August 15, 2022

Welcome Back District 15 Families!

The final days of summer are upon us -- a bittersweet time for educators and students alike! I hope you and your family have had a fun-filled summer and are looking forward to the start of the upcoming school year. The teachers are hard at work during Institute Days. These days allow time for staff to engage in training designed to support their use of new curricular resources this year. Over the next two days, they will also spend time with building leaders to get their school year off on a positive and student-focused note.

Here’s to an amazing year!

Looking forward to continuing our partnership,

Laurie Heinz, Superintendent of Schools

As we’ve shared in previous communications, our first through eighth graders will kick-off their school year on Wednesday, August 17. The first day will be an AM half day for students. Our pre-K and Kindergarteners begin their year on Thursday, August 18. Their first day will be a full day.

Elementary families are welcome to Meet the Teacher on Tuesday, August 16th from 1:30-2:30 pm.

During this time students meet their teacher and classmates, are able to drop off school supplies, and check out their new classroom! They will be thrilled to see the warm and inviting learning environment their teachers have created, spaces that will only get warmer once students return to school.

Junior High Walk Your Schedule will also be held on Tuesday, August 16th from 12:45 - 1:15 pm. This event allows everyone, especially seventh graders, the opportunity to ease into the first day jitters around being able to open their locker and navigate their schedule.

If they haven’t already done so, principals will share any building-specific updates with their parent/guardian community.

Members of my Moving 15 Forward team and I provided the Board of Education with an update to the final iteration of the Moving 15 Forward plan on Thursday evening. The Board unanimously approved the adoption of the plan and directed me to place a ballot measure/referendum question on the November 8, 2022 ballot.

To learn more about Moving 15 Forward, please visit our website.

You can watch/re-watch Board meetings via the livestream to our Youtube channel.

Every year our custodial staff works hard to get our schools ready for the return of students. Beyond being deeply cleaned, we are returning to a pre-COVID classroom set-up. Children will be excited to see some new mascot/school-spirit inspired designs around the building. Please enjoy this brief summer construction video so you can see some of the work accomplished across the district this summer.

Our staff have again been very intentional about the importance of welcoming students back with an even greater level of warmth and enthusiasm due to the intensity of another less-than-typical school year last year. We certainly hope the impact of COVID on our day-to-day operations is behind us.

Please see the following update regarding our plans for the start of the school year as it relates to COVID protocols.

SAFE2HELP is a new resource available to students in Illinois. District 15 has added Safe2Help to our website and student computers for easy access, should a student wish to utilize this tool. SAFE2HELP is a resource provided in addition to our Bullying Tip Line.

Safe2Help Illinois is a 24/7 program where students can use a free app, text/phone, website (Safe2HelpIllinois.com), and other social media platforms to report school safety issues in a confidential environment. Once vetted, the tips will immediately be shared with local school officials, mental health professionals, and/or local law enforcement, depending on the nature of the tip. The program also will help local officials by connecting them with mental health resources or other appropriate resources to intervene and help students before they harm themselves or others.

Although our staff works hard to build rapport and connection with all of their students, Safe2HELP is available in the absence of a trusted adult being present/available, and offers students a safe, confidential way in which to share information that might help prevent suicides, bullying, school violence, or other threats to school safety. This program is not intended to suspend, expel, or punish students. Rather, the goal is to get students to 'Seek Help Before Harm.'”

To learn more about Safe2Help IL, click here.

The Board of Education meets monthly at Walter R. Sundling located at 1100 N. Smith Street in Palatine. Regular Board of Education meetings begin at 7:00 pm. Dates for remaining meetings during the 2022-23 school year are as follows:

• Wednesday, September 14, 2022

• Wednesday, October 19, 2022

• Wednesday, November 9, 2022

• Wednesday, December 14, 2022

Board of Education Meeting Date January - June 2023

• Wednesday, January 18, 2023 (School resumes January 9th after Winter Break)

• Wednesday, February 8, 2023

• Wednesday, March 8, 2023

• Wednesday, April 12, 2023 (*Board election is April 4th) (An organizational meeting will be held post-election at the regular meeting of the Board in April.)

• Wednesday, May 10, 2023 (*Retirement Reception: Wednesday, May 10, 5:30 p.m.)

• Wednesday, June 14, 2023

District 15 has partnered with our friends at Spunky Dunkers for a sweet treat! Pop into Spunky’s for a limited edition District 15 School Donut! Once you do, take a picture, post it, and tag District 15 and Spunky Dunkers in your post! Spunky’s will select 10 random winners to receive a dozen donuts for free! Spunky Dunkers will have these donuts available this Wednesday through Sunday, August 21st!

Despite staffing shortages impacting hiring staff for many key positions in schools, we are thrilled to welcome 120 new staff to the District this year! District 15 is still hiring bus drivers, program assistants, and substitute teachers, along with a few other positions. If you or someone you know is interested in applying to join the D15 team, please visit our website!

We are very excited to welcome cultural exchange teachers from Colombia, Spain, and Argentina! If anyone has any furniture items (bed, couch, table, chairs, etc.) in good condition that they would be willing to donate, please send an email to urbanskr@ccsd15.net.

Thank you for your consideration and for welcoming them not only to D15, but to the USA!

August

• Wednesday, August 17 - First Day of School for Grades 1-8 (half day AM only)

• Thursday, August 18 - First Day of School for Preschool & Kindergarten

September

• Monday, September 5 - No School, Labor Day Observed

• Wednesday, August 14 - Board of Education meeting

To view the full 2022-23 school calendar, click here.