Science, Engineering Curriculum Growing at Cass

Students built robots as part of STEM education.

Editor's note: Story contributed by Cass Junior High. Students at Cass Junior High School experienced a sporting event like no other Oct. 28. It was different in that the participants were robots built by the students. The robots were designed to pick up a tennis ball and return them to a predetermined location for points. The balls are color coded and have different point values. The competition was intense but filled with laughter as the students pitted their robots against each other. The new curriculum is taught by Ken Kohnke, who is a firm believer of learning by doing. “Making something, either as basic as a simple circuit or as complex as a robot with a specific purpose creates evidence of learning," Kohnke said of the hands-on …

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Mouse-Eating Frog Found during Cass Jr. High Dissection

We've got pictures.

Cass Junior High science teacher Marianne Tamosaitis has led more than 1,500 frog dissections over the years—but never one quite like this. Her seventh-grade students sliced open the belly of a frog May 31 and found a two-inch long mouse. The mouse—fur, tail and all—was just about big enough to fill the frog’s whole torso. The big eater didn't stop there, either. A beetle joined the mouse in the frog's stomach. Tamosaitis said she knew the kids would find something unusual inside the frog as soon as she saw how far its belly protruded. "My assistant recommended I dissect this one, but I knew if I left it for one of the students, it would create a memory that would live forever for that student," she said. "How cool is that!" The wary …

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Community Hits the Green to Raise Green for District 63

The annual Cass 63 Foundation for Educational Excellence Golf Outing is scheduled for Friday at Village Greens Golf Club in Woodridge.

As the rain came down, the golfers stayed inside last year at the Cass 63 Foundation’s annual outing. Friday’s forecast, however, is bright, which gives foundation President Mary Sullivan high hopes for this year’s event.  The outing—the foundation’s biggest fundraiser of the year—kicks off at 12:30 p.m. with a shotgun start for 18 holes of golf, followed by a cocktail hour, barbecue dinner, auctions and raffles. Much of the money raised this year will go toward funding Cass Junior High’s Science Technology Engineering Math (STEM) initiative, Sullivan said. District 63 plans to renovate the school’s science lab, as well as upgrade the science curriculum. “We’re hoping to make some kind of impact with that,” Sullivan said. “It’s the way of …

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Post Photos of Your Graduate to Darien Patch

Proud of your favorite grad? We are too. Share photos of their big day by uploading them to Darien Patch.

Post Photos of Your Graduate to Darien Patch

Proud of your favorite grad? We are too. Share photos of their big day by uploading them to Darien Patch.

It's a big week for local graduations. Downers Grove South and Hinsdale South seniors collect their diplomas Friday night, while Hinsdale Central seniors and eighth-graders at Eisenhower and Cass junior highs walk the stage Thursday. Celebrate your student's accomplishments by posting graduation photos to Darien Patch.

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Cass Students Have the X Factor (VIDEO)

Cass Junior High students showcased their singing and dancing abilities May 14 during the annual school talent show.

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District 63 Recognizes Retiring Educators

The district toasted Cass Junior High math teacher Louise Tepavchevich, Cass teacher assistant Donna Holland and Concord Elementary School teacher assistant Sally McCarthy during Tuesday's school board meeting.

It's hard to say goodbye, but three longtime educators got a particularly fond farewell Tuesday night at the District 63 School Board meeting. The district toasted Cass Junior High math teacher Louise Tepavchevich, Cass teacher assistant Donna Holland and Concord Elementary School teacher assistant Sally McCarthy.  Although the district usually holds a banquet to recognize retiring staff, Superintendent Kerry Foderaro said the three women are so humble it was hard to convince them to even come to the reception at the school board meeting. “They’re really embarrassed right now and they don’t want a lot of attention,” he said. Karen Hyder, president of the Cass Teacher Association, said that the women’s contributions to the district will be …

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District 63 Superintendent Recognizes Young Artists

Cass Junior High will permanently display the work of five of its students.

It’s no secret that there’s a lot of great art at Cass Junior High. Student work lines the hallways and fills display cases throughout the school. Five pieces will have a permanent home at the school after Superintendent Kerry Foderaro selected them for his annual Superintendent’s Art Awards.  This year Foderaro recognized Giovanni Ahern, Stephanie Calvert, Patricija Miskinyte, Marcia Paine and Dominic Loffredi.  “It’s really a nice opportunity for students to help us enhance the look and feel of the school,” Foderaro said. Art teacher Matt Etherington shared the students’ work at Tuesday’s District 63 School Board meeting. Dominic’s work was a black and white photograph of his great-grandfather’s hands, taken during a trip to Millennium …

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