A goal of School District 54 Board of Education is to provide choice for parents in the selection of their child’s school. In addition to the neighborhood school, School District 54 has developed programs at several district schools, which it can now offer as choices.

District 54 invites parents to its annual Open Enrollment Fair on Wednesday, January 25, 2012. The fair will provide parents with information on nine elementary schools in the district:  Blackwell, Campanelli, Dooley, Enders-Salk, Hanover Highlands, Hoover, Lincoln Prairie, Link and MacArthur. Each school houses a unique program and School District 54 anticipates a few openings at each site next year.

Please know that you do not need to arrive early to get a spot at one of the schools. While applications are available on Jan. 25, names will not be chosen that evening. In addition, people who cannot attend the event can still apply for their children to attend one of our open enrollment schools. The application deadline is March 1, 2012, and schools will begin notifying parents if their children were selected on March 23, 2012.

The fair will take place from 6-7:30 p.m. at AddamsJunior High School, 700 S. Springinsguth Road, Schaumburg. Overflow parking can be found one block south at St. Marcelline’s Church. A short, formal presentation by Superintendent Ed Rafferty will be followed by opportunities for parents to visit each school’s booth and learn about each site in greater detail. Representatives from each school will discuss open enrollment opportunities and answer questions. A short description of each school is listed below.

Blackwell Elementary School: Blackwell, in Schaumburg, offers sign language as a mode of communication. Students learn signing from their teachers and communicate with both traditional oral and sign language. Blackwell also started housing hearing-impaired students in the 2001-02 school year. Supporting this communication theme, a full production lab is installed at Blackwell so students can participate in video production projects and classes. For more information, call Principal Brad Carter at (847) 357-5555.

Campanelli Elementary School:  Campanelli, in Schaumburg, offers a Mandarin Chinese immersion program. The goal of this program is for students to communicate effectively in Chinese as well as developing a deep understanding of the Chinese culture. During the 2012-13 school year, Campanelli will offer the Mandarin Chinese program in kindergarten and first grade. However, one grade level will be added each school year. For more information, call Principal Steve Kern at (847) 357-5333.

Dooley Elementary School: Dooley, in Schaumburg, started its Dual-Language Japanese Program and Early Instrumental Music Program at the beginning of the 2001-02 school year. Students in kindergarten through sixth grade currently have the option of learning Japanese and English together in this dual-language setting. In addition, early instrumental music (violin) is available to primary students at Dooley. Individuals can sign up for the Dual-Language Program only or the Dual-Language and Early Instrumental Music programs together. For more information, call Principal Marion Friebus-Flaman at (847) 357-6250.

Enders-Salk Elementary School:  Dual-Language Spanish kindergarten classes started in 2000 at Enders-Salk in Schaumburg. Currently, the school offers dual-language in kindergarten through sixth grade. The goal of this program is for students to communicate effectively in both languages by the time they exit the school at the end of sixth grade. For more information, call Principal Michael Henry at (847) 357-6400.

Hanover Highlands Elementary School:  Dual-Language Spanish kindergarten classes started in 2004 at Hanover Highlands in Hanover Park. Currently, the school offers dual-language in kindergarten through sixth grade. The goal of this program is for students to communicate effectively in both languages by the time they exit the school at the end of sixth grade. For more information, call Principal David Negron at (630) 736-4230.

Hoover Math and Science Academy:  Hoover School in Schaumburg offers a unique learning environment for students in the areas of mathematics and science. With a greenhouse, community garden, two science labs and a computer lab, Hoover Academy is designed to give students the opportunity to explore science and math topics in an inquiry-based learning model. Community partnerships enhance the learning opportunities for our students and service learning projects are embedded within the curriculum. Parent participation is an expectation at our school. For more information, call Principal Jake Chung at (847) 357-5800.

Lincoln Prairie School:  Lincoln Prairie, in Hoffman Estates, is a community school founded on the premise that students learn in a variety of ways. Lincoln Prairie is the only District 54 building housing children from kindergarten through eighth grade. Students are grouped in multiage classrooms, working with teams of teachers on integrated curriculum. Project Development Time, in which students choose learning projects offered by staff, is a popular activity. Parent participation is an expectation at Lincoln Prairie. For more information, call Principal Amanda Stochl at (847) 357-5955.

Link School:  Dual-Language Spanish kindergarten classes started in 2009 at Link, based in Elk Grove Village. Currently, the school offers dual-language in kindergarten through second grade, and will be adding third grade in the fall of 2012. The goal of this program is for students to communicate effectively in both languages by the time they exit the school at the end of sixth grade. For more information, call Principal John Schmelzer at (847) 357-5300.

MacArthur Elementary School: The original Dual-Language School in District 54, MacArthur, in Hoffman Estates, offers a full dual-language Spanish program with students progressing through sixth grade in their dual-language class. Kindergarten students will learn Spanish and English from classroom teachers who are fluent in each language. This successful program has been in existence for 14 years at MacArthur. For more information, call Principal Danette Meyer at (847) 357-6650.

People interested in viewing the programs in action, can visit the schools. Dates will be set after the fair, so that groups of interested parents can tour the school together. Call each school to make an appointment. For more information call Terri McHugh, community relations director, at (847) 357-5028.

MacArthur School is hosting a Spanish Language Speech Contest. Students in third through eighth grade are eligible. Application, speech drafts written by the applicant and video recordings no more than three minutes (one video recording per participant) must arrive at MacArthur School by April 11, 2012. The maximum length for speech drafts is two pages. The finalists will be notified via mail by April 25, 2012.

La escuela MacArthur será anfitrión este año del Concurso Anual de Oratoria. Los estudiantes de 3er a 6to grado pueden participar. Forma de inscripción, borrador del discurso escrito por el concursante, y una grabación de video de no más de 3 minutos (un video por participante) debe llegar a MacArthur School para el 11 de Abril del 2012. El discurso debe ser de dos páginas. Los finalistas serán notificados por correo para el 25 de Abril, 2012.

Spanish Language Speech Contest Flyer

Winter break for District 54 students begins at the end of the school day on Friday, Dec. 16, 2011. Students will return to school on Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2012.

While the District Offices are open for most of winter break, there are a few days we will be closed. District offices will be closd on Friday Dec. 23; Monday Dec. 26 and Monday Jan. 2.

Campanelli Elementary School in Schaumburg, home of District 54’s Chinese Immersion program, recently established a sister school relationship with Tianjin Hedong District Experimental Primary School.

Principal Steve Kern and Julie Colgrove, director of language and culture, visited China this fall as part of a group of educators sponsored by HanBan and the College Board. These two organizations have the goal of supporting schools and school districts that are interested in establishing or enhancing a Chinese language program in their schools.

The Chinese Immersion program at Campanelli is designed to teach students how to read, write and speak Chinese while also understanding the Chinese culture. The program is open to students in kindergarten this year, but will be accepting students in both kindergarten and first grade for the 2012-13 school year.

“During my visit to China I visited many schools and had the opportunity to talk with educators in these schools,” Kern said. “I quickly realized that they are trying to address the same challenges that we are faced with. We are both looking for ways to better educate the students in our schools.”

This relationship will give Campanelli students in both the Chinese Immersion program and other classrooms an opportunity to connect with students at the Tianjin Hedong District Experimental Primary School. For more information about the Chinese Immersion program, visit the Campanelli website.

Campanelli will also be at the Open Enrollment Fair on Jan. 26. Parents interested in learning more about the program will be able to sign up at fair for a tour of the school and an informational meeting. For more information about the Open Enrollment Fair, visit the District 54 website.

The Schaumburg Township Council of PTAs is once again offering one-year $2,000 scholarships to eligible seniors graduating in 2012. There are three types of scholarships:

• Junior College/Trade School/Vocational School Scholarships for seniors graduating in the upper 50 percent of their class (up to two available);
• Four-Year College/University Scholarships for seniors graduating in the upper 30 percent of their class (up to seven available); and
• The Bonnie Greenberg Memorial Scholarship for a graduating special needs senior with a current Individualized Education Plan (IEP). The student need not be enrolled in special education classes, but must have a current IEP (one available).

All seniors who meet the following eligibility requirements are encouraged to apply. For more information and an application, visit http://pta.sd54.org/highschoolscholarship.