Dear District 41 Community,

I am honored to invite every member of the District 41 community to attend a special program on Wednesday, January 30, 6:30 p.m. at Hadley Junior High. District 41 has engaged an inclusion expert for two school years and we are making some really important shifts in education and how we support students with special needs. It is my hope that on January 30 we can continue to spread this inclusion mindset beyond District 41 and into the communities we serve.

We will be having a special screening of the amazing film ‘Intelligent Lives’ and then International Inclusion Expert Dr. Julie Causton will lead the community through a conversation about the film and how it relates to all of us. Watch the trailer for this film below, or click here.

All community members are invited as we learn about how all lives can be shaped and supported regardless of any disability. This film takes us through the lives of three incredible people who are living amazing lives because of their own potential and the people who have lifted them up throughout their lives.

I have seen this film and I know it will personally impact everyone who views it. I hope you will join us on January 30!

Dr. Paul Gordon

Superintendent

District 41 schools are closed on Monday, January 21 for Institute Day. See the 2018-19 School Calendar here

Engage Board of Education members in conversation on Tuesday, January 15 starting at 6:30 p.m. at Abraham Lincoln School. All members of the District 41 community are invited to this opportunity to engage with Board members. Save the date!

District 41 relies on parent feedback when planning for the future. Please share your thoughts through the annual 5Essentials survey. Click Here to take the survey!

Each school needs 20 percent of parents to participate in order to receive results reports. The current participation numbers for each school are listed below.

Abraham Lincoln - 122 completed - 22%

Benjamin Franklin - 75 completed - 14%

Church School - 105 Completed - 16%

Forest Glen - 112 completed - 17%

Hadley - 123 completed - 12%

Thank you to all who already took the time to complete the survey!

The 4th grade Accelerated and Enriched Curriculum class spoke recently with scientists who are now working in Antarctica. Via telephone, the students learned about daily life in the cold environment of Antarctica as well as the drilling and sediment analysis project on Lake Mercer.

The connection was made possible by the The Subglacial Antarctic Lakes Scientific Access (SALSA) project. SALSA is supported by the National Science Foundation and aims to uncover new knowledge that will lead to theories about possible life on ice crusted planets in the universe. Students had their questions answered by three scientists working near the South Pole, one of whom is teacher Ms. Laura Lee's own brother John Winans. Mr. Winans is an engineer and lead programmer for the project and a Benjamin Franklin School/Hadley alum!

Thank you to the SALSA project for providing this opportunity for the students at Forest Glen!