IPSD 204 News Feed

Message from the Superintendent

7/1/2009 9:19:00 AM

Dear Indian Prairie Community,

As someone who has spent the past 30 years working in Indian Prairie, I have come to truly love our community and I am humbled by the opportunity to serve as your superintendent. In each of my roles over the past three decades -- teacher, assistant principal, principal, and deputy superintendent, I have been fortunate to witness an incredible level of parent involvement and I have always appreciated how deeply our community cares about our children and their education. I truly believe it is one of our greatest strengths. Now is the time for our district to build on that strength as we move forward.

As superintendent, I will focus on student achievement, finances, and communication. There are questions in these areas that need to be asked. How can we make sure each student achieves to the best of his or her ability? With a volatile economy, how can we continue to deliver an outstanding, cost-effective education for our students? I am fortunate to be able to call on wonderful administrators, teachers, support staff, and community members to help me address these areas. Collectively, we will continue to prioritize doing what is best for our students.

In the area of communications, I plan to provide you with regular updates through 204 E-News. As a way of increasing the transparency of our work, at the end of August we will launch a new online area of our website called BoardDocs. I'll bring you more information on that topic later this summer.

I recognize that we have dealt with some difficult and controversial issues in the past few years. I hope that we, as a community, can come together and move forward. I am counting on your support as we all work on behalf of our most important investment -- our children.

Sincerely,
Kathy Birkett
Superintendent

New Online Bus Route Info Available Aug. 15

6/18/2009 12:19:00 PM

Parents will have a new way to access student bus route information this year. Starting August 15, parents will be able to visit the district's website and type in their home address to access bus route information. The district is launching this new user-friendly system to provide more accurate information that can be easily updated for parents. The district will also continue to post bus routes at school buildings beginning August 15.

Two other changes are also planned this year. All middle and high school students will be required to show their student ID before boarding the bus and all kindergarten through eighth grade students will have assigned seats on the bus. Students will select their own seats once school begins and can change seats at the semester. These changes are being made to assist with student safety and management on the buses.

Board Names Next Superintendent

6/17/2009 8:13:00 AM

By unanimous agreement, the Indian Prairie School District 204 Board of Education named Kathryn Birkett as the next Superintendent of Schools beginning July 1.

Birkett has dedicated her career to District 204, beginning as a teacher at Waubonsie Valley High School in 1979. Over the next three decades, she moved up through the district, serving as Assistant Principal at Waubonsie Valley High School from 1987 to 1991 and principal of Steck Elementary School from 1991 to 1996. She opened Neuqua Valley High School in 1996, and served as the school's principal until 2004.

Birkett then went on to serve for three years as Assistant Superintendent for Secondary Education. In that role she assisted with the creation of the district's Frontier program for high school seniors earning dual college credit and followed up with a successful plan to increase enrollment in the program's second year. She also helped facilitate budget reductions to assist the district in maintaining a strong financial position.

Since 2007, Birkett has served as Deputy Superintendent, where she has been instrumental in overseeing preparations for opening Fischer Middle School and Metea Valley High School, including staffing, equipment purchasing, and facility planning. She also created an Education Team comprised of various departments to better facilitate on-going communication and goal-driven decisions, and helped draft and implement the Board of Education's ambitious targets and goals for the next few years.

"Kathy has the perfect blend of district knowledge and strong leadership skills that it will take to achieve District 204's aggressive goals for student excellence," notes Board President Curt Bradshaw.

The Board of Education examined all options for filling the superintendent's seat in a careful and thoughtful manner, including seeking the counsel of Dr. Bill Attea, Chairman of the Board of Hazard, Young, Attea and Associates, Ltd., the nation's largest executive search firm serving public school districts.

Attea gathered input from leaders of various parent and community groups, as well as district staff and the board to evaluate Birkett against an updated superintendent search criteria.

"Kathy is an excellent educator who would be a very competitive candidate in a national search," says Attea. "She has the additional advantage of knowing the district thoroughly, permitting her to address the board's agenda for improving student achievement on the day she starts." Attea also notes that Birkett had been recruited for the superintendent position in area districts during the past year, but had chosen to decline the offers because of her commitment to District 204.

"The board had many criteria on what we were looking for in the ideal candidate," said Board Member Dawn DeSart. "One important piece is that the candidate embrace the entire community. Kathy has done this quite successfully." DeSart notes that among many other local activities, Birkett has served as Vice Chairman of the Edward Hospital Board of Trustees, Chairman of the Linden Oaks Hospital Board, and as a Board member of Fry Family YMCA.

Birkett successfully defended her doctoral dissertation in Educational Administration from Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Illinois. She has a Master of Education Degree in Education Administration from Northern Illinois University and a Bachelor of Science in Physical Education and Recreation from Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, Kentucky.

The board will sign Birkett's three-year contract at its June 22 meeting. After the meeting, her contract will be posted online below this news item.

District 204 High Schools "Top in the Nation"

6/16/2009 3:45:00 PM

Neuqua Valley and Waubonsie Valley were included in Newsweek magazine's 1,500 Top U.S. High Schools in the Nation. Newsweek's list is a national ranking based on a formula that divides the number of Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate tests taken by students into the number of graduating seniors from approximately 27,000 of the nation's public high schools. According to Newsweek, this measurement places Neuqua Valley and Waubonsie Valley in the top 6 percent of schools in the country. This is the fifth time that Neuqua Valley has made the list and the third year in a row for Waubonsie Valley.

Indian Prairie offers 27 Advanced Placement courses that provide the opportunity for students to tackle college-level academics. Across the district, more than 2,300 AP tests were taken in 2008.

Points of Pride, 06.16.09

6/16/2009 3:43:00 PM

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Neuqua Valley to Perform at
Prestigious Midwest Clinic
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The Neuqua Valley High School Wind Ensemble is one of the groups selected from approximately 200 applicants from across the globe to present a concert at the 63rd Annual Midwest Clinic next December in Chicago. The Midwest Clinic is the largest instrumental music education conference in the world. It is regularly attended by 15,000 music educators, students, and professionals from thirty nations and all fifty states.

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Granger PTA Receives National
Recognition for Partnership Efforts
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Granger Middle School received a special recognition from the National Parent Teacher Association. The school was identified as one of only four schools in the state to receive the Hearst Family-School Partnership Award. The award recognizes PTAs whose collaborative efforts with parents, families, educators, and community members promote parent/family involvement in ongoing programs that support and encourage student success.

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Board President's Volunteer
Efforts Recognized
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Board of Education President Curt Bradshaw was recognized by Morgan Stanley for his volunteer efforts in 2008. Bradshaw achieved such distinction because he logged more than 1,000 hours of service to the district this past year.

There was a monetary award of $5,000 that accompanied the honor, which Bradshaw donated to the Indian Prairie Educational Foundation for its ongoing efforts to support educational enhancement opportunities for District 204 students.

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District 204's Publications
Receive National Awards
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Two district publications received honorable mention recognition in the National School Public Relations Association's 2009 publications contest. The winning publications were the all-day kindergarten booklet and the new middle school schedule booklet. Both were created to help the district communicate with parents about new program initiatives and were selected from among 698 contest entries this year.

Board Approves Superintendent Criteria

6/9/2009 9:23:00 AM

The Board of Education approved the desired criteria of its next superintendent at its June 8, 2009 meeting. Click the link below to view the approved criteria.

Message from the Superintendent

6/5/2009 3:21:00 PM

Much time has been spent this year related to the unfortunate incident involving three Gregory Middle School students that occurred off school grounds last November. This has been an emotional issue for our community and for the families involved. One of the students involved moved this past year and is now attending school in a neighboring district. The family of the remaining student accused in this incident has requested their child be transferred to another school. I am honoring that request for the benefit of all students involved and transferring the student to Still Middle School starting next year. The attendance area change will be for a minimum of two years.

Still Middle School's principal next year is a previous administrator from Gregory who is familiar to the student involved and her understanding of the situation will be of benefit during this transition. She will work with her team to continue to follow the school's comprehensive plan that addresses creating a safe and secure learning environment where all students can succeed.

With two new schools opening in the district next year, the Still school community will change. Many new students will walk through the school's doors for the first time. The new school community can be assured that Still Middle School will continue to be a place where students are cared for and encouraged to do their very best.

Sincerely,
Stephen Daeschner
Superintendent

Finance Committee Volunteers Needed

6/4/2009 2:59:00 PM

The Indian Prairie Citizen's Financial Advisory Committee (CFAC) is looking for community members interested in volunteering to participate on the committee. Two additional members are being sought at this time. The committee is seeking district residents that have expertise in the areas of facilities, healthcare, and marketing.

CFAC is a think-tank of business and financial professionals, charged with advising the District's administration. The committee's focus is to examine trends and decisions affecting district revenues and expenses, and identify ways the district can improve its financial health, with an emphasis on the district's approach to funding activities and programs, and investigate innovative or creative ways in which other school districts, educational institutions, governmental bodies or business institutions have improved financial efficiency and performance.

The committee meets a minimum of once per month in the evening with the Assistant Superintendent for Business. The Board of Education will regularly be updated on committee's work.

District residents interested in participating need to email a letter of interest, including background and experience by June 15, 2009 to: dave_holm@ipsd.org

Points of Pride, 06.03.09

6/3/2009 1:55:00 PM

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Award Recognizes
Physical Education Excellence
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Neuqua Valley High School Department Chair David Perry and his team of physical education teachers have earned their third consecutive "Blue Ribbon Award" from the Illinois Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance. This honor recognizes excellent physical education and health programs and distinguishes Neuqua Valley as having one of the top programs in the state of Illinois.

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Student Places Top 10 in
National Geography Bee
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Hill Middle School student Siva Gangavarapu placed in the Top 10 in the final round of the National Geographic Bee, which was held in Washington D.C. This is an enormous achievement as there were more than five million students who competed nationwide in this year's challenge. Siva advanced to the Nationals after being crowned the State Champion earlier in the spring.

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District Receives Outstanding
Special Olympics Award
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The Illinois Special Olympics has awarded Indian Prairie with the 2009 Outstanding Facility Award in recognition of the district's many years of support to Special Olympics activities.

Some of the areas of support for the Special Olympics program include Waubonsie Valley and Neuqua Valley High Schools serving as the site for the program's aquatics competitions for nearly 30 years, Waubonsie Valley serving as the host site for basketball tournaments from 1981 to 1986, Waubonsie Valley initiating the district's Peer Partners program in 1987 to promote collaboration between students with special needs and non-disabled students, and District 204 coaches routinely hosting peer conferences and training schools.

A delegation from the district will be on hand to receive the award as part of the State Summer Games on June 12-14 in Bloomington.

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Middle School Art at
North Central College
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Hill Middle School and North Central College's Education Department have established a partnership that has enabled 20 students to display a variety of photos and prints in the newly-renovated Meiley-Swallow Hall Art Gallery, 31 S. Ellsworth, Naperville. Meijer Foods donated the frames for the exhibit, which is open to the public and will run through June 30. The Gallery's hours are 8 am to 9 pm Monday through Thursday and 8 am to 5 pm on Saturdays.

Superintendent Search Update

6/2/2009 12:35:00 PM

The Indian Prairie School District 204 Board of Education met Monday, June 1, 2009, to discuss filling the vacancy left by Superintendent Stephen Daeschner, effective June 30.

The Board has engaged the services of Dr. Bill Attea of Hazard, Young, Attea and Associates, Ltd., to update the district's "Superintendent Search Criteria," which was initially developed by the community and board two years ago; and to assist the board in evaluating its options for its current superintendent search.

During the process, Dr. Attea will gather input from leaders of various parent and community groups, as well as district staff and the board.

Dr. Attea is Chairman of the Board of Hazard Young, Attea and Associates, Ltd., the nation's largest executive search firm serving public school districts. Dr. Attea is highly familiar with the District 204 community and personally conducted searches which led to the hiring of several past, successful Indian Prairie superintendents, including Dr. Scullen, Dr. McKinzie and Dr. Daeschner.

The District 204 board plans to consider all viable options before its seven members select a replacement for Dr. Daeschner.

"Finding the right superintendent to work collaboratively and productively with the board and community is critically important," said Curt Bradshaw, board president.

"We need to find someone who can move forward with our district's aggressive, yet attainable, targets and goals for student excellence and make the transition from one superintendent to another as seamless as possible."

Around the District: June

6/1/2009 2:48:00 PM

June, 2009 Edition

Meals for Many Helped Children in Need

Students from four high schools — Neuqua Valley, Waubonsie Valley, Naperville Central and Naperville North — worked together with the common goal of eradicating hunger. As part of the Meals for Many initiative, students partnered with Feeding Children International, which helps children in need in Cambodia and Zambia. The students raised money by staging a benefit concert at Community Christian Church, featuring bands from all four schools. They also held a bake sale, raffle and car wash and sold t-shirts. C.J., a sophomore at Neuqua Valley, said, “We’re trying to make a difference in the community and the world.” Jacob, a sophomore at Waubonsie Valley, said because of the student-led project, “We are helping people who don’t have anything.” The money students raised also helped pay for the transportation of the food, which students packaged in May at Waubonsie Valley and Naperville North.

As part of the Meals for Many initiative, students from four high schools raised money to help children in need. A band from Waubonsie Valley performed at a benefit concert held at Community Christian Church.

Talents Take Center Stage at Fine Arts Festival

Things heated up during a jewelry-making demonstration at the 23rd annual Fine Arts Festival when Neuqua Valley High School students in Carol Kinast’s Jewelry I and II classes fired up the blow torches to a scorching 1250 degrees. The festival, held at Neuqua Valley and Waubonsie Valley High Schools, was sponsored by the Indian Prairie Educational Foundation and featured the talents of K-12 Art, Music, Industrial Technology and Family and Consumer Science students from around the district. In the Neuqua Valley main gymnasium, enthusiastic audiences enjoyed band performances throughout the day, while the other half of the gym highlighted student artwork and demonstrations, such as pottery throwing and making beads for jewelry. Kinast said the jewelry program has grown in eight years from five students to five full classes. “The Fine Arts Festival is a nice day to reflect on the successes of the year, the connections we made and the students’ and teachers’ growth, because we learn from our students, too,” she said.

Students enrolled in jewelry classes at Neuqua Valley High School demonstrate how they make glass beads during the 23rd annual Fine Arts Festival.

Music to Their Ears

The stage at North Central College’s Wentz Concert Hall was filled with close to 150 orchestra students from Crone, Gregory and Scullen Middle Schools who performed with the Advent Chamber Orchestra. Music soared through the hall as the students practiced with the 14 professional musicians prior to the evening’s performance, titled “A Side-by-Side Concert.” The concert was the culminating activity of an artist-in-residence grant, sponsored by the Indian Prairie Educational Foundation. For the past two months, members of the Advent Chamber Orchestra led workshops and lessons at the three middle schools. Although seventh-grader Mynah said it was intimidating at first to perform with the professionals, “You realize they share the same passion for music as you do.” Lori Lauff, orchestra teacher at Scullen Middle School, said performing at the Wentz Concert Hall was an outstanding experience. “The students are used to performing in a middle school gymnasium, so playing in this beautiful hall with professionals is amazing.”

Bass players are ready to perform with Jeremy Attanaseo, right, a member of the Advent Chamber Orchestra during a practice at North Central College’s Wentz Concert Hall.

Peace Garden Takes Root

An unused piece of land at Brookdale Elementary School has become a living testimony to the power of peace. Last year, when fourth-grade students in Rachael Batchu’s class discussed the significance of Sept. 11, an idea for a Peace Garden began to take root. “If there is to be peace in the world, there must be peace in the hearts of people,” Ms. Batchu said. Students first developed a marketing campaign to gain the support of the entire school. With the help of Brookdale parents who are professionals and business owners, a landscape plan and budget were developed.

The students’ vision became a reality in May when parent volunteers, students and Principal Brian LeCrone created the garden and installed the white Peace Pole, which features 12 of the most spoken languages at Brookdale. In art teacher Deb Gelso’s class, students made shimmering, multicolored tin ornaments for the garden. Fourth-grader Madison said, “It was fun to make the project and to see how peaceful it could be.” The project was supported in part by an Indian Prairie Educational Foundation grant.

Art teacher Deb Gelso, left, and fourth-grade teacher Rachael Batchu, right, stand near the peace pole in the Brookdale Elementary School Peace Garden with two fourth-grade students who are among the many who helped work on the garden.

MVHS Progress Report # 29

5/26/2009 12:57:00 PM

MVHS Progress Report # 29