 District 15 welcomes 60 new teachers
District 15's two-week New Teacher Orientation program began August 1 at Carl Sandburg Junior High, and is providing 60 new teachers many opportunities to get to know the District's education program, its staff, and its community.  The program kicked off Monday morning with a welcome from Scott Thompson, Ed.D., Superintendent of Schools. Then the District 15 Board of Education hosted its annual New Teacher Luncheon on Tuesday. Most of the District's New Teacher Orientation program is, however, comprised of a variety of carefully planned seminars, workshops, and training sessions that provide new teachers essential information for beginning their District 15 careers. Sessions cover such topics as math, literacy, and science instruction, components of response to intervention (RTI) and positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS), special education and second language programs, and instructional technology.  The program also introduces the new teachers to the mentors provided for them through the District's mentor/induction program, and provides them with time to work both independently and with their mentors, principals, and other professional colleagues in their classrooms and school buildings in preparation for the first day of school on Wednesday, August 17. These mentor-mentee relationships will carry on throughout the entire school year as a means of supporting the new teachers as they begin their careers in education. "It is our hope that our mentor/induction program will provide meaningful information and support to help our new teachers continue on their learning journey as education professionals," said Benicia Colon, New Teacher Induction Facilitator.
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Be on the lookout for these
back-to-school mailings
 Your child's class assignment or schedule and a variety of other important back-to-school information, such as school rules and procedures, District and school calendars, principal letters, and PTA information, was mailed in early August. If you do not receive this packet by Wednesday, August 10, please contact your school. School supply lists for each school are available from the schools and are posted on each school's page on the District 15 website at www.ccsd15.net | Our Schools. Busing information
District 15 students are entitled to bus transportation at no charge if they are residents of the District and live more than 1½ miles from the District-assigned school they will attend, or in an area declared to be hazardous as determined by the Illinois Department of Transportation.  All bus assignments, as well as routes and stops, are determined by the Transportation Department, which earlier this month sent letters detailing this information to parents whose children ride school buses. This information includes the student's morning and afternoon route numbers, the student's bus stop location, and the approximate times that the bus will pick up and drop off the student. Parents are asked to be sure the information on the bus assignment is accurate. If the information is not correct, or if you have not received it by Wednesday, August 10, please contact your school or the Transportation Department at 847-963-3900. Student fee statements
District 15 charges a book rental, material, and technology fee to help defray costs. Book/material/technology fees for the 2016-17 school year are:
- Kindergarten -- $60
- Grades 1-6 -- $120
- Grades 7-8 -- $135
Other fees are optional. They include fees for interscholastic sports ($85/sport/year or $175 maximum/student/year, nonrefundable), musical instrument rental (Grades 4-8), additional PE clothes ($9), graduation gown rental (Grade 8), and paid transportation for students living less than 1½ miles from school. Student fee statements will be mailed to families at the end of August, and must be paid by November 1, 2016. A late fee of $50 per student will be charged for all student fees paid after November 1. Fees may be paid by cash, check, or credit card. - Cash payments should be made by the parent in the office of the child's attendance school, where a payment receipt will be issued.
- Check payments are processed through the check processing center of the District's bank and should be mailed to Community Consolidated School District 15, 36246 Treasury Center, Chicago, IL 60694-6200.
- Credit card payments may be submitted online by visiting http://ccsd15.revtrak.net.
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Palatine Public Library to serve as District's central information site during a school crisis
 Should a crisis arise at one of District 15's 12 Palatine schools, parents will now be able to gather at a central location to receive live, in-person updates from law enforcement officials and District 15 administrators.  "As a community, safety is our first priority," said Matthew Barbini, Ed.D., District 15 Deputy Superintendent of Schools. "It is absolutely wonderful that we are able to enter into this partnership with the Palatine Police Department and the Palatine Public Library District."  Officials from District 15, the Palatine Police Department, and Palatine Public Library District recently agreed to designate Palatine Public Library, 700 N. North Court, as the District's new central information site for parents during a school crisis. "The Library is privileged to support this exemplary, proactive initiative with our partners. We recognize this as an opportunity to reinforce our mission to serve the community's information needs," said Anthony Auston, Director of Palatine Public Library District. This partnership is the result of District 15's annual review of its crisis response plan with local law enforcement officials each summer. Jeff Schlee, Palatine Police School Safety Officer , recommended this action, as authorities' analysis of their responses to school crises often note that efforts were complicated by additional traffic and crowding created by parents gathering at the actual location of the crisis. By meeting at a central location like Palatine Public Library -- instead of converging on the area around a school -- parents will still be able receive important information and status updates from authorities during an emergency. However, they will be able to do so without hindering first responders' efforts to secure the school and ensure the safety of its students and staff. "It is pivotal that the parents are educated on their roles and responsibilities during a school crisis," said Officer Schlee. "Giving them a place to get information and resources quickly is extremely important to limit confusion and ease any chaos to first responders out at the scene." Palatine Public Library will only serve as an information site for parents. It will not serve as a reunification site should one be necessary during a school crisis at one of District 15's 12 Palatine schools. District 15 is currently working with the Rolling Meadows and Hoffman Estates Police Departments to identify venues that could serve this purpose for the District's schools located in their communities. Last summer, the District's annual review of its crisis response plan also led to the implementation of a new security initiative. In the fall, the District began using 65-cent magnets to speed up the process of locking and securing classroom doors during a crisis situation. Principals, District 15 administrators, and local law enforcement agencies from Palatine, Rolling Meadows, and Hoffman Estates worked together to plan and implement that safety initiative.
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Palatine Area Chamber of Commerce
seeking 'Young Entrepreneurs'
However, applications to participate in YEA! must be submitted by Wednesday, September 16.
YEA! is for students who are creative, work hard to do their best both inside and outside of school, effectively communicate, and are committed to improving their community. YEA! will walk select students who fit this description through the entire business creation process -- brain-storming ideas, writing business plans, pitching to potential investors, and registering with governmental agencies -- all the way to actually launching and running their business or social movement.
The YEA! curriculum is delivered by local leaders of industry, community members, educators, and entrepreneurs. It provides students with a focused introduction to the business world that will help them transition successfully to adulthood; pursue their dreams by harnessing their creativity and energy; develop an entrepreneurial mindset and leadership skills based on personal principles and values; and transform their ideas into tangible enterprises that create economic and social value for a better world.
The YEA! academic year begins Wednesday, November 2, and continues throughout the rest of the 2016-17 school year. Classes will meet every Wednesday from 3-5:30 p.m. at Winston Campus Junior High. District 15 will provide transportation to these classes for students from Carl Sandburg, Plum Grove, and Walter R. Sundling Junior Highs, but parents will be responsible for picking up students at the end of each class.
Up to six students at each District 15 junior high will be selected to participate in YEA! through an application and selection process run by the Palatine Area Chamber of Commerce. Students who are interested in participating in YEA! must complete an application that will require them to respond to two short-answer questions and write a 300-word essay. Students will also have to submit a current transcript and a letter of recommendation with their applications. All applications -- electronic or paper -- must be submitted along with a $20 application fee by Wednesday, September 16, to be considered.
Students selected to participate in YEA! will be required to pay $150 to cover materials costs for the program. The $20 application fee will be applied to the $150 registration costs for students who are selected to participate in YEA! Waivers for the application fee and scholarships for the program are available and will be awarded on the basis of need and merit. To enquire about these opportunities, contact Michael Carmody, District 15 Principal Coach, at 847-963-3161 or carmodym@ccsd15.net.
YEA! applications can be completed online. Paper applications can also be printed from District 15's website or picked up in the main office at each junior high. Students should submit paper applications to their school's front office, and students seeking application fee waivers should complete and submit paper applications.
For more information, contact Steven Gaus, Palatine Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director, at 847-359-7200 or sgaus@palatinechamber.com, or Michael Carmody, District 15 Principal Coach, at 847-963-3161 or carmodym@ccsd15.net.
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Community Consolidated School District 15
The mission of Community Consolidated School District 15 is:  "To produce world-class learners by building a connected learning community." Producing world-class learners in today's complex and fast-paced world is the single most important responsibility of the district. Schools, teachers, administrators, and support staff work together to ensure that all students enrolled in district schools receive the highest quality of educational opportunities that will not only enable them to meet or exceed state standards, but also will position them for success in future educational and career endeavors. Community Consolidated School District 15 is the third largest elementary district in Illinois, serving a diverse population in all or part of seven northwest suburban communities: Palatine, Rolling Meadows, Hoffman Estates, Inverness, South Barrington, Arlington Heights, and Schaumburg. District 15 has fifteen elementary schools, four junior high schools, and one preschool early childhood center and alternative public day school. For more information, please visit the District's website, www.ccsd15.net. |
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We count on the feedback of the community to keep the District evolving. If you have questions or concerns, please visit our Let's Talk webpage, choose the tab that interests you, enter your information, and click submit. Your message will be shared with District 15 staff immediately.
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CONNECTIONS is a newsletter for Community Consolidated School District 15 parents and the community. It is prepared by the Communications Department and is distributed via e-mail.
It can be viewed at www.ccsd15.net | Our Services | Communications Department |
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 Thank you
for joining
our e-mail list! | D15 E-News is published by the Communications Department and offers our school community a convenient way to stay informed about important news in the district. District 15 values your privacy, and does not sell, rent, or give any contact information for its students or families to outside parties. Questions?
Please contact
Sandy Cramer at cramers@ccsd15.net.
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Community Consolidated
School District 15580 N. 1st Bank Dr.
Palatine, IL 60067
847-963-3000
Board of Education
Peggy Babcock
President
James G. Ekeberg, M.D.
Vice President
David W. Seiffert, Secretary
Gerald D. Chapman, Ed.D.
David Gurion
Zubair Khan
Jessica C. Morrison
Superintendent of Schools
Scott B. Thompson, Ed.D.
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