Huntley 158 Newsletter
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The Stay Up-to-Date in D158 district e-newsletter is published once a month following regular board meetings. Interested in receiving the district's e-newsletter but don't have students in D158? Email Denise Barr, director of communications and public engagement, at dbarr@district158.org to be added to the district's email distribution list.
A Message from Our Interim Superintendent
Hello and Happy November to all Huntley 158 families! We are excited to welcome you all to our schools next week for parent-teacher conferences. Conferences are a great time to “dig deep” into how things are going for your child at school. Effective communication between school and home is an important component in the overall development and success of each child. As hard as our teachers work to plan for these conferences and share important information with you about your child’s achievement and progress, they may not always know what’s on your mind. I encourage you to think of conferences as two-way conversations and to feel free to ask questions, such as:
Ask for clarification if you have questions about the “data” being presented.
Ask for resources or ways you can support your child's learning and achievement at home.
If there’s a topic you want to discuss that does not naturally come up during the conference, don’t hesitate to bring it up.
If you get home and reflect on what was discussed and a question comes to mind, please feel free to reach out to your child’s teacher.
I encourage you to keep the communication going after conferences as well. When parents and educators communicate and collaborate on a regular basis, students make greater gains in academics and maturity. Our teachers, administrators and I are here to truly be partners in your child’s education. Thank you for your support, your involvement and your trust in Huntley 158.
~Jessica
Jessica Lombard, Ed.S.
Interim Superintendent
Veterans Day at Marlowe MS - November 6, 2023
Marlowe Middle School held its annual Veterans Day tribute on Monday, November 6. MMS students served breakfast to more than 75 veterans and community members, who then enjoyed musical performances and other special tributes by MMS students and faculty.
LGMC Education Day - November 9, 2023
Hawks Heroes Breakfast at Heineman MS - November 10, 2023
November RAD Event: Celebrating Indigenous People
District 158 RAD's community event on November 9th highlighted the culture and history of Indigenous people with a book reading from children’s book author Maria Des Jarlait followed by storytelling and dancing presented by the Trickster Cultural Center.
Inclement Weather Planning
As we move from fall to winter, here are some guidelines for what to expect in the case of potential inclement weather. Weather protocols are outlined below and in the graphic.
Goal = In-Person Learning
Late Start (2-hour delay): Weather expected to improve over time; no first session for ECC
E-Learning Day: Inclement weather forecasted with adequate time to prepare (devices sent home with students)
No School / Snow Day: Unexpected and/or severe weather; not enough time to prepare
Illinois Report Card
The Illinois Report Card serves as an annual report that provides an overview of the growth and progress of Illinois districts and schools. The report utilizes student and school demographic and performance data as a means of providing the families and communities a school district serves with a snapshot of its schools and district as a whole. We are pleased to report that all Huntley 158 schools received a Commendable rating on the 2022-23 Illinois Report Card. Click the link to visit the D158 website, where you’ll find links to the reports for each school and the district. For more detailed student assessment and performance data, click the link for the summative designation presentation from the November 2nd board meeting.
Parent-Teacher Conferences
D158 Parent-Teacher Conferences will be held next week on Monday, November 20 and Tuesday, November 21. There will be no school 11/20-11/24 due to conferences and the Thanksgiving holiday. Please check your email for information about signing up for conferences as the process varies by school. Feel free to reach out to your child’s school with any questions.
Elementary Report Card Redesign
In grades K-5, Huntley 158 employs a standards-based report card to communicate student progress in alignment with the Illinois Learning Standards. This approach focuses on essential grade-level learning standards, providing clear guidance and consistent grading practices.
What has changed? We've revisited the report card to prioritize standards, bundling them to align with curriculum and assessments. The goal is to enhance understanding of a student's progress.
What is the scoring system? The scoring system has not changed. See below:
3 - Meets the standard independently and consistently. Student is secure with end-of- year expectations.
2 - Making progress and working towards independence with end-of-year expectations. Student may still need support at times.
1 - Beginning to understand end-of-year grade-level expectations. Student still needs support to put it all together.
Read more about this change here.
K-5 Learning Guides
As we move into parent/teacher conferences and trimester 1 report cards, we wanted to bring the new elementary learning guides to your attention again. Designed to assist our families, these guides outline the expectations for each grade level and offer specific ways to support or enhance your child's learning at home. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to your child's teacher. Stay tuned as we are diligently working to provide a similar resource for our 6-12th grade students in the near future.
FREE Virtual Event for Parents on Online Bullying
Huntley 158 has partnered with Smart Social to provide parents with resources on how to help navigate the digital world and ensure online safety for their children. Smart Social offers a variety of resources for parents, including a robust video library and monthly virtual events. Smart Social’s monthly virtual event for November–Combat Online Bullying: Supporting Positive Student Behaviors on Campus and at Home–will be held via Zoom on Nov. 29th at 5pm, 7pm and 8:30pm and on Nov. 30th at 5pm. Click here to register. If you haven’t yet subscribed to Smart Social, click HERE sign up!
American Sign Language Course for HHS Students
Huntley High School is looking to create a partnership with McHenry County College to potentially bring American Sign Language to HHS students. Participating in this program would entail a commitment of attending two after school workshops at HHS each week from January 16th to March 11th (days to be determined based on enrollment). Participation would also include a registration fee of approximately $50. Students who successfully complete the eight-week program would be prepared to enroll in MCC's American Sign Language 2 course through their continuing education program. If interested, click here.
Dual Degree Opportunity at HHS
Huntley High School's current sophomore students have the exciting opportunity to participate in Huntley 158’s dual degree program, featuring courses aligned with McHenry County College's (MCC) curriculum. This initiative, along with the D158/MCC dual credit course offering, aligns with our strategic plan goal of preparing students to be college and career-ready.
About the D158/MCC Dual Degree program
Dual degree courses are taught by qualified staff from either Huntley High School or MCC. Successful completion of these courses allows students to work toward earning a high school diploma AND an associate of arts degree from MCC at the same time. Interested students must apply and be accepted in order to enroll in the dual degree program. The program is currently capped at 25 students per cohort and the application deadline is December 6, 2023. Note: Students who are not accepted into the dual degree program may still take dual credit courses, which allows them to simultaneously earn high school and college course credits.
As with all dual credit courses, there is a cost associated with the dual degree program. To learn more, click the link for the Parent Presentation or reach out to the HHS College and Career Counselor, Laura Martens, at lmartens@district158.org.
NOVEMBER / DECEMBER
11/13 - Special Education Talks: Transitioning from School to Adult Services. Topic: Guardianship; @ District Office (rm 180); 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
11/15 - Special Education Advisory Council (SEAC) meeting @ District Office (rm 180); 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
11/20 - Parent-Teacher Conferences - NO SCHOOL
11/21 - Parent-Teacher Conferences - NO SCHOOL
11/22-11/24 - Thanksgiving break - NO SCHOOL; offices closed
12/2 - D158 Foundation’s Santa Express/Buddy the Elf Bash at Marlowe MS, 8 a.m. to noon
12/6 - LIGHT Steering Committee meeting @ District Office (rm 180); 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.
12/13 - Special Education Talks: Transitioning from School to Adult Services. Topic: to be announced @ District Office (rm 180); 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
12/20 - Special Education Advisory Council (SEAC) meeting @ District Office (rm 180); 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
The Huntley 158 Board of Education meets twice monthly. Regular board meetings are held the third Thursday of each month and Committee of the Whole (COW) meetings are held the first Thursday of each month. All meetings are held at the Huntley 158 district administration building, 650 Dr. John Burkey Drive in Algonquin, unless otherwise noted. Meetings are live streamed and archived on the Huntley 158 YouTube Channel. Visit the D158 website for more information:
November 2, 2023 Committee of the Whole Board Meeting: Click the link for the agenda. Highlights from the meeting are below:
- Recognition of staff veterans: CRO Officer Andrew Dykstra; Josh Homuth-HHS; Cindy Fuhrer-HHS; Rolando Torres-Leggee; and Bill Johnson-Marlowe MS
- DRAFT 2024-25 calendars
- 2022-23 Illinois Report Card / D158 data presentation
- 2024-25 HHS course proposals
- FY23 financial audit report
November 9, 2023 Regular Board Meeting: Click the link for the agenda. Highlights from the meeting are below:
- Huntley High Five students from D158 schools (see photo) led the Pledge of Allegiance and were recognized for upholding the district's values of being kind, respectful, responsible, safe and involved. November High Five winners include: Jonathan Daly (Chesak); Wyatt Schneider (Conley); Colton Burstiner (Mackeben); Solomia Guerrero (Martin); Ben Kasules (Leggee); Alexia Kennedy (Heineman MS); Artsiom Pichulis (Marlowe MS); Jonathan Nelson (HHS); and Thomas Braaten (LIGHT)
- ILMEA student recognition
- "Student Scoop" from Mackeben
- Swearing in of new board member Dana Wiley
- Approval of 2024-25 calendar
- Preliminary tax levy
Note: Meeting minutes are approved at the next month’s board meeting and can be found on the district website under About / Board of Education / Minutes and Agendas.
The links and resources below are intended to provide important and timely information for families and shortcuts to frequently visited places on the district website. These links will appear in every district newsletter.
School Absence Phone Lines
Chesak: (847) 659-5711
Conley: (847) 659-3711
ECC: (847) 659-5411
Heineman: (847) 659-4311
Huntley High School: (847) 659-6611
Leggee: (847) 659-6211
Mackeben: (847) 659-3411
Marlowe: (847) 659-4711
Martin: (847) 659-5311
November Menus
Misc. Resources