Leyden Pride Newsletter
May 21, 2021
West Leyden hosts community COVID-19 vaccine Clinic
The Pfizer vaccine, currently being administered at a clinic hosted by West Leyden, has been approved for users 12 years and older. This is great news, as our schools are working diligently to get students back to full, in-person learning by the start of the 2021-22 school year. Vaccination is an important part of the process.
West Leyden, in partnership with the Cook County Health Department, continues to host a six-week COVID-19 vaccination clinic. The vaccines will be administered free-of-charge, and please note, for those under the age of 18 years old, a parent or guardian will need to be present at the time of the vaccination.
The clinic hours have been adjusted to offer more availability during evening hours and will now be open 10:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday. The clinic will provide 400 daily doses for members of our communities. Appointments are recommended, however walk-up requests will be accommodated as well. The clinic is being managed by the U.S. National Guard.
We encourage Leyden families and students who are eligible to consider signing up for the vaccine by utilizing the unique link and phone number (312-864-0591). There is no requirement for students to receive the vaccine in order to attend school, now or in the fall. However, we believe that the more students who are vaccinated, the better our ability to hold in-person classes and return to a general normalcy next school year. In addition, another benefit to being vaccinated is that if/when a student is identified through contract tracing as needing to quarantine, they will not have to and may continue attending school as long as they are asymptomatic.
Leyden celebrates Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
Leyden celebrates Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
Hey #leydenpride! Here are a few ways to celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islanders Heritage Month. LINK: U.S. Department of EducationMeal boxes are free all summer
All kids are eligible for free meal boxes this summer, available for pickup every Wednesday, either a.m. or p.m. These meal boxes are delicious, nutritious and help to stretch your family’s food budget. In addition, by accepting meal boxes, families are helping to sustain jobs and the local economy. There are plenty of meal boxes for all students. Please scan the QR code to select your pickup dates and times:
New Assistant Principal named at West Leyden
Meghan O'Neil has been named the new Assistant Principal for Teaching and Learning at West Leyden High School. She currently serves as the special education department chair, since being hired at Leyden in 2019. Prior to that, O’Neil taught special education for five years at Lincoln-Way West. She earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Illinois in Business Administration and has a Masters in Special Education from Roosevelt University and a Masters in Educational Leadership from Concordia University.
Two students named Board of Education members
Two Leyden students were appointed to District 212’s Board of Education at a meeting held on May 13. The two seniors were sworn in as student representative members, continuing a tradition established in 2016. During the 2021-22 school year Daniel Lechuga of West Leyden and Izabella Laniewski of East Leyden will represent other students by gathering feedback from their classmates and presenting that information to board members.
Students are nominated for the position by staff members who review the students’ school involvement and contributions. Although the student members take the same oath of office as regular school board members, they do not vote on school board matters or attend closed sessions.
“Student board members have a standing agenda item every month for their reports,” says Superintendent Nick Polyak. “They bring forward thoughts and concerns from their classmates, and also share some of the great things happening in their buildings and communities. Examples of input from students would be potential upgrades in the facilities, requests for new or different courses.”
Lechuga was inspired to be a student on the Board of Education since starting at Leyden in 2018. “I remember attending a meeting my Freshman year and I saw that there were two Leyden students that were members on the board and I was curious as to why they were sitting there,” said Lechugan. “Fast forward two years and I was nominated for the position. I was delighted and honored to accept the position. As a person who is passionate about student involvement, I hope to create a closer bridge between the voice of the student body and the Leyden Board of Education.”
Applause! Applause! Student, Faculty, Staff and Graduate Accomplishments
Students
West Leyden student Cassandra Diaz and East Leyden student Melissa Serrano have been chosen as Golden Apple Scholars. They receive these scholarships as exceptional students who aspire to be teachers in Illinois. In return for a commitment to serve for five years in Illinois schools in need, they each receive academic support throughout college, tuition assistance, first-hand classroom experiences, job placement assistance, and mentoring in their first years of teaching.
The following students were winners in the West Leyden Poetry Contest: Karen Reyes, Carmella Knop, Makayala Ramos, Carlee Rodriguez, Victor Alvizo, Julian Covarrubias, Citlalic Nevar and Hector Cisneros.
Congratulations to Becky Colmenares on committing to play basketball at Concordia next year.
Congratulations to Yazmin Aguilar, Jenna Batson and Natalia Owczarek who will be heading to Aurora University to bowl next year.
In early May, Leyden celebrated seven remarkable Eagles as they graduated from our BRIDGE program. The BRIDGE program provides students with educational opportunities to learn and apply their academic skills to real-life situations. During the ceremony, students spoke individually of the challenges they faced, and how they managed to overcome these obstacles thanks to their teacher’s guidance and dedication. Congratulations, Class of 2021!
During the week of May 12, Leyden held a White Coats And Scales ceremony. Students who complete District 212's Certified Nurse Assistant program receive their official white coats.The program is conducted in partnership with Triton College. Congratulations, Eagles!
In the News
Community News
The 6th Annual Leyden Student Summit is a two-day event for incoming 3rd-8th graders. Participants will rotate to different workshops and get hands-on experience in art, film production, coding, robotics, digital electronics, video editing, culinary arts and much, much more. Breakout sessions are led by Leyden teachers and students who are experts in their designated area. Spots are limited and this event will sell out, so please register today.
Dates: June 10-11, 2021
Time: 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Location: East Leyden High School (3400 Rose St. Franklin Park)
Registration Fee: $15 - MySchoolBucks Registration Link *Registration closes June 7th.
Workshops are designed for 3rd-8th graders.
The Unity in Community organization hosts FUNdraiser event
About Us
Email: pr@leyden212.org
Website: www.leyden212.org
Location: 3400 Rose Street, Franklin Park, IL, USA
Phone: 847-451-3000
Facebook: facebook.com/leydenpride212
Twitter: @leydenpride212