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DATE	HEADLINE
5/7/2012	Clarifying pension "penalty" payments Recent newspaper articles have highlighted the financial impact end-of-career teacher pay raises can have on school districts. The newspapers reported that Naperville CUSD 203 has paid $146,649 in pension “penalties” into the Teacher Retirement System (TRS) over the last two years for salary increases that exceeded the 6 percent cap. In fact, Districts are not charged “penalties” or “fines”, but are required to compensate the State of Illinois for amounts in excess of established limits to cover the added future pension cost to the system.  Some of the information presented through the media may have left readers with more questions than answers.  We hope to address some of those questions. Click here for more information, including a video of Chief Financial Officer Dave Zager's explanation at the Board of Education meeting on May 7, 2012. More...
4/27/2012	NEF “Building a Passion” breakfast May 10 The Naperville Education Foundation (NEF) will hold its 19th annual fundraising breakfast “20 Years of Building a Passion for Creativity, Innovation and Excellence” on Thursday, May 10 at the Marriott Naperville. Coffee and networking begins at 7 AM with the breakfast and program from 7:30-9:30 AM. Individual tickets are $75 and may be purchased online or by sending in the reply card. Alan Krashesky, of ABC 7's top-rated weekday news and host of Sunday "NewsViews," will serve as emcee of a program featuring Daniel Seddiqui, founder of Living the Map and author of “50 Jobs in 50 States,” as keynote speaker. The annual Building a Passion Breakfast celebrates NEF’s projects and programs and their direct influence on the students in District 203. Click here for details. More...
4/26/2012	iT203 Spotlight: the Network Operations Group The Network Operations Group (NOG) is responsible for the security, reliability, scalability and redundancy of the District’s computer network. The group configures, supports, maintains, repairs and reports all aspects of the District’s network. Some of the key applications and equipment supported by the Network Operations Group include: switches and routers, wireless access points and controllers, virus and spam filters, virtual and physical servers, storage area networks (SANs) and core applications including Active Directory, Exchange, Office Communication Server (OCS), and the library automation system (Alexandria). See the full article to meet NOG staff members and learn about what they do. More...
4/26/2012	New letter from the CIO now posted Be sure to read the new letter from Chief Information Officer Roger Brunelle for an update on key technology initiatives and activities across District 203. More...
4/2/2012	April is Autism Awareness Month Autism is a developmental disorder that adversely affects communication and social skills in children and adults. Recent studies indicate that 1 in every 88 children in America is diagnosed with autism and more than 1.5 million Americans live with the effects of autism spectrum disorder. It's possible to detect autism as early as 14 months of age, and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that youngsters be screened for it starting at 18 months. Yet on average, U.S. children aren't diagnosed until they're about 4½ years old, according to government statistics. While there's no cure, behavioral and other therapies are thought to work best when started very young. See the full article for other details, including a list of warning signs given by the Autism Society, or contact your school staff or the District 203 Office of Pupil Services for more information. More...
3/18/2012	Parent Café this week on Common Core within IEP Pupil Services will host a Parent Café on Wednesday, March 21 on the topic "Special Education in the Era of the Common Core: New Demands in a New World." At this program, to be held at 7 PM in the Little Theater at Naperville Central High School, parents will have the opportunity to learn how the Common Core will be addressed within their child's Individual Education Program. More...
3/5/2012	iT203 Spotlight: User Support and Audio Visual/Media Support Teams Who are the Support Analysts? The role of the Support Analyst is to provide stellar service to the students and staff of District 203. They provide this service by maintaining approximately 7,300 workstations, laptops, tablets, and mobile devices. Their work includes troubleshooting hardware and software issues, reimaging computers, installing hardware and software and repairs. Who Are the Audio Visual/Media Analysts? The role of the Audio Visual/Media Analyst is to provide stellar service to District staff and students by maintaining approximately 1,250 Data Projectors, 766 Smartboards, 496 Visual Presenters and other AV devices. This support includes installing equipment, troubleshooting, repairing and cleaning. Ask any teacher, staff member or administrator and they will tell you how valuable their SA and AV analysts are to both teachers and students. Each of these analysts has a unique skill set and is a valued asset to their buildings and District 203. Click here for the full article including a listing of SAs, AV analysts and their respective buildings. More...
12/21/2011	Capacity study goes before Board of Education During the Monday, December 19 meeting of the Board of Education, Superintendent Mitrovich and the Enrollment Capacity Study (ECS) committee presented their findings concerning the boundary realignment process taking place in the district. ECS committee members Karen Lindflott and Tom McGee discussed the group’s review process and their observations. Comments to the Board included the following. 1. The final plan should result in the least amount of disruption possible to the students. 2.  Preserving neighborhoods is important, and local input is what provides the understanding of how neighborhoods function. 3. Students who currently walk to their schools should remain walkers. The ability to walk to school is a positive aspect of our community. 4. Optimize transportation to produce the best routes for the students, with consideration paid to traffic patterns/conditions in the city. 5. Transportation and operational financial costs associated with the transition would be gathered and presented to the ECS committee for review as part of the proposal process. 6. Extend the decision timetable to allow for a well-thought out plan to be developed then reviewed by the ECS committee that will serve the long-term needs of the district. 7. Expand the committee to include all school representation. 8. Schedule public forums to both share and gather the most information possible. The number of meetings would be dependent on the amount of time granted for review. The ECS group asked the Board for verification that the committee was on track with their conclusions thus far.   BOARD RESPONSE   The Board of Education verbalized their support for the points made and commended the group for their diligence throughout the process. The Board asked that the ECS group focus on the following criteria when determining the viability of any proposal as their top considerations: 1. The proposal should meet the District’s need to balance enrollments based on current and projected needs and provide for the best utilization of facilities for the long-term. 2. Impact on students should be kept to a minimum; keeping neighborhoods intact reduces impact. 3. If walkers remain walkers and the focus is placed on preserving neighborhoods, transportation optimizations should be an outcome. The committee agreed these guidelines support the work they were already doing and the conclusions they had reached through their own investigation and discussion process. The expanded ECS Committee is scheduled to begin the next phase of the process on Wednesday, January 11 when new maps will be presented to the group for review.  More...
12/19/2011	iT203 Spotlight: Who are the TISs? Technology transforms learning environments in District 203. The Instructional Technology team works with the Learning Services department to effectively integrate technology tools and resources into the curriculum. To maximize this benefit, Technology Integration Specialists (TISs), who are certified teachers, help their fellow teachers bring technology into the classroom. They also provide one-on-one assistance to individual teachers, grade level teams and content area teams in implementing the curriculum.  There are thirteen TISs in District 203, with many supporting multiple buildings, Their role centers around seven main areas, and they are asked to provide expertise on key projects. Click here for the full article including a listing of TISs and their respective buildings. For an update on key technology happenings across the District, see Roger Brunelle's new Letter from the Chief Information Officer. More...
12/7/2011	UPDATE: Capacity Study Group makes recommendations The most timely information can be found on the Demographics and Capacity web page. Link located to right of this article. The Enrollment Capacity Study Group (ECS) met on Wednesday, Dec. 7 to view and discuss the latest neighborhood realignment supposals.  After an extensive review of the elementary map, the committee felt that critical concerns were still present and could not be resolved under the current timetable. It is with the full consent of the committee that the following recommendations be made to the Board of Education on Monday, December 19: Extend the timetable so a viable plan that meets the needs of our District can be developed Expand the process to include representatives from all schools Review the priorities that were identified early in the process to determine if they accurately represent the long-term goals of our District Address  enrollment issues at Mill and Beebe schools prior to the 2012-2013 academic year The District would like to thank the ECS members for their commitment to this process. Their passion represents this community well.  The names of the current Enrollment Capacity Study Group committee have been posted to the web site.  We hope you take the time to thank them for the work they have done thus far and their continuing commitment. _______________________________________________ Esta noche, el Grupo de Estudios Sobre la Capacidad de Inscripción (ECS) se reunieron para revisar y discutir las últimas propuestas. Después de una extensa revisión del mapa preliminar, el comité estimó que los problemas críticos todavía estaban presentes y no se pueden resolver mediante el calendario actual.   Con el consentimiento pleno de la comisión, las siguientes recomendaciones deben ser sometidas a la Junta de Educación para el lunes, 19 de diciembre: Ampliar el calendario para qué un plan viable se pueda desarrollar para satisfacer las necesidades de nuestro Distrito Ampliar el proceso para incluir a representantes de todas las escuelas Revisar las prioridades que se identificaron al inicio del proceso para determinar si representan con precisión los objetivos de nuestro Distrito a largo plazo Abordar las cuestiones de la inscripción en las escuelas Mill Street y  Beebe antes del año académico 2012-2013 Me gustaría dar las gracias a los miembros de ECS por su dedicación y esfuerzo a este proceso. Su pasión representa muy bien a esta comunidad. Los nombres del comité actual del Grupo de Estudios Sobre la Capacidad de Inscripción han sido publicados en el sitio web. Espero que se tomen el tiempo para darles las gracias por el trabajo que han logrado hasta ahora y su dedicación continua a este esfuerzo.
11/17/2011	Infinite Campus Parent Portal gets updates New features available to parents through the Infinite Campus Parent Portal allows the user to add/update their current demographic information such as phone numbers (cell, work, other), email address, and emergency contact(s).  With the exception of email address revisions which are saved immediately to the system, changes made via the Campus Portal are not in real-time but final after review by Centralized Enrollment staff. You will receive a confirmation message in your Portal Inbox after they have been approved. Revisions to a home address can only be made by contacting Centralized Enrollment directly at 630-420-6300.  An updated Parent Portal Users Guide is now posted on the District’s website. This document is available on the Communications Systems page. More...
11/1/2011	iT203 Spotlight: Student Email – Microsoft Live@Edu At the beginning of this school year, students at Naperville Central and Naperville North were provided a new tool to enhance communication and collaboration with each other and their teachers. After a successful pilot last spring, District 203 staff utilized the Microsoft Live@edu solution to provide nearly 6,000 email accounts to students at both schools. One of the many advantages of the Live@edu solution is cost. Microsoft’s product is free to K-12 school districts across the country. One other advantage of the Live@edu solution is a 25GB skydrive (cloud storage) for each student. This allows for easy transfer of files between home and school. For more information about the Live@edu product, visit Microsoft’s website here. Students who had the opportunity to participate in the pilot last spring had the following to say about their experience: It makes projects so much easier. It makes communicating with students and teachers easy. It is much easier to communicate with the teacher in and outside of school and working on projects with other students. It is a very useful tool in a very technologically advanced world. It keeps students up to date at school and at home. It creates a much better way to communicate! The online storage skydrive is great! District 203 acknowledges there are many forms of communication utilized by today’s students. Providing a low-cost email solution to our students is simply another vehicle that allows for real-time and efficient communication and collaboration. More...
10/21/2011	OfficeMax recognizes first Teacher Innovator of the year OfficeMax, in partnership with Naperville District 203, is again honoring innovative educators who encourage creativity, innovation and excellence in the classroom through the Teacher Innovator Program.  The first Teacher Innovator of the 2011-2012 year is Mark Williams, an automotive instructor in the Career and Technology Education Department at Naperville North High School. Williams partnered with a retired Mechanical Engineering College professor to procure an electric car, E-Dart. This $140,000 grant (including electric power train and every item to make an electric car but the body) was given to Naperville North by Chrysler last year. Mark is determined to have state-of-the-art equipment in his classroom, but it is what he does to help the students make connections between the curriculum and real world applications that makes the difference for his students.  He was nominated for this award by Lisa Martyn whose son Alex is a student in the program.  Teacher Innovator Awards are presented each month from October through April.  Learn more about this teacher and the OfficeMax Teacher Innovator Award at OfficeMax Award Recipients. More...
10/1/2011	iT203 Spotlight: Show Me the Data - Meet Your iT203 Data Team The iT203 Data Team is responsible for implementing, supporting and integrating District enterprise applications and database systems. Systems included are: Student Information system (Infinite Campus and Portal), Finance and HR systems, Special Education system, Transportation system and SharePoint. Click here to meet Data Team members John Good, Pat Johnson, Kim Musto, Tracy Oliver and Ken Wilson. For more information about the applications supported by the iT203 Data Team visit the IT Applications page. More...
9/15/2011	District educator finalist for Illinois Teacher of the Year As a language arts and social science teacher to sixth-graders at Lincoln Junior High School, Josh Stumpenhorst embraces technology as a tool for more effective learning. The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) announced nine finalists for the 2011-12 Illinois Teacher of the Year. Among them is Naperville Community Unit School District educator Josh Stumpenhorst. Approximately 175 nominations were reviewed this year. The 2011-12 Illinois Teacher of the Year will be announced during the Those Who Excel banquet Oct. 22, 2011. The Teacher of the Year will represent Illinois at NASA Space Camp in Huntsville, Ala., and in the Council of Chief State School Officers’ National Teacher of the Year Program. To read more about this story, click on the headline. More...
9/14/2011	Thirty-one students named National Merit semifinalists The National Merit Scholarship Corporation has released the names of 31 Naperville Community Unit School District 203 students who are semifinalists in the 57th annual National Merit Scholarship program. These seniors have an opportunity to continue in the competition for some 8,300 National Merit Scholarships, worth more than $34 million. The 31 students from District 203 receiving this honor are: David Birkenheier, Evan Bruns, Grace Deetjen, Rachel Foster, Edward Hu, Ellen Hunt, Sung Jang, Max Kimmet, Chetan Kumar, Donald Lei, Shaza Loutfi, James Mansfield, Samuel Mather, Sarah McGriff, Killian McNeill, Emily Riederer, Janine Romy, Eric Spieglan, Emily Su, Clayton Sutherland, Jeremy Tang, Nathaniel Verhaaren, Justine Vonarb, Nicholas Wolf, Christine Wu, Hanting Xu, Cassidy Yang, Lydia Yiu, Eric Zhang, Zheqi Zhu and Olivia Zhu. For more information, click on the headline. More...
9/13/2011	Allergy suffers may be feeling greater effects due to mold counts Due to this year’s heavy accumulations of rain, and the recent warmer temperatures, this allergy season has seen a tremendous increase in both ragweed and mold spore production. District 203’s air quality manager says that the symptoms being felt by allergy sufferers may be more profound than in previous years. As the fall season progresses and the leaves begin to fall, the airborne mold count may continue to rise. Anyone with breathing concerns should consult with a medical professional. More...
9/11/2011	ACT scores more than double state average on college readiness With a 53 percent college readiness score, District 203 students more than double the state average of 23 percent and continue their 5 year stand above the 50 percent mark.   Naperville Community Unit School District 203 results on newly released ACT scores show that 53 percent of graduates from the class of 2011 met the four key benchmarks that purportedly show readiness for success in the first year of college compared to a national average of 25 percent. Naperville District 203 students have achieved 50 percent or better for the last five years. College readiness based on the ACT score refers to the number of students who are likely to achieve a B grade or higher on all four of the key measurement areas in comparable college-credit courses. District 203 composite scores have remained consistently at or above the 25.0 mark for the last five years. The Class of 2011 showed a .4 increase over the previous two years with a 25.4 average composite score for the 1,383 students who took the test. The state average is 20.9. For more information, click on the headline. More...
8/26/2011	Technology transformations in District 203 In District 203 technology is enhancing and supporting student learning, parent participation and District operations in new ways. Learn more about the changes from Chief Information Officer Roger Brunelle as he discusses implementation of Infinite Campus (student information system), a new IEP (Individualized Education Program) system, and a web-based parent-teacher conference solution to name just a few.  Details here... More...
8/16/2011	Program helps make computers affordable for families The Computer Redeployment program provides computers to students in need, provides vocational computer skills training to students, and raises funds for the Naperville Education Foundation. Families can purchase computers on either the sale day or through an online reservation process. For a list of computers go to: http://www.crp203.com/sales.php Sale Day - Saturday, September 10, 2011 Time - 8:30 am to 1 pm Location - Mill Street Elementary School Payments - Credit Card, Money Order, Cash or Personal Check Express checkout will be available. Online ordering is available until 8 pm 3 days before sale day. There is no limit to the number of computers you may purchase (subject to availability.) All laptop and tablet computers include an AC Power Adapter with Power Cord. In addition, your purchase is supported for the lifetime of the computer through the Computer Redeployment Program. This support program is staffed by student interns at special rates. Computer exchanges are also possible and the duration of the exchange period is listed on the purchase receipt. This program has provided over 535 computers to students in need in District 203. The program relies heavily on student participation with the help of our sponsors. It has taught over 70 students valuable computer skills, teamwork, and business experience through CRP volunteer and internship programs. The Computer Redeployment Program (CRP) is made possible by a partnership between Naperville School District 203, ARDS Services Inc, Integral Corporation, and Prager Moving & Storage. More
8/16/2011	iT203 Spotlight: What Did You Say? District 203 has made an investment in the way our teachers and students speak and listen in the classrooms. Audio Enhancement systems are utilized to distribute audio through a microphone equally throughout a classroom, allowing students sitting in the back of the classroom hear the same information at the same pitch and tone as the student in the front of the classroom. Audio Enhancement systems also help reduce strain on teachers' vocal cords and decreases their fatigue through a normal day.   For additional information on what an Audio Enhancement System consists of, why they are of value, and to see and hear students and teachers talk about the devices visit the Audio Enhancement Solutions page. More...
8/1/2011	iT203 Spotlight: Preparing for School District 203’s Information Technology department (iT203) spends many hours throughout the summer months preparing for the start of school in the fall. Members of the User Support team work to prepare new and existing devices for students, teachers and staff across the district. The video on this Spotlight article page provides an insight into their work. More...
7/5/2011	Time Management & Reporting RFP District 203 is looking for an automated solution for timesheet submission to replace their current manual process used for hourly and non-salary payroll entry. The proposed system will provide the data entry/capture interface to the District’s Payroll system (currently Lawson.) The full solution should include software, hardware (back end systems, time capture devices, etc), installation, software configuration and set-up, training, software support, standard reports, self-serve reporting capability, and seamlessly integrate with the District’s (Lawson) Payroll system. Click here for details. More...
7/1/2011	iT203 Spotlight: Discover the Capabilities District 203’s Information Technology Department (iT203) has several innovative technologies that were demonstrated to administrators and teachers last month. These technologies will also be demonstrated to school principals in the fall, and piloted by teachers. These technologies allow District 203 staff and students to communicate, collaborate and access information in ways not previously possible. The tools allow for easier access to electronic content and media, virtual field trips, teacher-teacher collaboration and so much more.  For more information about each of these innovative technologies, please see the iT203 Discover the Capabilities brochure. More...
5/23/2011	Central senior named Presidential scholar Kevin Hu, a Naperville Central High School senior, was named one of the nation’s 20 U.S. Presidential Scholars in the Arts. Inclusion in the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program is one of highest honors that can be awarded to a graduating high school senior. The artistically talented senior is a first chair violinist and concert master of the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra. Hu is also academically gifted. He earned a perfect score on the ACT exam, is a National Merit Finalist and holds a 4.8 GPA. In the fall Hu will attend Harvard University where he will study mathematics and computer science. More... More...
5/2/2011	Teacher selected for Apple’s Distinguished Educator Program Josh Mika, LRC Director at Beebe Elementary School in Naperville Community Unit School District 203, has been named to the Class of 2011 for the Apple Distinguished Educator Program. As one educator among 76 chosen from across the country, he will join a select community of professionals who are passionately committed to improving teaching and learning through educational technology. Mika has been invited to attend the ADE Summer Institute in July where he can participate in an exciting week of expense-paid professional development, content creation and collaboration. The event will be held in Phoenix, Arizona in partnership with Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. More...
5/2/2011	Naperville Education Foundation announces new Executive Director The Naperville Education Foundation announces the appointment of Ann E. Spehar to the position of Executive Director for the Foundation which provides financial support to programs that enrich and enhance the educational experience of Naperville District 203 students. Spehar is a fundraising professional who has extensive experience in the development of philanthropic efforts including event planning, grant writing, community outreach and cultivation of new revenue sources. She most recently served as the Director of Development for Breaking Free in Aurora and the National Vice President of Development for Depression and Support Alliance in Chicago. From 1990 to 1999, Spehar served as executive director and then vice president of Association Management Systems in Naperville. Since its inception in 1992, Naperville Education Foundation trustees have embraced the mission, “to encourage creativity, innovation and excellence in our students” and funded such efforts though various fundraisers and private and corporate donations. The NEF Board of Trustees determined that the placement of a part-time executive director would assist in elevating the work of the NEF to the next level. More...
2/14/2011	Kendall Honors recognizes unsung heroes Nominations due Friday, Feb. 25.   We are truly blessed to have such outstanding Elementary School teachers in District 203. The Naperville Judd Kendall VFW Post would like to honor one of these outstanding teachers. With 2 weeks to go, there have been no nominees submitted from the elementary schools in 203. A faculty member, parent or student can nominate a teacher who displays the qualities called out on the nominating form. You can nominate online by going to the VFW website www.napervfw3873.org and clicking on the nominating form link on the left side menu under Kendall Honors. Any Naperville resident of resident of District 203 and 204 can nominate the firefighter, police officer or teacher of their choice to be recognized as one of the unsung heroes of Naperville. The winners will be recognized on Saturday, March 12 with a dinner and presentation at the Judd Kendall Post 3873. To learn more about the award, visit the VFW web site here.
12/23/2010	Kennedy Sweeps VFW Patriot's Pen Competition The Patriot’s Pen award recognizes the best essays submitted by students in grades 6-8 addressing the theme: “Are you proud of your country?" This year more than 362 entries were received by the Judd Kendall Post 3873 of the VFW from eight local schools including three from District 203, four from District 204 and one private school. The eight judges determined that three Kennedy Junior High School students submitted the best of this year’s essays. First place honors and a $500 prize was awarded to Megan Angell; second place and a $250 prize went to Katie Jenkins; and third place, along with a $100 prize, was awarded to Danielle Clark. The following winners were announced for the 2010 Voice of Democracy Contest: first place and a $1,000 prize went to Jenny Zhou of Naperville Central High School; second place and a $500 prize was awarded to Colleen Stern of Naperville Central High School; and third place honors, along with a $250 prize, were given to Charis Christopher of Neuqua Valley High School. The Voice of Democracy Program is open to students in grades 9-12. The students are asked to write and record an audio-essay addressing the theme: "Is there pride in serving our military?" The first place winner will continue on to the VFW’s District 19 competition. More...
11/17/2010	Highlands School brings back Blue Ribbon award Highlands School staff celebrated the top prize in education – the U.S. Department of Education Blue Ribbon Award – with an informal gathering on Wednesday morning following the return of Highlands teachers Kathy Burns and Mary Ellen Keith who had traveled to Washington D.C. on behalf of the school to accept the award. The teachers were presented with a school plaque and Blue Ribbon flag. Recognition for this award will be acknowledged in a community-wide celebration to be held in January. More... More...

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