The first annual District 54 Junior High Mathematics Competition will be held on Saturday, April 30, at Mead Junior High School, 1765 Biesterfield Road in Elk Grove Village. 

This competition will be a great opportunity for students, who have been working since the start of the school year, to demonstrate their mathematical abilities. 

About 75 District 54 students will compete on one of 16 teams in the opening round of the competition, which will begin at 8:30 a.m.  Eight teams will move to the championship bracket and eight teams will move to the consolidation bracket. Both brackets will have a second round, a semifinal round and a championship competition.

Good luck to all our student teams participating on Saturday.

The School District 54 Environmental Committee would like to thank everyone who supported the annual Recycling Event held on Saturday April 23, 2011 in cooperation with the Village of Schaumburg and the Schaumburg Township District Library. More than 1,600 cars attended the event, an increase of 78 percent.

The Totals:

• 100,000 pounds of electronics, metals and plastics were collected at the event. 
• 10,000 pounds of paper from the document destruction will be recycled.
• 490 gallons of oil and antifreeze will be recycled.
• 80 bicycles were collected. These bicycles will be donated to Chicagoland charities or sent to the Gulf Coast, Ghana, Tanzania, Angola, Cuba, Guatemala and Peru.
• 15 wheelchairs were collected.
• 185 lead acid batteries were collected and will be recycled. 
• 334 fluorescent tube type bulbs were collected.
• 118 CFL bulbs were collected.
• 412 eye glasses were collected. The Lions Clubs will distribute the donated eyeglasses to needy people throughout the world.
• 165 American flags were collected and will be destroyed through the proper ceremony provided by Schaumburg-Hoffman Estates American Legion Post #1983.

Every year during the month of April, the Week of the Young Child is celebrated across the United States. It is a time that is set aside to honor and recognize the special people who make a difference in the lives of young children. The theme for the 2011 Week of the Young Child was “Early Years are Learning Years.”

For more than 30 years, District 54 has remained committed to providing a variety of high-quality early childhood programs. We have seen firsthand the positive impact that early childhood education has had on our students. Building a strong foundation when children are young enables them to be more successful in school.

Two essential goals of our early childhood program are to help preschoolers develop pre-readiness literacy and social skills. Children who enter kindergarten with preschool experiences have been found to have larger vocabularies, possess greater confidence and typically start ahead of those who have not attended an early childhood program. Research has shown for many years that effective early childhood programs help children develop both the academic readiness and the social skills that are necessary for a lifetime of success.

A quality preschool experience provides many opportunities for young children to learn new skills that expand their interests and develop a sense of pride in who they are. Studies have found that children who participated in a strong preschool program are more likely to graduate from high school, pursue higher education, obtain meaningful employment and be productive members of society.

Research studies have also concluded that there is a high rate of economic return on effective early childhood programs. For every $1 invested in early childhood education, there is nearly an $11 return to society over the life of the child. This is equivalent to an 18 percent annual return on investment.

District 54 is extremely proud of the wide range of early childhood programs available to children ranging from birth to age five and to their families. Preschool children who are not progressing at the typical rate anticipated for success in kindergarten are eligible for services that are funded by a grant from the Illinois State Board of Education. We are hopeful that these grant dollars will be restored to next year’s state budget, allowing us to continue to offer these critical services.

Young children who qualify to receive special education are also provided a variety of preschool services. In addition, several years ago, at the request of our parents, District 54 started a parent-paid preschool program that is fully funded though tuition that is paid by parents who choose to have their child participate.

This year, more than 40 community agencies, public and private organizations, and local businesses have partnered with District 54’s early childhood program. Their ongoing support is greatly appreciated and vital to its success.

If “Early Years are Learning Years” – as this year’s theme states – then preschool children who live in Schaumburg Township are extremely fortunate. Please join us this month and throughout the year as we honor and thank our dedicated staff, supportive community partners and devoted parents who are all part of making District 54’s early childhood programs exceptional!

The School Board has set Monday, June 6 as the graduation dates for District 54 eighth-grade students.

Eisenhower Junior High School will graduate at 6 p.m. in the Hoffman Estates High School gym on Higgins Road in Hoffman Estates. Lincoln Prairie School will graduate at 8 p.m. from the auditorium at the same high school.

Frost Junior High School will graduate at 6 p.m. at Conant High School on Plum Grove Road in Hoffman Estates, followed by Mead Junior High School at 8:30 p.m.

Addams Junior High School will graduate at 6 p.m. at Schaumburg High School on Schaumburg Road in Schaumburg followed by Keller Junior High School at 8:30 p.m.

Other students will attend school until Tuesday, June 7. On June 7, all elementary students will attend school from 8:40 to 10:40 a.m. Junior high students will attend school from 7:40 to 9:40 a.m. that day. Lincoln Prairie will attend school from 9:15 to 11:15 a.m. There are no early childhood or kindergarten classes on June 7.

School District 54, the Village of Schaumburg and the Schaumburg Township District Library are co-hosting a community-wide Recycling Event from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, April 23.

District 54 employees and Schaumburg residents can drop off electronic items for recycling, paper for shredding, holiday lights, bicycles,  CFL bulbs, automotive batteries, cell phones, American flags, eyeglasses and more.

Some of the items that will not be accepted are microwaves, household hazardous waste, fire extinguishers, appliances, air conditioners, water heaters, regular garbage and ovens.

All items can be dropped off at the School District 54 Office located at 524 E. Schaumburg Road in Schaumburg on the day of the event. The event will cap off Earth Week, which runs from April 19 to 23 this year. For more information call (847) 923-6644. 

For more information, click here.

 School District 54 is looking for community members who would be interested in serving on its Advisory Council for District Initiatives (ACDI) or its District Citizens’ Advisory Committee (DCAC) beginning in the fall of 2011.

Advisory Council for District Initiatives (ACDI)

The Advisory Council for District Initiatives (ACDI) is a strategic planning committee which reviews new ideas that impact teaching and learning in District 54.  Members provide guidance and mentoring to teams that present new instructional initiatives to the council. Ideas are explored and developed at the meetings before they are presented to the School Board for review.

ACDI is a district committee composed of individuals who represent one of the District 54 constituent groups – teachers, support staff, administrators, the school board and the community. A commitment of three years is expected. Meetings are generally held at 5 p.m. on the third or fourth Monday of the month during the school year.

ACDI membership is intended to include two members of the community-at-large. The term for one of these two seats expires in May 2011. Interested community members are asked to complete an application for consideration by the School Board. The Board will review all applications received and make its appointment at a board meeting this spring.

District Citizens’ Advisory Committee (DCAC)

The District Citizens’ Advisory Committee (DCAC) is a School Board committee composed of staff members, parents, representatives of various governmental, community and business organizations, and members of the community-at-large. The Board established this committee to increase communication and provide citizen involvement at the school and district levels. DCAC offers members an opportunity to offer input on district topics and promote education and community involvement. For example, during the 2010-11 school year, DCAC provided feedback on the proposed social studies materials and the District 54 Essential Outcomes parent guide.

DCAC member responsibilities include attending monthly meetings (which are held at 9 a.m. on the second Thursday of the month during the school year), providing input to the School Board on district topics, and sharing information with one’s constituency.

Applications for ACDI and DCAC membership are to be submitted by May 15 to Sherry Douglas, board coordinator, at the District Office, 524 E. Schaumburg Road, Schaumburg, Ill. 60194.

For more information about ACDI or DCAC or to receive an application, please contact Sherry Douglas, board coordinator, by phone at (847) 357-5038 or by email at SherryDouglas@sd54.org. The application is also available on the District 54 web site at:  http://www.sd54.org/committees.

Click here to read the Visions Newsletter for April 2011, which contains information about our 2011-12 staffing plan, an article about individuals who have been recognized at recent School Board meetings and much more.