North Cook ISC
December 2021 News Chat
A Message from Dr. Kevin Jauch
I just re-read my newsletter message from last December wishing a good riddance to 2020 and hoping for a better 2021. Optimistic, yes; prophetic, no! However, I just spent two days at IARSS’s Raising Student Achievement Conference (RSAC) in Schaumburg and am inspired by the amazing things that ARE being accomplished in education during these trying times!
Keynote speaker Chase Mielke reminded us of the tremendous impact caring educators can have on children just by listening to and loving them. The second day’s keynote speaker, Dr. Lionel Allen, doubled down on that message, sharing how profoundly important it is for our students of color to let them know that they are seen, respected, valued and loved.
In my first 20+ years as an administrator, I was known as a logical, data-driven, root cause analysis kind of guy. As a veteran leader, from my perspective as your Regional Superintendent, I see how the power and efficacy of connecting, caring, and loving each and every child is the foundation for all we are trying to accomplish in education.
I am so grateful for all of you who are sticking it out, trying your best and coming in to work everyday to serve your students. You are inspiring, and I am so proud of you! Keep it up, hang in there, and know that you are loved.
kjauch@ncisc.org / 847.824.8300
IN THIS ISSUE
Post-Holiday AA's, Educator Workshops & More
Special Event February 9 - Catlin Tucker: Metacognition
Collaborative Series: Safe Place to Discuss, Question, Share & Learn
FoodFinder App for Struggling Families
NCYAA Receives STEM Grant
Last Call to Register for Spelling Bee
Administrator Academies
- January 10 - Teacher Evaluator Competency Skill Building for Pre-Qualified Teacher Evaluators (AA-1451) • ZOOM SESSION
- January 14 - Creating a Trauma Informed School Culture (AA-3704) • ZOOM SESSION
- January 20 & 21 - Illinois Performance Evaluation: Initial Principal Evaluation Training (AA-2000) • ZOOM SESSION
- February 3 & 4 - Illinois Performance Evaluation: Teacher Evaluation Training (AA-2001) • ZOOM SESSION
- February 7 - Gathering Evidence During Observations and Conferencing Using the Danielson Model, Teacher Evaluator Professional Practice Retraining Academy (AA-1801) • ZOOM SESSION
- February 10 - Teacher and Administrator Evaluator Retraining: Student Growth (AA-3000) • ZOOM SESSION
- February 15 - School Finance Made Easy for Every Administrator (AA-881) • ZOOM SESSION
- February 22 - Principal Evaluator Competency Skill Building, Retraining (AA-1865) • IN-PERSON
There's more! See our complete list of Administrator Academies.
Educator Workshops • Informational Meetings via ZOOM
January 26
Flip Assessment with Flipgrid with Eric Santos - LTC Illinois
3:30-5:00 pmFebruary 7
Google Sheets 101 with Eric Santos - LTC Illinois
3:30-5:00 pm
SPECIAL EVENT • Dr. Catlin Tucker • METACOGNITION
This 1.5 hour Zoom session will focus on technology-infused strategies that teachers can use to help students develop their metacognitive skills so they can be more active and engaged learners. LEARN MORE or REGISTER NOW. This event is provided through a partnership with ILASCD, the Illinois Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
NCISC Collaborative Meetings - Join Us!
The various free, collaborative series offer ongoing support to district leaders and foster a safe place for discussion, questions, and sharing of ideas to enhance the climate and services within our North Cook school districts. Currently, North Cook ISC facilitates Curriculum & Instruction, Student Services, and Building & Grounds collaborative group meetings. Check meeting dates and times and email Dr. April D. Jordan for Zoom links to attend sessions and receive meeting agendas (ajordan@ncisc.org).
Guest Speakers
Recent special guests include Ming Shelby (speaker, podcaster, and administrator in Batavia School District 101) and Saehan Park, Area Program Advisor for the Illinois Elevating Special Educators Network Grant.
Ming Shelby posed the simple question, "What does courage look like in a school leader?"
At our Curriculum & Instruction collaborative meeting in December, we pondered this question and reflected on positive psychology's assertion that when we see others being courageous, we too can be courageous (David McCullough). In other words, when we build trust as leaders, teams follow our lead. Together, we co-process and co-regulate the world around us by way of activating mirror neurons (Caroline Leaf, PhD.). Be who you want those around you to be! Check Ming's podcast, Courage Up.
Saehan Park shared resources with Student Services leaders that districts can tap into via the Illinois Elevating Special Educators Network (IESE). The IESE Network is a five-year, federally funded statewide personnel development grant that provides district support, professional learning, new special education teacher mentoring, and parent education for Illinois districts.
Primary Objectives (IESE One Page Summary)
Register for IESE Special Education Mentoring Sessions (topics and dates found here)
CONTACT Saehan Park shpark@iesanetwork.net to bring free support to your district or school.
Ming Shelby
Saehan Park
IESE Mentoring Sessions
2022 • Collaborative Series • HYFLEX Networking
February 1 • Curriculum & Instruction • 8:30-10:30 am
February 10 • Buildings & Grounds • 1:00-2:30 pm
February 17 • Student Services • 1:00-3:00 pm
Email Assistant Regional Superintendent, Dr. April D. Jordan, to be added to our email groups or receive agendas and meeting Zoom links: ajordan@ncisc.org.
NEW Technology Workshops
Zoom Sessions 3:30 - 5:00 pm
Presented by Eric Santos, LTC Illinois
Flip Assessment with Flipgrid
Google Sheets 101
Game Design
Google's Secret Menu
LEARN MORE or REGISTER
FoodFinder App
FoodFinder App Available to Assist Food Insecure Families
As the holidays approach, we are not only reminded of the joy this time of year brings to many families, but also the stress it can bring for families struggling to put food on the table.
FoodFinder has partnered with the University of Illinois Extension SNAP-Ed program to create Find Food IL, an Illinois-specific food resource tool. Families can use the Find Food IL map to find local places offering free food or meals, stores and markets that accept SNAP/LINK or WIC coupons, and the closest Illinois Department of Human Services or WIC office.
NCYAA Receives STEM grant
North Cook Young Adult Academy teachers Catherine Finn (math) and Ngoc Nguyen (science) received a $4,987 STEM grant from the Toshiba America Foundation. These funds will support math and science classes in establishing a STEM curriculum, particularly for middle school students. With the grant, NCYAA students will have the opportunity to become more innovative in their learning, with real-world applications that help develop 21st century skill sets.
Toshiba America Foundation’s (TAF) grants fund projects designed by individual classroom teachers who can change the way they teach STEM subjects because the grant supports equipment for hands-on experiments and inquiry-based approaches to the curriculum. TAF grants provide teachers with the tools they need to be more effective educators and make the classroom a more exciting place for both teachers and students.
2021 Scripps National Spelling Bee
When is the last time you used the word impecunious, opprobrious, sternutation or vicissitudes in a sentence? Do you know their meaning? Can you S-P-E-L-L them?!
These are just a few of the 4,000 challenging 2022 Scripps National Spelling Bee Words of the Champions...for 3rd to 8th graders! If you haven't already, now is the time to Enroll Your School for this year's Scripps National Spelling Bee before the December 31st deadline. See flyer for more information.
HS District 207 Renovations
Following passage of a $195 million bond issue in 2018 and an additional $45.7 million from reserve funds, Maine Township High School District 207 is in the middle of a large-scale renovation and improvement of its three high schools. Updated plumbing, electrical and mechanical systems and renovated classrooms throughout the schools are part of the project.
Read about Students Benefiting from New Spaces in the Maine Township High School District 207 newsletter.
Wheeling District 21 Board President Receives Prestigious Thomas Burroughs Award
CCSD21 School Board President Phil Pritzker was recently named the 2021 recipient of the Illinois State Board of Education Thomas Lay Burroughs Award. The award is presented annually to an outstanding member of a school board in Illinois. Awardees display "extraordinary leadership on behalf of education at the local level" and exhibit characteristics like "consensus building and teamwork, and individual traits (like) vision, courage, integrity."
The Burroughs award was created in 1991 in memory of late ISBE Chairman Tom Burroughs and is presented each November at a conference hosted jointly by the Illinois Association of School Boards (IASB), the Illinois Association of School Administrators (IASA), and the Illinois Association of School Business Officials (IASBO).
We're Open to Serve You
In accordance with State mandates, when visiting our office, masks must be worn at all times except while eating or drinking. You can also contact us by phone or email. For information about specific departments see our Contact Info.
North Cook Intermediate Service Center
CLOSED:
December 20-January 2 • Holiday Break
January 17 • Martin Luther King Day
Email: newsletter@ncisc.org
Website: www.ncisc.org
Location: 1001 E. Touhy Av. Suite 200, Des Plaines, IL, USA
Phone: 847-824-8300