CCSD15 Staff Newsletter
December 5, 2019
Hour of Code week is December 9-13
Don’t forget the Hour of Code week is December 9-13! The Hour of Code is a global movement by Computer Science Education Week and Code.org reaching tens of millions of students in 180+ countries through a one-hour introduction to computer science and computer programming.
Set aside some time throughout the week to have students code. Share your events on Twitter by using the hashtag #D15Learns and tag @D15Schools. Take photos of your class coding and email them to your Instructional Technology Coordinator. Make sure to include your school and grade level in the email.
Students can access Hour of Code resources in the “Quick Links” folder (located in their bookmarks bar). For questions or assistance with your event, contact your school's Instructional Technology Coordinator.
REMINDER: ESPA Substitute Teacher Licensure Training Date
Please see the flyer on Substitute Teacher Training for ESPA members being held on January 21. Online registration is required for this event. If you have any questions, please contact Chanell Lopez in Human Resources.
Share your positive school news!
If your event has already passed, please send a brief description and photos to Morgan Delack via email.
Thanks for partnering with us to share the great things happening in District 15!
D15 Standout Staff: Valerie Reed!
Valerie is a sign language interpreter at Virginia Lake and was nominated by Brooke Held.
"Valerie is such an example of life long learning and has a heartfelt compassion for kids. While Val is assigned to work with one specific child, she supports all students. She takes a positive interest in every student in my class, has a kind listening ear, and offers academic and language support for all. Whenever she isn't servicing her student directly, she spends her "free time" learning our upcoming curriculum and practicing how to sign for future lessons. Also, out of the goodness of her heart, she has started a sign language group for students interested during recess. Val is a great support to myself as a teacher, and her passion for education is an incredible inspiration to both teachers and students. VL is lucky to have her!" —Brooke Held
Congratulations, Valerie!
Winter footwear for safety
We’ve all heard it before ... wear sensible footwear while outside in the winter season.
But sadly, too many of us don’t heed this advice until it’s too late—until we’ve fallen and suffered a painful and perhaps disabling injury.
Decide to make the safe choice:
1. Wear footwear with flat, rubber soles. An aggressive tread design is even better.
2. Be mindful not to carry too much and to do the Penguin Shuffle.
3. Consider the best shoes to wear inside too, due to how snow tends to track inside.
It’s all about personal safety and making sure you remain injury free in order to keep doing what you’re so valued and appreciated for—being part of our working team!
Thanks for thinking SAFETY, every day and in every way.
Winter Weather Protocols
As we enter the winter season, we want to remind staff of the district’s emergency closing protocol. The school district takes the responsibility of deciding to close schools very seriously, and will only close in the event of extremely inclement weather.
If school is canceled, that decision is made by 5 a.m. You will be notified of the closure in a variety of ways:
Phone, Text, and Email—District 15 will send a message to all parents and staff through a voice call, text message and email. Staff: If you want to receive text messages from the district, you must log into Skyward and edit your contact information to reflect your mobile number in the "phone 2" field. If you have trouble accessing Skyward, please contact Lucy Gazda in Data Services.
Website—If classes are canceled due to inclement weather, an announcement will be posted on ccsd15.net and all of our school websites.
Social Media—School closures will be posted on the district’s Facebook and Twitter pages.
Radio and TV—Should a snow day be called, District 15 will inform television and radio stations.
For more information on emergency school closures and severe cold response plans, please visit our website.
Teacher Professional Development Requirement
ISBE Assessment System Feedback Survey
The Illinois Association of Regional State Superintendents, as well as several other invested educational organizations, have been working with ISBE to work on improving the state's current assessment system. To that end, staff members are encouraged to participate in ISBE's Assessment System Feedback Survey, which is available on ISBE's website.
The survey is for any professional educator from paraprofessional to superintendent, and it will remain open until December 6.
Thank you for your efforts to improve our students' educational system!
Morgan Delack
Email: delackm@ccsd15.net
Website: www.ccsd15.net
Location: 580 North 1st Bank Drive, Palatine, IL, USA
Phone: 847-963-3204
Facebook: facebook.com/CCSD15
Twitter: @D15Schools