December 2025 District Newsletter |
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Dear D102 Families and Community Members,
As we approach the holiday season, our schools are filled with the energy, anticipation, and joy that this time of year brings. Classrooms are buzzing with projects, concerts, and celebrations, and our students and staff demonstrate each day what it means to learn, grow, and support one another. This season is a welcome reminder of the many traditions and connections that make District 102 such a special place.
It is also an important time to pause and reflect. While the holidays bring excitement and togetherness for many, they can also be challenging for members of our community. This time of year can heighten feelings of stress, loneliness, or financial strain. As a district committed to belonging and care, we encourage everyone to look out for one another. Please take an opportunity to check in with a neighbor, extend a small kindness, or offer a listening ear. These gestures, large or small, help ensure that every member of our community feels supported and seen. Thank you for everything you do to make D102 a place where compassion and connection endure. Your partnership with our schools continues to strengthen the experiences we provide for our students.
As we look ahead to 2026, we invite you to review the latest updates on the 2026–27 school calendar (see below). Thank you to everyone who took the time to send us feedback. I recognize that a later start to the school year due to summer construction poses a hardship. Please be aware that we are working to alleviate this burden by forming partnerships with our Park Districts, which will offer extended summer camps for D102 students.
And finally, in an effort to expand D102 community engagement opportunities, I am pleased to announce the launch of a new parent speaker series this winter, designed to foster community around an important and timely topic for all families. This effort, spearheaded by a new parent organization in our district, is called Hold the Phone. I want to thank them for their time, partnership, and hard work in bringing our community together to discuss a topic that affects nearly everyone: safety in digital spaces. Please take a look at the flyer below and save the date for our first event, scheduled for late January.
Wishing you and your loved ones a peaceful, joyful, and restful holiday season.
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Finalized 2026 – 2027 School Calendar |
Your feedback was truly valuable. Thank you for your input and flexibility during the planning phase as we prepare for the significant construction work associated with RenewD102.
We carefully reviewed your comments and concerns to craft the finalized 2026-2027 School Calendar. Along with your feedback, the process included work by a committee of teachers, administrators, and two Board of Education members.
Important factors considered included:
- Alignment with Lyons Township High School’s 2026 – 2027 school year calendar.
- The need to extend the summer to at least 12 weeks due to the start of major construction at the Forest Road, Barnsdale, Cossitt, and Park Jr. High campuses, along with playground renovations at all our buildings except Park Jr. High.
The extended summer will result in adjusted staff start dates to allow for more preparation in the classroom, for curriculum, and in student services.
It has been confirmed that extended day camp and childcare options (“bonus weeks”) will be available through the Park District of La Grange and the Community Park District of La Grange Park to help families close the childcare gap created by the longer construction summer. Camp and childcare dates will be advertised in the winter Park District catalogues.
Key Calendar Features to be aware of:
- The first day of school will be a full day for students on Wednesday, September 2, 2026.
- The last Day of school will be a half day on Thursday, June 10, 2027.
- Parent-Teacher Conferences will be the week of Thanksgiving Break; specific times and formats will be shared later.
- All holidays and breaks aligns with the LT calendar (Columbus/Indigenous Peoples' Day, Thanksgiving, Winter Break, Spring Break).
- Park Jr. High Graduation (Date TBD) will be scheduled early enough so that 8th-grade students will be able to fully participate in LT summer programming.
Again, thank you to those who provided feedback. Your collaboration helped us design a calendar that supports student learning, family needs, and the construction work ahead. We appreciate your partnership and look forward to a successful 2026–27 school year.
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Announcing the new 2026 Tech Education Series |
In partnership with Hold the Phone, D102 is proud to announce the 2026 Tech Education Series, launching after the new year!
About the Series
January 28 at 7:00 PM - Visit from Emily Cherkin, The Screentime Consultant
We’re excited to kick off the series by welcoming nationally recognized author and speaker Emily Cherkin, who will inspire our community with practical ways to stay tech-intentional in an ever-changing digital world. Parents—mark your calendars!
February 25 at 6:30 PM — Screening of Screenagers: Elementary School Edition
Join us at Park Auditorium for a showing of this newest installment in the Screenagers documentary series. This film builds on the original by exploring the impact of technology on younger children. Families are encouraged to attend together. Learn more about the film here.
Spring 2026 — Visit from Lisa Honold, Director of the Center for Online Safety
Lisa Honold will spend several days in our schools engaging students in grades 3–6 on topics such as online reputation, privacy habits, and healthy screen-time practices. She will also lead interactive sessions with 7th and 8th graders at Park. Date to be announced at a later date.
Hold the Phone will then host a Parent Night featuring Lisa, where she will recap her student presentations and offer guidance on how families can reinforce these principles at home. Stay tuned for the confirmed date and additional event details.
If you have questions or would like to support any of these events, please contact Hold the Phone at info@parentsforholdthephone.org
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🌟 #ThankYouD102Educators 🌟 A Congress Park parent shared how Mr. Velez-Perez made a life-changing impact on her daughter—helping her feel seen, supported, and excited to come to school. Now at Park Jr. High, she still looks forward to his class every day. Thank you, Mr. Velez-Perez, for making such a difference! |
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🌟 #ThankYouD102Educators 🌟 Today, we’re celebrating Ms. Sabrina and the daily impact she has on everyone at Forest Road. One family shared how a D102 paraprofessional’s warm greetings, positive energy, and caring heart have made school a place their child looks forward to every morning. Thank you for helping our students and families feel seen, supported, and excited to learn. #WeAreD102 |
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Nominate an Educator for the D102 Spotlight |
D102 is filled with passionate and dedicated educators who make a difference every day. Let’s show our appreciation by nominating an educator who deserves the spotlight! 📢 |
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Register your Student for the STEM EXPO |
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STEM EXPO offers students from Kindergarten to 6th grade the opportunity to explore a science topic of their choice. We encourage you to use your creative and inventive skills to create a project at home and share what you learned with other students, families, and teachers at EXPO. Projects range in complexity from simple observations to full experiments, inventions, or technology projects. |
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Mighty Patriots - Kids Day |
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Fall Orchestra Concert II |
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Thanks to the incredible generosity of our D102 community, we were able to ensure that 80 families enjoyed a warm and plentiful Thanksgiving meal this year. Our Family Liaisons compiled bags filled with non-perishable items and gift cards—all made possible through donations from D102 families.
A special thank you to Palacky Lodge and CP Social Work team for supporting Congress Park families as well.
Because of you, families felt the care and kindness of our community this Thanksgiving.
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Park Jr. High French Club's Cheese Tour |
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As your Family Liaisons, we seek to facilitate communication between families, district staff, other families and community partners to better meet the social and academic needs of our students’ families. Our deliberate community-building approach is designed to forge partnerships throughout District 102. We are eager to collectively enact strategies that realize and develop our strengths as a whole. |
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Supporting Families, Strengthening Community
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Our incredible Family Liaisons recently presented at the Illinois Resource Center Conference! 🌟
Their session, “Empowering Families to Succeed: How Liaisons Equip Families and Students to Thrive,” highlighted the vital role they play in building strong home–school connections. From supporting families through challenges to helping students access the resources they need, our liaisons are at the heart of strengthening our D102 community.
We’re proud of the work they do every day—and grateful to see their expertise recognized statewide. 💙✨
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As your Family Liaisons, we're here to support you and connect you with helpful resources throughout the year. Whether you're looking for food assistance, housing support, mental health services, or enrichment opportunities for your children, we've gathered a variety of community resources in one easy-to-access document.
This guide will be updated throughout the year as new opportunities and services become available. We encourage you to bookmark it and check back often!
👉 Click here to explore community resources.
Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have questions or need help navigating these supports. We’re here for you!
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Welcome, parents and family members of the D102 community! This is your dedicated space to discover the sports and activities available for your young scholars within the community of La Grange, La Grange Park, and Brookfield.
Here, you'll find an array of flyers highlighting engaging programs tailored to every age and interest. Whether your child is a sports enthusiast, an aspiring artist, or simply eager to explore new adventures, there's something here to captivate their curiosity and nurture their passions.
From youth sports leagues to creative arts workshops, from educational clubs to community events, we're committed to providing enriching opportunities for your child to learn, grow, and connect with their peers. Our aim is to foster a sense of belonging and camaraderie within our diverse community while promoting physical activity, creativity, and personal development.
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La Grange Park Santa Parade & Mobile Food Drive
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Sunday, December 14, 4:45 p.m.
Santa Claus is coming to La Grange Park! Don't miss the Village's Santa Parade and Mobile Food Drive on December 14 beginning at 4:45 p.m.. This festive parade will travel throughout the Village and collect donations for local food pantries (Westchester Food Pantry, Share Food Share Love, BEDS Plus and Holy Guardian Angels Food Pantry) along the way. Check out the Parade Map to find out where you can drop off food donations and catch a glimpse of Santa!
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La Grange Park Public Library
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Referral GPS - Connecting People to Treatment: We are committed to creating a culture of well-being for students, staff, parents, and the community. In an effort to continuously support this commitment, the district has entered an agreement with ReferralGPS.
ReferralGPS is a web-based service focused on assisting our students, staff, and community in finding local mental-health and substance use-related treatment. The service compliments the districts existing systems of support as a tool for student service teams and families to connect with treatment. Along with a searchable database of treatment options, ReferralGPS provides Care Navigation to assist families in triage, appointment setting, and follow-up care.
School families may access ReferralGPS in two ways:
1) Visit this link at https://referralgps.com/find-help/dist102 to search for treatment resources or connect with a Care Navigator anonymously.
2) Contact Student Services (social workers, psychologists, counselors) to seek out treatment options.
ReferralGPS takes into account all types of private and public insurance including PPO, HMO, Medicaid, Medicare, and families who are uninsured or underinsured. The platform also filters by age, gender, zip code, and special requests.
ReferralGPS is available for use by district students, staff, and families at no cost. All information entered on the ReferralGPS tool is completely confidential and securely stored.
If you are interested in seeking counseling-related services at this time, please consider visiting https://referralgps.com/find-help/dist102 or reaching out to the Student Services team.
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