
	May 2015

Superintendent's Message:

Pride and Planning

It is hard to believe another school year is almost complete. We have much to be proud of this school year and as we begin to prepare for next year, your input is important to our planning process.

Palos 118 teams all excelled in the South Cook Math Bowl and Newbery Bowl reading competitions. Our district was also well-represented at TECH 2015 in Springfield and the Students Involved with Technology (SIT) Conference. We also have watched with pride as our students displayed their talent at numerous spelling bees, young authors writing contests, and received awards at South's Honors Assembly.

As Superintendent, I'm always looking for ways to solicit parent and community feedback on our performance. To that end, we have created a digital suggestion box which can be found on our school district's homepage. If you have suggestions for improving our programs or operations, I encourage you to use our new digital suggestion box and provide us with your thoughts as we prepare for next school year.

Later in June, you will receive a copy of our annual report. This year, we are focusing on the relationship between strong schools and strong communities. We are fortunate to have an engaged and supportive community. As we prepare for next school year, we will be looking for even more ways to strengthen our relationship with the Palos community. If you have ideas or suggestions for doing so, please consider sharing them with us using our new digital suggestion box.

As I reflect upon my first year as superintendent, I couldn't be more proud of our students, staff, administrators, parents, community and school board. Our shared vision for educational excellence will continue to propel our school district forward as we continue to work together to make Palos 118 a great place to learn and a great place to work.

I look forward to see you at our last few school events as May comes to a close.

Warmest regards,

Anthony M. Scarsella,

Superintendent of Schools

District 118 Announces Appointment of Palos East Elementary School Principal for 2015-16 School Year

At yesterday's Board of Education meeting, Mr. Rob Szklanecki was appointed as the new Palos East Principal for the 2015-16 school year.

Mr. Szklanecki is currently an assistant to the principal and learning coach at Wheeling Community Consolidated School District 21. In 2000, Mr. Szklanecki began his career in education as an intermediate instructional teacher, and in 2005 became the assistant to the principal at Edgar A. Poe Elementary School in Arlington Heights. He received his bachelor's degree in elementary education from Illinois State University, and his master's degree in Educational Leadership from Northeastern University.

As an educator, Mr. Szklanecki emphasizes critical thinking, problem solving, and collaboration among teachers. In addition to his duties with District 21, Mr. Szklanecki is also an assistant instructional professor at his alma mater, Illinois State University, and teaches a social studies methods course.

Mr. Szklanecki is an educational leader with a passion for - and commitment to - working with students at the elementary school level. We look forward to having him in a leadership role at Palos East.

Important Year-End Information

Friday, May 29 is a FULL DAY OF SCHOOL. Due to emergency days, the last day of school is June 5. There is no change to the graduation date of June 1. Click here for the complete list of year-end dates, or consult your school's website.

Kindergarten & New Student Registration:

Parents of incoming kindergarteners are able to start the registration process by going to our website and clicking on student registration.

Returning Student Registration:

Returning Student Registration has begun. Go to Skyward Family Access to complete the registration process and receive a $25 discount before June 5.

NEW! Digital Suggestion Box

If you have suggestions for improving District 118's programs or operations, please use our new digital suggestion box and provide us with your thoughts as we prepare for next school year.

Palos East Excellence

TECH 2015 Participants

East Spelling Bee Winners

SIT Conference Presenters

Presidential Academic Fitness Award Winners

Patricia A. Creevy Leadership Award Winners

More Honors:

The Board of Education honored Palos East's academic excellence at their monthly meeting May 19. Visit the Recognition link for the complete list of the Young Authors Contest, Spelling Bee, Patricia A. Creevy Leadership Award, and Presidential Academic Fitness Award Winners, and other awards including Math Bowl and Newbery Bowl winners.

Person You Should Know

Pamela Paris

Board of Education Member

Newly elected Board of Education Member Pamela Paris, the has had many active leadership roles within the district. In the Parent Faculty Association she served as chair for cardinal courier, hospitality committee and graduation committee. She also served on the Executive Board as Treasurer and the President of the Association.

Currently she serves for District 230 as treasurer for the Stagg Music Boosters and on the Parent Advisory Board for District 230. Mrs. Paris understands the benefits and importance of a close connection with District 118 as a feeder district to High School District 230. She is an active member in her church serving as treasurer and on various boards and committees. Mrs. Paris is also the former treasurer and board member of the Association of Women in the Metal Industries and continues to volunteer for other non-profit organizations. She has worked outside the home but now spends her time in the service of others and looks forward to bringing that level of dedication to the Palos 118 Board of Education.

Mrs. Paris and her husband Tom live in Orland Park, and their three children are all Palos 118 alumni; Elizabeth is a freshman at Augustana College, Nathan is a junior at Stagg, and Emma is a freshman at Stagg as well.

Currently Reading: "Your Best Life Now" by Joel Osteen.

TechnoQuest Camp

Explore Where Technology and Creativity Meet

Science/Technology/Engineering/Arts/Math

Are you looking for something fun and engaging to enroll your child in this summer? District 118 is offering an exciting three half-day summer technology camp for students entering grades 1-8 grade. The camp will be held at Palos West from June 8-10. There are two sessions offered: 8:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. for students entering grades 1-4, and 12:30 p.m.- 3:30 p.m. for students entering grades 5-8. This camp is designed for all levels of technology skills and is open to District 118 students. The cost of this camp is $60.00. Parents can register online for camp on the webstore. Please remember to choose the appropriate camp based on grade level.

Some of the activities that the students will be working with are:

Arduino: micro-controller that connects to robots, sensors and other machines to build digital devices that will interact with the environment.
Creation Station: STEAM concepts through DIY projects using everyday materials
Garage Band: Students will compose their own music.
Makey Makey: It turns everyday objects into touchpads. This is used with a computer to create inventions.

The camp will allow students to create, innovate, and collaborate as they work in teams on these highly engaging activities and develop the skills needed for 21st century problem-solving. For more information, contact Deb Balayti, Director of Instructional Technology, at dbalayti@palos118.org or (708) 761-5803.

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