The Board of Education understands the importance of formal and informal engagement with the community and are committed to broadening the opportunities for two-way communication. If you belong to a group or organization, please invite the Board to engage with your membership about District 41. Board members are looking for opportunities to attend meetings, neighborhood gatherings, or simply meet for coffee with a small group. To invite Board members to an engagement opportunity, please contact Chief Communications Officer Erika Krehbiel at ekrehbiel@d41.org.

District 41 Director of Language Programs Juan Suarez presented to the Rotary Club of Glen Ellyn last week about the language programs offered across the district. He shared details about the District 41 Dual Language Program as well as the Foreign Language in Elementary Schools (FLES) program. The Rotarians were most surprised to learn that District 41 offers a half hour of Spanish every day to elementary students starting in first grade. Thank you to Mr. Suarez for representing District 41 at the Rotary Club.

Benjamin Franklin School students are focusing on giving back this Valentine's Day. Instead of hosting typical Valentine's Day parties in the classrooms, all students will be working on service projects as a way to spread love to others.

4th-5th graders will be making and filling birthday bags for the People's Resource Center. Students are collecting elementary level book donations to include in the bags and the PTA will also be providing small items for the bags, like boxes of crayons.

2nd-3rd graders will be customizing composite bags for Meals on Wheels.

Kindergarten-1st graders will be making birthday cards for the DuPage Senior Citizens Council.

All students will also be making a kindness/inspirational bookmark for a fellow Ben Franklin student, which will be distributed with the One Author, One School Books this spring.

Way to go, Franklin students! Thank you to the PTA for planning and supporting these service projects.