05:00

I hope that everyone is enjoying the wonderful weather! It has been so nice to be outside and riding the bike at this time of year. We had a beautiful day in Plainfield last Saturday for the Homecoming Parade and for the Cross Country Team in Joliet. We have had a great fall sports season with both girls volleyball teams ending the year undefeated. Congratulations to the athletes and coaches, Mrs. Wrzesinski and Mrs. Wilson! Congratulations also to our boys Cross Country Team and coaches Mr. Rodda and Mr. Urbas on a banner season!

I so happy to see construction begin on the water detention pond and new bus parking lot at the Lakeview Campus. We have waited all summer for this and are happy to finally see progress. I hope that the weather cooperates and allows us to complete this task quickly. When completed we will have a new dedicated secure enclosed parking area for school buses and transportation equipment that will increase security and enhance the beauty of our school property.

The week of October 17^th celebrates two valuable groups of school employees! Next week is School Bus Driver Recognition week and Principal Recognition Week. I encourage everyone to send a note of thanks for the important work that these people do safely transporting our precious students in all types of weather conditions to and from school and leading our school buildings to provide excellent learning programs for our children. Congratulations to drivers, Tom Tiede, Manny Staiger, Zak Munoz, Mike Pappas, Jim Gismondi, Paul Jonauskas, Jim Mathiasch, Twanna Anderson, Jim Hagen, Kate Nikiel, Frank Lewandowski, John Cesal and Selina Luna. Thanks to our principals, Jill Hansen, Kim Liles, Janeise Schultz and Paul Windsor for their efforts/

We continue to enjoy a very smooth start to the school year and are excited that each building has once again made AYP although the District did not make AYP this year due to the performance of a sub-group of students from the entire District. While this is frustrating we continue to be be pleased with the progress children are making academically with our RtI program. We have a talented and dedicated teaching staff that strives to provide excellence for each child!

Have a good week.

Updates and Beautiful Days

2011-10-05T15:34:00.002-05:00

I hope that everyone is enjoying the wonderful weather. It feels so good after the many days of damp wet cool days that seemed to never end. I hope that this weather continues for several more days as we begin the long awaited construction of our parking lot for our school buses. To complete the project efficiently we need at least 7 or 8 dry days for the excavation of the parking area and water detention pond to be located to the west of the parking lot. It will be a very attractive addition to our campus which will allow for the parking of all buses behind a 12 foot wood fence surrounded by lush vegetation. This will reduce congestion in the parking lot area since buses will no longer be parked around the circle drive. With the completion of this last phase of the parking lot project the rest of the circle drive and Lakeview parking lot will be re-paved and striped.

The fall sports season is winding down and our teams have had a successful season especially for both of our volleyball teams and the boys cross country team! It is hard to believe that tryouts for winter sports will soon by here. Just a reminder that all schools will be closed next Monday for Columbus Day and also on Tuesday for Teacher's Institute Day. The Marching Spartan Band will be marching this weekend in the Plainfield Homecoming Parade which steps off at 9:00 am Saturday morning near City Hall.

Have a good weekend!

Football Tonight!

2011-09-28T10:28:00.001-05:00

Fall is in the air and the stadium lights are blazing! Come out tonight to watch the Lakeview Spartans play the Eisenhower Generals at Downers Grove South High School. Our athletes will be paying on the new field at Downers South tonight. Admission is FREE! Kick off at 7:30 pm.

See you there!

I'm Just a Traveling Man....

2011-09-23T12:11:00.002-05:00

This was the week for touring DuPage County! Monday began with a Southeast DuPage Elementary School Association meeting in Clarendon Hills. This group operates all of our athletic and extra curricular programs for the athletic conference. This includes the interscholastic program as well as the Scholastic Bowl and the Band Festival. Tuesday I attended a DuPage County Development Committee meeting in Wheaton to see our request for a conditional use permit approved. Fortunately we were successful and our proposed parking lot project moves ahead. Wednesday morning I traveled to Bloomingdale for the Illinois Association of School Administrators – DuPage Division meeting. At this meeting, Gary Chico, President of the Illinois State Board of Education provided us with an update of life in Springfield and educational issues to be dealt with this year. Wednesday evening I presided over the monthly meeting of the Woodridge Public Library Board. Thursday was a travel free day! Today I attended a breakfast meeting for the Legislative Educational Network of DuPage (LEND) in Glendale Heights where we heard remarks from State Senators Dillard and Pankau and Representatives Bellock, Pihos, Ramey and Nybo. It was very interesting to hear their perspectives on the issues of the day such as; school reform, pension reform and school funding. All told I traveled 176 miles this week and did not leave the county!

School continues to go smoothly and we are proud of our Lakeview sports teams that are competing in boys and girls cross country, football, and girls volleyball. Highlights thus far are an undefeated boys cross country team, undefeated varsity and junior varsity girls volleyball teams and a football team with a record of 2-1. Congratulations to our athletes and coaches! Our marching band has also made an appearance in the German Day Parade in Chicago and will be preforming in the Plainfield Homecoming Parade next month.

Have a good weekend! Enjoy the fall weather as the days grow shorter.

Moving On...

2011-09-16T14:56:00.001-05:00

I am thrilled to be completing the fourth week of school today! Students are in classrooms, teachers are teaching and the buses continue to operate ON TIME! It is great to hear the sounds of the fall sports teams and band as they practice and play their games, hold their meets and march their parades. Our groups are off to a good start this season! Schedules are available at the Lakeview website.

We began the year with our PBIS program in all buildings which has brought a positive atmosphere to our hallways and classrooms. It is great to see all of our students being responsible, respectful and safe!

As we continue to work to be more efficient and green, I want to remind you that each building sends home a weekly newsletter via email each and every week. If you do not have web access please contact the school office and a hard copy will be sent home with your child! We also continue to encourage you to use the Parent Connect program to review and monitor your child's academic progress on line in grades 3-8. This program allows for 24/7 access to your child's grades. This year as part of our effort to be green, report cards will not be printed and sent home in grades 3-8 but will be available through the Parent Connect program.

I hope that you have a wonderful weekend and continue to enjoy the successes of our students both in the classroom and on the athletic fields.

Have a great weekend.

September 11, 2011

2011-09-09T16:23:00.002-05:00

It seems like yesterday that I was enjoying a beautiful morning preparing for an evening Board of Education meeting when an alert message flashed across my monitor stating that a plane had struck one of the World Trade Center Towers. I remember rushing across the parking lot to Lakeview to check the television in the custodial room. As I arrived the second plane struck and I was sure that we were under attack. I remember vividly the feeling of fear, anger and helplessness as we watched the news. Decisions needed to be made immediately regarding the security of our buildings and property as we doubled checked doors and patrolled the grounds looking up at the empty skies. We quickly decided that the events of that morning would be frightening to our students and disruptive to the school day. We quietly notified staff of the situation and agreed that we would make no mention of the events to our students intending to keep the day as normal as possible but not allowing the students outside for recess on the advice of the DuPage ROE and local police. Phone messages were sent home to parents stating that the students were safe and in good hands and would not be told of the horrible events of the morning so that each family could deal with this as they felt best. The events of the day until the children left all buildings flew by and many of us were struck hard in the heart when the children left and we were able to begin to try and process the events of the day. We closed up the buildings early that day and sent our people home to be with family and friends in the hope that we would gather renewed hope and strength from the company of family and friends. I remember sitting in my family room full of teachers, friends and family watching the never ending flow of news about the events of the day. Everyone sought answers to questions about the day but we all knew that life as we knew it had changed forever.

Since most of our students have no recollection of this momentous day we are trying to share reflections and remembrances from ten years ago so that they may have some understanding of this day and the changes it has made on us personally and as a country. I hope that you will have time to share your remembrances with your family this weekend.

Hold on to those close to you and let us be thankful for the lives we share.

8 Days Completed

2011-09-02T13:08:00.002-05:00

The first 8 days of the school year have been amazing! I can't believe how smoothly this year has started. I know it is the result of TEAMWORK! Our entire staff including custodians, secretaries, teachers aides, teachers, principals, and bus drivers as well as other staff members have planned together and worked together to make this smooth start possible.

Is is exciting to see students back in their classrooms being engaged in a variety of learning activities throughout their day! Teachers are using new materials and techniques to motivate and challenge their students. Principals are ever visible in their buildings monitoring the activities.

I am so proud of our transportation department for the fine work they do and are doing this year. Our buses have run safely and on-time since day one! I feel sorry for our neighbors and the many troubles they have experienced with their bus service and know many people are working very hard to improve their service.

I hope everyone has a relaxing Labor Day weekend!

School Is Open!

2011-08-25T13:28:00.001-05:00

School opened today with no problems! Unlike our neighbors, we had a smooth on time start with our buses and all children arrived at school safely and on time! Teachers were waiting and activities began immediately. It is so interesting to watch school begin with the PBIS program since children begin the year learning the behavioral expectations for school such as how to enter the building, how to ride the school bus, how the lunch period operates and how to move from class to class. This practice proactively teaches students what is expected and required of them. This practice and reteaching as needed leads to a much more orderly and safe school environment.

In just a few short days we will be in full swing with athletics and other activities underway for the fall season. Open Houses will begin shortly in each building and soon it will seem as we never left for the summer!

Thanks to parents for following the established driving and drop off procedures today at both school sites. There were no major problems and things were safe and slow! Please be aware that the DuPage County Sheriff's Department is actively patrolling Plainfield Road around the Lakeview Campus and aggressively issuing citations for speeding and school zone cell phone use. We appreciate their efforts to keep our students safe!

Thanks for all of your help to make this opening day a great one!

School Starts Again!

2011-08-18T14:38:00.001-05:00

It is hard to believe that the start of my 39^th year in Center Cass is here! Buildings have been prepared and teachers and staff are anxious to get back into providing the excellent programs that make Center Cass SD 66 the fine institution that it is! Teachers return Monday, August 22^nd for two days of in-service and professional development work to prepare them for the new year. Students visit on Wednesday, August 24^th and the first full day of school is Thursday, August 25^th.

This summer we had planned to refurbish and repair deteriorating parking lots at both school sites. The Ide site has been completed and is ready for the start of school. The Lakeview lots are partially done with the east lot being complete, 3/4s of the driveway complete and the Lakeview lot has been patched. Construction is on hold pending a Zoning Hearing recommendation from the DuPage County Zoning Board of Appeals regarding our request to construct an additional bus parking lot to provide a secure, centralized place for our school buses with electricity for light and engine heaters along the west side of the Prairieview building. A recommendation will be made on September 8^th hopefully to be followed by full approval from DuPage County by the end of September. We can not complete the driveway work because of the amount of heavy hauling that will be required to complete the additional lot and new water detention pond that will adsorb water displaced by the additional pavement. Hopefully, we will be successful in obtaining approval for this much needed project and then be able to complete it yet this fall.

We are looking forward to seeing everyone next week! I hope everyone has a great school year!

Rainy Days and Mondays

2011-06-27T08:52:00.002-05:00

As we enter the third week of the summer recess it is still raining! Summer school will end this Wednesday after a successful 15 day run. Due to the constant rain, our parking lot project is falling behind schedule. We have a busy week in the District with Camp Invention starting today at Ide School and running through Friday. Beginning next week, Prairieview will host the SASED Extended School Year program for the month of July. In spite of all of these activities, classrooms are begin cleaned and buildings prepared for the new school year.

Have a great summer!

Summer Is Here

2011-06-08T14:27:00.001-05:00

Summer has arrived with a hot fiery vengeance this week! In spite of the heat, the school year has ended with a lovely graduation ceremony last Thursday evening and great picnics for the children hosted by the PTOs. Summer school began today with many eager faces ready to begin new activities regardless of the heat. I hope that everyone has a restful vacation this summer. Maybe we will see you around town.

Last Full Week of School

2011-05-31T08:35:00.002-05:00

This week will be a busy week beginning with the annual 8^th Grade Luncheon/Dance cruise on the Odyssey today. Hopefully the rain will hold off until we are home! Graduation is this Thursday evening at 7:30 pm. Classes end on June 7^th with an early dismissal. Summer school classes begin on Wednesday, June 8^th and will end on Wednesday, June 28^th.

The End of the Year

2011-05-22T11:03:00.002-05:00

It is hard to believe that the end of the school year is just around the corner. It seems like school just began yesterday and yet we are in the final days of what has been a great school year. In a few days, final exams will be given and books and materials will begin to be collected from students. End of the year activities will begin with the annual 8^th Grade Graduation Cruise on the Odyssey on May 31^st. Graduation ceremonies will be held on Thursday, June 2^nd beginning at 7:30 pm at Lakeview. Admission is by ticket only. Final concert performances have been held and the spring athletic season has been completed. Congratulations to the Lakeview Girls Soccer Team and Coach Wilson on another great season! They were undefeated this year with a record of 9-0.

The last day of school will be Tuesday. June 7^th which is the result of two snow days used this year. Summer school will begin at Lakeview on Wednesday June 8^th. This summer we will be repairing worn and damaged parking lots at Lakeview and Ide. This work will result in temporary changes to normal traffic patterns around the schools during this work.

Congratulations to Harry O'Shea who is retiring after 10 years of service to the District in our custodial department serving at both Ide and Lakeview! Congratulations also to Kristen Pellin who retires after 10 years of teaching reading at Ide. Good luck to both Mr. O'Shea and Mrs. Pellin as they begin a new life of leisure!

I hope to see you soon!

Tedeschi Honored

2011-05-11T08:36:00.001-05:00

We were pleased to discover this week that band director, Tom Tedeschi has been selected as one of six Outstanding Music Educators for 2011. This award is organized and sponsored by Quinlan and Fabish Music since 1989. Honorees are selected by noted musicians and educators throughout the Chicago-land area. Mr. Tedeschi joined the staff at Lakeview Junior High School in the fall of 1991. Under his direction the Lakeview Wind Ensemble was chosen to perform at the Illinois Music Educators Annual conference this past January in Peoria. Congratulations to Mr. Tedeschi!

Smoky Mountain Music Festival 2011

2011-05-04T14:49:00.003-05:00

On April 28^th over 145 musicians, directors and chaperones departed Lakeview for Gatlinburg, TN to participate in the Smoky Mountain Music Festival. After an eleven hour bus ride we arrived safely at our destination ready for two days of musical competition. I am happy to report that this year was a GREAT year for the Spartans! Our five performing groups each brought home a 1^st place trophy in each event they entered!

Here are the results:

Symphonic Band 1^st Place Second Band Division

Lakeview Choir 1^st Place Junior High Chorus

Jazz Ensemble 1^st Place Junior High Jazz Band

Wind Ensemble 1^st Place High School Concert Band

Marching Band 1^st Place Marching Band

Congratulations to all performers and their teachers, Ms. Berman, Mr. Ohlsen and Mr. Tedeschi! Thanks also to the many faithful Spartan parents and family members that traveled to Gatlinburg to support our students!

School Board Reorganization 2011

2011-04-27T10:19:00.004-05:00

Pictured: Robert Koch, Jeanne Grimmer, Jay Tiede

Pictured: Robert Koch, Dan Slayden, Jay Tiede

On Tuesday, April 26^th the Center Cass Board of Education reorganized and elected officers for the new two year term ending in April of 2013. The BOE will meet the second Tuesday of the month at Prairieview School at 7:00 pm. New officers elected are:

Robert Koch President

Cathie Killian Vice-President

Suzanne Armato Secretary

Mark Motuelle Treasurer

The Board of Education also recognized retiring board members, Jeanne Grimmer 16 years of service and Dan Slayden 4 years of service. They are pictured above.

Board of Education Re-organization

2011-04-23T11:08:00.000-05:00

On Tuesday, April 26^th the Center Cass Board of Education will re-organize. At that time we will celebrate with appreciation and thankfulness the 16 year service of Mrs. Jeanne Grimmer and the four year term of Mr. Dan Slayden who are leaving the Board. During the time of Mrs. Grimmer's service, Prairieview School was built and the addition to Lakeview was completed as well as major renovations to both Ide School and Lakeview. The leadership and service of these two dedicated public servants will be missed.

We look forward to welcoming back to the Board, Mrs. Suzanne Armato who was re-elected on April 5^th as well as seating new members Mr. Charles Blazevich and Mrs. Alison Murphy. We are fortunate to have dedicated and interested community members willing to serve as board members in these tumultuous times and wish all member wells as they begin this new era.

German Musicians Perform at Lakeview

2011-04-19T07:34:00.001-05:00

Today Lakeview students were treated to a concert by student musicians from the Bietigheim-Bissengen/Germany Music School. 65 young musicians are visiting Downers Grove and staying with families of students at both North and South high schools as part of a 25 year music exchange tradition. The visitors will also be performing tonight at the Tivoli Theater in Downers Grove at 7:00 pm. Go out and enjoy the show tonight. Tickets are $5.

Visiting Springfield

2011-04-11T09:17:00.001-05:00

Last Wednesday, I spent the day in Springfield lobbying our local legislators regarding issues important to our school district. I was part of a group of 12 school delegates from DuPage County.

During the day we met with Senators Dillard and Sandack, as well as Representatives Bellock, Pihos, Chapa LaVia, Coladipietro and Fortner. We were able to discuss school funding issues, especially proposed cuts to transportation funding, Bilingual Education and the Chicago Block Grant, Drivers Education fees and School Consolidation. The highlight of the day was a 30-minute meeting to discuss FY 2012 budgets and pension issues with House Minority Leader, Tom Cross. It was a busy but productive day!

Spring Has Sprung!

2011-04-05T14:55:00.003-05:00

Spring Break has passed and we are back to our normal routines at school. Children are working hard to complete the last weeks of a great school year that will conclude on June 7^th. Spring sports teams are practicing and competition will begin next week. The springtime is a great time to visit our campus and see our students competing in soccer, softball and volleyball. The athletic schedule is available on our website.

We have finally received our first state aid payments for the current year that were vouchered in September of 2010. This is good news as with the exception of General State Aid we have received no state funds for this fiscal year. There is no good news from Springfield regarding a budget for next year. We expect any budget to be very lean and less than this year's budget. A big concern for our District is the projected cut in transportation funding proposed by Governor Quinn. This fund was severely cut last year and he has proposed another drastic cut to this MANDATED program while he funds other pet projects that are not MANDATED. The Governor states he wants to focus dwindling funds into classrooms which is admirable but not practical if there are not funds to bring the children to school. I am traveling to Springfield tomorrow with other DuPage County Administrators to discuss this issue with our representatives.

Thanks to everyone who attended or otherwise supported our PTO Activities last month. They were a great success and raised about $10,000 for our schools. It was great to see such a nice turnout for the Cabana Charlies event! Thanks to our PTO and community for their great support for our schools.

School Issues

2011-03-14T13:55:00.001-05:00

In my last message, I talked about the issue of school consolidation. Since that time, there has been a flurry of action around this issue when Representative Rita's HB 1886 would have dissolved all Illinois school district with the exception of the Chicago Public Schools and replaced them with 100 county school districts effective July 1, 2012. This naturally created a firestorm of activity since this concept has not been fully discussed and communicated with all stakeholders. Many citizens were concerned about the lack of discourse regarding this issue and the fact the there was no provision for any local control. This bill would have dissolved elected boards of education and transferred local district liabilities and resources to a newly created county board of education, as well as all current school employees. The outrage caused by the posting of this bill for a hearing in the Counties and Township Committee of the Illinois House of Representatives instead of the Elementary and Secondary Education Committee generated phone calls to committee members that shut down this action quickly. Last week hearings were held concerning HB 1216 (Chapa La Via, D-Aurora) that would establish a “School District Realignment and Consolidation Commission” to examine the issues surrounding consolidation and report back to the General Assembly by July 1, 2012. This bill seems to have more support since it relies on the input of all stakeholders and doesn't force any arbitrary solutions to a very complex problem.

Since Governor Quinn's premise for supporting mass consolidation is to reduce school administrative costs, I thought it appropriate to discuss our local costs in that context. Center Cass SD ranks in the bottom quartile (lowest) of Illinois Elementary Districts at 309 of 378 districts. Our cost is $235.57 per child. There are only two DuPage County districts with lower administrative costs. Those districts are Roselle District 12 and West Chicago 33. Our neighboring districts all exceed us in administrative cost comparisons. The highest per capita administrative cost for an elementary district in the state of Illinois is $3,985. We are proud that our low administrative cost allows our students to perform well within the highest quartile in student achievement.

In the meanwhile, Governor Quinn continues to push to reduce Illinois districts form 868 to 300 or fewer having a population of 30,000 to 35,000. Boundaries would be established like legislative districts with no local input. Apparently, the Governor has forgotten that current consolidation rules have the state pay the difference in teacher salaries. Somehow the Governor thinks that the state would save over $100 million in administrative salaries via consolidation. The Illinois Association of School Boards (IASB) reports as an example that merging the seven Palatine area elementary districts with one high school district could save $1.6 million in administrative costs but the resulting increase in teacher salaries in the new consolidated district would cost $10 million. One can easily see that Governor Quinn's math is not correct and economics alone can not sell an argument for mass consolidation with out local input. Keep your eyes and ears open as this issues continues to percolate in Springfield.

Legislative Alert

2011-03-01T12:01:00.002-06:00

The continued poor economic times coupled with a new political reality has many state governments working hard to contain costs and better manage and utilize limited public funds. The need for better stewardship in this area has brought extreme reactions in some states such as Wisconsin, Indiana and New Jersey as they try to balance obligations with new economic times. In the state of Illinois, Governor Quinn has recently pushed for school consolidation as a way to help balance the budget. Since Illinois has well over 850 local school districts, it seems as this may be a worthwhile avenue to explore. The issue of school consolidation has been discussed and debated over the years and many districts have consolidated. Nevertheless, a recent report from the National Education Policy Center just published February 1, 2011 indicates that after a century of school consolidations across the country, most increased efficiencies have already been achieved and further consolidation efforts need to include a careful study of all factors impacting a potential consolidation. Current assumptions about the benefits of school consolidation are generally based on claims that are overly simplified. You can review this report at http://nepc.colorado.edu. The report is found under new publications on the left side of the homepage.

Consolidation in Illinois is generating a great deal of interest. What parents should know about the various consolidation plans is that not all proposed plans have a component of local input into decision making. Some of the plans call for the legislature to establish school boundaries and then absorb resources from existing district and establish a new district. Some plans have a more thoughtful multi-layer process to arrive at consolidation decisions. There are currently four separate consolidation bills in the General Assembly. They are: HB 268 (Rep. Franks), HB 1216 (Rep. Chapa LaVia), HB 1886 (Rep. Rita) and SB 1324 (Senator Schoenberg). You can read and follow these bills at the Illinois General Assembly website, www.ilga.gov. Should you have any concerns about these bills, for most of our area, our State Representative is Patricia Bellock and our Senator is Kurt Dillard. Their contact information is also available on the Illinois General Assembly website. They both appreciate receiving input from their constituents. Feel free to contact them to express any questions or concerns you may have.

Rambling Along

2011-02-23T14:31:00.002-06:00

Winter still holds us in its grip even as we have been tempted by some warmer, more pleasant weather is recent days. At school, as we move toward spring break, we are preparing for the annual administration of the ISAT tests given to all students in grades 3-8. The testing period will begin next Monday. In addition to the testing, we are busy updating financial and enrollment projections as we develop a budget for the 2011-2012 school year. As has been the case in the last two years, the development of a budget will be a delicate task given the continued slow economy and fragile state of the State of Illinois. At this time, we have a fairly accurate picture of our expenditures and a solid grasp of our local tax revenues. We are now focused on state funding levels and the federal support level for education programs. This picture is out of focus at this time as various organizations and groups advocate and struggle for the limited resources available. The demand for resources is unprecedented in this perilous time of very limited public funds for all government entities. I am certain that there will be no quick answers coming to us from either Springfield or Washington D.C. as the politicians and their parties posture and pontificate over their individual views of the world. It is interesting that this annual discussion seldom deals with the issues of what is needed to operate the various government entities, but rather what political philosophy or ideology is popular at the moment. As this continues, we will continue to strive to do more with less and maximize our limited resources for the good of the students of our community.

On a lighter note, the energetic and hardworking District 66 PTO has prepared a month of activities and fundraising opportunities. We hope that you will enjoy taking part in any of these events that help support our school district. Find information about these events on the web page at www.ccsd66.org

Have a good week!

Pack the Place 2011

2011-02-08T08:18:00.000-06:00

Don't miss the first 2011 Pack the Place basketball spectacular tomorrow at Lakeview. The Lady Spartans take on the Eisenhower Generals at 4:00 pm. Join the fun and pregame activities in the gym. I may even get a pie in the face tomorrow! Join the fun!

Blizzard of 2011

2011-02-03T10:01:00.002-06:00

This week we experienced a winter wonderland of sorts with 20 inches of snow falling on our area. While this blizzard was beautiful to behold it does place extreme operating issues for the school district. While the snow itself did no harm, it did prohibit most of our staff from getting to work to begin the clean up. Many local streets, especially in the Village of Woodridge, were not plowed until very late in the day or early Thursday morning making travel nearly impossible. Working with a limited team yesterday, we were able to clear all parking lots and free our buses from the firm grip of the snow and begin clearing fire doors at Lakeview.

Today, fully staffed,we will complete clearing entrances and fire doors at all buildings and further clean our drives and parking lots in anticipation of holding classes tomorrow, February 4^th. Buildings will be cleaned from school classes held on Tuesday and be ready for students and teacher tomorrow. Many have inquired as to why schools were closed for two days and I think the basic answer is the massive amount of snow, the enormous amount of manual labor involved in clearing doorways to comply with student/occupant safety codes, and the uncertainty of travel and weather conditions this morning which could have made it impossible for all staff members to get to work. All neighboring schools and almost all of DuPage County schools are closed due to these issues. Most feeder school districts close when their high school district closes as many families have students in both school districts.

I hope that everyone is safe and warm. I hope that your own driveways are cleared and you are well. See you at school tomorrow!

Lakeview Wind Ensemble Performs at IMEA

2011-01-27T10:17:00.002-06:00

This weekend the Lakeview Wind Ensemble will perform at the Annual Illinois Music Educators Association annual conference in Peoria. This group of 53 young musicians is directed by Tom Tedeschi and was selected for this performance through a rigorous audition process. They will be performing at the Peoria Civic Center at 9:30 am this Saturday, January 29^th. We are honored to be the only middle school band selected to perform at this year's conference! We are hoping to be supported by a large delegation of Center Cass parents this weekend. Good luck to our fine young musicians and their directors this weekend!

Why Is School Open?

2011-01-21T14:43:00.001-06:00

At this time of year, I am often asked why is school open when it is so cold? Illinois School Code requires that each public school district provide a minimum number of days attendance for students each year. Calendars are developed in the fall and winter and generally adopted by local school boards in early spring. Each district is required to include five emergency days at the end of the calendar to be used if schools are closed due to weather or other emergencies. Calendars in our community are generally coordinated with the high school district as much as possible to avoid families to have to deal with multiple school calendars.

When the weather turns cold as it has this week, the main factor is the decision to hold school is two fold, if the schools have power and heat and the school buses are operational, school is held. Since we offer busing to 100% of our students there is no reason to close school in this incident. When there is a chance of a school closing due to weather factors most of the schools in the area collaborate on any closure decision. If our high school district closes, we will also close unless there is a serious mitigating consideration. Since many families have both parents employed, it is often safer and less disruptive to hold classes when possible rather than close and create childcare and supervision problems for parents.

I hope everyone has a warm and safe weekend and enjoys the Bears game on Sunday!

Just Call Me Ralph

2011-01-05T11:57:00.001-06:00

Due to illness and family emergencies, I have had the opportunity to return to the street as a substitute bus driver this week. This experience has made me think of how things used to operate 32 years ago when I first drove school buses in District 66. Trust me when I say that things are so much better now in every way, especially in equipment and maintenance, training and safety procedures, efficiency of routing, road conditions, the deportment of our children on the bus and the care and concern exhibited by drivers to safeguard our children.

This experience has reminded me how fortunate we are to have such a dedicated transportation team that is so well trained, supervised and led. This is a job that requires full attention in every way. Drivers must be trained in safety procedures, legal issues, district procedures as well and often serve as a surrogate parent to comfort or console a child. Our drivers range in experience from two years to over 20 years and are committed to our students and community. It is a challenge to safely transport over 1000 students daily to and from home throughout the school year. One must be aware of traffic conditions as well as maintain a safe and orderly environment on the bus while constantly displaying vigilance as the children move on and off the bus to their homes. Our drivers also serve as a first line of surveillance in our community as they often note situations that seem strange or not quite right such as strangers or strange vehicles about the community and report them to the proper authorities for investigation.

Thanks to all of our District 66 Transportation Team for their hard work and service especially in this winter weather. I am proud of them and honored to hit the streets with them on occasion. By the way, if you know anyone who has a CDL School Bus license, we are looking for a couple of high quality substitute drivers to join our team. Please have them call the Transportation Office at 630-783-5093.

Drive safely!

Here We Go Again...

2010-12-30T10:01:00.001-06:00

Classes resume on Monday, January 3, 2011. All buildings have been thoroughly cleaned and made ready for another session of school! Parking lots have been cleared and with the rain and warmer temperatures this weekend much of the mounds of snow are melting improving vision and opening up the roadways. Many teachers have been in to renew bulletin boards and prepare for the return of students. I hope that everyone has a safe and peaceful New Years and looks ahead to 2011 with renewed hope and expectations for better times ahead.

Have a great weekend!

Winter Break 2010

2010-12-21T09:47:00.002-06:00

What happens at school during the winter break? That is a common question that is often asked. Normally all classrooms are thoroughly cleaned and gym floors buffed and waxed. Bathrooms are also sanitized and hallways are steam cleaned or buffed. In addition to these tasks, we are also shoveling and plowing a great deal of snow this year. The threat of an outbreak of the NORVO virus has custodians applying extra effort to common areas and items such as lunch tables, door knob, handrails and locker rooms to keep them sanitized daily. Teachers also have approved cleaners to kill the virus in their classrooms to maintain a healthy school environment. Winter break also finds many teacher working in classrooms to prepared for the spring term and coaches conducting practice to prepare for the coming varsity season. While we are working, I hope you enjoy your winter break!

Winter Break 2010

2010-12-09T12:47:00.001-06:00

The winter break is almost upon us. As we approach this holiday period of joy and peace, it is a good time to reflect on the accomplishments of the first half of the school year. We have experienced several important successes this fall:

The continued implementation of RtI programming in reading in grades K-8
The implementation of RtI programming in mathematics in grades 1-8
The adoption and first administration of Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) as part of the assessment process
The re-alignment of the reading and mathematics with the Common Core Curriculum
Successful athletic seasons in Football, Volleyball, and Cross Country
Successful service projects in each building to support those people in need
The successful renovation of Elizabeth Ide and Lakeview
The adoption of a balanced budget for the 2010-2011 school year

Continued financial challenges lie ahead as the State of Illinois flounders in a fiscal crisis that is unparalleled in history. Everyone continues to struggle to implement the concept of “do more with less”. Amid the struggle we all need to take stock to find and appreciate those things which we are thankful for. This is the season of hope and expectation. I hope that you are able to count your blessings as this season comes and goes.

Winter break begins with the close of school on December 17^th and ends with the resumption of classes on Monday, January 3^rd. During this time, buildings will be open Monday through Thursday 8:00 am – 4:00 pm during each week of the break.

I hope that you have a blessed holiday and vacation.

December 2010

2010-12-02T08:24:00.001-06:00

Parent Teacher conferences were held this week. This is always an important process as parents, students and teachers meet to review progress and discuss mutual concerns. The weather is obviously starting to mirror the calendar as the cold and snow seem to be moving in quickly after a beautiful fall.

The final two weeks of school are packed with many activities. Each school is involved in a service project for this holiday season. We have several boys and girls basketball games yet to be played before the junior varsity season concludes on December 15^th. There are also three concerts featuring our students in grades 3 through 8, as well as the annual 8^th grade Ballroom Dance on Friday, December 17^th.

The Annual Winter Festival of Bands will be held at Lakeview on Saturday, December 4^th. During the day, bands from throughout the Chicago land area will be performing including three of our own District 66 bands.

As the weather changes, driving conditions on our parki ng lots and driveways may deteriorate even though we keep them well plowed and salted. Please take the extra time to slow down and help us keep our students and staff safe as they move about the campus.

Have a good weekend.

Paper Recycling at Prairieview

2010-11-22T08:43:00.000-06:00

We are happy to announce that we are offering a recycling bin for paper that can be used by parents and friends of the District. Please collect any paper you are going to throw away or recycle (office and school paper, newspaper, magazines, catalogs and construction paper---no cardboard, no phone books) send it in with your child to school or drop it off at the Green and Yellow Paper Retriever Bin in the Lakeview parking lot (near the fence by the Prairieview playground). This bin is available for drop offs 24/7. Proceeds from the paper recycled will benefit the children at Prairieview School. Special thanks to Mrs. Erin Olsen for arranging this program for your school.

2010-11-16T09:07:00.002-06:00

This week we celebrate National Education Week! This week is set aside to recognize those people who dedicate their lives to nurturing the most precious commodity of our community, our children. During this week, I hope that you will think of the many caring professionals that work with your children. Think of those who bring your children to school, who clean their classrooms and buildings, who teach and those who administer the system. We are proud to serve the Center Cass community and continue to strive for excellence in all we do for our students and families. Feel free to send your child's teacher a note on this occasion!

Have a great week. Turkey Day is coming soon!

2010-11-09T09:37:00.003-06:00

School Board Members Day

November 15, 2010

It's time to “tip your hat” to school board members

But they all put on the same hat when they get to the board room. It's a hat that represents an extraordinary dedication to our public schools. And it's time we thank them for their untiring efforts.

November 15, 2010 has been designated as School Board Member Day in Illinois. This is a time to show appreciation and to begin to better understand how school board members work together to provide leadership for schools.

Join with others from throughout Illinois in a “tip of the hat” to the men and women who provide the grassroots governance of public schools. Make a special effort to tell each school board member his or her hard work has been noticed and is very much appreciated.

Hats off to our Center Cass School District 66 Board of Education!

Robert Koch, President 6 years

Cathie Killian, Vice-President 6 years

Dan Slayden, Treasurer 4 years

Suzzane Armato, Secretary 4 years

Jeanne Grimmer, Member 16 years

Linda Milbrandt, Member 2 years

Mark Motuelle, Member 2 years

Fall Sports Wrap-up

2010-11-01T09:09:00.002-05:00

The Lakeview winning record just keeps getting better! This fall the mighty Spartans went undefeated in Boys Cross County and Football. They also placed Amanda Thate in 2^nd place in the Girls State Cross Country meet and this weekend the Girls Volleyball Team which finished Second in the Southeast DuPage Conference won the Conference Tournament this past Saturday. Congratulations to the team and coach Beth Nyhlen for a great season!

Fall Sports Season Successful for Spartans!

2010-10-26T08:44:00.002-05:00

The Fall season ended yesterday with a Spartan football victory over Eisenhower Junior High giving the Lakeview Spartans the Conference Championship and an undefeated season. Congratulations to the team! The Boys Cross Team also had an undefeated season. Congratulations to Amanda Thate for finishing 2^nd in the girls State Cross Country Meet in Normal. The Girls Volleyball Tournament will be held at Lakeview this Saturday. Our team is seeded 2^nd for this tournament. This has been a very successful season for our students! Thanks to our coaches, Mr. Dvorak, Mr. Novotny, Mr. Rodda, Mr. Urbas, Ms. Nyhlen, Mrs. Maass and Ms. Coppoletta for their hard work and leadership

I found this parent pledge on the Indiana State Board of Education website. I think it does a great job of identifying the critical components of the relationship between the Teacher/School, Students and Family. I hope you find it interesting. Have a great week!

Parent Pledge

As a parent, grandparent or caring adult, I hereby affirm my commitment to the academic achievement and career success of my child. I promise to make the pursuit of knowledge a priority in my household.

To demonstrate my commitment to this goal, I pledge to adhere to the following principles:

My child will read with an adult or be encouraged to read independently each day.
My child will complete all homework assignments given by school instructors and will be encouraged to ask for help when it is needed.
My child will arrive at school on time, well rested and prepared for a full day of instruction and learning.
My child will treat teachers and fellow classmates with respect and compassion. I will make positive behavior the expectation in my household.
My child will graduate from high school and will understand the importance of a strong education in determining future success.
I will encourage my child to dream big and always give 100 percent effort.
I will treat my child’s teachers as a valuable resource and work with them to support academic improvement and classroom behavior expectations.
I will monitor my child’s academic growth and stay as involved as possible in my child’s education. I will let the teacher know right away if I notice any problems.

Together, my child and I, in partnership with Illinois’s educators, will make education our #1 priority.

School Bus Driver Recognition Day

2010-10-22T13:25:00.002-05:00

Food for all!

Drivers receiving Board of Education Resolutions.

Today we celebrated School Bus Driver Appreciation Day at Center Cass SD 66! Our drivers celebrated with a breakfast feast prepared and donated by District parents. Drivers were presented with a Board of Education Resolution recognizing their service to our school community. Parents and students presented cards and gifts of appreciation to the drivers! Thanks to everyone who helped make this a special day for out bus drivers!

Congratulations to Mr. Rodda, Mr. Urbas and the Lakeview Boys Cross Country Team for winning the Southeast DuPage conference championship this year as well as finishing 18^th overall in the state meet last weekend in Normal, Illinois. Good job!

October 8, 2010

2010-10-08T12:35:00.003-05:00

Hasn't the weather been delightful this week? We have had great weather for football games and Cross Country meets! Congratulations to our Football team which is having a banner year and currently undefeated! Good work to team members and Coach Dvorak and Count Novotny! The Boys Cross Country team also has an unblemished record under the leadership of Coach Rodda and Coach Urbas. It was nice to see a large group of cheerleaders cheering for our football team at the Cass game this week. The young ladies looked sharp and well prepared. Thanks to them for their spirit and kudos to Miss Coppoletta and Mrs. Maass for their hard work with the cheerleaders.

I am so proud of all of the Center Cass teachers this year. These professionals are working under extreme pressure to continue to develop and enhance our RtI Program not only in Reading but also Mathematics as well as implement the new PBIS Program. All of their hard work along with the leadership of dedicated principals is paying off in highly focused learning opportunities for our students!

October 22^nd has been designated as School Bus Driver Appreciation Day by the Illinois House of Representatives. This day is set aside to recognize the men and women who transport over 1,100,000 students daily in Illinois to and from school. Illinois School Bus Drivers each year travel over 122,000,000 miles on regular routes, 4,200,000 miles on field trips, 3,700,000 miles on vocational routes and 8,800,000 miles on special education routes. The Center Cass Transportation System operates over 120,000 miles per year transporting our students to and from school as well as field trips and other events. We are fortunate to have an exceptional group of men and woman that provide safe and efficient transportation for our children. I hope that you and your children will take the opportunity to remember your bus driver with a note or card during the week of October 18^th. Cards to bus drivers also may be mailed to our Transportation Director, Mr. Tom Tiede, Prairieview School, 699 Plainfield Road, Downers Grove, IL 61516. Drivers will be honored with a breakfast on October 22 to mark this important day.

Over 60 of our 8^th graders will be traveling to Washington D.C. this weekend for the annual Washington Trip! Thanks to Mrs. Maaas, Mrs. Coppoletta, Miss Enzbigilis, Mrs. Bergmann and Mr. Little for accompanying this group!

Have a great weekend!

Homecoming Thoughts

2010-09-27T10:32:00.001-05:00

This past weekend Downers Grove South High School celebrated its annual Homecoming Event with a parade on a beautiful sunny cool afternoon followed by a victory over Willowbrook High school Friday evening and the Homecoming Dance on Saturday evening. It was good to see so many former students from the past at the football game Friday night.

Saturday evening brought a reunion/homecoming for members of the Lakeview Class of 1985 who came back to visit their “old” school after 25 years. After touring the building they adjourned to a local restaurant for food, refreshments and conversation. It was rewarding to see almost 40 people in this group, some of whom had traveled from as far as New Jersey and California to attend this event. It was wonderful to see that this group, consisting of people from all walks of life including, doctors, attorneys, nurses, business people, landscape designers, engineers, teachers, housewives and parents are all doing very well. It was particularly gratifying to hear them speak with one voice about how the District 66 experience had prepared them for high school, college and life much better than many of their peers. They spoke of the caring teachers, focused curriculum and opportunities in the arts and athletics. The most common theme expressed was that they were surrounded by caring adults that not only cared about them personally and academically but also held them accountable. This was a great evening of fond memories!

This week the BOE will pass a balanced budget for the 2010-2011 school year. Lack of state support, late state payments and a historically low tax cap have all placed stress on the school budget. To this point class sections have been reduced in number from six to five at grades K-5 but no programs or activities have been cut. The BOE continues to monitor the budget very carefully on a monthly basis to be sure that the community is getting the biggest bang for its dollars.

Have a good week. There is a chill in the air that autumn is really here!

BUSY WEEK

2010-09-22T13:21:00.001-05:00

School continues to be a very busy place. Now that open houses are behind us we have fall sporting events and other activities filling our days and nights. Lakeview physical education classes are in the midst of their golf unit which gives them the opportunity to practice their skills at the Ziegfeld Troy Golf Course on 75^th Street. The Annual PTO Magazine Sale is in full swing and mid-terms are approaching quickly next week. There is no school this Friday, September 24^th due to Teacher Institute Day where teachers will be training and learning about the Measure of Academic Progress (MAPs) testing program that will be used in the District beginning next month. Information regarding this new testing system will be coming home to parents soon from each building.

This weekend features the Old Quarry Cross Country Invitational in Lemont where our runners will compete with many others from the area. Downers Grove South High School celebrates its Homecoming weekend this Friday afternoon with a parade and football game that evening. The Lakeview Marching Spartans will march in the parade in Downers Grove on Friday afternoon. The Lakeview Class of 1985 will also be holding a reunion this weekend also to renew old friendships.

Have a great week.!

Back to Full Speed

2010-09-13T10:11:00.002-05:00

As we enter the 4^th week of school, operations have returned to the normal high energy bustle and buzz. Classes are going well and students are actively engaged in their learning. Co-curricular activities have begun with intramural activities, fall sports, clubs and marching band. It feels once again as if we have never left for summer break. This past week has been busy as Ide and Prairieview have hosted open houses. Lakeview holds its annual open house tonight and the District 66 PTO magazine sale kicks off today! Activities abound for students! This week the fall sports season begins with competition in football, volleyball and cross country. Check the Lakeview on-line calendar for details. This past weekend Lakeview held its annual Dance-a-thon and the Marching Spartans marched in the Von Stuben Day Parade in Chicago.

The implementation of the PBIS program has gone well at Prairieview and Lakeview and students and staff are responding well. This week begins skilled based instruction in the Reading RtI program and hopes are high for enhanced student learning!

Have a great week!

Week 1

2010-08-27T14:46:00.001-05:00

It is hard to believe that the first week of school is over. The weeks has gone by in a blur and everything is operating as if we have been here for several weeks. Thanks to all of our staff members who have worked so hard to make this a smooth week as we re-learn our roles at school.

This week we have experienced the kick-off of our new PBIS Program at Lakeview and Prairieview which has gone very nicely and the teachers and students have responded well to this new program.

Welcome to our new staff members:

At Ide welcome Ali Beseth and Robin Bicum who are working as instructional aides

At Prairieview welcome Melissa Milbrandt and Matthew Wansley who are working as instructional aides

At Lakeview welcome Maria Gannon, Health Aide and Elizabeth Schwenkal, 8^th grade science.

Have a great weekend!

Open House

2010-08-22T15:01:00.001-05:00

Just a reminder that we welcome all students and parents to visit their school tomorrow morning between 9:00 and 11:00 am. Building have been prepared by our custodial staff and classrooms prepared by teachers. We hope that you will be able to stop by and meet your teachers and leave your school supplies in your new classroom. School supplies that were pre-ordered through the PTO will be waiting in your child's classroom. We hope that you will note the many fine facility improvements that have been made at Elizabeth Ide School and Lakeview Junior High School. You will be pleased with new washrooms, flooring, and painting as well as wireless networks in each building. We are ready for a GRRREAT school year and look forward to seeing you this week.

School Bus Safety Alert

2010-08-16T07:42:00.003-05:00

School start next week! Please review this important list about state laws regarding school zones and school buses.

The DuPage Regional Office of Education, in partnership with the Illinois Secretary of State, wants to remind all citizens of the need for safety around our schools. Last year saw a dramatic increase in school bus loading zone fatalities. Nearly half of the deaths occurred near school buses where motorists failed to stop for a bus with its red lights activated and stop sign extended.

Safety Alert for Students
• Never assume cars are going to stop for the flashing red lights of a school bus. Always look both ways and proceed with caution.

Safety Reminder for Motorists
• On a two-lane road, traffic coming from both directions must stop for a school bus.
• On a multiple lane road, traffic traveling the same direction must stop for a school bus.
• The general speed limit in a school zone drops to 20 miles per hour during school hours when children are present.
• It is unlawful for drivers to talk on cell phones while driving in a school zone.

Renovation Work

2010-08-06T14:04:00.001-05:00

Summer renovation work at Elizabeth Ide School and Lakeview Junior High continues to move ahead on schedule. Ide work is almost complete and should be completed next week. Lakeview should be completed by August 17^th.

Current pictures are attached.

Renovation Work

2010-07-26T13:30:00.003-05:00

Summer renovation work at Elizabeth Ide School and Lakeview Junior High continues to move ahead on schedule. At Ide all rooms have been painted and floors replaced. Washroom renovations are almost complete. Carpet is expected at any time and will be laid as soon as it arrives. Hopefully the school office and IMC will be moved back into place during the first week of August. Gym floors are completed at both buildings. At Lakeview the stage, art room and band storage room have been re-tiled and locker room floors replaced with a new epoxy covering. Locker rooms ceiling tiles have been replaced and both room shave been painted. Washrooms renovations are moving along and should be completed soon.

Drop off registration is still available to those parents who have students currently enrolled in school. Drop your materials at Prairieview in the box provided in the vestibule. This process ends on July 28^th. Walk-in registration is scheduled for August 4^th and 10^th.

Renovation Work

2010-07-12T09:15:00.003-05:00

Art Room - Lakeview

Lakeview Locker Room Floor

Ide Computer Lab

Summer renovation work at Elizabeth Ide School and Lakeview Junior High continues to move ahead on schedule. At Ide all rooms have been painted and floors replaced. Washroom renovations are moving along and tiling should begin this week. Carpet should be laid late this week and hopefully the IMC and office will be moved back into place during the week of July 26th. Gym floors are approaching completion at both buildings. At Lakeview the gym stage, art room and band storage room have been re-tiled and locker room floors are being prepared for a new epoxy covering. Washrooms renovations are moving along and should be completed by August. Drop off registration is still available to those parents who have students currently enrolled in school. Drop your materials at Prairieview in the box provided in the vestibule. This process ends on July 28th. Walk-in registration is scheduled for August 4th and 10th.

Renovation Underway

2010-06-22T08:32:00.001-05:00

Renovation work continues at a brisk pace at both Ide and Lakeview. At this time, asbestos abatement has been completed in both buildings. At Ide most classrooms have been re-tiled and furniture cleaned. Painting is continuing and classrooms in the east wing should be set up for room preparation by next week. Washroom renovation is continuing in both buildings. A few pictures are attached for your viewing.

Summer Renovation Project

2010-06-08T17:54:00.002-05:00

This summer Elizabeth Ide School and Lakeview Junior High School will be getting long overdue renovations that will enhance the school experience for students and also enhance operating efficiencies. At both schools deteriorating asbestos containing tile floors will be abated and replaced and student restrooms will be remodeled with new fixtures to conserve water and electricity. At Elizabeth Ide classroom carpeting, which has reached the end of its serviceable life, will be replaced with tile floors. All school buildings will receive new “wireless” access to more fully integrate the use of educational technology into the classroom. Work began on June 3^rd and is scheduled to be completed by August 13^th. All work is funded by operating funds at no additional cost to the community. Watch for updates on the web page at www.ccsd66.org. Attached are a few pictures of the demolition work.

Oklahoma

2010-05-14T08:04:00.003-05:00

The Lakeview Drama Club's presentation of Rodgers and Hammerstein's musical Oklahoma opened last night at Lakeview. It was terrific! Kudos to all the your actor and crew as well as directors, Jennifer Berman and Brian Ohlsen. Come out tonight for a final chance to see a great show. Curtain time is 7:00 pm. On with the show...

Teacher Appreciation Week 2010

2010-05-09T09:19:00.000-05:00

Thank you to the building PTOs as well as the many parents that worked so very hard to make Teacher Appreciation Week 2010 such a success. The many donations of food and notes of appreciation and thanks were overwhelming. We do some very much appreciate your support throughout the year! We are fortunate to have such a talented and professional staff and an involved and supportive community. Our students benefit greatly from this environment! Thanks!

Lakeview Music Excels at Music in the Parks

2010-05-02T11:01:00.005-05:00

Last weekend the Lakeview Junior High School Music Department participated in the annual Music in the Parks Festival in Gurnee, Illinois. All bands competed Friday evening, April 30th and the Lakeview Chorus competed on Saturday, May 1st. All groups received high ratings and many positive comments from the adjudicators. After the close of the competition the students enjoyed Saturday at Six Flags amusement park. At the awards ceremony on Saturday evening our groups received the following ratings: Jazz Band, Excellent Rating - 2nd place in class, Chorus, Excellent Rating - 1st place in class, Symphonic Band, Excellent Rating - 1st place in class and Wind Ensemble, Superior Rating - 1st place in class and Outstanding Middle School Band. Congratulations to our fine students and their teachers, Ms. Berman, Mr. Ohlsen and Mr. Tedeschi on a very successful weekend!

What a Great Week!

2010-04-27T09:06:00.004-05:00

This has been a great week for Center Cass SD 66! This past weekend the District PTO completed its annual on-line auction and raised well over $8,000 for the students of the District. Special thanks to Jill Hegarty and Cheryl Fererri for all of their hard work in organizing and conducting this project. They worked very hard and did a great job! Thanks also to Kathy Kucera for her work to facilitate the use of the website for the auction!

Yesterday afternoon Lakeview held an assembly to present their donation to the 2010 Ride Janie Ride Foundation. The Ride Janie Ride Foundation provides assistance to those in need who have incurred medical costs not covered by insurance while fighting cancer. Two of the three recipients of aide this year have close ties to Center Cass SD 66. To start the assembly members of the Foundation rode their motorcycles into the Lakeview gymnasium accompanied by cheers from students and faculty! Principal Paul Windsor presented the Foundation with a check for $13,000 representing funds raised by the Lakeview community. This was a wonderful experience for our students and staff. Thanks to teachers Erika Myers and Allison Ohlander for organizing this project. The response to this need has been overwhelming and wonderful. This was a very moving assembly for everyone! For more information about the Ride Janie Ride Foundation visit their website at www.ridejanieride.org

Too Good for Drugs

2010-04-09T11:09:00.014-05:00

Prairieview 5th Graders had their graduation ceremonies for the Too Good for Drugs program on Friday, April 9, 2010. This program has been taught Deputy Dave Kotovsky of the DuPage County Sheriff's Department. In this program students learn about legal and illegal drugs and strategies for keeping themselves safe,strong and drug free. Attached are some pictures from the ceremony today.

Classes Resume

2010-04-06T07:43:00.001-05:00

Classes are back in session as we move toward June and the close of the school year. Over spring break all buildings were thoroughly cleaned and made ready for the last nine weeks of school. It was great to hear the bustle of little bodies moving through the hallways after a week of silence in the building.

Spring sports teams have been selected and the spring season will begin in the next few days for girls and boys soccer, girls softball and boys volleyball. Rehearsals for the spring musical, Oklahoma are well underway for performances in May. This is a very busy time of year as spring open houses and concerts will soon be upon us.

On a financial note, we still have not received any state funding for the second or third quarter with the exception of general state aide. You will also note that the legislature is not in session and continues to avoid the fiscal problems of the state. This picture continues to dim!

Have a good week and stay dry as we get those spring showers that will bring spring flowers!

The Sounds of Failure!

2010-03-08T13:02:00.002-06:00

Public services in Illinois continue to stagger along on basic life support. Throughout the state organizations that provide health care, mental health and educational services are slowly dying of neglect from our elected officials of both parties. Schools are getting ready to release teachers in record numbers due to the financial crisis. Estimates run from 13,000 to 20,000 teachers will be released this year. While the legislators try to avoid blame in an election year it is really their fault since taxpayers and property owners have done their share and do all that they can do.

Illinois Issues Magazine condemned the Illinois General Assembly for the “deadbeat” status they have inflected on the state and the damage they they have caused public service institutions. It is blatantly unfair to local communities that struggle to keep up their responsibilities only to have the State of Illinois fail to meet their responsibilities. Editor Dana Heupel states the legislators from both parties have ignored their duty for political gain and states, “It is ethically reprehensible. It violates everything they espouse in their speeches and brochures. It's just plain wrong.”

Meanwhile while we wait for over $205,000 of late state payments we have to make employment decisions for some of our staff for next year due to legal contractual requirements. This year, citizens need to rise up and elect ethical and responsible people to public office. Both parties are wrong and responsible for this mess. The Democrats have given us Rod Blagojevich and Emil Jones while the Republicans just refuse to participate in a solution to this situation. People need to watch and listen carefully as we move forward. It is indisputable that there is no way to increase revenues enough to restore solvency just as there is no way to cut budgets enough to restore solvency without destroying the systems that provide these crucial services to the people of Illinois. It is obvious that we need leaders who can work together to reduce costs and increase revenues together. Obviously the General Assembly has never heard the phrase Together We Can.

Don't forget that Governor Quinn makes his budget address live Wednesday at noon.

Lakeview Awards

2010-02-25T10:01:00.001-06:00

We are proud to announce that Lakeview Junior High School has earned an Academic Excellence Award from the Illinois State Board of Education. Lakeview is one of 489 school across the state to earn this distinction. Schools are selected on the basis of:

At least 90 % of students meeting or exceeding standards in reading and mathematics for three years
Making Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) in 2008 and 2009

Congratulations to Lakeview Junior High students and staff on earning this award!

Special recognition to the Lakeview Varsity Girls Basketball Team who have clinched second place in the Southeast DuPage Elementary School Association and will play in the Championship game on Friday night. The game will be held at Jefferson Junior High in Woodridge which is located on James Avenue just north of 75^th Street. The game begins at 6:00 pm. Come out and support this team! The team is coached by Mr. Jacob Little and Mr Brian Kukulski. See you at the game!

Pack the Place 2010

2010-02-05T13:23:00.002-06:00

On Wednesday and Thursday this week we held our annual Pack the Place spirit events at Lakeview Junior High School. We were successful in packing the gym both nights for the basketball games. Student participation in this event was wonderful with many students enjoying musical chairs and the famous pie in the face contest featuring teachers and administrators. Thanks to the Lakeview staff for the outstanding work on this event. The highlight of the week had to be Principal Windsor getting a pie in the face from Principal Schultz! By the way the games were a split for the week with the girls winning over Butler and the boys loosing a close game to Burr Ridge. Enjoy the District 66 Solo contest this weekend at Lakeview. Have a good weekend.

Strategic Planning Community Planing Session

2010-01-28T10:38:00.004-06:00

On Saturday, January 23^rd over 70 members of the wider community met at Prairieview School to review goal progress and discuss new goals to help guide the District for the next three years. The planning groups included parents, staff members, representatives from other local public entities, members of the Board of Education and members of the community.

This session was facilitated by Dr. Susan Schwicardi and Dr. William Schewe of S & S Educational Consulting. The group reviewed data from 21 focus groups, over 750 student surveys, over 450 parent surveys and staff surveys. During the course of the day members of the planning group met in small groups to develop priority goals which were then reduced to five critical goals per group. The day culminated with a large group session in which each small group shared their five goals with the large group. Working with the facilitators the large group then prioritized the suggested goals.

These priority goals will be developed into District goals for approval by the Board of Education over the next few months. Thanks to everyone who participated in this process this year. Watch for the new goals on our website at www.ccsd66.org . It was a great day!

Busy Weekend in Center Cass SD 66

2010-01-22T16:30:00.001-06:00

This will be a busy weekday in Center Cass SD 66! Tomorrow more than 75 members of the school and wider community will meet and take part in a brainstorming session as part of our tri-annual Strategic Planning Process . Representatives will gather at Prairieview Elementary School to help chart the course of the District for the next three years. This event is valuable to the District because it provides us with community input and ideas to strengthen and enhance our programs for our students. This will be an exciting day and will be facilitated by Dr. William Schewe and Dr. Susan Schwicardi of S&S Educational Consulting of Wheaton. Sunday the Spartan 8th grade basketball team coached by Mr. Tom Dodd goes to battle in the 9th annual Mayor's Good will Basketball Classic in Lisle. The tournament will be held at Walker Sports Center in Lisle. The Spartans first game begins at 11:00 am against O'Neill Junior High. Good luck Spartans! Have a good weekend!

First Week of School

2010-01-09T10:50:00.001-06:00

We have had a busy week returning to school from the winter break. Students returned to a very cold week with lots of snow and very cold weather. In spite of the weather buses ran on time safely transporting students to and from school each day. Thanks to our safe and dependable bus drivers for a great job and to our maintenance staff for keeping our parking lots and sidewalk clear and salted.

In spite of the weather, there was a flurry of student activity this week with the Westmont Rotary Basketball Tournament for both boys and girls which began on Tuesday afternoon and continues through the weekend after canceling the games scheduled for Thursday evening. Good luck to our athletes and their coaches Mr. Dodd and Mr. Little. The Lakeview Chorus will be participating in the Downers Grove South High School choral Festival on Tuesday, January 12^th. This event was also postponed by the weather last Thursday.

We are excited to have our Strategic Planning session on Saturday, January 23^rd at Prairieview. Invitations have been mailed but there is room for more so if you would like to participate please contact Mrs. Blaze at 630-783-5100 for information.

Stay warm!

School is Ready to Open!

2009-12-29T11:17:00.001-06:00

School cleaning is progressing nicely and all buildings will be ready to receive students on January 4th! Building custodial staffs have been working very hard over the break to clean classrooms and public areas of each building. Buildings are now almost ready for students to return on Monday, January 4, 2010.

I hope that everyone has a safe and happy New Years! Be safe.

2009-12-18T08:07:00.002-06:00

Winter Break 2009

Winter break begins today with the close of school. Classes will resume on Monday, January 4, 2010. During the winter break school buildings will be open Monday through Wednesday from 7:30 until 4:00 and from 8:00 until noon on Thursdays. The District Office will be open on the same schedule. During the break all building will be thoroughly clean and made ready for the new year. I hope everyone has a restful and safe holiday season. See you in the New Year!

Classroom Visits

2009-12-12T12:52:00.002-06:00

Over the last two weeks I have been able to spend a full day at each school working in classrooms. I have read stories to students, been interviewed by classes, taught math and science lessons along with political cartoons and editorials. I have also worked with one of the bands, joined a computer based reading group with 6th graders, led rhythm exercises in Music class and re-learned how to sew a button in Consumer Education class. I have been so impressed with the quality of instruction offered to our students all all grade levels. I can't wait until my next extended visit!

I hope that everyone has a safe and restful winter break when it begins next weekend. Think snow!

Winter Festival of Bands

2009-12-04T08:20:00.002-06:00

Tomorrow Lakeview Junior High School hosts the 10^th Annual Winter Festival of Bands! 15 bands from the suburban area will be performing throughout the day. Performances begin at 7:45 am and will continue until 4:00 pm. Admission is free and the District 66 Music Boosters will be selling refreshments throughout the day for musicians and visitors. This event is planned and hosted by Directors Tom Tedeschi and Brian Ohlsen with the assistance of the Music Boosters. Stop by to enjoy the sounds for the holiday season!

Budget 2010

2009-11-23T12:15:00.003-06:00

The fiscal crisis was the main topic of discussion at the 77^th Annual Fall Conference held in Chicago this past weekend. Over 11,500 board members and school officials gathered in Chicago for this annual meeting and conference. Here are the quick facts for next year's budget: The target budget for next year will be about $26 billion. In terms of revenue the budget is expected to have a $12 billion shortfall based on these facts: $6 billion of the current budget is made up of one time funds that will not be available next year, $356,000 in fund sweeps where designated money has be swept up to pay general bills, $ 4 billion in unpaid bills from last year, $ 1.2 billion in pension payments, and $800,000 in interest payment on short term loans used to pay bills. At this time it appears that 38% of a stagnant budget could be unfunded. The state is almost broke! From now until a new budget is developed you will hear that government entities need to cut to deal with the deficit but unfortunately cutting will not solve the crisis nor can taxes be raised enough to solve this problem.

Three main issues need to be dealt with in the budget crisis:

The issue of unfunded mandates imposed by the state needs to be addressed. A Joint House Resolution (JHR) 74 has been brought forth by Representative Roger Eddy to create a blue ribbon committee to review all mandates and recommend those that are not needed to be eliminated. This would save a great deal of local resources.

Pension reform needs to be addressed and the pension system modernized. Issues such as automatic cost of living increases and retirement age need to be addressed. It is possible that a two-tier system needs to be implemented. The real issue with the five Illinois pension systems is that the State has not made their required payments to support the plans while members and local entities have made payments as required. The pension crisis is a result of the state not addressing government funding and using dollars allocated to pension payments to pay general bills. There is a reason that Illinois is ranked 51^st in support of public schools lagging behind 49 states as well as the District of Columbia.

The final crucial issue to be address is the rising cost of medical care and medicare. Costs are rising and there are no funds to pay these bills that impact some of our most vulnerable citizens.

A new funding bill has been presented for consideration. This bill is HB 174 which can be found on the General Assembly web site. Contact you local state representatives and senators and tell them that the the time has come to stop pointing fingers and assessing blame and to get to work to develop a fiscal plan to save Illinois.

www.ilga.gov

2009 Joint Annual Conference

2009-11-17T08:47:00.001-06:00

This weekend over 9,000 Illinois school leaders and guests will come to Chicago to take part in the Annual Joint Conference of the Illinois Association of School Administrators, Illinois Association of School Business Officials and Illinois Association of School Boards. This is one of the largest state educational conferences held in the United States.

At this conference, we will have the opportunity to gain information and share insights in school governance in a variety of settings. Three general sessions will be held, as well as over 100 panel discussions and small group presentations for administrators and school board members from throughout the state.

Topics will include school funding, educational technology, legal issues and trends. Over 300 vendors and exhibitors will display the latest in school based products for our review. This is a great weekend for networking and learning to strengthen education in our local district.

Veterans Day 2009

2009-11-11T08:37:00.001-06:00

November 11^th marks the annual Veterans Day celebration. This federal holiday commemorates the signing of the Armistice that ended WW I on November, 11, 1918 at 11:00 am. This holiday honors the 24.9 million military veterans in the United States. Schools are closed in honor of this day as Americans gather to reflect on this Day of Remembrance. This day was first proclaimed by President Woodrow Wilson in 1919 and has been celebrated in various ways since that time. Most recently the Day of Remembrance has been celebrated on November 11^th.

Please remember and honor those who have served and continue to serve our country today. The sacrifice of our veterans and military guarantees our freedom.

Strategic Planning Process Begins

2009-11-03T10:53:00.001-06:00

This year the Center Cass School District will engage it's stakeholders in a comprehensive strategic planning process to develop priority goals to guide the District through the next three years. This process includes focus groups of community members, parents, students, staff members, teachers and alumni. The process will also use surveys to collect additional data.
This week begins the parent focus groups that will be held at each school building. Tonight sessions will be held at Ide School while Lakeview will be held on November 9th and Prairieview will meet on November 17th. All parents are invited to share in these sessions that will begin at 7:00 pm and generally conclude by 8:15 pm.

Parent survey links will be open beginning next week on Monday, November 9th and will close on December 4th. All parents are encourage to participate in these surveys and contribute their input into this process that will help to guide our school district into the future. We look forward to seeing you at one of these upcoming sessions.

This process will culminate with a community planning session to be held at Prairieview School on Saturday, February 6, 2010.

Fall is Here

2009-10-29T10:53:00.001-05:00

It is hard to believe that November is just around the corner as we celebrate Halloween today with the younger students. The weather is cooling and rain is on the way (again). Snow is falling in the Rockies and winter will soon be here. The fall sports seasons have been completed and tournaments held. The Fall Athletic Banquet will be held next Thursday evening at Lakeview.

Tomorrow school will be closed for a Teacher Institute Day where staff members will be working on the District Writing Curriculum. Teachers will be reviewing the traits of writing as well as using various rubrics and evaluation tools. Normal classes will resume on Monday, November 2, 2009. Have a safe Halloween weekend!

National School Bus Safety Week

2009-10-15T12:10:00.001-05:00

October 19 – 23 has been designated National School Bus Safety Week. Statistically, school buses are the safest mode of transportation in the country. These vehicles are designed to protect students in transit and do a superior job of safeguarding our children. More important than the design of the vehicle is the driver. School bus drivers are rigorously trained and monitored requiring annual license renewals and refresher training. Our drivers are also formally evaluated each year based on check rides and observation.

Center Cass School District 66 is fortunate to have a very professional and well trained team of drivers who transport our students each day in all types of weather conditions. At this point in the year, most students have received their annual training on bus safety provided on a school bus at each school. This program covers safe bus riding practices and emergency evacuation procedures. This training will be followed up by evacuation drills at each school building. The purpose of this instruction is to prepare students for any emergency that may occur. In celebrating this week, ask your children about safe bus riding rules and procedures.

Congratulations to our fine transportation team! Listed below are the dedicated drivers and support staff that provide safe daily service to and from school for your children. Drivers are listed as well as their initial service date with District 66

Pat Romaniszak, 1991
Walter Sangaila, 1996
Kate Nikiel, 1997
James Gismondi, 2001
Tom Tiede, 2001
Norren Dvorak, 2002
Zak Munoz, 2003
Jim Mathiasch, 2004
John Cesal, 2004
Art Mueller, 2004
Jim Hagen, 2005
Paul Jonauskas, 2006
Twanna Anderson, 2007
Manny Staiger, 2008
Michael Pappas, 2008
Thanks for all you do!

Fall is Here!

2009-10-08T10:20:00.003-05:00

It is hard to believe the quick change in our weather over the past several days. As I write the clouds are gathering for a forecast several hours of rain. As the beautiful more temperate weather becomes a memory school activities begin to move inside for the fall and winter seasons. In the next couple of weeks the fall athletic seasons will conclude. Soon the football, cross country and volleyball seasons will be behinds us as will the marching band season. Before you know it tryouts will be here for basketball and winter activities and intramurals. Soon the snow will fall and we will be thinking about Thanksgiving and the Holidays!

It is amazing how quickly time passes. As the time passes remember that we are about half way through the first trimester and it is a good time to review your children's progress by checking their grades and meeting with teachers during parent teacher conferences. Enjoy these days of fall as the greens of summer give way to the browns of fall to soon been replaced by the white of winter snows. Think Snow!

Center Cass School District 66 Approves Balanced Budget

2009-09-24T09:18:00.000-05:00

The elimination of four full time teaching positions due to declining enrollment and other cost savings coupled with nearly $430,000 of stimulus funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) allows Center Cass School District 66 to enter the 2009-2010 school year with a balanced budget. The Board of Education approved the balanced $12.1 million budget at it's September 22, 2009 meeting.

Center Cass is slated to receive nearly $430,000 in ARRA fund over the next two years with nearly $229,000 slated to come during this fiscal year. Center Cass plans to use these funds to offset special education costs for students attending out of district day school programs and add educational technology to support learning by children with special needs.

Early Dismissal Day – September 22, 2009

2009-09-21T14:45:00.002-05:00

Tuesday, September 22nd is the first of four early dismissal days that are allowed under the School Code of Illinois for the training and in-service development of teachers and school personnel. On these days classes are dismissed after 3 hours of instruction to provide time for staff development and professional development activities. This year Center Cass SD 66 teachers will be working in three areas; Writing, RtI and PBIS. Teachers will review and refine the existing District writing curriculum and re-align it with State Standards. Staff will also be working to refine the RtI (Response to Instruction) program instituted last year. Trained external coaches will be working with our staff to refine this program in the area of reading, as well as expand it into the area of mathematics. Lakeview and Prairieview will also be developing their PBIS (Positive Based Intervention Systems) that are required by current legislation. This will be a busy year for our staff!

Dismissal schedule on this day will be: Prairieview at 11:00 am, Early Childhood at 11:05 am, Lakeview at 11:30 am and Ide at noon. There will No classes held for afternoon Kindergartners on Tuesday.

9/11/2009

2009-09-11T12:34:00.002-05:00

Today we solemnly remember the events of that horrible day eight years ago. Students at Elizabeth Ide and Prairieview wore red, white, and blue to commemorate that day in history. Lakeview students observed this day with a moment of silence and reflection of the events of 9/11. Let us all remember that day together in memory of those who perished and those responders and ordinary people who performed extraordinary deeds of heroism and honor.

Schools are in Full Operation

2009-09-10T10:41:00.001-05:00

As we enter the third week of school everything is in full operation. Last evening we had football and cross country at Lakeview and Open House at Ide. Last week we had two Open Houses at Prairieview and tonight is the Lakeview Open House. This week begins the annual 4th grade band recruitment and the Lakeview Marching Spartans begin their marching season with the General Von Steuben Parade in Chicago this weekend. Lakeview also hosts its 15th annual Dance-A-Thon tomorrow night to benefit the Lakeview Bands.

It has been good to see the many parents attending these events and hear that they are happy to have their children back in school. It has been great to visit classrooms in each building and see teachers teaching and children learning! Thanks to everyone who has contributed to this fine start of the school year.

Do You Remember Center Cass ????

2009-09-03T10:50:00.002-05:00

Do you remember:
When the original Center Cass School was east of Lemont Road where CVS Drugs is?
When farmers cultivated the land where Water Town Place is?
When 75th Street and 83rd Street were both narrow two lane streets?
When the Lakeview Campus was an empty field?
When Elizabeth Ide was located at 300 Manning Road in Downers Grove?
When the original Gallagher and Henry model homes were on the corner of Parkview and

Drover?
When the original Farmingdale Subdivision was located in unincorporated Downers Grove?
When the Lakeside Club was the recreational center of our area?
When there were no shopping centers at 75th and Main?

Times have changes but it always good to remember the past when there was no traffic congestion and children could walk and ride bikes around the area safely. Happy memories!

School Starts Smoothly

2009-08-26T11:26:00.002-05:00

Center Cass Schools opened yesterday! Parents were smiling and most children were also smiling. Buses ran on schedule and safely delivered kids to and from school without a hitch. The buildings were full of the energy and buzz of young learners back in their classrooms ready for another year of learning. Already it is calming to be back in the groove educating youth for a life in the future!

Open House – Monday August 24th

2009-08-23T12:25:00.001-05:00

All Center Cass School District 66 schools will hold an Open House on Monday, August 24th from 9:00 until 11:00 am. Students and parents are invited to come and bring school supplies as well as meet teachers and visit classrooms. Information regarding hot lunch, bus routes and Market Day will be available at all buildings.

Normal class schedules begin on Tuesday, August 25th. School buses will operate on their normal schedules and BACC will be open. We are looking forward to the wonderful school year and look forward to seeing you tomorrow.

Downers Grove South Marching Mustangs

2009-08-16T12:07:00.002-05:00

Center Cass SD 66 is pleased to host the annual summer marching band camp for the Downers Grove South High Marching Mustangs. Camp begins today and run through Friday night! About 130 students and directors will spend the week perfecting their marching routine for upcoming competitions this year. It is great to come out and see these hardworking musicians and teachers working so hard for a common goal. It is uplifting to see our young people (many of whom are graduates of Lakeview Junior High) involved in such a wholesome team activity. Community is invited to visit each evening rehearsal beginning at 6:00 pm and watch the show progress through the week. Friday evening the band will host of picnic for parents and community about 5:00 pm followed by a performance of the new show. Come on out!

The School Year is Almost Here!

2009-08-11T08:53:00.000-05:00

Registration has been completed and we are expecting about 1150 students to begin the new school year on August 24th. A late registration day will be held on Tuesday, August 18th at Prairieview School between 8:00 and noon.

Teachers return on Thursday, August 20th for two days of in-service and meetings. Open House will be held on Monday, August 24th from 9:00 to 11:00 am. Full day classes begin on Tuesday, August 25th. Bus routes will be available during the Open House.

See you soon.

School is Just Around the Corner

2009-08-05T11:11:00.002-05:00

Summer has flown quickly this year. It is hard to believe that Registration Day is already here and soon we will hear the patter of feet and excited voices as children return to their classrooms. Custodians and administrators have worked hard this summer to prepare for the return of our students. Buildings have been thoroughly cleaned for the start of the new school year. Teachers have been receiving training in the use of Mimio Boards which we hope to add to all classrooms over the next couple of years.

It will be good to return to the normal rhythm of life at school in a couple of weeks. Most of us thrive on the constant beat of students learning and renewed life about the buildings. Remember the following important dates:

Registration, August 5, 2009, 2:00 pm to 8:00 pm @ Prairieview
August 12, 2009, 7:00 am to 1:00 pm @ Prairieview
Late Registration, August 18, 2009, 8:00 am to noon @ Prairieview
Teacher Institute, August 20-21, 2009
District Open House, Monday, August 24, 2009
First Day of Classes, Tuesday, August 25, 2009

See you soon!

Still No Budget

2009-06-25T11:39:00.001-05:00

The General Assembly met for two days this week and made little progress toward ending the budget impasse. Will they meet the June 30th deadline or extend the budget on a monthly basis? I guess we will have to stay tuned to see. Governor Quinn continues to change his mind daily about his priorities and is not exerting any positive influence on the proceedings. In the mean time, the fiscal years ends next week and we, as many school districts, have not received the third or fourth quarter state aid payments for Mandated categorical programs such as special education and transportation. This could lead to a revenue shortfall of over $300,000 for us. Not a pretty picture in a very strange year. Stay tuned..

Summer Thoughts

2009-06-15T10:48:00.001-05:00

School is out for the summer. Summer school has begun and is moving along smoothly with a full enrollment. Summer workshops for teachers are underway also. The cleaning of buildings and building repairs are already well underway. End of the year reports are being processed and submitted to Springfield. This is a busy time of the year but it is a different type of busy than when students are present.

There is still no action of any type to deal with the state fiscal crisis and deficit which is now said to exceed $11 billion for next year. Politicians are posturing and hiding, doing everything they can to avoid dealing with the issue and having to take a stand that might poorly reflect on them during the November elections. This is a great state!

In the mean time, we continue to prepare for the coming school year with the resources and information we have at this time knowing that anything and everything can change in a moment. I hope that the summer is a time of rest and relaxation for you and yours.