Parents as Partners
February 2020
Dear District 15 Community,
February reflects another busy and exciting month in D15. I know I am grateful for an extra day this “leap” year to keep working on the many initiatives we have in motion. Our schools have been busy doing what they do best - teaching and learning. The Board of Education and I dove into our student achievement data and began to talk about how best to meet the needs of the 12,000 students in our District.
Our District may be large and diverse, but I am proud of how committed we are to assisting one another during times of need. Sadly, this month, we lost a student from Winston Campus Junior High. Our staff and the larger Palatine community came together to support the family, staff and students in ways that were truly remarkable. As I shared with staff, the outpouring of compassion and concern for each other made me so proud to be part of this genuinely caring community.
one-five Foundation: Partners in Education
As the Superintendent, one of my responsibilities is not only to understand the needs of our students and staff, but also to find ways to address those needs. Being fiscally responsible stewards of tax dollars, we are faced with difficult decisions about what initiatives we are able to fund through our operating budget, what initiatives we need to find alternate methods to pay for and which we may not be able to implement at all. That is why we are so thankful for the one-five Foundation, which has been our partner in education for the last 30 years, funding many of the initiatives that we wouldn’t otherwise be able to bring forward without their financial support.
This year, we asked the Foundation to help us fundraise around two compelling initiatives: fighting weekend food insecurity for children in need and transforming portions of our school libraries into 21st century learning spaces. Let me tell you a little about each initiative and how you can get involved in making our goals become a reality.
Blessings in a Backpack
District 15 has more than 2,400 elementary students who rely on free or reduced-price school meals. For many of our students, weekend meals are not always available at home. To combat this gap, through Blessings in a Backpack, 700 students in need of food are sent home on Fridays with a backpack filled with nutritious food to help bridge the gap over the weekend. The Foundation has set a goal of raising $7,000 to expand this offering to an additional 50 students. You are able to sponsor a child for $140.00.
Flexible Seating in School Libraries
If you step into one of our school libraries, they don’t look very different than they did 20 or 30 years ago. Despite the ways in which our library staff have tried to make the spaces child-friendly and inviting, heavy tables, static rows of bookshelves and large wooden chairs are what furnish most of District 15’s library spaces. But in the year 2020, libraries are not just used for just checking out books anymore. Libraries or library resource centers (LRC) are the learning hubs of schools, utilized for everything from read alouds, research, STEM activities, clubs and guest speakers to name a few. The furniture in these spaces was not intended for the creative and collaborative activities taking place in these shared spaces today. Flexible, modern furniture would allow these spaces to be used more effectively, and help increase student engagement and outcomes through increased collaboration.
The Foundation has set an aspirational goal of raising $190,000 to modernize an area within each of our 19 school libraries, so they can truly start to become 21st century learning spaces.
50/50 Raffle Tickets On Sale Now!
The Foundation has a goal to raise more than $200,000 over the next three years to fund these projects, but we can’t do it without your help!
Tickets for the Foundation’s annual 50/50 Raffle are available to purchase through 9 a.m. on Tuesday, March 17 -- will St. Patrick’s Day be your lucky day to win some “green” cash?
Each ticket costs $100, and we hope you’ll consider purchasing one (or more!) to help further the Foundation’s work and potentially win the prize money that can be used toward anything you wish (it does not have to be spent on educational costs as it did last year). The more tickets that are sold, the larger your winnings will be, up to a maximum of $30,000 in prize money.
Helping students succeed is the heart of what we do in District 15, and the Foundation’s annual goals are perfectly aligned to do just that. Let’s rally together to sell all 600 raffle tickets to help fund these initiatives. Get in on the 50/50 Raffle today!
Thank you for your continued partnership and support. Together, the sky's the limit on what we can do for our students, our school and our community.
Superintendent of Schools
Email: heinzl@ccsd15.net
Website: www.ccsd15.net
Phone: 847-963-3000
Twitter: @DrLaurieHeinz