Last year, District 15 conducted a new 10-year life safety study that identified approximately $155 million of facility repairs and renovations that the District must address over the next decade. Upon further analysis of the study's results, District 15's administration and architects identified a variety of potential savings opportunities that could possibly reduce those costs to around $119 million.

Over the spring, the District 15 Facilities Plan Committee developed and recommended a strategy to accomplish the requirements set forth in the life safety report. The District 15 Board of Education adopted the committee's strategy this summer.

Now, District 15 is taking the first step recommended in that strategy, and completing a plan to schedule and fund all of the District's most urgent facilities needs. Current estimates project these improvements, which must be completed within the next two years, to cost the District $22.6 million.

This important work was identified as one of the District's top priorities in the 2015-16 Board Goals adopted by the Board earlier this fall. For more details on this effort, check out the following resources.

• The Decennial Life Safety Report section of the District 15 website, which includes the actual life safety study and school-specific presentations that the administration shared with residents at various Community Communication Forums last winter.

• The District 15 Facilities Plan Committee's presentation, which can be viewed in its entirety here, and was summarize in the June 17 issue of Board Briefs.

• The "Balances, Bonds, and Building Maintenance" article published in the back-to-school issue of the District's community newsletter, Connections. It describes the three options for funding these projects available to the District, and the multitude of possibilities that they present for the Board's consideration.

The District Fifteen Educational Foundation will host its third charity sports event -- a D15 Staff Volleyball Tournament -- on Saturday, November 14, at Winston Campus.

"We believe that community building and school spirit can be gained from students supporting their home school teams during the tournament," said Tim Knecht, chairman of the Foundation's Board of Trustees. "The games will bring the entire District 15 community together to celebrate sport, healthy competition, and fun!"

The tournament will feature competitive and exhibition divisions, and it will guarantee that each staff-rostered team will play in a minimum of two 30-minute matches. Top teams will receive grants and event T-shirts, but only the tournament's champions will take home the top prize -- a $300 grant and the Foundation's traveling trophy.

Fans will also have an opportunity to help their school's team take home a prize. On game day, staff and students -- as well as their families -- can put on their spirit wear and pack the stands at Winston Campus, as the school with the most fans in attendance will receive a $100 Spirit Grant. Tickets are only $1 (children age 2 and under are free), and refreshments will be available for purchase at the event.

All proceeds from the Foundation's Staff Volleyball Tournament will be used by the District Fifteen Educational Foundation to fund programming throughout District 15 schools.

More than 430 students from the District's 15 elementary school participated in District 15's Sixth-Grade Cross Country Meet, which was held September 30 at Salk Park in Rolling Meadows.

"The park was filled with excitement, and the display of teamwork by the students, parents, and teachers was amazing," said Kate Arenberg, District 15 Fine Arts Coordinator.

Participants trained with their physical education teachers before school or during recess time to prepare themselves to run mile-long course.

During the meet, schools competed in one of three divisions based on the size of their sixth-grade enrollment. The following students who won their divisions:

Large Schools:

• Elizabeth C. from Stuart R. Paddock School
• Beck S. from Hunting Ridge School

Medium Schools:

• Rylen R. from Central Road School
• Braden R. from Pleasant Hill School

Small Schools:

• Veronica D. from Winston Campus Elementary
• Marcel R. from Marion Jordan School

Medals were awarded to the top 10 finishers in each heat, and "top flight" ribbons were given to students who finished from 11th to 20th place. Every runner received a participation ribbon at the finish line.

"Congratulations to all the students that participated!" said Mrs. Arenberg.

Every District 15 school recently received special recognition by the Midwest Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) Network for having implemented their respective PBIS systems with fidelity. In doing so, they demonstrated positive outcomes for the students and families that they serve as a result of their hard work.

To receive this recognition, schools must show how they have implemented the different tiers of the PBIS system. This involves having a school-wide prevention system that identifies core values, a process for recognizing and celebrating positive student behavior, and social and emotional lessons that enhance skills for all students.

In this regard, 16 schools from District 15 ranked among the mere 149 schools in Illinois that received either Platinum or Gold recognition. That means they demonstrated that they had implemented PBIS at 80 percent fidelity for at least two tiers -- if not all three -- as measured by the schoolwide PBIS tiered fidelity inventory. These buildings showed full implementation that included preventative, targeted, and intensive interventions, resulting in a full range of supports for students. Some of their services even included wrap-around plans for individual students and families.

Those schools are as follows:

• Carl Sandburg Junior High
• Frank C. Whiteley School
• Gray M. Sanborn School
• Hunting Ridge School
• Jane Addams School
• Kimball Hill School
• Lake Louise School
• Lincoln School
• Marion Jordan School
• Pleasant Hill School
• Stuart R. Paddock School
• Thomas Jefferson School
• Virginia Lake School
• Walter R. Sundling Junior High
• Willow Bend School
• Winston Campus Elementary

Free developmental screenings for children up to 33 months old are offered to families who live in District 15 through the District's Early Intervention Program.

The screenings, which are by appointment only, will be held on the following dates from 3-6 p.m. at the John G. Conyers Learning Academy, 2800 W. Central Road in Rolling Meadows:

To make an appointment, contact Erin Carp, Student Services Technology Specialist, at 847-963-3150. For more information, contact Melanie Mandarino, Early Intervention Facilitator, at 847-963-3410.

District 15 has gone "green" in its approach to distributing community flyers. Flyers are now posted on the D15 E-Flyers webpage, and a limited number of flyers may be available in the school's lobby flyer rack.

The latest list on the D15 E-Flyers webpage includes links to the following flyers:  

• Alligator Aquatics Swim Team Registration is Now Open!
• Art Reach Educational Theatre Fall Musical Theatre Workshop
• BPAC (Bilingual Parent Advisory Committee) Meeting Dates 2015-16
• Buehler YMCA Pre-Teen Afterschool Program
• Discovery Foreign Language Instruction, HR, JA, MJ, PH, and TJ, Fall 2015
• Fremd Feeder 7-8 Girls Basketball Tryouts, 2015-16 Season
• Friends of Palatine Library Used Book Sale, Oct 16-18, 2015
• Harper College -- Adult Education and Literacy
• Healthy Kids Running Series
• Hoffman Estates Park District October Events
• Hoffman Estates Public Works Open House / Coffee with the Board
• HS District 214 presents Career Nights
• Indian Princesses (Dads & Daughters group)
• Learn to Ice Skate
• Love The Run You're With, Sweetest Day 5K, October 17, 2015
• Northwestern University Saturday Enrichment Program
• Parent Education Night -- Keeping Your Teen Safe: Signs of Suicide
• Renaissance Knights Chess Club at Hunting Ridge School
• Rolling Thunder Volleyball -- Boys Fall Leagues
• Rolling Thunder Volleyball -- Girls Fall League
• Rolling Thunder Volleyball Club -- Kids
• Salt Creek Park District Fall/Winter 2015-16 Catalog
• SPARK (Special Education Parents Accessing Resources & Knowledge)