IPSD 204 News Feed

Points of Pride, 11.4.09

11/4/2009 11:28:00 AM

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Crone Students Place 3rd
in State Eco-Art Contest
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The Chicago Botanic Garden and the governor of Illinois challenged creative, eco-conscious youth, ages 8 to 18, to submit designs for Art on a Rain Barrel (AoRB), an Illinois-wide environmental art contest. Students were encouraged to create teams to enter the contest. The top teams from throughout the state were invited to bring their designs to life at the AoRB festival at Navy Pier as part of the governor's It's Our River Day 2009. A team from Crone Middle School took third place in the 12 through 15 year old division. Top designs received special prizes and recognition including public display at the Chicago Botanic Garden and other sites throughout the state of Illinois. More than 30 teams of students from throughout Illinois participated in the event, which was presented by the Chicago Botanic Garden, the Illinois Governor, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, and Upcycle Products.

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NV Student Semifinalist in
Siemens Competition
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Neuqua Valley High School senior Aneesh Tyle was selected as a semifinalist in the 2009 Siemens Competition, the nation's leading original research competition in math, science and technology for high school students. The Siemens Competition is administered annually by the College Board, awarding college scholarships ranging from $1,000 to $100,000 in individual and team categories. A record number of 1,348 projects were received this year for the Siemens Competition, an increase of 12 percent over 2008. The number of students submitting projects increased by 14 percent while more students than ever, 2,151, registered to enter. This year, 318 students were named semifinalists along with 96 students being honored as regional finalists. Aneesh is one of ten semifinalists from Illinois.

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District 204 Students to
Perform at IMEA
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The Illinois Music Educators Association (IMEA) recently selected 171 students representing all seven District 204 middle schools to participate in the upcoming District 9 IMEA Festival on Saturday, November 7. The performances will highlight top students who excel in band, orchestra, chorus, and jazz band.

An impressive number of District 204 high school students were also selected to participate at the IMEA All-State Conference in January. Neuqua Valley has 109 students, Waubonsie Valley has 60 students, and Metea Valley has 15 students.

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Young Elementary Donates
Books to South African School
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Approximately 4,200 lbs. of books were delivered to Kleinberg Primary School in South Africa as a result of a partnership with Nancy Young Elementary School. The mission of the partnership program was to promote literacy and instill a love of learning to children around the world. U.S. Consulate General Dr. Alberta Mayberry presented the books to the students in South Africa.

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WV Students to Perform in
All-State Theatre Production
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Waubonsie Valley High School students Chris Puchi, Lauren Guenther, and Antoinette Konow were selected by the Illinois Theatre Association to perform in the All-State production of "Urinetown" at the 35th Annual Illinois High School Theatre Festival, which is the largest high school festival in the United States. The All-State production involves a cast, crew, and orchestra of 71 high school students who are identified as the brightest stars in the state.

Calling all Science Fair Judges

11/3/2009 10:18:00 AM

Indian Prairie School District 204 invites you to attend and/or serve as a judge for the 2010 Science Fairs hosted by our high schools for our middle school students. This event is co-sponsored by the Indian Prairie Educational Foundation.

We need judges for the following dates and locations:

Waubonsie Valley High School:
Saturday, February 6th, 2010, 8-11:30 AM
For Granger, Hill, Still, and Fischer

Neuqua Valley High School:
Saturday, January 30th, 2010, 8-11:30 AM
For Scullen, Crone, and Gregory

Judging should be completed by 11:30 AM (12:00 at the latest) with the following activities scheduled:

• Weird Science Show with Lee Marek or Ray Hanus (30-minute shows at each of the sites)

• High School Physics competitions – Bridge Testing Contest (WVHS)

• Planetarium Show at WVHS

If you are interested in judging at the Science Fair, please fill out the Judges Information form on the District’s website:
http://ipsdweb.ipsd.org/Forms/SciFair.aspx

Confirmation of your information and more specific details will follow. If you know of others who may be interested in judging, please feel free to copy this information and pass it along.

State Report Cards Online

10/30/2009 12:24:00 PM

State of Illinois Report Cards for Indian Prairie School District 204 and each of its schools are now available on the district's website at 2009 Illinois School Report Cards

The state report cards contain comparison information about the district's finances as well as test scores.

Indian Prairie continues to operate in a highly cost efficient manner while providing outstanding educational opportunities for students. Achievement remains high, with 92.4 percent of students meeting or exceeding ISAT standards, which is significantly higher than the state average of 79.8.

While achievement is high, the district's expenditures remain low. District 204's average operating expense of $9,698 per pupil is below the state average of $10,417.

District 204 continues to operate with fewer administrators than other districts. According to the report card, most districts have one administrator for every 202 students. The ratio in Indian Prairie is one administrator for every 368 students.

The report card also includes comparison information on salaries. The average teacher salary in District 204 is $65,438 compared to the state average of $61,402, and the average administrator salary is $110,006 compared to the state average of $106,217.

To view the report cards, visit 2009 Illinois School Report Cards

PDAC Seeks Interpreters for Conferences

10/30/2009 10:45:00 AM

Parent-Teacher conferences are fast approaching. There are many instances where an interpreter will be an integral part of a successful parent-teacher conference.

If you are available to interpret in your native language for these conferences or for conferences in the future, please send an e-mail to Rachel DePorte, secretary, District 204 Parent Diversity Advisory Council, at rdepo@aol.com. Please include the language(s) you are able to interpret. Currently, we have a need for Korean and Russian interpreters.

Around the District: October

10/29/2009 3:24:00 PM

October, 2009 Edition

AFOOFA is the Word at Fischer Middle School

There are many "firsts" happening at the new Fischer Middle School. The first Falcon Spirit assembly featured the school's mascot, a falcon, the school song and the school's motto, “All for One and One for All,” or AFOOFA. Art teacher Anna Fries said there will be four assemblies during the year focusing on each of the school values, based on the Native American concepts of belonging, independence, generosity and mastery. Speaking to the students about the importance of these values was Gregory Fischer, the school's namesake and an educator for 32 years. "I've seen students exhibiting kindness to each other," he said. "These are the kinds of things that make the world a better place to live in." In reflecting on his recent class reunion, he said, "The theme for AFOOFA of belonging couldn't be more appropriate. You'll have friends here you'll still have 30 years from now. Take care of each other and you'll always have someone looking out for you."

During their first Falcon Spirit assembly, Gregory Fischer, a longtime Indian Prairie educator, spoke to the Fischer Middle School students at his namesake school.

Art Students have a Fruitful Experience

The prickly leaves of an artichoke, the yellow hue of a banana and a bunch of dark green leafy lettuce, among other fruits and vegetables, provided artistic inspiration for Metea Valley High School students in art teacher Karen Popovich’s classes. Computer Graphics students took photographs of the fruits and vegetables, downloaded the images into Adobe Photoshop and manipulated them into artwork via the computer. Students in the Drawing 1 and Drawing 2 classes had a more hands-on approach. After choosing their fruits and vegetables, then artfully arranging them, they sketched their chosen still life with pencil, which will be the basis for a foodscape. In yet another use, students in the 2-D Art and Design class looked for patterns in the produce. After being used for various art projects, the edible models did not go to waste. The food was delivered, along with other nonperishable food donated by the art students, to Hesed House.

Art students at Metea Valley High School had an opportunity to make the world a more beautiful place not only with their artwork, but also with their good works when the fruit and vegetables they drew were being donated to Hesed House.

Volley for the Cure Paints the Gym Pink

The traditional Neuqua Valley vs. Waubonsie Valley rivalry was no match for the bigger foe both teams were fighting -- breast cancer. The Neuqua Valley gym was a sea of pink both on and off the court as the girls volleyball teams from both schools teamed up for their first Volley for the Cure to "paint the gym pink" and to raise money for the Susan G. Komen Foundation. Lauren Kato, Waubonsie Valley assistant girls varsity volleyball coach, said, "Unfortunately, breast cancer affects many families in our district. Many girls in both programs know someone who has been affected by the disease." She said that the fundraiser was an opportunity to show how two schools can work together successfully with the entire community for a great cause. The event raised more than $6,000, thanks to the players selling 750 pink t-shirts and the donations of local businesses.

Parent volunteers at the first Volley for the Cure which featured volleyball players from Waubonsie Valley and Neuqua Valley high schools teaming up in the fight against breast cancer.

Sixth-graders Practice Sling Shot Science

Rubber bands became more than just an office supply when Crone Middle School sixth-graders used them to explore science and metric measurements. In Charlie Lantz's science class, students teamed up in four-person lab groups, equipped with goggles, a rubber band, meter sticks, a ruler attached to cardboard and a calculator. Their purpose was to investigate the cause and effect relationship between stretch and distance traveled in rubber bands. Having just studied metric measurements, students carefully stretched a rubber band from 0 to 15 centimeters and propelled it across the room. They recorded the distance it traveled in centimeters during three trials and calculated the averages. "They're following the scientific method that we teach early in sixth grade and that they'll use throughout high school," Lantz said. "They're also practicing math and measuring in a controlled experiment and they have fun doing it, too."

Crone Middle School sixth-graders had fun and learned important scientific concepts during a lab experiment that involved launching rubber bands and measuring the distance they traveled using metric rulers.

Naperville Looking for Input on Needs Assessment

10/26/2009 1:03:00 PM

City of Naperville Seeks Input on Community Needs Assessment Survey

As part of the City of Naperville’s fiscal year 2009-2010 strategic planning process, the Mayor’s Advisory Commission for Disabilities (ACD) is conducting a survey to identify community assets as well as unmet service needs in the community, specifically for people with disabilities.

The survey is now available on the city’s Web site at www.naperville.il.us/cnasurvey.aspx. Surveys must be completed by Tuesday, December 15. Residents or interested parties may also complete a paper version of the survey, request to complete the survey by phone or take the survey via another alternative format. All inquiries of this nature should be directed to Accessibility Coordinator Marita Manning at (630) 420-6725 or manningm@naperville.il.us.

Completed surveys can be faxed to (630) 305-7004 or mailed to City of Naperville, Attn: Accessibility Coordinator Marita Manning, 1350 Aurora Ave., Naperville, IL 60540.

This survey is intended for those individuals with a developmental, physical or mental disability; those who have a family member with a developmental, physical or mental disability; or those who care for a person with a developmental, physical or mental disability. One survey should be completed for each person with a disability.

When completing the survey, the information provided should only reflect the personal needs of the individual with the developmental, physical or mental disability and not the perspective of anyone else completing the survey.

The survey results will be compiled by the ACD in early 2010. Subsequently, the ACD will share information with the Mayor, City Council, city staff and the public to help develop strategies consistent with goals in the city’s fiscal year 2009-2010 Strategic Plan.

For more information on the City of Naperville, visit www.naperville.il.us.

Superintendent's October Daily Herald Column

10/23/2009 9:53:00 AM

The following column from Superintendent Kathy Birkett appeared in the Daily Herald on October 20, 2009:

District 204 Community Always Answers Call

I have learned to never doubt the power and strength of our District 204 community. It has been demonstrated again and again in our community's outstanding support of our students and our schools. I never take it for granted and appreciate it every day.

When our Citizens Financial Advisory Committee (CFAC) put out the call last month for community members to share their ideas for addressing our budget deficit, our community stepped up once again. We received more than 100 ideas over the past several weeks. These ideas will receive consideration as the committee continues its work and makes suggestions to the administration.

The CFAC is a think tank comprised of business and financial professionals charged with advising the District 204 administration. The committee focuses on factors affecting revenues and expenses, looking for ways to improve the district's financial health. Members examine how existing activities and programs are funded and look for innovative ideas from education, government, and business, with an emphasis on performance and improved financial efficiency.

In looking at the district's budget for next year, if we do absolutely nothing to curb expenses, we are estimating we will face a $9.25 million deficit. We obviously are not going to stay the course and present a proposed budget for next year that includes that large of deficit, so administrators are examining ways to reduce the deficit.

If you have ever had to make cuts in your household budget, you know it can be challenging. The district has been "tightening its belt" for the past three years. We achieved a $5 million savings by making changes in healthcare providers, establishing new contracts for custodial and banking services, and joining forces with District 203 to purchase a financial software system.

We also made across the board reductions, including staffing and central office administration and used funds from the Federal stimulus package to eliminate a $6.5 million deficit we faced at this time last year.

While the cuts over the last two years led to balanced budgets, this year's budget poses a bigger challenge. We have made some obvious cuts and now must look deeper. We also must think outside the box and be creative. That's why we asked the CFAC for help. We anticipate some solid recommendations will be made on viable ways we can close the budget gap.

I thank all our community members for truly caring about our students and the education we provide. Your continued involvement and interest is what makes this district strong. As a very proud superintendent, I recognize and salute your efforts.

Kathy Birkett
Superintendent

Superintendent's Message on Flu

10/20/2009 12:46:00 PM

Dear District 204 Parents/Guardians,

There has been a great deal of information in the news recently about this year's flu season, and with the arrival of the novel H1N1 vaccine, you will likely be hearing even more. We have placed resources on the district's website to help parents easily find flu information. You can access the resources at Flu Season Information for Parents. We also encourage you to talk with your physician if you have questions.

In spending time with different parent groups over the past week, I have been asked if the district will report to parents when we have a confirmed case of H1N1 in our schools. It is very difficult, if not impossible, to know how many "official" cases we have in our schools. The county health department has advised that schools not depend on individual test results as the basis for routine decision making. Some individuals with flu symptoms do not seek medical care and are not tested. In addition, some rapid tests may produce false positive or false negative results. Therefore, the county health department does not recommend that a note be sent home to notify parents when a case of H1N1 is reported at school. You can read the county health department's guidelines at Will County Health Department Guidance for Schools

I tell parents to assume that the H1N1 virus is in our community -- it is in the schools, in the workplace, in the stores we visit, etc. The flu is all around us, and it will be with us through the fall and winter. As such, parents need to prepare for this year's flu season. Become aware of flu symptoms and know when to seek medical assistance, especially if your child has an underlying medical condition. It is also a good time to review plans for child-care options should you need to keep your child at home.

For the time being, the district will continue to inform parents when the absentee rate at a school reaches 10 percent of students with influenza-like illness. We will also continue to encourage students and staff to practice good hygiene and stay home when they are not feeling well. We appreciate your help in providing these same reminders to your children and for helping us keep our students healthy this flu season.

Please visit our website for more information www.ipsd.org

Kathy Birkett
Superintendent

Flu Information Update

10/13/2009 2:50:00 PM

District 204 is working closely with the DuPage and Will County Health Departments to help reduce the spread of influenza in students and staff in our schools during this flu season.

We anticipate that absenteeism rates due to influenza-like illness will fluctuate throughout the school year. At this time, the district is experiencing less than 1 percent absenteeism on average across the district due to influenza-like illness.

We continue to track the situation closely and report our absenteeism data to the county health department on a daily basis. We are taking all of the recommended steps to both prevent and monitor flu conditions and will use that data in collaboration with the county health department to make the best decisions concerning the health of our school community.

The district has the following precautionary procedures in place to help prevent the spread of the flu:

~ Reinforcing the need for students and staff to practice good respiratory hygiene
~ Instruction on proper hand washing
~ Continued regular cleaning of high touch areas
~ Placing hand sanitizers in classrooms, lunchrooms, and main offices as a back-up to hand washing
~ Reminders for students and staff who are feeling ill to stay home until they are fever free for at least 24 hours without fever reducing medicine and seek medical attention when necessary

The district follows Illinois Department of Public Health Regulations and works together with the county health departments to monitor the health and safety of our students. When the absentee rate at a school reaches 10 percent of students with influenza-like illness (which can be typical during the regular flu season), the county health department advises school districts to inform parents. The district does not typically inform parents of an individual case of a communicable illness unless directed by the county health department.

Thank you for your continued co-operation in reporting absences due to flu-like illnesses to the schools. We appreciate your partnership in supporting the good health of your children and our community.

Resources for parents related to this year's flu season are located on the district's website at http://ipsdweb.ipsd.org/Subpage.aspx/Flu

Points of Pride, 10.06.09

10/6/2009 1:44:00 PM

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National Merit Names
Commended Students
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Forty-nine students in District 204 were named Commended Students by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation. Approximately 34,000 Commended Students throughout the nation were recognized for their exceptional academic promise. Although they will not continue in the competition for National Merit Scholarships, Commended Students placed among the top five percent of more than 1.5 million students who entered the 2010 competition by taking the 2008 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test.

National Merit Commended Students from Neuqua Valley include: Rachel Aron, Grant Blazina, Ellyn Bordushuk, Ankit Chandola, Varun Char, Peggy Chau, Aman Choudhury, Joseph Cronin, Siddarth Datla, Mitchell Davis, Michael Hardisty, Samuel Ide, Krystal Lee, Alexander Merkley, Monica Mingione, Joe Nash, Ashwin Nayak, Bradley Niederschulte, Sandeep Reddy, Karuna Relwani, Pedro Ribeiro, Michael Rooney, Adam Safer, Matthew Skrip, Katherine Sparks, Maxwell Stunkel, Melissa Tang, Megan Taylor, Matthew Uber, Apuroopa Vesangi, Charles Vinci, and Kara Wisniewski.

National Merit Commended Students from Waubonsie Valley include: Christopher Andrews, Matthew Bajzek, William Case, Nikhil Chintalapudi, Samantha Cooper, Jordan Geltner, Leandra Knapp, Alexander Knightwright, Kelly Knox, Benjamin Rubinstein, Corey Sarcu, Michelle Senger, Paul Sowa, Alexander Stein, Courtney Weber, Robert Wieland, and Eric Wu.

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National Hispanic
Recognition Scholar
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The College Board named Neuqua Valley student Pedro Ribeiro a National Hispanic Recognition Program Scholar. Of the 200,000 Hispanic/Latino students who took the 2008 PSAT, some 5,000 with the highest Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test Selection Index scores (the sum of critical reading, mathematics and writing skills scores) qualify for this recognition.

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National Achievement
Scholarship Semifinalist
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Neuqua Valley student Chelsea Clark was named a National Achievement Scholarship Semifinalist. This honor is presented to the top 10 percent of black students based on their 2008 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test Selection Index scores (the sum of critical reading, mathematics, and writing skill scores). About 1,600 high-scoring participants in each year's National Achievement Scholarship Program are designated Semifinalists and have the opportunity to advance in the competition for National Merit Corporation scholarships.

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College Board Announces
AP Scholars
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In District 204, 1,522 students took a total of 3,051 Advanced Placement (AP) tests in May of 2009, with 83 percent of those tests resulting in a score of 3 or above (on a 5-point scale), providing students with the equivalent of college credit while in high school. Many students took multiple AP tests.

The College Board's Advanced Placement Program provides motivated and academically prepared students with the opportunity to take rigorous college-level courses while still in high school and to earn college credit, advanced placement, or both for successful performance on the AP exams.

About 18 percent of the nearly 1.7 million students worldwide who took AP exams last spring performed at a sufficiently high level to earn an AP Scholar Award by completing 3 or more exams and earning grades of 3 or higher. Thirty-nine percent of Neuqua Valley students and 31 percent of Waubonsie Valley students earned a grade of 3 or higher on at least one AP test last year.

The College Board recognizes several levels of achievement based on students' performance on high school AP exams:

AP SCHOLAR WITH HONOR – 110 District 204 students were recognized with this award by earning an average of 3.25 on all AP Exams taken, and grades of 3 or higher on 4 or more of these exams

AP SCHOLAR WITH DISTINCTION – 188 District 204 students qualified for this award by earning an average grade of at least 3.5 on all AP Exams taken, and grades of 3 or higher on five or more of these exams

NATIONAL AP SCHOLAR – 41 District 204 students were so honored by earning an average grade of 4 or higher (on a 5-point scale) on ALL exams taken AND grades of 4 or higher on eight or more of those exams.

National AP Scholars from Neuqua Valley High School included: Brian Afeltra, Brian Banta, Siyue Chen, Ian Dimayuga, Tanay Ganga, Kevin Gao, Caitlin Glimco, Josiah Han, Heather Herzog, Thomas Hirschfeld, Katherine Li, Winshen Liu, Matthew Lutrick, John Majors, Scott Nelson, Christopher Nye, Alex Onsager, Bhavani Pokala, Iman Rahim, Michael Rooney, Kareem Saleh, Matthew Seeberg, Rohit Subramanian, Todd Tabor, Cassandra Thomson, Nivedita Umasankar and Patrick Welch.

National AP Scholars from Waubonsie Valley High School included: Brian Baro, Matthew Beaty, Cvetomir Cankov, Jeffrey Carlson, Sonam Dodhia, Alissa Fahrenz, Andrew Huh, Matthew Jachimiec, Philip Jones, Edwin Lee, Carla Mann, Alana Moore, Leah North, and Steven Troscinski.
These achievements ranked District 204's high schools among Newsweek's "America's Top High Schools" for 2009, placing them in the top 5 percent of public schools measured by the publication's index, which is based on the number of AP tests taken divided by the number of graduating seniors.

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District 204 Recognized by
SchoolSearch and SchoolMatch
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Indian Prairie School District 204 was selected as one of only 58 Illinois school districts (out of 868) to receive the SchoolSearch 2009 Bright A+ Award. The award identifies school districts that represent the top 5 percent of Illinois school districts academically. Selection is based on student performance with the Illinois Standards Achievement Test (ISAT) and ACT composite scores.

District 204 also received the 2009 "What Parents Want Award." This national award from SchoolMatch recognizes the district as part of the top 16 percent of the 15,571 public school districts across the country meeting the needs of families with regard to selecting schools. Some of the criteria for award selection include having competitive academic test scores; competitive teacher salaries; and, above average expenditures in instructional and library/media services on a national average.

Community Input for the Financial Advisory Committee

9/25/2009 8:02:00 AM

Dear Indian Prairie School District 204 Community,

As Indian Prairie parents and taxpayers like you, we know that the financial health of our school district is important for our children and our community. That is why we volunteer our time as members of the Indian Prairie Citizens Financial Advisory Committee (CFAC).

The CFAC is a think tank comprised of business and financial professionals charged with advising the District 204 administration. The committee focuses on factors affecting revenues and expenses, looking for ways to improve the District's financial health. We examine how existing activities and programs are funded and look for innovative ideas from education, government, and business. Our emphasis is on performance and improved financial efficiency.

Given these tough economic times, the CFAC is looking for community input. We are seeking forward-looking, creative, and innovative ideas that could lead to greater financial efficiency and cost savings. You can share your ideas online at Community Feedback through October 15. While we will probably repeat this opportunity in the future, you can help the most by making a suggestion right now.

Thanks in advance to all those taking a few minutes to share their ideas at Community Feedback

Sincerely,
Indian Prairie Citizens Financial Advisory Committee

Points of Pride, 09.22.09

9/22/2009 4:22:00 PM

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Eighteen Students Selected as
National Merit Semifinalists
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Eighteen Indian Prairie seniors have been named as semifinalists in the 2010 National Merit Scholarship Program. Representing the highest PSAT scores from each state, there were 16,000 semifinalists selected out of 1.5 million entrants this year. Each of these academically talented students will continue in the competition to receive one of 8,200 Merit Scholarship awards worth a total of $36 million.

The National Merit semifinalists from Neuqua Valley are Katherine Anderson, Shijun Du, Victoria Han, Joy Mua, Ian Johnson, Sana Kagalwalla, Neel Lawande, Steven Li, Sophie Luo, Kelsey Stimple, Aneesh Tyle, Sean Vadas, Luke Verbus, Emily Wang, Gillian Wu, Kevin Zhang, and Weijia Zhang. Shenil Dodhia was selected from Waubonsie Valley.

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Students Achieve Perfect Scores
on SAT and ACT Tests
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Waubonsie Valley seniors Shenil Dodhia and Eric Wu earned a perfect score of 36 on the ACT exam. This is a rare accomplishment as there were only 68 students who received a perfect score out of more than 140,000 students tested. The ACT tests the areas of English, mathematics, reading and science. Each test is scored on a scale of 1 to 36, and a student's composite score is the average of the four test scores. The average national ACT score is 21.1.

Neuqua Valley junior Steven Li received a perfect score of 2,400 on his SAT exam. There were fewer than 250 students from across the nation who achieved a perfect score. The SAT is a standardized assessment of the critical reading, mathematical reasoning, and writing skills students have developed over time and that they need to be successful in college. Each year, more than two million students take the SAT.

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WVHS Teen Honored as
2009 Volunteer of the Year
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The Illinois Healthcare Association selected Waubonsie Valley's Randy Mertes as the 2009 Teen Volunteer of the Year at its Annual Convention held in Peoria. Randy was recognized as a result of his contribution with the staff and residents at Alden Gardens of Waterford.