School District 54 will host the annual Partners Club/Young Athletes track meet on Thursday, May 16.

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 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.

For more information on the District 54 Special Olympics and Young Athletes program, please call District 54 Special Olympics office at (847) 357-2105.

School District 54 invites you to join us in celebrating Superintendent Ed Rafferty’s 37 years in District 54.

An open house will be held from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 15, in the District Office Board Room, 524 E. Schaumburg Road in Schaumburg.

Please stop by at any time to share a memory or simply wish Ed well as he prepares for his retirement in June.

School District 54 and the Schaumburg Park District present a multicultural fair from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 13, 2013, at the Community Recreation Center, 505 N. Springinsguth Road in Schaumburg. The event’s theme is A Garden of Diversity – Celebrating Our Community’s Cultures.

District 54 school groups will perform, as will professional groups hired by the Schaumburg Park District. Other activities will include multicultural crafts, games and activities for all ages. When you’re tired of playing, sit down and sample food from around the world.

For more information, please contact Julie Colgrove, director of the District 54 Department of Language and Culture, at (847) 357-5096.

The District 54 Sustainability Committee would like to share a reminder about this year’s Earth Hour from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. Saturday, March 23.

Earth Hour is organized by the World Wildlife Fund. Businesses, governments, organizations and individuals around the world are asked to turn off their lights for one hour, to make a global statement of concern about climate change and to demonstrate a commitment to finding solutions. Some famous participants will include Mount Rushmore, the Empire State Building, San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge, Great Pyramids of Giza, Big Ben, the Eiffel Tower and Sydney’s Opera House. In 2011, Earth Hour became the biggest ever. A record 135 countries and territories joined the global display. People across the world from all walks of life turned off their lights and came together in celebration and contemplation of one thing we all have in common – our planet.

Participation is easy. Join District 54 by flipping off your lights for one hour at 8:30 p.m. March 23. In District 54 we will turn off all exterior building lights in support of Earth Hour!

Join us and make the switch to a cleaner nation. Follow this link for more information about Earth Hour: http://www.earthhour.org/.

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 5, 2013. The maximum length for speech drafts is two pages. The finalists will be notified via mail by April 30, 2013. The contest will take place from 9 to 11 a.m. May 9 at MacArthur International Spanish Academy.

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 5 de Abril del 2013. El discurso debe ser de dos páginas. Los finalistas serán notificados por correo para el 30 de Abril, 2013. El concurso tendrá lugar el 9 de Mayo 9:00-11:00 en MacArthur International Spanish Academy.

District 54 Annual Spanish Language Speech Contest

Concurso Anual de Oratoria Distrito 54

Start cleaning out your closets. School District 54, the Village of Schaumburg and the Schaumburg Township District Library will host a free recycling event from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, April 20, 2013, at the District 54 Office, 524 E. Schaumburg Road in Schaumburg. The following items will be recycled:

• Electronics:  Televisions, household batteries, small household appliances, microwaves, monitors, computers, keyboards, mice, radios, video cassette recorders, telephones, fax machines, UPS systems, and more.
• Document Destruction: Shred up to two boxes. Envelopes with windows, paper clips and staples are OK. No plastics, CD’s or plastic bags. All paper is recycled.
• Clothing, shoes, purses, belts, hats, back packs, towels, linens and other household textiles
• Automotive Batteries
• Holiday light strands, extension cords, copper wiring, computer wiring, phone wires, CAD V coaxial cable.
• Motor oil and antifreeze
• Bicycles
• Compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFL)
• Cell phones and other wireless devices
• Eyeglasses
• American flags
• Fire extinguishers

Paint, gas, paint thinner and other hazardous waste will not be accepted. For more information, click here or call District 54’s director of business services, Darlene Russo, at (847) 357-5024.

Parents are invited to learn about District 54’s English Language Learners services for kindergarten students during an informational meeting from 6 to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, March 5, 2013, in the Keller Junior High School library, 820 Bode Road in Schaumburg.

Teachers and district office staff will be available to discuss various program options and placement for students. In addition, information will be available about the English-Spanish dual language program at Enders-Salk, Hanover Highlands, Link and MacArthur elementary schools and the English-Japanese dual language program at Dooley Elementary School.

You must register your child for kindergarten at your neighborhood school before attending this meeting. You will not be able to register your child at this meeting. For more information about registration, visit our web site at http://sd54.org/registration.

Interpreters and babysitters will be available. For more information, please contact Julie Colgrove, director of the District 54 Department of Language and Culture, at (847) 357-5075 or JulieColgrove@sd54.org.

School District 54 will host registration for its parent-paid preschool programs at Collins and Aldrin elementary schools on Thursday, Feb. 21, 2013.

The District 54 Parent Paid Preschool Program serves children ages 3 to 5 who are progressing at a rate typical for their age. Classes are taught by state-certified, highly-qualified teachers. Preschool students have the opportunity to participate in schoolwide events and often partner with older classes.

The cost varies depending on whether the student attends for two, three or five days each week.

• The two-day program is $1,080 annually, payable in five installments of $216.
• The three-day program is $1,620 annually, payable in five installments of $324.
• The five-day program is $2,700 annually, payable in five installments of $540.

The first payment is due at registration. Parents must also pay a one-time registration fee of $55 the first time they enroll their child in the program.

Collins

Collins is hosting its registration from 7:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 21, 2013. Collins is located at 407 S. Summit Drive in Schaumburg. Collins will offer morning classes only, which will meet from 8:45-11:15 a.m. on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday; and from 8:45-11 a.m. on Wednesday.

Aldrin

Aldrin is hosting its registration from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. Feb. 21, 2013. Aldrin is located at 617 Boxwood Drive in Schaumburg. Aldrin will offer morning and afternoon classes, which will meet from 8-10:30 a.m. or 11:45 a.m.-2:15 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday; and from 8-10:15 a.m. or 11:30 a.m.-1:45 p.m. on Wednesday.

There are also preschool programs available in District 54 for children with special needs or those who are not progressing at a rate anticipated for potential success in kindergarten due to one or more at-risk variables. For information about those programs, contact our early childhood department at (847) 357-5097.

School District 54 will hold kindergarten registration for the 2013-14 school year on Thursday, Feb. 28, 2013. Registration will take place from 9-11 a.m., 1-2:30 p.m. and 6-8 p.m. at all elementary schools. Parents should go to their neighborhood school to register their child, even if they are applying to attend a school other than their neighborhood school.

Only those children whose fifth birthday falls on or before Sept. 1, 2013, are eligible to enroll in kindergarten for the fall term, 2013.

The registration process takes about 30 minutes. Parents will fill out entrance materials, and will be given physical examination forms and general school information. More information, access to online registration and some of the registration forms can be found on our website at http://sd54.org/registration/.

Additionally, the parent or legal guardian must provide the following information to complete the enrollment process:

• Proof of immunizations
• Birth Certificate (original with seal). Official birth certificates are issued by the county clerk in the county in which the child was born. Hospital certificates are not acceptable.
• Proof of residence
• Phone numbers of people to be contacted in emergencies (neighbors, other family members and work numbers)

Any person asserting legal custody over a student, who is not the student’s parent or legal guardian, must complete the Nonparent Custody Form (available at time of registration).

Parents or guardians are required to pay a consumable materials fee by check or money order for each child to cover the cost of workbooks, paper, art supplies, and other items used by students. The form is available in the registration packet and online.

District officials can better plan for kindergarten placements if they get most of the registrations on Feb. 28, so parents are urged to register their children for kindergarten on that date. For transportation/boundary questions: call (847) 357-5104. For general questions: call (847) 357-5087.

A goal of School District 54 Board of Education is to provide options for parents in the selection of their child’s school. In addition to the neighborhood school, School District54 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 30, 2013. 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. 30, 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 fair will take place from 6-7:30 p.m. at Addams Junior High School, 700 S. Springinsguth Road in 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 student population. 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:  A Mandarin Chinese immersion program began in August 2011 at Campanelli in Schaumburg. 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 2013-14 school year, Campanelli will offer the Mandarin Chinese program in kindergarten through second grade. 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 John Schmelzer 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 fourth grade (with the intent to add one grade level each school year). 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 Quinn Wulbecker at (847) 357-5300.

MacArthur International Spanish Academy:  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 15 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.