The City of Elmhurst’s Commission on Youth honored young volunteers at its annual Exemplary Youth Service Awards program held Wednesday, April 18, at Sandburg Middle School in front of a packed house. Ken Bartels served as Master of Ceremonies. District 205 Superintendent Dr. David Moyer and Elmhurst Mayor Steve Morley welcomed the honorees and their families.

The Exemplary Youth Service Awards program recognizes individuals who have demonstrated at least one of the following criteria through volunteer service: the level of involvement should demonstrate an exemplary commitment; the service must contribute to the health and well–being of a worthy individual or group or the community at large; the service should help promote the spirit of volunteerism.

The 83 honorees ranged in age from elementary through high school. Nine groups and 18 individuals were nominated for this year’s awards. Serving as distinguished judges were Elmhurst Police Deputy Chief Michael McLean, Deputy Fire Chief Bill Anaszewiczand Alderman Marti Deuter.Speakers for the evening included Exemplary Youth Service Award recipients from Kartwheels for Kids, a group of five York High School students who have been volunteering and fundraising together since they were fifth graders.

Other Exemplary Youth Service Award recipients included an elementary group known as the Sweet Treats and the following individuals: from Churchville Middle School – Jackie Cimino and Cayliann Gillie and from York High School – Sean Hayes, Dani Kolosiekeand Samantha Uditsky.

The program will air on Uverse Channel 99 and Comcast Channel 6 next month and will also be available for viewing at www.ElmhurstTV.com. The program is linked below.

Youth Commissioners include: Jackie Tamer (Chair), Kim Brigman, Jan DeCoursey, Sharon Karpiel, Marisa Mancini, Patricia McKernan, Bob Rasho, Derek Schlager, Mark Soehn, Ann Zimmer, Dan Corrigan, Nick Waldenmeyer, Melea Smith and Alderman Dannee Polomsky.

Exemplary Youth Service Award winners Kartwheels for Kids

Exemplary Youth Service Award winners Sweet Treats

On Tuesday, April 24, at the D205 Board of Education meeting, there will be a presentation by architects Wight & Company, which will highlight various facility options, overlaid with findings from Focus 205. The meeting begins at 7:30 PM at the District 205 Administrative Center, 162 S. York. All community members are welcomed to attend. As a reminder, the new boundary report was presented by Cropper GIS at the April 10 meeting. To view other related presentations delivered to the Board over the last few months, please visit www.elmhurst205.org/masterfacilityplan.

There will be multiple opportunities to participate in Future Focused community meetings during the Master Facility Plan process. Please make an effort to attend one of these meetings so you are informed about proposed changes that may affect you.

• Saturday, May 12, 9:30 – 11:30 am, York High School
• Monday, May 14, 7 – 9 pm, Churchville Middle School
• Wednesday, May 23, 7 – 9 pm, Bryan Middle School
• Wednesday, May 30, 7 – 9 pm, Sandburg Middle School 

Your feedback and participation throughout this entire process is important. Come join the conversation!
 

At Tuesday’s Board of Education meeting, the Board heard from three teachers and an instructional coach about how the infusion of technology via the District’s Mobile Learning Implementation has dramatically changed student engagement in their classrooms. They also provided teacher feedback samples on the topics of creativity, student-to-device ratios and device types.

A video created by the Communications Office demonstrated these new and exciting modes of learning and teaching. Assistant Superintendent of Innovation & Growth Dr. Mark Cohen noted that “these skills fit our concept of being future ready and future focused, allowing for collaboration in the digital space beyond the walls of the classroom.”
 

The tradition continues with this year’s seventh Top Pizza Taste of Elmhurst event on Thursday, April 26, from 5:30-8:00 PM in the York High Campbell (Green & White) Gym. Local area restaurants and pizzerias will showcase their traditional and specialty variety pizza pies. The $10 entrance fee allows attendees to taste the variety of vendor offerings and vote for their favorites in a variety of categories. Past winners participating this year include Bacci, DiLeo, Fratello, Gulliver, Lou Malnati, Mama Maria and Roberto's. Newcomers include Aurelio's and Rosati's.

This is a great community fundraising event that allows families and friends to enjoy dinner and taste pizzas that are both familiar and new. For those families trying to juggle the Celebration of Learning night, it’s a great way to grab dinner before or after. Please note that the time has been extended to 8 PM so that you can continue the celebration.

Proceeds benefit District 205 Foundation programs that enhance education for our  EC-12 schools. For more information and to purchase entrance fee ahead so you do not need to wait in line, click HERE.

The Elmhurst Community Unit School District 205 Summer Music Program offers an exciting opportunity for all current 4th - 8th grade band and orchestra students and all current 6th - 8th grade choir students to continue practicing in an ensemble during the summer. Consistent, regular practice during the summer helps students to retain and reinforce concepts and skills that they have learned during the school year and helps them continue to learn and grow as young musicians.

• Summer Band and Orchestra for current elementary students will run June 4 through June 29 at Sandburg Middle School. Rehearsals will be held Monday through Friday mornings. Each rehearsal is one hour. The final performances will be on Friday morning, June 29 at Sandburg Middle School.
• Summer Band, Orchestra, and Choir for current middle school students will run June 4 – July 6 at York High School from 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. Band and Orchestra rehearsals will be held on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. Choir rehearsals will be held on Monday and Wednesday evenings. There will be no rehearsals on July 3rd and 4th. The final performance will be on Friday, July 6 at York High School.
• The registration fee for all levels is $92.00. The fee includes a Summer Music Program T shirt.
• Middle School Summer Band and Orchestra students may also participate in Jazz Band at no additional cost.
• Middle school students who register for summer band or orchestra may also enroll in choir at no additional cost.

The Dist. 205 Summer Music Program welcomes students who will be on vacation for some rehearsals and/or participate in other summer activities. Students who can only attend part of the summer program are still strongly encouraged to register and attend as often as they can! Students who practice during the summer are much more likely to experience continued success in band, orchestra, and choir. We strongly encourage your child to participate as much as they are able!

Please see the attached summer music program description for more detailed course information, rehearsal times, and registration options. If you have questions, please contact Brian Berg (bberg@elmhurst205.org) or your child's band or orchestra director.

Registration for the Dist. 205 Summer Music Program will open on Monday, March 19, 2018. You may register for the summer music program by using the Webstore at this link. The deadline for registration is Friday, May 4, 2018.

What is a PLC? In District 205, PLCs play an important role in promoting student growth and building the capacity of our teachers. But what is a PLC and what is its function?

PLC stands for Professional Learning Community. PLCs are designed to ensure high levels of teacher collaboration focused on student learning. They can take many forms. Examples include ensuring that teachers of the same grade level or subject area, as well as instructional coaches, special education teachers and support staff, have time to analyze assessment data, share best practices for success, and plan for future learning.

PLC groups meeting during student late arrival days, institute days and also during the school day at various times throughout the week.

Watch the video below, and let our teachers show you how PLCs are utilized in D205 schools.