CCSD15 logo Community Consolidated School District 15
CONNECTIONS
A quarterly newsletter for parents & the community
Winter 2012
In This Issue

From the Superintendent

Pen Pals

District 15, ISU
continue partnership
to produce tomorrow's teachers

High marks

Taking students' academic temperatures

¡Para sus hijos!

Opening the 'Gateway'

Serving seniors

Motorola Solutions Foundation grant continues to fund D15 LEGO teams

Looking Ahead
 
December 24-January 4
 
January 16
 
January 21
 
January 22
 
January 29
 
February 12
 
February 13
 
February 18
 
February 19
 
March 13
 
March 25-29
 
April 9
 
April 10
Board of Education regular meeting

For additional events, including individual school activities and the 2013-14 official school calendar, visit the district website, www.ccsd15.net.  
CCAC to explain Common Core's emphasis on rigor
District 15's Community Curriculum Advisory Council (CCAC) will hold its second meeting of the 2012-13 school year on Tuesday, January 29, at 7 p.m. at the Joseph M. Kiszka Educational Service Center, 580 N. 1st Bank Drive, Palatine.

The meeting will focus on the concept of rigor as it relates to the new Common Core Standards. What is rigor, and what does it look like in student assignments, activities, and work? How is it emphasized throughout the new standards the District is preparing to implement?

The District created the CCAC last year to raise awareness of its instructional program and work with the community to improve its curriculum. The CCAC includes representation from across the District, and it is charged with providing input in a cooperative spirit about the curriculum improvement process in D15. CCAC meetings are open to the public, and the entire D15 community is invited to attend them. 
Quick Links...
Mission Statement
The Mission of School District 15 is to produce world-class learners by building a connected learning community.

Strategic Goals

Improve Student Achievement

 

Learning and Organization Development

Improve teaching and learning through use of effective systems and structures

 

Effective Instructional Environment

Promote and maintain an effective instructional environment to prepare students for the future

 

Stakeholder  Involvement and Satisfaction

Engage stakeholders in meaningful ways to increase pride and ownership in D15 schools

 

Resource Stewardship
Maintain financial integrity through effective management of all resources 

 

Core Values
Visionary Leadership

Learning-Centered Education

Organizational and Personal Learning

Valuing Faculty, Staff, and Stakeholders

Agility

Focus on the Future

Managing for Innovation

Management by Fact

Social Responsibility

Focus on Results and Creating Value
Board of Education

Timothy Millar
Timothy Millar
Board President
Elected: April 2005, 2009
Term expires: April 2013

Scott Herr
Scott Herr
Board Vice President
Elected: April 2011
Term expires: April 2015

Peggy Babcock
Peggy Babcock
Board Secretary
Elected: April 2009
Term expires: April 2013

Richard L. Bokor
Richard L. Bokor
Elected: April 2009
Term expires: April 2013

Gerard Iannuzzelli
Gerard Iannuzzelli
Elected: April 2011
Term expires: April 2015

David W. Seiffert
David W. Seiffert
Appointed: February 2011
Term expires: April 2013

Manjula Sriram
Manjula Sriram
Elected: April 2011
Term expires: April 2015
CONNECTIONS
CONNECTIONS  
is a quarterly newsletter for Community Consolidated School District 15 parents and the community. It is prepared by the Communications Department and is distributed via e-mail.

If you have questions and/or comments, please e-mail the Communications Dept at
d15communications
@ccsd15.net
.
Scott Thompson 2011
Scott B. Thompson, Ed.D.  
Superintendent of Schools 
From the Superintendent 

Dear Community Consolidated School District 15 Parents, Guardians, and Staff:

 

I am writing to you today to share some preliminary details about a scheduling change that our District will implement beginning with the 2013-14 school year. I am sharing this information at this time in order to provide you ample opportunity to offer your input on the creation of the plan.

 

The Board of Education and our Classroom Teachers' Council (CTC) recognize that educators must continually improve their instruction in order to meet the needs of the diverse student population we serve and fulfill our mission to produce world-class learners. The District has high expectations that can only be met through on-going professional training.

 

To provide our teachers with these important professional development opportunities, a scheduled block of weekly release time was negotiated as a part of the District's recent contract with the CTC. This weekly release time will allow for collaborative team/grade/department planning, data analysis, and training for all certified staff. Incorporating these activities into our weekly routine shows that excellence in our schools is a top priority.

 

To accommodate this new block of weekly release time for our teachers, the District will implement a new schedule for the 2013-14 school year that will maintain the current amount of student instructional time while increasing faculty professional development time. A committee of administrators, CTC representatives, and a PTA leader is currently drafting that schedule. Although its details are not yet finalized, it would essentially call for the school day to be delayed 40 minutes on Wednesday, and be extended by 10 minutes on each of the other weekdays.

 

The chart below provides an example of the concept:

Sample school times  (Specific school schedules will be published later.)

 

This schedule change will not only provide teachers with additional professional development time, but it will maximize the amount of time they spend in their classrooms. It will also reduce the costs of hiring substitutes for days when our teachers would have been out of their classrooms, participating in professional development activities.

 

Providing release time for teachers is an approach being used successfully by many of our surrounding elementary districts and both of our high school districts. We understand, though, that this fact does not lessen the impact that this schedule change may have on many of our families. That is why our committee of administrators, CTC representatives, and the PTA leader is also working to ensure that everything possible is being done to lessen the childcare burden this schedule change may place upon our families.

 

In the days ahead, we will provide you with further details regarding this change as they take shape. We will welcome your input on the schedule change in the coming weeks; look for those opportunities after the New Year.  

 

With best regards and the warmest of wishes for a happy holiday season,

 

Scott Thompson, Ed.D. 

Superintendent of Schools

Frank C. Whiteley Pen Pals Group
Pen Pals

Harvard Extension Dean Inspires Fourth Graders

 

It's an endearing and enduring relationship. For nearly five years, Michael Shinagel, dean of continuing education at Harvard University, and students in Kathy McAvoy's fourth-grade class at Frank C. Whiteley School have been great friends--by way of the U.S. Postal Service.

 

In 2007, Whiteley joined the No Excuses University Network, a network of 147 schools in 21 states that works to foster high expectations for college attendance among children. Classes adopt a university and find a sponsor from the university to in turn adopt the class. Sponsors typically become pen pals who write motivational letters to the class.

 

Ms. McAvoy chose Harvard for her fourth-grade class, and she and her students began a writing campaign.

 

Pen Pal H "We took pictures of everyone dressed in crimson and white, and sent a handwritten letter and picture of my class to each dean at Harvard," Ms. McAvoy said. "Several deans offered us grad school students to be pen pals, but then I received an e-mail from Dean Michael Shinagel ... I was quite impressed that someone as important as he is would do something like this for a group of kids he'd never met!"

 

A few times each semester, the dean writes letters to share the things that are happening in his life. He has written about travels abroad, important people he has met, events on the Harvard campus, and the antics of his dog, Quincy.

 

Each letter gives Ms. McAvoy topics to incorporate into her lesson plans. When Dean Shinagel sent a brochure of a train trip he took from South Africa to Victoria Falls, the class followed his itinerary through South Africa. Another time, after traveling to the Middle East, he sent photos of historic sites, which the class researched. In their response letters, the students were able to practice their writing.

 

Pen Pal Stephanie  

Ms. McAvoy said Dean Shinagel knows how to engage 9- and 10-year-olds. His most popular letter mentioned getting a valentine from his dog, Qunicy. The dean received so many questions about Quincy that he sent a photo and the actual Valentine's Day card.

 

"To have a dean at Harvard University reach out and touch the children's lives in this way was astonishing to me," Ms. McAvoy said.

 

In addition to letters and photographs, Dean Shinagel sends care packages with things like Harvard chocolates, pencils, and T-shirts. Whenever the packages arrive, "the children shriek with delight," said Ms. McAvoy.

 

The dean has kept every letter and card the class has sent him.

 

Pen Pal Nick  

"As dean of continuing education, I have a professional commitment to lifelong learning," he said. "I am pleased to help motivate Ms. McAvoy's students about attending college. I am also a teacher who has taught freshman English, so I appreciate good student writing. I am always impressed by the enormous progress the students make in their writing skills since the start of each year, and happy to contribute in some way to that improvement."

 

Ms. McAvoy said: "As elementary educators, it is our mission to lay the foundation for our students' academic future. Through this program, our students learn the importance of setting and achieving goals, allowing them to reach their full potential, and encouraging their eagerness for college. It has proven to be one of the most rewarding and enlightening projects my classes have ever experienced."

 

Every year, Ms. McAvoy hosts reunion lunches. She says that even students who come back to visit from junior high ask about Dean Shinagel and, of course, Quincy.

 

"I've even had incoming third graders come up and tell me, 'I hope I'm in Harvard next year!'" she said.

 

The students say that Dean Shinagel means everything to their class. They think the dean is "awesome, funny, and kind." But 9-year-old Jacob puts things into perspective: "Dean Shinagel rocks our classroom."

 

"I am so grateful and appreciative of Dean Shinagel's participation in this program," Ms. McAvoy said. "And I have tried to impress upon the children that they should do something when they grow up as wonderful as Dean Shinagel has done for us."

 

Story contributed by Linda Armstrong Cross, Harvard Extension School director of PR/media relations. 

District 15, ISU continue partnership
to produce tomorrow's teachers

The Illinois State University (ISU) College of Education's Professional Development School (PDS) in District 15 is providing another class of college students with an invaluable professional development opportunity.

 

The two institutions--ISU and District 15--entered into an agreement to establish the program in District 15 last fall. The partnership's aim is to assist in the professional development of teachers and the training of educators while simultaneously improving schools and teacher education.

 

The PDS program offers ISU's senior education students a yearlong internship in a public school rather than just a 16-week student teaching experience. The program allows the interns to "live the life of a teacher" all year. They meet students on the first day of school. They go to conferences, make lesson plans, and attend institute days. They experience what it's really going to be like as a teacher while providing actual instructional support for District 15 students.

 

In the first year of this partnership, District 15 provided seven ISU students with internships, and all seven of them now have jobs in public education--two of them right here in District 15. This year, the District is providing 15 ISU students with internships, and next year the program will continue to grow, as 18 ISU students have already committed to serve as interns in the District.

 

Illinois State University  

Members of this year's class of ISU interns are (front row, left to right) Nicole Kennedy, Sarah Huette, Leslie Schuett, Anna Robinson, Kelly Brew, Courtney Cameron, and Julie Huvaere; and (back row, left to right) Madeline La Londe, Kaitlyn Highland, Laura Magrowski, Heather Rapp, Brittany Castellano, Courtney Walocha, Katie Shannon, and Kayla Berta. They are under the supervision of Ann Bokor, who serves as the District's PDS site coordinator and a liaison between the District and ISU's Department of Curriculum and Instruction.

 

During their first semester in the PDS program, these interns are splitting their time, working in their assigned schools the first three days of each week, and then meeting with ISU professors at the Joseph M. Kiszka Educational Service Center to complete their college coursework on Thursdays and Fridays.

 

The interns have already completed the elementary portions of their internships at Winston Campus Elementary and Jane Addams, Central Road, Stuart R. Paddock, and Gray M. Sanborn Schools. In mid-October, they began serving the junior high portion of their internships at Winston Campus and Plum Grove Junior Highs. They returned to their elementary assignments the week before winter break to reconnect with their classes and prepare to start their full-time student teaching experiences in the second semester of the program.

High marks

Annual parent satisfaction survey indicates that District 15 has improved its already positive perception

 

Results of the District's 2012 parent satisfaction survey again indicate that a great majority of the District's parents are satisfied with their schools.

 

The District conducted its first parent satisfaction survey last year for the purpose of providing its schools feedback on what is working well for them, and what areas they need to target for improvement. This year, more than 2,300 parents--representing roughly 25 percent of the District's families--completed the online survey, up from 1,900 last year.

 

Like last year, more than 90 percent of those families indicated that District 15 is doing a quality job educating their children. In fact, in 24 out of 31 questions, results improved anywhere between .1 percent and 4.2 percent. The other six questions saw just minimal declines--anywhere between .2 percent and .7 percent--or no change at all.

 

James Garwood, deputy superintendent of schools, attributes these strong scores to each school's incorporation of last year's survey results into their creation and implementation of a school-specific action plan that targeted areas for improvement. That process will continue again this year, he explained.

 

"Each school has received its survey results and has begun to examine the data to see what patterns emerge that will help them to improve their connections with their parents," he said.

 

Before the end of December, the District will post the Districtwide results of the multiple-choice survey. By the end of January, each school's results, as well as its action plan on how to address any opportunities for improvement identified from the data, will be posted on its website.

 

"Using the information gained through this survey, we hope to better understand our strengths as a learning organization while gaining more actionable insight into our opportunities for improvement," said Mr. Garwood. "Specifically, our survey seeks to gain insight into parent perceptions on school climate and culture, teacher and school communications, the learning environment, the quality of education, the curriculum, and communications at the District level."

Taking students' academic temperatures

Curriculum-based measurements provide
quick, reliable assessments of students'
basic academic skills

 

What parent hasn't felt the forehead of a feverish child and known immediately that the child was ill?

 

In the classroom, teachers have a similar way of taking a student's temperature as it pertains to his or her reading or math abilities. It's called a curriculum-based measurement (CBM), and it's much simpler than it sounds. 

 

During a curriculum-based measurement in reading, a student essentially reads a text written at his or her grade level for one minute while a teacher tracks how many words the student reads in that time and how many mistakes the student makes. At younger grade levels, they simply identify as many letters or letter sounds as possible in the same amount of time. For math, students complete a short timed written test of math problem solving.

 

And that's it.

 

But that simple test, which takes no more than five minutes to administer and score, packs quite a punch. Combined with students' scores on Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) tests, they can predict with 90 percent accuracy how students will perform on the Illinois Standards Achievement Test (ISAT). CBMs are powerful tools that are part of a comprehensive approach to student assessment. When measuring student growth in a skill set as complex as reading, it's important to remember that it's just one piece of a much bigger picture of how the District looks at student growth.

 

"More than 30 years of research indicates that having a student read out loud at grade level for about a minute is as powerful of a predictor of their performance in the classroom as taking someone's temperature or blood pressure is an indicator of their general health," said Dr. Kathy Pluymert, District 15's director of educational programs.

 

That's why the baseline information provided by CBMs is such an important part of the District's Response to Intervention (RtI) program, especially in kindergarten and first grade, where they are currently the only method of standardized assessment administered to all students. The District's RtI program is designed to indentify students who need extra support early so that it can provide additional instruction to boost their growth right away in kindergarten and first grade.

 

Curriculum-based measurement

All kindergartners, first graders, and second graders are given CBMs three times a year. However, some students who are targeted for interventions, as well as special education students, and older students with MAP scores in the lowest quartile, are administered CMBs more frequently--anywhere from once a month to once a week. When CBM is available in a student's native language, bilingual students are tested in the language in which they receive their instruction.

 

Simply put, CBMs are a quick, reliable way to monitor students' growth as readers--to determine who's working well within the core curriculum and who needs additional support. Hold the difficulty of the text constant, and the number of words that they read correctly should increase over time, and the number of errors should decrease if they are becoming better readers.

 

"When you're building a response to intervention framework, you want to have an assessment that is quick, that doesn't take time away from instruction, that's very reliable, that doesn't have a practice effect, and that is a very strong predictor of what you're looking at, which is whether a child has really mastered these basic skills," said Dr. Pluymert. "So, in that regard, CBMs are really one of the best measures we have for basic reading skills. That's why we give them to young students and to struggling students in upper grades--to find out if they've cracked the code and are on their way to becoming better readers."

 

"Given the demographic shifts in the District, it is important to understand that while many students come to kindergarten having experienced preschool and other rich early childhood experiences, a number of our students come to school without these experiences," noted Dr. Pluymert. "Many students are considerably behind their age mates with respect to language development and experiences that build academic vocabulary. In addition, many students come from under-resourced families, and the impact of poverty on student performance can be considerable. The reality is that some of our students come to school at a developmental level which may be two or more years behind their peers."

 

The good news, though, is that, through its progress monitoring and targeted intervention efforts, the District is beginning to turnaround the academic impact of this demographic shift. By the time those kindergartners finish second grade, 83.4 percent of them are meeting the CBM benchmarks that indicate they will meet or exceed grade-level proficiency on the ISAT.

 

"The accepted standard for a core program meeting the needs of most students from the perspective of the literature in RtI is 80 percent, so District 15's scores show that by the end of second grade, the current core program is meeting an acceptable number of students' needs," noted Dr. Pluymert. "However, given the District's aspiration and target of 90 percent proficiency, additional consideration needs to be given to finding ways to reach additional students to increase the percentage of students who meet the proficiency standard."

Latino Family Literacy Project
�Para sus hijos!

District 15's Latino Family Literacy Project
helps parents emphasize reading's importance

 

Earlier this fall, a group of Latino students' parents--some with their children in tow--showed up after hours at several District 15 schools. They weren't there for an extracurricular activity or for disciplinary reasons. They were there to learn. They were there to participate in the District's new Latino Family Literacy Project.

 

"They wanted to learn how to help support their children in literacy," said Dr. Cheryl Wolfel, District 15's director of second language programs. "They wanted to know how to support their children in becoming better readers. They wanted to know how to motivate their children to read more."

 

Latino Family Literacy Project Latino parents have enthusiastically embraced the District's new initiative, which is designed to encourage them to support their children in literacy through dialogue and reflection. Offered at nine of the District's elementary bilingual sites and at Carl Sandburg, Walter R. Sundling, and Winston Campus Junior Highs, the project's aim is to increase Latino parents' involvement in their kids' education by providing them the literacy training they need to nurture a love of reading within their children.

 

Latino Family Literacy Project Throughout the 6- to 10-week program, parents meet once a week for two hours with teachers and administrators who've been specially trained to deliver the program, which emphasizes critical reflection and discussion while promoting family reading and writing. During each meeting, parents receive a new bilingual book written for their child's age group--either at the preschool, elementary, or junior high level--and teachers read through that book with them, pointing out ways to emphasize the book's themes and to ask their children questions that will not only help them understand what they've read, but also motivate them to read more.

 

Latino Family Literacy Project "The books that are in the program have pictures in them, so one thing that we've done is let the parents know that it is OK if they can't read the book because we'll teach them how to read the pictures and how to identify and discuss their themes with their children," noted Dr. Wolfel.

 

"Additionally, the books are about things that kids really deal with--things that we might not like that they deal with, but we know that they deal with, regardless," she added. "That helps parents start conversations and open up avenues of discussion about topics that can sometimes be difficult for families to just bring up out of the blue."

 

For instance, Graciela's Dream, a junior high level book read in the program, is about a little girl and her dream of going to college.

 

Latino Family Literacy Project "That is a great topic for parents to talk about with their children," said Dr. Wolfel. "They can begin to ask them what they think their futures look like and what their plans are for their lives. So we're also able to use this sort of literacy instruction to help them have those kinds of meaningful family conversations, which is just wonderful."

 

Latino Family Literacy Project After each workshop, parents take home the books to practice these strategies and create more dialogue with their children. Then they report the results at the next week's meeting, where they swap out their old books for new ones and learn new literacy lessons to incorporate into their family reading routines. Throughout the program, parents and their children even document the experience by using a disposable camera to create a family album featuring photos that capture the fun they've had and the lessons they've learned after reading books together.

 

"What we know is that many of our Latino parents have never had access to a literacy program designed specifically for the Latino family," said Dr. Wolfel. "So what we're trying to do is encourage them to help their children make the most of these opportunities by stressing the importance of reading books and reflecting upon them and discussing them together, as a family."

 

Latino Literacy Video
(Click image to hear comments from parents regarding Virginia Lake School's Latino Family Literacy Project.)

 

Donielle Escalante, a bilingual resource teacher at Lincoln School, said this is why the District's launch of the Latino Family Literacy Project is so important.

 

"It has made our Latino parents feel like they are a part of something important and valuable while also encouraging both students and parents to love reading in English and Spanish," said Mrs. Escalante.

 

Her colleague, Sharon Moore, a reading specialist at Lincoln, agreed, saying the project has made Latino parents feel like a valued part of their school's community.

 

"Their children are seeing that their parents value education and are willing to come to school at night to learn something new and spread that knowledge through books and quality family discussions," said Mrs. Moore.

 

But the impact of the program is perhaps best expressed by the parents who participated in the project themselves. For instance, Margarito Rios, whose daughter, Leslie, is a third grader at Virginia Lake School, loved how the project provided them an opportunity to get to know each other better simply by reading together.

 

"I discovered so much about my daughter," said Mr. Rios. "I was surprised at some of her answers. We read and discussed the book and learned about each other. We had the opportunity to learn more about our traditions and culture."

 

Meanwhile, Enrique Segura, whose son, Sebastian, is a kindergartner at Virginia Lake, said the project helped his family go from not reading at home to having reading become a nightly family activity, and having the staff recognize his family whenever it visited the library.

 

"At home, our whole family changed," said Mr. Segura. "Before starting this program, we weren't really that interested in reading ... We now read every night for about 30 minutes. This was a nice experience because it improved our reading experience at home 100 percent."

STEM Design & Modeling
Opening the 'Gateway'

New junior high STEM program helps students develop 21st century skills needed for careers in engineering, manufacturing, and technology

 

They're creating vehicles called Skimmers and testing and tweaking their designs to make them travel further and faster.

 

They're designing furniture using the same 3D software used by industry professionals.

 

STEM Design & ModelingThey're building towers with marshmallows and spaghetti noodles and measuring them to see whose towers stand the tallest.

 

And they're having so much fun doing it all that, in many instances, they don't even realize they're beginning to learn the 21st century skills needed for careers in engineering, manufacturing, and technology.

 

They are the first students to take Design & Modeling, the first semester-long enrichment class offered through District 15's new junior high science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) program, Gateway to Technology. In Design & Modeling, students are introduced to the design process and use it to solve problems and understand the influence that creative and innovative design has on their lives. They use industry-standard 3D modeling software in this class to create a virtual image of their designs and produce a portfolio to showcase their creative solutions.

 

STEM Design & Modeling

"It's a whole new way of teaching and learning," said Sharon Lennstrom, a STEM teacher at Plum Grove Junior High. "We might show them a new tool to use and how to use it, but then we give them a project to work on that involves the tool we just showed them how to use, and they get to see how it would really be used in the real world, not just as a bunch of lines that they lay out on a piece paper."

 

Consequently, she said, students are gaining self confidence by feeling successful when their ideas are put into action.

 

"The kids love 'Inventor Fridays,' when we use industry-standard 3D software to make their ideas come to life. They feel like they are actually doing things with what they are learning--like they're putting their knowledge to work," said Mrs. Lennstrom. "That's what I enjoy most about teaching this class--the excitement I see on my students' faces every day. They often tell me they're sad that this is only a one-semester class."

 

Chris Lucht, a STEM teacher at Winston Campus Junior High, also hears his students tell him on a daily basis how much they enjoy the class. They love taking part in the various hands-on design challenges, he said, but what he enjoys most is the opportunity to teach them an invaluable life skill.

 

"My favorite part of teaching the Gateway to Technology program is that the kids are engaged in learning a skill that will be useful in life--problem solving," said Mr. Lucht. "Problem solving is a skill that is necessary to be successful, and I have the pleasure of teaching it using technology."

 

This will not be students' only opportunity to learn that skill in a STEM class. Next year, the District is adding a second offering to its STEM program--Automation & Robotics. In this class, students will trace the history, development, and influence of automation and robotics. They will learn about mechanical systems, energy transfer, machine automation, and computer control systems. They will even use a robust robotics platform to design, build, and program a solution to solve an existing problem.

 

Additionally, these courses will prepare them to participate in the Project Lead the Way STEM programs offered in Township High School Districts 211 and 214.

 

"The launch of our new STEM program is part of our ongoing effort to improve our instructional program by offering a world-class curriculum that emphasizes the development of 21st century skills," said Deputy Superintendent of Schools James Garwood, who has led the Gateway to Technology program's implementation. "Employment in STEM fields remains on the rise while the number of students graduating with degrees in these areas is projected to remain flat, so these classes are meant to guide our children into careers they may not have otherwise considered."

 

Though they've only just begun, they appear to be having that effect.

 

"When I started in this class, I knew I wanted to work in medicine," said Katie Bondi, an eighth grader at Plum Grove. "Now I want to become a medical engineer and work to find cures for diseases. This class helped me see that I can do that."

Carl Sandburg LEGO League
Serving seniors

Sandburg's LEGO team provides computer training to residents of area senior community

 

When it comes to FIRST LEGO League competitions, so much fanfare surrounds all of the robotics action that occurs on the obstacle course that it can be easy to forget that teams must also research and execute a theme-based community service project in order to win the contest.

 

This year, though, Carl Sandburg Junior High's team put that aspect of the competition front and center during the competition's Senior Solutions challenge. This theme required the team to research, develop, and share its ideas to improve the quality of life for seniors by helping them continue to be independent, engaged, and connected in their communities.

 

"We chose to address the issue of seniors using computer technology for our community service project for this year," said Al Stevenson, the team's coach.

 

Carl Sandburg LEGO League 

To do this, the team welcomed several members of Prospect Height's Emeritus Senior Living Community into Sandburg's new STEM computer lab for an after-school computer training session on Thursday, November 8. Students showed their senior guests to computer stations and led them through the following tutorials:

  • Google Earth: The visiting seniors not only learned how to find their homes and get directions anywhere they might want to travel. They also learned how to use Google Earth to check the weather, see three-dimensional renderings of buildings, and even "fly" airplanes.
  • Microsoft Office basics: Through a 15-minute lesson in Word and PowerPoint, the seniors learned how to make letters to their family and friends more creative.
  • iPad photography: The Emeritus residents learned how to use the camera feature on an iPad, and how to save their photos to their computers or send them to their loved ones.
  • Computer buying basics: Students showed their senior guests the different parts of a computer, such as the processor, video card, and memory. Afterwards, they logged on to www.amazon.com to perform some comparison shopping for computers.
  • Google Chrome tips and tricks: The seniors learned tips and tricks to become more effective online searchers. Students showed them how to use Google Chrome, a faster search engine, to find what they're looking for on the Web.
  • Internet geneology: Students introduced their senior guests to www.familysearch.org, and showed them how to search for their ancestors.

"The senior community computer day was a great success for both our senior visitors from Emeritus, as well as our students," said Mr. Stevenson. "Our senior guests commented that they had a great time and learned a lot about computers from their student hosts."

Motorola Solutions Foundation grant continues to fund D15 LEGO teams

The District Fifteen Educational Foundation
has received $12,000 as part of the
Innovation Generation grant program from the Motorola Solutions Foundation, the charitable arm
of Motorola Solutions, Inc.

 

District Fifteen Educational Foundation

Since 2001, the Foundation has received 10 grants from Motorola Solutions Foundation totaling nearly $110,000. The Foundation has used these funds to field FIRST LEGO� League teams throughout Community Consolidated School District 15.

 

During the District 15 Board of Education's November 14 meeting, Chris Svec, vice chair of the District Fifteen Educational Foundation's Board of Trustees, introduced Matt Blakely, Motorola Solutions Foundation director, and thanked the Motorola Solutions Foundation for its continued support.

 

Chris Svec and Matt Blakely  

"We are so grateful for all of the grants we have received from Motorola Solutions Foundation," said Mr. Svec. "Every year, this support allows us to form 10 LEGO teams in District 15 schools, and these extracurricular offerings afford students an opportunity to further pursue their interests in science, technology, engineering, and math outside of the classroom by participating in exciting, hands-on robotics competitions."

 

FIRST LEGO League teams compete in regional, state, and national tournaments by building robots out of LEGOS and programming them to accomplish specific maneuvers and tasks related to the theme of the year's challenge. In the 2012 Senior Solutions Challenge, teams will research, develop, and share their ideas to improve the quality of life for seniors, and, using LEGO MINDSTORMS� technology, they will build, test, and program an autonomous robot to manage a mix of challenges and activities related to helping seniors continue to be independent, engaged, or connected in their communities.

 

Motorola Solutions Foundation The Motorola Solutions Foundation's Innovation Generation program is designed to inspire students to learn about science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Innovation Generation funding equips students with the skills essential to both their lives today and their future success through funding, employee volunteers, and intra-grantee collaboration. This year, the program will provide $4.9 million to K-12 programs across the U.S., including the District Fifteen Educational Foundation, to support hands-on, innovative after-school programs, science and math clubs, teacher training, and mentoring programs.

 

"The future of American innovation depends on a diverse pipeline of critical thinkers who are well versed in STEM principles," said Mr. Blakely. "Through the Innovation Generation program, we are thrilled to partner with programs like the District Fifteen Educational Foundation to provide students and teachers with the necessary tools to explore their STEM interests and pursue innovation."