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District 204 Launches iPhone App to Enhance Communication

May 8, 2014, 2:14 pm
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Indian Prairie School District 204 launched a new iPhone app as a way to enhance communication with parents, students, and the community. The app provides the most sought-after information in one convenient location on a user's smartphone. Users will be able to do everything from checking grades to easily adding important dates to their calendar. The app is currently available through the iTunes store and will be available in August for Android users.

The IPSD app features:

  • GPS mapping and navigation to guide you to any school

  • Add district events to your phone's calendar

  • Breakfast and lunch menus

  • Check grades via eSchool+

  • District news

  • 204tv.org

  • One-touch calling to school

  • and more


    • The IPSD app is available now for iPhone users through iTunes.
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    STEM Partnership School Board Meeting: 5/20/14

    May 14, 2014, 3:44 pm
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    The meeting of the Governing Board of the John C. Dunham STEM Partnership School will be held on Tuesday, May 20, 2014 at 1:30 pm in the Wackerlin Center, 430 S. Evanslawn, Aurora, IL 60506. Business conducted will include the employment of the professional teaching staff, the administrative assistant and the external evaluator for the 2014-15 school year.


    The John C. Dunham STEM Partnership School on the Aurora University campus will serve 150 students in third through eighth grades in the East Aurora, Indian Prairie and West Aurora school districts. The school is set to open in August 2014.

    For more information:
    http://stem.aurora.edu/
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    IPEF Appoints Directors

    May 15, 2014, 8:47 am
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    The Indian Prairie Educational Foundation (IPEF) continues to build on its strategy to support programs and curriculum opportunities for the students of District 204. At a recent meeting, the IPEF board of directors approved the addition of three new directors.

    Joining the board is Nimish Bhatt, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for Calamos Investments. He also serves on the Board of Directors of Calamos Global Funds, PLC – Ireland. Bhatt has served on several boards in the community and offers a diverse range of financial and strategic insights that will be critical to the IPEF's funding strategy.

    Kamala Martinez brings a wealth of experience having held a number of not-for-profit board positions, including Vice President for the Executive Board of Directors at Naperville Cable Television 17, President of RRHOA, HACE Board of Trustees, the Art Institutes of Chicago Corporate Committee, and advisor to KidsMatter. Martinez is the Community Relations Manager for RR Donnelley and has actively been involved with area school districts.

    Michelle Plummer joins the IPEF after serving for the past two years as President of the Indian Prairie Parents Council. Plummer is recognized throughout District 204 as a leader who has worked for various volunteer organizations in supporting programs in many of the schools. She brings a unique perspective as someone who has worked with students as a former Speech-Language Pathologist and also has experience developing a strong volunteer base to support organizations.

    "I am very excited to welcome these three outstanding individuals to the IPEF Board of Directors," said Kent Duncan, IPEF Chairman. "Nimish, Kamala, and Michelle bring years of experience and leadership to the board as we continue our work to support students in District 204."

    The Indian Prairie Educational Foundation enhances Indian Prairie School District 204 through supporting programs that help to inspire all students to achieve their greatest potential.
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    May Volunteer of the Month

    May 15, 2014, 11:00 am
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    BMO Harris Bank Volunteer of the Month

    When Lynda Moresco was an elementary school teacher in New Jersey, the school’s PTA members were always willing to help support the teachers in any way they could. Moresco never forgot their kindness and how much they helped both students and teachers. When her children, Alexandra and Christian, attended Brooks Elementary School, she started volunteering so she could repay the kindness. For her dedication in supporting students and teachers, she is being recognized as the District 204 BMO Harris Bank Volunteer of the Month.

    “It’s such an honor to be chosen,” Moresco said. “But it’s the men and women I have worked with over the past four years who are the most amazing group of volunteers, teachers and administrators. They make me look good.”

    Her husband’s job transfer brought the family to the Chicago area in 1998. After her son started kindergarten, Moresco volunteered at Brooks so regularly, that parents thought she was a teacher.

    “I did the art program in the classroom, I was a room parent, I helped with photocopying, filing, shelving books and anything the teachers needed,” she said. “My kids were so proud that I was around.”

    She has held several PTA leadership positions including president and vice president of the Granger Middle School PTSA and currently is PTA president at Metea Valley High School. She also has been involved with the Indian Prairie Parents Council and has served as a member of the Parent Diversity Advisory Council.

    Today, her daughter, Alexandra, is 21 and her son, Christian, is graduating from Metea Valley. Although her school volunteering is ending, she has made a difference in the lives of countless students, teachers and administrators at Brooks, Granger and Metea Valley who have benefited from her boundless energy and generous heart.

    “My teachers were my heroes growing up,” she said. “It was always teachers who lifted me up and helped me when I was a child. I am happy to give back in any way I can.”

    BMO Harris Bank is helping District 204 recognize one volunteer each month who has generously given his or her time to support District 204’s students and schools. To celebrate these outstanding volunteers, BMO Harris Bank is donating $1,000 to the volunteer's school. To nominate an outstanding volunteer, visit http://ipsdweb.ipsd.org/Subpage.aspx/Volunteer.


    Lynda Moresco was selected as the District 204 BMO Harris Bank Volunteer of the Month for May on behalf of her involvement with Metea Valley High School over the years.


    Photo (l to r) Nicholette Cutrera - BMO Harris Bank-Aurora Market President, Nicki McIntrye – BMO Harris Branch Manager 95th Street, District 204 BMO Harris Bank Volunteer of the Month recipient Lynda Moresco, and Metea Valley Principal Jim Schmid.
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    Board Names Building After Retiring Superintendent

    May 21, 2014, 9:54 am
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    At the May 19 Board of Education meeting, board members approved naming the Neuqua Valley High School freshman building the Kathryn J. Birkett Freshman Center after District 204's retiring superintendent. Dr. Birkett is retiring after a 35 year career in Indian Prairie, which includes opening Neuqua Valley High School in 1997.

    Administrators at Neuqua Valley High School suggested the name change to the Board of Education. Principal Bob McBride said Dr. Birkett's watermark on the school is indelible. "Dr. Birkett's legacy is etched in the walls, built in the design, and infused in the soul of our school," said McBride.

    Board President Lori Price said the board is proud to name the building after Dr. Birkett. "It seems only fitting that the first building students enter as Neuqua Valley High School students is named after the principal who was there when Neuqua Valley welcomed its very first students," said Price.
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    2014 Graduation Ceremonies

    May 23, 2014, 10:34 am
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    District 204 high school graduation ceremonies take place on Sunday, May 25 at Northern Illinois University's Convocation Center.

    • Metea Valley High School: 11:00 am
    • Waubonsie Valley High School: 3:00 pm
    • Neuqua Valley High School: 7:00 pm

    You can watch all three graduation ceremonies broadcast live online at the following address:
    http://www.visionfriendly.com/sd204/

    In addition, Naperville residents can watch the ceremonies live on NCTV17's cable channel.

    If you have any questions about the event, please contact your high school directly.
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    Board Appoints Assistant Superintendent of Student Services

    May 27, 2014, 11:19 am
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    The Board of Education approved the appointment of Jennifer Law as the Assistant Superintendent of Student Services. She replaces Pam Shaw, who has accepted a position in another district.

    Since 2009, Law has served as director of student services at Glen Ellyn School District 41. In her current role, she is responsible for all special education services within District 41, and manages a budget of $2.5 million. She spends time working directly with building administrators and staff to provide guidance regarding legal and procedural requirements related to special education services. In addition, she regularly works with staff to facilitate communication in order to provide the best services for students.

    Law started her career in education as a special education teacher in Monroe County Community School Corporation in Bloomington, Indiana. She held various positions during her 16 year career with the district, including assistant principal, principal, and central office administrating principal for elementary special projects.

    Law earned her bachelor's degree from Indiana University and her master's degree from Indiana Wesleyan University.
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    Crone and Gregory Named Exceptional ‘Schools to Watch’

    June 3, 2014, 2:20 pm
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    Crone Middle School and Gregory Middle School in Indian Prairie School District 204 have been named exceptional “Schools to Watch” as part of a recognition program developed by the National Forum to Accelerate Middle-Grades Reform.

    The two schools join the list of 116 exemplary middle-grades schools in 16 states across the country and are among only five from Illinois receiving this honor.

    Schools are recognized for a three-year period; and at the end of three years, schools must repeat the process in order to be re-designated. Seventy-seven schools of the 116 recognized, including Gregory Middle School, have maintained or increased their levels of excellence and are being re-designated. Crone Middle School joined the prestigious group this year. The schools vary in size from several hundred to several thousand students and represent urban, suburban and rural communities.

    Selection is based on a written application that required schools to show how they met the strict criteria developed by the Forum. Schools that appeared to meet the criteria were then visited by state teams who observed classrooms, interviewed administrators, teachers, students and parents, and looked at achievement data, suspension rates, quality of lessons and student work.

    Each school was selected by state leaders for its academic excellence, its responsiveness to the needs and interests of young adolescents, and its commitment to helping all students achieve at high levels. In addition, each school has strong leadership, teachers who work together to improve curriculum and instruction, and a commitment to assessment and accountability to bring about continuous improvement.

    The National Forum to Accelerate Middle-Grades Reform is an alliance of 40 educators, researchers, national associations, and officers of professional organizations and foundations dedicated to improving education in the middle grades.
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    Expanding Learning Opportunities Open Meeting: 6/19/14

    June 16, 2014, 3:36 pm
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    ESY Bus Service Resumes Wed July 2, 2014

    July 1, 2014, 11:32 am
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    Due to weather related safety issues bus service was interrupted on Tuesday, July 1.

    The issues have been resolved and full ESY bus service will resume on Wednesday, July 2.
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    STEM School Student Enrollment

    April 28, 2014, 11:19 am
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    District 204 has received 478 applications for the 50 total seats available in grades three through eight at the John C. Dunham STEM Partnership School on the campus of Aurora University. A lottery will be held at 5 pm on Tuesday, April 29 at the Crouse Education Center to select students for the 2014-15 school year. An automated electronic process will be used to randomly select students per grade level. Parents do not need to be present.

    A letter will be mailed to parents who have applied to notify them that their child has been accepted or has been placed on a wait list. Parents will receive notification by May 5. Due to confidentiality, notification will be via mail only and not be given by phone.

    More information on the STEM Partnership School is available at:

    STEM School FAQ

    stem.aurora.edu

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    District 204 High Schools Ranked Nationally

    May 7, 2014, 11:31 am
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    District 204 is home to three of the most challenging high schools in the country according to the latest ranking of top schools by the Washington Post. Since 1998, the newspaper has released its annual ranking based on a formula that includes the number of college-level tests given at a school in the previous year divided by the number of graduates that year. This year's list includes 2,116 schools across the nation, including Metea Valley, Neuqua Valley and Waubonsie Valley.

    To view the complete list and see the schools in our area, visit America's Most Challenging High Schools.
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    Chamber Offers Young Entrepreneurs Academy

    July 14, 2014, 7:16 pm
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    The Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA!) is a groundbreaking and exciting yearlong class that transforms middle and high school students into real, confident entrepreneurs. Throughout the class, students develop business ideas, write business plans, conduct market research, pitch their plans to a panel of investors, and actually launch and run their own real, legal, fully formed companies and social movements.

    The Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce is thrilled to bring back the YEA! program for its second year. The Chamber will offer the program in coordination with local school districts as an after-school club, meeting one day per week for 3 hours after school, on the campus of North Central College, from November through April. The Chamber is currently accepting applications for the 2014-15 program. Applications are accepted and student interviews are conducted on a rolling basis. The Young Entrepreneurs Academy will grant admission to a maximum of twenty four students annually. Applications for the 2014-2015 academic year will be accepted until such time as the class cap is achieved.

    2014-15 Information Nights:
    Wednesday, July 23 6-7 p.m and Tuesday, August 5 6-7 p.m.
    At the Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce office
    55 S. Main St. Suite 375

    Please RSVP to Brianna Belgio at 630.544.3377 with which day you would prefer and how many people will attend.
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    Elementary School Air Conditioning

    July 16, 2014, 12:47 pm
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    Nineteen of the district's elementary schools without air conditioning will see some relief on hot days as the district has decided to install air conditioning units that will provide cooling for 25 percent of classrooms at each school. Funding will come from the district receiving an unexpected $3.7 million additional in state revenue this year. The district was notified in May that the state unexpectedly increased anticipated revenue. This is a one-time increase. The district has estimated it would cost $13.6 million to fully air-condition classrooms and libraries at all 19 schools.

    Superintendent Karen Sullivan said as a former elementary principal, she has first-hand experience of how uncomfortable it can be in classrooms on excessively hot days. "It would be wonderful to be able to fully air-condition all 19 schools, but this is a good way to provide relief to students and staff and stay within our budget."

    Administrators made the recommendation to the Board of Education to use the additional funds in this manor for several reasons: Ongoing major funding will not be required to sustain the initiative; the increased time for students to be in cool areas is significant for learning; the District's Heat Committee, comprised of parents and staff members, recommended installing these cooling units; and with the significant increase in cool classroom space available, the district will be less likely to lose state revenue from closing schools on hot days.

    The district's heat plan calls for students to rotate through the handful of air-conditioned spaces currently available in the school on excessively hot days. With the increase to 25 percent of classrooms being cooled, principals anticipate a significant increase in student time spent in air-conditioning as the number of spaces to rotate students through will increase.

    Individual cooling units will be installed in classrooms, with condensers placed on the school's roof. The work will begin during the 2014-15 school year and be completed when students return in August 2015.

    Administrators made the recommendation during a budget update at the July 14, 2014 Board of Education meeting. You can view the PowerPoint from the meeting and also watch video from the presentation.
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    Early Childhood Resource Fair Planned for Sept. 20

    August 5, 2014, 9:44 am
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    The sixth annual Early Childhood Community Resource Fair will take place 9 a.m. until noon, Saturday, Sept. 20, at the Prairie Children Preschool, 780 Shoreline Drive, Aurora. More than 45 community resources will be available to families raising children between the ages of birth through five years. This free event is co-sponsored by Naperville Community Unit School District #203 and Indian Prairie School District #204, incorporating Naperville, and parts of Aurora, Bolingbrook, Lisle, and Plainfield. Also collaborating with the school districts are the following organizations: DuPage Health Department, DuPage Children’s Museum, Project H.E.L.P. StarNet, and SPARKS.

    “Spend the morning with us as your kids dance, sing, play, read stories, touch emergency vehicles, and have fun,” said Sally Osborne, principal of Prairie Children Preschool, and host of this year’s event. “Parents can use this opportunity to learn about several services available to them – all local and designed to help young families.”

    Tarah Allen, principal of the Ann Reid Early Childhood Center, added, “As our community has changed during the past six years, we’ve added more services to the event – and we stay true to our mission – to provide a free event that is engaging for kids and helpful for parents.”

    Kids’ activities include:
    -Educational, interactive exhibits provided by DuPage Children’s Museum
    -Various emergency vehicles for children to explore
    -Story time (in English and Spanish) and musical entertainment
    -The Smile Squad, a mobile dental clinic, for free dental screenings
    -Raffle prizes for kids and parents from local businesses

    For further information, please contact Cindy Frech at Prairie Children Preschool, at cindy_frech@ipsd.org (630-375-3030 x5008) or Peggy Kiefer at the Ann Reid Early Childhood Center, pkiefer@naperville203.org (630-961-5060)
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    Know a Great Volunteer? Win $1,000 for Your School!

    August 14, 2014, 3:13 pm
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    Do you know a volunteer in our schools who deserves special recognition? BMO Harris Bank is once again sponsoring the Volunteer of the Month program for the upcoming school year. Each month, a deserving volunteer will be honored and his or her school will receive $1,000.

    Any District 204 staff member or community member can nominate a volunteer. The online nomination form is located at Volunteer Nomination. The first volunteer for the coming school year will be honored in September. Each nomination submitted will be kept on file for consideration during the 2014-15 school year.

    More information about the program, including the nomination form, is at Volunteer of the Month.
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    District's ACT Score Remains Solid

    August 20, 2014, 9:34 am
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    According to ACT scores released today, District 204’s composite score for the class of 2014 remained solid and stable at 24.1. District 204’s score continues to far exceed the state average of 20.7 and the national average of 21. Since the state required juniors to take the test in 2003, District 204's ACT score has risen by nearly 2 points. Last year, ACT also changed its reporting to include students who required extended time to complete the test.

    Superintendent Karen Sullivan said the district's score was a reflection of the hard work of students and teachers. "I'm proud of our students' achievement, especially when you realize our score includes every junior in our district and the introduction of new standards being taught in our classrooms."

    The ACT consists of curriculum-based tests in English, mathematics, reading and science, designed to measure the skills needed for success in first-year college coursework. The test is scored on a 36 point scale.

    The state is no longer requiring all students to take the ACT, as it shifts to the new PARCC assessment. The Illinois State Board of Education said districts now have the option to offer the ACT to students. This year, District 204 will continue to have all juniors take the ACT in March.


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    Tentative Budget for 2014-15

    August 20, 2014, 1:18 pm
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    Indian Prairie School District 204's tentative budget is available for review at Tentative Budget 2014-15.

    A public hearing on the budget is scheduled during the September 22, 2014 Board of Education Meeting at 7pm at the Crouse Education Center.
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    Superintendent's Back to School Message

    August 22, 2014, 12:07 pm
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    Dear District 204 Community,

    After spending 18 years working in District 204, it is exciting to start this school year in a new seat. I am incredibly honored to be serving as your superintendent. As superintendent, it is my job to keep our district running efficiently and effectively. Although there are many changes happening in education, I'm confident that we will remain a high achieving school district that provides outstanding opportunities to students at all levels. With our parents as partners, we will continue to work together to build the best education system for our students.

    In my new role, I'm eager to hear from you and learn what is most important to you. Beginning this fall, I am starting a Listening Tour with stops at every school. I welcome your active participation in the discussion about education and our school district.

    I hope you and your family have a wonderful school year!

    Dr. Karen Sullivan
    Superintendent
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    Stay Connected to District 204

    September 3, 2014, 9:51 am
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    Indian Prairie reminds community members of the ways to stay connected to District 204:

    Follow Us on Twitter @ipsd204

    See what the district has Tweeted, then follow @ipsd204 to receive the latest information via Twitter.

    Smartphone App

    District 204 has an app to enhance communication with parents, students, and the community. The app provides the most sought-after information in one convenient location on a user's smartphone. Users can do everything from checking grades to easily adding important dates to their calendar.

    The IPSD app is available for iPhone and Android and features:

    • GPS mapping and navigation to guide you to any school

    • Add district events to your phone's calendar

    • Breakfast and lunch menus

    • Check grades via eSchool+

    • District news

    • 204tv.org

    • One-touch calling to school

    • And more


    204tv.org

    Last year, community members watched more than 9,500 videos at 204tv.org. It's a convenient way to stay informed on topics being discussed in the district and also watch student videos from special events.

    District Website

    The district's website, www.ipsd.org, is a comprehensive resource for parents. Visitors can find the latest news, calendars, school lunch menus, transportation information, links to schools, and budget information. The website also features a "translate this site" button that provides translations into 59 languages.

    BoardDocs

    The Board of Education uses BoardDocs to make all meeting agendas, minutes, and supporting documents available to the public. You can access the documents at the District 204 BoardDocs website. Documents are available 48 hours before each meeting.

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