Sherry Tatar's Writing

2010-05-22 Kathy turns 18

2010-05-24T08:23:00.000-05:00

(The Beacon editor chose not to publish this as it doesn't fit new guidelines for Valley Voices columns)

Ten days after her due date Katherine Anne was suddenly in a big hurry to greet the world. It was one of the scariest times of my life when she was born before the doctor arrived, with her cord wrapped around her neck, and she did not breathe or cry right away. The nurses did everything right and soon enough all was well. From birth this child was a shy one and didn’t want to be held by anyone other than her mom, dad, or grandma. She did not want to sleep at all unless we were holding her, and there was no tricking her with moving her to the crib after she fell asleep. Her favorite time to cry was during hours most people like to sleep.

She has grown into a beautiful, talented, and bright young woman who turns eighteen today and graduates from Waubonsie Valley High School tomorrow. Her dad and I are so proud of her.

She grew from the days of Girl Scouts, cheerleading, ballet, gymnastics, and piano to become a violinist, a stellar student, a dedicated worker and a cherished friend. She started out wanting to be a doctor, a best-selling author, a teacher, then a professional violinist and finally deciding to become a math major (like her mom!).

When she was little she was so shy that for years our extended family didn’t even know she could talk. At first, she really didn’t talk because she’d had months of ear infections. After she got ear tubes she began talking in paragraphs and she had plenty to say. She became the card shark of the family at a young age and that competitiveness stuck with her through the years. When first learning to write, she chose to write each letter dozens of times, filling notebook pages with one letter per page to perfect her writing skills. She loved writing stories and when she was in fifth grade her “pencil story” was acted out at Brooks by students from Waubonsie Valley HS.

When it came to money, she was always a saver rather than a spender. When we explained that we could not afford a certain vacation one year, she proclaimed “Well, if you saved your money like I do, we could go to Disney World every year!”

Moving from Cowlishaw where she had been the Queen of the Playground in 2nd grade, to Brooks, where she knew almost no one, was a hard time for her. Yet that first year when she was in third grade she read more books for W.E.B. reading than the next two or three kids combined. Even though she remained quiet in school, she apparently made an impression because when the fifth graders had to vote for one boy and one girl to represent their school at an awards breakfast, they chose Kathy.

Since the age of 1 we have known Kathy as “The World’s Pickiest Eater.” The list of foods she likes usually hovers around 10 different items. She will usually choose to stop eating a particular food once I have a couple months’ worth of it stocked up, and she moves on to something else. School lunches have always been hard for a kid who doesn’t eat fruits, vegetables, or sandwiches. She did fine eating a Kid Pack Yogurt for every school day of elementary school, until the company stopped making it, and more than 7 years later we still haven’t found a substitute. We figure when she leaves for college her eating habits can’t possibly get any worse than they already are.

At her 6th grade spring orchestra concert we found out that there are year-end awards given out to the most outstanding orchestra student in each grade. Kathy then did every orchestra-related activity she could in 7th and 8th grade and managed to earn that most outstanding award both years. She played in both Fiddlers and Select Strings (extra-curricular groups that each met two mornings a week before school) and performed in several solo and ensemble events each year plus IMEA and Full Orchestra. During high school she played in Warrior Strings, the Europe trip orchestra, and the New York trip orchestra, was also a member of the Tri-M Music Honor Society for two years, and played in the top level Chamber Strings Orchestra for three years.

She consistently worked hard on academics and took very challenging courses while earning a spot on the high honor roll for every single term of middle school and high school. She has been named an Illinois State Scholar, Indian Prairie Scholar and an AP Scholar with Honor. This despite missing several days of school many years due to illnesses and minor surgeries. She has always been very determined and persistent at working toward her goals. These skills will serve her well as she goes off to Illinois Wesleyan University in just 87 days.

I know she will miss her private music students, the children she watches in the nursery at church, her friends, and her family as she embarks on this exciting new chapter of life. We will certainly miss her. Happy birthday, Kathy, and congratulations on graduation!

2010-05-14 My day of jury duty (not published)

2010-05-12T13:41:00.001-05:00

(The Beacon editor chose not to publish this as it doesn't fit new guidelines for Valley Voices columns)

Some grumble at the inconvenience when they are called for jury duty, but not me. I was amazed that when DuPage County finally requested my presence, it was for a day I could attend without any conflicts other than work.

As instructed, I called the evening before, and the recording informed me that I was indeed expected to show up. I arrived at 9:30 the next morning with books and without my cell phone, because anything that can take photos is not allowed in the building.

The jury room was a pleasant surprise. It is a large, wide lounge with a curving wall of windows overlooking water, with couches, tables, and chairs throughout, lockers and restrooms, coffee and tea. I checked in and got comfortable. Shortly after 10 we were told what we could expect for the day as well as about the one day/one trial system of the 18th Judicial Circuit Court, in which any jurors not seated for a trial today would be discharged and not summoned again for at least one year. We were told that a number of courtrooms had trials going on today, but that only two might require a jury. We watched a brief video about being a juror.

It was fairly quiet being in a room sprinkled with people who were strangers to one another and who, for the most part, didn’t have cell phones with them. Returning jurors from a trial-in-progress from the previous day were called to report to the courtroom. Shortly after 11am twenty-four juror numbers were called, including mine. The 24 of us were lead up three flights to a courtroom. There we were seated and sworn in. The judge introduced us to himself, the court reporter, the court clerk, the defendant and her attorney, the two States Attorneys, and two security officers. He described to us the roles of the people in the room, the nature of the charges (drunk driving), the names of the witnesses expected to be called, the expected length of the trial (that afternoon and the next day, possibly going one additional day), and the expectations for jurors.

Six jurors and one alternate needed to be selected. Six juror numbers were called and those people were then questioned by the judge, sometimes as a group and sometimes as individuals. One of the prosecutors then asked questions of the jurors.

The jurors were asked several questions including whether they have ever had a drink and then driven a vehicle (with mention that it is legal in Illinois to drink some alcohol and then drive a vehicle), whether they are seen by others as a leader or a follower, whether they belong to Mothers Against Drunk Driving or similar organizations, what prior involvement they and close family members have had with the law, whether they have any objection to passing judgment on another person, whether they have ever been wrongfully accused of something based on apparent facts, whether they have ever wrongfully accused someone of something, whether they would be able to find the person guilty or not guilty on the basis of law as provided by the judge and not their own opinion, and whether they can work with a group of strangers to reach a verdict.

The judge referred to the jurors by number, but the attorneys made a point to refer to each separately by name. One of the potential jurors, who had previously been arrested for drunk driving herself, was excused and replaced. The new person then had to answer the same set of questions and once the prosecution was happy with these six, the defense attorney began his questioning. The questions from both sides appeared to be asked with expectations of certain answers. The prosecution objected to some of the leading questions asked of the jury pool. Eventually the six were agreed upon by both sides and dismissed for lunch. A similar but shorter set of questioning then went on for the alternate juror.

The rest of us were dismissed from the courtroom, and after lunch I read until we were told that the other court case had been resolved without the need for a jury and we were dismissed.

It was an interesting day even though I didn't wind up seated on a jury.

2010-05-07 Mother's Day

2010-05-06T07:31:00.000-05:00

Mother’s Day 2010

I'm very lucky because my mom really is the best. She is the kindest, most generous person I know.

She was a big help in her own family growing up as the oldest daughter and has always set an excellent example as a daughter, sister, wife, mother, neighbor, and friend to those in her life. She is always willing to give her time and energy to help out others - whether they are family members, friends, or even strangers. She and my dad have done so much to help those who are elderly, ill, or otherwise in need.

My mom chose to quit her job when I was a baby and she was and still is always there for me and my brother, and now our families, too. While growing up I can remember my mom being busy with room parties, leading scout troops, helping out at church, organizing her East High class reunions, being PTA president at Bardwell, and taking care of several family pets. I thank my parents for years full of wonderful childhood memories.

When my own children were born my mom arranged her work schedule so she could frequently spend the day with them while my husband and I were at work. Now the grandkids are older and needs have changed, but Grandma and Grandpa are always happy to help out as needed. They attend all of the kids’ concerts, plays, school open houses, and other events. They take the grandkids on fun outings and have them overnight. They have rearranged their lives to be in charge of our crazy busy household when my husband and I were out of town.

We have always lived within a short distance of my parents. They and my children have spent a lot of time together and I'm glad that they have such a great relationship. This August I will have been married twenty-five years and many of those years my husband and I (and children) enjoyed going on a vacation with my parents and my brother's family.

My mom retired from her job at Dreyer Medical Clinic but likes to still go back each fall to help out during the flu shot clinic. She also ushers at The Paramount, works as an election judge, and volunteers with the VNA, including spending time with hospice patients. Along with my dad she delivers Meals on Wheels and helps in a variety of ways at Fourth Street United Methodist Church.

Our family celebrates many events together all year long and my mom always makes sure that none of us go hungry, pushing seconds, thirds and desserts, and making different food for the picky eaters. This weekend we will again share Mother’s Day and my birthday as we’ve done all my life.

I wish everyone could have a mom like mine.

Happy Mother's Day, Mom,

2010-04-30 The Crazy Month of May

2010-04-28T19:20:00.000-05:00

The beautiful springtime month of May brings a really busy time for the Tatars. Again. In case I wind up taking a week or two off from writing, this serves as your heads-up as to why.

Here’s what May looks like. My son Jonathan performing in Metea Valley’s first ever musical “The Pajama Game”, Waubonsie Valley’s “Les Miserables”, Girl Scout meetings, Driver’s Ed for Jonathan, jury duty for me, Granger’s “Grease”, yardwork for my husband. My daughter Kathy playing violin in three performances at our family’s last Waubonsie Valley Fine Arts Festival while I spend the morning at the orchestra apparel table, a Taylor Swift concert for Kathy and a New York voices concert for my Jonathan that evening, then my birthday and Mother’s Day, Fourth Grade State Board Game Night at Brooks for my youngest daughter Allie, a few AP exams for Kathy, and several Irish Dance rehearsals for Allie.

But wait, that’s not all. Next we have the Waubonsie Valley Green and Gold Awards Ceremony with Kathy at the same time Jonathan has dress rehearsal for the Spring Choir Concert, which the following night overlaps with the annual Brooks Family Picnic. May 14 brings prom for Kathy, including lots of pampering for her thanks to our “win” at the inaugural Metea Valley PTSA auction, and a bunch of her friends coming over before and after the dance. The next day brings Metea Valley’s first ever Fine Arts Festival including two concerts for Jonathan and my second time working at a choir event in just three days. Sunday brings us our Kathy’s last Waubonsie Orchestra Awards Banquet.

Then things really pick up. Monday the 17th brings finals for Kathy and a concert rehearsal, the 18th brings more finals and her last day of high school, followed by the Orchestra Pops Concert that evening, which I don’t think I’ll get through without a few tears. Next comes senior brunch, Baccalaureate, and graduation practice. This weekend is a busy one. Friday evening includes the first Metea Valley Music Department Awards Ceremony for Jonathan and a going away party at our house for my oldest daughter Jessica’s boyfriend who is leaving the following week for the Air Force. Saturday is Kathy’s 18th birthday and her celebration with friends, and Allie’s annual Irish Dance concert. Sunday is graduation day. Sometime during this weekend we’ll find time for Kathy’s family birthday dinner.

At this point, the new grad can relax and get back to her preferred schedule of staying up half the night and sleeping half the day while she gets ready for her big party the following weekend, and her three siblings are all still in school. Allie will have Field Day at school and will be looking forward to going to White Pines with her Girl Scout troop in June. The end of the year in fourth grade is more fun than high school, where Jonathan will be taking finals at Metea, or college, where Jessica won’t have her finals until June.

Memorial Day weekend brings the last day of school for my two youngest, auditions for Fox Valley Park District’s “Alice in Wonderland” and the big graduation party.

In the midst of it all I’ll also have some PTA and IPPC meetings and attempt to keep up with work and all the usual things that need to happen. I just realized there will be five parties at our house in just four weekends. We are fortunate to have so much to celebrate, but why does it all have to happen at once?

Whew.

2010-04-24 MVHS Theatre's first year & upcoming musical

2010-04-22T16:02:00.001-05:00

Metea Valley Theatre has had a fantastic first year so far and its biggest performance is coming up next week.

Since the auditorium was not available until recently, space within the school was used creatively for the first three shows. October’s “I’m Getting Murdered in the Morning” was a dinner theater murder mystery in The Commons that presented the difficulty of performing with most of the actors on set for whole time, with audience members on three sides and some cast members interacting with the audience. The winter show “Twelve Angry Jurors” was performed three January evenings in the LMC. This show had a much larger audience turnout than anticipated and chairs were being quickly added up until show time.

Last month thirteen students presented “Holes” for Group Interpretation. They performed six times during the school day on March 18 for student audiences and once that evening for family and friends in the school’s Black Box Theater. The team took 6th place in sectionals that weekend. I’d never seen a GI performance and it was really impressive. In GI all actors are on stage all the time and there are no props, scenery, or costumes. The students each play several parts including props! One student narrates and the dialog and action moves along at a quick pace so they get through the entire story in just 30 minutes.

The first theatrical production in the school’s auditorium will be “The Pajama Game.” This musical comedy has been performed on Broadway many times and the 1957 film version starring Doris day is well-known. The story takes place in a pajama factory where workers are demanding a seven-and-a-half cent raise. Some songs that may be familiar from this show are “Steam Heat,” “Once a Year Day,” and “Hernando’s Hideaway.”

The cast, pit, and crew of over 100 students have spent many hours over the last couple of months preparing to put on this show. The show’s set was designed by director Jay Fontanetta and put together by technical director Jeff Schmela. Choreography is by Ryan Doherty with assistance from Waubonsie Valley grad Annie Stephens. Nathan Bramstedt is the music director, Don Devany pit, and Bunny Stanley costumes.

At the start of the year it was challenging to choose which musical would be performed since the talents of the students were unknown to the directors. Even though the school has only freshmen and sophomores, the directors told me the students have been hard-working, dedicated, energetic, and enthusiastic and have really risen to the occasion.

Other challenges have been learning how to work the new light and sound board. Even people with years of experience had much to learn with this new state-of-the-art equipment. Time management was another big issue. The auditorium became available late in the school year and even then had other events being held in that space such as Orchesis and the grand opening music concert. Student availability presented other conflicts including GI, which overlapped musical rehearsal for weeks, and the band trip to Disney World.

When I spoke earlier this week with Jay Fontanetta and Ryan Doherty, both mentioned to me the terrific support they’ve had from the administration as they have gone above and beyond with helping out. They also both said that the Indian Prairie Educational Foundation is providing a grant for a lighting system in the Black Box Theatre, which is an alternate performance space.

My son is fortunate to have been involved in these outstanding opportunities as a freshman and has enjoyed being a part of all of the shows this year. From what I’ve seen, the students and staff have done a phenomenal job and I look forward to seeing Metea’s first musical.

“The Pajama Game” will be performed on April 29, April 30, and May 1 at 7pm. Call 630-375-5900 ext. 8220 to reserve tickets. Tickets are $7 for adults and $5 for students and senior citizens.

2010-04-16 Caravan to the Capitol Springfield Trip

2010-04-16T07:43:00.001-05:00

We really didn’t know what to expect when we decided to make the trek to Springfield. Planning was hindered by spring break and the fact that legislature was not in session the past couple of weeks.

The reporter who accompanied us on the trip spoke with me on Tuesday afternoon for a story to be published Wednesday morning. I told her what I knew of how the day would go but that there were many unknowns. She said that no matter what it would be an adventure.

She was right about that. Hundreds of parents around the state and locally have let us know that they are supportive of our efforts. People have been thanking us in person and online. Most interested people were unable to arrange a day off work, or had things going on with kids that prevented them from traveling with us. Even of those who made plans to come on the trip, many canceled in the two days leading up to the trip, some at the very last minute.

Though that was disappointing, our group was large enough and included parents from three school districts, a grandfather, students from elementary, middle, and high school, a reporter and photographer. Some rode our two buses from the mall, others from Springfield, 204, and West Aurora met us in Springfield in the cafeteria of the Stratton Building. On the way down we had heard from Alderman Rick Mervine that he, Mayor Weisner, and a delegation from the City of Aurora were in town also meeting with legislators for similar reasons and would like to meet up with us at some point if it worked out.

None in our group had ever planned or participated in such a trip before. Some were wearing “Restore Education Funding” t-shirts. We all had buttons that said the same. We had signs saying “Restore Education Funding,” “Re-prioritize Spending,” “No Tax Increase,” “Stop playing your games with my future,” and others plus two banners. We saw several other groups there standing up for their causes as well.

After lunch we had a tentative meeting scheduled with Tom Cross. We knew the room would not hold all of our group so we sent several people to hold up signs in the first floor of the Capitol building and out front. It was a beautiful day so no one minded standing outside.

The meeting went well. In addition to Tom Cross and his Chief of Staff Matt O’Shea, we were joined by state representatives Darlene Senger, Mike Fortner, Kay Hatcher, Mike Connelly, and Raymond Poe.

We had about a half hour in which we found out more about what is and is not going on in Springfield and what concerned taxpayers can do about it. We found out there is talk of a six month budget, which would not help school districts at all since they need to budget for the whole school year. It is very discouraging to hear how things work in our state government.

The best things we can do are to write to Governor Pat Quinn, Speaker Mike Madigan, and Senate President John Cullerton and to share the video we made. Rep. Hatcher said that the core of a healthy community is a healthy education system. Rep. Connelly and Rep. Fortner said that state law requires budgets of counties, cities, and school boards to be available for public viewing for some time before a vote, yet the state is not held to this standard and those voting on the appropriations may see the bill only minutes before the vote. A proposed bill would change this process.

We were off to a good start. Some from our group went to a meeting with Senator Linda Holmes.

When it was time for us to return home, it still seemed possible we might be able to meet with a few other legislators we had contacted ahead of time but hadn’t yet connected with. We had also run into the Aurora delegation and there were still tentative plans to join them later.

Most of us wound up going home on one of the buses, while some chose to stay later and wound up meeting with Sen. Chris Lauzen. I was torn about whether to stay but wanted to ride home with the kids I’d brought with me and to get home to my kids who had been unable to miss important things at home to make the trip with us. As it was, we were gone from home over twelve hours.

Despite writing for this paper for three years, I’m not used to speaking with reporters. We’ve had a lot of interest in the trip and Lori Price and I have fielded phone, e-mail, and on camera questions. We’ve had coverage several places including the Beacon, Naperville Sun, Sun-Times, Daily Herald, NCTV, Positively Naperville, and Medill News Service.

Overall it was a good trip and an interesting experience. We felt we needed to do something more than writing letters and making phone calls. This trip combined with our Facebook page “Caravan to the Capitol – Restore Illinois Education Funding” with almost 500 fans and our video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpGA9bEwLqs are part of our attempts to make sure that Illinois education does not lose $1.3B in funding for next year and that Illinois students will not see changes to the quality of their education.

2010-04-09 Summer Activities

2010-04-09T07:03:00.000-05:00

Summer is never long enough to fit it all in. As always, my family has a lot of plans and we’re hoping for better weather this year.

There are many ways to find out about summer activities for children and youth.

The Indian Prairie Parents’ Council (IPPC), Indian Prairie School District 204, and State Representative Darlene Senger (R-Naperville) invite the public to the second annual Student Summer Activities Fair on Thursday, April 29, 2010 from 6:00pm to 8:30pm. Admission is free and the event will be held at Crone Middle School, 4020 W. 111th Street, Naperville. There are a limited number of vendor spots still available and those interested should contact Laura McDonnell at ippcpta@gmail.com.

The Student Summer Activities Fair will display summer programs and services available to children and youth. The purpose of this event is to highlight great programs throughout our local communities that offer area children and teenagers with enriching summer activities.

According to Laura McDonnell, IPPC First Vice President and Student Activities Fair Coordinator “Our goal is to have 25-30 vendors who will provide summer programs that range from Academic Enrichment, Tutoring Options, Summer Sports Programs, & Overnight Summer Camps. We hope to have a wide variety of organizations that can offer something for everyone. In addition to reaching out to organizations who could provide something for every student, we have reached out to both gifted enrichment organizations and special needs. New this year, we have also contacted over 30 service organizations to give high schoolers info on how they can volunteer for community service hours.”

The Fox Valley and Naperville Park Districts offer a wide variety of options for all ages. My son has enjoyed participating in three FVPD theater productions and will audition for this summer’s “Alice in Wonderland,” while my youngest daughter will continue dancing with Weber Irish Dance through the park district.

The Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana has day and overnight camps available at local and further away sites. My daughters have had great experiences at day camp at Von Oven in Naperville, Camp Greene Wood in Woodridge and at overnight camps. This year one daughter plans to go to day camp while another hopes to work at the same camp.

My ten-year-old had a lot of fun at Camp Invention a few years ago and will be attending at McCarty School this June. This is a weeklong day camp that is held at schools around the country where kids use their imaginations and get plenty of hands-on learning through fun.

Many churches offer Bible School and other summer activities. My kids have been involved for several years with summer programs at Wheatland Salem Church in Naperville. The younger kids attend Kids’ Club in June while the older ones volunteer there. In July my daughter will again attend Wheatland Salem’s annual Sports Camp. This week-long camp offers basketball, volleyball, soccer and cheerleading.

I’m hoping my son will learn to drive at Metea Valley, which is offering three sessions of Driver’s Education this summer. Most high schools offer a summer session which can be helpful for some students who can’t fit the class in during the school year. One daughter went to Green Light Driving School in Batavia and one went to then newly-opened Drive Academy in Aurora. Both had good experiences and there was simply no reasonable way for either to take the class through Waubonsie Valley.

Our family has twice sent students to Blue Lake Fine Arts camp. Both Blue Lake and Interlochen in Michigan have excellent reputations and serve many students from around the world.

Even with planned activities, summer homework and everything else going on, I can be sure that most kids will manage to find times they are bored, yet they still won’t be taking suggestions on what useful jobs around the house could fill their time.

Summer activities fair - http://ipsdweb.ipsd.org/Calendar.aspx?id=28825

Fox Valley Park District - www.foxvalleyparkdistrict.org

Naperville Park District - www.napervilleparks.org

Girl Scout camps - http://www.girlscoutsgcnwi.org/go-camping/

Camp Invention – www.invent.org

Wheatland Salem - http://www.wheatlandsalem.org/connect--grow/children/

Greenlight - www.greenlightdriving.com

Drive Academy - www.mydriveacademy.com

Blue Lake - www.bluelake.org

Interlochen - www.interlochen.org

2010-04-02 Let your voices be heard in Springfield

2010-03-31T14:46:00.001-05:00

Unless you’ve have your head buried in the sand, you know that education funding cuts in Illinois are causing tremendous problems for many school districts in the state including local districts. What can we do about this?

A group of parents in District 204 is setting up a rally in Springfield on Wednesday, April 14 and all concerned people in Illinois are welcome to join us. The legislature is in session that day and we plan to meet with some legislators while there.

We are working toward reprioritization of spending in the state budget to restore funding to public education. Funding education should be a state priority. This rally is not in support of HB 174 which would increase income and business taxes.

If you would like to help these efforts in some way, here are some opportunities.

Contact your state representative and senator, Governor Pat Quinn, and Speaker of the House Mike Madigan to let them know your opinion about these cuts and how much and why you value public education. You can find contact information for the people who represent you at this website: http://www.elections.state.il.us/districtlocator/selectsearchtype.aspx

Add your name to the “Stop Education Budget Cuts in Illinois - Save our teachers” petition at http://www.gopetition.us/petitions/stop-education-budget-cuts-in-illinois.html

Join the Facebook fan page “Caravan to the Capitol - Restore Illinois Education Funding.”

Pass this information on to others anywhere in Illinois who may be interested.

If you’d like to join us on our Springfield trip, please make sure to join the Facebook page or e-mail me so you can be updated as we finalize the plans for the day, including transportation arrangements. You could also choose to visit Springfield another day on your own or with a group.

We are working on putting together a video made up of photos of children, parents, and teachers with signs. If you have photos/signs you’d like included in our video, please send them!

E-mail me or caravan2thecapitol@yahoo.com for more information and to be included on future e-mails.

This is our opportunity to have our voices heard, to say that we value the education our children are getting and don't want funding to be cut.

2010-03-26 - District 204 cuts & Springfield rally

2010-03-26T08:26:00.001-05:00

Governor Quinn’s planned cuts to school funding have been big news lately. Though the final budget may not be available for several months, school districts must make decisions at this time of year about next school year based on this incomplete budget information. This has put many Illinois districts in the undesirable position of making massive cuts.

It is the hope of parents, educators, and administrators throughout Illinois that state legislators will meet this funding obligation. According to Article 10 of the Illinois Constitution “The State has the primary responsibility for financing the system of public education.” Education funding should remain intact while funding decreases come from other areas. This would be a terrible time to increase the tax burden on businesses and people working in Illinois. Creating and restoring jobs instead would cut down on the loss of income tax dollars to the state and decrease the burden of unemployment.

In District 204 the administration and school board have utilized community input and spent countless hours looking at a multitude of ways to cut millions of dollars from next year’s budget. The proposal presented at the March 22 board meeting included long-term savings such as a million dollar savings on changing bus routes, a million dollar savings on the new bus contract, and a new health care contract. Other proposals include putting off expenses such as building maintenance and technology, renegotiating software licenses, and increases of fees and class sizes.

The community has the opportunity to comment on the various proposals both online and at the upcoming budget meeting on April 5. Many ideas have been thoroughly discussed but there can still be new ideas which could make a difference.

After the potential loss of dozens of teachers, the biggest concern for some are the proposed music cuts. It is important to note that alternatives within the new budget constraints are being actively working on. Please see www.ipsd.org for budget updates and to give online feedback. The district has chosen to leave the 5th grade and high school band and orchestra programs intact.

Hundreds of district students participating in curricular band and orchestra meet in large classes where they work as a group. Each student also meets weekly in a small group with an instructor for technique class where they work on learning how to play their specific instrument and get crucial individualized instruction. The proposed changes eliminate technique class - there is a chance technique will be available outside of school hours for a fee - putting the majority of students who don’t take private lessons at a severe disadvantage.

If this occurs, our middle school program could gradually shrink and feed less well-prepared students to our high school music programs. In addition, many valued staff members who make the music program what it is today have been notified of their release or are being reassigned. Our Grammy Award winning high school music programs are well known throughout the country. This may not continue if the program cuts occur.

I commend the administration and school board for their efforts on a financial plan meant to have minimal impact on our students, but this particular proposal has a large and not easily regained effect on one of the very things that makes our district as great as it is today.

It is incredibly ironic that President Obama and Education Secretary Duncan have proposals to improve education in this country while education is headed rapidly downhill in their home state, where residents would be grateful to simply maintain the levels of education and programs we have now.

Without the state funding cuts, our district would not be in this position. A group of parents is planning to visit legislators in Springfield soon to voice opposition to the cuts and rally for restoration of education funding. Please contact me for more information.

2010-03-19 Metea musicians shine on big night

2010-03-19T08:15:00.001-05:00

There was a high level of excitement among high school students and faculty this week as they prepared for and performed for the first time in their new auditorium.

On Wednesday the Metea Valley High School Music Department presented the Grand Opening Auditorium Concert at 6 and 8pm. Approximately 320 ninth and tenth grade musicians were featured in a seamless performance of musical ensembles. The concert included all Metea Valley curricular and co-curricular ensembles including Symphonic Orchestra, Symphonic Strings, Metea Valley Symphony Orchestra (MVSO), String Quartet, Cecillian Singers, Bass Chorus, Concert Choir, Vocal Jazz Ensemble, United Voices, Symphonic Bands, Symphonic Winds, Jazz Ensemble, Steel Bands, and Percussion Ensembles.

The auditorium was completed recently and features the latest in digital audio and lighting technology, which presented a challenge for those who needed to learn how to use all the new equipment in time for the performance. There is a fully enclosed concert shell on stage and an orchestra pit. There are two alcoves above and to the sides of the stage for additional performance areas, and these were used during this concert. The auditorium area includes a scene shop, a black box theater, dressing rooms, storage rooms, and piano storage. The 880 seats are divided into three sections in both the front and rear and handicapped seating is available. 1100-1200 people attended the concerts Wednesday, including our superintendent and some members of the school board.

Earlier this week Don Devany, Fine Arts Department Chair, told me “the students and faculty are very excited about the opportunity to perform in this beautiful auditorium. This has been a truly collaborative effort between the students, 204 music faculty, Light and Sound Technician (Jay Fontenetta), Auditorium Manager (Georgia Salerno), MV Music Parents, Maintenance Staff, Administration, IPSD 204 Project Manager (Todd DePaul), and the Indian Prairie Educational Foundation.”

This was a big change in venue for the students, whose concerts this school year have been performed in the gym, in the school’s commons and at North Central College’s Wentz Hall.

It was a big undertaking for all to set up the very first music performance in the auditorium as well as make it a seamless concert experience. This required precision on sound, lighting, the curtain, and the quiet arrival and departure of many students, some with instruments, to various locations around the auditorium without disrupting the music currently being performed. The finale “America, the Beautiful” was presented by all of the music students – with band and orchestra students on the stage and chorus students throughout the auditorium.

Parent volunteers put in many hours of preparation related to ticket reservation and organizing the logistics of rehearsal and concert night. Dozens of parents spent hours Tuesday evening working at the dress rehearsal and then on Wednesday attended one concert and worked at the other. Volunteers worked at the ticket distribution counter, at the CD sales counter, worked as ushers before and during the concerts, supervised rooms of students, and kept the student rooms notified of the concert’s progress so they would know when their turn was coming up.

After watching the rehearsal it seemed impossible that it could all flow smoothly on concert night, but it pulled together beautifully on concert night with only a few minor glitches. These students and directors have years of experience in doing just that and the directors did a terrific job in preparing the students for this impressive performance. The students looked and sounded very professional and played with the same amazing, excellent quality we have come to expect in 204. It was hard to believe that this was only 9th and 10th graders.

I heard extremely positive comments from everyone I spoke with and would say the night was an overwhelming success.

2010-03-12 Keeping our children safe from predators

2010-03-11T21:19:00.000-06:00

I was in the midst of reading "Bringing Elizabeth Home: A Journey of Faith and Hope," written by Elizabeth Smart's parents about their experience, the miracle of their daughter's return home, and their advocacy of the Amber Alert, Child Protection Act, and the crime victims' rights amendment to the constitution, when I was invited to join a Facebook group called "Help Find Chelsea King." I read with horror about the disappearance of this high school senior who had lived in our school district for ten years and had attended school with my daughter in ninth grade before the family moved to California.

Chelsea went missing Feb. 25 when she had gone for a run in a park north of San Diego. Within a day or two, her story made local and national headlines. On March 2 my daughter and many other Waubonsie students were on break from their varsity music concert rehearsal when they got the news that their former classmate’s body had been found in a shallow grave at the park.

There are so many thoughts and feelings that occur in relation to what happened. Chelsea’s death is absolutely heartbreaking and was so unnecessary.

Focus has now turned to the man charged with Chelsea’s murder. Following this man’s guilty plea of sexual assault of a 13-year-old girl in 2000, a psychiatrist said he had “significant predatory traits” toward underage girls and should be kept in prison for as long as possible, according to a probation report released by the San Diego County Superior Court on Tuesday. He had served five of a six-year sentence for that crime before he was paroled.

This same man is now also charged with assaulting a woman in December with intent to rape in the same park where Chelsea was found, and he is the focus of an investigation into the death of 14-year-old Amber DuBois in early 2009, whose skeletal remains were found Saturday near an Indian reservation.

Questions remain about why this convicted criminal had been set free to ruin even more lives. While it is known that many sex offenders cannot be rehabilitated, these predators are still routinely allowed to roam free and re-offend.

There is a lot of discussion on the King family’s “Chelsea’s Light” Facebook group regarding actions being taken in Chelsea’s honor. California Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher has already begun working on “Chelsea’s Law” to bring relevant changes to the state’s sex offender laws. Federally, the Dubois-King Bill demands greater protections against sex offenders as well. These are great ideas, but women and children also need to be know how to protect themselves from first-time offenders or those who have not yet been caught.

As I gave my children extra hugs this past week, I pondered what I could do to help keep them from getting into situations in which they cannot protect themselves. This past week we’ve spoken more than usual about how to keep ourselves safe.

Here are some basic tips from a police officer friend: Don’t go out alone after dark. Avoid alleyways and other concealed places if possible. Carry a cell phone, but don’t use it when walking alone because that distraction can make you an easy target. Park your vehicle in well-lit areas and walk with a purpose. If you see or hear something unusual, go somewhere safe and evaluate the situation. Call the police if needed. Call the police if you are afraid to walk to your car and want an escort. If you’re ever in a situation where your life is in danger, scream as loud as you can and fight back as hard as you can.

I also looked for local opportunities to learn basic personal safety and self defense outside of long-term martial arts courses. I realized, though, that these learning opportunities are so important for children to have that they should be part of the curriculum in our schools.

My fourth-grader recently went through the “Be Smart, Be Safe” program at Brooks Elementary School. The District 204 high schools have each hosted guest speaker presentations on the topic of dating violence prevention, and the district’s middle school health courses have a unit on conflict resolution and appropriate responses to bullying.

Neuqua Valley, Metea Valley and the Frontier Campus have had a physical education unit on basic self defense available this year taught with the assistance of Mary Treacy Jansa from Eagle Academy of Martial Arts. Jansa tells me that she can tailor programs for all ages as well as specifically for Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, PTAs, or P.E. programs and can be contacted at eagleacademy@sbcglobal.net.

The local police departments and the schools do quite a lot already to address a variety of safety topics with students, but I found that District 204 does not have personal safety and self-defense as a formal part of its curriculum at any level — it really needs to be, districtwide.

I’ve read that women can be easy targets for random acts of violence due to lack of awareness of surroundings, body language, and just being in the wrong place. Though there are many common sense actions one can take to avoid danger, people need to be taught to recognize these situations and how to react quickly without having to think it through.

It is heartbreaking that anyone should ever have to face the horror of a missing or murdered child, and even more sickening when the accused has been previously convicted. I hope that some future crimes against women and children can be prevented due to actions taken politically and in the classroom as a result of the King family’s loss.

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For the sidebar:

http://www.naperville.il.us/dynamic_content.aspx?id=327

Be Smart, Be Safe
Fourth Grade

The “Be Smart, Be Safe” program is offered in School Districts 203, 204 and in the private schools in Naperville. This is a personal safety program presented in three school days and is instructed by a Community Education Specialist (CES) and a School Resource Officer (SRO).

The curriculum consists of the five basic safety rules, the definition of a stranger and role-playing with the students. During the course of the discussion, a stranger (who is actually one of the student’s parents dressed in disguise) “steals” the officer’s bag. The students then go on to describe the “stranger” so he can be apprehended. This activity teaches the students how to be good witnesses. The program also includes an Internet Safety component. Through the use of a Power Point program developed by Microsoft and the NPD, the students are provided safety rules regarding Internet usage, visiting chat rooms and the dangers of talking to “strangers” in the chat room. Approximately 4,000 students are served at 40 schools each year.

2010-03-05 Indian Plains students visit county crime lab

2010-03-04T09:23:00.001-06:00

Most of us have seen crime shows on TV that portray a group of investigators gathering evidence at the scene, analyzing that evidence in a lab with amazingly quick and accurate results, and then solving the crime, all in a day or two!

My family got a glimpse of how it’s really done, and how long it takes, when we went on the tour at the new Aurora Police Department last year. Students at Indian Plains High School had an even more in-depth look at real-life crime investigation when they visited the DuPage County crime lab at the county complex last month.

Suzie Hansen, a teacher at the Graduation Academy at Indian Plains, said the students found the trip to be beneficial as it dispelled many myths perpetuated on TV. These students have been studying the criminal justice system in Street Law this year. In this class the students gain a practical understanding of the roles that law, lawyers, law enforcement officers, and the legal system play in our society. They begin with an introduction of criminal and civil law, focusing on the differences between the two, and then move on to learning about trial and appeals court and the American jury system.

Hansen explains that their focus this semester has been “on the criminal justice system, and the causes and nature of crimes against the person and against property. Prior to the field trip the students studied their 4th Amendment rights to gain a better understanding of what constitutes an unreasonable search. They learned what was necessary for an arrest to take place, including the difference between reasonable suspicion and probable cause, Terry Stops, and searching with and without a warrant. An Aurora police officer spoke to the students to clarify any questions and misunderstanding they may have of the procedures used by officers in an arrest.”

A forensic scientist at the DuPage County Sheriff’s Crime Laboratory told me that the crime lab moved into their current facility in 2004 after almost five years of planning. One of the things planned for was hosting a large number of tours. Tour groups view a short video outside each of four laboratory sections and then observe the actual workings of the lab through viewing windows. Visitors can’t actually go into the individual sections due to security of the evidence and the need to prevent contamination of the evidence.

The students had an opportunity to see where firearm and tool marks are examined and to see the lab’s reference collection of guns and where the test firing of firearms is done. They got to watch a drug chemist working, as the lab receives and analyzes many different types of drug cases daily. The lab has a full service Biology/DNA section where the students saw how biological samples are collected and how DNA samples are extracted. In the Latent Print Section they watched a scientist process evidence for latent fingerprints and conduct comparisons to victims and suspects. The students learned how the laboratory’s Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) is used to identify suspects. In this same section they learned about the use of footwear and tire track impressions.

The tour was both fascinating and educational and the students saw first-hand how science and technology solve real crimes.

2010-02-26 Big Brothers Big Sisters Bowl for Kids' Sake

2010-02-26T09:00:00.001-06:00

Big Brothers Big Sisters is about Little Moments, Big Magic.

My husband and I had a chance to be part of the magic of smiles, laughter, long talks and shared memories. Years ago we were a Big Couple through Big Brothers Big Sisters and were matched with a local nine-year-old boy whose father was not part of his life. The emphasis was on spending time together, not money. We saw each other weekly the first year and then less time as we got more acquainted and comfortable in our relationship. We had a lot of fun times together over the years. We played board games, went swimming, took him along on our errands, went to his soccer games, brought him to my husband’s softball games, went to fireworks, a spook walk, and all sorts of other things.

The mission of Big Brothers Big Sisters is “to help children reach their potential through professionally supported, one-to-one relationships.” Research indicates that children matched with a Big Brother or Sister are significantly less likely to skip school or use illegal drugs, and have better relationships with their families and peers than children who do not have a Big Brother or Sister.

“The number of new matches has doubled when comparing the last two years,” according to Clyde Shields, Program Director of Big Brothers Big Sisters. “BBBS’ successful school-based program is credited for the program growth. We have 9 school partners that offer one-to-one mentoring in an after-school group setting.”

There are currently 297 children served this year with an additional 51 children ready to be matched with a community-based volunteer. More volunteers are always needed.

In this time of economic crisis, this program continues to grow and to experience greater need for funds in order to match children with adult volunteers and support those relationships. The cost to match a child and supervise the relationship for one year is approximately $1000 and last year 67% of this budget came from special events.

Bowl For Kids’ Sake is the organization’s annual fundraiser and is going on now. Five member teams are asked to raise a minimum of $100 per bowler.

“This year’s remaining bowling events will take place at Brunswick Zone in Naperville on Wednesday, March 3, and at Parkside Lanes in Aurora on Sunday afternoon on March 7 and later that evening at Funway Bowl in Batavia,” according to Kelly Clason, Assistant Executive Director at Family Counseling Service. “Visit www.aurorabfks.kintera.org to make a donation or sign up to raise donations and come to Bowl For Kids’ Sake.”

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southern Kane and Kendall Counties has been a program of Family Counseling Service, a United Way agency, since 1980. Since then, over 2000 children have been paired with a Big Brother, Big Sister, Big Couple, or High School Big. Visit www.aurorabbbs.org to volunteer or get more information or call 630-844-9090.

Volunteer. Be a donor. Your help can make a big difference in the lives of local children.

2010-02-19 Eola Rd. & Molitor Traffic Signal

2010-02-17T15:49:00.000-06:00

I can’t tell you how much time I’ve spent waiting at Eola Road at Molitor these past several months, but it’s a lot. This traffic light was added last summer and is necessary for the newly opened Metea Valley High School.

I use this intersection several times a day and the two things that annoy me the most are the long red on Molitor, and the short green left turn arrow on northbound Eola Road followed by more than two minutes of a red turn arrow. For almost ten years I’d been turning at this intersection to get home with no traffic light, not even a stop sign, and now I just wait and wait, frequently with little or no traffic coming from the other direction. It’s also been frustrating for my family and my neighbors.

This intersection is under the control of DuPage County. Last week I found myself being educated on traffic signal systems by Dave Ziesemer, DuPage County Division of Transportation Traffic Engineer. What I learned from Dave helps me tolerate the wait a bit more now that I understand it, and I’m glad to hear that he may be making some adjustments to this signal.

This particular signal is on a closed loop system with other nearby traffic signals, and they are all set up to move traffic through multiple intersections as efficiently as possible. Traffic counts are taken for both weekdays and weekend days in all lanes of an intersection and then progressive capacity analysis is used to determine the best settings to be used for various times of day. For example, in the mornings the traffic flow is heavier northbound, so the lights are in sync to move more traffic going north, while still allowing southbound traffic to get through, and reversed for the evenings. The signals in front of MVHS were put in too late in the year to allow traffic counts to be done.

Currently this signal timing is set up similarly to those in nearby signal systems, but later will have custom settings for current traffic flow that will need to be analyzed and potentially updated each of the next two years as the high school adds juniors and seniors. The county will also work with the school to deal with moving traffic for large functions.

Dave told me that this intersection currently has a 150 second cycle length, and he explained how the cycle works including the video cameras used to detect vehicles and how the length of green is determined for through traffic and left turns. The cycle differs for peak and off-peak hours and it’s possible that these hours need refining and that the cycle time could possibly be shortened for off-peak times, relieving some of the wait for those of us using Molitor while not causing backups on Eola.

It was interesting to find out how the signals work as a system, the impact to the cycles of pedestrian crossings and emergency vehicles, and the precision that goes into optimizing it all.

I’d been curious about why this intersection has a red left turn arrow while many busier intersections do not. It’s good to know the reason even though I don’t believe I’ve ever encountered a situation where there are vehicles in both left turn lanes going from Eola into MVHS. According to Dave, “newly constructed intersections are routinely designed to provide a sufficient number of lanes in order to allow motorists to pass through on no more than one green cycle of the signals during heaviest travel times. Roadways having double left turn lane approaches to a traffic signal automatically require ‘Left Turn on Arrow Only’ operation for both approaches as required by the Illinois Department of Transportation Traffic (IDOT) Signal Design Requirements. Motorist sight to oncoming vehicles during the double left turn movement has proven to be easily restricted causing significant safety concerns if permitted in combination with the opposing thru vehicle green movement.”

DuPage County controls about 330 signals within the county and I appreciate that people there have been willing to take the time to explain the system and take my concerns seriously.

2010-02-05 Tomcats getting reconnected

2010-02-05T09:03:00.001-06:00

East Aurora Tomcats are getting reconnected with former classmates more easily than ever thanks to newer online resources.

Back in 2005 the Class of 1985 20 year reunion turned into a fairly small gathering when the organizers had a hard time locating everyone. Internet resources have changed vastly since then and now there are several easy ways to find others who attended East High. These will be a big help in planning this year's 25 year reunion. So far the organizers have had contact with about 120 of 380 on the class list. The email address for the Class of 1985 reunion is eastaurora.class85@att.net.

The web page www.easthighconnect.com has over 1200 members so far. The page offers many features such as an event calendar, groups, photos, and discussion boards. There are 30 groups, including groups for some class years as well as special interests such as Thespians. It is free and easy to join this web page and once there one can join a group for a class year or create a new one.

The District 131 homepage hosts the East Aurora Alumni Association page at http://www.d131.org/alumni.asp. This page offers a lot of information and provides the opportunity to buy EAHS alumni apparel.

Plus, "a large committee has contacts with many classmates and helps to get recent addresses. The EA Alumni Association has a 10,000-person database, but we have to rely on reunion groups to give us their reunion booklets. It is the only way we can keep our database in good shape. The alumni group has a guide for reunions available," according to John M. Roesch, vice president of the association.

Classmates.com has thousands of EAHS people listed and is in the process of changing policies to make it easier to connect there without paying the previously required annual fee

Facebook is considered by many to be the very best resource for finding old friends. On Facebook I'm friends with dozens of people that I met at Bardwell, Waldo, or East. I’ve recently enjoyed reminiscing with people who were good friends I’d lost touch with as well as with others whom I barely knew in school but have now found we have a lot in common due to sharing memories of some of the same people, places, and events.

Carol BulasCrowell Honkanen has found Facebook to be very useful, but somewhat limited as many of her classmates have not joined yet. She "had gathered e-mail addresses along the years, as I had coordinated our Class of 80's Silver 25th Reunion. It took lots of time and effort and networking with other classes, to find people. But, initially it was the website I had put out there http://65.108.233.221/EAHS that helped me to get in touch with people. Alumni still come in from that site and I lead them to Facebook. Of over thousands of e-mail addresses that I have, only a handful have connected on Facebook. So, we all still need to get our friends on-board."
One of my classmates, Esmeralda Zepeda Tellner, says that Facebook has helped her find many friends from East High, including me! She says "I think I can honestly say and I'm sure many people will agree that 20-25 years ago we had an awesome group of people we went to school with! I believe starting those friendships in grade school, junior high (whether you went to Waldo or Simmons), then EAHS, kind of gave us all that Red/Black Tomcat bond that we will always carry with us throughout our lives. I'm sure if you ask anyone about their high school relationships they will tell you the same. I know the friendships, memories, good times and yes some bad times we had will always be memorable. I honestly believe we had a special group of classmates in the 80's because EAHS was a mixture of races, cultures, color, and personalities and we all got along!"

I agree with Esmo and I look forward to getting together with even more Tomcats this year.

2010-01-29 Quotes from NCC students and published version of Study Abroad column

2010-01-29T08:44:00.002-06:00

I had the greatest learning experience of my life by studying abroad in Costa Rica . There is so much to learn not just from a language aspect but from a cultural aspect. Being immersed in a foreign culture is life changing. I learned so much from the obvious like cooking different foods to being as open minded as one can be.

Megan King, St. Louis , MO

The trip really opened my eyes about the rest of the world. I saw so many things and did so many things that I would have never done; I do not regret a thing. I made so many friends and regularly keep in touch with them. My Spanish has improved dramatically and I plan on improving it even more. Costa Rica has changed my entire life and will keep doing so solely because of its impact on my life.

Tanvi Potdukhe, Woodridge

Costa Rica was incredible! I did a lot of things that I never thought I would or could. I went on many memorable and crazy adventures, made many new and cherished friends from all over the world, and, of course, learned a lot of Spanish which will help me with my career goals. Most importantly, however,being completely out of my cultural context gave me the opportunity to step outside of myself and look at who I really am. The greatest lessons I learned while abroad were about myself. I came back with much more confidence in my personal identity, and that is something I will forever be grateful for.

Jenna Slack, Carol Stream

It is an incredible feeling now to look at a map, see Costa Rica located so far away from the U.S. , and know that I have family and friends there with whom I will keep in touch for years to come. Though my home is in Naperville , because of the people I grew so close to I now feel as though I have a home in Costa Rica as well.

Also, the trip was invaluable in terms of improving my ability to speak Spanish. There is such a difference between taking Spanish classes here in the U.S. , where we study grammar, vocabulary, and literature, and actually getting out into the Spanish-speaking world and learning to speak more like a native. I feel far more confident now in my ability to communicate in Spanish in any situation and know that this skill will serve me well both personally as I keep up my relationships with my Costa Rican friends and also career-wise as I look for a job.

Katie Braun, Naperville

Looking back at the first few weeks of our study abroad experience in Costa Rica , I can recall the feelings of excitement, astonishment, independence, but also of fear, loneliness, and adjustment. We had just arrived in a beautiful and exotic country and were about to experience a new culture, perfect our knowledge of the Spanish language, and visit breathless beaches, jungles, and volcanoes, but were intensely missing our families and loved ones, living with people we did not know, and adjusting to the fact that we would be there for 15 weeks. As I look back at that wonderful point in time, I can see how much each one of us grew as individuals and how much more we valued our families, friends, and home. It was such a blessing that we were studying abroad as a group, not only because there were 17 other people who were experiencing the same things, but also because we often leaned on eachother for support and advice.

I can speak for myself and for the whole group when I say that the level of our Spanish language skills reached enormous heights. Not only did we learn the language in our classes taught by professionals, but we also learned as we spoke with our homestay families, our newly made friends, and our co-workers in our internships. It was an experience that will truly be treasured in my life and that has helped me become more of the individual I am today.

Evita Predki, Lemont

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Study abroad programs can change lives

January 29, 2010 Beacon News

Pura Vida! My daughter had an amazing fall term. Jessica was one of 17 North Central College students and a teacher who went on a study trip to Costa Rica from late August through mid-December. "Pura Vida" is a phrase commonly used by Costa Ricans that is both a greeting and a way of life.

As a parent, it is a bit of a leap of faith, combined with a lot of preparation, to send your student off to another country for several weeks or months. Study abroad can be part of a student's major or just a valuable part of his or her college experience.

NCC offers group programs to China, Japan, and Costa Rica and also has 12 exchange programs and nine direct enrollment programs available, in addition to December term options for two to three weeks. NCC professor Jeff Anstine of Aurora, who accompanied my daughter's group, says this type of trip is a wonderful opportunity for students to experience another culture and language, gain a more global view of the world and open their thinking.

On my daughter's Costa Rica trip, students lived with host families in Quepos and attended COSI, a learning center on a mountain with stunning views of the ocean and jungle below. There they had Spanish classes and Ecotourism classes, the latter taught by Anstine. They also had cooking and dancing classes.

While in Quepos the students had plenty of free time and enjoyed visiting the beach and local hangouts, and many weekends they took trips to other parts of the country.

They also had the experience of moving to the capital city of San Jose in November. There they participated in internships or more schooling for the final six weeks. How scary it must be to be so far from home and move in with a family you have never met before, and to do so twice in a matter of weeks.

Things in San Jose are very different than in Quepos. The weather is cooler and the city surroundings offer restaurants, movie theaters and shopping malls like any large city anywhere.

While in Costa Rica, the students experienced an earthquake, visiting volcanoes and national parks, horseback riding, whitewater rafting, snorkeling, boat rides, whale and dolphin watching, nature exploration, riding on a moped, playing in a waterfall, living near a beach, living in a big city, and all kinds of things that are very different from being at home. Most of them also learned to survive without cell phones and Internet access.

They found that they actually enjoyed the more relaxed lifestyle.

Visit my blog at statar.blogspot.com for comments from several NCC students who went on the trip. For more information about NCC's program, visit northcentralcollege.edu/x2920.xml.

Aurora University has also offered May term study abroad programs since 2005.

The programs designed by AU faculty go to the following countries: Mexico, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico, England and Ireland, France, Greece, Luxembourg and Belgium, Spain, Turkey, China, Hungary, Italy, South Africa and Italy. More than 200 students have participated since the program began, and the average is about 40 students per year.

For more information about AU's program, visit:

• www.aurora.edu/doc uments/academics/may- term-course-bulletin.pdf

• www.aurora.edu/documents/parents/08-fall.pdf.

Contact Sherry Tatar at SherryTatar@ameritech.net.

2010-01-25 Parent input used for 2010-2011 school calendar

2010-01-21T06:41:00.001-06:00

In October District 204 PTAs requested parent input on next year’s calendar. This was something new, as far as I can recall parents have never before been formally asked for their opinions on school calendar decisions.

Kathy Birkett became Superintendent on July 1 and communication is and has been one of three main issues/goals for her and the current school board (the other two are financial/fiscal responsibility and student achievement). Gathering community input for the calendar is just one example of this new focus. Kathy believes that ”giving all our stakeholders a voice assists us in making better decisions. District 204’s strengths lie in our ability to pull together as a community.”

The IPPC sent three parent representatives to work on the calendar committee with Linda Rakestraw, Assistant Superintendent, Secondary Leadership Services. They read numerous comments from parents, many of which were overlapping and some conflicting. For example, some would like the district’s calendar to align with another district – but there were several different districts requested!

The committee met and discussed many constraints and considerations including the number of days the students need to be in school, mandatory testing dates, holidays, election days, parent-teacher conferences, the lack of air conditioning in most elementary school buildings, sports and other high school activities that take place beginning in early August, high school final exam schedules, long weekends, winter break including two weekends or three, and family vacations.

Doug McIlvane, a committee member whose children attend Gombert and Still, thought the whole process went well. He says that “input from the community is important" and he is "pleased to see the school district making it a priority.”

Linda Rakestraw told me that the most leeway is to be had with deciding the start and end dates and the winter break and long weekends. Spring break is always held the week that begins with the last Monday in March. Many parents were unhappy with the early start date for the current school year of Thursday, August 20.

Next school year will begin on Tuesday, August 24. Our current school year will end the Friday before Memorial Day as long as we have no snow days, whereas next year school is scheduled to end on June 3. Next year's calendar retains high school finals prior to winter break.

In order to incorporate as many as possible of the parent comments, the committee came up with three calendar options for next year rather than the usual two. These three models were voted on by District 204 employees earlier this month. The winning option was then presented to the School Board on the following Monday, was approved, and was e-mailed to the district listserv and posted at www.ipsd.org immediately.

I, for one, appreciate that the district actively solicited and used parent input for a decision that directly affects tens of thousands of people, and I know some young people who will appreciate having a longer summer this year.

2010-01-15 Parent University

2010-01-14T11:55:00.002-06:00

We parents like our kids to think that we have all the answers, but in reality sometimes we can use a little help or some new ideas. Parents in Districts 203 and 204 are fortunate to have a one day annual Parent University available to us in addition to a variety of other helpful events sponsored by our school districts. These two school districts have been running Parent University for over fifteen years.

Jean Donovan, Illinois PTA District 36 Director and Neuqua Valley PTSA president, says that "The value of interaction and opportunity to talk face to face with other parents who may have the same experiences or concerns can never be replaced by any book or online site."

Cathy Piehl, who has a degree in Psychology and a Masters in social work, had not attended before last year because she thought the event was for younger or more inexperienced parents. She attended a workshop about helping students transition to college, one about special ed and how to be a partner in the development of your child's IEP (Individual Education Program), and one on bullying in Elementary at last year's Parent University and found that "You learn so much from other parents and their experiences, it can be very powerful. "

This year’s Parent University will be held at Neuqua Valley High School on Saturday, February 6 from 8am-2:15pm. The cost is $20 for half the day or $30 for the full day. Registration is first come first serve and due by January 29. The registration form is available online linked from District 204’s homepage www.ipsd.org.

The day begins with breakfast, followed by Keynote Speaker Gloria DeGaetano addressing the topic “Parenting Well in a Media Age.” This seems like a useful topic for parents of any ages of children given the proliferation of social media these days. This is followed by a workshop session, and then for those who are staying the full day – lunch and another workshop session.

Most of the workshops are available both morning and afternoon. There are three workshops each available for early childhood, elementary, and all ages, plus there are five for middle/high school. Each of these topics should provide parents with some useful information from experts.

Here is a sampling of what’s available. Help Your Teen Survive and Thrive in High School and Beyond, presented by Dr. Amy Avery, North Central College. Raising Self-Sufficient and Responsible Kids, presented by Claudia Evenson, CSADC Director of Outreach Services, Rosecranse. Taming the TV: Developing Healthy Media Habits, presented by Beth Miller, M. Ed. PCI Certified Parent Coach. Helping the Underachieving Kid Succeed in School and Life! Presented by Dr. Michael Litow, The Education Center.

"Too often, in today's high tech, mobile society, parents feel isolated and alone in their parenting efforts and while a lot of parenting advice can be accessed by sitting at home reading a book or on-line article, Parent University offers Moms and Dads and caregivers a chance to come together, network and share the joys and challenges of this all-important job in a fun, interactive environment where they have the opportunity to ask follow-up questions directly of the experts," says Jane Wernette, co-chair of Parent University.

It can be difficult for busy parents to find time to attend something like this, but if it can be worked into your schedule, take a look at the brochure online. You may see one or more workshops that could be useful for your family. If so, now is the time to register!

2010-01-08 NCC Study Abroad in Costa Rica

2010-01-14T11:51:00.002-06:00

(Not published in the Beacon since it doesn't fit "local content" guidelines)

Pura Vida! My oldest daughter had an amazing fall term. Jessica was one of seventeen students and a teacher who went on a North Central College study abroad trip to Costa Rica from late August through mid-December. "Pura Vida" is a phrase commonly used by ticos (Costa Ricans) that is hard to describe but is both a greeting a way of life.

The students lived with host families while experiencing a foreign culture and language. The first eight weeks they attended COSI in Quepos. There they had Spanish class four hours each weekday and Ecotourism class two afternoons each week. They also had a cooking class and a dancing class. COSI is located on a mountain with stunning views of the ocean and jungle below.

The students had lots of free time and enjoyed visiting the beach and other local hang-outs, and many weekends they took trips to other parts of the country. While there they were treated as locals and got the local discounts that tourists would not. The students had a lot of independence. They took buses or taxis or walked to their destinations.

Quepos is a small town located on the Pacific Coast. It is a gorgeous area of mountainous jungle, home to abundant wildlife and located adjacent to Manuel Antonio National Park, one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country. The park has two beautiful beaches and visitors can see sloths, caimans, monkeys, lizards, and many other creatures in their natural habitats. It is usually very hot and humid there and rains a lot, and most places are open air and do not have air conditioning. Geckos are abundant inside and out and are good to have around because they eat lots of bugs.

At the ninth week the students traveled to Nicaragua for a couple of days and that was quite an interesting and different experience as well, including some difficult border crossings. Back in Quepos they had a few days of vacation before moving to the capital city of San Jose November 1. Everyone met their new host families and got settled in and then began either internships or more schooling for the final six weeks.

I imagine it would be scary to be so far from home and move in with a family you have never met before, and then to do it twice in such a short time!
Things in San Jose were very different than in Quepos. The weather was cooler and the city surroundings offered restaurants, movie theaters, and shopping malls like any large city anywhere. The students saw many new movies that came out in the U.S. during that time, but in Spanish. Since they were no longer in school together every day they didn’t see as much of each other.

While there Jessica experienced an earthquake, visiting volcanoes and national parks, horseback riding, white water rafting, snorkeling, boat rides, whale and dolphin watching, nature exploration, riding on a moped, playing in a waterfall, living near a beach, living in a big city, and all kinds of things that are very different from being at home. It was also different not having cell phones nor having internet access at home.

Here are some quotes from students who went on the trip.

I had the greatest learning experience of my life by studying abroad in Costa Rica . There is so much to learn not just from a language aspect but from a cultural aspect. Being immersed in a foreign culture is life changing. I learned so much from the obvious like cooking different foods to being as open minded as one can be.

Megan King, St. Louis , MO

The trip really opened my eyes about the rest of the world. I saw so many things and did so many things that I would have never done; I do not regret a thing. I made so many friends and regularly keep in touch with them. My Spanish has improved dramatically and I plan on improving it even more. Costa Rica has changed my entire life and will keep doing so solely because of its impact on my life.

Tanvi Potdukhe, Woodridge

Costa Rica was incredible! I did a lot of things that I never thought I would or could. I went on many memorable and crazy adventures, made many new and cherished friends from all over the world, and, of course, learned a lot of Spanish which will help me with my career goals. Most importantly, however,being completely out of my cultural context gave me the opportunity to step outside of myself and look at who I really am. The greatest lessons I learned while abroad were about myself. I came back with much more confidence in my personal identity, and that is something I will forever be grateful for.

Jenna Slack, Carol Stream

It is an incredible feeling now to look at a map, see Costa Rica located so far away from the U.S. , and know that I have family and friends there with whom I will keep in touch for years to come. Though my home is in Naperville , because of the people I grew so close to I now feel as though I have a home in Costa Rica as well.

Also, the trip was invaluable in terms of improving my ability to speak Spanish. There is such a difference between taking Spanish classes here in the U.S. , where we study grammar, vocabulary, and literature, and actually getting out into the Spanish-speaking world and learning to speak more like a native. I feel far more confident now in my ability to communicate in Spanish in any situation and know that this skill will serve me well both personally as I keep up my relationships with my Costa Rican friends and also career-wise as I look for a job.

Katie Braun, Naperville

Looking back at the first few weeks of our study abroad experience in Costa Rica , I can recall the feelings of excitement, astonishment, independence, but also of fear, loneliness, and adjustment. We had just arrived in a beautiful and exotic country and were about to experience a new culture, perfect our knowledge of the Spanish language, and visit breathless beaches, jungles, and volcanoes, but were intensely missing our families and loved ones, living with people we did not know, and adjusting to the fact that we would be there for 15 weeks. As I look back at that wonderful point in time, I can see how much each one of us grew as individuals and how much more we valued our families, friends, and home. It was such a blessing that we were studying abroad as a group, not only because there were 17 other people who were experiencing the same things, but also because we often leaned on eachother for support and advice.

I can speak for myself and for the whole group when I say that the level of our Spanish language skills reached enormous heights. Not only did we learn the language in our classes taught by professionals, but we also learned as we spoke with our homestay families, our newly made friends, and our co-workers in our internships. It was an experience that will truly be treasured in my life and that has helped me become more of the individual I am today.

Evita Predki, Lemont

2010-01-01 Happy New Year

2010-01-01T14:35:00.000-06:00

New Year’s Day is traditionally a time to look back at the past year and forward to the coming year and all that it might bring.

This past September brought about the sudden death of Buddy the fearless, adventurous, and ever-loving cat. I appreciate that after my column about Buddy several people wrote or called to offer us a new cat. I couldn’t take any of them because I had promised my oldest that we would wait until after she was home from study abroad, and I had promised my youngest we would get a little kitten, because she’s been asking for ages and my kids have never had that experience. Now we finally begin our search for a sweet and outgoing kitten, an orange female if Allie gets her way.

In November I told you about Jenna’s “Pay it Forward” blood and bone marrow registry drive. Jenna is a high school senior who had been very recently diagnosed with leukemia. She is doing well and a potential bone marrow donor has been located. The drive far exceeded expectations. 268 units of blood were donated that day, with several appointments scheduled for later donations, and 220 bone marrow donors were registered with dozens more planning to register online. This is just one example of the tremendous outpouring of support Jenna’s family has experienced.

Last spring I wrote about my anticipation of great things for the new Metea Valley music department and so far the three concerts I’ve attended - one in the gym, one in the atrium, and one at North Central’s Wentz Hall - have all been outstanding. Next week the students will begin practicing in the newly available music rooms and soon we will have our first events in the school’s auditorium.

A July column covered the topic of having two of my children attending different high schools this school year, and as expected, all has gone well and the new high school has provided exceptional opportunities for its students.

I have written about many things going on in the school district, including volunteering opportunities. More help is always needed and welcomed, and I hope that more people will step up and get involved in some way this year.

I recently wrote about college preparation during the senior year of high school. At our house the coming months will bring the FAFSA, scholarship and loan applications, decisions, high school graduation, and our daughter moving into a dorm somewhere – a new experience for us as she will be the first in our family to do so.

My family was blessed with a good year and a wonderful Christmas. My heart goes out to those who have lost loved ones, those who have lost their jobs, those who have lost their homes to fire, and those struggling with serious health issues.

I wish for a prosperous and very happy new year for everyone.

2009-12-25 December 2009

2009-12-23T10:58:00.000-06:00

This December has brought my family so much joy and I hope it has for you, too.

What a month it’s been! My son sang in the Metea Valley High School Collage Concert held at beautiful Wentz Hall at North Central College and my daughter played violin in the Waubonsie Valley Prism Concert for the last time. Both were amazing concerts, but I was sad during Prism when looking at all those seniors in Santa hats who will not be performing at WV next year.

My son had daily practice after school for Metea Valley’s “12 Angry Jurors” that will be performed at the end of January. He also rehearsed with his music groups at school and an a cappella group he and his friends have started. My youngest worked on her Irish Dancing and attended rehearsals for the children’s Christmas musical at Wheatland Salem Church where she has a speaking part.

Fun events included a surprise gathering for my sister-in-law’s birthday, the annual IPPC School Board Reception, a neighborhood progressive cocktail party, and a Christmas party at a friend’s house. The kids baked cookies with their aunt and later with their grandparents where they also decorated gingerbread houses.

Late on December 12 my family was at O’Hare to pick up our daughter who had been out of the country since August. We were so happy to see her and are so glad to have her back! We had a welcome home gathering for her the next day.

The parties continued with a backwards party for the 4th graders at Brooks on the last day before winter break and Christmas parties at home held by my high school senior, my college sophomore, and my fourth grader for their friends.

It’s been nice to have the house full of young people so many times lately.

We’ve also been blessed this month both with a new baby in the family and news of another on the way.

I’ve enjoyed receiving many cards, photos, and letters from friends and family. It’s astounding how the kids I haven’t seen recently have grown and changed.

As of this writing I’m still looking forward to seeing the musical at church, Christmas Eve church service, and our Christmas gatherings with the Tatars, Haytons, and Hards, followed by a much more relaxing week coming up and my son’s solos at Fourth Street United Methodist on January 3rd.

I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

2009-12-18 New baby announcements

2009-12-18T07:31:00.001-06:00

The birth of a baby is one of the most exciting and happy times in life and the new parents are usually in a big hurry to get the news out to everyone who's been waiting.

Almost twenty years ago when my first daughter was born, technology was nowhere near what we have today. The hospital phones required us to call collect or use a calling card so even making phone calls was incredibly difficult and we made very few. We took pictures and my husband brought the film for one hour processing so he’d have pictures to show at work. I hand-wrote and mailed birth announcements.

Though I had e-mail and internet access at work, very few of my friends and family had e-mail or internet. I was able to announce Jessica’s birth to my internet friends when I returned to work three months later. The internet was text only and my friends and I shared photos by putting together an annual photo album, which required mailing pages, getting color copies made, and having the books assembled and mailed out.

Nearly a decade later when my youngest daughter was born we had a cell phone (one for our whole family) and could easily call anyone from the hospital. It was not a camera phone and we did not yet have texting capability nor did we know why we would even want it.

Though the internet had come a long ways in those ten years, we didn’t yet have a digital camera or even a scanner to get printed photos to the computer. We did have a desktop home computer with dial-up access and knew a lot of people who had e-mail by then, though still not many in our family. I was able to announce Alicia’s birth online from home as soon as I was home from the hospital. We ordered printed birth announcements from an online source.

Now, almost another ten years later, this past Monday night my cousin Sam Hard and his wife Alice gave birth to beautiful baby girl Kimberly Jade Hard. How do I know she’s beautiful? Sam e-mailed a birth announcement with a photo from the hospital just over an hour after she was born.

"I created the template for the announcement days in advance," Sam told me. "On the day of the birth, we brought our digital camera and netbook, so we were able to send the announcement right from the delivery room ..."

Now that almost everyone has e-mail, the good news reached friends and family in nearby and far-flung locations nearly instantaneously. I love that technology makes this possible and can't wait to meet the new baby in the family!

2009-12-11 College Prep

2009-12-09T09:04:00.001-06:00

Any parent of a college-bound high school senior knows what a busy time this school year is. Most parents are probably wondering what happened to that little baby they brought home not so long ago, and what the next year will bring.

Many seniors are busy with yet another year of difficult college prep classes, all of the usual high school events, and possibly a part-time job or two and volunteer work while keeping up with their friends, extra-curricular activities, and applying to colleges and for scholarships for next year.

Thankfully there are a lot of resources available to help guide parents and students through college preparation. There are many things that need to happen and some of them started years ago. The student needs to decide what college or type of college they want to attend, they need to be well-prepared to get into the school of their choice, and they need a way to pay for it.

My oldest daughter knew that she wanted a school near home, smaller than the high school she attended, with a nice downtown area and a good program for her choice of major. She fell in love with North Central College right away and didn’t even apply anywhere else. She even knew what she wanted to major in. That was easy.

My current senior has a different wish list. She wants to go to school far enough from home to live at school, but close enough to come home for some weekends. She wants a small to medium-sized school in which she can play in their orchestra while not majoring in music. We visited six colleges and she has narrowed her choices to one of those plus one we haven’t yet visited. Her choice of major is still up in the air.

Andrea Purcell, College and Career Center Counselor at Waubonsie Valley High School, says that “choosing the right college is so important because it is really a stepping stone to the rest of your life. The right college might not be what the student initially thought he or she wanted - so it is integral to visit colleges, talk to current students as well as staff, and make sure that the student feels at home so that they can thrive during their time at the school. College is such an important time in the life of a student - they grow academically AND socially AND emotionally - this is the time that we see our kids grow the most outside their infancy. The right school will shape the student into a productive adult and citizen so that they can be successful in their chosen career path.”

There are many ways to find out about colleges. There are college searches available on the ACT and SAT websites that can help narrow down the choices. College representatives visit local high schools on a regular basis. There are also college fairs, usually held at local community colleges, where students can get information about many different schools all at once. Erin Hoover, Assistant Director of Admission at North Central College, adds that "National and state organizations such as the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) and the Illinois Association for College Admission Counseling (IACAC) can also provide students with adequate resources to find direction in their college search."

As for the ability to get admitted to the school of choice, this depends heavily on what coursework the student has taken during their four years of high school, and how well they have done in school and on standardized tests, as well as their extra-curricular involvement.

There are numerous ways to prepare for the ACT and SAT including practice tests, courses designed for test prep, and simply taking rigorous coursework in school.

Talking to high school counselors and college admissions counselors can help a student make the right choices during high school that will help them prepare for their future.

Though next school year is many months away, early decision and early action deadlines have already passed or are quickly approaching for most schools. Students who have not yet begun applying should do so in the next few months.

College costs have gone up faster than most other expenses and it is much harder for students to pay the sticker price for college these days than it was back when I was in college. North Central's tuition has more than quadrupled in the past 25 years, while minimum wage has only doubled, and jobs for teens are harder than ever to come by. The good news is that most students do not pay full price to attend college.

A couple of obvious ways to keep total costs down are to join the military (active duty, reserve, or National Guard) or to attend community college for the first two years.

Illinois state schools are significantly less expensive than private schools, but it’s worth looking at both because when you take into account scholarships and financial aid there may not be much difference.

Almost every school offers some sort of merit scholarship program, even state schools and community colleges. Students should check the websites of the schools they are interested in for scholarship opportunities there, and contact their high school guidance counselor for local scholarship opportunities.

All families that may qualify for any financial aid, or are required to by their student’s school, should fill out the FAFSA each year the student will attend college, as early as possible that year. In most cases a student won’t get any sort of financial aid in the form of grants, subsidized loans, or work study unless the FAFSA has been submitted and shows need.

Local high schools and colleges offer presentations on financing college and other relevant topics to help families as well.

Becky Tatar, Periodicals/Audiovisuals Specialist at the Aurora Public Library, reports that the library “has materials on colleges and financial aid, including the FAFSA forms. There are also SAT, ACT and CLEP test preparation books, which are also available online through the Learning Express Library database. This database can be accessed from home with an Aurora Public Library card. The library also provides programs on financial aid options and mock ACT/SAT test preparation. All the websites listed can be accessed at the library.”

Our local students are fortunate to have such a wealth of valuable resources available to them. Here are some links.

http://www.ed.gov/fund/grants-college.html?src=rt - U.S. Department of Education college aid info

http://www.finaid.org/ - guide to scholarships, loans, and other aid

http://www.fastweb.com - scholarship search site

http://wvhs.ipsd.org/Subpage.aspx?id=89 - WVHS Guidance site, including college and career center and scholarship listings

http://nvhs.ipsd.org/Subpage.aspx?id=349 – NVHS Guidance site, including information about college applications and scholarships

http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/ - Free Application for Federal Student Aid

http://www.youseemore.com/aurorapl/about.asp?loc=25 – Aurora Public Library “beyond high school” links and information

http://www.naperville-lib.info/LibServices/teen/collegeServ.htm - Naperville Public Library “road to college & beyond…” links and information

2009-11-27 Thanking the Military

2009-11-29T09:31:00.000-06:00

I am thankful for our military, the dedicated men and women who have served in the past and those who are currently putting this nation ahead of themselves.

I have many friends and family I could name here if given the space, but will honor here the two veterans closest to me, whom I miss dearly, my grandfather and my father-in-law; and my niece and nephew who both enlisted in February 2008.

My Nonno, Lloyd Henry Hayton, proudly served in the U.S. Army from 1938 until 1945 and in the Army National Guard through 1952. He spent a couple of years in Saipan and had many stories to tell about that, and he also spent time stationed in Hawaii and several U.S. locations. He was most proud of having achieved the rank of Chief Warrant Officer.

Gabe Tatar, my father-in-law, enlisted in the Army Air Force in August of 1942. He trained in Blytheville, Arkansas and spent almost two years in England before his discharge in early 1946. Though he was fortunate not to have been involved in any battles, his older brother Louis was killed in France in August of 1944. My son now has his Grandpa’s medal case hanging in our house.

My niece Alyssa Tatar, a 2008 West High graduate, enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps as soon as she turned 18. She joined because she wanted to keep from going down the wrong path and she liked the discipline offered by the military. She is a Lance Corporal in Camp Pendleton, California and works as an administrative clerk. She is undecided about whether she will make a career of the military but knows that she is learning good skills that will help her have a better future.

Alyssa and the other Marines she resides with have very positive things to say about how being in the Marines helps young adults financially and gives them the experience and discipline to better themselves. Semper Fidelis!

My nephew Devin Hard, a 2009 West High graduate, enlisted in the Army National Guard when he turned 17. He joined for many reasons including love of country, giving back to the country, and being a part of something greater than himself. While growing up he admired other veterans in his family who had served in WWII and Vietnam and enjoyed hearing their stories. He wanted to follow in Nonno’s footsteps.

Devin is a Private First Class in the Infantry with Bravo Company 1st Battalion of the 178th Infantry Regiment, 33rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team. He completed his basic training and Advanced Infantry Training in Fort Benning, Georgia, in the summers before and after his senior year.

When Devin joined the Army he wasn’t sure whether he wanted to go to college after high school or become active duty, so the National Guard was a good place to start. He now plans to switch to active duty to pursue some of his many goals including attending Airborne School, Air Assault School, Army Mountaineering, Army Ranger School, and earning the Expert Infantryman Badge.

On this Thanksgiving weekend, please take a moment to remember those in the military and their families.

2009-11-20 Indian Prairie parent groups

2009-11-20T07:05:00.000-06:00

Indian Prairie parent groups each have own specific focus

November 20, 2009

There are numerous opportunities for parents to get involved in Indian Prairie's districtwide and school-based parent organizations.

I've previously mentioned the district's 34 PTA/PTSAs, all of which are school-based except for the Special Needs and Project Arrow district-wide PTAs. The Indian Prairie Parents Council is the umbrella organization for these 34 units. The delegate body of the IPPC consists of the president and one representative from each unit. The council exists to help the member PTA units function effectively.

This is my third year as the IPPC representative for Brooks Elementary School, and this year I've taken on an additional role as a member of the executive board. The council meets monthly to share information about issues affecting the education, health and welfare of the district's students. The superintendent and other district administrators answer questions and present information to the council to be brought back to the individual PTAs.

Each PTA serves on an IPPC committee every other year. This year, Brooks is working with Neuqua Valley High School on the Unity Committee. We are currently working on ideas for how to make our very divided district feel more unified.

The Bilingual Parent Advisory Committee (BPAC) and Parent Diversity Committee (PDAC) are not directly associated with the PTAs but try to have liaisons back to each PTA when possible to facilitate information sharing.

The role and responsibility of BPAC is to plan, operate and evaluate the Transitional Bilingual Education program. This committee also advises and assists the district in its implementation. BPAC is comprised of parents of children in the Bilingual Education Program and other interested community members.

PDAC published the parent teacher conference guide I referenced earlier this month. This organization's mission is "to positively impact the academic achievement of a diverse student population through school-specific outreach efforts and initiatives that focus on and directly address disparate academic performance."

In addition to their PTA/PTSAs, the high schools also have several very active parent organizations. These parent groups support high school athletics, band, orchestra, chorus and theater in an incredible number and wide variety of ways.

To find out more about how to get involved with these district parent organizations, check with your school or PTA or look for them via www.ipsd.org.

Also, check out these Web sites for more specific information:

• IPPC: http://ipsdweb.ipsd.org/IPPC

• BPAC: http://ipsdweb.ipsd.org/Subpage.aspx/BPAC -

• PDAC: http://ipsdweb.ipsd.org/Subpage.aspx/PDAC -

• Project Arrow PTA: http://ipsdweb.ipsd.org/IPPC/Default.aspx/ProjectArrowPTA

• Special Needs PTA: http://ipsdweb.ipsd.org/Subpage.aspx/SpecialNeedsPTA

• NVHS parent organizations: nvhs.ipsd.org/Subpage.aspx?id=16

• NVHS music: www.neuquamusic.org

• MVHS parent organizations: mvhs.ipsd.org/Subpage.aspx?id=335

• MVHS music: www.meteamusic.org

• WVHS parent organizations: http://wvhs.ipsd.org/Subpage.aspx?id=98

• WVHS music: http://www.wvhs-music.org/

2009-11-20 Jenna's Pay it Forward Blood/Bone Marrow Drive

2009-11-20T07:01:00.001-06:00

When I heard recently that one of my high school daughter’s grade school classmates had been diagnosed with leukemia, my heart went out to this girl and her family. Senior year of high school is about so many good things – enjoying time with friends, having the last season of everything, making plans for the future, college applications, prom, special senior events – and fighting cancer should not be one of them.

I wondered if there was anything I could do to help this family and offered them the use of my column space to get the word out about anything they may want to publicize. It turns out that my offer was unexpected, timely and appreciated, as they had just been given the news that Jenna would need a bone marrow transplant. They were rushing to put together a bone marrow registry and blood drive and would want to get the details out to the public quickly.

Here is Jenna's story and the details about the drive being held next Wednesday.

Jenna’s “Pay it Forward”
Blood/Bone Marrow Drive
November 25, 2009
Benet Academy in Lisle
St. Jude Commons
from 3:00p.m. until 8:00p.m.

Jenna McKeown is a high school senior at Benet Academy where she plays Tennis and Lacrosse. She is an avid ice skater, and traveled last summer to Spain singing with her choir in some of the oldest and most beautiful cathedrals in the world! Wednesday, October 28 started like any other day for Jenna with current concerns limited to homework, college applications, and weekend activities. By Thursday evening Jenna began her first round of chemotherapy and her battle with leukemia had begun. What started out as a routine doctor’s visit for a sore throat and extreme fatigue led to a rapid chain of events that has turned her life upside down. Jenna was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia, a very aggressive but curable form of leukemia.

Although the news was devastating, the groundswell of support that Jenna and her family have received from schoolmates, community and people across the country has given them strength to meet this head on. Jenna’s dad set the game plan when he said, “We can match this disease step for step until it surrenders.”

The first step of Jenna’s treatment is chemotherapy and she has successfully completed her first round at the University of Chicago’s Comer Children’s Hospital. Her indomitable spirit has become apparent to everyone as she has met the challenge of this diagnosis and the rigors of chemo with incredible strength. “Be Positive” is not only the tone that Jenna has set for everyone, it’s actually the blood type that literally runs through her veins (B+); a coincidence Jenna jumped on right away.

Her team of doctors is encouraged by the way that her body has reacted to the first round of chemo and her test results are very positive. However, Jenna recently learned that this is a battle that she cannot win on her own. After undergoing two more rounds of chemotherapy, she will require a bone marrow transplant from a matching donor in January. Tests have shown that Jenna’s siblings are not matches for her and she will depend on the National Bone Marrow Registry to find a donor.

Jenna’s family and friends are mobilizing an effort to add as many members as possible to the Be the Match National Bone Marrow Registry. This is not only to find a match for Jenna, but also to give hope to the thousands of others who are currently searching for a match. Jenna has been receiving blood platelet donations from Chicago blood banks and likely will continue to access their resources. Therefore her family and friends are also mobilizing an effort to replenish the local blood banks as well. In this combined Blood/Bone Marrow Drive, Jenna, her family and friends hope to be able to “pay forward” in some fashion the incredible support that they have already received in this journey.

This is how you can help:
On Wednesday, November 25th, 2009 Jenna’s family and friends will be hosting a combination Blood Drive & Bone Marrow Registry Drive at Benet Academy in Lisle, IL in the St. Jude Commons from 3:00p.m. until 8:00p.m. Everyone is welcome to donate blood without an advanced appointment, however appointments for blood donation scheduled beforehand will take priority! To schedule your appointment see instructions below.

https://donateblood.lifesource.org/itxm/mobile_scheduler/register.php?id=002.
Enter your information and continue on to make appt. Next you will click on zip code at the top and type in 60532. At the bottom of the page click on Jenna’s “Pay it Forward” Marrow and Blood Replenishment Drive. Click on the time you want and confirm .appointment! Thanks for your patience as this is a new system by Lifesource. Appointments can also be made by simply calling 877-Lifesource.

Take a moment to visit Jenna's Life Journey Link to find out more ways you can help! It costs over $100 to add each new member to the National Bone Marrow Registry and your donations will allow more members to be added to this life saving cause.

Please consider stopping by the event on the eve of Thanksgiving and join us in “Giving Thanks”. The entire McKeown family would like to extend their sincere gratitude and blessings to you and your families!

Blood donors must be age 17 or above (16 with parental consent forms - available in advance by contacting Beth at Lisauskas@sbcglobal.net)

Bone marrow registrants must be between the ages of 18-60 for bone marrow registry. The bone marrow registry takes only five minutes and is a simple inner cheek swab collection. It is important to note that if you are a match for someone, the process can be similar to giving blood. A direct match, if found, is the ultimate gift.

Any questions can be directed to Lifesource at phone: 1- 877-LIFESOURCE .

If you cannot attend but would like to make a financial donation please go to “Jenna’s Life Journey” link for further information.

http://www.bethematchfoundation.org/goto/4jenna

2009-11-13 WVHS is Awesome

2009-11-12T06:59:00.001-06:00

Waubonsie Valley High School has a lot to offer and much to be proud of, and here are a few of the reasons why.

Last year WV’s senior class of 896 included 165 Illinois State Scholars and 203 Indian Prairie Scholars. This year’s class of 932 includes 214 students who are Indian Prairie Scholars. Illinois State Scholars are considered the best and brightest of Illinois’s students, and Indian Prairie Scholars are those students in the district who have a 3.6 or higher grade point average after 6 semesters.

In the spring of 2009 there were 23 different Advanced Placement exams offered to WV students. 573 WV students took 1170 AP exams with 82% of them scoring 3 or higher. As for National Merit Scholars, during the past five years WV has had 95 commended students, 25 semi-finalists and 23 finalists.

The highest GPA in the class of 2008 was 4.7 and in 2009 was 4.65. Students who had a 3.9 or higher graduated in the top 10% of their class last year, students with a 3.51 or higher in the top quarter. A 3.0 or lower GPA placed a student in the bottom half of their graduating class.

The school offers its students 26 AP courses, 14 honors courses, and an astounding array of courses in many different subject areas. Students participate in intramurals and in 85 competition levels of 25 varsity sports. There are also more than 70 active sponsored clubs. Waubonsie’s students in sports and clubs bring home numerous awards each year.

Last year’s almost 3900 WV students included 1100 students in the freshman campus across the street. The opening of Metea Valley High School and the new school boundaries that came with it reduced this year’s WV enrollment to 3253, all housed in the main building except for 74 enrolled in the Frontier Campus.

WVHS and its students and teachers have won many awards and recognitions over the years including being named a Grammy Signature School for six consecutive years and being awarded Grammy Gold Signature School in 2007. WV has been awarded the National School Library Media Program of the Year and International Technology Association Program of the Year.

All students are required to take the ACT during their junior year of high school. Last spring’s average test score was 23, almost 1 point higher than the average four years earlier. Only about 10% of WV students take the SAT in any given year and their scores for this past year averaged 602 for reading, 598 for writing, and 645 for math.

Waubonsie’s school philosophy includes the following “Education is a process of life-long learning. Education works best when the entire community shares responsibility for and participates in the process. This dynamic process focuses on the student as an active participant, guided by parents and teachers. “

I am so glad that my two oldest got to spend their high school years in such an outstanding school.

2009-11-06 Parent Teacher Conferences

2009-11-05T07:16:00.001-06:00

District 204 is in the midst of fall parent teacher conferences. Conferences were held Wednesday and are also scheduled for next Tuesday. Anyone who has not yet scheduled a conference but would like to have one should contact their school office.

The district’s Parent Diversity Advisory Council began as a means to facilitate inclusion and is currently focusing on student achievement. The PDAC has put together a document on parent teacher conferences which can be found at http://ipsdweb.ipsd.org/Subpage.aspx/PDAC.

This pamphlet lists some essential general questions and has five sections that each give a list of questions to ask the teacher and several tips for parents dealing with the different cases of a child doing well in school, struggling academically, struggling socially, not being challenged, or not getting along well with the teacher.

This is useful information to have in hand so parents can make the most of their conference time and know how best to advocate for their children. I wish I had seen such a publication when my children were younger and even now find this to be a valuable resource.

Two of the questions for everyone are “How do you accommodate differences in learning?” and “What can I do to support my child's academic progress?”

One of the tips for the parent of a child doing well in school is “Talk to your child each day about what is going on in school, and be sure to praise the effort she/he is putting into getting a good education.” A tip for the parent of a struggling student is “Teach your child study skills such as reading directions carefully, studying examples in textbooks, and writing down assignments.”

When meeting with the teacher, be sure to be non-confrontational about concerns, have specific examples in mind, and share some positive experiences as well.

In case your student has an issue at school, there is a “chain of command” chart that tells parents whom in their school to go to for help. It was published by the district this year and is available on the district's homepage www.ipsd.org near the bottom left in the “contact us” section. The chain varies slightly for elementary, middle, and high schools, but all start with the teacher. Any serious issues should be brought up and addressed in a timely manner rather than waiting for scheduled conference times.

The fall conference is the perfect time for parents and teachers to touch base and set the tone for the remainder of the school year.

2009-10-30 Volunteering at School

2009-10-30T07:06:00.001-05:00

For those of you who have children in school, do you spend any time volunteering in that school? If not, why not?

We have all heard the excuses. Too busy? So is everyone else. Most people can find at least a couple of spare hours sometime during the year to help out.

Are you are at work during the day? So are many other volunteers. They help outside of work hours, or use flex hours or vacation time.

Do you have younger children who can't accompany you when you volunteer? Some solutions would be volunteering for things you can do at home during your own time, or trading off babysitting with another parent in a similar situation.

Do you feel that language or cultural barriers make it difficult for you to volunteer in a school that may be quite unlike the school you attended? Your willingness to volunteer would be welcomed despite these perceived barriers. The teachers and parent groups would be happy to help you get started with something you'd be comfortable doing.

Do you have a child with special needs? That is all the more reason to be involved in PTA, so you can advocate for your own child as well as others.

If you don't know where help is needed in your school, ask your child's teacher or ask someone from your PTA or similar organization. Watch for your school's e-mail and newsletter publications that let the school's families know where help is needed.

Some feel that the PTA is a clique and that newcomers are treated like outsiders. The reason for this is that the PTA in many cases is made up of people who have spent many hours volunteering at school and therefore know each other well from working together over the years. Believe me, these groups are thrilled to welcome additional help.

District 204 has 34 local PTA and PTSA units. There are 3 high school, 7 middle school, 21 elementary school, and 1 preschool unit. There are also two district-wide units. One is the Indian Prairie Special Needs (IPSN) PTA and the other is the newly formed Project Arrow PTA. Membership in these 34 units totals close to 20,000. The funding and countless volunteer hours provided by the PTAs benefit all students throughout the district.

When you join PTA your membership dues are put to good use benefitting schoolchildren. In most cases you will also receive a school or PTA directory simply for joining. The National PTA website says “As the largest volunteer child advocacy association in the nation, National Parent Teacher Association (PTA) provides parents and families with a powerful voice to speak on behalf of every child and the best tools to help their children be safe, healthy, and successful - in school and in life.”

School volunteers provide for a wide variety and incredibly large number of activities and events both during and outside the school day. These include things like classroom parties, assemblies, field trips, picture parent, LMC volunteers, school greeters, bank at school, school store, Reflections, mini courses, writers' workshop, school newsletters and directories, staff appreciation, community service, and peer tutoring.

In the upper grades there are also vast opportunities to volunteer with additional school-related organizations such as the sports boosters, theatre, band, choir, and orchestra parent associations, and other opportunities related to specific extra-curriculars or events such as Waubonsie’s annual auction and Senior Sailabration and Neuqua’s Senior Spectacular. Chaperoning field trips and longer trips can also provide invaluable experiences for parents.

Your time and efforts will be rewarded with your child's appreciation and your knowledge that you have done something to benefit your school community. You may also enjoy getting an inside look at your child's school and getting to know other parents, teachers, and the school's administration.

Lori Price, president of the IPSN PTA, says of her PTA members “Because we all have children with special needs, there is a commonality that exists already. We all serve as a support system for each other simply because we understand what that parent is going through. Despite the fact that our parents have special needs children, I continue to be amazed at the volunteers we continue to get. We've built some enthusiasm in our group - AND we've built our group itself. I think people want to be a part of that enthusiasm and growth. “

Don't wait for someone to approach you, get started now by contacting someone at your school. This can be the beginning of making some great friends and wonderful memories.

2009-10-23 Performance Pay for Teachers

2009-10-25T07:29:00.001-05:00

One of the ideas being promoted by the Obama administration is performance pay for teachers. This seems to make sense. In most industries a worker's salary and/or bonus is tied to his or her own and the company's performance, rather than a combination of the worker's number of years of experience and education that disregards individual performance.

The problem comes in measuring teacher performance. Usually a person's performance is evaluated by his or her direct supervisor. Due to the nature of the job and the number of teachers working in a school, it might be difficult for a principal to accurately rate performance. Data would be needed, likely in the form of test scores, and possibly including feedback from parents and students. Yet care needs to be taken with this. I have found as a parent that some of the teachers my children have most loved and thrived under are the same ones with whom other families have had the worst experiences, and vice versa.

In order for test scores to be used, students would need to be tested at the beginning and end of each school year. What kind of tests would be used here, a test for each grade level in the lower grades and for each subject in the upper grades? Would this be in addition to the myriad of standardized tests our students are already subjected to?

Parents want their children's time spent learning. They do not want students spending vast amounts of time learning how to take tests, practicing tests, having their learning restricted to only things that will be on tests, and spending more and more time taking standardized tests. If our teachers' salaries were tied to the outcome of these tests, it seems that classroom learning and teacher creativity would take yet another turn for the worse. What would happen to art, music, sports, and other extra-curriculars and electives in such a system?

Even if the tests themselves could be agreed upon, how would the results be handled? At all levels students may have different teachers for different subjects. Would the scores be divided out by student by subject in order to allocate them to the proper teacher? This seems like it would get unwieldy rather quickly. Would teachers be held responsible for the learning of students who moved in during the course of the year, or those who had a high number of absences throughout the year?

When a teacher is doing a poor job it is likely apparent to the students and parents, and hopefully the principal as well. These teachers should be given some guidance for improvement as would an employee in any other organization. Because of tenure it can be very hard to do anything about this situation. Any plan that involves rewarding excellence needs to also allow for replacing teachers whose performance is not up to par.

We like to think that the quality of a person's teaching will have a huge impact on student learning, and in fact it should and in many cases it does, but there are many factors that teachers have no control over, which can have an even greater impact. A student's home life and their own internal motivation or lack thereof will in many cases be an even bigger indicator for that student's success in school. Teachers should not be blamed for having students who are not ready and able to learn. If teacher salaries are to be tied to student performance, then who in their right mind would choose to teach at the more challenging jobs at poorer schools over schools in more wealthy areas?

“The big question that looms over these pay for performance initiatives remains, ‘Is it the pay for performance or the programs that accompany this initiative that seems to increase student achievement?,’ said Val Dranias, Indian Prairie School District 204’s Education Association president. “The better pay for performance initiatives all include student-focused data analysis, targeted professional development for teachers, and strong mentoring programs. In many parts of the country, these programs do not exist. In Indian Prairie School District 204 we have worked together with the administration to initiate these methods of increasing student achievement.”

There are some teachers who absolutely excel at what they do — and while they do not get any extra monetary award for that, they may be rewarded with students who are eager to learn, who are actively engaged in classroom activities, and who come visit them years later to thank them. Teachers at the other end of the scale may find themselves with students who don't turn in their homework, who don't understand the material, who are unhappy to be in the classroom, and who never come back excited to see them.

“In my department I choose to put the best teachers with the lowest level learners; this is who and what they need to be successful learners,” said Molly Owles, math department chair at Waubonsie Valley High School. “If teachers were paid based on the performance of their students, no teacher would choose to teach these courses, and who could blame them?”

I have to believe that most teachers chose their profession not to get rich but to help guide young minds through either a particular subject or a year of elementary school. They want their students to learn. They are willing to jump through the hoops required by today's educational system in order to get the payoff of students understanding the topic at hand and possibly bringing them to a love of learning itself.

Some of the best things a good teacher provides students cannot be measured easily on a test. These include inspiring a passion for learning, inspiring a deeper interest in the topics presented, and instilling a sense of worth in the students themselves as well as possibly planting the seeds that will lead to a student pursuing a new passion or the beginnings of something that will become that child's career someday. Good teachers can make a lasting positive impact on the lives of their students in ways that go far beyond improving their test scores.

Pay for performance is one of those things that sounds like a great idea on the surface but there is a lot that needs to go into making it a viable program.

2009-10-20 Curious cat's life cut far too short

2009-10-20T07:09:00.003-05:00

It turns out that curiosity is not what killed the cat, at least not this time. Though it might not have been too surprising if it had, given this cat’s lack of common sense and his kitten-like sense of adventure.

Instead, one recent Saturday afternoon Buddy was instantly paralyzed right before our eyes. He panicked and ran down two flights of stairs dragging his motionless back half behind him. He was almost five years old and seemed to be completely healthy up to that moment.

While the kids tended to him I tried to think of the name of our vet. We hadn’t been there recently and the number I found in the Yellow Pages turned out to no longer be valid. I called two other local vets. Both happened to be closed at 3pm on Saturday, but both in their messages gave instructions go to our local emergency vet, VCA Aurora Animal Hospital.

Last time my family had used an emergency vet was several years ago and we’d had to drive to Lisle late one night. This time I found that we have an excellent facility conveniently located on the west side of Aurora. I called them right away and they said I didn’t need an appointment and should bring the cat right away. It was sadly easy getting Buddy into the cat carrier for the drive. He was terrified and I would have liked to let my daughter hold him for the drive but I didn’t feel it was safe to have him loose.

Because of Buddy’s ragged breathing he was instantly taken for treatment while I was left to fill out forms. After he was stabilized my daughter and I were brought to a room where the vet told us that Buddy had most likely suffered an embolism, a blood clot that blocked all blood flow to his back half. He told us what treatment could be attempted and about his chances for survival. We were given detailed information about the costs and choices involved.

The numbers were not good. However, Buddy was a part of our family, he was young and full of life and had arrived at the clinic a half hour after becoming paralyzed. I couldn’t give up on him that easily. The vet was soft-spoken and honest with us. We held our kitty for a few minutes before sending him for treatment. I figured I had at very least bought both time and hope. We made plans for the following morning when we’d know whether or not the treatment was working and would possibly need to make a decision about his life.

This cat was the most obnoxious, most annoying, and one of the most affectionate cats I’ve ever had. He was always somewhere he shouldn’t be, or doing something he’d been repeatedly stopped from doing, even right in front of us. He was a very friendly pet who would follow me around constantly, could be found in my lap anytime possible, and had an uncanny knack of curling up for a nap wherever I was going to sit next. He was always anxious for attention and would greet people at the door and hang out wherever he could get some company.

Pets bring so much joy into our lives and yet their loss gives us so much pain.

Buddy died a mere six hours after the first symptom occurred and while we were rushing to get there in time to see him one last time. I am still in disbelief that he is not here now in my lap interrupting my typing, not climbing on the back of my computer chair or lying on top of my scanner or getting into any other sort of trouble. Our hearts are broken. Our older cat cannot know what’s happened or whether his pal will be returning.

I’ve lost pets before, and I know the pain fades, and I know it is not nearly the same as losing a human family member. However, daily life changes when a member of your household dies, but when it’s only a pet you are expected to continue on as if all is normal. We thought we had many more years with this young pet. The only good that will come from this is that we will be able to provide a home for yet another cat waiting for a family.

For emergency care when referred by your vet or if your vet’s office is closed, check out VCA Aurora Animal Hospital, on the south side of Galena Blvd. just west of Orchard Rd. No appointment is necessary during their emergency service hours and there is no need to call ahead. See VCAAurora.com for more information.

The people there were very caring with us and our pet and they are a top notch animal medical facility. In addition to critical care for pets they are well-equipped with the necessary technology and offer a wide range of specialty services. The clinic is accredited by the American Animal Hospital Association.

My family appreciates the staff’s kindness and compassion during that Saturday and the thoughtful handwritten sympathy card received from them a few days later.

2009-10-12 WVHS Orchestra NYC Trip

2009-10-20T07:09:00.001-05:00

(published months later than expected...)

District 204’s music program gives music student the opportunity to travel twice during their high school years. Usually one domestic and one international trip is offered during each four year period for each of band, orchestra, and chorus. Students who are able to take advantage of this wind up with an unforgettable experience with their friends and teachers. Chaperones are required for the trips to happen, and they are rewarded with a memorable experience as well.

Sixty-five teenagers, fourteen adults, two buses, hundreds of miles, five days of spring break 2009 in New York City, thousands of photos – it all added up to a wonderful trip! I think the adults could have done without the two nights of sleeping on the bus, but the hotel where we stayed in New Jersey was very nice and our time spent in the huge and bustling Big Apple was incredible.

This was my second trip chaperoning Waubonsie Valley orchestra students, and the teens again showed themselves to be fantastic ambassadors for our school. Many of us had not visited New York City before. We were enthralled Monday morning by the sight of the Statue of Liberty as we neared it while freezing on top of the ferry, and then were surprised to be given the chance to walk around the island and get even closer. Next we visited Ellis Island, then took the ferry back to Manhattan and walked to Wall Street .

At St. Paul’s Chapel we walked somberly past the September 11 memorials and historical markers such as George Washington’s pew. The next block over is Ground Zero, enclosed now so we couldn’t even get a glimpse the big hole in the ground. Dinner in Little Italy was followed by some interesting shopping in that area and in neighboring Chinatown. Rehearsal that first evening in the hotel was marred when one student set his violin on the floor and it was accidentally stepped on and broken into two pieces by another student.

Tuesday morning began with a tour of Carnegie Hall, an absolutely gorgeous building with an interesting history, followed by lunch in the Trump Tower. The students played a beautiful concert in the Madison Avenue Sculpture Garden (formerly the IBM atrium). This was an unusual setting in a large enclosed area with birds flying around and people walking through the building. The student orchestra played Tocatta by Frescobaldi, Concerto Grosso by Corelli, The Godfather, Hoedown by Copland, Brandenburg Concerto No. 3, and Sentimental Sariband. They were directed by Mr. Mark Liu, Mr. Will Burck, and Mrs. Deborah Schmaltz.

Next we visited the United Nations where we had guided tours and observed the UN in session. We rode the buses over to Broadway where we were given a mere 45 minutes to explore Broadway from 42nd to 48th. Times Square was an amazing sight! We walked up and down the whole way but barely had time to take in the huge Toys R Us, the chocolate stores, the statue of George M. Cohan, the unusual looking police station, the bright lights, the signs everywhere, the theaters, wow! After dinner at Planet Hollywood we walked to The Palace Theatre in the next block to see West Side Story. Some of the students on this trip performed in the pit orchestra for Waubonsie Valley’s performance of West Side Story May 7-10.

Wednesday we went on a multi-ethnic eating tour in which we walked all morning and tried a variety of foods while learning about the areas we visited and related history. After lunch in Little Italy and Chinatown the students had a clinic with a musician while we chaperones had two free hours to roam the area. During this time a few of us saw the Flatiron Building and we ran into Chris March from Project Runway. We managed to see many remarkable sights during our free time. Dinner was at a restaurant in the basement of the Empire State Building. We knew that Yo-Yo Ma had played in Carnegie Hall the prior evening so Mr. Liu was very excited when some of the students came running with the news that Yo-Yo Ma was signing autographs upstairs. How disappointed he was to find out it was only an April Fool’s joke.

Later I read that on a clear day one can see great distances and many states from atop the Empire State Building. This was not our experience. We were there on a very cloudy, windy, and rainy evening. It was so cloudy that we could only see about a block away. It was so windy that people’s umbrellas turned inside out and their hair blew straight out. We did not have to wait in any line to go up top because no one in their right mind would pay to go up in that kind of weather!

Thursday morning we packed up and headed into the city for the last time. We had a short time to tour the American Museum of Natural History and then saw an IMAX movie that had too much repetition in it and put many of the audience to sleep.

It was an absolutely gorgeous day, sunny and warm. We took a walk into Central Park where we saw Strawberry Fields after walking past the building where John Lennon had lived. We toured the Lincoln Center buildings which house the Metropolitan Opera, the New York City Ballet and the New York Philharmonic. After dinner we returned to spend an evening enjoying a performance of the New York Philharmonic.

We arrived home Friday afternoon exhausted and full of incredible memories.

2009-10-02 School Bus Chaos

2009-10-02T06:39:00.001-05:00

Indian Prairie School District families faced big changes related to bus scheduling when school started this year. People complaining about bus issues were not overreacting to the usual glitches that come with the start of a new school year. The problems this year were on a whole different scale than we’ve ever seen before.

Hundreds, maybe thousands, of families faced very serious bus issues. Thankfully most have been resolved at this point. However there were entire neighborhoods that either had no bus service at all initially, or had buses so overcrowded that the drivers wound up not able to finish their routes once they had all seats full and some students standing in the aisles. Some students called for rides after school because once their assigned bus was full and no more students were allowed to board, they needed to find an alternate way to get home. Some had very long waits for very late buses as drivers did the best they could with the routes they’d been assigned.

Half day kindergarten students had a whole different array of bus problems – no bus scheduled to transport them at all, then a bus with an impossible schedule including pick-up times after the start of their school day, then no bus showing up to drive them home from school for more than an hour after their first day ended, and yet another day early in the year they were sent home on the wrong bus.

Minor bus issues included those cases were stops were so consolidated that now some bus stops had 30, 40, or even 50 kids waiting for the bus in a single location. Even as more buses and forgotten routes were added there continued to be reports of neighborhoods left behind, buses not able to fit all the of their assigned route, and large numbers of students at individual stops. The district office was inundated with more complaints than they could handle and worked to resolve the worst issues as quickly as possible.

This year the district added a new high school and converted a freshman campus to a middle school. In addition, the administration decided to purchase a bus routing system and move the bus routing in-house. The new system allowed each family to see information online about their own bus stop and pick-up and drop-off times, but did not give the complete route, as has been available in prior years. This meant that until the first day rolled around, parents didn’t know how completely crazy some of these routes were. In the first days after the information became available and school started routing changes were needed constantly.

Something particularly puzzling was the high school buses that had a hundred or more students assigned to them. These students were issued school IDs that included their bus numbers, so it seems that the district would have known some buses would be unable to transport the assigned number of students. Later I heard that the district underestimated the number of students who would ride the buses. There are always some students who have another mode of transportation and/or before and after school activities so do not use the buses on a regular basis.

One change that was to be implemented this year was the requirement that middle school and high school were to show an ID with the proper bus number on it in order to ride buses. As it turned out, many IDs had the wrong information to start with, or information that became wrong as routes were added or changed. Students from some neighborhoods had IDs incorrectly showing them as walkers. Because of the large number of issues, students have been riding the buses without showing IDs as they always have before, and I’ve heard of no incidents related to this.

I recently wrote about the district’s decision to assign bus seats for students in kindergarten through eighth grade, and my hopes that this decision would be revisited. I am happy to say that in light of all the other bus issues and changes, the district decided not to go forward with assigned seating for this school year. This can now still be used as a disciplinary measure when necessary.

Parents wondered why the district would take bus routing in-house on this particular year when there were already so many other changes going on. It turns out that no cost savings is realized with this change. The reason for taking routing in-house is that the district will be getting bids on a new bus contract to begin next school year. Whichever bus company the district contracts with in the future will use routes provided by the district. The district’s administration believes it can better manage the technology piece of the bus routing and that this is to the benefit of the residents, though we have yet to see evidence of that. The district says it can do better with customer service, better fit the district needs, and keep student and bus data in sync as student data gets to the Versa Trans system on a daily basis. The district attempted to better utilize full capacities on the buses as it tried to make do with the same number of buses as were used last year while busing to an additional building and adding students. They also apparently hoped to decrease bus route times by drastically reducing the number of stops.

I have the greatest respect and appreciation for our bus drivers and realize they have a difficult job, made even more so this year with the new routes. We can all hope that things will be better from here on out due to moving the scheduling in-house. Anyone still having bus issues should contact the district’s director of support services.

2009-09-15 My Cat, Buddy

2009-09-25T07:50:00.000-05:00

It turns out that curiosity is not what killed the cat, at least not this time. Though in a five-year-old cat who never lost his kitten-like sense of adventure and seemed to lack any sort of common sense, it wasn’t out of the realm of possibilities.

This cat, as cats tend to be, was part of our family. We loved him and he loved being around his family, me in particular. He followed me around and it seemed as if every time I sat down he’d be in my lap. He loved to go places where he shouldn’t and especially where it seemed like he couldn’t. He was quite the explorer, extremely friendly and affectionate, and very cute and fun.

I said this when he was living so I have no qualms about saying it now, either, but Buddy was the dumbest cat I’ve ever had. He would jump into my lap while I was at the table eating, and continue to jump back up repeatedly as I continued to put him back on the floor. He would blatantly do things right in front of us that he should have known were wrong.

He seemed clairvoyant about where I was going to sit next because regardless of whether it was my desk chair, my chair at the dinner table, or even the couch, he would be already curled up comfortably right in my way.

Like dogs do, Buddy rushed to greet people who arrived home or came to the front door and was anxious for attention. Whenever I was getting ready to leave the house, he’d get onto a chair or barstool and grab at me with his front paws as if asking me to stay. He loved climbing on furniture, playing with anything that moves (including one of my bookmarks that has a tassel), romping with our other cat, and generally being obnoxious.

One of his annoying but endearing habits was how he would spend several minutes kneading and walking around on me trying to find the exact right spot. Sometimes I’d be ready to get up and do something else by then! This process couldn’t be sped up though, because if I tried to get him to settle before he was ready, he’d start all over.

Pets bring so much joy into our lives and their loss gives us so much pain.
As far as we knew, Buddy was perfectly healthy when on Saturday afternoon right before our eyes he became paralyzed. He ran down two flights of stairs to the basement, dragging his motionless hindquarters behind him. Within moments he began exhibiting other symptoms. At the emergency vet he was taken from us immediately to be stabilized.

He had suffered from an embolism due to a heart condition, and the prognosis was poor. He could possibly be cured, and having gotten him there so soon after it happened was a good thing. We decided to go forward with treatment, then held him for a couple minutes before leaving. He was alert and feisty. We left there with some hope, figuring that the following day we’d either visit a recovering cat or face that treatment wasn’t working and we’d have to say good-bye to him.

Just six hours after the symptoms began and while we were rushing to get there in time to see him, Buddy died. I am still in disbelief that he is not here now in my lap interrupting my typing, not climbing on the back of my computer chair or lying on top of my scanner or getting into any other sort of trouble. My oldest daughter, away for school, was unreachable until the next day. Our hearts are broken. Our older cat cannot know what’s happened or whether his pal will be returning.

I’ve lost pets before, and I know the pain fades, and I know it is not the same as losing a human family member. When a member of your household dies, daily life changes, yet it’s only a pet and you are expected to continue on as if all is normal. Sympathy from friends and family has been appreciated. It is hard to go on with all the usual work and other activities as if nothing has changed.

Comforting my young daughter wracked in sobs over her loss is something I wish hadn’t had to happen. Mothers feel the pain of their children as well as their own, making such a loss even more difficult. We thought we had many more years. The only good that will come from this is that we will be able to provide a home for yet another cat waiting for a family.

For now my lap is empty and my heart is heavy.

SherryTatar@ameritech.net

2009-09-25 Mustang spirit alive and well

2009-09-25T07:48:00.001-05:00

Opinions may vary on its exterior appearance, but we all know that it’s what’s on the inside that counts. What you’ll find inside Metea Valley High School is a great deal of enthusiasm, energy, and school spirit in an environment well-designed for student learning.

After seeing the hubbub of construction on a daily basis for over a year, we finally got to see the interior on Tuesday, August 11. This is when incoming students had their orientation and dance and their parents had an information session and were given the chance to tour the building.

Everyone else gets their turn to go inside on Sunday, October 4, when the public is invited to attend the school’s formal dedication at 2pm followed by an open house until 5pm. The day before, on the afternoon of Saturday, October 3 the Mustangs will play a home football against the Neuqua Valley Wildcats at 1pm. There is no cost to attend this meeting of sophomore teams and this is a great opportunity to see an exciting football game as well as performances by the Metea Valley marching band, color guard, poms, and cheerleaders.

On Saturday, August 22 the school held Mustang Mania. Here we had our first glimpse of several different sports teams and the marching band. The PTSA and Sports Boosters had tables set up and concessions were available. This was a well-attended event, as was the first home football game on September 11, in which the stands were well over half filled despite the fact the school’s student body will more than double in size in the next two years. Many families who don’t even have high school students were there with their young children.

The great things going on here didn’t start with the first day of school. Principal Jim Schmid, his staff, the PTSA, and sports booster parents have been hard at work for quite some time, yet it feels like school spirit happened virtually overnight. Many new Mustangs had been looking forward to being Waubonsie Valley Warriors, yet the transition has gone well. Some MVHS students attended the first football game at WVHS with friends, and then some WV students attended MV’s first home game the following week.

The start of the school year is by all appearances going remarkably well. Clubs and sports have larger than expected numbers of participants. Sports teams are winning. Audition and non-audition extra-curricular music groups are set up and rehearsing. A spring break band trip to Disney World and a summer break trip to Spain for students who will have completed Spanish 2 are in the works.

The school’s fall play, “I’m getting Murdered in the Morning” has been cast. It will be a dinner theater wedding reception held in the school’s cafeteria on October 22, 23, and 24.

Metea Valley Student Government (MVStudentGo) is working on its constitution and planning fall events. In lieu of homecoming a new high school has events that are like homecoming would be in another school, but named differently since there are not yet any alumni. Metea’s Black and Gold Masquerade Dance will be held the evening of Saturday, October 3. Leading up to that weekend will be spirit week with the following days – Monday is Sports Team Day, Tuesday is Twin Day, Wednesday is Decades Day, Thursday is College Day, and Friday is Black and Gold.

As expected, freshman and sophomore students get to do things in this school they would not have if they’d been in a school that has juniors and seniors. They get to join some organizations and/or hold leadership roles that would not have been available to them otherwise. I heard from chorus director Nathan Bramstedt that he is working with his students to perform at the upper level from the start, that they will be performing as juniors and seniors would. In this district’s music program, that’s impressive.

At curriculum night on September 17 I was impressed by the professionalism and enthusiasm of the teachers and other staff as well as by the number of parents in attendance; it was standing room only in almost every classroom I was in.

I love the layout of the building and how easy it is to get from one place to another, in addition to how easy it is to find the rooms and for the students to have access to their lockers, their counselors, and academic help throughout the day. The facilities are impressive and the new Mustang mural in the gym is beautiful.

The administration, staff, students, and parents have already come together to form a new school community and have begun new traditions in an environment with ample opportunity for all.

Metea Valley High School is located at 1801 N. Eola Road, Aurora.

SherryTatar@ameritech.net

2009-08-09 Assigned Bus Seats

2009-08-24T07:14:00.001-05:00

Too many of childhood’s small freedoms and joys seem to be disappearing as children’s lives become more and more regimented. While I have many examples in mind, I’ll focus here on one which I hope could still be changed.

This spring there was a bus incident in which a student whose parent had an emergency situation wrote a note for her daughter to ride another bus. The bus driver forced this student to get off the bus in an unfamiliar location. I believe this improper behavior by a single driver may have been one of the instigating factors for two new policies that will be implemented this school year in Indian Prairie District 204.

The first is that all students in grades 6-12 must show a school ID that indicates they belong on a particular bus before boarding.

The second is that all students in K-8 will have assigned bus seats. This is being done for “student safety and management.” While I commend safety as a priority, after being in contact with the school board and administration about this very issue I have not yet heard of a single example of how assigning seats improves safety. The students will have a few days at the beginning of the school year to choose their seats, and then must sit in those same seats for the entire semester. This leaves the bus driver in charge of making sure that children are in their assigned seats in addition to safely transporting our children to and from school.

Assigned seating has been used in the past on some buses as a means of dealing with problem behaviors. Kids who don’t behave well on the bus may have been required to sit up front near the driver. For bus routes that have many behavioral issues, assigned seating can make sense as a solution to that problem, or can be used as a threat to help encourage better behavior.

Children who are new to the bus may not have made friends yet when the bus seats are assigned and when they do make friends on the route, won’t get to sit with them until the following semester. Kindergarteners may ride with a sibling the first few days as they get the hang of being a bus-rider, but then both siblings may have trouble finding other seats a few days into the school year. They could wind up riding together for the entire semester. While some kids would be happy with this situation, others would not.

Will students who ride the bus only a few times during the school year have an assigned seat? Will the drivers give permission for students to change their assigned seats if they have a good reason? How strictly will this policy be enforced, and how?

In middle school there is a wide variance as to which students are actually on the bus on any given trip due to the many before and after school activities the students may be involved in. The seatmates of students who are not on the bus due to school activities will then be left sitting alone, while other students do the same, unable to move to another seat to sit together if they’d like. Some students will prefer this, while others might like to socialize with some of their other friends for the bus ride. Regardless of the length of the bus ride, it’s still one of the rare social times that our students may have in an ever more strictly controlled school day.

Somehow my kids have survived riding buses in 204 since 1995, as have thousands of other children, and serious incidents have been rare. Bad behavior on the bus can be dealt with in a variety of manners other than assigning seats for all students, and this new policy ensures that whomever is unfortunate enough to sit near someone who behaves badly will be stuck sitting near them every day for the whole semester. Children’s friendships are often rapidly evolving and it makes sense to let kids chose whom to sit with on a daily basis. Children may even make new friends by sitting with different people throughout the year.

Our district is implementing new programs with an emphasis on social-emotional learning, and it seems like navigating relationships and free time on the bus would be a great opportunity for students to develop in this area outside of the program implemented in school.

Yes, kids need to be orderly during the school day when they are being taught, but let’s give them a little freedom to grow and become more responsible during the times of day when this is not required. Let’s allow some fun where we can since there is already plenty of time that children must be quiet and attentive, and only assign bus seats when necessary.

I ask that District 204 administrators please reconsider this new policy.

2009-07-26 Split Siblings

2009-08-24T07:09:00.000-05:00

When school starts next month many families will send one of their children to one school and another child to another school. This happens to families all the time when children are split between various levels of school such as preschool, elementary, middle, and high school. The difference this fall in Indian Prairie District 204 is that just like a decade ago, some families will be sending students to two different high schools.

Mine is among these families this time. In my household, we have had one year where all school-age children were in one building. This fall will be our 11th year of having our kids split among two or more schools, and our fourth year of having kids in four different schools. I don’t think having these two kids in two different high schools will be significantly different than this past year when one was in Waubonsie Valley HS while the other attended Granger Middle School.

There have been complaints from parents regarding students who will attend Waubonsie while they will have a sibling still at Neuqua Valley HS. There are many more students who will attend Metea Valley HS while having siblings at WV. Since none of these students are in the same grade as their sibling, this means that they have attended different schools from each other for 2-6 years already.

I have read and heard the most incredible arguments about why it’s important for siblings to attend school together. One that often comes up is that this requires families to choose one child’s event over another. I am certain that anyone with more than one child routinely has to make choices when their children’s events occur at the same time. In fact, I’d be willing to bet that many families with only one child find they have conflicts as well.

Most of those with children attending two different high schools next fall will likely find that it does not cost their families substantial time or money or additional conflicts beyond what happened when the older was in high school and the younger in middle school.

Yes, things will be more difficult than originally anticipated for some and especially for those few families whose children would have been on the exact same sports team or club or in the same music group, because for one or two school years things would have been easier for them. However, most siblings will stand on their own and thrive being on that team or in that club or performance group without being known as so-and-so’s younger brother/sister.

For most split families curriculum nights at the two schools will be easier than dealing with two students’schedules in one evening would have been. The Fine Arts Festival will be split over two Saturdays rather than one long crazy day for many of us. My own high school students would have both performed in Waubonsie Valley’s Prism concert this one year but I don’t think either of them is heartbroken that this won’t happen, as they’ve never been in the same school concert before anyway.

My son would have ridden to and from school with his sister. Now he won’t. This is not a tragedy. He will get to and from school the same way he would have if he didn’t have a sister who drives.

Some will disagree, but I feel strongly that in most cases it would be a bad thing for the affected families to have had a choice about which school their children attend. At least from my own limited perspective of having been a teenager, being the parent of teenagers, and talking with other parents, I expect that given a choice many of the students would choose the school where most of their current friends will be attending next year. This would mean an agonizing choice of which friends to choose over which other friends, at very least causing some hurt feelings. Later anything that is not going well for the students at the school they chose, or looks like it would have been better at the other school, could be an anguishing time for them.

The district is doing what they can to help the families with siblings split between two high schools, similarly to how they have always tried to schedule events such that feeder schools do not have conflicts when possible.

At this point neither the number of students affected nor the reasons why grandfathering is not allowed are no longer relevant. The students know where they’re attending school this fall and which school they will graduate from. The teachers and administrators have planned for the upcoming school year. Courses have been scheduled and staffing has been done based on the numbers of students enrolled in courses.

We have all been through a lot these past few years and the best we can do now is look for the positives in the situations we have and make the best of it. Students will be welcomed into their high schools and other families are willing to lend a hand where needed for those of us who are split between schools.

I hope that all high school families help their students feel good about being a part of whatever high school they are attending this year, and that all district parents, regardless of where are from, will step forward and become a part of their school communities, whether or not they have changed schools and whether that is one school, or two or more.

2009-05-26 Combining federal and local elections

2009-08-24T07:03:00.001-05:00

April’s local elections brought yet another dismal voter turnout. What happened to all the excitement from last fall’s presidential election? Some have still not gotten the news about all politics being local.

I think I did my part – I gathered signatures, met candidates, spoke with people about the election, wrote a column on the importance of local elections, wrote a letter to the editor about the candidates I supported, attended forums, put signs in my yard, distributed fliers, sent e-mails, etc. Many others did the same and more.

Yet even given the option of early voting, only a small percentage of registered voters cast ballots in the spring election. According to news reports, this is considered to be undesirable because a small number of people are making decisions for everyone. The suggested solution is to increase the number of voters by combining the local elections onto the fall ballot along with the races for state and federal offices.

My immediate reaction upon reading this was NO this is not a good idea! People I’ve spoken with who have run for office at the local and/or state level wholeheartedly agree that for many reasons this would not be a positive change.

For starters, it is not helpful to have more voters for an election in which those voters do not care about the outcome or have not been paying attention to the local races. I’m always glad when I hear that people choose not to vote in races in which they don’t have knowledge of the candidates, it’s dismaying to hear of people voting for those whose names sounded familiar or possibly choosing some even worse method to avoid skipping any of the races on the ballot.

It is a lot of work to become educated about every race on one’s ballot – whether federal, state or local level and it would be quite a burden on voters if all of these elections were held at once. How would people have time to attend or watch so many debates and political forums? It would be difficult for the organizations that set up these sorts of events. Some of the same people who campaign hard for the fall elections are at it again for the local elections in the spring and would have a hard time working on all the races at once. There would be a larger burden on the news media to keep the public informed and to interview candidates for endorsements.

There may be voter fatigue now due to having so many elections held, but I think we’d see something much worse if we had a several page ballot. As it is, my April ballot was on two pages and covered twelve races (some, sadly, were uncontested). Even those that want to be involved in the process may become apathetic due to the sheer energy required to be a good citizen.

A problem that really needs to be addressed is voter education. The newspapers don’t seem to do as good a job of this as they could. At every election the voters should have a non-biased source they can turn to in order to find out what exactly will be on their ballot, including the pay, responsibilities, and length of term for each office, as well as some information about the candidates or issues at hand, along with endorsements in all races.

While combining elections would save in election costs, it would be impossible to calculate the true additional costs.

One suggestion is to always hold primaries at the same time – say the second Tuesday of April, followed by the general election on the first Tuesday of November. This schedule would be the same every year regardless of which elections are being held that year. Campaigning for local offices would not need to occur over the holidays and during the time of year in which we have the worst weather. The longer campaign cycle would allow voters more time to learn about the candidates.

As for the people who don’t come out to vote, we’ll have to assume they are ok with the rest of us choosing whoever we think are the best candidates. It would be great if more people would take an interest, but tacking local races onto the already lengthy fall ballot is not the answer.

2009-05-11 Year Round School

2009-08-24T07:03:00.000-05:00

Year round schooling seems to be gaining popularity. Thankfully there has been no suggestion of doing this in our local districts. When I recently heard of the plans to increase the number of year round schools in the Chicago Public School District I wondered if this trend might come our direction, possibly due to the flawed nature of No Child Left Behind requiring districts to attempt the impossible.

I am firmly opposed to such a schedule change for several reasons. Kids only get the chance to be a kid once. Children are not robots. They are young people who can benefit from long breaks from formal schooling to recharge and have different experiences. Their teachers likely expected similar breaks when choosing this profession.

Many of our schools lack air conditioning, which means it is crazy to have students attend and teachers teach during the hottest days of the year. In fact, we are doing that already with school starting on August 20 this year. The first day of school in this climate for schools that do not have air conditioning would be best pushed back to after Labor Day.

Studies have been inconclusive as to whether there are academic benefits to year round schooling. Even if all studies were to show that students had higher test scores with several shorter breaks throughout the year instead of a longer summer break, I contend that there are other factors in childhood that are important that are independent of scoring highly on academic achievement tests. Some form of summer school should be readily available, but only for those who want or need it. School should not be used as a way to keep kids from getting bored or from getting into trouble.

Summer is a great time for kids to pursue all kinds of activities, to relax, to read for pleasure instead of homework, and to hang out with friends, all without worrying about daily homework and school schedules. The days are longer and it is a good time of year to stay up later and sleep in for those who can.

In my own family we find that it’s hard to squeeze in all the summer activities we want to do as a family and as individuals – a vacation and a local weekend trip, Bible School, swimming, day trips, summer festivals, picnics, a variety of camps and a mission trip. None of these things would make much sense to do at another time of year when the weather here is not conducive to it. There is so little good weather in northern Illinois for outdoor activities that it would be a downright shame to have children sitting in classrooms during a majority of those days.

Year round schools use a variety of scheduling techniques and frequently incorporate the same number of days in the school year that we have now, just spread out differently with breaks interspersed throughout the year. I’d argue that having extra breaks during cold weather times would not make up for the lack of a longer break in summer. These schedules may cause issues for families if their children wind up on different schedules, or if the people they carpool with do, and for extra-curriculars that have events with other districts including band, sports, and many other student groups. It would also be a huge issue for those organizations that provide activities during times that kids are not in school such as the YMCA, park district, outdoor pools, Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts. Many of these depend on parent volunteers and teen workers.

Our students are under tremendous pressure during the school year. Many high school students already have the additional demand of summer homework, yet they still enjoy the break from attending classes all day. Many use this chance to do some volunteering, to pursue other interests, and to work summer jobs.

Some would argue that we need to go this route to keep up with the world. In the five years my children have been attending Waubonsie Valley High School I have seen some remarkable high school students. I have been very impressed with what these students are doing and I think that the opportunity is already there for any interested student to be well-prepared to compete successfully in the modern-day world.

2009-05-06 NYC Orchestra trip

2009-08-24T07:00:00.001-05:00

(still hasn't been published, I don't know why)

Sixty-five teenagers, fourteen adults, two buses, hundreds of miles, five days of spring break in New York City, thousands of photos – it all adds up to a great time! Spending two nights on the bus wasn’t that wonderful, but the hotel where we stayed in New Jersey was very nice and our time spent in the city was incredible. What a huge and bustling city it is and what amazing experiences we had!

This was my second trip with Waubonsie Valley orchestra students, and the teens again showed themselves to be fantastic ambassadors for our school. Many of us had not visited New York City before. We were enthralled Monday morning by the sight of the Statue of Liberty as we neared it while freezing on top of the ferry, and then were surprised to be given the chance to walk around the island and get even closer. Next we visited Ellis Island, then took the ferry back to Manhattan and walked to Wall Street.

At St. Paul’s Chapel we walked somberly past the September 11 memorials and historical markers such as George Washington’s pew. The next block over is Ground Zero, enclosed now so we didn’t even glimpse the big hole in the ground. Dinner in Little Italy was followed by some interesting shopping there and in neighboring Chinatown. Rehearsal this first evening in the hotel was marred when one student set his violin on the floor and it was accidentally stepped on and broken into two pieces by another student.

Tuesday morning began with a tour of Carnegie Hall, an absolutely gorgeous building with an interesting history, followed by lunch in the Trump Tower. The students played a beautiful concert in the Madison Avenue Sculpture Garden (formerly the IBM atrium). This was an unusual setting in a huge enclosed area with birds flying around and people walking through the building. They played Tocatta by Frescobaldi, Concerto Grosso by Corelli, The Godfather, Hoedown by Copland, Brandenburg Concerto No. 3, and Sentimental Sariband.

Next we visited the United Nations where we had guided tours and saw the UN in session. We took the buses over to Broadway where we were given a mere 45 minutes to explore Broadway from 42nd to 48th. Times Square was an amazing sight! We walked up and down the whole way but barely had time to take in the huge Toys R Us, the chocolate stores, the statue of George M. Cohan, the unusual looking police station, the bright lights, the signs everywhere, the theaters, wow! After dinner at Planet Hollywood we walked to The Palace Theatre in the next block to see West Side Story. Some of the students on this trip will be performing in the pit orchestra for Waubonsie Valley’s performance of West Side Story May 7-10.

Wednesday we went on a multi-ethnic eating tour in which we walked all morning and tried a variety of foods while learning about the areas we visited and related history. After lunch in Little Italy and Chinatown the students had a clinic with a musician while we chaperones had two free hours to roam the area. During this time a few of us saw the Flatiron Building and we ran into Chris March from Project Runway. We managed to see many remarkable sights during our free time. We had dinner at a restaurant in the basement of the Empire State Building. We knew that Yo-Yo Ma played in Carnegie Hall the prior evening so Mr. Liu was very excited when some of the students came running with the news that Yo-Yo Ma was signing autographs upstairs. How disappointed he was to find out it was only an April Fool’s joke.

Later I read that on a clear day one can see great distances and many states from atop the Empire State Building. This was not our experience. We were there on a very cloudy, windy, and rainy evening. It was so cloudy that we could only see about a block away. It was so windy that people’s umbrellas turned inside out and their hair blew straight out. We did not have to wait in any line to go up top because no one in their right mind would pay to go up in that kind of weather!

Thursday we packed up and headed into the city for the last time. We had a short time to tour the American Museum of Natural History and then saw an IMAX movie that put many of the audience to sleep. It was an absolutely gorgeous day, sunny and warm. We took a walk into Central Park where we saw Strawberry Fields after walking past the building where John Lennon had lived. We toured the Lincoln Center buildings which house the Metropolitan Opera, the New York City Ballet and the New York Philharmonic. After dinner we returned to spend an evening enjoying a performance of the New York Philharmonic.

After another exciting overnight bus ride we arrived home Friday afternoon exhausted and full of great memories.

2009-03-22 School Board LTE

2009-08-24T07:00:00.000-05:00

I support Sue Rasmus, Mark Rising, Cathy Piehl, Dawn DeSart for the Indian Prairie District 204 School Board.

In February I knew very little about most of the people running. I attended both candidate forums, read campaign literature, watched interviews, had conversations with people throughout the district, and spoke with some of the candidates before arriving at this conclusion.

These four have been actively involved in their own children’s schools and care deeply about providing excellence for all of the district’s students. They have a known history of integrity and several years of community involvement. They have shown that they are capable of the time commitment this unpaid position requires.

They have an understanding of where the district has been and where we’re headed as well as some ideas for improvement. They will not need time to get up-to-speed with district issues. They have no hidden agenda and are not associated with one another.

From my perspective, their hearts are in the right place and they know the balance between the role of the school board and the role of the administration, which is made up of paid professionals who provide the necessary expertise in areas such as curriculum, finance, and law.

They have a variety of experiences and viewpoints. I do not agree with all of them on everything nor do they agree with each other on everything. This is a good thing as a board should be comprised of independent thinkers with differing views.

I give this endorsement as a parent of four, with fifteen years of involvement in this district in a wide variety of ways, as both a Naperville and an Aurora resident and one of six finalists interviewed for last fall’s vacant school board seat. Others whom I know and respect have individually come to the decision to support these same candidates.

Please vote for Rasmus, Rising, Piehl, and DeSart on April 7.

2009-03-04 Local Elections

2009-08-24T06:57:00.001-05:00

Are you paying attention? Do you know who you’re voting for on April 7?

When it comes to politics on the national level there is much more information and debate than any one person can keep up with.

On the other hand, those elected to local offices often have a great impact on our daily lives, yet information is harder to come by and it is less common for the public to get caught up in heated debate about the candidates and their vision for the offices they seek.

On April 7 many of us will have the chance to vote for mayor, alderman, school board and possibly other offices and issues as well. Do you even know which contested races you need to be prepared for? This is not like voting for president, when you have ample opportunity to see the candidates on TV and read all about them and discuss them with everyone you know for months on end.

It may take some effort on your part to be an educated and informed voter. For starters, if you live in DuPage County you can get a sample ballot from the DuPage County Election Commission website. There you can see which races will be on your ballot and which candidates are running. You can search for candidate websites and find out what voter guides may be available. You may be able to obtain some candidate questionnaires as well as information about when debates, forums, or meet and greets will be held as well as when some of these will be broadcast on local cable channels. Newspaper websites and candidate sites frequently provide this information.

Some candidates may be very familiar to you because they are currently or have previously held office or have been otherwise prominent in the community, so what you already know will give you a starting point for evaluating them against their opponents. Reading local newspaper articles and letters to the editor will help you become informed, but beware of potential bias.

Find out when and where you can meet the candidates in person. Meet and greets are a great opportunity to see a candidate face-to-face and perhaps get answers to whatever questions are most pressing to you.

Candidate forums in which all candidates are asked the same questions are, in my opinion, the best way to get a feel for the candidates. I have found that my perceptions of candidates can change greatly after hearing them in person.

The elections I’m most concerned about this time are for Mayor of Aurora and for Indian Prairie School Board. The three mayoral candidates have different experiences and visions for our city. I encourage all City of Aurora residents to attend or watch at least one mayoral forum, to read the questionnaires available on the Beacon website, and to check out the candidates’ websites.

Many local school districts are holding elections this spring. There are thirteen candidates running for four open school board seats in Indian Prairie School District. The board is comprised of seven people, so it’s quite possible that the new people on the board will outnumber the experienced members. Even if you don’t have children in school, what happens with the school district greatly affects the community, the value of your home, the kind of people who choose to live in your neighborhood, the taxes you pay. If you do have children in the schools now or will in the future, it’s all the more important to pay attention and get involved.

There are a few opportunities to meet and hear from all of the school board candidates as well as some smaller get-togethers set up by individual candidates and one slate of four. There are questionnaire answers available at scullen.ipsd.org and possibly other sites.

Considering how much of a difference the results of these elections have on our lives, a surprisingly low number of registered voters tend to show up at the polls for local elections. I have a hard time understanding this apathy.

Please take the time and effort to find out about the candidates and make an educated choice at the polls this April and for future local elections.

2009-02-22 MVHS Music

2009-08-24T06:47:00.003-05:00

It’s astounding how much work is involved with opening a new high school. Although I lived in District 204 when Neuqua Valley opened, my children were small then and destined for Waubonsie Valley so I paid little attention.

Metea Valley will open this fall and my son will be in the first class that attends the school all four years, so what's going on now is of great interest to me.

I’ve gotten information from numerous meetings including principal Jim Schmid’s monthly updates, monthly Indian Prairie Parents Council meetings and School Board meetings. At January’s meeting with Mr. Schmid parents had many questions about the Metea Valley music program. I think for many the strong academics are a given, and parents want to know that as we leave behind Grammy-winning WVHS our kids will still be offered exceptional musical opportunities.

We received this assurance on February 10 at a presentation given by the Metea music department. Parents and students were given a chance to meet the staff, ask questions and sign up to help with a myriad of tasks that the new department will need.

All of the Metea staff who have been introduced at public meetings have impressive credentials and the music department staff is no exception. The department chair, Mr. Don Devany, will be the band director and currently teaches at Neuqua. The orchestra director will be Waubonsie’s very talented Mr. Mark Liu. Mr. Nathan Bramstedt, currently teaching at Crone Middle School and Neuqua, will direct choir. All are highly qualified, having extensive education and experience and incredible excitement about the programs for their students at the new high school. They know that the quality of music education is a priority for many in the district and this is their passion.

Plans are in place for the music department’s offerings to grow as the school does over the next three years. Choir, band and orchestra will each begin next year with two or three curricular ensembles, growing to between five and six by the third year. Each will have audition and non-audition groups available. There will be a multitude of co- and extra-curricular opportunities for music students including Tri-M Honor Society, Solo & Ensemble Festival, a Steel Drum Ensemble, the Spring Musical, Metea Valley United Voices, and a Symphony Orchestra.

Yes, there will be marching band from the very start. Yes, there will be summer music programs this year for students heading to Metea next fall. And yes, there will be trips. There may be only one trip next year but it’s hoped that the Metea Valley Mustangs will enjoy trips similar to what the other high schools offer. Trip planning is one of those items on the long, long list that will have to wait until some other more pressing logistics have been taken care of.

Some are concerned that students won’t have the option next year of being in the “top” music ensemble as they would if they were attending Waubonsie. The music directors assured us that next year the audition groups will be the top group for each of them and the students will be treated accordingly.

Though the music wing of the high school will not yet be ready when the building opens in August, the forum rooms will be used in their place for a semester. These are large rooms with risers that will later have furniture in them, but will be left open now for use for chorus, band, and orchestra. The auditorium will also not yet be open for the first semester. Performances during that time period will be held at Waubonsie and Neuqua. There is also a chance that the Mustangs will get to perform at the beautiful new Wentz Hall at North Central College. When the new auditorium does open at Metea, there may be a large concert held there to celebrate.

I know there are many more interested music parents and students than those who were able to attend the music department meeting. The department is in need of lots of help as soon as they are allowed in the building. All equipment will be brand new. Help will be needed with unboxing, preparing, and setting up the music library, the instruments, music stands, the choir robes and band uniforms, and much more.

The band, orchestra, and choir parents’ groups will be getting some seed money and startup help from the corresponding organizations at Waubonsie and Neuqua. Help is needed specifically in the areas of Ways and Means, Concert Uniforms, Historical Records, Transportation and Logistics, Hospitality, Concerts, Publicity, and Website Development. Please contact Mr. Devany at don_devany@ipsd.org or 428-6669 with questions or to offer your assistance.

This is a very exciting time. It is a once-in-a-lifetime chance for Mustang families to be in on the firsts at the new school and to help create lasting tradition.

2009-02-12 Policy Change

2009-08-24T06:47:00.002-05:00

A primary concern for parents is their children’s safety. It is absolutely horrifying when a child’s school is not able to provide a safe and nurturing environment for its students.

This is the case at Gregory Middle School in Naperville where two sixth-grade boys have been charged with felony sexual assault, felony sexual abuse, and misdemeanor battery against a fellow sixth-grade student. These two boys continue to attend school in the same building with their victim. It’s very disturbing that the rights of those charged with a crime can be deemed more important than the rights of their alleged victim.

The parents of the victim can be proud they have raised a son who was willing and able to tell them and the police exactly what happened. They can be proud they have raised a son who has the courage to attend school every day in a building where many of the students reportedly know exactly what happened, where, when and who was involved. This boy is lucky to have parents who will go to great lengths to stand up for him and his rights.

While it is true that people accused of crimes are presumed innocent until proven guilty, and that the accused have rights, it is also common for people charged with serious crimes to be detained while awaiting trial when there is cause. It seems that the legal system is the first to have failed the victim’s family. These boys are not being detained in any way. House arrest or a restraining order seem appropriate in this situation, if available.

Secondly, the administrators at the middle school have failed this family as well. They apparently did take action to ensure that the accused and the victim do not have any classes together. However, they still encounter each other frequently throughout the school day and at the bus stop. Other students are uncomfortable around the accused, and their parents don’t want them spending time with the accused, either. This has led to a very uncomfortable environment within the school for many of the students and possibly the teachers and staff as well.

Thirdly, in the eyes of district parents, the district’s administrators and Board of Education have not done anything to properly handle this situation. They were either unaware or did not take action in a timely manner and either of these is unacceptable. If they were unaware, why is that? If they were aware and did nothing, why is that?

Yes, we do need to find some common ground between the law and common sense. It has been suggested that the victim be allowed to change schools. I see this as a viable but unfair option if this is not what this family wants. This young boy has suffered enough and would likely benefit from staying in a stable school environment with support from his friends.

Others suggest that the accused be moved to another middle school with district-provided transportation. Again, there are few parents in the district that would want their children spending time with these boys considering what they have been accused of doing. Since there are privacy laws in place, the parents in the new middle school may be unaware of the need to proceed with caution and not allow these children to be unsupervised with other students at school or in private homes.

The district has said that our policy does not deal with events that occur off school grounds nor with issues where a student has been accused but not yet convicted of a crime. However, there are other policies in place already that do address some behaviors outside of school grounds. There are policies in place that address the learning environment in our schools. It is my belief that current policy would allow this particular situation to be addressed. Two possible solutions would be to offer the families of the accused the choice of home tutoring or of placing the students in a confined area during the school day away from other students. This would allow them to continue their education while avoiding unpleasant interactions with other students.

Obviously the district needs to have policy in place to quickly address issues when someone in a school has committed a serious crime and/or harmed another person in that school, regardless of where the crime has occurred. Other districts have policies that address situations where students are charged with crimes. I’m glad that our district will be looking at some of those in an effort to form new policy. We need to have clear policy that deals with those charged with and/or convicted of crimes and that also allows sufficient leeway to address these cases individually.

The new policy should put the rights of the victim ahead of the rights of the accused in most situations. It should put the safety and well-being of the student body as a whole ahead of the rights of a student who may present a danger. If the laws do not support this, then it is time to work to change those laws.

It was encouraging to see the parents of the victim and many others speak at Monday night’s School Board meeting about the ripple effect of this crime and give suggestions on what should be done. Numerous good points were made by speakers. Several quoted current district policy, the mission statement, and district handbook. One addressed how this would be handled in a business setting. The School Board President was unusually lenient in allowing applause and public comment outside of the defined scope. It was the least he could do to appease the emotional crowd.

It was discouraging to hear that the family had to go public and go to the news media in order to be heard. A recurring theme in public comment at School Board meetings is that parents have felt that their children have been mistreated at school and the administration has not listened or responded in a way that allayed their concerns. While this particular case is extreme and extremely upsetting, in part due to the ages of the people involved, it also brings attention to the fact that there is sometimes more talk than action when it comes to handling bullying and negative student interactions.

My heart goes out to the victim and his family for all they have been through. I can only hope that some good will come from this in the end.

2008-12-17 WVHS Lockdown

2009-08-24T06:47:00.001-05:00

For me, it started with a phone call.

At 8:46am last Wednesday a friend called and asked me what was going on. I had no idea what she might be talking about. She proceeded to tell me she’d gotten a text from her son at Waubonsie Valley High School that the school is under lockdown. She had talked to someone else and found out there is a gunman with a hostage. She wondered what I might have heard from my daughter Kathy, who is a junior at WV. And what I’d heard is nothing.

I immediately texted Kathy and hoped that she had her phone with her and would reply to me. I contacted friends by e-mail and message board to see if they knew anything. At 8:53 an e-mail was broadcast from the high school principal stating that the school was locked down as a precaution while they investigate a potential threat.

I heard that a gun had been seen on video. I heard that the Aurora Police Department was searching the building and that other area law enforcement agencies were assisting. A friend told me there was a staging area set up for parents in a nearby building.

What I wondered? A staging area for parents? How serious is this that we might all need to go rushing to be near the school? I pondered whether to call my husband on a business trip in Minnesota. If this really was nothing, then there would be no need to worry him. On the other hand, if something really serious was going on at the school, he might be upset that I didn’t tell him right away.

I e-mailed my newspaper editor, Mike Cetera, who quickly replied that there were many rumors about something happening at WV and they were on their way.

I called my husband and while we were talking, both my cell phone and home phone rang simultaneously with a recorded message from the school giving the same information as the e-mail. There had been a phone broadcast the night before about a bomb threat written on the school wall, something I don’t take too seriously, but a gun in the school is something else entirely. We have all seen too many times what can and does happen when someone brings a gun to school.

While the phone and e-mail messages made it appear that everyone was safe, I was concerned that I heard nothing back from my daughter and that if there was a gun in the school the person who had the gun may not care that the building is teeming with police officers. The fact that nothing had happened yet did not reassure me all that much but I was relieved that it seemed that the rumor of a hostage was just that.

A friend with younger children called to tell me she’d spoken to the superintendent’s office. She knew I’d be worried and wanted to let me know what they had told her. Again it was reassuring but the gun had still not been found, the lockdown continued, and I still had heard nothing from Kathy.

In addition to the message boards, Facebook, phone calls, and e-mails, things began to show up on the news websites so I followed that as well. I contacted work to let them know I would not be coming in until I had a better idea that all was well at the school.

Dozens of parents were showing up at the Eola Community Center and were kept informed by police. Many parents were reporting they heard something initially from their kids, but then stopped getting any text replies from them. I decided not to go to the Community Center, believing that keeping up with everything from home was most efficient and knowing/hoping that most likely the kids were fine. I was relieved to hear that the staging area was simply a place for the parents to go, as many were rushing to the school after receiving texts from their children, and the police did not want anyone entering the building until after the search.

Around 10am I heard that the initiating event was a 911 call from a student who had seen boys in the bathroom loading a gun. At the same time, there was a message from the principal that the Gold Campus (the freshman building across the street) was no longer locked down. Until then I’d had no idea that any action had been taken at that building.

Around 10:30 based on all that I had heard from multiple sources it seemed likely that all would be ok. I am usually a very calm person but from the time I had confirmation the school was under lockdown because of a gun in the building, until I heard enough to feel that the kids were most likely fine, I was running on adrenaline.

As I was driving to work I received a text from my daughter in college in Naperville asking what was going on at WV. She had gotten texts from two friends away at college about it. At work I continued to follow events in the same places but with the addition of a Twitter feed from the Beacon that was being updated every few minutes. I found out that the kids were locked down in first period, which meant both that the lockdown had begun long before I heard about it, and that my daughter was in PE, explaining why she wouldn’t have had any way to contact me.

There was news that clergy was arriving for the parents at the community center and counselors would be available for the students. This worried me that maybe there was more to this than an unsubstantiated report of a weapon.

At 12:30 we finally had confirmation by phone calls and e-mail that the five hour lockdown was over. A gun had been found, but it was an Airsoft pistol so while it could not have hurt anyone it looked remarkably like the real thing. Two students had been arrested. The student who reported the gun was commended. Parents were allowed to get their children out of school if they desired. Those who stayed in school followed a modified schedule for the remaining two hours of the day including shortened lunch periods for all.

At 1:30 I got a text from Kathy telling me that everything is fine, that she was in gym and didn’t have access to her backpack. This was what I’d been waiting for hours to hear. I ‘d have to wait for her to get home from school to find out whether she was mostly annoyed at the loss of a school day or if she had been scared.

I don’t know about everyone else, but I was off kilter the rest of the day. I was relieved that everyone was ok. I was glad that Prism rehearsal (the big concert of the year which in which all 10th-12th grade music students perform) would go on that night as planned. The actions of a couple of students caused an entire day of instruction to be lost shortly before finals. They cost many law enforcement hours and I’m sure thousands of hours of lost productivity for parents.

I hope that this event was useful for both local law enforcement and the school district in practicing for a real emergency that we hope never happens, in a way that no drill could ever replicate. I hope that most students and teachers were either bored or having fun and not scared and worried most of the time. I have heard from many people that the fear in the principal’s voice was obvious when she made the announcement about 7:30am that the school was locked down, and when she came back on minutes later to announce that this was a hard and not a soft lockdown. This both scared the students and staff and made all take the announcement seriously.

The students and many of the staff seemed to lack information about what was happening and what they might have to be afraid of, which led to more fear and certainly rumors that spread like wildfire with so many students having cell phones on them and some having window views of what was happening outside. I heard of kids in closets, under desks, or in corners for long periods of time. As time went on, the lack of food and lack of bathroom access became bigger and bigger issues. Apparently a pat-down and police escort would be required for a trip to the bathroom and if they hadn’t gotten to your room yet, you were out of luck, leading to make-shift wastebasket toilets in some classrooms.

The first notification of the lockdown sent to parents was more than an hour after it began. I definitely want the staff to deal with the situation at hand but at the same time it seems that one person being assigned to send info out to parents, whether at WV or the district office, could perhaps have spent a few minutes getting out accurate information to parents. This may have helped prevent some of the panic coming from uninformed text messages being sent by students in what seemed to be the world’s worst game of telephone. The phone system, which is new this year, worked out great in emergency mode for getting messages to all phone numbers for each student. Parents who did not receive some of the phone or e-mail messages now know they need to update their information with the school.

In hindsight the kids seem to think this is all very funny since the threat turned out not to be real. But from the stories I have heard of fearful students and brave teachers I know that it was not at all funny at the time.

I commend the Aurora Police Department, DuPage County Sheriff’s Department, the WV administration and anyone else who assisted in the lockdown and search of a building with over 3000 people in it - for keeping our kids safe and for finding the weapon and the culprits. I pray that the lessons learned this day are never ever needed.

2008-12-07 Babes in Toyland

2009-08-24T06:47:00.000-05:00

If your December calendar looks anything like mine, I'm sure you'd rather not add any more commitments. Yet I encourage you to find the time to go see Fox Valley Park District's Winter Stage performance of "Babes in Toyland." This musical will be performed three times during the weekend of December 12.

The cast is made up of a terrific group of more than sixty talented young actors, singers and dancers ages 8 to 16. They are from all over the Aurora area and have been practicing several times a week for months to perfect this show.

The show is being artistically directed by Nathan Cotter, musically directed by Lisa McConkey and choreographed by Katie O'Neill. Some songs are written and performed by Rosemary Hauser with musical accompaniment by Amy Huggins.

"Babes in Toyland" is the story of evil toymaker Uncle Barnaby who would rather send his niece and nephew to Spider Valley than allow them to eventually take over the toy shop. Characters in the play include many well-known nursery rhyme characters such as Little Miss Muffet and Goldilocks as well as toys including bears, dolls, and soldiers.

The performance is two acts with several songs including "Deck the Halls," “Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" and a quartet of actors portraying Alvin and the Chipmunks singing "The Chipmunk Song."

The Fox Valley Park District has put on approximately 55 summer and winter musicals over the past 38 years, which have included more than 200 performers at a time. FVPD provides an excellent and very positive experience for children interested in the performing arts. My son performed in this summer's production of "Beauty and the Beast" at the Paramount and we were dazzled by the professionally staged show. He has a much bigger part in this “Babes in Toyland.” He has enjoyed being a part of Granger Middle School’s spring musicals and it’s wonderful to have these additional opportunities through the park district.

The children are excited to to put on this show for the public and I can’t wait to see it.

“Babes in Toyland” will be performed for the public at 7pm on Friday the 12th, 7pm on Saturday the 13th, and 2pm on Sunday the 14th at Prisco Center. Tickets are available for $6 ahead of time or $8 at the door. Call (630) 859-8606 for more information.

2008-09-28 Why I Applied for the School Board Vacancy

2009-08-24T06:46:00.000-05:00

Like many other dedicated volunteers, I’ve been heavily involved for several years in many things going on in Indian Prairie School District 204. Last month one of the school board members resigned, leaving a vacancy to be filled by an appointment to last through the end of his term next April.

A couple people encouraged me to apply for the vacancy. I declined. They gave more and more convincing reasoning why I should. I spent a lot of time thinking, praying, and talking about this with my immediate family for several days before letting anyone else know I would even consider it. I spoke with others whose opinions and experience I respect. I gathered more information about what exactly I’d be committing to if I decided to go ahead with this and then I decided to give it my all and put in my application. I’m not all that fond of the political process and the opportunity to be appointed to the position for several months prior to the first election seemed an appealing way to get my feet wet. Applying for this open board seat was an extremely difficult decision to reach. After I sent in my application I still slept well at night, so I knew it was the right decision for me.

Of twenty-four applicants, I was one of six chosen to be interviewed, and ultimately was not the one selected to fill the board vacancy. If selected, I would have enthusiastically embraced my new role, and with the support of my family I would have given this job the time, energy and attention necessary. Since I was not selected, I can breathe a sigh of relief and continue on with my crazy busy life as is. I applaud the school board for making an excellent choice for our community and I wish Cathy Piehl the best in her new position. I was never in it for myself, I have no agenda or political aspirations. I only want what’s best for our students, staff, and families.

A few months ago I wrote about the reasons I had no plans to run for School Board. The column gave what I consider to be the major drawbacks to the position and was intended to leave the door open should I change my mind. It was written in part to show respect to those who have taken on this immense responsibility and to let others who would consider running have some idea of what the job entails. Though the article was published with the title of “Why you won't see me run for office,” this isn’t what I meant. One of the things I’ve learned in life is that plans and circumstances change – to never say never.

One reason I gave was that I didn’t feel that I had enough time available to do a good job. I realized that I can find the time for what is important to me, and I have discovered that working for the good of this district is my passion. As such, I owe it to myself to pursue opportunities to give back to the district community. I have been doing this already in other ways as the Brooks IPPC rep, as a member of Waubonsie’s Orchestra Parents Association, and in numerous other capacities. Over the years I have informed friends, neighbors, and co-workers about what is going on in the district and have tried to clear up misinformation whenever possible.

I‘ve attended most of the school board meetings over the past year so giving up every other Monday evening would not have been new. I contacted a few current board members to ask about the time required in addition to the meetings and figured out what in my current schedule I could give up if I were selected to serve.

Another reason I wasn’t interested in the job is the harsh and nearly constant criticism faced by school board members and candidates. I know that no matter what, some people will disagree with me. I am an honest and straight-forward person and I stand by my views, which are backed by experience and facts. If people want to twist around my words and actions, that is not my problem. As long as I know that I am doing the best I can to do the right thing, I can roll with the punches.

The online criticism began shortly after my name appeared in the press as a candidate, giving me a small idea of what is to come should I choose to run in the future. I am confused by the perception a few have that I agree with the current board and administration on everything since I’ve published columns to the contrary. I am an educated person and quite capable of making my own decisions.

Speaking in public is outside of my comfort zone but I was willing to step up and do the right thing for the greater good. I thought I wouldn’t be interested in the nitty-gritty details of the day-to-day and year-to-year school district operations, but now that I’ve attended several meetings in which normal district business was conducted without all the hoopla of the some of the bigger controversies, I see that these topics are in fact interesting and I’d like to learn more. I also understand that the board is helped through these decisions by paid experts in the administration.

I hope that rather than being critical of me (and others) for deciding to put in an application, people might understand that I have grown and learned, that I and 23 others made the decision to, if selected, put the good of the community ahead of the good of our own selves and families and put our own reputations on the line. I offer my thanks and appreciation to all of you who are giving back to the community in countless ways.

2008-09-02 School Funding

2009-08-23T21:54:00.000-05:00

Talk of attempting to enroll Chicago Public School students in New Trier high schools due to some perceived racial and funding injustice is infuriating.

School districts which take in enough property taxes to support themselves receive the bulk of their funding from local real estate taxes, with some additional funds coming from state and federal tax sources. Districts which are property poor or have low school tax rates wind up having a smaller portion of their funding come from local property taxes and a large percentage of their funding from state and federal tax sources.

Districts have some local control by holding referendums allowing the residents to decide whether or not to increase their property tax rates to support additional buildings and construction projects as well as to support staff salaries, and occasionally other services like school buses. Local residents get to choose whether they want to support these initiatives with their tax dollars or not.

For a variety of reasons, district residents make choices to build or not build new schools, to provide buses or not, and whether or not to pay more taxes for additional staff and raises. These decisions should not be made at the state level. The taxpayers in the New Trier district have, within their rights, made the choice to spend a tremendous amount of money per student on their children’s education.

My children and thousands of others are receiving an excellent education in Indian Prairie School District 204. The operational expenditure in our district is approximately $8600 per student. This is approximately half of what New Trier spends per student. For starters, this is not an apples-to-apples comparison because New Trier is a high school only district and high school students are more expensive to educate than elementary students. But even if it were, it turns out that kids can be provided a top-notch education for $8600 per year and I do not feel there is any injustice being done to the children in 204. I do not feel that we need or deserve a $17,000 per student education just because someone else has decided to fund their district at that level.

Then there is Chicago. People are complaining bitterly that their schools are funded at only $10,400 per student. I don’t understand the problem. They have more money per student than the average for the state of Illinois ($9488) and if they can’t manage to properly educate their students with that level of funding, then they should be looking into what the real problems are rather than looking at some perceived financial injustice. Is someone looking into whether those dollars are being spent wisely? Are the Chicago Public Schools distributing their funds equitably within their own district? What accounts for variance in student performance from one of their own schools to another?

Even worse, a large amount of the funding for Chicago Public Schools is not coming from their local property taxes. This means that residents of 204 who pay high property taxes for our local schools also get to pay (via income and sales taxes) for Chicago and other districts that can’t support themselves through their own property taxes.

I highly doubt it is money spent by the schools that accounts for the difference in success of students between one school district and another. More likely it has to do with the home life of the students, including the support that parents and community members put forth toward their education. In District 204 and probably most districts that are performing well, there are numerous parent volunteers taking care of a myriad of things. Most parents of successful students make sure that their children go to school every day and have the necessary resources and supplies. They know what’s going on at the school and in their children’s classes. They have met the teachers. They show up at school activities, check their students’ backpacks for homework, fliers, school newsletters, etc. Why are the overall test scores for Chicago students low while the schools are funded at levels higher than higher-performing districts? That is what they should be looking into.

I hope that a district as large as Chicago’s is using some of its vast resources to fund an excellent curriculum tailored to the needs of its students, many of whom come from impoverished households and many of whom may not arrive at kindergarten as prepared to learn as children who have been exposed to colors, number, letters, books and rich language from an early age.

Much more than I can write here can be learned about schools and districts in Illinois from reading the school report cards. I discovered that the latest numbers available (2004) show that the Equalized Assessed Valuation of property per student in the Chicago Public School district and Indian Prairie School District is almost the same! Yet at that time 204’s tax rate per $100 of EAV was 5.00 while Chicago’s was only 3.28. The per pupil spending for 204 was $8639 while Chicago was $10,409. 204’s schools are over 80% funded by local property taxes. New Trier is almost 90% funded by local property taxes, while the Chicago schools are only receiving 44% of their funding from local taxes! What right do they have to complain while they keep their school taxes lower and drain money from other sources? This is a huge amount of money. The New Trier district in 2004 had expenses of around $84 million for an enrollment of 4200, while Indian Prairie’s total expenses were $258 million for just over 28000 students and Chicago’s expenditures were well over $4 Billion for 390,000 students (more recently they have topped $5 billion).

Every proposition for Illinois school funding reform which I have seen appears that it will cost more money for residents of those districts that are mainly self-sufficient now, while sending more of that money out of the district. A tax swap of slightly lower property taxes for greatly increased income taxes leaves many of us paying a lot more money without our districts receiving any benefit for it. I don’t know what the answer is but I pray this is not what eventually happens.

There are many factors that contribute to whether a child will reach their potential in school. All children deserve a quality education and the level of funding does not seem to be what makes the difference in a student’s success. Local property tax support for school districts should motivate local governments to promote growth that will bring in tax dollars to their districts and allow residents continue to have a voice in how their tax dollars are spent. I wish that those who are complaining about the inequity of it all would put their energy into volunteering at their neighborhood schools and ensuring that their own children take advantage of the free public education that is available to them.

2008-08-08 American Lung Assoc

2009-08-23T21:53:00.000-05:00

"If you can't breathe, nothing else matters." This is why I support the work the American Lung Association is doing to fight lung disease through research, education, and advocacy.

When my son Jonathan was just twenty months old, I called our pediatrician's office because he was breathing shallow raspy breaths sixty times a minute. I had never known anyone with asthma and didn't know that he was wheezing. We wound up visiting the doctor's office and Urgent Care many times over the course of that winter and spring. We lived only a few minutes from the clinic but each time felt like a very long drive with my young son in the carseat behind me struggling to breathe.

Finally, after seven months, he was diagnosed with asthma and a home health worker brought a nebulizer to our house and showed us how to use it. A nebulizer is a machine that vaporizes liquid medication so that it can be inhaled. Little did I know then that this machine would be an integral part of Jonathan's life forevermore.

Once we had the machine at home, it was a great relief to be able to treat asthma episodes without rushing to the doctor's office and we were able to continue treatment for several days as needed. We soon had an arsenal of medications at home and still do today.

For a while Jonathan took preventative medication four times a day via fifteen minute nebulizer treatments. If he was having any asthma symptoms, we added nebulizer treatments with Albuterol every four hours as well, so we frequently spent two hours a day using the machine. This was not an easy time. He was little and could not sit by himself for the treatments. We watched a lot of TV while he sat in my lap and I held the mask over his nose and mouth. We hoped in vain that he would "outgrow" the asthma as we'd heard is possible.

Now he is thirteen and his current regimen includes two preventative medicines - a Singulair pill at bedtime and an inhalation of Advair each morning and evening. If he has any asthma troubles he uses his Albuterol inhaler, and when he has more serious problems he takes Xopenex or Albuterol via his nebulizer. When that's not enough, we see the doctor. Jonathan has needed a course of steroids to wipe out an asthma attack approximately thirty times in his life. Prednisone has been his life-saving medication, but used only when absolutely necessary.

We have been fortunate to avoid both the hospital emergency room and any hospital stays for his moderate asthma. Jonathan brings his inhaler with him almost everywhere he goes and we always bring the nebulizer with us when we go away for more than a day. I can't begin to guess how much medicine he has taken in his lifetime and I know the price tag in dollars for that medication has been very high both for us and for our medical insurance providers. I am tremendously grateful that my son lives in a time and place where such treatments exist and are available to him, giving him the opportunity to live a normal, healthy life.

Asthma is the number one chronic disease in children under eighteen, affecting 6.8 million children in the U.S. in 2006. More than 17 million adults have asthma, while 12-24 million adults have COPD or some evidence of impaired lung function. The number of people with asthma continues to increase and asthma is responsible for hundreds of thousands of hospitalizations and 4,000 deaths each year. The economic cost of this disease is estimated at $16 billion per year due to both medical costs and causing 14.5 million missed days of work and 12.8 million missed days of school each year.

Lung disease continues to be a lethal killer in the U.S. It is responsible for one six deaths and this death rate has been continuously increasing. It's likely that you or someone you know is struggling with or has had a lung disease. The CDC reports that more than 35 million Americans are living with chronic lung diseases. The most common lung diseases are asthma and COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which includes emphysema and chronic bronchitis).

The American Lung Association is doing many things to fight these diseases and there are many opportunities for you to help by volunteering or raising money toward funding their efforts.

Last fall Jonathan and I walked in the Blow the Whistle on Asthma walk. My family will walk in this year's American Lung Association Lung Walk with the Tellabs Red Team in Oak Brook on September 21. You may find more information about the Lung Walk and the work supported by it at www.lungil.org. You can help by participating in the walk and/or making a donation to a team that will be walking.

We walk in honor of my son. We walk in memory of my grandmother, Eva C. Hayton, who loved children and died of emphysema in 1989, a year before my oldest child was born. We walk in memory of my father-in-law, Gabe Tatar, who died of lung cancer in 1996, more than three years before the birth of my youngest daughter.

Please consider supporting the worthy endeavors of the American Lung Association by your gift of time or money. We can make a difference.

2008-07-31 Aurora's Primary

2009-08-23T21:52:00.001-05:00

Illinois state law now allows cities to opt out of holding a primary election in cases where there are four or fewer candidates running. Common sense dictates that if there are more than two candidates in Aurora's non-partisan mayoral election that a primary is both desirable and necessary.
Omitting the primary election would come at significant monetary savings, but is this fair?

Some residents may be glad about the cost savings related to having one fewer election, while others may be happy due to how they believe it would affect their candidate of choice in next spring's election. However, we must look at this change for what it is. It is a change in the way votes are counted and whether your vote will matter. This change is not about money or the effect on your candidate, it is about the future of our votes. Regardless of the fact that the law gives this option, we need to look ahead to what this policy means not just this coming spring but for all future elections.

Our mayor holds an important position in our city government, being both the top elected official in our city and in charge of day-to-day operations. This is quite different from the mayor’s position in a city with a hired city manager to oversee the city's ongoing business.

The Aurora Election Commission should not wait for December to make a decision based on how many candidate petitions have been filed. Rather, the commission should decide once and for all that anytime there are three or more candidates for a mayoral election then a primary is necessary and will be held.

With our established system of voting, the winner of the general election must win more than 50% of the vote. We are assured that this winner has gotten the true majority of the voting public. With the elimination of the primary, there is no such assurance. If there are four candidates, the winner only needs to get more than 25% of the votes. For a position as important as that of mayor, this does not seem right and should not be acceptable to the voters.

History has shown that a candidate who comes in second in the primary could wind up winning the general election, but this could never be the case with the elimination of the primary. With no primary, votes against an incumbent or for change would be split among various candidates, and some voters would not have the chance for their vote to be counted in the final decision.

If it is necessary to change our customary method of electing a mayor, there is a fair way to eliminate the primary election and the cost associated with it. That would be to have an instant run-off election. In this type of election, voters would rank the candidates in their order of preference. The lowest vote-getter's votes would be redistributed to each voter's next choice candidate, and this would be done again if necessary until one candidate has more than 50% of the votes or has the highest number of votes when only two candidates remain. This voting system is being used in various places within and outside of the U.S.

Some arguments in favor of instant runoff voting include a reduction in cost, a reduction in negative campaigning, a reduced third party "spoiler effect", and the likelihood of increased choices for voters. However, we are not set up to have this sort of election and there could be some opposition to this new-for-Aurora type of voting. We already have the equipment for and know that having a primary and a general election is something that local voters find acceptable.

The instant runoff voting method is covered extensively at www.fairvote.org/irv and the site notes some current legislation in Illinois to allow instant runoff voting to improve the voting rights for overseas voters including those in the military.

I urge the Aurora Election Commission to either announce their plans now to hold a primary election whenever there are more than two candidates, or to set up a system that allows instant run-off voting. Simply eliminating the primary election does not serve the best interests of local voters.

2008-07-30 Driver's Edge

2009-08-23T21:50:00.001-05:00

Last weekend my daughter got to put the pedal to the metal driving in a BMW with a race car driver. She found this terrifying but I’m hoping she learned something that will help her be a better driver.

Most traditional driver’s education courses in this country do not teach new drivers all they need to know. Officials in our state government are obviously aware of this because in addition to the classroom and required driving time with instructors, a new driver is required to hold a permit for a minimum of nine months and have a minimum of fifty hours of practice with a adult if they are to get a license before the age of eighteen. Oddly enough, once eighteen a person can get a license with almost no practice at all, they only need to be able to pass a test.

This means that in most cases the parents of 15-17 year-olds are teaching their own children to drive but these parents, though usually experienced drivers, are not trained instructors.

Given the startling and scary statistics about teen driving collisions and fatalities, it’s clear that many teens on the road are not adequately prepared for driving situations they face in the real world. Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for 15 to 20 year olds, accounting for nearly 1/3 of all deaths in this age category. Drivers age 16 to 20 are nearly three times more likely to be in a collision than those age 21 and older. Traffic fatalities due to drunk drivers occur approximately every 30 minutes while deaths due to teen drivers occur about half that often.

Driver’s Edge was founded in 2002 in Las Vegas by professional race car driver Jeff Payne who continues to run the program today along with a highly trained and talented staff of professional drivers/instructors. They travel around the country offering a 4 ½ hour program to drivers aged 15-21 and their parents for free. The $450 per student cost of this program is covered by generous donors and sponsors.

A test is given to the teens before and after the class to find out what they’ve learned. The average score on the pre-test is 34% while the average on the post-test is 80%. The teens and adults learn a lot over the course of the day. The young drivers are treated with respect and are not talked down to in any way. They are told that they have the chance to prove that teens are smart and responsible.

Here’s what happened on our afternoon at Driver’s Edge. Except for the opening and closing sessions the attendees were divided into four groups. Our group went first to the ABS/panic braking exercise, where the kids got to drive BMW’s and practice braking quickly and braking in an object avoidance situation. Our second station was with the Illinois State Police in which we learned about Illinois laws, about what to do if pulled over, were given the chance to ask questions, and there were informational materials available. The hands-on event in this unit was that each teen got a turn in the “Seatbelt Convincer.” This device simulates a 7 miles per hour crash and the kids were shocked at how strong the impact was. They could tell that even a low speed crash without a seatbelt would be deadly, and that a higher speed crash with a seatbelt would definitely be painful.

Next was a skid control exercise where the kids drove quickly around a curve on a wet parking lot to see what a skid felt like and learn how to react. In the fourth module Mike Moser humorously dealt with the serious topics of the hows and whys of proper seat and mirror adjustment, hand positioning on the steering wheel, seat belt positioning, vehicle fluids, and more.

The dates for the local Driver’s Edge program have passed for this year, but you can go to the website at www.driversedge.org to sign up to be notified of next year’s tour dates and to get more information. They suggest that concerned citizens contact their Governor’s office and local school board members to get this program incorporated into driver’s ed programs and be required for all new drivers.

I believe this program makes a real impact on both the students and parents and is a more than worthwhile way to spend a morning or afternoon. Any student is welcome to come back for another session if they are interested in doing so.

The first sentence in the Driver’s Edge Mission Statement is – “Our Mission is to save lives.” Research has indicated the program is highly effective and doing just that. The more people who can be reached by this, the better.

If you are a young driver or parent of one, please take the time to look into this program.

2008-07-19 College Fun

2009-08-23T21:50:00.000-05:00

College looks like a lot of fun. At least this is the impression I have after spending a recent Friday at North Central College in Naperville for my daughter's registration day.

Sure, there was the obligatory talk about finances and course registration, but the rest of the day made me - a person who years ago could not wait to graduate from that very same college as quickly as possible and get on with my life - wish I were eighteen again so I could take part in four years of really good times.

One thing that has changed a lot over the years is that the college does a lot to help commuters, who make up 48% of the undergraduate students, get connected and feel that they really are part of the school. All college amenities and events are open to all enrolled students. Welcome week is full of activities for all incoming students so they get a chance to meet and have fun with other students before classes even begin.

There are dozens of clubs and organizations the students can take part in regardless of whether they are majoring in a related field. If a student has an interest in a club or sport that doesn't currently exist at the college, they only need to find a few other students and a single faculty member in order to start one up. WONC 89.1 radio station operated by students and any enrolled student can be a part of this if they so desire.

There are many intramural and twenty-two Division III sports played by NCC students. NCC's football team is ranked 8th in the nation, so there is a lot of excitement about the upcoming football season.

Study abroad programs are available in countries all over the world every year and taken advantage of by many students each year.

Ministry and service opportunities abound at this United Methodist affiliated college and are available to everyone regardless of religious background. I am amazed at the number of mission trips taken by NCC students annually to locations throughout the country and world. Local community service occurs on an ongoing basis. Additionally, there are weekly worship services and small groups plus Friday evenings at The Union for music, films, and art exhibits.

The College Union Activities Board and Residence Life organizations ensure that there is something to do every Friday and Saturday evening on campus in addition to the above. There are numerous other activities, student trips and events that add to the college experience.

Last year the college provided a few red bikes to be used for travel throughout the campus and the idea was so popular with students that they now keep dozens of bikes all over the property, which the students, faculty, and staff can use anytime as long as one is available.

Another fairly recent change is that freshmen who live on campus and have cars are required to park their cars at a remote lot. This turns out to benefit all of the students at the college because the free shuttle to and from the remote parking lot is available to all students and also includes stops at Brunswick Zone, Nova 8 Cinema, Westfield Fox Valley Mall and several other locations.

Inexpensive hourly car rentals are available on campus as another reasonable transportation option for students.

A new residence hall currently under construction provides student housing and athletic facilities under one roof. The college's honors program offers the option of separate housing for students enrolled in the honors program.

A new concert hall and fine arts center is opening this fall that will be a tremendous asset to the school and local community.

The Dyson Wellness Center provides programs throughout the school year and many hours a week of student access to doctors and nurses at no cost to the student and with no appointments necessary.

It is easy to see why this college has ranked among the top tier of Midwest colleges in U.S. News and World Report for more than a decade.

What an exciting place to be for college! And yes, my daughter did register for classes that day as well.

2008-06-29 Staying put

2009-08-23T21:44:00.011-05:00

A year into our marriage, my husband I went to Florida with my family. I’d made this trip several times before, but it was new to Bill. He fell in love with the beach, the weather, and the palm trees and wanted us to move there.

Move? I’d thought it was a given that like most of both of our extended families we would stay put in the Aurora area, and we could take vacations to places like Florida. Family and friends spend time together and depend on each other for all kinds of things, and this is a lot easier when we live in the same area. I couldn’t imagine depriving ourselves or our families of each other, especially considering the children we were planning to have.

We agreed to stay here and take vacations to Florida, while Bill was probably kicking himself for not finding out before the wedding that he preferred to live in Florida and that I was not willing to move away. Ever.

I think it can be a great experience to live in different places and be exposed to different people and customs and climates. But I know for sure that there are numerous benefits to staying where you started out.

One of the best things about staying here is that my own children have had an ongoing relationship with their grandparents and other relatives in a way that would have been difficult or impossible if we’d moved away. Their grandparents have babysat for them, have been at their family birthday parties, have been at their school events and performances, and can make spur of the moment plans with them.

Having kids is wonderful, but it’s made even better by the fact that there are others nearby who care deeply about our family. Who else really is interested in my children’s report cards, Mother’s Day projects, class performances, and art projects? I am so glad we have others to share these with.

My mom used to say she should have written down the funny things my brother said when he was little, but she did call her mother, who lived just blocks away, and who always got a kick out of whatever he’d said or done. When my kids do or say or make something precious to me, I love being able to share this with others who appreciate it as well. Yes, I know this can be done on the phone or by sending pictures or letters, but there is no substitute for seeing each frequently.

When my older children were small they were fortunate to have two living great-grandfathers and two sets of grandparents. All of them have been included in our day-to-day lives and celebrations over the years for as long as they could. Years ago on Halloween we’d go to Naper Settlement for the Halloween Happening and then trick-or-treating in our neighborhood. Next we’d drive to visit Nonno (my mom’s dad) and then both sets of grandparents before heading home to bed exhausted and full of sugar. Everyone loved seeing the little kids in their costumes and taking pictures while we enjoyed bringing the adults a smile and seeing the other kids making the same stops.

Some go through hardships when their loved ones are far away. It can be tough in times of illness and death as well as in times of joy and birth, and just plain complicated when someone needs help. When there is a wedding, baptism, graduation party, retirement party, hospitalization, funeral or even a good-bye party for a niece or nephew going into the military, we can easily be there without making any special arrangements. Our vacation time is not used up going home to visit our family as it would if we’d moved away, and in fact, we frequently go on vacation with our family.

It has been a tremendous blessing to live near most of our family. Our lives and theirs are all the richer for it.

2008-06-21 School Board

2009-08-23T21:44:00.010-05:00

It is both flattering and an honor when people suggest that I run for school board, something that has occurred a few times even with the election several months away. I am extremely appreciative of those who are willing to take on this time-consuming and thankless job and for this reason have to respect anyone who goes through the effort of candidacy for this office even if their views differ from mine.

We all want people who care deeply about the district in these positions but it’s hard to wish this job upon anyone. I hope that many qualified people do in fact run for the open seats in next spring’s District 204 School Board election, but for several reasons I am not planning to be one of them.

One is time. A friend mentioned that it’s like scouts, it only takes up a few hours a month. Yes, this seems to be true. Both scouts and the school board seem to be organizations that theoretically only take a few hours a month and in reality can suck up dozens of hours in any given month. Although I could almost certainly carve out the time required for regularly scheduled school board meetings and maybe even the too frequently added special school board meetings, so much more time is required. Even in calmer times the school board has a lot of reading and e-mailing to do outside of meeting times, and just last year spent numerous additional hours on the district’s search for a new superintendent.

Though I am glad to help stuff and deliver campaign information and signs and attend candidate forums and take extensive notes to share with people, I have no desire to undertake the commitment of being the candidate. I like to believe that I am fair-minded and able to take a district-wide view of issues but I would not have enough time and energy to live up to my own expectations for a board member at this point in my work and family life.

Another reason is that while I have worked very hard on the issues that are important to me, including referendums and air conditioning for the elementary buildings, the school board has to deal with much, much more than that. Many of the items on the board meeting agendas are issues that I’m glad I don’t have to spend time learning about and helping to make an educated decision on. These include budgets, curriculum, contracts, staffing, federal mandates, etc.

This year with land and boundary and legal issues there have been extra meetings, court dates, decisions made that affect thousands of people for years to come, and thousands of e-mails from people whose opinions cover the entire spectrum and are frequently at odds with each other.

After dedicating countless hours of effort to the school district, how is a school board member compensated? There is no financial reward. Their reward is simply in knowing they have done the best they can for the district. Those who are satisfied with what the board is doing often don’t take the time to let them know, but those who are not tend to voice their opinions, and in this time of electronic communications this is quite easily and often done. A person must have a thick skin to deal with the almost constant criticism and questioning of their motives. Virtually everything they say or do will be seen as wrong by some segment of the population.

In the coming months we need some strong and tireless people to step forward who care deeply about their community as a whole, who are intelligent and interested in the entire range of work required by a school board member, who are not afraid to ask and answer tough questions, whose views remain consistent, who have a history of positive involvement in the district, who can work well with the other board members, and who can brush off the negative feedback and do what they think is best and right. I know there are competent citizens who could become productive school board members and I can only hope that some of them are willing and able to devote themselves to this honorable cause.

2008-06-07 Sibling and Events

2009-08-23T21:44:00.009-05:00

In the beginning, all the children were too young to stay home alone and all of them went with us everywhere. They all came with when we went house-hunting, when one needed to go to the doctor, when one had ballet or swimming or scouts. They all came with when one child was performing or being awarded in a ceremony. They all came with to the grocery store every time, which involved each of them asking for several things along the way and constant bargaining as to which items they could and could not add to the cart.

As time went on, this changed. Three of the four reached an age at which they could be left home alone for short and then longer periods of time and then in charge of younger siblings. This meant the parents could shop for groceries or curtains or furniture or a new car without bringing the whole gang along. This meant that the parents could focus on the performance or honor a child was receiving without the distraction of the younger children who had no choice but to join us. This meant the parents could go out to dinner or a movie by themselves (if there were ever a free spot on the calendar to do so).

But this also meant that each child was less a part of the things going on in each other’s lives and more used to being able to do whatever they wanted to do instead.

There have been dozens of activities and events that this school year alone and it’s safe to say that most of the siblings have chosen to stay away from most of these events.

We made the decision that the entire family would attend this month’s high school graduation together because this is a milestone event. We lucked out when Waubonsie Valley’s graduation ticket allocation was increased from four to five per family allowing all of us to attend. I decided that it made sense for all of us to attend one event for each of the children in May, and there were plenty to choose from.

The entire family saw my son perform in “Annie” at Granger Middle School, an absolutely fantastic performance that was not at all appreciated by one daughter who would rather have been anywhere else. The following week we all went to the Waubonsie Valley orchestra’s annual pops concert “Epic Journeys of Hollywood” where that same daughter performed and we were treated to movie music from several well-known movies. There were over two hundred performers and this was an enjoyable and impressive evening. Next weekend we will all attend my youngest daughter’s first Irish Dance concert.

This past Sunday the six of us went out to brunch and then attended WV’s graduation held at College of DuPage. This was a formal and well-attended event in which all of the speakers were excellent. I am so proud of the achievements of the students in this class of 2008 and I will truly miss those who have spent so much time at our house in recent months. Over eight hundred names were read in a very short time (with too much disrespectful noise and behavior out of some families) and the entire ceremony went by much too quickly.

Despite the fact that none of the kids really seem to value this chance to be a part of the lives of the others I believe it’s for the best and will be less lax in the future about allowing them to all skip every event.

While I hope that we all get something of lasting value from these shared experiences, I will still enjoy my trips to the grocery store by myself.

2008-05-18 Diane

2009-08-23T21:44:00.008-05:00

For several years I had three best friends – my phone friend, my e-mail friend, and my lunch friend. Ellen and I met in college and wound up having our children at virtually the same time. Over two decades we’ve had infrequent but long phone conversations while going through pregnancy and various stages of motherhood. Nancy and I e-mailed each other a dozen or more times a week.

Diane had been married and working in the medical field in another state, but was now living with her parents and her five-year-old son in Skokie, and was a software engineer who’d joined my department at AT&T while I was on leave with my first baby. We soon found ourselves visiting each other daily and having lunch together most of my workdays.

Diane worked hard at her job and quickly became a sought-after expert, while also taking classes towards earning another degree. She took pride in her work but was also a very modest person. She wanted to be the best mother she could be. She came from a large family and I heard so much about her relatives that I felt I knew them.

We depended on each other for advice on a daily basis. Diane was a bit older and grayer than I and always seemed very wise to me. She was patient and understanding and a good listener. We joked for years about the time we were mistaken for mother and daughter while eating lunch out.

After a re-org and some office moves we wound up in different buildings and going out to lunch just once a week. One Thursday morning she called to tell me she needed to cancel because she’d been in the hospital since Sunday. That very morning Chicago’s Cardinal Bernardin had died of pancreatic cancer, and now my best friend was diagnosed with the same. She had major surgery and several weeks off work for treatment and recovery.

Throughout it all she remained in good spirits, did not complain and continued to be dedicated to work, school and her family. After a while things returned to normal. She and her son went on a cruise and on the morning of disembarkment they won another cruise!

I was concerned that even though the cancer was in remission, it might come back and our time together might be limited. I was able to arrange a transfer to work in the same group with Diane again. My new office was near hers and we worked together and saw each other frequently. It was a wonderful day when we got to go out to lunch to celebrate one year after her last treatment.

Before we knew it, the cancer was back and this time it was fast and furious. Sadly, between the time of her original diagnosis and the cancer’s return, both of her parents had died. While undergoing treatment Diane also worked full-time, attended classes, and took care of her son. They took the cruise they’d won, scheduled carefully between treatments. Diane lost so much weight that the nurses joked about her “elephant pants” and this is something else we laughed about. She viewed the whole thing as an ordeal to get through and then get on with life.

Soon she was hospitalized and we had the news that there would be no recovery this time. I visited her as often as I could. During this time I met the people I’d heard so much about and it was strange, knowing them so well before we met, and knowing their sister better than most of them did. I had hoped that she would be one of the few to beat the odds, but it was not to be.

I got the call about her death one morning just moments before my three-year-old son’s preschool teacher arrived for a home visit to meet us. It was immensely painful to lose a friend, someone who had been a part of my day-to-day life for eight years. And to a mother, there aren’t many things worse than not living long enough to raise your own child.

Diane’s photo and funeral memorial card are framed and on my desk.

Diane was a one-of-a-kind person and friend. Ten years have gone by. The pain has dulled, her son has grown up, and her presence will always be missed.

2008-05-03 IPSD, NSFOC

2009-08-23T21:44:00.007-05:00

It’s been like a roller-coaster but much less fun. When your heart is tied tightly to what happens with your children and that is closely tied to what happens in your school district, your feelings go up and down and get twisted all around when things are not going well.

Indian Prairie is an exceptional district and from my perspective, all was going pretty smoothly up until the failure of the 2005 referendum for a third high school. Things began looking up again in 2006 when the referendum passed. However, while in 2005 we had secured the rights to buy property from Brach-Brodie at a negotiated price this was no longer the case in 2006. Hence the beginning of the saga of the land.

The condemnation trial dragged on and on, quick-take did not make it to the floor in the Illinois Senate, and the jury price came in much higher than would be expected based on area comparable sales from the time period in question. Elation that we would soon find out the price was quickly replaced with incredulity at the jury’s decision and wondering how the district might afford this and hoping the Brachs and Brodies might now be willing to negotiate. Negotiating was not possible and due to increases in construction costs, the jury price was outside the realm of possibilities for our district.

Still more ups and downs came when the new site was announced and approved, the new boundaries were announced, barely tweaked, and approved. The environmental reports were made available to our School Board and administrators and they were barred from sharing this information with the public.

Then came the lawsuit. What a slap in the face to the School Board, the administration, and all the parents and students who are depending on this building opening in 2009 to relieve overcrowding and provide additional student opportunities at both the high school and middle school level. This lawsuit was filed by a group of residents who have a very long list of complaints on their website. It appears that they have hung their hopes on whichever of those complaints might have even the smallest of legal basis.

The complaint and amended complaints that were filed are lengthy but the gist is that the district promised during referendum time that the school would be built on Brach-Brodie, and that this needs to happen or they need to return money to the taxpayers and not build a school at all. I think it should have been clear to all that while the district hoped and planned to build on Brach-Brodie, there was a chance that wouldn’t be possible and sometimes plans need to change when circumstances change. The wording in the referendum specified an amount of money to be used to build the school and did not give the location. While some people may have voted for or against the referendum based on expected school location or boundaries, this is now irrelevant. The district found a way to provide the school that the residents voted for. Not building a school would be the most drastic failure to do what was both promised and voted on.

The new school site chosen in January was partially owned by the St. John’s AME church, which was quite unwilling to sell to us in prior years, and Midwest Generation, which is currently dismantling the power plant previously operated on that portion of the land. Many have expressed safety concerns about this land but experts explained to us that nothing unexpected was found, all would be easily remediated, and very little of the land in question would be used by students (it would be under a portion of the tennis courts). Many were satisfied with this. In fact, most whose children would attend this site were satisfied with this while the named plaintiffs on the lawsuit live in areas that are not within the boundaries for the new school.

There appears to be a diverse group of people behind this lawsuit who have many different concerns and have banded together to overthrow the decisions made by both our direct votes and our elected officials. Some like the Brach-Brodie or Macom sites better, or they don’t want their children moved from Neuqua Valley, or if they are to be moved they want to be moved to a new building rather than an older one, or they want to stay at Waubonsie Valley, or they are concerned about safety at the new site, or they are concerned about distance, or they don’t want a third high school at all. Some just seem to be angry with the people in charge or with a perception that some are getting a better deal than others, when in fact we all gain by having more space for our students and smaller class sizes.

Through some confluence of events, Midwest Generation refused to sell their parcel. The district resonated with both joy and sorrow at the loss of this site. Some hoped Midwest Generation would reconsider. Some hoped Brach-Brodie would suddenly be willing to negotiate, despite our experiences with them in recent years. Some hoped Macom would come to the table with a low offer.

The AME church pastor and members made a surprising choice for the welfare of the students in District 204 and I want to thank them from the bottom of my heart. Without knowing when or where they will find another place to build their church, they sold their entire parcel of land to the district so that we may still have our new school opened in 2009. The sale closed quickly and construction work is set to begin once the city approves the revised annexation.

In the meantime, there is outstanding litigation against the district to be resolved as the district continues to move forward with its plans. The words and actions of the lawsuit supporters continue to deepen the divide and make our district a less desirable place to live, rather than promoting healing, unity, and moving forward.

I am constantly amazed at how our students and staff continue to excel in countless areas while this battle rages all around. Thousands of middle school students do not yet know for sure which high school they will graduate from. Kids are resilient and of course will get a fine education in any of our buildings but I am anxious for these kids to know for sure where they’re going so they can be excited about it.

It is unconscionable that our middle-schoolers first got used to one set of boundary changes, then went through a time of having no idea when and where the school might be built and who would go where, to getting used to a new set of boundaries and at this very moment people are working to cause yet another change. I am dumbfounded that two years after the referendum passed we are still required to prove that this building is needed.

For several weeks I avoided writing about the district due to the uncertainty and constant changes but now I am feeling hopeful that in spite of the actions of a very small percentage of district residents, the district can and will come together and be better than ever.

2008-04-30 Jessica's 18

2009-08-23T21:44:00.006-05:00

It’s astounding how quickly time goes by. On April 26,1990 my first child was born. I remember this as if it were yesterday and yet she is now turning eighteen. How did this happen?

Jessica was born at Mercy Center five days after her due date. My husband and I had very little experience with babies so everything was new – changing diapers, baby baths, nail trims, changing the clothes of such a small person. We had trouble figuring out the car seat the first time we used it, to go home from the hospital.

She soon grew from a baby who needed to be held for full days of waking hours to a smiling and rolling, then crawling, then walking child at her eleven month birthday. Once she started talking she had so many cute and funny things to say. Shortly after her second birthday Kathy was born and Jessica gave up her only child status to reign as the oldest instead. Upon looking at photos of herself as a baby, she’d proclaim “look, there’s me when I used to be Kathy!” When she was two a neighbor boy came by and gave her a ride around our cul-de-sac in his motorized car. It was surprising that she was picked up by a boy in a car at such an early age!

Jessica was a social being from the start. Anyone could hold her. She made friends everywhere she went. I would joke that she made friends on every trip to McDonald’s or the playground. At age three when she was bored spending a couple days a week in home daycare, we moved her into a daycare center where there was a whole room full of friends for her to play with. There she met Eric, and from age three until sixth grade these two had major plans for a future together.

As scary as it was for us to put her on a bus at age five to head off to school several miles away, to her the ride was just another chance to meet new friends and some extra time to spend with them. Unlike some clingy other children in our household, this one loved going to activities and never had trouble letting go of mom. She did ballet and swimming, Sunday School and Bible School, church choir and Pioneer Club, gymnastics and Brownies, cheerleading and ice skating, acting, singing, dancing, viola and piano all by the age of ten. She grew up with a teddy bear and a few pets – a dog, cats, fish, and frogs.

Her confidence and security were deeply shaken when we moved into a different neighborhood just after her tenth birthday. This was an emotional time of dealing with the loss of the home she’d known for six years and the friends she’d seen daily but now saw only occasionally. Though now she still considers this one of the most painful events of her life, it would be hard to want to go back and undo it because it led her to where she is today.

In middle school she again thrived socially. She played softball one summer, and then couldn’t the next due to a broken wrist. She continued on with scouts and school and church activities. She became interested in pursuing a career in fashion design and drew beautiful pictures of clothing and began taking clothing courses.

High school brought additional new opportunities. Jessica was very active in Student Council for a couple years and enjoyed planning events. She took four years of extremely challenging courses. Her interest shifted from fashion design to becoming a high school teacher. Model UN presented chances to make new friends and participate in interesting events while learning about the United Nations. Anime Club has been a fun weekly meeting to hang out with people similarly interested in anime. She’s currently finishing out her fourth year on Waubonsie’s badminton team where she is playing varsity for the second year and, you guessed it, she has many friends.

This is Jessica’s 11th year of Girl Scouts and she is continuing to work on her Gold Award project. This summer she’ll go on her fourth church mission trip with Wheatland Salem Church. She also will travel to Costa Rica with other WV Spanish students.

I’m grateful she began driving halfway through high school so that her busy-ness is no longer mine. Between school, work, activities, and friends she is leading quite the hectic life.

As senior year draws to a close, the group is counting down their final days of high school and talking about where everyone will be headed to in the fall. There are quite a lot of senior events to commemorate the end of their high school years.

This young woman has continued to surpass the hopes and dreams her parents have had for her from the moment we found out we were having a baby. I look forward to seeing what her future will bring. I am so proud of her.

I can hardly believe that my little baby girl is becoming an adult. That she is turning eighteen and graduating from high school. This all went by much too quickly. What I wouldn’t give to be rocking that tiny girl again, even if was the middle of the night, even if she was crying.

2008-03-29 Injury

2009-08-23T21:44:00.005-05:00

I am having Thanksgiving thoughts at this Easter time.

As I write this Good Friday morning it is only too easy for me to think back to Good Friday two years ago. It was a typically busy morning for me - I was exercising, boiling dozens of eggs to be colored later in the day, doing some Tellabs work from home despite it being a paid holiday, needing to wake my kindergartner and have her ready for a 10:30am birthday party, all while having my four plus two extra kids in the house.

On what turned out to be my last trip down the basement stairs, I stepped out apparently thinking I was on the last stair, but wasn’t, and landed hard on my right ankle bone. I heard cracking sounds on both sides of my ankle and was immediately in excruciating pain. I quickly called the kids into action to take care of all the things that needed to be done including calling my husband to come home and take me to Urgent Care. There I was diagnosed with a sprain, sent home with an air cast to wear for a few days, and told to use ice and take Vicodin and Naproxin.

Three weeks later after a few more doctor visits and x-rays I wound up with a better diagnosis and was put into a hard cast for a few weeks, and then another one for a few more weeks. It was exactly nine weeks before I was able to put even an ounce of weight on that foot. That whole time I had to keep my foot elevated above my heart as much as possible. When down for even a short time my foot and toes turned purple and swollen. The hard casts were followed by a few weeks of a walking cast, then a brace, then orthotics. A few months and a couple dozen visits to physical therapy later I was walking short distances with a limp. I was first able to drive thirteen weeks after the misstep.

I’m not a sports person and had never before had any kind of major injury, had never been in a cast or on crutches. Months of not being able to walk or drive gave me new appreciation for what handicapped people have to deal with every day. One day at a local department store I was unable to shop upstairs because the elevator wasn’t working and I was in a wheelchair. I found that when both hands are on the crutches and one foot can’t be set on the ground, it’s difficult or impossible to move anything from one place to another. Getting through doorways with automatically closing doors required help from another person. Many normally simple tasks were beyond the realm of my new reality. This was worse than just inconvenient.

I learned that injuries frequently don’t heal as good as new. Mine is known as a Lisfranc injury and is basically several torn ligaments and several dislocated bones, but no fracture. It turns out the cracking sounds I’d heard were not bones breaking but the most unpleasant sound of ligaments tearing from bone. My doctor told me I was lucky to escape the need for surgery. Yet two years later I still don’t have a full range of motion, I still can’t run without problems, I still need to wear gym shoes most of the time, and I still haven’t had my doctor’s wish come true - that I would at some point have a day in which I don’t have to think about it at all. Yet I can walk and drive and I can now walk barefoot (this was a major and important accomplishment).

The schedule at my house has been known to make people’s heads spin. During this time my husband was both traveling for work and had a completely inflexible work schedule when he was home. Jessica, my oldest, had a driver’s permit and wound up getting a lot of driving time in chauffeuring me and the other kids. However, she had her own busy schedule and frequently needed rides as well. I depended heavily on my husband, family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers during this difficult time.

While I was laid up we of course had to keep up with the usual household things like groceries, dishes and laundry. Our schedule was as always, crowded with the kids’ activities. Jessica at the time participated in badminton, Model UN, Student Council, Girl Scouts, and Anime Club. Kathy had orchestra rehearsal four mornings a week before school, Christian Club, and Confirmation. Jonathan was in chess club, band, and chorus, and Allie had swimming lessons and Daisies.

On top of that there were orchestra, band, and chorus concerts, Easter, a wedding shower hosted at my house, my brother-in-law’s wedding in which half my family was in the wedding (and shopping for clothes for several of us to wear for the special day), four of our six birthdays, Mother’s Day, a sick cat to the vet for surgery, orthodontist visits, piano lessons, school field trips, special end of the school year events for my children finishing kindergarten, fifth, and eighth grades, a fashion show which featured clothing Jessica had made, the district’s annual Fine Arts Festival in which my children’s performances were spread throughout the day, Kathy’s Confirmation, and birthday and graduation parties. Once the school year ended there were Girl Scout camps, Vacation Bible School, music camp, sports camp, Father’s Day, a church mission trip, more doctor and orthodontist visits. During this entire time I continued to work full-time from home except for occasional trips to the office for meetings. A long-planned and much anticipated major family vacation wound up being more difficult than fun.

On this Easter weekend, I am exceptionally grateful that I live in a time and place where this injury is treatable, that I was able to recover in comfort with help from so many people, that I have insurance that helped with the cost, that I have a job that can be done remotely, and most of all I’m so very, very happy that I can walk and drive. Most of all I’m thankful that it’s this year and not that one.

2008-03-11 First grade

2009-08-23T21:44:00.004-05:00

First grade was an unforgettable year for me and this is in no small part due to having had the world's best first grade teacher, Miss Rosa Jackson, at C.M. Bardwell School.

At the end of kindergarten we all walked to the first grade rooms to meet our new teachers and get a look at the classrooms. In Room 8 I was given a butterfly colored by one of that year's first-graders welcoming me to first grade. We learned how much fun first grade would be and that turned out to be completely true.

Learning to read has to be one of the most significant occurrences in one's education and most of us at that time were taught to read in first grade. I loved reading from the start and was quickly one of the best readers in the class. Reading has continued to be one of my great joys in life.

Miss Jackson made learning fun and cared about all of her students. She handed out play money as rewards, and this money could be used to buy items that were displayed around the classroom. I made it my goal to be the first to have enough dollars saved up to buy the most expensive item in the classroom - a large inflatable pink dog with green spots. How magnificent it was when I got that dog!

Our classroom put on a first-grade play that was fairly unusual. The scenery was projected from the rear onto a screen behind the actors and the props were painted with fluorescent paint to glow in black light. The play itself was an adaptation of Little Red Riding Hood and I got to star in it with Steven Doyle. I still have the playbill and Beacon photo from this performance.

It is easy to conjure up memories of first grade - using the System 80 “computer” that had only a few buttons and was not remotely like the computers of today, Ricky Cepeda teaching us how to count to 10 in Spanish, the class dancing to songs including "The Candy Man," being a Brownie, walking home for lunch, getting my first lunch box and bringing lunch to school for the first time to eat in the cafeteria and participating in outdoor recess.

In the spring I had to have my adenoids out. In those days this meant a stay in the hospital. I was admitted Wednesday evening, had surgery on Thursday morning, and went home on Friday. Luckily I remember more about the fun of having 7-Up, Jello and ice cream for dinner than about being in pain. While I was in the hospital I received a letter from my first grade class. Miss Jackson wrote several pages, the students each made a page, and they were taped end-to-end. I loved this letter and cherish it to this day. At about fifteen feet long it is easily the longest letter I’ve gotten in my life.

Jack Pool was assistant principal that year and became principal the following fall, a position he held for several years. He says that Rosa Jackson “was one of the most outstanding teachers I’ve ever worked with.” He mentioned that she had opportunities to work in another district but remained dedicated to helping children at Bardwell. She was very highly organized and respected by parents, staff, and students and was once named Kane County Teacher of the Year.

I have seen Miss Jackson several times since I was her student. On the last day of school each year of grade school I visited all of my former teachers. I was delighted to have the opportunity to help out in Miss Jackson's class during my lunchtime when I was in sixth grade. As an adult I visited her classroom with my own children (one of whom continues to insist that her first grade teacher was better than mine). We ran into each other again at Bardwell's 75th anniversary celebration in 2005.

I had many wonderful teachers at Bardwell. Here is a public note of appreciation and thanks to them all. Mrs. Wallo – kindergarten, Miss Jackson – first grade, Mrs. Barbee – second grade, Miss Travis – third grade, Mrs. Kellett – fourth grade, Mrs. Hanley – fifth grade, Mrs. Proczko – sixth grade, Mrs. Weber – librarian, Miss Shoger – music, Mrs. Breese (Miss Koperski) – student teacher.

2008-03-07 Boundaries

2009-08-23T21:44:00.003-05:00

The topic of boundary changes in Indian Prairie School District is a painful one for many people. Those of us who have been here throughout much of the growth have gone through frequent boundary changes as we opened eighteen new elementary schools and five new middle schools in the last twenty years. There was a major boundary change in 1997 when Neuqua Valley opened and our district went from one to two high school buildings.

We are in a long-awaited yet difficult time now that we finally have relief for overcrowding on the horizon with a new high school and new middle school scheduled to open in the fall of 2009. As the district approaches build-out it seems we are reaching the point at which we will have adequate space for all of our students and can stop constructing new buildings.

When you look below the surface you will find that this does not come without a huge price for the district in terms of not only finances but in a great deal of boundary shifts that will be painful to families in an ongoing manner, and in the loss of trust and respect for the School Board and the administration. Our district is in an angry and divided state at the moment.

I believe that the School Board and administration have done their homework all along and have made what they considered to be the best decisions they could at each time with the information and options available. In hindsight a third high school would have been a better option than the freshman centers that we opened in 2003. Although I was a big supporter of the 2005 referendum, apparently many did not feel they had enough information to support a third high school at that time and that no vote, whether blame falls on the people in charge or the voters is a huge part of what led directly to the mess of the past couple of years.

We no longer had the option to buy the Brach-Brodie land (which many residents thought was a bad site for a high school anyway) at a negotiated price and had to go through the courts. Had the court case gone more quickly, had we been granted quick-take, or had the jury price come in anywhere near comparable sales in the area in the specified time-frame, we would have a school building underway at that location. However, none of these things happened and we were stuck with a too-high price too late to absorb the cost differential due to rising construction costs.

The new site has been chosen, is under contract, and the new boundaries have been decided upon. The Brach-Brodie site had always been considered the “least bad” of the available pieces of land in the district. Now we have something that most would consider worse. The new site that has been chosen on Eola Road at Molitor was not available until recently. It is in an area that will allow several neighborhoods a much shorter commute to high school but it will cause many more neighborhoods to have a longer commute to school.

The Brach-Brodie site allowed the new school to be made up fairly equally from both Waubonsie Valley and Neuqua Valley attendance areas. Middle school boundaries were never drawn up for that site. The new site requires the school be filled entirely from within the Waubonsie Valley attendance areas, with a large number of students shifting from the Neuqua attendance area to Waubonsie.

Many more students are moved under the new boundary plan that this new site required. Many students who had a very short commute will now have a long one, and some who had a long commute will have an even longer commute. Several schools will find their student bodies split into different schools as they move from grade school to middle school or from middle school to high school. In the first years, some students will move from one overcrowded building to another, some will stay in their same overcrowded building, and some will move into an incomplete but not crowded building of freshman and sophomores only that will not have varsity sports the first year (and may not have fall sports at all that year).

Several district residents submitted boundary plans and some appeared to me to be superior to the one selected by the School Board because they minimize school splits and/or distance. While several areas seem to have gotten the short end of the stick, it seems the School Board tried to do what they could given that each move of one area would cause another area to move as well. In an effort to avoid the boundary fiasco of two years ago they rushed this decision through quickly without giving residents the benefit of hearing the thought processes that caused them to address the concerns of some areas but not others.

I do not think this is a laughing matter. The lives of parents and children are planned around where these students will go to school. People bought their homes based on school locations, even though in a growing district boundaries are known to change. I have a great deal of sympathy for the changes many families will be dealing with and could easily have been in their shoes. Too many are reacting as if this boundary shift is the worst thing that could ever happen to their family. If this is the worst, then they are truly blessed.

All Indian Prairie students will continue to get an excellent education and access to fantastic extra-curricular programs. I am both thrilled as a Metea parent and sad as a Waubonsie parent that the new school will be led by Waubonsie Valley’s current principal. It is time to move on and look forward to the new space and additional opportunities that will be available. It is time to come together as a district and support all of our children, all of our families, all of our neighborhoods, all of our schools, and our School Board and administration.

2008-02-15 Internet friends

2009-08-23T21:44:00.001-05:00

We often hear what a dangerous place the internet can be, yet it also offers a unique opportunity to develop deep and long-lasting friendships with people throughout the world.

I have been an active e-mailer and participant in newsgroups, message boards, and e-mail lists for almost twenty years. I have made dozens of friends whom I have never met in person, and quite a few whom I’ve met in real life after having known them online for years. I have attended gatherings both near and far. People have visited me from out of town, out of state, and even from other countries.

Shortly before my first daughter was born I joined a small and growing online community where I looked to the more experienced parents for assurance, advice and information. In the earlier days of the internet when access was text only and pictures were not yet digital, photo sharing was not easy as it is today. About once a year a small group of people would put together a photo album of participants with copies for each of us.

I wrote to the newsgroup in 1992 that I was overwhelmed with a 2-year-old and a 2-month-old. I heard from dozens who had been in similar situations. One person who responded has children two months older than each of mine and she and I really clicked. Our daily e-mails were an integral part of life for the next several years and she became one of my very best friends even though she lived over 700 miles away in Maryland. Her Colorado ski trip included a planned layover at O’Hare so we could meet in person for the first time in 1996. Once our family stayed at her house when we took a trip east, another time we planned a Disney World trip together, and later still she and her kids came to stay at my house for a few days when my youngest was a newborn.

As internet usage exploded in the mid-nineties several of us left that larger group and formed a private e-mail list that remains active today. We continued the photo album tradition for several years, always assembled at a big gathering in some part of the US each year for a weekend. I always had at least one small child and felt it would be difficult or impossible and too expensive to attend.

A photo album party was scheduled for late September 2001 in Minneapolis, the closest one ever. But schedules at my house are always complicated – the older kids had school Friday and my son had a Cub Scout campout, and it seemed that it couldn’t work out. Then the world changed on September 11. The next week we were still in a daze and I suddenly felt the need to connect in person with my online friends. I took my two oldest out of school and the girls and I spent the weekend in Minneapolis while my son and his dad stayed home went to the campout. It was just what I needed. It is always a wonderful experience spending time with people you know well, even if their faces are unfamiliar at first.

In 1999 I joined a group for women expecting babies in January of 2000. We have continued to share the ups and downs of parenting over the years and are always there for each other. We exchange Christmas cards and photos and have done some gift exchanges. Sometimes the January 2000 children become pen pals with each other. This group includes people all over the United States as well as Canada, Iceland and Australia.

More recently I have gotten involved in a local online community with a group of people who have a shared interest. We don’t begin to agree on everything but we find value in our discussions. We have the added bonus of living in the same area and can easily set up gatherings and even run into each other at local events.

E-mail has helped me keep up with friends from these groups as well as people whom I already know in real life but may or may not see very often. A very close friend and I have kept in touch regularly via e-mail even though she moved out of state several years ago and we see each other about once a year.

The internet has been the source of many wonderful things in my life, the most rewarding of which are the friendships it has made possible.

2008-02-12 Gretchen

2009-08-23T21:39:00.007-05:00

Gretchen Mitchell Anderson had the good fortune to celebrate her 100th birthday in December. Masses were held in her honor at local Catholic churches, she had a birthday lunch with friends and family, and many came to offer birthday greetings at an open house at Holy Angels Church.

When I was growing up, Gretchen lived across the street from me. I’ve recently discovered that she has many interesting tales to tell and I love listening to her stories. Her family has been in Aurora a long time - both of her parents were born here. A couple of interesting facts are that Mitchell Road and Hermes School were named after her relatives.

Gretchen was born on December 4, 1907 to John F. and Anna (Hermes) Mitchell in a house on Forest Avenue, on the north end of Aurora at the time. When she was just three months old her family moved to New York Street, where she grew up with her older sister and two younger brothers. Dr. Dreyer was a neighbor and he made house calls for her frequent bouts with bronchitis, which was sometimes very serious.

Gretchen attended Sacred Heart School and graduated from the all-girls St. Mary’s High School. When she was in school the children walked from school to the Fox Theater downtown for programs for Civil War veterans. It is incredible to think of this time when there were many surviving Civil War veterans and yet World War II was still decades away.

One of Gretchen’s great loves in life was the theater. She enjoyed participating in plays and shows at school. After high school she directed plays with the Lafayette Players, sponsored by Sacred Heart and drawing participants from all over the area. Even now she says one of her favorite memories is that of coaching plays because she loved bringing words to life.

She has always spent a lot of time with her relatives. They went to dances and parties and took vacations together. She enjoyed the many recreational opportunities available in Aurora and lately has been enjoying the “Entertaining Aurora” book that brings back these memories.

After the deaths of Gretchen’s parents, she moved from her childhood home into an apartment at her brother’s home on Mountain St. She became a surrogate grandmother to her nieces and nephews. One great-niece was named after her. She continues to enjoy relationships with generations of nieces and nephews and she appreciates them greatly.

At Detweiler Conservatory she helped children with speech impediments. There became less need for this as public schools took over this function so she went to secretarial school and entered the business world. While Gretchen had hoped to go back to working with children and directing plays, she wound up taking the train to work in downtown Chicago instead.

When Gretchen applied for her Social Security card she found out she didn’t exist! Her birth certificate had not been properly registered by the doctor (it simply said female, without giving any name) and getting this straightened out was complicated by the fact that she had been baptized as Margaret Mary Mitchell, a name she had never gone by. At the time, her mother was still living and able to attest to Gretchen’s identity.

For some time Gretchen worked in automobile financing at Northern Illinois Finance. (Ironically, she had never yet driven a car at the time she held this job and she first drove in the 1950s.) Her boss left to work at Old Second National Bank and she stayed for several weeks working discontentedly for the new boss. Eventually she could stand it no longer and resigned without having a new job in place. That very day on her lunch break she happened to run into her former boss, who offered to take her out to lunch. Amazingly, it turned out there was a job opening at Old Second and he walked her right over to get her set up.

Her first job at Old Second was checking securities in the trust department. She was a dedicated employee and many times worked late hours, especially during the war. She was promoted several times and eventually became one of the first female trust officers in the area.

One day there a party was being held for an attorney and the bankers were required to attend. It was a beautiful September day and Gretchen really didn’t want to spend her day there. Her sister told her to go and even told her which clothes and jewelry she should wear. This turned out to be a life-changing decision. There she met Ture Anderson. They hit it off from the start and enjoyed each other’s company at the party. She and some of Ture’s relatives went over to his house afterward, and his sister-in-laws drove her home.

Ture called and asked her out to dinner the next Saturday night. Though she was in her fifties and rarely dated, she already had a date for that evening. On the third attempt Ture was able to get a date with her for a Sunday. Ture promised Gretchen’s nephew, whom he had known previously, that he would have her in by midnight. They had dinner at a place on the river in Oregon, IL and arrived home four minutes before midnight. Ture apparently thought this was too early since he’d promised 12, and drove around until he could bring her home at exactly 12:00.

They had a New Year’s Eve date in New York City. Shortly after that he romantically presented her with an engagement ring at her home. They were married in May of 1963 and moved into the home where Ture had been living for several years on Fourth Street. They were unable to go on a longer trip to Europe due to work commitments so had their honeymoon in Williamsburg. Gretchen recalls spending one day learning about early American history and the same evening watching news about the space program.

The following year they had the first of their trips to Europe together. Over the years they visited many places including Paris, Rome, Florence, Venice, Milan, Copenhagen, England, and Ture’s homeland and family in Sweden. They had good times on their trips and encountered many interesting people and places in the course of their travels.

Although Ture had grown up Lutheran, he converted to Catholicism before he met Gretchen. She came to Our Lady of Good Council with Ture and has loved it there ever since.

Their priest had written to The Vatican and Gretchen and Ture hoped to have a visitation with Pope Paul VI while they were in Rome. Each night when they returned to their hotel they hoped to have received in invitation. Finally on the fourth night a small gold box inviting them to a reception with Pope Paul VI had arrived. The man at the hotel had already arranged their transportation to St. Peter’s for the visit the following day. Gretchen wore special shoes on this trip due to a back problem and was not able to battle the crowds to get a close spot inside. Lo and behold, when she made it to the room behind everyone else, a woman from Wales whom she’d never before met waved her over and said she’d saved her a seat because she noticed her difficulty.

In Paris Gretchen had a chance encounter with a nun she’d met on a family trip to Colorado decades earlier. Once they took a boat from New York to England and while there they visited Shakespeare’s Globe Theater. In the airport in Milan they met a woman whose husband was working on the German trials. His family had been killed in the concentration camps and somehow he had survived and wound up living in Canada.

After Ture’s death Gretchen and her good friend Helen Redding enjoyed many winters in Florida with a group who traveled together by bus. Gretchen has been able to remain living in her own home with the help of her caregiver, Pepa.

Gretchen’s family and friends have always been and still are an integral part of her life and she continues to enjoy life because of them. We should all be so lucky as to live such a long and healthy life full of rich experiences and rewarding relationships.

2008-02-05 Change of Plans

2009-08-23T21:39:00.006-05:00

Often in life changes that appear to be wonderful can still come with a sense of loss and grief.

My family learned this eight years ago when we moved to a new house. Instead of being happy we had more space, we faced months of grief over the loss of our old house, friends, neighbors, and school. Now that many new friends, neighbors, and schools have become part of our lives it would be hard for any of us to want to go back and undo that move.

We recently found out that we’ll be facing another big change. This one was not by our own choice. When I worked to pass the Indian Prairie referendum to build a third high school it was with the expectation that this school would be built at the Brach-Brodie location on 75th Street west of Route 59. The impact on our family would be minimal as we would not be changing schools and due to the ages of my children at the time of the school opening, they would not be separated from any of their friends. After living through two overcrowded years at Waubonsie Valley, the building would be at or under capacity from then on out.

My family is a Warrior family. We’ve lived in the Waubonsie attendance area since before our oldest started kindergarten and before our younger two were even born. We have attended events at Waubonsie for several years now. My oldest daughter will graduate from WV this spring and her sister will do the same in two years. My son is halfway through Granger and fully expected that he and all the others at Granger would be attending Waubonsie together. We love Waubonsie.

When the jury price for Brach-Brodie came in much higher than anticipated, I hoped the district would still find a way to buy the land as I believed this to be the best possible site for the district as a whole. This did not happen and a new site needed to be chosen.

On Tuesday, January 15 the district announced the administration’s recommendation for the new site for Metea Valley High School along with information about the other sites considered and the advantages and disadvantages of each site including financials. I had heard rumors to this effect but was still surprised to find out the chosen site was the St. John African Methodist Episcopalian land on the east side of the Eola Rd. and Molitor Rd. intersection just a mile from my house.

That afternoon as I drove my son home from Student Council I told him that he may be attending a brand new high school starting in ninth grade. His immediate reaction was negative. He was happy to be headed to Waubonsie, why would he want to attend a different school? He hoped all of Granger would be going with him to the new school. This doesn’t seem likely since some of Granger attendance areas can walk to Waubonsie. The new high school’s colors and mascot had already been chosen by the group of students who would have been attending the school at the Brach-Brodie site. He felt his plans had been changed mid-stream and didn’t know what to make of it.

It didn’t help that on that first day I was lamenting the loss of an established school with excellent programs across the spectrum. I was not happy about the need to start up a brand new school with new everything. The fact that there would be no experienced juniors and seniors to lead the clubs, no varsity sports the first year, no Grammy winning music program, a brand new PTA. Parts of the school will not yet be complete upon opening. I wondered whether we would still have district provided transportation. I wondered how others in the district will be impacted because the new boundaries will certainly cause some areas to go to a further away high school than they now attend, while others of us will have a shorter commute. We have opened new buildings before and would rather not do it again. If the school opens in 2009 I will have one year with a daughter in a very overcrowded Waubonsie and a son in a much under capacity Metea.

The first days were all about grief but slowly shifted to acceptance. I adjusted my outlook to the positives. The new school is close and it will be much easier to get my younger children to and from extra-curricular activities, performances, and games than it has been with the older two. My son and his classmates will get the chance to help shape the school from the beginning. The district may even allow this new group of students to redo the color and mascot choice to give them a feeling of ownership and belonging. The school will have the same excellent curriculum that is taught in Waubonsie and Neuqua.

Having children in two different high schools at the same time will not be greatly different than the preceding year when one of them is at Waubonsie and the other at Granger. My son will experience being in a high school of fewer than 1500 students that first year rather than a building overflowing with more than 3500. The students in this smaller school will have vastly more opportunities for leadership and leading roles in all of the clubs and performing groups.

This school will be created from Warrior families, just as Neuqua was a mere ten years ago. Metea will be great from the very start.

2008-01-02 Complaint Column

2009-08-23T21:39:00.005-05:00

My final column of 2007 is some complaints of the recent past, present, and future.

A big problem in my area, and probably in many areas of the Fox Valley, is under-engineered left turn lanes. Many times one has to wait through several lights to make a left turn and the lane backs up so far that it causes problems for those going straight as well.

These are some that cause the biggest delays for me and apparently many others. North-bound Eola Rd. turning left onto Indian Trail, a route used by many to get to Granger Middle School. West-bound North Aurora Rd. turning left onto Eola Rd. East-bound Diehl Rd. turning left onto Rt. 59. East-bound New York St. turning left onto Rt. 59, which makes the short distance from the mall shopping areas to those on the opposite corner take a very long time.

Grade-level railroad crossings are a minor concern at the moment but with the proposed sale of the EJ&E railroad these will potentially become a major headache. Thousands of drivers cross the tracks at Diehl Rd., Liberty St., Ogden Ave., and 83rd/Montgomery every day. The slow-moving freight trains take several minutes to clear the intersection.

If the railroad is sold there will be a huge increase in the number of trains daily as well as a tremendous increase in the number of hazardous material car loads annually. If the grade-level crossings are not converted to over and underpasses this will have a significant impact on everyone who drives these routes, including school buses and emergency vehicles. The public has the opportunity to comment on the Canadian National Railroad’s plans through Jan. 28.

One crossing scheduled to be revamped is the North Aurora Road underpass. I don’t know when this will happen but I can only hope that it will lead to some improvement for vehicles coming and going from All Seasons Ice Arena. The parking lot is extremely difficult to exit during evening rush hour for even a right turn.

Another big complaint is lack of parking for downtown events where one can be assured their vehicle will not be towed. All lots that are not in use for a business that is open during the event should be available for free parking with no danger of towing. Many lots that have been available in the past aren’t any more.

Red light cameras were in use in Bolingbrook for several months and many are unhappy with the implementation. Naperville has plans to install them at 2-4 intersections before possibly moving forward with the plan for several busier intersections. Aurora City Council has this on their agenda yet again in January with plans to put them into service at many intersections all at once.

There are widely varied opinions and many concerns about these throughout the country and our City Council should take a step back and decide whether this is something necessary for the safety of our community, or a “money-generating trap” as they were called by a state senator in New Mexico. A better solution to the safety issue may be to delay each green light by one second so that all sides of the intersection are red for that time.

I don’t live in U.S. Rep. Dennis Hastert’s district but most of my family does. Everyone I’ve discussed this with agrees that it was rotten of him to resign in the middle of this term and force a costly special election. When he was re-elected he should have been committed to serving out his term for his constituents. What a disappointing end to his Senate career.

I am upset to have the largest Planned Parenthood in the country right here on the east side of Aurora. It would be great if they could simply provide women’s health services excluding abortion.

I am saddened at some of what massive immigration has done to my hometown and the school district from which generations of my family are proud graduates.

Issues that I’ve been involved with in my school district have come with mixed results this year. The candidates I supported were elected to the School Board. Our district did not get quick-take for the land needed for our third high school and we had an adverse outcome in the condemnation case. Thousands of families in the district do not know which high school their children will attend because we don’t know where the new school will be nor when it will open.

I supported daytime classroom Halloween parties but several schools now have much less-inclusive evening parties instead. I supported air conditioning for our impossibly hot elementary school classrooms but that has been tabled for now for numerous reasons.

All day kindergarten will be a reality in our district next year. State law requires districts to provide half day kindergarten as well and I hope that many families will choose to go that route. I am sad for all the kindergarteners being pushed to do more while having less opportunity to just be a little kid. I am sad for the elementary students who will lose their art or music rooms and/or will be forced to learn in cramped quarters or in a busy place like the school library. This will be reality in some schools as they carve out space for these additional kindergarten classrooms.

Whew! Now I’m ready for a new year and a fresh start. I wish you all good health and prosperity in the coming year.

2007-12-21 Christmas

2009-08-23T21:39:00.004-05:00

A friend recently had some negative things to say about Christmas and this got me thinking about why Christmas is so important to me and my family.

To me Christmas is so much more than just one holy day; it’s a celebration that goes on for several weeks.

This year the season began for us Thanksgiving weekend when we decorated our Christmas tree, hung our stockings, and put up a multitude of old and new indoor decorations. A week and a few trips to American Sale later our best ever outdoor display was complete. Don’t believe my second-grader when she says we spent $800 on lights. That is not true. It is true that her Christmas wish list is the longest we’ve ever seen.

Why is Christmas important to me? Or course most significant is the celebration of Christ’s birth. The other reason is that this is a time of year rich with tradition including numerous social events. There are parties with friends, neighbors, and family, parties at work, church, and school. Church events include celebrating Advent during Sunday services, the annual children’s Christmas musical, the Silent Choir’s amazing performance of the Hallelujah Chorus, and the Christmas Eve candlelight service.

There are numerous opportunities to donate time, food, money, or gifts to those less fortunate. We, like many, have our favorite charities and organizations to support. Our children perform in magnificent concerts at school and in nursing homes.

I took a Christmas card photo of my children when I finally found a day that everyone was home at the same time, not sick, somewhat agreeable, and looking halfway decent. This is harder than it sounds! Our 118 cards are now in the mail. I love receiving beautiful cards and photos and Christmas letters, some from people I haven’t seen in years and some whom I’ve never met in person. The inside of our front door is quickly filling up with these greetings from all over.

There are dozens of gifts to be bought and wrapped. We visit Santa at Phillips Park and he always has plenty of time to talk with us and coax a shy child into a photo. This year there was the added bonus of the new light display at the park. My family has an annual Housewalk including a progressive dinner and a chance to see everyone’s Christmas decorations. There are opportunities to see Christmas plays, drive around looking at outdoor light displays, make cookies with relatives, and help decorate Christmas trees at Grandma and Grandpa’s and Aunt Becky’s.

There are several Advent Calendars in use at my house to count down to the big day. One daughter also keeps count on her white board starting long before December, and this same girl starts playing 93.9 FM on November 1 when they begin playing Christmas music around the clock. The high-schoolers aren’t happy to have finals just before Christmas but all are glad for the two week break from school.
Christmas is a magical time for us. On Christmas Eve my husband bakes oatmeal cookies, we do any last minute preparations, watch some traditional Christmas movies, go to church, and celebrate with the Tatar family before visiting Lehnertz Avenue. When we get home the kids each open a gift from their dad and me, we read ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas, and put out milk and cookies for Santa. Some people are so excited they have a very hard time falling asleep.

The kids like to bargain for a wake-up time. They aren’t allowed to wake me at 3:30am even if they are ready to open presents then! I joke that I need to sleep until ten. Luckily for them, Santa leaves their stockings bursting full of goodies at their doorways so they can be entertained until it’s time to get everyone up. No one is allowed downstairs until then.

The fire is burning and Christmas music playing while we take turns opening gifts. What could possibly be more exciting than opening presents on Christmas morning? Later we head to the hall for the Hayton family Christmas gathering. It’s fun to see everyone and hear about their mornings. Tthe food is delicious and in addition to the children’s gift exchange, Santa visits to bring a gift for each child. In the evening we relax and exchange gifts at my parents’ house. It is an exhausting and wonderful day. A few days later we celebrate with the Hard family.

We enjoy giving and receiving. We enjoy the religious aspect of the season, the good food, music, parties, and time with friends and family. What’s not to love?
I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

2007-12-07 IPSD Music

2009-08-23T21:39:00.003-05:00

My family lucked into an absolutely incredible music program when we moved into the Indian Prairie School District. My children were young and I didn't know that the district had a great music program, nor would I have even known it would matter to us. The music program in our schools continues to astound me year after year.

Over the years, my children have participated in orchestra, band, chorus, and a variety of musicals. I've been to dozens of performances and have always been impressed. The district is teeming with musical talent.

The elementary school music program has an impressive curriculum and includes an evening musical performance each year for each grade in every school. Fourth and fifth graders have the opportunity to take part in chorus and a large number of students participate. Fifth graders can join band or orchestra after spending a few weeks learning about all the instrument choices and deciding on the one that's right for them.

The middle schools continue on with strong band, orchestra and chorus programs. Among the several concerts performed by Granger students each year is the Kaleidoscope concert. This beautiful concert is held in December and all of the music students perform in the decorated gym. Extra-curricular music groups such as Fiddlers, Select Strings, Concert Choir and Wind Ensemble meet before school and perform several times each year. Students especially enjoy taking part in the spring musical. District students from sixth grade on have the opportunity to audition for Illinois Music Educators Association (IMEA) festival and to participate in annual solo/ensemble festivals.

This extensive preparation in the earlier grades leads these gifted musicians into our Grammy Award winning high school music programs. Waubonsie Valley and Neuqua Valley have been honored by the Grammy Foundation numerous times.

About 20% of Waubonsie students participate in curricular music. There are several small groups and extra-curricular performing groups available as well. Dozens of concerts are held at Waubonsie and other locations each year. Our students have done particularly well at IMEA and this year we have 21 students attending the All-State Conference.

I'm usually not the sort of person to gush, but I’m absolutely amazed at the quality of the concerts I've attended at Waubonsie. The most well-known and attended district concerts of the year are Waubonsie’s Prism concert and Neuqua’s Crystal Concert. These concerts are held each December. At Waubonsie all curricular music students in grades ten through twelve participate as well as freshman in extra-curricular music groups.

This is the sixteenth year the Prism concert has been held. There will be at least six hundred performers in twenty-six musical ensembles as well as some pre-concert soloists and ensembles. This is a musical experience I wish I could invite all of you to witness for yourselves, but tickets are very hard to come by. The concert is performed four times over two nights to a total audience of almost 3600. After students and staff have acquired their tickets during the week-long well-coordinated distribution, the public is welcome to stand in line in the hopes of obtaining some of the remaining fifty or so tickets, or they may be lucky enough to get some turned-in tickets at concert time.

The Prism concert features a dazzling array of exceptional performers in every possible location throughout the auditorium with no breaks between songs. The audience attention and lights shift from song to song to locations in front, back, center, one side or the other. The finale is absolutely incredible and includes all of the concert participants filling the stage and aisles and providing an unforgettable ending to an incredible evening. This concert would not be possible without the directors, auditorium staff, dedicated music students, and numerous parent helpers.

Another huge event every year is the Fine Arts Festival, held at each high school in May. This day-long event features musical performances and art work from students at every grade level. I am amazed each year by the high quality sewing projects and architectural drawings, the furniture, drawings, paintings, and 3-D art projects. This is an excellent chance to see and hear the talents of our students, with no tickets or fees required.

Waubonsie and Neuqua each have a large and active Tri-M club. Tri-M is an honors music society that does community service. This year's Waubonsie club goal is to raise $50,000 to help start music programs in some schools in Chicago.

It would take a book to fully describe the district’s music program and all of its concerts, awards, and honors. Many thanks are due to all the people who work so hard for this success.

2007-11-25 All Day K

2009-08-23T21:39:00.002-05:00

Does District 204 need all day kindergarten for all children? And if so, what is the urgency to implement this in 2008?

The public was pretty much blindsided by this proposal at the Monday, November 12 Board of Education meeting. It appeared on the agenda that was published on the district’s website Friday afternoon, just a few days prior to the meeting.

Most surprising to me is that this was presented by the administration to the School Board at the meeting with an expectation that after discussion the Board would approve this endeavor at the very same meeting. Thankfully, due to the absence of three of seven board members, the vote was pushed to the next meeting on Monday, November 26. It is appalling to me that such a change would be made without any chance whatsoever for community input. It seems that the administration is so enamored with this idea that they have set aside any potential negatives as inconsequential. All of the elementary school principals showed up in full support. Only one of the four board members present had questions about the possible negative impact of implementing this.

I think it is only fair that the public be allowed to find out how this will affect programs in their elementary buildings and how it may affect their own families, whether or not they have a future kindergartener. I can’t imagine that this program is so necessary that we can’t take the time to step back and examine the facts and the possible effects on the district as a whole, kindergarten students, students in grades 1-5, and their parents.

Can we find out whether or not there is a positive benefit to this for children who are not behind their peers at age 5, that outweighs the potential benefit of having one more year as a little kid, time with family members, friends, time for naps, snacks, playing, outings?

There is too much push, in my opinion, for kids to begin excelling academically at a very young age and many children aren’t ready for it yet at that age nor do they need it. Many students I know have attended half day kindergarten and have gone on to excel beginning in the early grades. If there is too much curriculum being taught in kindergarten to fit into the ½ day allotted, then maybe we should scale back our expectations for that year. Historically kindergarten year is a good transition for many to attending school every weekday, going with the bigger kids, getting a taste of the specials, and learning some of the very basics that will be needed in the years to come.

We have just begun a pilot program for at-risk children in four of our buildings this year and it would seem prudent to wait for some results from that, and perhaps expand the pilot program to include at-risk children in some of our other buildings. There are children who arrive in the district ill-prepared for the learning that takes place in kindergarten and these students deserve to have extra resources focused on them so that they will enter first grade on a more even playing field with their peers. But why extend this all children?

I find it hard to believe that there are sixty-one classrooms that can be used for this within our twenty-one elementary buildings without compromising somewhere. Some obvious possibilities seem to be art, music, and computers on a cart, where there is no classroom available for these programs. Our district has an excellent fine arts program and we should not do anything that will negatively affect this. Our Grammy award winning high school music program could not exist without the foundation the children are given in elementary school.

Another obvious change would be that buildings which are already overcrowded would most likely need to increase class sizes in grades 1-5 in order to find space for the additional sections of kindergarten. Would the negative effects of this increase in class size potentially undo any good that was done by the academic cramming in kindergarten? As the district continues to grow, would we require an additional elementary school building solely due to implementing all day kindergarten, and if so, would the taxpayers be willing to support this?

Using 61 additional classrooms to provide all day kindergarten for all reduces our ability to deal react to enrollment fluctuations including those due to growth or boundary changes.

Many parents will be in favor of this because it will provide taxpayer funded school-day care for their kindergarten children. Many who now attend private kindergarten for this very reason will now attend kindergarten in the public school. While some might prefer the half day option, it is not planned to be offered in every elementary building and we also face the concerns some parents will have that their child will be “behind” if they don’t take advantage of this educational opportunity. It is hard to believe that most kindergarteners are not already learning plenty both at home and school.

One of the selling points is that we stand to receive more in state funds for this program than what it will actually cost us, with the expectation that we will be $2 million ahead per year. If this is true and remains true, then great! It’s hard not to be a bit skeptical.

In my house, where both parents work and all six of us attended half day kindergarten (2 of us when that half day included nap time!), we all prefer half day kindergarten and feel that there is enough pressure on kids to perform academically at an early age without adding this. We also have years of experience with art and music on a cart versus having rooms set aside specifically for them and we think there’s no question that the teachers and students are all much better off when they have designated space for these programs. Many others I’ve discussed this with agree.

While full day kindergarten for all could very well be the right thing to do, I am hoping that the public will get more information and more opportunity to give their input before this is put into place. Anyone who wants to have their say should e-mail the board at board-members@ipsd.org or arrive before 7pm to sign up to speak at the November 26 board meeting.

While times have changed, let’s not forget that little children are still little children.

2007-11-16 Blocks and Miles

2009-08-23T21:39:00.001-05:00

The distances of my childhood were measured in blocks. My children live in a world of miles.

When I was growing up, it seemed that people lived near most of the places they needed to go on a regular basis and most households could get by with a single car. In recent decades subdivisions have been popping up all over that aren’t laid out in blocks and usually aren’t in close proximity to schools, churches, stores, medical facilities, recreational areas, or jobs.

I lived on the corner of Fourth St. and Maple Ave. where there were so many kids on our block that the city put up a “Watch Children” sign. The kids in my neighborhood walked to school at Bardwell (2 blocks away), Good Counsel (1 block), Waldo (8 blocks) and East High (11 blocks). There were several places we could stop on the way to or from school including Sheagren’s, Buchner’s Bakery, Neitzel’s, Twirly Top, Prairie Chicken, and other small local businesses. The district’s administration building was close enough to the high school that we were able to easily march over there when we had a “Save our Sports” walk-out, after taking a small detour past Waldo to gather more marchers.

Our high school is almost five miles away. For thousands of local students it’s both too far and unsafe to walk to school. Many students carry far too much with them to make walking feasible even if they have a safe route. Participation in extra-curricular activities depends on the family’s ability to arrange transportation.

My family belonged to Fourth Street United Methodist Church, just a block from home. Several other churches are/were located within blocks. Being so close to church meant that I could easily participate in church activities like Youth Group, Children’s Choir, and Confirmation whether or not they coincided with times my parents would be at church. Many of my church friends lived nearby and attended school with me. On my wedding day my bridesmaids and I got dressed at my house and walked to church.

I don’t know of any Methodist churches within five miles of where I live now, and there are no churches at all within walking distance. The church I attend now is ten miles away and a 20-30 minute drive depending on traffic. There are lots of activities my kids might like to do but they are limited due to the distance. Our Wednesday evening and Sunday morning church driving winds up fairly complicated as schedules vary by person. Despite this being a large church, very few people my family knows from church attend school with our children and none live in our neighborhood.

In the past, many lived near downtown, and downtown had it all when it came to shopping! There were major retailers, car dealerships, drug stores, restaurants, and stores selling furniture, clothing, sporting goods, hardware. There were shops and restaurants at Northgate, West Plaza, and Ashland Avenue and later at Fox Valley Mall. There was no need to drive far for shopping. We frequently walked to Buy Rite (5 blocks) to buy a few groceries. We got our bikes from Crosby’s downtown and loved visiting the Aurora Pet Shop and getting treats at The Corn Crib. Nowadays there are much fewer neighborhood stores and most local households don’t have access to one. Our nearest stores are two miles away across busy roads.

Copley Hospital, where I was born, was also just a few blocks from my house, as were our doctors’, dentist, and orthodontist offices on Lincoln Ave. All were located in a residential neighborhood where people would have an easy time getting there for medical services or to visit loved ones in the hospital. In junior high I volunteered at Copley as a candy striper. Numerous times I walked over to visit people in the hospital. One such occasion was when my great-grandmother was hospitalized on her 85th birthday and a couple dozen of us went up to sing to her and bring her cake. My nearest hospital now is five miles away. I don’t know anyone who walks to a hospital.

When I was growing up, most of our recreational activities were near home. Kids went to Saturday gym at the grade schools, the zoo, fishing, and ice skating at Phillips Park, and participated in park activities at numerous parks available within easy walking or biking distance. We flew kites and visited the Bookmobile in the Good Counsel parking lot a block away. We rode our bikes on the Gilman trail. Sports participation didn’t require our parents to drive us anyplace. I wasn’t aware of any traveling sports teams. Now most who are in sports need rides and frequently the places they’re going are nowhere near home.

Most of the adults worked nearby. Business in the Aurora area was booming and there were thousands employed by area factories. During high school and college I worked within blocks of home – at Ice Cream Castle (Lincoln & Galena), Donino’s Family Foods (on Root Street), and Fox Valley Medicine (at the old Copley). It seemed unusual for people to commute over ten miles, and a rarity for Aurorans to work in Chicago.

These days working near home seems to be the exception rather than the rule. People are often a bit envious when they hear that I work only four miles from home. Many now have long commutes and/or travel frequently for business.

For decades there were several locations showing movies in Aurora –three theaters downtown, the Hi-Lite 30 and Skylark drive-ins, West Plaza, and later Fox Valley Theaters. Now Aurora is the second largest city in the state and has no movie theaters at all but we are fortunate to still enjoy live entertainment at the Paramount. From what I’ve read, Aurora offered even more recreational opportunities long ago with the Aurora Driving Park, Exposition Park, Riverview Park, and three opera houses to name a few.

While some in Aurora may be fortunate enough to have most of life’s amenities practically in their backyard, I contend this is far more uncommon these days both due to the fact that thousands live in newer areas that weren’t built this way and the fact that many facilities have moved out of the older neighborhoods and downtown – including employers, stores, churches, movie theaters, medical and recreational facilities. This way of life for many here is long-gone, and some don’t even know what they’re missing.

2007-11-02 My Grandpa

2009-08-23T21:38:00.000-05:00

I’m proud to be the oldest granddaughter of Chuck Hard.

He was born in Chicago on October 19, 1917 and moved to Aurora with his family at the age of 5. . He attended East Aurora schools including East Aurora High School in the building that is now K.D. Waldo, where my brother and I went to junior high. One day he was lectured in the principal’s office after having been spotted riding a motorcycle with his friend, Fritz Erb, when he should have been in school. He was told that if he wasn’t serious about his education, there was the door. He called their bluff and quit school right then and there, never to return. This was during the Depression and his family was in debt, so he went to work to support his mother and sisters.

He and my grandma were married in 1940. They celebrated many happy family occasions and sent out annual Christmas card photos. Their family enjoyed fishing, boating, and water-skiing on vacations to Wolf Lake in Michigan. The family grew to include four children and spouses, thirteen grandchildren, and fifteen great-grandchildren with another on the way. Sadly, my grandmother didn’t live to see the youngest of her grandchildren.

In 1977 my grandparents moved to Florida where they enjoyed the warm weather and living near their daughter’s family. Family frequently visited them there and they came for long visits to Illinois every summer and Christmas. Grandpa continued making the twice yearly trips until Christmas of 2004, after which a downturn in his health made traveling difficult.

Family was at all times Grandpa’s top priority. He took an active part in his children’s lives and enjoyed keeping up with all that was going on with everyone over the years. He had a joke or witty saying for every situation. He was well-liked by all and kept up correspondence with many over the years. He took pleasure in both the successes and the day-to-day lives of his family. He always had a smile on his face and was always willing to lend a hand. He was an active member in several social clubs over the years and at church.

Music was always one of his great loves. He played in the school band as a youngster and as an adult he was active for several years in the parents’ group for the Vaqueros Drum and Bugle Corps. He loved to play the organ and in retirement still enjoyed attending dances and listening to bands. In later years he loved to hear music performed by his great-grandchildren. He was unable to attend most of their concerts, so we sent the concerts to him in the form of CDs and video.

My family visited Grandpa during our Florida trip this past August. We took lots of pictures and when we left we all said our good-byes and I-love-yous and we’ll see you in two months for your 90th birthday party.

The mid-October birthday trip was fun to plan. I hadn’t seen my grandpa on his birthday since he moved to Florida and it was to be the first time I traveled with only my parents and brother in over twenty years. Several others made plans to attend the October 20 party as well. I began working on a column in honor of Grandpa for his birthday gift.

A few weeks before his birthday Grandpa wound up in the hospital on a ventilator for a couple days. We prayed and received a miracle. He woke up and was taken off the machines and moved out of the hospital. I was ecstatic when I heard that he’d spoken on the phone to my dad.

However, this party was not to be. The man we had known and loved for our entire lives passed on to eternity on October 12. Instead of packing, we spent the week prior to his birthday attending to arrangements, greeting friends and family at his wake, and getting through the funeral. I had my first experience with obituary-writing. My daughter Kathy played the violin before the funeral service. My son Jonathan loves to sing but knew he would be unable to do so at the funeral. Early that morning his concert choir at Granger Middle School recorded the song they’d been working on and it was played during the service. The song was “Come to Me, My Love.”

That Friday Grandpa would have turned 90. Several of us celebrated his life that evening with a party at Gario’s. My brother read a prayer written by my son, we sang “Happy Birthday” and we had pizza, cake, and drinks. This was a fitting tribute that Grandpa would have appreciated.

Our lives are all the richer for having known him, and I will always miss him.

2007-10-20 Halloween

2009-08-23T21:37:00.004-05:00

Elementary school Halloween parties have been an American tradition for decades, yet in recent years many District 204 schools have banished Halloween celebrations entirely or moved them outside of school hours.

There are much bigger issues facing the district but this one became a really hot topic last school year.

Until this year, each elementary principal could make their own decision about classroom parties. Over the years these have ranged from the traditional holiday parties, to curriculum themed parties, season or alternately themed parties, to no parties at all.

Over time we lost both Halloween and Valentine's Day classroom parties at Brooks. Last year our classroom parties included a fall party in September instead of Halloween and an Earth Day party in April instead of a February Valentine's party. I’ve heard there are a small number of students whose families do not want them to participate in a Halloween celebration at school, therefore in the spirit of inclusion it was decided that there would be no Halloween parade and party at school. This seems wrong to me. In an effort to avoid offending a few, the many lose out on this opportunity. Halloween for the majority of American families is a traditional secular and fun celebration for children.

Last October Brooks held its first evening family Halloween party. Hundreds of families showed up, which both indicated the level of interest in celebrating Halloween at school, and turned out to be way more people than could be accommodated comfortably. I truly appreciate the efforts of the volunteers who put on the party. There was simply no way around having extremely long lines for all activities and huge crowds in every part of the available space. This was not an enjoyable evening.

I much prefer the classroom costume parties over this chaos. In a classroom party my daughter would have the chance to see her own classmates in costume and every child would have the opportunity to do each activity provided by the room parents.

A few creative room parents have made the best of the situation since we've lost out on the usual themes. Last year we had a New Year's Party and a Seventies party.

The school board received a lot of feedback from parents about this and it seems that the majority prefer Halloween parties during the school day. A new policy was written and put into place in June that requires the principal and parents to agree on room parties.

Principals are choosing to handle this in different ways. While the wording of the new policy would indicate we be given a choice of various options along with the reasoning behind them, this is not what I’ve seen. The two letters I’ve seen that went home to families stated what parties would be offered and when, and parents were to send back a Yes or No. The Brooks party list is an evening Halloween party in October to be held at the middle school, a winter party in December, a Valentine’s party in February (awesome!), and Earth Day party in spring. We were not given options or reasoning behind the options and the survey was clearly set up to lead to a certain outcome.

The evening Halloween party conflicts with a concert that Waubonsie Valley and Granger students will be participating in, and there are certainly other conflicts as well, meaning that not all students who would like to celebrate Halloween with the other students at Brooks will have the chance to do so.

At least one school no longer has daytime classroom parties at all, after having first replaced the traditional parties with curriculum based parties. The principal does not intend to reinstate the daytime parties even with the new policy in place. What is the point of this? Childhood goes by so quickly, and an hour and a half of lost instruction time to have fun three times a year does not seem unreasonable.

It’s sad that for many of today’s grade-schoolers Halloween will always be just a regular day of school.

2007-10-05 Genealogy

2009-08-23T21:37:00.003-05:00

Something that’s fallen by the wayside during these years of being a working mother is hobbies for myself. Even with the crazy busy schedule of kids in school plus their extra-curricular activities and me working all hours of the day and night for Tellabs, somehow I'm starting to find a little time to do whatever it is I like to do.

What is it that I like to do? I honestly don't remember! There has to be time for more than just trying not to fall behind with everything going on and reading a few minutes before falling asleep at night.

One thing that interests me that I'd like to spend more time on is family history. My children have a very rich family history to be pursued here and in Europe. Their immigrant relatives who arrived in North America between 1879 and 1915 include the Fuchs and Griesmanns from Germany, the Tatars and Antuls from Romania, the Olobris and Nannis from Italy, and the Clemensons, Petersons and Larsons from Norway.

Other branches of the family, including the Hards, Haytons, and Frasers, have been in the United States and Canada much longer. These families came from Norway, Scotland, England, Ireland, and France. One arrived in Plymouth in 1621 on The Fortune shortly before the first Thanksgiving and another on The Arabella in 1630.

Among our relatives who served in the Revolutionary War is Solomon Slayback who served under General George Washington. Another interesting person in our family tree is John Winthrop, the first governor of Massachusetts. We have many family members who proudly served in World War II, some of whom did not make it back home safely.

My second cousin Davette in Wisconsin has done a great job of putting together the Hayton family tree (my mom’s family) and my Aunt Carol in Florida has given me incredible gifts of information about our shared family history (my dad’s family).

Even if I weren’t related to any of these people the stories and photos would still be fascinating to me. I love learning about how life has changed over the years.

I have transcriptions of some very interesting journals. These include my grandmother Marjorie Rose MacGibbon Hard’s from 1940-1944 which includes the time that my dad was born and her mother Bertha Fraser MacGibbon’s diary from 1911-1913 which includes the time when my grandma was born. What has always been remarkable to me about this story is that my great-grandmother did not find out she was pregnant with my grandma until she was eight months along, and had been corseted the whole time!

Another is the journal of Alexander Lambdin Slayback from 1844-1848. He was a lawyer, a husband and father, and a very religious man who lived in Missouri in times much different than today and died young. He was the great-grandfather of my grandmother. Yet another journal is that of my great-great-great-grandfather Charles Slayback, who took his wife and young daughter on a trip from New Orleans to Europe from June through October of 1874.

My great-great aunt and uncle, Margaret and Sam Stoner, lived on the near East side of Aurora. Their three sons, daughter, and son-in-law (husband of their deceased daughter) were all members of the armed forces during World War II. They published “The Stoner Weekly News” from 1942 until 1945 to share news among family and friends. Their circulation grew to include 58 people in 30 cities in 5 different countries. It is absolutely incredible to read about the war first-hand as it unfolded. These years include many historic events of world-wide interest as well as local events of personal interest including marriages, births, and deaths. This is something I would love to have published and seen by a wider audience.

I read over these papers and looked at the pictures years ago but want to read through them again and learn more about these people and others that came before us. Now the internet offers an easy way to find more information. There are so many different directions I could head with the various starting points available to me. I expect this will be a fun and rewarding journey.

2007-09-16 Air Conditioning 2

2009-08-23T21:37:00.001-05:00

As the weather gets cooler, the air conditioning controversy in District 204 continues to heat up.

I’ve been blessed to get to know many dedicated district residents and staff as this initiative as quickly taken off in the past couple of weeks. I have met some truly amazing people.

I’ve found out that the issues related to air temperature and quality are numerous and deserve serious attention.

Except for elementary schools, I don't know of a single building built in this area in the last twenty years for human occupation that does not have air conditioning. The fact that our high schools, middle schools, two most recent elementary schools, and administrative offices are all air conditioned demonstrates an awareness that students and adults work best with good air quality and controlled temperature and humidity. The Oswego School District used our building plans for their newest elementary schools and didn’t even consider building them without air conditioning.

Today's buildings are not built to be without air conditioning. They are unbearably hot and humid even when the temperature outside is mild. The situation is made worse by having a population density much greater than that of office buildings. In office buildings when the air conditioning isn't working usually the workers are sent home and productivity is lost rather than keeping workers in these unsatisfactory and potentially dangerous conditions. Even animal shelters and jails have air conditioning. Some states have laws that animals cannot be kept indoors at temperatures greater than ninety degrees, yet thousands of our children are put in this situation for too many hours and too many days each school year.

The bottom line is that for a cost of approximately $1 per week per household we could retrofit the remaining nineteen elementary buildings with air conditioning. This is a relatively small amount for most families. In fact, several families have offered to donate much more than this in an effort to supply their classrooms with much-needed relief.

The district has everything to gain by providing relief from heat and humidity in these buildings. The hot weeks would be spent on learning rather than surviving the heat, and children would not be forced to suffer illnesses related to heat and poor indoor air quality including heat exhaustion, headaches, stomach illnesses, asthma, allergies, and seizures. Several district children have needed medical treatment during the first two weeks of school most likely due to these poor conditions at school.

In fact, approximately one in thirteen school-aged children have asthma and according to the EPA asthma is the number one cause for absenteeism. This means it’s likely that over 1500 students in these 19 schools have asthma. Though not all are affected by heat, humidity and allergens, we should still strive to provide the best environment we can within reason.

Children with both learning and physical disabilities may have even more difficulty in a hot and humid classroom that has several fans running. This severely impacts those with hearing loss.

Several of us spoke on this topic at Monday’s School Board meeting. All of the speakers agreed that something needs to be done. The administration is in the process of gathering costs for a variety of options. These include air conditioning all or parts of buildings or shifting the school calendar or hours, and working on getting a plan in place for dealing with heat emergencies in the meantime.

The hot and humid conditions have a proven impact on children’s health and learning. I have been inundated with information to this effect. The public needs to know the gravity of the situation. This is not about comfort or luxury, this is about providing basic needs.

We would not ask our children to put on coats and learn in a classroom that is fifty degrees, why should they be forced to learn in an environment that exceeds ninety and in several cases exceeds one hundred degrees?

While the district administrators gather the information needed to make a decision about what the best solution is, this is the time to educate the public on the issues surrounding this need. We are losing instruction time for all children in our schools due to air temperature and quality issues, and many children are losing even more due to illnesses or special needs. It’s possible that this will go to referendum on the February ballot, in which case the public will need all the facts and data to make a good decision.

The district may sponsor a survey to determine whether or not the public is supportive of such a referendum. I might have said no a month ago, but now that I’m armed with facts I am one of the biggest advocates for retrofitting our schools with air conditioning.

I appreciate that the board and administration recognize that this is more than a mere question of comfort and will further investigate the issue of providing air conditioning for our elementary schools.

2007-09-07 Air conditioning

2009-08-23T21:33:00.003-05:00

A few weeks ago I thought air conditioning in elementary schools was unnecessary. I’ve reversed my position and have spent the last several days finding out how to correct this problem in District 204. I‘ve been in contact with residents throughout the district including parents, school board members, teachers, principals, and presidents of PTAs, the IPPC and teacher’s union.

I never believed our elementary schools needed air conditioning. It seemed like a good thing that the district saved taxpayer money by building so many schools without incurring the cost to install, maintain and run air conditioning for what I thought would be a very few days per year. I didn’t have air conditioning in my home or school when I was growing up and I was fine.

These notions flew out the window when I went to our school’s Meet and Greet on the afternoon of August 22. For years I’d heard from students and teachers that the buildings were hot, but I hadn’t experienced it and didn’t know how horribly hot, humid, and downright unbearable it could be. I was only there for an hour. I cannot fathom teaching in this environment all day long, or the kids trying to concentrate while they are dripping with sweat and drinking from water bottles and the hallway fountain attempting to keep hydrated.

Today’s buildings are not built to withstand the heat the way many older buildings are. Our elementary schools do not have high ceilings, large windows, large shade trees, or good air flow. On hot days there are dozens of fans and dehumidifiers turned on throughout the buildings. The lights are turned off and the windows opened. This does little to improve the heat situation yet the noise makes it harder for children to hear their teachers.

The administrative offices, which are open year round, are air conditioned, as are the teacher’s lounges and computer labs. All of our middle schools and high schools and two newest elementary schools are air conditioned. Are the students and staff in those buildings more in need of a comfortable environment than our kindergarten through fifth graders and their teachers in the other nineteen schools?

I thought this was a problem just for a few hot days in the end of August. Now I find that some classrooms are ten to fifteen degrees hotter than it is outside. This means that there are many more days that are terribly hot inside, and those days are much hotter than I ever knew. Even on the cloudy rainy days of Aug. 23 and 24 with no children yet in attendance first floor classroom temps hovered around ninety degrees.

I’m certain that this is a health risk for some people in addition to just making for long and difficult days. My second-grader tells me that children look like they “just came out of a swimming pool” because they are so drenched in sweat. This is not something I want thousands of area children and staff to deal with for many hours a day for several days or weeks per school year for years to come.

The school district has taken some immediate steps to help alleviate the problems in the elementary buildings due to the heat. However, I believe that air conditioning in the buildings would be a better long-term solution that would provide relief from the heat and humidity as well as prevent indoor condensation and any potential for mold.

This can only happen with widespread support within the community. Residents can take the opportunity to speak during the public comment portion of the next school board meeting on Monday, September 10. Elementary school PTAs can pass a resolution calling for a citizens’ committee to be formed.

Retrofitting the buildings for air conditioning will cost money and will need a referendum. This is an uphill battle. Many think as I did recently, that this is unnecessary. Many think they pay too much in taxes already and are weary from previous tax increases and wary of other increases yet to come. Many in the cold of winter will forget how hot it can be in summer. People who have not spent time in a one hundred degree classroom may not realize how truly awful it is. I invite you to contact the building staff at one of the elementary buildings and set up a visit on a hot and sunny day. Most of us would not be willing to work in such circumstances and we should not expect our teachers and children and other building staff to tolerate such conditions either.

This has gone on long enough. Now is the time to take action to rectify this situation.

2007-08-25 Summer's Ending

2009-08-23T21:33:00.002-05:00

This summer has flown by much too quickly. School is just around the corner and I feel like I’ve barely had a chance to catch my breath.

My family has enjoyed a vacation with relatives, a school trip, a mission trip, science camps, volunteering at our church Bible School, attending family gatherings, hanging out with family and friends, swimming, staying up late and sleeping in, bike riding, reading, playing cards, playing video games, spending time on IM, Facebook, and e-mail. There have been countless sleepovers. This is what childhood summers should be filled with.

We’ve also had a multitude of visits to doctors, the dentist, orthodontist and oral surgeon, and Driver’s Ed,.

School registrations for the fall are done for all three schools and we have the dozens of necessary school supplies and a parking pass for WVHS.

Some exciting news is that my daughter Jessica was accepted into the Lederman Scholars program at North Central College. She’ll start classes there this fall in addition to attending her senior year of high school. This is Jessica’s thirteenth and last year as a student in Indian Prairie School District. Even though we moved only once, she attended three grade schools, two middle schools, and two high school buildings. At the end of this year she’ll also have credits from two colleges. She plans to be a high school teacher.

Now for today’s gripe. My kids have summer homework. They have a LOT of summer homework. They also get homework to do over winter break and spring break. Most of the high school students I know work extremely hard during the school year and it would be great if any of these times off of school could actually be a real break! These teens carry a heavy course load during the school year and from the end of eighth grade through the end of high school there doesn’t seem to be a single day when there isn’t homework hanging over their heads.

Theoretically they could spend weeks in June completing the summer homework, if they have already purchased all the books or other necessary supplies and if they are not amazingly busy with summer activities. Realistically, they spend the month of June worrying about the homework and obtaining the needed supplies. In July they make some headway tackling the least objectionable assignments. By August most are in a panic about how much there is left to do and how little time and they find themselves doing homework in situations where those who’ve taken an easier schedule are relaxing and having fun.

I understand the value of assigning difficult orchestra pieces as summer homework for those students in the top audition orchestra group. These musicians need to keep up with their practice all year long. But the same is just not true of most academic courses the top students are taking. I wonder from the teachers’ point of view what value there is to the summer assignments.

While some teenagers may benefit from the routine of having homework throughout the school year, the students who typically take the honors and AP courses that have summer homework are the same students who tend to be involved in many activities and volunteer opportunities and would both make good use of their time off in the summer as well as easily get back into the homework routine when school starts in the fall.

I don’t expect this will change given the competitive climate of our high schools, but it makes me sad that many in this generation lose out on the carefree days of summer.

2007-08-17 Driver's Ed

2009-08-23T21:33:00.001-05:00

I have heard that Waubonsie Valley has an excellent Driver’s Education program. I doubt that my family will ever find out. My own children and many others do not take Driver’s Ed through school for a variety of reasons, but the two main reasons at my house are that we want to start driver’s education as soon as is reasonable, and the fact that our teenagers would have to miss out on some other necessary course in order to take it at school.

At the time of this writing, my daughter Kathy is just finishing the first week of three for the classroom portion of Driver’s Ed through a local agency. Though the cost of this program is slightly more than double the $200 WV charges, it is well worth it to us for her to take this class outside of school. She will be able to get her license anytime after her sixteenth birthday, rather than having to wait a minimum of five extra months and she can start driving now rather than in five or twelve more months. I would never want a teen to get a license before they are ready to drive on their own, but prefer they be given every chance to be ready for their license at sixteen.

Due to high school graduation and college entrance requirements, it can be difficult for serious students to get all the classes they want and need packed into four years of high school. Driver’s Ed is a semester course required for graduation which can be taken either privately or at school.

If a student takes one each of the core and required classes - math, science, social studies, English, and PE, they are left with two class periods a day to take foreign language and pursue or seek their passion among the many other courses available. This leaves no class periods available for Driver's Ed.

A student is not eligible to take this class at school until the semester or summer in which they turn sixteen, or possibly later since priority is given in birthday order. With the new laws in place this means that a student who takes Driver's Ed at school may not be able to get their license until many months after their sixteenth birthday.

I want my teens driving as soon as is reasonably possible so they will get lots of practice before college with their parents readily available to give supervision and guidance. I also want them to have the opportunity to go places and do things that don’t require me to drive them once they’ve reached this age of independence.

Hundreds of Waubonsie families each year are left pursuing private Driver's Ed classes. Despite the additional cost, these courses offer the benefit of not taking up a class period at school as well as allowing the student to begin learning to drive as soon as they turn fifteen. Since teens will now be required to have their permit for at least nine months before getting their license, and need at least fifty hours of driving experience, this gives plenty of time to get this experience in before age sixteen.

I wish there were a reasonable way for my children and many others who are dedicated students to take this class through school. I wonder why Indian Prairie students couldn’t be offered a semester of driver’s education in lieu of PE, or perhaps offered the course immediately before or after the regular school day. This would allow the classroom portion of Driver's Ed to be spread out over months rather than just a few weeks. This would also free us parents from having to drive to and from Driver's Ed several times in addition to all the other driving we already do.

In light of the changes in Driver’s License requirements it would be nice if there were some way that students could take Driver’s Ed at school if they turn fifteen (rather than sixteen) by a certain date. These cases might include teens who have a four year course plan with no room for Driver’s Ed or those who meet a certain minimum GPA.

I know that some students are able to take advantage of the summer offering of Driver’s Ed through school. Even if it weren’t for the prioritizing by birthday that wouldn’t allow my children to do this until after they turn sixteen, there would still be the conflict of summer trips out of town as well as finding transportation to and from school. Students whose parents work and have no easy walking route, no safe biking route, and no public transportation to school may not have any reasonable way to attend daytime classes.

For new drivers and their parents, I recommend the book Crashproof Your Kids by Timothy C. Smith and the Driver’s Edge teen program (see www.driversedge.com).

While my oldest isn’t too excited about sharing the car and I won’t be happy to pay even higher car insurance bills, I’m definitely looking forward to having another driver in the house.

2007-07-27 Why I'm writing

2009-08-23T21:27:00.004-05:00

Since I started writing this column I've had a lot of people ask me how this came about. It's even surprising to me, a math major turned software engineer, that I'm writing something for the Beacon on a regular basis.

My relationship with The Beacon News and sister paper The Naperville Sun has been a long one. Generations of my family including myself have had our birth announcements, honor rolls, school sports and awards, scout activities, high school and college graduations, engagements, and weddings published in the Beacon. There have been many obituaries as well.

I’ve had letters to the editor published as well as an article about my oldest daughter earlier this year in the “Amazing People” section. I was interviewed by Denise Crosby for a Beacon column about an issue with our homeowners association. I was also interviewed once for an article in the Naperville Sun about my fight for a school to be built on the site in my neighborhood.

For several years I’ve been living in DuPage County Aurora. This is an odd place to try to get good newspaper coverage. The Naperville Sun covers Naperville, including our school district, but not Aurora. The Beacon News covers Kane County Aurora and surrounding communities really well. It prints most of the District 204 articles that are in the Naperville Sun, but usually a couple days later. The publisher of these two papers also prints a weekly free newspaper that comes to all of DuPage County Aurora and includes articles of interest to us, but once a week is not timely news.

This spring I spent countless hours on the District 204 School Board election and thought I was well-informed coming into the election. A few days prior to the election I saw a sign for a candidate running for College of DuPage Board of Trustees. What? I had no idea there was such an election going on and had no information at all about the people running for that office. The Beacon had printed a Kane County Aurora sample ballot in English and Spanish, but no sample ballot for DuPage County Aurora. The Fox Valley Villages Sun had not provided us with a sample ballot, either. Nor had I seen any press about this or any other possible races I might be voting on besides school board, and most of that I’d seen by reading The Naperville Sun or Daily Herald online.

I contacted Rick Nagel at the Beacon to express my concern. I count on my local newspaper to inform me about upcoming elections including candidate profiles and useful information about relevant issues and referenda. I do not want to have to subscribe to the Beacon for Aurora issues, the Naperville Sun for school district issues, the Daily Herald for county issues, and the Sun or Tribune for state and national news. I don’t have time to read all these papers!

In early May Rick and I met and discussed my concerns and what I’d like to see in the Beacon. At this time I was offered the opportunity to write a Valley Voices column. I told him that I’m a computer person, not a writer, but he felt that my passion for my city and school district would be reflected and be a positive addition to the paper. I only hope that I am living up to this, that I am not boring people, and that the Beacon will continue to make progress in providing better coverage for people living in my part of town and in turn get more readers in DuPage County Aurora. It would be great if Aurora residents in both Kane and DuPage could go beyond the county line to all see ourselves as part of one great city.

2007-07-20 Terezin

2009-08-23T21:27:00.003-05:00

The WVHS orchestra trip to Europe was absolutely amazing. We visited historic palaces and cathedrals, many of which have been added onto and changed over the centuries. We toured Haydn's house and Mozart's house. We saw monuments to heroes and tombs for unknown soldiers. We saw statues, elegant gardens, a museum of musical instruments, the Lipizzaner horses of the Spanish Riding School, and dozens of beautiful and very old buildings. We visited the graves of composers in Vienna's Central Cemetery where we also saw hundreds of large and unusual gravestones.

We had dinner in Vienna at the apartment of renowned opera singer Dr. Jutta Unkart-Seifert who spent all day cooking for the fifty-six of us. She is President of the European Cultural Initiative for the Young Generation, working to promote cultural exchange with other countries. [*is it possible to get a copy of our certificate printed with this column?]

Each country we visited uses a different currency so needed to do a lot of conversion calculating. Drivers did not stop or slow for pedestrians so we had to get quickly out of the way. Most cars were very small and parallel parked very close together. Most menus we saw were printed in several languages and most people we encountered spoke at least some English. There was a church service being held while we were exploring the impressive St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna. We walked miles on cobblestone sidewalks and narrow streets. We enjoyed shopping and sightseeing on pedestrian streets. We saw street performers and a political demonstration.

While we saw incredible wealth, history, and beauty, we also had a glimpse of the darker side of Central Europe.

In contrast to the warm and sunny weather we had most of the trip, our first morning in Prague was cool and rainy. This seemed appropriate for our visit to a concentration camp north of the city.

I heard adults and students alike questioning whether or not it was appropriate to visit a concentration camp on our Europe tour. This was a difficult but invaluable experience for us all. My only regret is that as with much of the trip, we were in a large group and there was little time to stop and reflect.

The camp was built as a fortress in 1780 by Joseph II, ruler of the Austrian Empire, and named Terezin in honor of his mother, the Empress Maria Theresa.

Thousands of men, women, and children were imprisoned in Terezin during World War II. This was not an extermination camp, but used mainly to hold people before they were sent to other camps and almost certain death. Thousands died in Terezin during the Nazi occupation from the appalling living conditions, illness, and torture. Even after liberation many died due to a typhoid epidemic.

What we’ve seen in books or on TV does not compare to actually being there and feeling the horror of it. The details of what we saw and heard have made a lasting impression on us. Partway through our tour we encountered a group of high-schoolers who had just arrived. They were laughing and chattering on their way in, in stark contrast to our group which was now silent and somber with a few tears falling, some holding hands or leaning on each other for comfort. What a difference a few minutes in such a place can make.

Fifty-six of us crowded into a room which we were told had been used to hold eighty men, who had been required to stand facing the walls and use one corner of the room as a bathroom. This was very disturbing.

Another room had wooden bunks four high on three sides. We were told that six hundred men had slept in this room. There were no mattresses, pillows, or blankets. Each man had a width of fifteen inches on the hard bunks. There was a long table with benches where the men had coffee and bread in the morning and soup in the evening, their only food for each day. In between they worked twelve hour days in all weather conditions, clothed in World War I army uniforms. The room was not heated and the two bathrooms were open only fifteen minutes each morning and evening.

Even worse were the tiny holding cells used for punishment, some with a window and some completely dark. Prisoners in these cells were not allowed to communicate or smile. One punishment doled out was ten days in a solitary dark cell with no food or water, a sentence that could not be survived. It seems unfathomable that humans could treat other humans in this manner.

I can only hope that as each new generation takes a glimpse at some of the horrifying things that have been done in the past that it will help prevent such things from happening in the future.

2007-07-13 Fireworks

2009-08-23T21:27:00.002-05:00

I’ve been to Aurora’s fireworks almost every year of my life. Many years dozens of relatives and friends met at my grandparents’ house on the near west side and walked a few blocks to set up by the river and watch the fireworks together. When the next generation came along this was the only tradition they knew.

In 2004 the fireworks moved to the Fox Valley Mall (I’m not sure when the name change occurred but does anyone really call it Westfield Shoppingtown?). This sent the family looking for another place to enjoy the fireworks as a group. Most went on to Batavia. Since we live on the far east side, we thought it would be great to have the fireworks close to home. We were excited by the idea that we wouldn’t have to haul our chairs, blankets, cooler and snacks a few blocks and could just set up outside our minivan. We were disappointed that no one else in the family was willing to try it out with us and we were on our own.

That first year we had a fairly good time at the mall fireworks. We had a great view and were close to the activities and vendors. The second year though, our view was terrible and things that had seemed merely bothersome the first year were much worse this time. There were cars constantly driving up and down the rows both before and during the fireworks. This did not feel fun or safe and was very distracting.

While watching the fireworks at the mall became an unpleasant experience itself, the traffic leaving the mall was an absolute nightmare. It took a very long time to get out and if there weren’t any accidents, I’m surprised. Vehicles everywhere were all vying to get out of the same few exits. There was no direction we could easily go. We live only a few minutes from the mall and it took an hour to get home.

This year brought a new location for the fireworks and a positive reaction from our large group, most of whom decided to give it a try. We arrived early, parked in a lot near Edgelawn and Sullivan, and set up our chairs, blankets, and coolers in a huge wide-open grassy field. There was ample space for anyone who wanted to sit near the band, food, and kids’ activities. There was ample space to spread out. The kids had glow necklaces from the Lion’s Club. Many enjoyed pizza, popcorn, candy, drinks, and other snacks. People ran around and played ball. My niece Sara enjoyed face-painting the other kids.

The fireworks show itself was incredible. We have never seen a fireworks show with such a vast unobstructed view as this. There was room for many thousands more to watch. The finale was excellent. We had a clear view of North Aurora fireworks the whole time, and a partial view of Batavia’s as well.

The Aurora Police Department did a fine job of setting up for the traffic and while there were lots of cars leaving at once, the exodus went quickly and easily. We were home before 10:30pm. While some on the east side may be hesitant to go to the west for the fireworks, it’s well worth the drive. The parking, the layout of the area, and the ability to move thousands of people and vehicles out of the area quickly afterwards all make this an excellent location for the city’s fireworks. I am happy it worked out so well and my family got to enjoy the show with relatives again.

2007-07-06 Quick Take

2009-08-23T21:27:00.001-05:00

Indian Prairie School District residents voted by a significant majority to build a third high school. This is being held up by the lawyers for a trust looking to get top dollar for their land. Several parcels of land in the area were considered and the location determined to be best suited is farm land southwest of the Route 59 and 75th Street intersection known as the Brach-Brodie property. This land is owned by a trust because there are no living heirs.

The failure of our referendum in 2005 put us behind schedule in dealing with overcrowding, but even with the referendum passing in 2006 we are still falling further behind schedule and face dealing with greatly increased construction costs as we have not yet been able to obtain the land. The trust has been unwilling to sell at a price in line with area comparables for land zoned the same way, forcing the district to pursue land condemnation. The court has moved very slowly on this and is finally set to hear our case in September.

Over the past several months we had the opportunity to obtain the property immediately through quick-take in the state legislature (HB153). Quick-take was approved by a bi-partisan group in the house and went to senate, where it has stalled awaiting the nod from Senator Linda Holmes (D), whose 42nd district includes part of the school district. Holmes has held meetings to discuss the issue but has refused to support the wishes of many district residents and the school board.

Since Senate is still in session, there is still a chance that quick-take could be granted and we could begin construction as soon as possible, allowing the school to open on time in 2009 and saving the district money on construction costs. There is still a small window of opportunity for reducing our district’s overcrowding in a timely manner. This overcrowding is currently occurring in many of our district’s schools and is not conducive to providing an excellent learning environment.

With quick-take the land price would be set fairly by a jury using local comparable sales for the reference time-frame. It is reasonable to believe from the information available that the price should come in not much above the amount that the district has offered for the land, which is nowhere near the exorbitant amount requested by the trust.

Construction costs have been rising approximately 10% per year lately and on a $100 million building every delay is costly and runs the risk of forcing changes to the proposed facilities in order to keep costs in line.

The gamble of having to possibly pay a little more for the land with quick-take is more than offset by the sure thing of having to pay more for construction if we continue to be delayed.

Though the district could walk away from this land we would likely still have to pay a similar or greater amount for any of the other less desirable pieces of property and be even further delayed.

Area legislators and even the Brach-Brodie trust claim to be supporters of education and this is their golden opportunity to show that support. Joe Dunn (R) got this bill through the House, and Randall Hultgren (R) is sponsoring in the Senate. It is essential that the bill get support from Holmes in order to pass in the Senate. We have benefited from the support of Chicago Democrats, yet for some reason are unable to get the same and much-needed support from this one local Senator.

Sen. Holmes said "We all agree this is a necessary project. I have had several discussions with the Senate president regarding this issue and he understands my support for a fair and reasonable resolution."

Quick-take is indeed the fair and reasonable solution.
Fairness to the property holder - The land owner will be paid fair-market value for their property as determined by a jury.
Fairness to the students - Immediate access to the land allows the district to stay on schedule
and avoid overcrowding without reducing the scope of the planned facilities.
Fairness to the taxpayers -District taxpayers avoid escalation of construction costs
due to delays.

Quick-take is going up against reluctant legislators, lobbyists from various interests, powerful lawyers for a rich trust, and yes, people with honest concerns about overspending. I hope that quick-take will be approved and construction on the new school will begin in a timely manner. I urge the Illinois State Senate to take action on this important piece of legislation as soon as possible.

2007-06-27 Europe concerts

2009-08-23T21:26:00.001-05:00

I’ve chaperoned school trips to places like Blackberry Farm and Great America, but none compare to the incredible experience I recently returned from. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to chaperone the Waubonsie Valley High School Orchestra on their Three Capitals trip to Europe. Forty-three out of approximately two hundred students that participated in the school’s 2006-2007 five orchestras were along on the trip, as well as our two esteemed directors, Mr. John William Burck and Mr. Mark Liu, plus ten dedicated chaperones. Upon arrival at the airport in Budapest we were joined by our awesome tour manager, Lana, and amazing bus driver, Ewald.

The orchestra students played their Budapest concert in the Museum of Military History one evening to a large crowd who enjoyed us so much they even clapped for an encore that our group wasn’t prepared to perform. It had rained earlier and though we’d planned to play outside, the indoor venue was a large room with open windows filled with the fragrant aroma of flowering trees that worked well for us. There was a couple at this concert who were excited to learn we’d be in Vienna and said they’d come see our concert there later in the week. The families of two of our girls were shadowing our trip. They met us this evening for dinner and planned to attend the concert but due to various delays wound up arriving just in time for the encore.

In Vienna the orchestra played one morning at the Institute for the Blind to a crowd of students who were blind and disabled and people who work with them. What a wonderful experience it was to share our music with those who cannot see.

The following day our group played in the Orangerie at Schönbrunn Palace, the summer palace of the Habsburgs. The Orangerie was built in 1754 and Mozart performed there many times. As promised, the couple from our Budapest concert was in attendance this afternoon. The parents who had missed the Budapest concert arrived at this concert an hour early, and parents of three more of our kids were there as well.

The Austrian concerts were part of the 2007 American Celebration of Music in Austria.

In Prague they played in St. Nicholas Cathedral in Old Town Square. This is an incredibly beautiful cathedral which was completed in 1735. We were counting on our cellos to arrive at the church at least an hour before the concert for rehearsal, but they didn’t. Luckily they arrived just in the nick of time and the concert went off without a hitch.

The chaperones heard the concert performed at a dress rehearsal before the trip and we heard it four more times in Europe, each in a very different setting with different sound and different audiences. I loved this concert each and every time I heard it performed and I was one of many who were sad when this last concert was over. Some of the kids already graduated or aren’t continuing with orchestra next fall so this was their last performance as part of Waubonsie.

The concert program consisted of:
“Rondo-Finale”
“Concerto in G minor for Two Celli”
“Nocturne”
“Concerto in G Major for Two Violas”
“Suite from ‘Carmen’”
“St. Paul’s Suite”

The orchestra played beautifully and made memories to last a lifetime.

2007-06-16 Things to do in Kane Co. Aurora

2009-08-23T21:24:00.000-05:00

Some people who move into the DuPage County section of Aurora rarely venture west past the county line and have yet to discover the treasures that await them downtown and beyond. There is incredible history downtown as well as all kinds of exciting new developments underway and planned along the river.

The main library downtown is a gem and I have fond memories of going there as a child, especially the day my brother and I realized that there was no limit on how many books we could check out. We brought home books by the armload. I visited the same library as a teenager doing research for school papers and projects. Now I am a more frequent visitor to the new (seems new to me anyway!) Eola Road branch library because it’s on a route I drive frequently. The libraries have fabulous programs going on all year long.

SciTech is housed in a building that used to be our post office but has turned into an intriguing place that all of my children have enjoyed at one time or another. They have also provided exhibits at other events we’ve attended.

The Paramount Arts Centre has world class entertainment on a regular basis. We go there several times a year for a wide variety of performances.

The Aurora Historical Museum, both the Tanner House and the downtown museum, are fascinating places to visit. The items on sale at both are interesting as well.

Splash Country, The Vaughan Center, Blackberry Farm, and the Phillips Park Aquatic Center are some of the fun park district places in Kane County that are worth taking advantage of. I remember climbing through the cave at Red Oak Nature Center when I was small and my children have had fun doing the same.

Many in this area and east like to visit Cosley Zoo in Wheaton, but may not know that very close by we have Phillips Park. It is free and a joy to visit with or without children any day of the year, but even more fun on days when there is something big like a fall festival going on.

Though we have lost our beloved drive-in for the greater good of yet more houses, we will have some opportunities for outdoor movies this summer. The park district will be showing free outdoor movies at McCullough Park and the city is offering a series of free outdoor movies at Phillips Park throughout the summer. There is also a free music concert series that will take place this summer in various locations.

Downtown Alive on summer Friday evenings is an amazing street party with great music, delicious food, activities for kids, and a chance to hang out with both old and new friends.

The annual Midwest Literary Fest each fall is another great opportunity available downtown for anyone who has interest in reading or writing. Plenty of workshops and sessions with published and sometimes very well-known authors are provided.

Each year the day after Thanksgiving is the Holiday Magic festival downtown complete with Santa and fireworks. The winter fireworks show is better than anything I’ve seen on the fourth of July and the colors are absolutely brilliant in the cold, dark night sky. This year’s Fourth of July fireworks will be held on the west side for the first time and I’m hoping that this location will work out better than the mall has these past few years.

Aurora west of the Kane-DuPage county line has so much to offer, I hope thousands of DuPage Aurora residents will take the opportunity this summer to explore the treasures of our great city.

2007-06-06 I Love Aurora - my first published column

2009-08-23T21:18:00.000-05:00

I love Aurora. I’ve lived in or near Aurora my entire life, as have most of my and my husband’s relatives. Our families boast dozens of East and West Aurora graduates spanning several decades.

I grew up in a historic brick house on the near east side within walking distance of the schools I attended – Bardwell, Waldo, and East. I could walk or bike to the doctor, orthodontist, church, library, Buy Rite neighborhood grocery store, parks, downtown, and to visit my friends and relatives.

My children are growing up in a very different time and place mere miles from there. They take buses to Brooks, Granger, and Waubonsie Gold and Green campuses. There are no activities in walking distance, even church is ten miles away. The places they need to go are further from home than the places of my childhood, and there is usually a lot of traffic to deal with.

My husband and I moved from an apartment on North Avenue to a small house in Warrenville to be closer to work, then to a bigger house in western Naperville as our family grew. Soon our tiny five-year-old was on a bus to Indian Plains School, more than five miles away. We had never been to school on a bus. The first days were disastrous and scary and we’ve since come to expect bus issues at the beginning of each school year.

When we learned that the school site across the street might not really be built anytime in the foreseeable future, I worked long and hard to change that. Our site was chosen and Cowlishaw opened in 1997. It was wonderful to have our children walking to school.

When we outgrew the Naperville house we moved into northeastern Aurora in the spring of 2000. It was good to be back home but we found that we are in an odd part of town where much of Aurora to the west of the Kane-DuPage County line doesn’t really seem to claim us as part of their city (and vice versa). While we share a school district and county with the western part of Naperville, we aren’t part of their city either.

Indian Prairie School District has grown by leaps and bounds since 1993 when we contracted for our first house in the district. Then there were fewer than 10,000 students in 15 schools and now we have almost 29,000 students in 31 schools. There has been near constant new construction and frequent boundary changes over the years. As we reach build-out we still have one really big event on the horizon – the third high school.

In 2005 I worked on passing the referendum for a third high school. The failure of this referendum has cost us millions of dollars and an extra year or more of severe overcrowding in some of our schools. I wondered if there was more I could have done to help get the word out about how necessary the passage of this referendum was. I felt a personal responsibility to make a positive impact if possible.

In 2006 when it was time to put forth a similar referendum, I joined the committee immediately and became the point of contact for my grade school attendance area. I spent hours stuffing bags, putting out door hangers and signs, attending meetings, e-mailing and discussing the issues with people all over the district. The election night party was an incredible place to be and we were thrilled when the referendum passed.

This spring we had a school board election. I didn’t know much about the people running and went into this season with an open mind. I attended candidate forums and found that the three incumbents were my clear choices for a variety of reasons. I got heavily involved in their campaigns and was happy and relieved when these three won the open seats.

There continue to be challenges and exciting changes in store for our district as we welcome a new superintendent this summer and work to open a new high school in 2009.