Thursday, April 25, 2013
Freshman orientation will take place on the Tuesday before, with two teacher institute days in between, according to the calendar approved Monday by the District 86 school board.
The first days of the District 86 school year will go differently this August than they have in years’ past. The District 86 Board of Education approved by a 6-1 vote Monday a 2013-14 calendar that schedules freshman orientation on a Tuesday and the first full instructional day the following Friday in order to preserve the orientation day while keeping semesters balanced and complying with a new state statute. According to next year’s calendar, which got the support of all board members except Richard Skoda, freshmen will come in for orientation on the morning of Tuesday, Aug. 20. Two teacher institute days will then take place on Aug. 21 and Aug. 22, before the entire student body comes in for the first full day of instruction on Friday, …
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
After serving as Hinsdale Central's principal for three years, Michael McGrory will leave District 86 at the end of June.
Hinsdale Central Principal Michael McGrory is leaving District 86, according to Superintendent Nick Wahl. McGrory, who has been Hinsdale Central's principal for the last three years, has accepted the position of principal at Muscatine High School in Iowa, McGrory's home state, and his last day of work in Hinsdale will be June 30. "We want to thank Mr. McGrory for his three years of service to the Hinsdale Central school community, and wish the best to him and his family in their move back to Iowa," Wahl wrote in a letter to the community. McGrory was quoted in the letter as saying the decision was a difficult one and that working at Hinsdale Central has been a "privilege and great administrative experience." "However, I knew going back to…
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Downers Grove North ranked 36th out of 667 Illinois high schools, while South High placed 52nd, according to the annual list published by U.S. News and World Report.
Both schools in Downers Grove's Community High School District 99 are among the best in state, according to annual rankings published Tuesday by U.S. News and World Report. Downers Grove North ranked 36th out of 667 public high schools in Illinois, up one spot from 2012. Downers Grove South ranked 52nd, up five spots from last year. The 2013 U.S. News and World Report Best High Schools rankings are based on data collected from more than 21,000 public U.S. high schools from 49 states and the District of Columbia. The rankings are designed to capture how well high schools educate all of their students and prepare them for college-level work, a press release from U.S. News said. Schools are evaluated based on overall student performance on …
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Incumbents Debbie Boyle, Terry Pavesich and Julia Beckman and newcomer Rick Pavinato prevailed over two late drop-out candidates Tuesday.
With all precincts reporting, three incumbents and one newcomer have been elected to the Community High School District 99 Board of Education, according to unofficial election results. Incumbents Debbie Boyle, Terry Pavesich and Julia Beckman and newcomer newcomer Rick Pavinato were the top vote-getters Tuesday, according to the DuPage County Election Commission. They prevailed over Henry Jakobsze and Martin Gorski, both of whom dropped out of the race. Because Jakobsze and Gorski suspended their campaigns after the official deadline to withdraw from the election, they both appeared on the ballot. They pulled in a sizable number of votes—4,222 for Gorski (13.9 percent) and 3,702 for Jakobsze (12.2 percent). Beckman was the top vote-getter …
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Downers Grove South teacher Kevin Ahrens credits a friendship from his days at Lyons Township High School for setting into motion his career as a special needs educator.
A high school friendship changed the course of Kevin Ahrens’ life. Ahrens played varsity baseball while a student at Lyons Township High School. His coach, Terry Sullivan, asked him to help the team’s manager, a student with special needs, learn some tasks, such as how to organize baseballs and where to store equipment. That partnership blossomed into a friendship that shaped Ahrens’ career as a special needs teacher at Downers Grove South High School. On St. Patrick’s Day, Ahrens, now a coach himself, led the DGS Special Olympics basketball team to victory at the state championship. “It was a magical year,” said Ahrens, of La Grange, who began coaching the team this fall. Every single player got to play for at least part of each game …
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
The 12-member team was celebrated after school Wednesday, just a few days after they won the Special Olympics Illinois State Basketball Tournament in Bloomington-Normal.
The Downers Grove South community came together in full force Wednesday to celebrate a crowning achievement for the school—a state title for its Special Olympics basketball program. The 12-member team wrapped up a 21-6 season by winning the championship at the Special Olympics Illinois State Basketball Tournament on March 17 at the Illinois State University campus in Bloomington-Normal. On Wednesday, the school held an after-school celebration to toast the team and present the players with championship T-shirts. The team's coach, Kevin Ahrens, said the players' positive attitudes and "team-first approach" led them to the state title. "It was a magical year where everything just fell into place," Ahrens said, fighting back tears. "I'm …
Monday, March 25, 2013
Ken Sorensen will take over as associate principal for operations beginning July 1, replacing Chuck Hiscock.
Downers Grove North High School has named a new associate principal. The Community High School District 99 Board of Education voted unanimously March 18 to promote Ken Sorensen from the position of assistant principal in charge of student activities and technology to associate prinicpal for operations. Effective July 1, Sorensen will replace Chuck Hiscock, who was recently named the new principal of West Aurora High School. In his new capacity on the District 99 administrative team, Sorensen will oversee all facets of operations, technology and student discipline as well as personnel management at the school, according to district officials. “I am excited about the challenge of new responsibilities and the opportunity to continue to serve …
Friday, March 22, 2013
Gorski withdrew from the April 9 election ballot Thursday, citing personal reasons. The field is now down to four candidates.
Martin Gorski, a candidate for the Community High School District 99 Board of Education, has withdrawn from the upcoming consolidated election. Gorski, a Darien resident, announced his departure from the District 99 school board race Thursday night, citing "personal reasons." "I have withdrawn for personal reasons and wish to thank those who have offered support over the last few months," Gorksi said in an email. "I continue to believe that the Illinois school system needs better financial monitoring and internal controls and plan on continuing my efforts to inform the local school boards and the general public about the potential problems in this area." Gorski's exit leaves the District 99 school board race with four remaining candidates…
Monday, March 18, 2013
School Board candidates offer their perspectives on key issues in Community High School District 99.
On March 4, Patch published its 2013 District 99 Election Hub, a complete guide to the April 9 consolidated election in Community High School District 99. There you'll find voter information, recent election news and complete candidate biographies. Before voters head to the polls, Patch wants to give readers an opportunity to compare where candidates for the District 99 School Board stand on key issues. We will publish the questions in separate posts, along with responses from all five candidates. What are the biggest challenges facing District 99? District 99 is in great shape programmatically and financially. We are sound, yet we do face challenges that will require our attention. Finance is always a critical area because much is …
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Jakobsze, citing "personal circumstances," withdrew his name from the District 99 race Wednesday, and endorsed incumbent Debbie Boyle.
Henry Jakobsze, a candidate for the Community High School District 99 Board of Education, has withdrawn his name from the April 9 election ballot. Jakobsze, a Downers Grove resident, announced his departure from the District 99 school board race Wednesday afternoon, citing "personal circumstances," and threw his support behind incumbent Debbie Boyle. His exit narrows the field to five candidates for four board positions—incumbents Boyle, Terry Pavesich and Julia Beckman, and newcomers Rick Pavinato and Martin Gorski. Jakobsze released a brief statement Wednesday, praising the current board and administration "Through the process of preparing to run for the high school board, I had a unique opportunity to view the inner workings of the …
Mary E. Campbell
10:29 am on Friday, April 26, 2013
Teachers need time to articulate, to plan for using new programs and to decorate those bulletin boards! Ask teachers to report in August, as usual, so they can learn about new programs, work our schedule kinks, meet with their teams and be sure materials have all arrived. Have kids begin school right after Labor Day. No more 'whole week off' at Thanksgiving --- W,Th, and Fri are enough days to … more ›