robert olcese, superintendent - olpl.org · pictured at right are roger wantiez, district 122...

Robert l. Olcese, Superintendent

RIDGELAND PUBLIC SCHOOLS

DISTRICT NUMBER 122

VOLUME XI, Number 1

CALENDAR

October, 1979

Wednesday, October 3

Thursday, October 4

Monday, October 8

Wednesday, October 10

Friday, October 12

Thursday, October 18Thursday, October 18Friday, October 26

Tuesday., October 30

Thursday, November 1

Friday, November 2

Tuesday, November 6

Wednesday, November 7

SORRY - WE ERRED1

District Parent Advisory Committee Meeting atthe District Office

School Board Meeting at the District Office 7:30 p.m.

,Columbus Day - No School

Open House - Simmons

Open House - All K-6 buildings

School Board Meeting at the District Office-G:30 p.mHalf-Day Workshop ~ No School - Noon to 3:00 p.m.End of 1st Marking Period

Marking Day - 2:00 p.m. Dismissal

School Board ,Meeting at the District Office 7:30 p.m.

Parent Conference Day at all schools - reportcards issued - No School

ELECTION DAY

District Parent Advisory Committee Meeting atthe District Office

There were several typographical errors in our last newsletter. Apparently, not onlydo we not have the "wisdom of SOLOMON nor the patience of JOB," but we can't spell theirnames either! We apologize to you - and to these holy men. Seeing our frailty as humanbeings, perhaps Solomon and Job will inspire us to do better.

Recently retired School Board President. Walt Gesell (shown at left) is to be an honored

guest at the regular meeting of the Lieb P.T.A.

The program will be held on Thursday nightat 8:00 p.m. on October 18, 1979.

Mr. Gesell will be honored for his manyyears of devoted service to the community bothas a school board member and as its president.The P.T.A., with the permission of the presentboard, will honor Mr. Gesell by naming the .gymnasium after him.

TAX LEVY UNCHANGED

If residents of Ridgeland School District 122 ln Oak Lawn, Bridgeview and ChicagoRidge receive a real estate tax increase next year, it will not be because of the schools.

The School Board has approved a $2.2 million tax levy for the second consecutiveyear. The new levy should not increase the district1s tax rate beyond the $2.3321 per$100 of assessed valuation which the schools received for 1978, and it1s possible therate might go down as low as $2.30 depending on the district1s assessed valuation.

District 122 has been doing its best to keep its tax rate down in the face of inflation the past few years. In 1975 the district1s tax levy produced a tax rate of$2.4501 per $100 of assessed valuation. In 1976 the tax rate was $2.3863 and in 1977,$2.3207. In 1978 it may appear that the tax rate increased one cent but that was theyear the (state) Capital Development Board stopped funding school districts. The taxrate could have raised 11 cents so the taxpayers have been saved 10 cents (per $100 ofassessed valuation).

This year the School Board is requesting $1,584,000 for education, $300,000 foroperations, building and maintenance, $144,000 for transportation.

EARLY CHILDHOOD SCREENING

School District #122 will be holding the annual Early Childhood Screening Program onNovember 8th and 9th. We encourage all parents of 3 and 4-year-olds to take advantage ofthis opportunity and have their child screened. It will take only about 45 minutes. Bydoing so, you will enable us to be better prepared to meet your child1s needs when entering kindergarten. To make an appointment to have your child screened, call the schoolclosest to your home as soon as possible.

Columbus Manor SchoolDearborn Heights SchoolHarnew SchoolLieb School

Free Vision and Hearing Screening.

97th &Mayfield9620 Normandy Ave.9100 S. Austin Ave.9101 Pembroke Lane

424-3481598-8090599-7070599-1050

Pictured at right areRoger Wantiez, District 122President, and Dr. RobertOlcese, Superintendent ofSchools.

Pictured in the centeris a Model 1265 Monroe programable printing calculator, which has been donatedto the Simmons Junior HighSchool math department byMr. Wantiez' employer, Mr.Donald Fostrum of the OakInsurance Agency.

Miss Wa~ik, mathteacher at Simmons,indicated that it will beused in the school'sGifted Program this year.

SO EONE DNDERS •••Why haven't the broken windows at Lieb School been repaired?

Broken windows at the district schools were repaired at the beginning of the schoolyear. Forty-five windows were repaired or replaced at a cost to the district of over$1,000. The only windows not included in this general repair were broken windows in theoriginal buildi'ng (two-story portion) of Lieb School. During the summer the Board ofEducation let a contract for replacement of all of these windows and damaged frameswith new frames and a combination of insulated panels and windows. This "window treatment"at Lieb School will not only be an improvement in appearance, but it will help reduce thebuilding's future energy costs. The work was scheduled to begin in September, but thenew frames and panels were delayed in shipment. It was our decision not to replace thebroken windows in this section since they would only be replaced in less than one month.

SIMMONS NATIONAL JUNIOR HONOR SOCIETY

In order to become a member of the Nati'onal Junior Honor Soclety, students mustfjrst qualify on scholarship. Seventh grade students must attain a 3.6 grade pointaverage for the first semester, while eighth grade students must attain a 3.3 gradepoint average for all of the seventh grade and first semester of eighth grade. Oncequalified, the students will then be judged in the following categories:

CitizenshipServiceleadershipCharacter

SURVEY OF PARENtS: Should we offer a foreign language course for Junior High Schoolstudents?

From time to time, parents suggest we offer a foreign language program to students atSimmons Junior High School. (Some parents also suggest we consider a foreign language program for sixth grade.)

We would like to know how you feel about this. Please answer the following questions,tear off the survey, and either mail it to the. District Office or have your son or daughterreturn it to his teacher. We will print the results of the survey in the next newsletter.

1. Should the Instructional Program at Simmons Junior High School include a foreign language?YES NO.--:-:__

(This would require us to hire a foreign language teacher.) If the student chooses aforeign language, he would then have to ~ive up one of his other electives. (Art, music,band, arts &crafts, home economics, industrial arts)

2. If you voted "YES" to the first question, 'please indicate which foreign language youfavor. (Please vote for one only)

FRENCH SPANISH OTHER, _

3. Should the foreign language program be offered Q!D..t to gifted or academically superiorstudents?

YES _ NO---4. Comments : --'- _

District Office6500 W. 95th StreetOak Lawn, IL 60453

NOTE!

Due to the program at the Lieb School, the School Board Meeting of Thursday, October18, will begin at 6:30 p.m. instead of its regularly scheduled time of 7:30 p.m .

• 1

BOARD OF EDUCATIONRIDGELAND PUBLIC SCHOOLSOAK LAWN, ILLINOIS 60453

NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONU.S. POSTAGE PAIDOAK LAWN, ILLINOIS 60453PERMIT NO. 79

Robert L. Olcese, Superintendent


DISTRICT NUMBER 122

VOLUME, XI, Number 2

CALENDAR

___........,£.7

November, 1979


Friday, November 2Tuesday, November 6Wednesday, November 7

Thursday, November 8Friday, November 9Sunday, November 11Monday, November 12


Thursday, November 22Friday, November 23

COMMENDATIONS TO STAFF MEMBERS OF DISTRICT 122

School Board meeting at the District Office7:30 p.m.Parent Conferences - No SchoolELECn ON DAYDistrict Parent Advisory Committee meetingat the~District OfficeEarly Childhood ScreeningEarly Childhood ScreeningVeteran's DayAmerican Education Week and Parent Visitation~leek begi nsSchool Board meeting at the District Office7:30 p.m.Thanksgiving Day - No SchoolNo School

The Board of Education sent letters of commendation to a number of district staff members for the excellent contributions they have made in compiling a Custodian's Handbook forthe custodial .and maintenance staff, Special Education Handbook for the Pupil Personnels~aff, a Physlcal Education Manual for the Physical Education Department at Simmons JuniorHlgh School and a comprehensive Curriculum Guide which will be used by the Pupil Personnelstaff to implement the many special education programs in the district.

Pupil Personnel staff members cited for commendations by the Board of,Education wereJohn Porter, Linda McCabe, Mary Lou Dressel and Harvey Honig, who were responsible forcompiling the Special Education Handbook; John Porter, Jean Donnelly, Linda McCabe, MaryLou Dressel, Sylvia Doll, Marianne Perry, Margaret Neylon, Kathleen McCarthy, Leta Lorenz,Mary Redmond, Karen Harper, Dan Hammond, Rose Halper, Carol Graefen, Susan Finn and CarolKopacz, who contributed to the Special Education Curriculum Guide; Michael Beard, AthleticDirector of Simmons Junior High School, who compiled the Physical Education Manual; andDonald Martin who compiled the Custodian's Handbook.

It is noteworthy that Mr. Beard began work on the Physical Education Manual, thispast summer, before he was actually employed here. The committee which produced theSpecial Education Curriculum Guide was scheduled to complete the work in five days duringthis past summer, but the complexity of the guide required them to put in a significantamount of additional time beyond the time originally scheduled for this work.

We feel these staff members are representative of the fine professionalism that existswithin the staff of School District #122.

SO EONE DNDE S •••Why are they screening 3 and 4-year-olds, and what are they screening them for?

ABOUT. THE SCREENING

Pre-school screening is provided at no cost to you, and is an important part ofyour school district's education program. Screening takes place at your neighbor.hoodschool. It begins with you completing a medical, developmental, and social history ofyour child. Following this, your child's hearing and vision are tested. Next your childparticipates in motor and language activities. During this time, social skills are observed. Screening takes about 45 minutes. If follow-up is indicated, testing is done by theappropriate specialist at a later date.

All of the tests are designed to assure a smooth transition from home to school byspotting.potential learning problems before they can interfere with your child's formaleducation.

With.out early testing, a child's V1Slon problem may go unnoticed for quite some time.An undetected vision problem could cause your child to miss much in the educational process. ., . even in kindergarten. Researchers h~ve traced poor reading and other learningproblems to early childhood vision problems. Twenty percent of all children who go throughthe pre-school screening program require some follow-up and a large percent of these arevision problems. If a vision problem is found, you will be referred to a qualified eyespecialist so the problem can be pinpointed and treated before formal education begins.

HEARING

Even though testing hearing is relatively simple, a great number of children 1n 'Illinois have hearing problems that go unnoticed. The importance of uncovering such deficiencies before the formal education process begins cannot beaver emphasized. A childwho gets a slow start in the school system because of a hearing problem, will have ahard time catching up. Detected in time however, the problem can be treated to minimizefuture learning problems ,or corrected so it does not follow the child for the rest of his1ife.

MOTOR

Early childhood development specialists conduct a battery of tests. Gross motorskills needed for running, jumping, skipping and hopping are part of the screening. Finemotor skills such as those used in cutting with scissors, using crayolas, working withsimple puzzles and building with blocks, are also tested. As with vision and hearing,the importance of early intervention cannot be overstressed.. If potential problems arefound, your scbool district offers a free pre-kindergarten program designed to meet yourchild's needs.

WORDS

Even for chi,ldren 3 and 4 years old, education experts believe language developmenttesting can provide valuable insights into a child's learning needs. Just as older children canbe.tested on their use of words and.languag~, pr€::-schoolers' language developmentcan be measured with' special tests. These tests measure sounds, the use of words andphrases and other verbal skills. The rate of success' in improving language problems ismuch higher when the problem is detected and worked with at an early age.

KINDERGARTEN BRUNCH

On Wednesday, October 3, 1979, The George W.Lieb School held its annual Kindergarten Brunchin the newly dedicated Walter Gesell Gymnasium.

The purpose of the brunch is to acquaint parentswith the different aspects of the kindergartencurriculum.

As the photographs show, this year the childrendid some of their classwork and activities onthe stage, while their teacher, Ms. Janet Lando,pointed out the purpose of each activity.

While this was going on, the parents were serveddonuts and coffee.

AUTHOR! AUTHOR!

Pictured at left are kindergartenstudents list~ning to an auditorytape, which teaches them to discriminate between different sounds.

The children below are also listening, but they are doing too. Theactivity is designed to teach themto follow the directions given in asong.

What do educators do in their spare time. .Among other things, Dan Burke, principal ofSimmons Jr. High School, used his ten years of experience as an educator to write a bookin which he gives his personal advice on planning and teaching individualized instruction.

Termed a "primer for individualization for classroom teacher~,"

Creative Teaching Individualsincludes sections on the types of individualized instruction, how to individualize theclassroom, eXplaining behavioral objectives, learning activity packets, and quest activities.

WORKSHOP FOR SCHOOL OFFICIALS

Dr. Donald R. Johnson, District 122's Assistant Superintendent and BusinessManager, conducted an all-day workshop entitled "Behavior Management for School BusinessOfficials" on October 14th while attending a national conference sponsored by the Association for School Business Officials at Denver, Colorado.

November 12 to 16 is American Education Week and parents are invited--no, urged--tovisit the schools and see the students in action. There are no staged programs; thevisitors will see the real thing, education the way it actually happens.

Visitors are asked to come between 9:30 and 11:00 a.m. or 1:30 to 2:30 p.m., checkin at the school office and sign the visitor1s book, then go to the classroom and observe our educational program at work.

The schools are always open to parents, of course, and those who cannot visit duringthis week are welcome anytime. However, this is the week when parents allover thecountry are visiting their schools and talking about the things they see. Thosewhohaven't been inside a school classroom for years will be fascinated by some of the changes,but will realize that some things haven't changed at all.

This visiting week is for observing, it should be noted, not for talking with theteacher.

Pre-schoolers and infants should not be brought to school during this visitingtime. Little ones tend to disrupt the classroom and make it difficult for the teacherand the children.

It is suggested that visits be limited to about 20 minutes because there should beno more than. ten visitors in a room at one time and others may be waiting.

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BOARD OF EDUCATIONRIDGELAND DISTRICT NO. 122OAK LAWN, ILLINOIS 60453

NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONU.S. POSTAGE PAIDOAK LAWN, ILLINOIS 60453

PERMIT NO.. 79

Robert l. Okese, SuperintendentRIDGELAND PUBLIC SCHOOLS

DISTRICT NUMBER 122

VOLUME XI, Number 3

CALENDAR

December, 1979

Wednesday, December 5

Thursday, December 6Friday, December 21Tuesday, December 25Tuesday, January 1Monday, January 7Thursday, January 10

II ... AND A CHILD SHALL LEAD THEM II

District Parent Advisory meeting at the DistrictOfficeSchool Board meeting at the District Office--7:30 p.m.Winter break begins when classes endCHRISTMAS DAYNEW YEAR'S DAYSchool resumesSchool Board meeting at the District Office--7:30 p.m.

The coming days will be exciting ones for our children. For several weeks now, theyhave been learning the beautiful and familiar hymns of the Christmas Season. As I walkthrough our schools, I can feel the excitement of the season. I see the candles, wreaths,and the jolly St. Nicks so lovingly made by small hands. r hear the children singing thenostalgic strains that awaken the joyful memories of IIChristmas Past. 1I

Even as adults we still listen to the age-old story of the IIChristmas Carol. 1I LikeScrooge, our own IIS pirit of Christmas Pastil dra"/s us away from the cold world of today, tothe warm memories of childhood ... the family get-togethers, the smell of pine mixed with thesavory aroma of roast turkey and dressing, the incredible twinkling lights that sparkledfrom the tree "branches and reflected in the dancing ornaments and glistening tinsel.

Then, of course, there were the endless toy lists so carefully written down by children from a 'Sears catalog and put into envelopes which had the words lito the North Pole ll

painstakingly scrawled in the uneven hand of a child.

And long before dawn of the Day of Days, remember the scurrying of slippered feet andthe muffled cries of joy as wrappings fell from the presents? Of course Mom and Dad werejust settling down for a rest after playing the role of IISan ta's helpers. 1I And remember,too, how r~om had to tell Dad to quit IIfixing li the electric train so the children could playwith it? We live these wonderful times again through our children.

Maybe when a child asks, lIis there a Santa?1I we should say, IIS ure there is - he livesin the hearts of all me,n~. The trouble is - you have to be a child to see him!1I

It is my sincere wish that all of the teachers and families of this District will feelthe same joyful anticipation of the holiday season that our children now feel.

PSYCHOLOGY INTERN

Pictured at right is Mr. Elie Nijm, School District~s newpsychology intern for the school year.

Mr. Nijm was born to a Christian Arab family in a villagein Galilee and attended elementary school in Nazareth. In 1962,he moved to Haifa, where he attended high school.

Because of a strong interest in psychology, Mr. Nijm cameto our country in 1971 to continue his education. He graduatedfrom the University of Illinois Circle Campus with a degree inpsychology in 1975 and later from Roosevelt University with aMaster's degree in Clinical psychology.

Mr. Nijm has also used his work background to aid hisvocation .He has beenCin assJstant psychometri st, a house parent for adul t menta1 patients,and a vocational evaluator for retarded adults. This plus his fluency in English,Arabic,and Hebrew should be of great benefit to the students, parents, and staff of District #122.

SandraKeel er

BABY SITTING SAFETY COURSE

BretSamson

KellyFitzgeral d

JoeMaglaris

Shown displaying their certificates are four of the sixty-four 5th and 6th gradestudents from Lieb School who took the Baby Sitting Safety Course.

The course, which was sponsored by the Lieb School P.T.A. and put on by theBridgeview Fire Department, lasted for one and a half hours per day for three days.

Subjects included fire prevention, fire behavior, common emergencies, how to entertain a child, child care and home fire drills.

CAREER AWARENESS DAY

Some 1,500 eighth grade students from ten schooldistricts in the Oak Lawn area listened delightedly asJack Brickhouse spoke to them about careers in radioand television.

Brickhouse was one of several speakers who wereinvited to contribute on Career Awareness Day held onNovember 30th at Simmons Jr. High School.

The event, the first of its kind, was a jointventure by the Oak Lawn Chamber of Commerce, the Villageof Oak Lawn, and the various school districts in the OakLawn area. Its aim was to provide the 8th graders withspeakers from different walks of life who could tellthem first hand how they could succeed in whatever jobthey chose. The underlying theme seemed to be "begin"to prepare now for your future. Don't wait.

The moderator for the program was Ms. Barbara Kozelarek, President of the Oak LawnChamber of Commerce, The other speakers were Tom Nader, President of the Chicago BuildingTrades Council; Max Bailey, an associate professor of education at Loyola University;Robert Burson, assistant administrator, human resources from Christ Hospital; Nancy Delapfrom the Department of Family Services; Mayor Ernest Ko'ib of Oak Lawn; and John Haberkorn,Oak Lawn's Chief of Police.

CONTINUING PROJECT

Recently, Mrs. Anita Milosovic's6th grade class from Dearborn Heightsdisplayed their amphibians andreptiles at the Brementown Mall inTinley Park. The display was heldin conjunction with the ChicagoHeptelogical Society.

The raising of theseanimals was begun last year aspart of Dearborn Heights' Giftedprogram when Mrs. Milosovic wasteaching the 5th grade, and hascontinued on this year.

RETIREMENT

Mrs. Mildred Nietz, known to many simply as "Millie ll retired as of November 16th.She had been a custodian in the district f~r fifteen years, many of them at Simmons Jr.High.

Dave Oliver, a former student, was hired to fill the vacancy created by Millie.

EMERGENCY SCHOOL CLOSING

Anyone living in this area during last winter should remember all the snow thatfell and accumulated and the emergency snow days that ha9 to be taken. It is suggestedthat the following information be clipped from the newsletter and kept handy.

The following media will be notified of any Emergency School Closing during thebalance of the 1979-80 school year:

Television Radio - AM

CBS - Channel 2 WIND 560NBC Channel 5 WMAQ 670ABC - Channel 7 WGN 720WGN - Channel 9 WBBM 780

WLS 890

Radio - FM

WBBM 96WLUP 98WKQX 101WFYR 103.5

Calls will be made prior to 6:00 a.m. to the City New Desk and media indicatedabove as telephone lines permit. As might be appreciated, lines are very busy at thattime with about a dozen tries needed to get through to each number. Information shouldbe broadcast no later than 7:00 p.m., but that cannot be guaranteed for al~ stations.

The above information attempts to identify the major radio listening audiences asmeasured by Arbitron, and the identified stations represent a cross-section of musicformats.


a

NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONU.s. POSTAGE PAIDOAK LAWN, ILLINOIS 60453PERMIT NO. 79

the superintendentRIDGELAND PUBLIC SCHOOLS

DISTRICT NUMBER 122

VOLUME XI, Number 4

CALENDAR

__-..1

January, 1980

Monday, January 7

Thursday, January 10

Friday, January 11

Tuesday, January 15


Friday, January 18


Thursday, February 7

Monday, February 11

Tuesday, February 12

COLD WEATHER WARNING

School resumes after winter break

School board meeting at the DistrictOffice 7:30 p.m.

End of first semester

Marking day - 2:00 dismissal

Milk money due

Report cards issued - All schoolsHalf day workshop - 12:00 dismissal

School board meeting at the Districtoffice 7:30 p.m.

School board meeting at the Districtoffice 7:30 p.m.

Teacher's Institute - NO SCHOOL

Lincoln's Birthday - NO SCHOOL

ESPECIALLY FOR PARENTS

With the advent of winter, the Board of Education urges parents to beparticularly watchful of the time that their children leave for school in themorning. Schools do not open their doors until 8:55 (8:50 on extremely baddays). Students should not arrive at school earlier than 8:50 a.m.

STUDENTS LEAVING EARLY

If your child must leave school during the day because of illness or someother reason, the Superintendent requests that a parent or guardian sign thechild out at the office. This has become necessary for the protection ofyour children. Other districts have faced the situation where a child becameill, the office called a parent and the parent requested that the child walkhome. Tragically, the child accepted a ride from a stranger and was hurt.Because of the possibility of accident or injury on the way home at an unscheduled time, no school will release a child unless there is someone to pickhim or her up.

EVENING EDUCATION PROGRAM - 2 -

,Oak Lawn Community High School has announced that its evening education

program classes will begin on January 23, 1980. Registration for theseevening classes will be in room 121 on January 14, 15 and 16 from 6:00 ~o

8:30 p.m. and immediately preceding the start of class on the 23rd.

The Evening Education Program of Oak Lawn High School offers high schoolcourses for credit toward an Oak Lawn Community High School diploma. It isthe purpose of the program to provide basic education in a smaller, lessstructured, more informal atmosphere. The program works on the philosophythat each person is responsible for his own education. The program providesthe chance for the student to achieve real success in school. In so doing,he will realize a greater opportunity for self-development, as well as earna high school dip~oma. When all District 229 graduation requirements aremet, Evening Education Program students receive an Oak Lawn Community HighSchool diploma.

Anyone desiring more information should contact Mrs. Mildred Walker, Dir.of E. E. P. at 424-5200, Extension 20.

MUSIC FESTIVAL

Due to the amount of news for the December Newsletter, a very importantbit of news had to be left out. However, because of the importance ofgood news, it is being included now.

On Saturday, November 3, 1979 the Illinois Music Educator's Association,Elementary and Junior High School Division, held its annual District OneFestival at Yorkville Community High School, Yorkville, Illinois. The festival involved approximately 500 students selected from 34 elementary and juniorhigh schools throughout five counties in northwestern Illinois.

Four Simmons band students were included in the Festival Band of approximately 150 members. They were: Allison Bartle, Linda Burns, Wendy Cissnaand Karen Knapp. The Festival Chorus of approximately 200 voices includedthe following Simmons chorus students: Jill Anderson, Karyn Carbray, ValerieDrag, Colleen Mason, John Oliver and Karen Tebo.

Simmons School and District 122 were especially proud of these studentswho were selected as its representatives.

HELPl

Rich Larson, a teacher at Simmons Junior High, is asking for donations ofNational Geographic magazines or oldsets of encyclopedias (even with volumesmissing) for use in the social studies rooms. Mr. Larson claims that whilethe Learning Center has these, and extensive use is made of them, often aNational Geographic or encyclopedia is needed quickly in a classroom settingto establish a fact or merely to satisfy a curious thought.

WINNERS

The 7th grade girls' basketball team took two trophies back to Simmons fromthe tournament held at Evergreen Park Junior High Friday and Saturday,December 16 and 17.'

One trophy was given for first place in the standings of the SouthwestInterscholastic Conference, while the other, a second place trophy, came asthe result of an overtime loss by one point to Orland Park in the finals ofthe tournament.

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Simmons went on to become the district's first superintendent and in1947, after twenty-two years' service to the district, he resigned tobecome first Assistant County Superintendent.

The three-man board of directors asked the 8th grade students to submitnames for the build~ng. The students submitted the names of "MacArthur"(a World War II general) and "Simmons" to the board in April and on May 4,1942 i:he building was officially named "Simmons School".

At 'the time there was only one school building in the district and itwas known simply as "School District #122". It was not until 1942, when asecond school was built, that there was a need for names for each building,.By this time a six-room addition had been built onto the original schoolbuilding.

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ISOMEO: WONDERS .. .. -- ~~ Recently the question, "What does the 'Simmons' in Simmons Junior High il, School mean?" carne up. ~

~ The junior high school is named after Wiley Simmons who carne to District 'I! #122 in 1925 with his wife Pearl. Mr. Simmons was hired for the sum ofII $135.00 a month to be principal and teach grades 5 through 8 of the smallII two-room school. His wife was hired at $110.00 a month to teach grades 1,I

Ji through 4.I,

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LOWER TEMPERATURE,SETTINGS

In keeping with the Federal Energy Regulations for temperature settings,Simmons Junior High School's termostats have been set at 6SoF. Since K-6buildings are exempted from compliance with the Federal regulations, thethermostats will remain set at 680 F as they have been during the past twoyears. As we begin to comply w~th the 6SoF settings, students, teachersand other employees will experience some problems as outside temperaturesdrop during the cold months. Parents and emplpyees are concerned aboutwhat the students should wear.. Comfort, of cdurse, will be more importantthan fashion. We offer the following tips for "winterizing" your wardrobe:thermal underwear, sweater shirts and twin sweater sets with vests, jackets,blazers, and long (over-the-hip) sweaters, several layers of loose-fittingclothing rather than ona very thick layer, cotton fabrics next to skin,crepe-soled shoes, woolen clothing, shawls and scarves. By using thesetips, one can be fashionable and warm.

MILK

As stated on the front page, the milk fee for the second semester isdue each individual on Thursday, January 17, 1980. The amount is $5.00 milk is optional.

Delivery for the second semester will begin on Monday, January 21, 1980.

COULD IT HAPPEN HERE?

Frequently problems that occur in the Chicago school system cause suburban residents to wonder if similar problems could occur in their own schoolsystem. The fact of the matter is that many suburban school districts haveexperienced similar financial prob~ems which have had less impact on the

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educational scene than the Chicago school system because of its sizeand notoriety. Regardless of size, however, the responsibility for soundfiscal management rests just as heavily on boards of education in districtsof 500 students as in a district of 500,000 students and sound fiscal management means careful attention must be given to two fundamental principlesof money management: maintenance of an accurate and informative accounting system, and the commitment to "live within one's means."

School District #122 has a fully implemented program accounting systemwhich accurately records our revenue and expenditures. The School TownshipTreasurer receives our revenue and records both revenue and expendituresin a monthly report presented to each Board member. The Business Manager,Dr. Johnson, checks the School Treasurer's report for accuracy and eachBoard member checks the report again for discrepancies.

Essential to sound fiscal management is involvement of both the schoelmanagement and the Board of Education in the analyses of these financialreports. No transfer of money can be made in your school district withoutthe knowledge of the school managers, Board members and the School TownshipTreasurer. Your Board of Education has made an extensive effort to befiscally informed. While they feel the obligation to provide staff members with financial compensation which is competitive, they understandtheir obligation to the taxpayer to "live within their means."

Could it happen here? Highly unlikely.


-:-~6sident tl.37 Moni or 60453. ,: Lawn, IL

NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONU. S. POSTAGE PAIDOAK LAWN, ILLINOIS 60453

PERMIT NO. 79

Robert l. Olcese, Superintendent


DISTRICT NUMBER 122 -'-""*'__.-.L.1

VOLUME XI, Number 5 February, 1980

CALENDAR

Valentine's Day

Lincoln's Birthday - - - - - NO SCHOOL

School Board meeting at the district office--7:30 p.m.


Washington's Birthday

Kindergarten registration - All elementary schools


End of third marking period

-.NO SCHOOLTeacher's Institute - -

Wednesday, February 7

Monday, February 11

Tuesday, February 12



Fri day, February 22

Thursday, March 6

Thursday, March 6

Friday, March 14

DEARBORN HEIGHTS PARTICIPATES

Dearborn Heights SChool is one of one hundred and fifty schools selected throughout theUnited States to participate in a natiohwide study on the effectiveness of educationalimprovement efforts.

Under the sponsorship of the U. S. Office of Education, a collaborative research teamfrom the NETWORK, from the University of Texas Research and Development Center forTeacher Education and from the American University Knowledge Transfer Institute, isconducting a three-year study on a variety of federally and state funded school programsand their impact on education in the United States. .

A representative from the Texas Research and Development Center will be in Oak Lawn todiscuss· programs implemented at Dearborn Heights with teachers and school administrators.The information obtained will be reviewed along with that from other schools throu9houtthe United States. The results of this study will help determine how local schools workto implement educational programs and the kinds of support they receive from local, state,and federal agencies. '

KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION

Thursday, March 6, has been designated as Kindergarten Registration Day. Please notify

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those parents who have children that will be five years old by December 1, 1980.Registration will take place at the K-6 building nearest their homes from 9:00 a.m.to 3:00 p.m. A birth certificate is required. Please, register 'now! Help us PLANfor your child.

SOMEONE T-/ONDERS

How do I help my son or daughter to succeed in life? If I help them, to be good students,does this insure that they will be successful later on? Not necessarilY,states AdeleScheele, who as a career counselor has interviewed many highly successful people. Dr.

, Scheele wa rns that profi ci ency and dependabil ity alone won't "attract fat paychecks andcomforting slaps on the back from th~ boss." If you're stuck on the lower rungs of thesuccess ladder, according to Dr. Scheele, you can "blame it on your parents and youreducation." She divides the work force into two groups: the "achievers" and the"sus tainers." Although both groups tend to be~ competent, it's the "achievers" who"cl imb tothe top"'tJhile the "sus tainers" wait to be recogniz~d and tend. to be.a drainon-'ri'ew 'people"wfio come'1'nfo the organization by holding back their2ontrfbutio'ns. ' '

How does one become an "achiever"? By mastering these three basic career skills:self-presentation, positioning, and connecting. Dr. Scheele describes these skills inlaymen's terms this way: "self-presentation" means, to be successful in your job, bean authority on one subject; "positioning" means to'take the necessary risk to placeyourself in the "r ight ,place at th,e right time"; and "connecting" means to be known bythe person or persons who have the authority to promote you.

Dr. Scheele notes that very successful parents, whp acquired their skills while strugglingto stand out as youngsters, are not encouraging their children to follow the same route.In other words, they are saying to their children, "You don't have to work -- stay inschool and take extra classes." This renders "their kids useless" because the parentsdeny their children the important success skills.

Does this mean I should not encourage my youngster to complete high school or continue to'get a university education? Of course not! I think Dr. Scheele is emphasizing the ideathat an education does not guarantee success. It is a foundation for success ,butadditional career skills must also be learned. In fact, I believe that these careerskills can be practiced and developed in atypical junior or senior high school. Forexample, a student who has a sound academic record (not necessarily an "A" student) isdeveloping the skill of !!self-presentation." If this student fitlds an area in which he/

'she-"ca,n be'an''''aUlh'orTty":::"-alrthe better. Then, if the stiJdent-attenipts'ttr'becor11Ef---'"involved'in clubs, musical or athletic groups which help develop interests, he/she is"l earn ir:'g the skill of 'positioning'." Finally, sharp students soon learn that the waythey are perceived by their teachers -- hardworking, sincere, punctual, courteous, etc.has a great deal to do with opportunities they receive during their high school career.One might lConcludefrom Dr. Scheele's work t~at the "basics" are quite important·-- butso are the extra-curricular acti~ities found in a good junior or senior high school!

FESTIVAL OF NATIONS

The 7-8 section of Simmons Junior High School held its third annual "Festival of Nations"exposition on Wednesday morning, January 9 in the school gymnasium. Thirty-nine countr'iesfrom allover the world were represented.,

This was the culmination of a two-month projett in which students formed teams toresearch various count:ries and present written, oral', and visual reports. The "Festival"was primarily visual, the other two phases having been done in the classroom.

All around the gym students, teachers and visitors could see posters, clothing, maps,flags, souvenirs and various other things representative ,of each individual country.

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They could even taste native food such as oat ca.kes from Scotland, banana snacks fromBurma, stuffed cabbage from Germany or fritters from Egypt.

Each booth. was judged in fifteen categories by three different judges. The judgingsheets were then compiled and on a point scale the students were awarded a grade. Thejudges for the IIFestival ll were eighth grade students who received an IIA II at last year'sfestival.

Left - Sherry Sharpe, aneighth grade judge scoringone of the booths.

Eric Leoni, right, pouring.spiced tea from Bangladesh.

An Irish colleen, MaryDeVries.

Ann Murray explaining an article to School BoardPresident, Roger Wantiez, and teacher, Rich Larson.

BUSING

Most people think very little about busing, as though it were only a minor part of theschool program. However, busing has become an integral part of the education businessin recent years.

In the United States, for example, 23,500,000 students are transported each day by312,000 buses for a total of 216,270,000 miles. The cost to the public per year is$2,852,000,000. Obviously it is important to someone.

FOUNDING FATHER

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While the ~tate law requires busing of students who live over one-and-one-ha1f miles fromschool, District 122 buses all students who live one mile from school. In all, theDistrict buses 482 students each day using nine buses. Of this total 21 are bused toColumbus Manor, 80 to Lieb, and the remaining 381 to Simmons. Two-thirds of the studentsat Simmons are transported~

Of the approximately $190,000 that District 122 will spend on all transportation thisschool year, over $84,000 is slated for transporting students to and from school on theregular routes. The cost per student is about $175.00 per year, or slightly under $1.00per day. The national average is $131.00 per pupil.

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'B.~sident .9.137 Monitor

. Oak Lawn, IL 60453


PERMIT NO. 79

Robert l. Olcese, SuperintendentRIDGELAND PUBLIC SCHOOLS

DISTRICT NUMBER 122

VOLUME XII, Number 6

CALENDAR

-'-,,-?"_:_---"""""",

March, 1980

Thursday, March 6

Thursday, March 6

Friday, March 14

Tuesday, March 18

Wednesday, March 19

Thursday, March 20

Friday, March 21

Thursday, April 3

Friday, April 4

WE FORGOT TO MENTION

Kindergarten registration - all elementary schools

School Board meeting at the district office - 7:30 p.m.

End of third marking period

Marking Day - 2:00 p.m. dismissal

Half-day Workshop - 12:00 Noon dismissal


Report cards issued - all schools


Good Friday - NO SCH00L

Last fall six teachers from the District were part of a four-week fire prevention course.It was conducted at the Oak Lawn Fire house at 103rd and Kostner. The teachers involvedwere Betty Bella, Janice Lapice, JaNelle Mathieson, Carol McPherson, Peggy O'Connor,and Joyce LaPorte. Part of the classroom instruction time was devoted to developing abetter and safer school evacuation plan. As a culminating activity~ the teachers hada practical exam: they had to put out a fire in a home designated for demolition!

KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION

Thursday, March 6, has been designated as kindergarten registration day. Please notifythose parents who have children that will be five years old by December 1,1980. Registration will take place at the K-6 building nearest their homes from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00p.m. A birth certificate is required. Please register now! Help us PLAN for your child.

While at the registration, you will be given information about the kindergarten screeningsession for your child -- to be held during the week of August 11th. This screening isvery important in that it will give the teacher and yourself basic information aboutyour child's school readiness.

MULTIPLICATION CAN BE FUN

Dearborn Heights students are enthusiastic these days about multiplication. Thirdthrough sixth graders must know their tables backwards and forwards (literally). Notonly do they have to know the answer to all multiplication problems, but they mustbe able to state the problem when presented with the answer.

Mr. Pleviak, principal, quizzes each student and then,when they are successful, awardsthe student with a star which is placed on a bulletin board in the main hall. Somecomments from Dearborn Heights students attest to the success of IIStars in Multiplication. 1I

III was nervous; it put pressure on me, but I know my tables!1I

III got them all right on my second try!1I

SCHOOL BOARD ELECTION

The time to cast a ballot for the candidate of your choice is still over a month away.However, if you wish to be a candidate or an absentee voter, the time is much closer.

If you wish to run for either of the two three-year terms, you must file your petitionsbefore March 21,1980. The petitions must have the names of fifty (50) voters or 10%of the registered voters. You must also file a Statement of Economic Interest with theCounty Clerk and a Statement of Candidacy with the school district.

Any resident who wises to 'be an absentee voter may either send for a ballot or come tothe district office and get one. The last day for applying by mail is April 7th,while the last day for applying in person is April 11th.

As a voter, remember that your polling place is the elementary school nearest yourhome and the date is Saturday, April 12.

SPACE PANDAS

As part of the district enrichment program, students at Simmons Junior High School presented the play, liThe Revenge of the Space Pandas." The play is about a boy scientistand his pet sheep who get caught in a time warp and end up on the planet, Crestview,where they get captured by an evil man and his space pandas. Their adventures providedmuch enjoyment for everyone.

By giving five performances, our thespians were able to perform for all the district'sfifth and sixth graders, the seventh and eighth grade honor students and for the publicat an evening performance. The proceeds from the evening performance, which amountedto $160.00, were donated to the Tina Pitsoulakis fund.

COOl{ COUNTY DENTIST

Parents of children needing dental care should contact either of the two school nursesfor more information concerning free dental care. The county provides a dentist atHarnew each Monday at no cost. Those who qualify for this program must make the tripto Harnew School, 9100 South Austin Avenue. Transportation is not provided.

MARDI GRAS

On Tuesday, February 19th, the French class at Harnew School, in keeping with their studyof the language, celebrated Mardi Gras in the French tradition. The students have spentseveral periods doing research in the Learning Center, and then presented reports to theclass.

In keeping with the Mardi Gras theme, the class took the name of liThe Mystic Krewe ofWenrah" for the day. In New Orleans various "krewes" are responsible for the parades,floats, celebrations and gala balls. The feast consisted of a gala breakfast of"flapjacks" -- so named because on this day the women of the house used up all of theavailable fats to make the pancakes, flipping them into the ak when turning them.According to legend, if you eat pancakes on this day, you will have good luck for therest of the year.

Preparing Eating

SOMEONE WONDERS ., ., •.

Why is it that schools need more money to operate when student enrollment is declining?

Parents of large families today are findi.ng out, much to their dismay, that the savingsthey anticipated when the youngsters grow up and move our just aren't what they expected.Savings on food and clothing are more than wiped out by increased energy costs, utilities,taxes and eroding incomes which haven't kept pace with inflation. And, of course, themortgage or rent payment must be made regardless of how many people live at home.

A school system has similar problems when it comes to energy costs, supplies, buildingmaintenance, etc. But it has an additional problem which is unique to the schoolsystem. The state "pays" a school system based on the attendance of each student.Obviously, a class of thirty students gets a third more in income from the state thana class of twenty students. When enrollment declines, it usually starts with kindergarten, eliminating classes and teaching positions, but also sharply reducing classsize without reducing teaching positions -- and that's the rub!

The cost per child goes up drastically as salaries increase and state aid decreases.Possible solution? Combine two classes of twenty students into one class of fortystudents. This is certainly more economical but many parents and teachers have indicated that classes of this size are undesirable. Another solution: change thestate aid formula to realistically compensate for smaller teacher-pupil ratios sincethe formula was designed at a time when enrollments were increasing. Did you know thatthe state's percentage of funding public education is actually declining because of thisformula and that this shifts the major responsibility for financing public educationmore and more to the property taxes? This is contrary to the state constitution whichrequires the state to assume the major portion (51%) of public school expenses.

BOARD OF EDUCATIONRIDGELAND DISTRICT #122OAK LAWN, ILLINOIS 60453

NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONU. S. POSTAGE PAIDOAK LAWN, ILLINOIS

PERMIT NO. 7960453

00 \ 0), I)


DISTRICT NUMBER 122

VOLUME XII" Nwnber ?

CALENDAR

ApriZ" 1980

Thursday, April 3

Friday, April 4

Sunday, April 6

Monday - FridayApril 7 - 11

Saturday, April 12

Monday, April 14

Thursday, April 17

Tuesday, April 22

SCHOOL BOARD ELECTION

School Board meeting at the district office7:30 p.m.

Good Friday - NO SCHOOL

Easter Sunday

Easter break - NO SCHOOL

School Board Election - polls are open fromnoon until 7:00 p.m.

School resumes after Easter break

School Board meeuing at the district office7:30 p.m. Newly elected members to be seated.New officers to.be elected.

School Pictures - Dearborn Heights School

On Saturday, April 12, 1980 School District #122 will hold its electionof school Board members. The polls will be open from 12:00 noon until7:00 p.m.

Voters will be choosing candidates to fill two three-year terms. Anyonewishing to vote as an absentee should pick up their ballot at the districtoffice before AprilS, 1980.

The polls are located in each of the four elementary scho0ls.

Columbus ManorDearborn HeightsHarnewLieb

97th and Mayfield96th and Normandy9lst and Austin9lst and Pembroke Lane

All registered voters of the district are urged to vote.

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BASKETBALL FEVER

The intramural program at Harnew School concluded its basketball scheduleduring the first week of March. The girls' league finished with a threeway tie for first place. Team D became the champions by first defeatingTeam C and then Team D. Meanwhile, the boys' league ended with two teamstied for the top. spot. Team B scored the winning basket in a last-minutevictory over Team C to become the champions. .

The intramural program was instituted by the physical education teacher,Mr. Honkisz, as an extension of the unit of instruction on basketball taughtin the physical education classes for the sixth grade.

Inter-school competition in basketball was established this year betweenHarnew and Dearborn Heights and two games were played between the schools.In the first game, Harnew defeated Dearborn Heights by the lopsided scoreof 58 to 21. However, in the second contest, Dearborn Heights managed tosqueeze by Harnew by a score of 25 to 24. Pic'cured below are the winningteams.

I - PROJECT

Pictured at right, having awell balanced breakfast, isGroup Two of the nutritionclass at the Harnew School.

This part of the projectis concerned with developingself-reliance by helping students care for their nutritional needs. The breakfastmenu was prepared by thestudents with the basic foodgroups in mind, and consisted of fruit juice, milk,breakfast sausage, pancakes.The students also preparedthe meal, served· each other,'and cleaned up after themselves after the meal wasover. In the weeks to comethe two groups will prepare lunch and dinner menus, and will have their turnat preparing the, meals.

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MEDIEVAL FAIR

On Thursday, March 13, Lieb School sixth-graders held,a Medieval Fairin the all-purpose .room for students, teachers and parents. The purposeof the fair was to explain the structure of the feudal system in Europeduring the Middle Ages, and consisted of two main parts.

During the first part the student groups, dressed in medieval clothes,took turns explaining the lifestyle of the people of the manor, the Queen'sCourt, the Church and Monastery, and the different trade guilds. Eachpresentation was accompanied by an example -- such as the Queen dubbing aknight, or the beheading of a villain.

When this part of the program was over, the students manned theirbooths along the outer wall. The booths were decorated according to thestyle of different trade guilds, each of which had its own street -- BakerStreet, Srrd:tl1. Str~et.al1d c=()bpler Street, to name a. few.

FPincipaZ AZ White taZking tothe "Executioner"

POETRY IN THE JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL

Simmons Language Arts Department is sponsoring a Writer-in-ResidenceProgram in conjunction with the Illinois Arts Council. Frances Brent, apoet, was chosen to be the writer. For five days Ms. Brent will conductclasses in writing poetry. She will meet with five groups of twenty students each who have been chosen from grades seven and eight. She will beat Simmons on Tuesday, March 11; Thursday, March 13; Tuesday, March 18;Thursday, March 20; and Tuesday, March 25. On the night of the 25th shewill hold a meeting for the parents of the participating students and allother interested parties where she will read the students' work and discuss

what she's done in class. As a followup activity, the students will bindtheir work together in booklets.

u. S. HISTORY FAIR

Under the direction of teachers, Bill Rein, Catherine Boyd, and PatDixon, the eighth grade students of Simmons Junior High School staged aUnited States History Fair on March 12 and 13 in the school's audltorium.

Exhibits, such as those pictured below, were made by the students, eachdepicting a person, place or event in American History. Each studentalso submitted a written report explaining their exhibit.

Ribbons and certificates of honorable mention were awarded at theclose of the fair.


Resident9131 Monitor 60453Oak La.wn, IL


PERMIT NO. 79


DISTRICT NUMBER 122

VOLUME XII, Number 8

___..-:£1

May, 1980

CALENDAR

Wednesday, May 7

Thursday, May 8

Sunday, May 11

Saturday, May 17

Thursday, May 22

Monday, May 26

Tuesday, May' 27

Thursday, May 29

Tuesday, June 3

District Parent Advisory Committee Meetingat the District Office at 10:00 a.m.

School Board meeting at the DistrictOffice - 7:30 p.m.

Mother's Day

Graduation Party at Simmons Junior High7:00 - 10:00 p.m.

School Board meeting at the DistrictOffice - 7:30 p.m.

Memorial Day - NO SCHOOL

Marking Day - 2:00 p.m. Dismissal

Simmons' Graduation - 7:30 p.m.

LAST DAY OF SCHOOL- 9:00 to 10:00 a.m.

DISTRICT 122 AWARDED 15 COMMENDATIONS FOR EXCELLENCE BY STATE EVALUATING TEAM

People often ask if elementary school districts are rated or ranked according to excellence. The answer is "no" but public elementary schooldistricts are evaluated by the State Board of Education every three or fouryears and the results of these evaluations should be important not only tothe parents of school children but to the entire community as well.

We are proud to present to you the results of our recent state evaluationat a time when so many news stories are reporting, "What's Wrong With thePublic Schools?". While the Report speaks for itself, one might ask whetheror not the commendations are significant or are routinely given. In 1976,after the District had received 11 commendations, the same questions wereput to Dr. Enno Lietz, Manager of the Public School Approval Section,State Board of Educa~ion. His response was brief and direct: commendationsare never given routinely and when given, are of real significance. (According to Dr. Lietz, the 11 commendations we received in 1976 put us in thewell above average category. In fact, at the time he couldn't recall anelementary district that had received more.)

2

The following is quoted from the State Report:

COMMENDATIONS:

1. The district was weU prepared for the visitation. AU materials requested.. (philosophy ..policy manual.. school board minutes.. financial reports.. budget.. audi~program plan andthe like) were extremely well structured and organized.

2. AU administrative staff members are properly certificated. AU elementary and juniorhigh teachers are properly certificated and qualified for their teaching assignments.

3. The educational climate.. atmosphere and environment for learning is warm and pleasant.

4. Teaching staff appeared to.be conscientious and responsive to the needs of their students.

5. Media centers are weU staffed.. equipped and supplied.

6. Most recent improvements made within the district are all very commendable:

a. A fully implemented program accounting system has been instituted.b. The completion of FY 1978-1979 without the need to borrow.c. Reduction in the school tax rate for the third consecutive year.d. Continuing development of ecologically oriented programs in K to 8 grades which

teach students about their environment.e. Assessment and modification of gifted programs in each school building.f. Continued development of Project C.H.A.N.G.E to the extent that national dissemi

nation seems to be imminent because of the innovative concepts which the projecthas developed.

g. Performance objectives and programs in order to obtain documented information foreach level of the organization. This has also been done for each teacher in theiryearly performance review.

7. The uses of the Program Plan as a guide for the district's goals .. competition and achievement.. is considered outstanding. Changes are made annually and submitted with theapplication for Recognition as required by State Board of Education Document #1.

8. Industrial Arts.. Home Economics .. anda'muZti~faceted gifted program are offe~~~~b?ypnd

the required mandated programs.

9! A separate reading program is offered in addition to Language Arts.

10. Student murals on the junior high school wall were judged to be very attractive.

11. Students received specialized instruction in art.. music and physical education at thejunior high school.

12. The principals were cognizant and aware of their schools' needs.. strengths and weaknesses.

13. The Assistant Superintendent.. Dr. Donald Johnson.. was judged to be a very competentprofessional whose cooperation during the visitation was most appreciated.

14. Performance objectives for staff and programs evaluation of goals and objectives foreach sehool'year is outstanding.

15. Dr. Robert Olcese.. the Superintendent.. is a dedicated professional who runs his schooldistrict with excellence and flexibility that reflects the needs and desires of the

3

community he serves. We found Superintendent OZcese to be extremeZy coopera~ive andcourtous during the time we spent with him. His sincere dedication is one of thereaZ strengths of the district.

AREAS OF NON-COMPLIANCE OR CONCERN:

1. The evaluation team noted that physical education was not taught fivedays a week in compliance with the School Code of Illinois. (Most schooldistricts have had difficulty complying with this statute and regularlyapply for a waiver. The district is formulating plans to be in full compliance with the statute for the 1980-1981 school year.)

2. Although two teachers have completed the proper C!=ourse of study, theircertificates have not arrived yet from the State Board of Education.

3. Bus evacuation drills must be held twice a year, not only for studentswho are regularly transported by school buses, but all students as well.

4. Student record forms should be modified so that parents are informedwhen the records will be destroyed.

5. Older students' permanent records should have test scores deleted.

6. The corporal punishment policy must provide that parents can waive corporal punishment upon written request. (While corporal punishment isnot specifically excluded by Board Policy, it is discouraged, and --in fact -- rarely, if ever, used.)

7. The state visitation team noted various items throughout the buildingwhich they suggested be repaired, replaced or remodeled. Almost 50%of this work has been completed or is now in the process of completion.

DEARBORN HEIGHTS CHILDREN RETURNED TO THEIR HOME SCHOOL

After seven years, children now in kindergarten through fourth grade,who had been bused to Lieb Elementary School because of over-crowding atDearborn Heights, will return to Dearborn Heights for the 1980-1981 schoolyear. Students who are now in fifth grade will remain at Lieb for sixthgrade since a return of these children would make the sixth grade at Dearborh'·He'i-ghts tb61arge for the 1980-1981 school year.

While the Board of Education has had a pOlicy of sending children totheir neighborhood schools, the district was so short of classroom space in1970-1971 that it was necessary to bus children out of the Dearborn Heightsattendance area to Lieb School. Declining enrollment over the past fiveyears, however, has made it possible to bring these children back to theirneighborhood school.

BUSING

Beginning with the start of the 1980-1981 school year, only those students who live over a mile and a half from their respective schools will bebused. The only exceptions will be the special education students, andstudents living in areas declared "perilous" by the Illinois Department ofTransportation.

This change in Board Policy is due primarily to the fact that transportation costs have more than tripled in the last three years resulting in asizable deficit in the transportation fund.

4

SCHOOL BOARD NOTES

On Saturday, April 12, the voters of District 122 elected Prudence Yontezand Shirley Barrett to the Board of Education. It is Mrs. Yontez's secondterm.

On Monday, April 17, the Board held its annual reorganization meeting.Both members were sworn in. Then the entire Board thanked retiring memberMichael Scott for his years of service to the District.

The new Board consists of Roger Wantiez, President; Gerald Manley,Secretary; and Thomas Davia, Sharon Whitty, Barry Zakes, Prudence Yontez,and Shirley Barrett - all members.

Effective with the May 8 meeting, all school Board meetings will beheld on the second and fourth Thursdays of each month at 7:30 p.m. at theAdministrative Office Conference Room, 6500 West 95th Street. The only exceptions are the months of June, July, August and December when it meetsonly once a month. The schedule of meetings is as follows:

May 8, 1980May 22, 1980June 26, 1980July 24, 1980August 28, 1980September 11, 1980September 25, 1980October 9, 1980October 23, 1980November 13, 1980November 26, 1980December 11, 1980January 8, 1981January 22, 1981February 12, 1981


R~Bident9~37 MonitorOak Lawn, IL 60453

Feb~uary 26, 1981March 12, 1981March 26, 1981April 9, 1981April 23, 1981May 14, 1981May 28, 1981June 25, 1981July 23, 1981August 2"7, 1981September 10, 1981S~ptember 24, 1981October 8, 1981October 22, 1981November 12, 1981

NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONU. S. POSTAGE PAIDOAK LAWN, ILLINOIS 60453PERMIT NO. 79

robert olcese, superintendent - olpl.org · pictured at right are roger wantiez, district 122...

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