MacArthur School hosted the second annual district-wide Spanish Speech Contest in May. The competition is open to any District 54 student in third through eighth grade.

More than 80 students entered from several schools, both native speakers of Spanish and speakers of Spanish as a second language submitted speeches to the competition. Eighteen students were selected as finalists and presented their speeches on a variety of topics to our guest judges who then asked them several questions in Spanish.

Spanish as a Second Language grades 3-4

• 1^st place – Jayleen S., Lincoln Prairie
• 2^nd place – Adryana L., Lincoln Prairie
• 3^rd place – Eric W., Lincoln Prairie

Native Spanish Speakers grades 3-4

• 1^st place – Joanna B., Armstrong
• 2^nd place – Jessica E., MacArthur
• 3^rd place – Lupita O., MacArthur

Spanish as a Second Language grades 5-6

• 1^st place – Seabastian F., Lincoln Prairie
• 2^nd place – Anna M., MacArthur
• 3^rd place – Tara S., MacArthur

Native Spanish Speakers grades 5-6

• 1^st place – Sebastian R., MacArthur
• 2^nd place – Airam S., Fox
• 3^rd place – Daniel A., Enders-Salk

Spanish as a Second Language grades 7-8

• 1^st place – Lauren S., Eisenhower
• 2^nd place – Joey T., Eisenhower
• 3^rd place – Andy H., Eisenhower

Native Spanish Speakers grades 7-8

• 1^st place – Fernanda G., Keller
• 2^nd place – Christian P., Eisenhower
• 3^rd place – Juan S., Eisenhower

“The students were amazing,” MacArthur Principal Danette Meyer said. “We are hopeful to see many more applicants from all District 54 schools next year.”

Persiguiendo la excelencia. Fijando metas altas y haciendo todo lo necesario para alcanzarlas. Buscando continuamente maneras para mejorar nuestra enseñanza. Teniendo a los estudiantes en  consideración en cada decisión que se toma.  Ayudando a los estudiantes a convertirse en lo mejor que puedan ser. Esta es la clase de pensamientos y compromisos que han permitido al Distrito 54 tener otro año de excelencia. Asegurar el éxito del estudiante es nuestra meta y es el enfoque de lo que hacemos.

El año escolar 2011-2012 ha sido otro año de grandes acontecimientos. Nuestro personal y los estudiantes han recibido reconocimiento a nivel estatal y nacional. El aprendizaje de los estudiantes está en el nivel más alto que nunca. Nuestro distrito está libre de deudas y continua teniendo un presupuesto equilibrado.

A continuación le damos a conocer la lista de los 10 temas más sobresalientes este año.

10. El Distrito 54 recibió la nominación Sunny de una organización nacional sin fines de lucro dedicada a la transparencia del gobierno. El reconocimiento se les otorgó solamente a 214 de más de 6,000 agencias gubernamentales que hacen un trabajo ejemplar revelando proactivamente información a sus contribuyentes.

9. Siete premios de ellos que lograron fueron recibidos de la junta de educación del Estado de Illinois honrando las contribuciones sobresalientes de nuestro personal y padres voluntarios. Los destinatarios de este año incluyen a Erin Knoll, Gail Mehlan, Meg Kwak, Alissa Rendall, Kathy Pritscher, Jolanda McGinn y el equipo de intervención y apoyo de comportamiento positivo de la escuela Frost.

8. El personal y los estudiantes de la Escuela Secundaria Margaret Mead, junto con los clubes rotarios de Elk Grove y Schaumburg-Hoffman Estates, abrieron una despensa para servir a las familias en necesidad en todo el distrito escolar.

7. Dos opciones adicionales fueron añadidas a la lista impresionante de las escuelas de opción disponibles en el Distrito 54. La escuela primaria Campanelli ofrece un programa de inmersión en Mandarin y la escuela Hoover se convirtió en nuestra primer Academia de Matemáticas y Ciencia.

6. La red de intervenciones y apoyo para comportamiento positivo de Illinois reconoció a 15 escuelas del Distrito 54 por su éxito en la implementación de un enfoque por toda la escuela para solucionar proactivamente los comportamientos del estudiante.

5. El Distrito 54 con muchos años de éxito sostenido continúa ganando atención nacional. El libro recientemente publicado, Obteniendo Resultados en el Distrito, escrito por nuestro propio Dr. Nick Myers, claramente describe cómo fue posible que nuestro distrito pasara de ser un buen distrito ahora a ser un gran distrito escolar. Expertos en la educación han comentado que este es el mejor libro jamás escrito sobre cómo implementar la comunidad de aprendizaje profesional en todo el distrito.

4. La escuela secundaria Frost fue una de solo tres escuelas secundarias en Illinois para ser nombrada una Escuela Nacional de Listón Azul 2011 basándose en general en su excelencia académica y el apoyo que ofrece para asegurar el aprendizaje al nivel más alto.

3. Maria Barba, una de nuestras profesoras que enseña tercer grado en el programa dual es una ganadora del premio La Manzana de Oro en 2012. Nominada por un padre, ella fue seleccionada entre más de 500 profesores porque ella ejemplifica los más altos estándares de la profesión docente.

2. Nuestros estudiantes siguen ganando muchos premios regionales, estatales y nacionales. Durante el año pasado, los estudiantes han sido reconocidos con premios en la Olimpiada de Matemáticas, El Desafío Nacional del Poder Líquido, las Reflexiones del Programa PTA, la competencia del Día Nacional de Historia, el Desafío de Sé Tú El Químico en el Estado de Illinois, así como en competencias de educación de energía, música, español y japonés.

1. Hemos roto récord otro año de aprendizaje del estudiante con 13 de nuestras escuelas recibiendo el Premio Académico de Excelencia de Illinois. Estamos felices de informarle que el 94.6% de nuestros estudiantes han alcanzado o superado los estándares del estado en matemáticas y 90.8% en lectura. Estos resultados colocan al Distrito 54 en la más alta categoría con 9% de los distritos escolares de Illinois.

Gracias, estudiantes, padres y personal, por todo lo que han hecho para hacer de este otro año escolar sobresaliente en el Distrito 54.

In English

Pursuing excellence. Setting high goals and doing whatever it takes to achieve them. Continuously looking for ways to improve our teaching. Keeping students at the heart of any decision that is made. Helping students become the best that they can be. These are the types of beliefs and commitments that have enabled District 54 to have another banner year. Ensuring student success is what we are all about!

The 2011-2012 school year has been another year of remarkable accomplishments. Our staff and students have received awards at both the state and national levels. Student learning is at an all-time high. Our district is debt-free and continues to have a balanced operating budget.

This year’s Top 10 list is highlighted below.

10.  District 54 received the Sunny Award from a national nonprofit organization dedicated to government transparency. The award was given to only 214 of more than 6,000 government agencies that do an exemplary job of proactively disclosing information to their taxpayers.

9.  Seven Those Who Excel Awards were received from the Illinois State Board of Education honoring the outstanding contributions of our staff and parent volunteers. This year’s recipients include Erin Knoll, Gail Mehlan, Meg Kwak, Alissa Rendall, Kathy Pritscher, Jolanda McGinn and the Frost Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) Team.

8.  Margaret Mead Junior High School staff and students, along with the Elk Grove and Schaumburg-Hoffman Estates Rotary Clubs, opened a food pantry to serve families in need across the school district.

7.  Two additional open enrollment options were added to the District’s already impressive list of school choice options that are available. Campanelli Elementary School offers a Mandarin Chinese Immersion Program and Hoover became our first Math and Science Academy.

6.  The Illinois Positive Behavior Interventions and Support (PBIS) Network recognized 15 District 54 schools for their success in implementing a school-wide approach to proactively addressing student behaviors.

5. District 54’s many years of sustained success continue to gain national attention. The recently released book, Getting District Results, written by our own Dr. Nick Myers, clearly outlines how our district was able to move from being good to now a great school district. Leading educational experts have commented that this is the best book ever written on how to implement the Professional Learning Community on a district-wide basis.

4.  Frost Junior High School was one of only three middle schools in Illinois to be named a 2011 National Blue Ribbon School based on its overall academic excellence and the supports they provide to ensure learning at the highest level.

3.  Maria Barba, one of our third-grade dual language teachers, is a 2012 Golden Apple Award winner. Nominated by a parent, she was selected from more than 500 teachers because she exemplifies the highest standards of the teaching profession.

2.  Our students continue to win many regional, state and national awards. Over the past year, students have been recognized with awards in the Math Olympiad, the National Fluid Power Challenge, the PTA Reflections program, the National History Day competition, the Illinois You Be the Chemist Challenge, as well as in competitions in energy education, music, Spanish language and Japanese language.

1.  We have had another record breaking year in student learning with 13 of our schools receiving the Illinois Academic Excellence Award. We are happy to report that 94.6 percent of our students met or exceeded state standards in math and 90.8 percent in reading. These results place District 54 in the top 9 percent of school districts in Illinois.

Thank you, students, parents and staff, for all that you have done to make this another outstanding school year in District 54.

En Espanol

Click here to read the School Zone Newsletter for May 2012, which contains a column from Board Vice President Charlotte Kegarise, as well as information about graduations, Run to Read and the Foundation golf outing.

School District 54 is getting ready to host its single largest event of the year – the annual Partners Club/Young Athletes track meet on May 17.

The event will begin with opening ceremonies at 10 a.m. on the track behind Eisenhower Junior High  School, 800 W. Hassell Road in Hoffman Estates.

Events will take place until noon followed by lunch for all athletes, their partners and volunteers. The meet will be cancelled in case of inclement weather.

“The Young Athletes portion of the meet is going to be exciting. This is the biggest District 54 Young Athletes event held during the school year” said Lisa Liesz, District 54 Special Olympics, coordinator of Young Athletes. “The athletes have been training all year. There will be more than 1,000 District 54 students, staff and volunteers participating in this day.”

Partners Club is based at several District 54 schools and includes students with disabilities with their nondisabled peers. The purpose of the program is to combine athletes and their peers together to practice sports skills. However, Partners Club often accomplishes much more than that. A bond of respect is built between athlete and partner. The students participate in activities all year together, including this track meet each spring.

The Young Athletes program is an innovative sports play program for children ages 2-7 with intellectual disabilities, designed to introduce them to the world of sports. The benefits of the program include improvement not only physically and cognitively but also and socially. This program also serves as an introduction for families to the resources and support available within Special Olympics. Nearly 800 students participate in this program throughout the district.

MacArthur teacher Maria Barba was in the middle of a science lesson with her third-grade dual-language class today, when the door opened and visitors swarmed into her room to announce that she was one of 10 teachers to receive the 2012 Golden Apple Award.

“I’m really excited and honored that I actually won it,” Barba said. “I love working here because of you kids.”

Parent Elizabeth Blazejak, who is also a teacher, nominated Barba for the award after her son had Barba for a first-grade teacher last year.

“He had a rough year, but she did everything in her power to make it better for him,” she said. “Her communication with me as a parent was also wonderful. She really viewed us as a team.”

Golden Apple has presented its award to 10 outstanding Chicago-area teachers since 1986. The 2012 award is designated for teachers in early childhood through third grade. More than 500 teachers were nominated this year.

Choosing 10 award recipients from hundreds of excellent applicants is the responsibility of the Golden Apple Awards Selection Committee, made up of more than 90 volunteers including principals,
administrators, members of higher education faculties, and Golden Apple Fellows.

“This is a special place,” said John Figlewicz, a retired teacher who visited MacArthur to observe Maria in action. “When we walked in we knew she had to win because she was that special.”

Golden Apple selects teachers who exemplify the highest standards and practices of the teaching profession. These qualities include demonstrating distinguished classroom practice (pedagogical skill), professionalism and collegiality, high standards for themselves and their students, the ability to create a classroom environment conducive to learning, the ability to reflect on practice, creativity, commitment to students and their learning, and contribution to the wider school community.

“You truly inspire your kids and us every time we meet,” fellow teacher Rocio Hernandez told Barba as the celebration carried out of the classroom and into the gym. Also waiting in the gym were Barba’s family and other students she has taught in her four years working at MacArthur.

Barba’s dual language class consists of some students who are native English speakers and some who are native Spanish speakers. The goals of the program are that, after six to seven years of instruction, students will be able to use two languages in social situations appropriate for their age level; communicate effectively through reading and writing in two languages at a level appropriate for their age; perform academically at grade level commensurate with their monolingual English-speaking peers; and demonstrate an appreciation of cultural diversity and cross-cultural competence  cross a variety of social situations.

Hoffman Estates Mayor Bill McLeod presented Barba with a key to the village saying, “Thank you for what you do for our children – the most precious resource we have.”

For the 14th year in a row, School District 54 has received a Meritorious Budget Award from the Association of School Business Officials (ASBO) International for its 2011-12 annual budget.

ASBO International designed the Meritorious Budget Awards Program to enable school business administrators to achieve a standard of excellence in budget presentation. The program helps school systems build a solid foundation in the skills of developing, analyzing and presenting a budget.

The Meritorious Budget Award is conferred only to school systems that have met or exceeded the Meritorious Budget Award Program criteria. Developed by ASBO for school districts, the MBA criteria guide school business officials toward a quality school budget presentation by enhancing the school business officials’ skills in developing, analyzing, and presenting a school system budget.

Since its inception, the program has gained the distinction of being a prestigious national award recognized by accounting professionals; bond counsel; underwriters; securities analysts; bond rating agencies; educational, teacher and citizen groups; and federal and state agencies.

The Association of School Business Officials International, founded in 1910, is a professional association, of more than 5,000 members that provides programs and services to promote the highest standards of school business management practices, professional growth, and the effective use of educational resources.