Letter from President Erica Nelson

Dear District 41 Families and Community Members,

It's hard to believe that the first day of school is around the corner. The district office and schools are starting to see even more activity. Summer camps and programs are coming to a close, family vacations are ending, teachers are in the buildings setting up classrooms, construction projects at the schools are winding down, and parents are no doubt out and about purchasing school supplies and backpacks to get ready for school. It's an exciting time! One of my favorite times of year as a parent and as a Board member. Before that first school bell rings, I want to share a few district updates with you.

This school year, the district is happy to welcome several new key staff members and a group of very talented teachers. There are two new assistant principals in the district. - Bob Guzzetti at Hadley Junior High and Katie Purse at Forest Glen. In addition, there are currently 22 new staff across the district. We are fortunate to have such incredible teachers and staff in every type of position across the district. We look forward to welcoming them at our first Board meeting in September.

Summer is construction season everywhere and District 41 is no exception. The remaining portable classrooms have been removed from Forest Glen and the last portables at Churchill will be removed later this school year. The replacement classrooms are being completed and the majority of them will be ready to open at the start of this school year. It will be exciting to watch the teachers and students use these new classrooms to support their teaching and learning. Ribbon cuttings and open houses celebrating the new classrooms will be scheduled at Forest Glen and Churchill soon. They will be public events open to all. Students will also come back to a newly renovated library at Abraham Lincoln School. Several projects were also happening at Hadley this summer. The most physically noticeable was the overdue refinished gym floor. The Hadley logo looks terrific in the center of the gym. The students will no doubt be inspired and motivated for another successful year of PE and athletic season! Go Wildcats!

I also want to take this opportunity to thank the wonderful community partners that help support the district throughout the year. Many of our generous families support our community partners and are making a difference in the most significant ways. A few of these organizations include Partnership for Educational Progress (PEP), Music Education Foundation (MEF), Supplies4Success, and our school PTA's. Our community partners help us to ensure that all students have what they need to learn and succeed in our schools. As you think about where to contribute your time, talents and treasure, I hope you will consider these organizations. It truly takes all of us to support and build the educational foundation of our children. CLICK FOR MORE INFORMATION.

I wish all of our District 41 families a fun and safe end of summer break. We look forward to welcoming all of you, returning and new, to school in a few weeks. And, as always, please feel free to contact me personally or any of the other Board members.  We very much appreciate hearing from parents and community members about anything related to the district and the communities we serve.

Thank you for your partnership and dedication to our schools.

Sincerely,
Erica Nelson
President
Glen Ellyn School District 41 Board of Education