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The Learning Connection Newsletter GRAND PRAIRIE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CHELSEA I NTERMEDIATE SCHOOL HICKORY CREEK MIDDLE SCHOOL FRANKFORT SCHOOL DISTRICT 157-C A Tradition of Excellence Spring 2015 Annual Report Issue A message to District families from your Superintendent ~ As we come to the end of the school year, please accept my thanks for your support over this past year. I am so pleased that I was able to get to know so many wonderful, District families. I am very proud to be a part of this caring community. It has been a busy and productive year for our schools and students. We again wish to express our appreciation to you for working with us on behalf of the chil- dren. Over the summer, please continue to visit our website www.fsd157c.org. Also please watch for our summer newslet- ter for more infor- mation about our district. We wish you a won- derful summer! Dr. Maura J. Zinni Changeover of Board of Education after election A special Board of Education meeting was held on April 29. We said thank you to outgoing Board President Christopher McFadden, Board Vice President Patrick Usher and Board member Mike Turner. Mr. McFadden and Mr. Turner were elected in 2011. Mr. Usher was elected in 2007 and re-elected in 2011. These Board members always served our district while keeping the needs of the students first and foremost. Our new Board is comprised of re-elected Board member Edie Adamski and newly-elected Board members Tom Reidy, Edith Lutz and Kevin Regas. The new Board also includes members Cari Mills, Gina Briese and Dr. Brian Sasso who are still serving out their existing terms. Outgoing President Chris McFadden administered the Oath of Office to the newly-elected and returning Board of Education members Mrs. Adamski, Mr. Reidy, Mrs. Lutz and Mr. Regas. Best wishes to these long time administrators A ll the best to Hickory Creek Mid- dle School Principal Dr. Kevin Suchin- ski and Chelsea Intermediate Principal Mrs. Kristin Simpkins as they leave our district. Dr. Suchinski has been the Princi- pal of Hickory Creek Middle School since 2002. He has accepted the posi- tion of Superintendent of Hillside Dis- trict 93 effective July 1, 2015. Mrs. Simpkins has served as Princi- pal of Chelsea Intermediate School since 2006. She also served as Assis- tant Principal at Hickory Creek Mid- dle School from 2002 to 2006. She has accepted the position of Principal of Oak Lawn-Hometown Middle School in District 123 effective July 1, 2015. Dr. Suchinski and Mrs. Simpkins will continue in their positions here through June 30. We wish them all the best as they take on their new roles. Dr. Kevin Suchinski Mrs. Kristin Simpkins The new District 157-C Board (l-r front) Secretary Edie Adamski, President Gina Briese, Vice President Cari Ann Mills, (l-r back) Superintendent Dr. Maura Zinni, Board Members Kevin Regas, Tom Reidy, Dr. Brian Sasso and Edith Lutz.. In remembrance of two dear friends of the district T wo dear friends of District 157-C passed away recently. Mrs. Rosemary Georgen was the Board of Education recording secre- tary. She passed away on February 20. A plaque honoring her memory now hangs in the Board Room where she provided District 157-C with more than 20 years of dedicated ser- vice. Mrs. Diane Mager passed away on March 31. She started as a teacher’s aide in 1980 and then became the Hick- ory Creek Princi- pal’s secretary in 1986. She also worked as the Grand Prairie Principal’s secretary until her retirement in 2004. The dedication of Mrs. Georgen and Mrs. Mager to our schools is greatly appreci- ated and will positively impact countless genera- tions of students. Our deepest sym- pathy to their families. Mrs. Rosemary Georgen Mrs. Diane Mager

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Page 1: PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER · 2019-03-21 · 157C AR2015 Spreads page 1 Friday, May 15, 2015 08:05 MagentaYellowBlacCyank. Annual Report Issue Creative Arts Showcase a big success

Frankfort C.C. School District 157-C Administrative Office 10482 Nebraska Street Frankfort, Illinois 60423 Telephone (815) 469-5922 www.fsd157c.org

Non-profit Organization STD MAIL

CAR-RT SORT U.S. POSTAGE PAID

Permit #17 Frankfort, IL 60423-2235

POSTAL CUSTOMER FRANKFORT, ILLINOIS 60423

PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER

SUPERINTENDENT Dr. Maura J. Zinni BOARD OF EDUCATION Gina Briese, President Cari Ann Mills, Vice President Edie Adamski, Secretary Edith Lutz, Member Kevin Regas, Member Tom Reidy, Member Dr. Brian Sasso, Member

Inside this issue . . .

♦ District Annual Report ♦ Welcome to our new Board of Education ♦ In remembrance of two dear friends of the district ♦ Retirement of dedicated staff members ♦ Welcome to our new Principals

FRANKFORT SCHOOL DISTRICT 157-C

MISSION STATEMENT The mission of District 157-C is to prepare all students to be confident, life-long learners and productive citizens by challenging them to reach their fullest potential and by providing a quality educational environment in partnership with family and community

DATES TO REMEMBER May 20 Board of Education meeting May 22 Full Day of School May 25 Memorial Day No School June 2 Graduation, LW North, 7 PM June 4 Last Day of School School Improvement Day Early Dismissal June 17 Board of Education meeting

The Learning Connection Newsletter

GRAND PRAIRIE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL • CHELSEA INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL • HICKORY CREEK MIDDLE SCHOOL

FRANKFORT SCHOOL DISTRICT 157-C

A Tradition of Excellence

Spring 2015

Annual Report Issue

A message to District families

from your Superintendent

~ As we come to the end of the school year, please accept my thanks for your support over this past year. I am so pleased that I was able to get to know so many wonderful, District families. I am very proud to be a part of this caring community. It has been a busy and productive year for our schools and students. We again wish to express our appreciation to you for working with us on behalf of the chil-dren. Over the summer, please continue to visit our website www.fsd157c.org. Also please watch for our summer newslet-ter for more infor-mation about our district. We wish you a won-derful summer!

Dr. Maura J. Zinni

Award-winning newsletter

Changeover of Board of Education after election A special Board of Education meeting was held on April 29. We said thank you to outgoing Board President Christopher McFadden, Board Vice President Patrick Usher and Board member Mike Turner. Mr. McFadden and Mr. Turner were elected in 2011. Mr. Usher was elected in 2007 and re-elected in 2011. These Board members always served our district while keeping the needs of the students first and foremost.

Our new Board is comprised of re-elected Board member Edie Adamski and newly-elected Board members Tom Reidy, Edith Lutz and Kevin Regas. The new Board also includes members Cari Mills, Gina Briese and Dr. Brian Sasso who are still serving out their existing terms. Outgoing President Chris McFadden administered the Oath of Office to the newly-elected and returning Board of Education members Mrs. Adamski, Mr. Reidy, Mrs. Lutz and Mr. Regas.

Best wishes to these long time administrators A ll the best to Hickory Creek Mid-dle School Principal Dr. Kevin Suchin-ski and Chelsea Intermediate Principal Mrs. Kristin Simpkins as they leave our district. Dr. Suchinski has been the Princi-pal of Hickory Creek Middle School since 2002. He has accepted the posi-tion of Superintendent of Hillside Dis-trict 93 effective July 1, 2015. Mrs. Simpkins has served as Princi-pal of Chelsea Intermediate School

since 2006. She also served as Assis-tant Principal at Hickory Creek Mid-dle School from 2002 to 2006. She has accepted the position of Principal of Oak Lawn-Hometown Middle School in District 123 effective July 1, 2015. Dr. Suchinski and Mrs. Simpkins will continue in their positions here through June 30. We wish them all the best as they take on their new roles.

Dr. Kevin Suchinski Mrs. Kristin Simpkins

The new District 157-C Board (l-r front) Secretary Edie Adamski, President Gina Briese, Vice President Cari Ann Mills, (l-r back) Superintendent

Dr. Maura Zinni, Board Members Kevin Regas, Tom Reidy, Dr. Brian Sasso and Edith Lutz..

In remembrance of two dear friends of the district T wo dear friends of District 157-C passed away recently. Mrs. Rosemary Georgen was the Board of Education recording secre-tary. She passed away on February 20. A plaque honoring her memory now hangs in the Board Room where she provided District 157-C with more than 20 years of dedicated ser-vice.

Mrs. Diane Mager passed away on March 31. She started as a teacher’s aide in 1980 and then became the Hick-ory Creek Princi-pal’s secretary in 1986. She also worked as the

Grand Prairie Principal’s secretary until her retirement in 2004.

The dedication of Mrs. Georgen and Mrs. Mager to our schools is greatly appreci-ated and will positively impact countless genera-tions of students. Our deepest sym-pathy to their families.

Mrs. Rosemary Georgen Mrs. Diane Mager

Hickory Creek Student Government Day

I magine you are in eighth grade and can experience first-hand what it is like to be a leader of your community. That is just w h a t s o m e Hickory Creek students did when they par-ticipated in the annual Student G o v e r n m e n t Day. As part of studying local village government, students learned about and toured the various departments within the village with their village employee counterparts throughout the day. The following students partici-pated in these village positions: Mayor Jack Woods; Trustees Gabby Slaviero, Kirsten Lutz, Emily Anderson, Sam Ruby, Abby Matone and Darius Stewart; Village Clerk Maddy Herbert; Village Ad-ministrator Emma Mize; Assistant Village Administrator/Finance Di-

rector Sam Bollman; Assistant Director Dev. Services/Utilities Zac Stairs; De-velopment Services Director Maria Sterr; Utilities Director Max Gilmore; Community Relations Manager Maggie Clarey; Public Works Superintendent Dominick Canino; Development Coor-dinator Jordan Jacobucci; Police Chief Bernadette Daly; Fire Chief Jake Heim-lik; and Village Attorney Ryan Kaz-mierczak. The teacher sponsor was Michelle Sommer. The students toured the Frankfort Village Administrative Office, Frank-

fort Fire District, Frankfort Police Department, the Regional Waste Water Treatment Plant and the Util i t ies/Public Works Facility. They also enjoyed lunch at Aurelio’s Pizza. The culmina-tion of the event was a mock stu-den t V i l l age Board meeting just prior to the regular Village

Board meeting. At the Board of Education meeting later that night, Hickory Creek Middle School Prin-cipal Dr. Kevin Suchinski ex-pressed his appreciation for the program. He stated, “I want to publicly thank Mayor Jim Holland, Trustee Cindy Heath and the Vil-lage of Frankfort for providing this great opportunity for our students.” A video of this event is currently airing on the FCTV ON DEMAND station on the Village of Frankfort website, www.villageoffrankfort.com

Hickory Creek students with Mayor Jim Holland, Trustee Cindy Heath and teacher sponsor Michelle Sommer at Student Government Day.

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Annual Report Issue

Creative Arts Showcase a big success

A great time was enjoyed by students and families at the District 157-C Family School Partnership (FSP) Organization’s Creative Arts Showcase recently. The free event featured original art by students from Grand Prairie Elementary, Chelsea Intermediate and Hickory Creek Middle School in categories of visual arts, performing art and literature. All throughout the showcase, families

could view beautiful student art displays, participate in hands-on art activities and enjoy live performances.

There were also professional artist demonstrations and special attractions by local area businesses and artists. They included live music with Mr. Wonder’s Lunch Band, Lincoln-Way Youth Strings, the Music Connection, Down Home Guitars and a violin duo with Jen-nifer Kluchenik and Linda Lager. Also, recycled art projects with Pam Biesen, a live Monet painting by Amy Belonio, Chinese calligraphy and art demonstra-tion by the South Suburban Chinese Church. In addition, Spin Art with Chel-sea art teacher Mrs. Newman, Melissa Monroe pottery, canvas painting with Art Ala Cart and Art Project with the Music Connection’s Pam Peckman. While viewing the various hands-on art projects at the showcase, Grand Prai-rie Assistant Principal Sharon Paver-Nepote stated, “It’s my favorite event. The kids love getting their hands into things.” The Creative Arts Showcase team expressed its thanks to the participating volunteers for their time and talent, the FSP for continuing to fund the event and Mr. Paul White and the Grand Prairie custodial staff for their help.

Kris Murphy helps kindergarten student Christian Shelton make a recycled art project.

Kindergarten student Sami McGuire and first grader Max McGuire watch custom artist Amy Belonio paint.

Kindergarten student Ashley Schoon with her painting featuring buttons.

Hickory Creek student’s poetry earns award

A touch of Korean culture and poetry right here in Frankfort earned Hickory Creek Middle School seventh grader Emma Kein a national second place award. She won for her sijo poem in the National Sejong tenth annual writing competition and was also the youngest poet who placed in the contest. Under the direction of Everest gifted program teacher Rebecca Trsar, students learned about Korean culture and the sijo poem, an ancient form of Korean poetry. Mrs. Trsar asked students to submit one sijo to the writing contest. Selected from more than 1,400 entries received this year, nine sijo contestants and sixteen essay contestants in three different age groups will earn awards. Emma personally thanked her teacher, Mrs. Trsar, for encouraging her to enter the sijo poetry contest. She stated, “When she told me that I got second

place, I was so shocked. I never expected to do this well when I entered my poem. The Sejong Cultural Society contest has helped me grow as a writer and a poet.” Emma also thanked her friends and family for everything they do. She continued, “Whether it is driving me to my activities or encouraging me to do my best, they are always there for me.” Emma enjoys play-ing the cello, club volleyball and travel basketball. In her free time she also en-joys and hanging out with friends. The Sejong Cultural Society is a Chi-cago-based non-profit organization cre-ated to introduce Korean culture to young people in the United States and Canada through contemporary and traditional fine arts. Its main programs include a writing competition for age 25 and younger, a music competition for pre-college age and a music composition competition for all ages. More information is at www.sejongculturalsociety.org.

On behalf of the Se-jong Cultural Society, Dr. C. Lucy Park wrote, “We would like to thank all writ-ers who participated in this year’s compe-tition and hope for the writers’ continued interest in Korean literature and culture.” These poems must follow a certain formula in structure and rhythm, and the indented 2nd, 4th, and 6th lines are inten-tional.

Emma’s Sijo Poem

The walls are caving in,

I don't know how much longer I can survive.

Is anyone coming for me?

Does anyone realize that I'm missing?

The door creaks open. “Found ya!”

my sister says with a smile, “You’re it!”

Emma Kein

Students take first PARCC assessment

A ll District 157-C schools use assess-ment results as a means of gathering diagnostic, prescriptive and reflective infor-mation to plan for student needs. Beginning this year, the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness of College and Careers (PARCC) exam replaced the Illinois Standards Achievement (ISAT) tests after students completed higher expectations on the ISAT test for the past two years. We are pleased to report that the new PARCC testing process has been flawless as students enjoyed the exam’s technology-enhanced items.

Quoted in a press release from the Illi-nois State Board of Education (ISBE,) Dis-trict 157-C Director of Curriculum & In-struction Mrs. Janet McClarence stated, “They are excited to get a video clip and to have some interactive tools to use. It isn’t just another paper-and-pencil test activity. It is an exciting, engaging format for them. We really had far less students who were distracted or gave up, like we’ve seen in the past.” Prior to implementing the PARCC assessment, the ISBE required all school districts to submit information regarding technology infrastructure to determine their

capacity for online testing. District 157-C tested 100 percent of its students in grades 3-8 using the online method after we were informed by the state that we would have full capacity to test online. The 2015 results will serve as the dis-trict’s benchmark year. Consecutive years will be compared to this year to measure growth. Dr. Zinni stated, “By preparing and exposing students to the online method that will become the standard, we felt this is what’s best for our students. We also believe our benchmark year will allow us to set clear and accurate achievement goals for all of our students.”

TERRA NOVA 2014 Test Results

Terra Nova is a nationally normed standardized test that is used to obtain information about a student’s achievement in various areas of the curriculum. Terra Nova measures important higher-order thinking skills as well as basic and applied skills. These assessments generate norm-referenced achievement scores, criterion-referenced objective mastery scores, and performance-level information. Students from second through seventh grade complete Terra Nova assessments during the fall in the areas of Language, Mathematics and Reading. In addition, students complete a cognitive assessment (InView) that provides cognitive and anticipated achievement.

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A focus on District 157-C finances

Where the money comes from: Money to educate the students and run the school district comes from four sources: local, state, federal, and other. The largest portion of District 157-C’s revenue, 84%, comes from local taxes.

Transportation 6% Education

67%

Annual Report Issue

Budgeted Revenue by Resource Fiscal Year 2015

Local Taxes $ 29,526,700 Other Local $ 807,900 State Aid $ 2,265,000 Other State $ 1,053,180 Federal $ 613,880 Other $ 1,050,000 TOTAL $ 35,316,660

Local Taxes 84%

Federal 2% Other State 3%

Other Local 2%

State Aid 6%

Budgeted Expenditure by Fund Fiscal Year 2015

Education $ 23,731,395 O&M $ 4,357,992 Bond & Interest $ 4,110,003 Transportation $ 2,241,737 IMRF $ 730,234 Site & Construction $ 300,000 Other * $ 51,500 TOTAL $ 35,522,861

*Note: Life Safety, Tort and Working Cash Funds are not graphed as they are less than 1 percent of the total budget.

Operations & Maintenance 12%

Municipal Retirement/Social Security IMRF

2%

Bond & Interest 12%

Where the money goes: The Education Fund is our main expenditure fund. In every fund we may have expenditures for Salaries, Benefits, Purchased Services, Materials and Supplies, Capital Equipment or other items.

F or the past five years, the District 157-C Board of Education has held the line on the school district’s tax levy. Using a combination of debt re-financing, debt service fund abatements from existing reserves, and ongoing cost containment strategies, this year the school district was able to ask taxpayers

for about the same amount as in levy years 2010-2013 at around $29.5M. This is in keeping with the Board’s desire to be fis-cally responsible during the current chal-lenging economic times. The Board and Administration continue to look for ways to reduce costs through-out the district without affecting the qual-ity of education. The district’s careful

financial management and strategic plan-ning have enabled it to maintain a prestig-ious “AAA” bond rating and placement on the State’s Financial Recognition List. Our financial information and a listing of our cost-cutting strategies can be found under “finance” on the “reporting” tab of the district’s website at www.fsd157c.org.

Site & Construction 1%

Other 3%

Welcome to our new Chelsea Intermediate School Principal

T he 157-C Board of Education is proud to announce that Grand Prairie Assistant Principal, Dr. Sharon Paver-Nepote, has been promoted to Chelsea Principal effective July 1, 2015. The Board approved her for the position at its special Board meeting of April 29. She will replace Kristin Simpkins who has accepted a position as Principal of Oak Lawn-Hometown Middle School in District 123. Superintendent Maura J. Zinni stated, “Sharon’s professionalism, great relationship with staff and strong background in education have served our District well for many years at Grand Prairie Elementary School. The Board and I believe that Sharon is an excellent fit for the Chelsea Intermediate School Principal position” Dr. Paver-Nepote is already a familiar face in District 157-C where she has been the Grand Prairie Elementary School Assistant Principal since 2012. Prior to that, she served as a kinder-garten through second grade teacher and a transi-tions teacher in the District from 2000-2012. She also taught at Mokena School District 159. She completed her Doctoral degree in Educa-tional Leadership, with a Superintendent’s En-dorsement, from the University of St. Francis. She earned two Master’s Degrees, one in Cur-riculum and Instruction and another in Educa-tional Leadership, both from the University of St. Francis. She also earned a Bachelor of Arts

Degree in Elementary Education from Gover-nors State University and is a member of the Kappa Delta Pi and the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Societies. Dr. Paver-Nepote is trained in the Illinois State Board of Education Performance Evalua-tion Reform Act (PERA) and has provided over-sight on evaluation, supervision and retention of staff. She has served on the Parent/Student Handbook Committee for Section 504 Plans, led professional development and vertical articula-tion and assisted in the planning and preparation of staff institute days. She has led teacher and administrative teams through the Common Core implementation, curriculum planning, scope and sequence development and assessment design. She has presented induction sessions for new teacher orientation and organized family math and language arts nights. She has written suc-cessful grants for the district, developed a monthly school newsletter, conducted educa-tional presentations to parents, worked with the Frankfort Fire and Police Departments to pro-vide educational training for students and was responsible for building-level emergency proce-dures and drills. As President of the Frankfort Teachers’ As-sociation (FTA), Dr. Paver-Nepote worked col-laboratively with the District 157-C Board of Education. This brought about positive and open dialogue between the FTA administration

Welcome to our new Hickory Creek Middle School Principal

A t its regular Board meeting on April 20, 2015, the District 157-C Board of Edu-cation retained William Z. Seidelmann to serve as the new Principal of Hickory Creek Middle School effective July 1, 2015. He will replace Dr. Kevin Suchinski who has accepted a position as Superinten-dent of Hillside District 93. Dr. Maura Zinni stated, “We are confi-dent that Mr. Seidelmann will be an excel-lent Principal for our middle school stu-dents and staff. He is highly qualified and understands our middle school philosophy that addresses the developmental needs of students including intellectual, social, emotional and physical aspects. Mr. Seidelmann is outgoing and engaging, strongly believing in the importance of communication, collaboration and coop-eration among staff. He also believes in our philosophy of always keeping the stu-dents in mind when making decisions.” Part of the District 157-C extensive selection process included surveys and meetings with staff members, parents, and members of the community and this input was vital to the decision. Mr. Seidelmann was selected from a field of over 50 highly qualified applicants, including the final 10 who were chosen for face-to-face screen-ing with District Cabinet members. Dis-

trict 157-C administrators also conducted a site visit at his current employer to experi-ence his work environment and learn more about him from his colleagues and superi-ors. Mr. Seidelmann has an outstanding rés-umé that includes extensive experience in regular and special education settings. He currently serves as the Assistant Principal at Conrady Junior High School in North Palos District 117, a National Distinguished Title I award-winning school. While there, he improved the after-school intervention program, provided new ideas to enhance the special education department and streamlined the school’s testing process. Prior to that, he was employed at Plainfield School District 202’s Central High School Emotional and Behavioral Program as a case manager and educator. Past employ-ment also includes being a special educator for the Southwest Cook County Coopera-tive for Special Education at Victor J. An-drew High School. Mr. Seidelmann is currently completing the Doctoral degree program in Educational Leadership at DePaul University. He has earned a Director of Special Education en-dorsement from Lewis University, a Master of Science degree in Educational Leader-ship from Concordia University and a Bachelor of Science degree in Education

from East-ern Illinois University. D r . Z i n n i continued, “ D i s t r i c t 1 5 7 - C prides itself o n i t s strong part-n e r s h i p with par-ents and community m e m -bers and is also thankful for its dedicated school staff and Board of Education members. We be-lieve that Mr. Seidelmann will be a val-ued member of our team and he is ex-cited to meet our parents, staff and stu-dents. A ‘Meet and Greet’ was held in April and later this summer there will be many opportunities for our parents to meet him during our ‘Back to School’ events. Please join us in welcoming Will Seidelmann to our school family.”

and the S c h o o l B o a r d d u r i n g c o n t r a c t n e g o t i a -tions and resulted in the devel-opment of an Execu-tive Coun-cil and Collabora-tive Coun-cil. D r . Zinni con-t i n u e d , s t a t i n g , “Sharon’s strong leadership skills have al-ready been witnessed at Grand Prairie. Her dedication to the District and her passion for excellence will serve Chelsea well as she begins her new role as Principal. We have very talented staff members here in District 157-C. We are pleased to promote from within our staff for this position to continue our ‘Tradition of Excellence’ for our Frank-fort students.” Please join us in congratulating Dr. Paver-Nepote on her new position.

Mr. William Seidelmann

Dr. Sharon Paver-Nepote

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A s you approach the office where Grand Prairie Reading Recovery teacher Pam Sny-der works with her students, you can’t help but notice books everywhere. Her love for reading and helping children become great readers is her passion. Mrs. Snyder has been with District 157-C since 1998. She was teacher Judy Matusewski’s student teacher when they worked together in LaGrange and Mrs. Matuszewski encouraged her to come to Frankfort after she began teaching in District 157-C. Mrs. Snyder graduated with a double ma-jor in special education and elementary edu-cation from Northern Illinois University. She continued her education at Governor’s State University and Chicago State University to become certified in two more areas of special education. She is also certified in Reading Recovery from Governor’s State University. The Snyders moved to Frankfort 22 years ago and she worked part time in District 157-

Grand Prairie Reading Recovery Instructor Pam Snyder C prior to becoming full time. She was trained in Reading Recovery in 2000 and has taught Reading Recovery in Language Arts ever since. She loves what she does, stating, “Teaching Reading Recovery is my ‘m&m’ and it works for readers. When it clicks with the kids, they take off. Their wheels are turning and they are getting it and they just build on it.” Along with her regular teaching, she has also enjoyed help-ing with Grand Prairie’s All School Reads and Literacy Nights. A lot has changed in the Village of Frankfort and the District since Mrs. Snyder started here. She has seen many changes in the schools, staff, principals and administrators over the years. “The kids and staff keep changing and growing. But one of my favorite things is to work with new people and see kids smile because of the warmth and love of their teachers. It is their gift, to get these kiddos to be lifelong learners and readers.” Mrs. Snyder says she will miss her job, the kids and the spirit of learning. She has no real plans yet for retirement but will continue to tutor

students after school as she does now. For hobbies, she is an avid walker, does some crafts and loves animals. She said she will proba-bly wait until after she enjoys the fall, her favorite time of year, to figure out something fun to do with her free time. Mrs . Snyder looks forward to spending time with her hus-band, Duane, and three daughters Haley, a physical therapist; Kelsey, finishing up her Master’s degree in clinical psychology; and Bria, a nursing student. A self-proclaimed “Disney fanatic” who collects Mickey Mouse memorabilia and even has a “Disney” room in her home, she says “I figure we could always go to Disneyworld. If someone doesn’t have a good time there, something is wrong!”

Hickory Creek Physical Education Instructor Peggy Luther

Grand Prairie Technology Instructor Barb Campbell F or Grand Prairie’s Barb Campbell, teaching is all about connecting with the kids. Speaking about her job over these past 36 years, she can’t help but break out in laughter when she remem-bers some of the things her students say to her. She connects with the students by displaying posters and other items that have a Campbell’s Soup theme around her technology lab. She chuckles as she tells how the students often tell her they ate “her” soup last night. She said, “You hear such funny stories from kids. They still make me laugh.” With a background in music, Mrs. Campbell sings out directions for the students and finds that singing helps kids listen to what she will say next. “Each teacher has an individual personality and their own style,” she continued. She graduated from Southern Illinois with a Bachelor of Science degree and earned her Master’s degree in Counseling from Liberty University in Virginia. She started her Frankfort career in the Enrichment Learning Center at the former Chelsea School located on Willow Street as “Miss Bernard.” She taught there for 17 years before getting married and also mov-ing to help open Grand Prairie Elementary where she has worked for another 19 years as “Mrs. Campbell.” She recalls a time in District 157-C when there were no computers desig-nated for teaching. She was the first to initiate technology instruction when a local bank do-nated one computer to the district.

In 1990, she survived the “Chelsea Flood” when the school flooded over the weekend and the staff came back to work to find water dam-age throughout the building. Students were taught at St. Peter’s Church for about three months until the school was back in use. Some good came from the flood, however, when in-surance replaced water-damaged items with new library books, textbooks, computers and other equipment for the school and Mrs. Camp-bell got the first Mac computer lab. Today she teaches all kindergarten through second grade students their technology skills in a full computer lab. This amounts to some 780 students a week and several thousand students over the past 36 years. Internet safety is a prior-ity for her and she makes sure that her students understand what the Internet is and how to use it properly. She stated, “The District and tech-nology have grown so much over the years. Everyone has to use technology and it just keeps going forward.” Back in her early years at Chelsea, Mrs. Campbell taught students telephone etiquette and social skills using two telephones borrowed from Lincoln-Way High School. Today the students use sophisticated technology and learn very quickly. She stated, “There is a good flow for teaching technology from kindergarten through eighth grade. We lay a good founda-tion here. Our first graders recently created an eight-page slide show with music and their voice on every page. Parents were able to ac-

cess these slide shows using the Internet Cloud.” Mrs. Campbell now sees many of her former students coming back to raise their families in Frankfort and she is happy to meet the next generation of students in her classes. She praised the Grand Prairie staff and the families in the District, stating, “The people I work with are so professional. There is not a teacher here that I wouldn’t recommend. I have a deep con-nection and close relationship with our staff and this is a great town with supportive families.” Along with retiring, Mrs. Campbell has an-other big change coming this year. She is very close with her daughter, Jessica, who is 19 years old and about to go away to college. While she is not sure yet how she will spend her retirement, Mrs. Campbell is excited about it. She plans to continue to be involved with her church and also wants to do some kind of work so she is leaving her options open. She has en-joyed her career here in District 157-C, stating, “I love teaching. Hopefully some good came out of it. It has really been gratifying for me.”

ory of hers happened two years ago when two students placed first at state in East Peoria, Illinois. Students Sidney Bloomfield placed first for hurdles and Ololade Avoola placed first for high jump. At this same event, the girls’ track team placed fourth in the state. She stated, “I am also very proud of the devel-opment of our cross country program. We have had a team and/or individual advance to state every year since 2002.” She likes her work and her co-workers, stating “Our PE Department is awesome! They are always willing to pitch in to help each other.” She has enjoyed the students as well, stating, “They are at an age that they are still enthusiastic about being in PE and the kids overall are well behaved. They are grow-ing in their understanding of what it takes to be healthy. I believe we make this learning fun.” She’s proud of the fitness room that she and former PE colleague Greg Rigoni set up when Hickory Creek Middle School was con-structed. “The fitness room is a big addition to the PE program. We are teaching the kids how to keep healthy for the rest of their lives.”

After an initial orien-tation, students go to the fitness room once a week. While there, they work on their cardiovascular health and lift weights for strength. Mrs. Luther is married to Patrick and they have lived in Mokena for nearly 35 years. They have four grown children, Kaitlyn, an attorney who lives in Chicago; Tess, a social worker who recently married Joel and lives in Memphis; a son, Casey, who lives in Chicago; and Arianna, a senior studying exer-cise science at Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Missouri. No serious plans are in the works for her retirement yet, but Mrs. Luther says she will be finding some kind of work to keep her busy. In the meantime, she looks forward to continuing to compete in races and doing some traveling.

H ickory Creek Middle School physical education teacher Peggy Luther lives by what she teaches. She instructs her students on ways to keep physically fit and does so herself by being an avid runner and working out every day. Mrs. Luther has taught physical education and health at Hickory Creek Middle School for the past 14 years, first when Hickory Creek was located on Sauk Trail (now Chelsea Inter-mediate School) and now in its current loca-tion at 22150 W. 116th Avenue. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Educa-tion and Health from the University of Illinois at Champaign and a Master of Science degree in Guidance Counseling from Lewis Univer-sity. She has seen many curriculum changes over the years, including the teaching of Com-mon Core in PE and health classes. Today students are asked to read articles and write their own papers on subjects such as physical fitness and health. Mrs. Luther has also enjoyed coaching cross country and track/field. A favorite mem-

Best wishes to dedicated staff members on their retirement

C ongratulations to this year’s retirees on their many dedicated years of service to District 157-C children. Mrs. Barb Camp-bell, Mrs. Pam Snyder and Mrs. Peggy Luther have made a positive difference in so many of our children’s lives. These articles highlight their service to our district and the many changes they have seen in our schools over the years. The retirees will be honored by administrators and staff at the “End of the Year” Celebration on May 29. Best wishes to all of these dedicated staff members!

Popular reading events at all three schools

R eading is a big priority in Dis-trict 157-C. This year three reading special events were enjoyed by stu-dents and families. At Grand Prairie, the Family School Partnership and parent volun-teers organized “Never Quit Read-ing.” It was a great event with nu-merous activities tied to reading set up all throughout the school. Each of the activities focused on a book that was nominated for the Monarch Award. Families could also pur-chase books for all ages at the Book Fair which was ongoing throughout the event. At Chelsea, a Literacy Celebra-tion was held with a great turnout of over 300 students. Teachers shared with families the reading strategies used dur-

ing the school day. Students and fami-lies participated in various activities hosted by teachers. Students who com-pleted at least eight activities were entered into a raffle for book baskets. Every Chelsea student left with a free book of their choice so they could practice the literary strategies they learned about during the evening.

At Hickory Creek, students voted for their favorite book through a state pro-gram, the Rebecca Caudill Young Readers Book Award. This is the eleventh year that Hickory Creek has participated. Food and prizes were available to students as they came to the Library Media Center to celebrate their favorite books. The program was supported by the Family School Part-nership (FSP), Education Foundation and Student Council. Students could qualify as official judges by reading three or more of the 20 nominated titles. All judges had the opportunity to vote for their favorite title and help chose the 2015 Caudill book for Illinois. The winning books at Hickory creek were #1 Legend by Marie Lu, #2 The False Prince by Jennifer Nielson, and #3 The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate.

Students who won book baskets at the Chelsea Literacy Night (l-r) Lucas Garcia, Tommy O'Brien, Connor Cumbee, Sophia Deanching

and Hunter Lehman.

Ryan, Ben and Colin Bessette make pet rocks with their dad at the Grand Prairie Book Fair event .

Hickory Creek 6th graders (l-r) Kaitlyn Lee and Meredith Williams enjoy the Rebecca Caudill celebration.

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A s you approach the office where Grand Prairie Reading Recovery teacher Pam Sny-der works with her students, you can’t help but notice books everywhere. Her love for reading and helping children become great readers is her passion. Mrs. Snyder has been with District 157-C since 1998. She was teacher Judy Matusewski’s student teacher when they worked together in LaGrange and Mrs. Matuszewski encouraged her to come to Frankfort after she began teaching in District 157-C. Mrs. Snyder graduated with a double ma-jor in special education and elementary edu-cation from Northern Illinois University. She continued her education at Governor’s State University and Chicago State University to become certified in two more areas of special education. She is also certified in Reading Recovery from Governor’s State University. The Snyders moved to Frankfort 22 years ago and she worked part time in District 157-

Grand Prairie Reading Recovery Instructor Pam Snyder C prior to becoming full time. She was trained in Reading Recovery in 2000 and has taught Reading Recovery in Language Arts ever since. She loves what she does, stating, “Teaching Reading Recovery is my ‘m&m’ and it works for readers. When it clicks with the kids, they take off. Their wheels are turning and they are getting it and they just build on it.” Along with her regular teaching, she has also enjoyed help-ing with Grand Prairie’s All School Reads and Literacy Nights. A lot has changed in the Village of Frankfort and the District since Mrs. Snyder started here. She has seen many changes in the schools, staff, principals and administrators over the years. “The kids and staff keep changing and growing. But one of my favorite things is to work with new people and see kids smile because of the warmth and love of their teachers. It is their gift, to get these kiddos to be lifelong learners and readers.” Mrs. Snyder says she will miss her job, the kids and the spirit of learning. She has no real plans yet for retirement but will continue to tutor

students after school as she does now. For hobbies, she is an avid walker, does some crafts and loves animals. She said she will proba-bly wait until after she enjoys the fall, her favorite time of year, to figure out something fun to do with her free time. Mrs . Snyder looks forward to spending time with her hus-band, Duane, and three daughters Haley, a physical therapist; Kelsey, finishing up her Master’s degree in clinical psychology; and Bria, a nursing student. A self-proclaimed “Disney fanatic” who collects Mickey Mouse memorabilia and even has a “Disney” room in her home, she says “I figure we could always go to Disneyworld. If someone doesn’t have a good time there, something is wrong!”

Hickory Creek Physical Education Instructor Peggy Luther

Grand Prairie Technology Instructor Barb Campbell F or Grand Prairie’s Barb Campbell, teaching is all about connecting with the kids. Speaking about her job over these past 36 years, she can’t help but break out in laughter when she remem-bers some of the things her students say to her. She connects with the students by displaying posters and other items that have a Campbell’s Soup theme around her technology lab. She chuckles as she tells how the students often tell her they ate “her” soup last night. She said, “You hear such funny stories from kids. They still make me laugh.” With a background in music, Mrs. Campbell sings out directions for the students and finds that singing helps kids listen to what she will say next. “Each teacher has an individual personality and their own style,” she continued. She graduated from Southern Illinois with a Bachelor of Science degree and earned her Master’s degree in Counseling from Liberty University in Virginia. She started her Frankfort career in the Enrichment Learning Center at the former Chelsea School located on Willow Street as “Miss Bernard.” She taught there for 17 years before getting married and also mov-ing to help open Grand Prairie Elementary where she has worked for another 19 years as “Mrs. Campbell.” She recalls a time in District 157-C when there were no computers desig-nated for teaching. She was the first to initiate technology instruction when a local bank do-nated one computer to the district.

In 1990, she survived the “Chelsea Flood” when the school flooded over the weekend and the staff came back to work to find water dam-age throughout the building. Students were taught at St. Peter’s Church for about three months until the school was back in use. Some good came from the flood, however, when in-surance replaced water-damaged items with new library books, textbooks, computers and other equipment for the school and Mrs. Camp-bell got the first Mac computer lab. Today she teaches all kindergarten through second grade students their technology skills in a full computer lab. This amounts to some 780 students a week and several thousand students over the past 36 years. Internet safety is a prior-ity for her and she makes sure that her students understand what the Internet is and how to use it properly. She stated, “The District and tech-nology have grown so much over the years. Everyone has to use technology and it just keeps going forward.” Back in her early years at Chelsea, Mrs. Campbell taught students telephone etiquette and social skills using two telephones borrowed from Lincoln-Way High School. Today the students use sophisticated technology and learn very quickly. She stated, “There is a good flow for teaching technology from kindergarten through eighth grade. We lay a good founda-tion here. Our first graders recently created an eight-page slide show with music and their voice on every page. Parents were able to ac-

cess these slide shows using the Internet Cloud.” Mrs. Campbell now sees many of her former students coming back to raise their families in Frankfort and she is happy to meet the next generation of students in her classes. She praised the Grand Prairie staff and the families in the District, stating, “The people I work with are so professional. There is not a teacher here that I wouldn’t recommend. I have a deep con-nection and close relationship with our staff and this is a great town with supportive families.” Along with retiring, Mrs. Campbell has an-other big change coming this year. She is very close with her daughter, Jessica, who is 19 years old and about to go away to college. While she is not sure yet how she will spend her retirement, Mrs. Campbell is excited about it. She plans to continue to be involved with her church and also wants to do some kind of work so she is leaving her options open. She has en-joyed her career here in District 157-C, stating, “I love teaching. Hopefully some good came out of it. It has really been gratifying for me.”

ory of hers happened two years ago when two students placed first at state in East Peoria, Illinois. Students Sidney Bloomfield placed first for hurdles and Ololade Avoola placed first for high jump. At this same event, the girls’ track team placed fourth in the state. She stated, “I am also very proud of the devel-opment of our cross country program. We have had a team and/or individual advance to state every year since 2002.” She likes her work and her co-workers, stating “Our PE Department is awesome! They are always willing to pitch in to help each other.” She has enjoyed the students as well, stating, “They are at an age that they are still enthusiastic about being in PE and the kids overall are well behaved. They are grow-ing in their understanding of what it takes to be healthy. I believe we make this learning fun.” She’s proud of the fitness room that she and former PE colleague Greg Rigoni set up when Hickory Creek Middle School was con-structed. “The fitness room is a big addition to the PE program. We are teaching the kids how to keep healthy for the rest of their lives.”

After an initial orien-tation, students go to the fitness room once a week. While there, they work on their cardiovascular health and lift weights for strength. Mrs. Luther is married to Patrick and they have lived in Mokena for nearly 35 years. They have four grown children, Kaitlyn, an attorney who lives in Chicago; Tess, a social worker who recently married Joel and lives in Memphis; a son, Casey, who lives in Chicago; and Arianna, a senior studying exer-cise science at Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Missouri. No serious plans are in the works for her retirement yet, but Mrs. Luther says she will be finding some kind of work to keep her busy. In the meantime, she looks forward to continuing to compete in races and doing some traveling.

H ickory Creek Middle School physical education teacher Peggy Luther lives by what she teaches. She instructs her students on ways to keep physically fit and does so herself by being an avid runner and working out every day. Mrs. Luther has taught physical education and health at Hickory Creek Middle School for the past 14 years, first when Hickory Creek was located on Sauk Trail (now Chelsea Inter-mediate School) and now in its current loca-tion at 22150 W. 116th Avenue. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Educa-tion and Health from the University of Illinois at Champaign and a Master of Science degree in Guidance Counseling from Lewis Univer-sity. She has seen many curriculum changes over the years, including the teaching of Com-mon Core in PE and health classes. Today students are asked to read articles and write their own papers on subjects such as physical fitness and health. Mrs. Luther has also enjoyed coaching cross country and track/field. A favorite mem-

Best wishes to dedicated staff members on their retirement

C ongratulations to this year’s retirees on their many dedicated years of service to District 157-C children. Mrs. Barb Camp-bell, Mrs. Pam Snyder and Mrs. Peggy Luther have made a positive difference in so many of our children’s lives. These articles highlight their service to our district and the many changes they have seen in our schools over the years. The retirees will be honored by administrators and staff at the “End of the Year” Celebration on May 29. Best wishes to all of these dedicated staff members!

Popular reading events at all three schools

R eading is a big priority in Dis-trict 157-C. This year three reading special events were enjoyed by stu-dents and families. At Grand Prairie, the Family School Partnership and parent volun-teers organized “Never Quit Read-ing.” It was a great event with nu-merous activities tied to reading set up all throughout the school. Each of the activities focused on a book that was nominated for the Monarch Award. Families could also pur-chase books for all ages at the Book Fair which was ongoing throughout the event. At Chelsea, a Literacy Celebra-tion was held with a great turnout of over 300 students. Teachers shared with families the reading strategies used dur-

ing the school day. Students and fami-lies participated in various activities hosted by teachers. Students who com-pleted at least eight activities were entered into a raffle for book baskets. Every Chelsea student left with a free book of their choice so they could practice the literary strategies they learned about during the evening.

At Hickory Creek, students voted for their favorite book through a state pro-gram, the Rebecca Caudill Young Readers Book Award. This is the eleventh year that Hickory Creek has participated. Food and prizes were available to students as they came to the Library Media Center to celebrate their favorite books. The program was supported by the Family School Part-nership (FSP), Education Foundation and Student Council. Students could qualify as official judges by reading three or more of the 20 nominated titles. All judges had the opportunity to vote for their favorite title and help chose the 2015 Caudill book for Illinois. The winning books at Hickory creek were #1 Legend by Marie Lu, #2 The False Prince by Jennifer Nielson, and #3 The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate.

Students who won book baskets at the Chelsea Literacy Night (l-r) Lucas Garcia, Tommy O'Brien, Connor Cumbee, Sophia Deanching

and Hunter Lehman.

Ryan, Ben and Colin Bessette make pet rocks with their dad at the Grand Prairie Book Fair event .

Hickory Creek 6th graders (l-r) Kaitlyn Lee and Meredith Williams enjoy the Rebecca Caudill celebration.

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A focus on District 157-C finances

Where the money comes from: Money to educate the students and run the school district comes from four sources: local, state, federal, and other. The largest portion of District 157-C’s revenue, 84%, comes from local taxes.

Transportation 6% Education

67%

Annual Report Issue

Budgeted Revenue by Resource Fiscal Year 2015

Local Taxes $ 29,526,700 Other Local $ 807,900 State Aid $ 2,265,000 Other State $ 1,053,180 Federal $ 613,880 Other $ 1,050,000 TOTAL $ 35,316,660

Local Taxes 84%

Federal 2% Other State 3%

Other Local 2%

State Aid 6%

Budgeted Expenditure by Fund Fiscal Year 2015

Education $ 23,731,395 O&M $ 4,357,992 Bond & Interest $ 4,110,003 Transportation $ 2,241,737 IMRF $ 730,234 Site & Construction $ 300,000 Other * $ 51,500 TOTAL $ 35,522,861

*Note: Life Safety, Tort and Working Cash Funds are not graphed as they are less than 1 percent of the total budget.

Operations & Maintenance 12%

Municipal Retirement/Social Security IMRF

2%

Bond & Interest 12%

Where the money goes: The Education Fund is our main expenditure fund. In every fund we may have expenditures for Salaries, Benefits, Purchased Services, Materials and Supplies, Capital Equipment or other items.

F or the past five years, the District 157-C Board of Education has held the line on the school district’s tax levy. Using a combination of debt re-financing, debt service fund abatements from existing reserves, and ongoing cost containment strategies, this year the school district was able to ask taxpayers

for about the same amount as in levy years 2010-2013 at around $29.5M. This is in keeping with the Board’s desire to be fis-cally responsible during the current chal-lenging economic times. The Board and Administration continue to look for ways to reduce costs through-out the district without affecting the qual-ity of education. The district’s careful

financial management and strategic plan-ning have enabled it to maintain a prestig-ious “AAA” bond rating and placement on the State’s Financial Recognition List. Our financial information and a listing of our cost-cutting strategies can be found under “finance” on the “reporting” tab of the district’s website at www.fsd157c.org.

Site & Construction 1%

Other 3%

Welcome to our new Chelsea Intermediate School Principal

T he 157-C Board of Education is proud to announce that Grand Prairie Assistant Principal, Dr. Sharon Paver-Nepote, has been promoted to Chelsea Principal effective July 1, 2015. The Board approved her for the position at its special Board meeting of April 29. She will replace Kristin Simpkins who has accepted a position as Principal of Oak Lawn-Hometown Middle School in District 123. Superintendent Maura J. Zinni stated, “Sharon’s professionalism, great relationship with staff and strong background in education have served our District well for many years at Grand Prairie Elementary School. The Board and I believe that Sharon is an excellent fit for the Chelsea Intermediate School Principal position” Dr. Paver-Nepote is already a familiar face in District 157-C where she has been the Grand Prairie Elementary School Assistant Principal since 2012. Prior to that, she served as a kinder-garten through second grade teacher and a transi-tions teacher in the District from 2000-2012. She also taught at Mokena School District 159. She completed her Doctoral degree in Educa-tional Leadership, with a Superintendent’s En-dorsement, from the University of St. Francis. She earned two Master’s Degrees, one in Cur-riculum and Instruction and another in Educa-tional Leadership, both from the University of St. Francis. She also earned a Bachelor of Arts

Degree in Elementary Education from Gover-nors State University and is a member of the Kappa Delta Pi and the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Societies. Dr. Paver-Nepote is trained in the Illinois State Board of Education Performance Evalua-tion Reform Act (PERA) and has provided over-sight on evaluation, supervision and retention of staff. She has served on the Parent/Student Handbook Committee for Section 504 Plans, led professional development and vertical articula-tion and assisted in the planning and preparation of staff institute days. She has led teacher and administrative teams through the Common Core implementation, curriculum planning, scope and sequence development and assessment design. She has presented induction sessions for new teacher orientation and organized family math and language arts nights. She has written suc-cessful grants for the district, developed a monthly school newsletter, conducted educa-tional presentations to parents, worked with the Frankfort Fire and Police Departments to pro-vide educational training for students and was responsible for building-level emergency proce-dures and drills. As President of the Frankfort Teachers’ As-sociation (FTA), Dr. Paver-Nepote worked col-laboratively with the District 157-C Board of Education. This brought about positive and open dialogue between the FTA administration

Welcome to our new Hickory Creek Middle School Principal

A t its regular Board meeting on April 20, 2015, the District 157-C Board of Edu-cation retained William Z. Seidelmann to serve as the new Principal of Hickory Creek Middle School effective July 1, 2015. He will replace Dr. Kevin Suchinski who has accepted a position as Superinten-dent of Hillside District 93. Dr. Maura Zinni stated, “We are confi-dent that Mr. Seidelmann will be an excel-lent Principal for our middle school stu-dents and staff. He is highly qualified and understands our middle school philosophy that addresses the developmental needs of students including intellectual, social, emotional and physical aspects. Mr. Seidelmann is outgoing and engaging, strongly believing in the importance of communication, collaboration and coop-eration among staff. He also believes in our philosophy of always keeping the stu-dents in mind when making decisions.” Part of the District 157-C extensive selection process included surveys and meetings with staff members, parents, and members of the community and this input was vital to the decision. Mr. Seidelmann was selected from a field of over 50 highly qualified applicants, including the final 10 who were chosen for face-to-face screen-ing with District Cabinet members. Dis-

trict 157-C administrators also conducted a site visit at his current employer to experi-ence his work environment and learn more about him from his colleagues and superi-ors. Mr. Seidelmann has an outstanding rés-umé that includes extensive experience in regular and special education settings. He currently serves as the Assistant Principal at Conrady Junior High School in North Palos District 117, a National Distinguished Title I award-winning school. While there, he improved the after-school intervention program, provided new ideas to enhance the special education department and streamlined the school’s testing process. Prior to that, he was employed at Plainfield School District 202’s Central High School Emotional and Behavioral Program as a case manager and educator. Past employ-ment also includes being a special educator for the Southwest Cook County Coopera-tive for Special Education at Victor J. An-drew High School. Mr. Seidelmann is currently completing the Doctoral degree program in Educational Leadership at DePaul University. He has earned a Director of Special Education en-dorsement from Lewis University, a Master of Science degree in Educational Leader-ship from Concordia University and a Bachelor of Science degree in Education

from East-ern Illinois University. Dr. Zinni continued, “ D i s t r i c t 1 5 7 - C prides itself o n i t s strong part-n e r s h i p with par-ents and community m e m -bers and is also thankful for its dedicated school staff and Board of Education members. We be-lieve that Mr. Seidelmann will be a val-ued member of our team and he is ex-cited to meet our parents, staff and stu-dents. A ‘Meet and Greet’ was held in April and later this summer there will be many opportunities for our parents to meet him during our ‘Back to School’ events. Please join us in welcoming Will Seidelmann to our school family.”

and the S c h o o l B o a r d d u r i n g c o n t r a c t n e g o t i a -tions and resulted in the devel-opment of an Execu-tive Coun-cil and Collabora-tive Coun-cil. D r . Zinni con-t i n u e d , s t a t i n g , “Sharon’s strong leadership skills have al-ready been witnessed at Grand Prairie. Her dedication to the District and her passion for excellence will serve Chelsea well as she begins her new role as Principal. We have very talented staff members here in District 157-C. We are pleased to promote from within our staff for this position to continue our ‘Tradition of Excellence’ for our Frank-fort students.” Please join us in congratulating Dr. Paver-Nepote on her new position.

Mr. William Seidelmann

Dr. Sharon Paver-Nepote

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Annual Report Issue

Creative Arts Showcase a big success

A great time was enjoyed by students and families at the District 157-C Family School Partnership (FSP) Organization’s Creative Arts Showcase recently. The free event featured original art by students from Grand Prairie Elementary, Chelsea Intermediate and Hickory Creek Middle School in categories of visual arts, performing art and literature. All throughout the showcase, families

could view beautiful student art displays, participate in hands-on art activities and enjoy live performances.

There were also professional artist demonstrations and special attractions by local area businesses and artists. They included live music with Mr. Wonder’s Lunch Band, Lincoln-Way Youth Strings, the Music Connection, Down Home Guitars and a violin duo with Jen-nifer Kluchenik and Linda Lager. Also, recycled art projects with Pam Biesen, a live Monet painting by Amy Belonio, Chinese calligraphy and art demonstra-tion by the South Suburban Chinese Church. In addition, Spin Art with Chel-sea art teacher Mrs. Newman, Melissa Monroe pottery, canvas painting with Art Ala Cart and Art Project with the Music Connection’s Pam Peckman. While viewing the various hands-on art projects at the showcase, Grand Prai-rie Assistant Principal Sharon Paver-Nepote stated, “It’s my favorite event. The kids love getting their hands into things.” The Creative Arts Showcase team expressed its thanks to the participating volunteers for their time and talent, the FSP for continuing to fund the event and Mr. Paul White and the Grand Prairie custodial staff for their help.

Kris Murphy helps kindergarten student Christian Shelton make a recycled art project.

Kindergarten student Sami McGuire and first grader Max McGuire watch custom artist Amy Belonio paint.

Kindergarten student Ashley Schoon with her painting featuring buttons.

Hickory Creek student’s poetry earns award

A touch of Korean culture and poetry right here in Frankfort earned Hickory Creek Middle School seventh grader Emma Kein a national second place award. She won for her sijo poem in the National Sejong tenth annual writing competition and was also the youngest poet who placed in the contest. Under the direction of Everest gifted program teacher Rebecca Trsar, students learned about Korean culture and the sijo poem, an ancient form of Korean poetry. Mrs. Trsar asked students to submit one sijo to the writing contest. Selected from more than 1,400 entries received this year, nine sijo contestants and sixteen essay contestants in three different age groups will earn awards. Emma personally thanked her teacher, Mrs. Trsar, for encouraging her to enter the sijo poetry contest. She stated, “When she told me that I got second

place, I was so shocked. I never expected to do this well when I entered my poem. The Sejong Cultural Society contest has helped me grow as a writer and a poet.” Emma also thanked her friends and family for everything they do. She continued, “Whether it is driving me to my activities or encouraging me to do my best, they are always there for me.” Emma enjoys play-ing the cello, club volleyball and travel basketball. In her free time she also en-joys and hanging out with friends. The Sejong Cultural Society is a Chi-cago-based non-profit organization cre-ated to introduce Korean culture to young people in the United States and Canada through contemporary and traditional fine arts. Its main programs include a writing competition for age 25 and younger, a music competition for pre-college age and a music composition competition for all ages. More information is at www.sejongculturalsociety.org.

On behalf of the Se-jong Cultural Society, Dr. C. Lucy Park wrote, “We would like to thank all writ-ers who participated in this year’s compe-tition and hope for the writers’ continued interest in Korean literature and culture.” These poems must follow a certain formula in structure and rhythm, and the indented 2nd, 4th, and 6th lines are inten-tional.

Emma’s Sijo Poem

The walls are caving in,

I don't know how much longer I can survive.

Is anyone coming for me?

Does anyone realize that I'm missing?

The door creaks open. “Found ya!”

my sister says with a smile, “You’re it!”

Emma Kein

Students take first PARCC assessment

A ll District 157-C schools use assess-ment results as a means of gathering diagnostic, prescriptive and reflective infor-mation to plan for student needs. Beginning this year, the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness of College and Careers (PARCC) exam replaced the Illinois Standards Achievement (ISAT) tests after students completed higher expectations on the ISAT test for the past two years. We are pleased to report that the new PARCC testing process has been flawless as students enjoyed the exam’s technology-enhanced items.

Quoted in a press release from the Illi-nois State Board of Education (ISBE,) Dis-trict 157-C Director of Curriculum & In-struction Mrs. Janet McClarence stated, “They are excited to get a video clip and to have some interactive tools to use. It isn’t just another paper-and-pencil test activity. It is an exciting, engaging format for them. We really had far less students who were distracted or gave up, like we’ve seen in the past.” Prior to implementing the PARCC assessment, the ISBE required all school districts to submit information regarding technology infrastructure to determine their

capacity for online testing. District 157-C tested 100 percent of its students in grades 3-8 using the online method after we were informed by the state that we would have full capacity to test online. The 2015 results will serve as the dis-trict’s benchmark year. Consecutive years will be compared to this year to measure growth. Dr. Zinni stated, “By preparing and exposing students to the online method that will become the standard, we felt this is what’s best for our students. We also believe our benchmark year will allow us to set clear and accurate achievement goals for all of our students.”

TERRA NOVA 2014 Test Results

Terra Nova is a nationally normed standardized test that is used to obtain information about a student’s achievement in various areas of the curriculum. Terra Nova measures important higher-order thinking skills as well as basic and applied skills. These assessments generate norm-referenced achievement scores, criterion-referenced objective mastery scores, and performance-level information. Students from second through seventh grade complete Terra Nova assessments during the fall in the areas of Language, Mathematics and Reading. In addition, students complete a cognitive assessment (InView) that provides cognitive and anticipated achievement.

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Frankfort C.C. School District 157-C Administrative Office 10482 Nebraska Street Frankfort, Illinois 60423 Telephone (815) 469-5922 www.fsd157c.org

Non-profit Organization STD MAIL

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Permit #17 Frankfort, IL 60423-2235

POSTAL CUSTOMER FRANKFORT, ILLINOIS 60423

PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER

SUPERINTENDENT Dr. Maura J. Zinni BOARD OF EDUCATION Gina Briese, President Cari Ann Mills, Vice President Edie Adamski, Secretary Edith Lutz, Member Kevin Regas, Member Tom Reidy, Member Dr. Brian Sasso, Member

Inside this issue . . .

♦ District Annual Report ♦ Welcome to our new Board of Education ♦ In remembrance of two dear friends of the district ♦ Retirement of dedicated staff members ♦ Welcome to our new Principals

FRANKFORT SCHOOL DISTRICT 157-C

MISSION STATEMENT The mission of District 157-C is to prepare all students to be confident, life-long learners and productive citizens by challenging them to reach their fullest potential and by providing a quality educational environment in partnership with family and community

DATES TO REMEMBER May 20 Board of Education meeting May 22 Full Day of School May 25 Memorial Day No School June 2 Graduation, LW North, 7 PM June 4 Last Day of School School Improvement Day Early Dismissal June 17 Board of Education meeting

The Learning Connection Newsletter

GRAND PRAIRIE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL • CHELSEA INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL • HICKORY CREEK MIDDLE SCHOOL

FRANKFORT SCHOOL DISTRICT 157-C

A Tradition of Excellence

Spring 2015

Annual Report Issue

A message to District families

from your Superintendent

~ As we come to the end of the school year, please accept my thanks for your support over this past year. I am so pleased that I was able to get to know so many wonderful, District families. I am very proud to be a part of this caring community. It has been a busy and productive year for our schools and students. We again wish to express our appreciation to you for working with us on behalf of the chil-dren. Over the summer, please continue to visit our website www.fsd157c.org. Also please watch for our summer newslet-ter for more infor-mation about our district. We wish you a won-derful summer!

Dr. Maura J. Zinni

Award-winning newsletter

Changeover of Board of Education after election A special Board of Education meeting was held on April 29. We said thank you to outgoing Board President Christopher McFadden, Board Vice President Patrick Usher and Board member Mike Turner. Mr. McFadden and Mr. Turner were elected in 2011. Mr. Usher was elected in 2007 and re-elected in 2011. These Board members always served our district while keeping the needs of the students first and foremost.

Our new Board is comprised of re-elected Board member Edie Adamski and newly-elected Board members Tom Reidy, Edith Lutz and Kevin Regas. The new Board also includes members Cari Mills, Gina Briese and Dr. Brian Sasso who are still serving out their existing terms. Outgoing President Chris McFadden administered the Oath of Office to the newly-elected and returning Board of Education members Mrs. Adamski, Mr. Reidy, Mrs. Lutz and Mr. Regas.

Best wishes to these long time administrators A ll the best to Hickory Creek Mid-dle School Principal Dr. Kevin Suchin-ski and Chelsea Intermediate Principal Mrs. Kristin Simpkins as they leave our district. Dr. Suchinski has been the Princi-pal of Hickory Creek Middle School since 2002. He has accepted the posi-tion of Superintendent of Hillside Dis-trict 93 effective July 1, 2015. Mrs. Simpkins has served as Princi-pal of Chelsea Intermediate School

since 2006. She also served as Assis-tant Principal at Hickory Creek Mid-dle School from 2002 to 2006. She has accepted the position of Principal of Oak Lawn-Hometown Middle School in District 123 effective July 1, 2015. Dr. Suchinski and Mrs. Simpkins will continue in their positions here through June 30. We wish them all the best as they take on their new roles.

Dr. Kevin Suchinski Mrs. Kristin Simpkins

The new District 157-C Board (l-r front) Secretary Edie Adamski, President Gina Briese, Vice President Cari Ann Mills, (l-r back) Superintendent

Dr. Maura Zinni, Board Members Kevin Regas, Tom Reidy, Dr. Brian Sasso and Edith Lutz..

In remembrance of two dear friends of the district T wo dear friends of District 157-C passed away recently after battling cancer. Mrs. Rosemary Georgen was the Board of Education recording secre-tary. She passed away on February 20. A plaque honoring her memory now hangs in the Board Room where she provided District 157-C with more than 20 years of dedicated ser-vice.

Mrs. Diane Mager passed away on March 31. She started as a teacher’s aide in 1980 and then became the Hick-ory Creek Princi-pal’s secretary in 1986. She also worked as the

Grand Prairie Principal’s secretary until her retirement in 2004.

The dedication of Mrs. Georgen and Mrs. Mager to our schools is greatly appreci-ated and will positively impact countless genera-tions of students. Our deepest sym-pathy to their families.

Mrs. Rosemary Georgen Mrs. Diane Mager

Hickory Creek Student Government Day

I magine you are in eighth grade and can experience first-hand what it is like to be a leader of your community. That is just w h a t s o m e Hickory Creek students did when they par-ticipated in the annual Student G o v e r n m e n t Day. As part of studying local village government, students learned about and toured the various departments within the village with their village employee counterparts throughout the day. The following students partici-pated in these village positions: Mayor Jack Woods; Trustees Gabby Slaviero, Kirsten Lutz, Emily Anderson, Sam Ruby, Abby Matone and Darius Stewart; Village Clerk Maddy Herbert; Village Ad-ministrator Emma Mize; Assistant Village Administrator/Finance Di-

rector Sam Bollman; Assistant Director Dev. Services/Utilities Zac Stairs; De-velopment Services Director Maria Sterr; Utilities Director Max Gilmore; Community Relations Manager Maggie Clarey; Public Works Superintendent Dominick Canino; Development Coor-dinator Jordan Jacobucci; Police Chief Bernadette Daly; Fire Chief Jake Heim-lik; and Village Attorney Ryan Kaz-mierczak. The teacher sponsor was Michelle Sommer. The students toured the Frankfort Village Administrative Office, Frank-

fort Fire District, Frankfort Police Department, the Regional Waste Water Treatment Plant and the Util i t ies/Public Works Facility. They also enjoyed lunch at Aurelio’s Pizza. The culmina-tion of the event was a mock stu-den t V i l l age Board meeting just prior to the regular Village

Board meeting. At the Board of Education meeting later that night, Hickory Creek Middle School Prin-cipal Dr. Kevin Suchinski ex-pressed his appreciation for the program. He stated, “I want to publicly thank Mayor Jim Holland, Trustee Cindy Heath and the Vil-lage of Frankfort for providing this great opportunity for our students.” A video of this event is currently airing on the FCTV ON DEMAND station on the Village of Frankfort website, www.villageoffrankfort.com

Hickory Creek students with Mayor Jim Holland, Trustee Cindy Heath and teacher sponsor Michelle Sommer at Student Government Day.

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