It’s official, fall is here, and with it comes cooler temperatures, beautiful colors and our first D102 ‘long’ weekend. Even though our students are not in session today, our staff is here working diligently on curriculum development, lesson enrichment, and many of them are lucky enough to hear a talk today from the 2024 Illinois Teacher of the Year, Dr. Rachael Mahmood.  For the last year, Dr. Mahmood has been visiting schools emphasizing how essential it is to have inclusive classrooms and instructional practices, and she shares practical ways to make this a reality.  But her larger message is about how important the profession of teaching is to our communities. I heard her say that “we must take care of our teachers, because they take care of the greatest resource in our community, our children.”  This is a message that I will never get tired of hearing. I am proud of the community building and teacher-leader work we are focused on here in D102 so that our staff can be their best for your children. 

For me, October means one last chance for camping, though my back is really starting to get angry with me for this beloved family tradition.  But in D102, October is a Communication and Community month.  We have designed a couple opportunities for our building and district leaders to share with all of you the wonderful progress we are making toward our strategic goals and school improvement plans.  And this year, I am very excited to share more about our Renew D102 construction plans as well.

Opportunity # 1

Each Building Principal and I are hosting a Coffee with the Principal/Superintendent (dates below) where we plan to share building specific academic, climate and student opportunity goals. These goals were developed collaboratively in each school by teacher leaders and building administration after reviewing academic, climate and 5Essential survey data.  I also plan to share school specific information about referendum-related construction projects we are planning for the next two years.  

Please join us for a one-hour information sharing and feedback ‘coffee’ at your school on the mornings below if you are able to attend. Your school’s principal will be sending invites and reminders.

• Forest Road School - Oct 21 @ 8:30am

• Cossit School - Oct. 22 @ 8:30am

• Park JH - Oct. 23 @ 8:30am

• Congress Park School - Oct 24 @ 8:30am

• Ogden Ave School - Oct 27 @ 8:30am

• Barnsdale Rd. School - Oct 28 @ 8:45am

Opportunity # 2

I am also hosting the first-ever D102 District Dialogue on the evening of October 23rd at 6:00pm in the Park Auditorium.  This evening is designed to be interactive.  I will share information about overall progress toward all six goals of our Strategic Plan as well as provide updates about all of our referendum design plans at all of our buildings. And I will seek feedback and answer as many questions as I can.

I hope you get a chance to enjoy the beautiful fall weather this weekend, and I sincerely hope to see many of you this month during these two Communication and Community events.  

Chris Covino

PreACT 8/9

We are pleased to inform you that all 8th-grade students at Park Junior High will be taking the PreACT 8/9 assessment on October 20–21. This multiple-choice assessment in English, mathematics, reading, and science is designed to give students early exposure to the types of questions they’ll encounter on the ACT in high school. More importantly, it provides valuable feedback that helps highlight each student’s strengths and areas for growth. Later this fall, families will receive a detailed score report showing student results on a 1–30 scale, along with predicted ACT score ranges and comparisons to college and career readiness benchmarks. The assessment will take place during school hours, with limited makeup dates available for any students who are absent.

At Park Junior High, we view the PreACT 8/9 as a helpful tool for planning and growth—not a high-stakes test. No special studying or preparation is needed. Instead, the results will guide teachers in tailoring instruction and provide families with insight into how to best support their child’s academic journey. We encourage you to review the results with your student when they arrive, celebrate successes, and use the information as a springboard for future goal-setting.  Should you have any questions about the PreACT 8/9 assessment please call Linda McShane at 708-215-7009, or email mcshaneli@dist102.k12.il.us

Event & Workshop Calendar

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.

• Letters About Literature Illinois - Illinois Secretary of State

• Move with Helping Hand 5K

• GPS Parent Series: Navigating Healthy Families

• 25th Annual Pilgrim Pie Run For Rotary

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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