An Update from Supt. Smith

Notable Dates and Events

• Calendar Reminders

News and Announcements

• Community Invited to take Survey Regarding Future School Improvement Decisions
• Reminder: Residents Invited to Final Together for Tomorrow Community Workshop
• High School Graduation Details
• Reminder: Register Your Student for the 2026-27 School Year

District Highlights

• District 300 Students Honored at Illinois Principals Association Breakfast

Student Recognitions

• Dundee-Crown High School Science Olympiad Team Earns Medals at State
• Regional Science Fair Participants Now Advancing to State Exposition
• D300 Students Earn Accolades at Fox Valley Conference Art Show Reception
• Dundee Highlands Elementary School Fifth Grader Advocating for the Environment

Staff Recognitions

• D300 Foundation Announces Educator and Employee of the Year Winners

School Highlights

• Jacobs High School Students Bring Solar Learning to Life at Dundee Middle School
• Carpentersville Middle School Beta Club Participates in Community Garden Project

Note of Appreciation

• Final Opportunity to Share a Note of Appreciation this School Year

Board of Education

• Next Board of Education Meeting Scheduled for May 5

Conclusion

District 300 would like to remind families of the following notable dates and events:

Friday, April 24, through Saturday, May 9:

• Fine arts events – Information about band, choir, chorus, jazz, and orchestra concerts is available, as are details about one act plays. To learn more, please visit the District 300 calendar webpage, scroll down, and select “Fine Arts Calendar.”

Monday, May 4:

• District 300: Together for Tomorrow Community Workshop – This event will take place from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Hampshire Middle School; all community members are invited. Registration information and more can be found on the Together for Tomorrow webpage. For additional information, please see the “News and Announcements” section directly below.

Wednesday, May 6

• Bilingual Parent Advisory Committee (BPAC) meeting – From 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m., BPAC will host elections and provide a summit report in the cafeteria at Dundee-Crown High School, 1500 Kings Road, in Carpentersville. More information about BPAC is available on the "Parent Groups" webpage.

Friday, May 8, and Saturday, May 9:

• D300 Foundation Art Show – Featuring artwork from District 300 students in kindergarten through 12th grade, this show runs May 8 from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. and May 9 from noon to 4 p.m. in the Otto building located at 100 S. Lincoln Ave. in Carpentersville. Admission is a $1 donation benefiting the Boys & Girls Clubs of The Northwest Suburbs. To learn more, please visit https://d300foundation.org.

Saturday, May 16 – High School Graduation:

• Graduation ceremonies will take place as follows; for more information, please see the “News and Announcements” section directly below.
• Dundee-Crown High School graduation: Begins at 10 a.m.
• Hampshire High School graduation: Begins at 2 p.m.
• Jacobs High School graduation: Begins at 6 p.m.

Monday, May 18 – Middle School Recognition Nights:

• Carpentersville Middle School – Hosted at Dundee-Crown High School at 7 p.m.
• Westfield Community School – Hosted at Jacobs High School at 7 p.m.

Wednesday, May 20 – Middle School Recognition Nights:

• Algonquin Middle School – Hosted at Dundee-Crown High School at 7 p.m.
• Dundee Middle School – Hosted at Jacobs High School at 7 p.m.
• Hampshire Middle School – Hosted at Hampshire High School at 7 p.m.

View additional calendar information on the district's website.

District 300 invites all families, staff, and community members to participate in one of the final steps of our Master Facility Plan process by completing a brief community survey.

In 2024, District 300 partnered with stakeholders to develop a Master Facility Plan to address our growing student population, aging infrastructure, and provide continued support for our students and staff as education changes. To gather input on how best to tackle these challenges, we sent out our first community-wide survey in October 2025.

This new survey builds directly on the initial feedback. Whether you are sharing your thoughts for the first time or building on the feedback you provided in October, we would encourage you to weigh in today. Your voice is essential to help us determine whether, how, and when to move forward with potential facility improvements.

Every response will guide critical decisions regarding project priorities and responsible funding options. To ensure complete objectivity, Discovery Works Collaborative, a firm specializing in public opinion research, is independently collecting and analyzing all data.

You can take the survey online at www.d300.org/Survey or pick up a paper copy at the District 300 Central Office (2550 Harnish Drive, Algonquin, IL 60102).

Your participation ensures that future facility decisions are well-informed and community-driven. Thank you for taking the time to share your perspective and help shape the future of District 300!

As a reminder, community members are invited to attend the final District 300: Together for Tomorrow Community Workshop session on Monday, May 4, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Hampshire Middle School, 560 S. State St., in Hampshire.

• The general entrance for this event will be Door 11, which is the main entrance located at the northwest end of the building.
  
  
• Families requiring childcare are asked to use Door 18 for the old gym near the northeast end of the building. (These families will then be guided to the event space.)
  
  
• Parking will be available on the north side of the school, with overflow parking available on the west side of the school.

The final workshop session will focus on finalizing options for the future of the district and recommendations for moving forward that will be included as part of a formal report that will be provided to the District 300 Board of Education this summer.

Please note: Spanish translation services for the workshop can be requested through the event registration form.

To register, please visit www.d300.org/TogetherForTomorrow.

District 300 looks forward to celebrating our high school graduates on Saturday, May 16.

All graduation ceremonies will take place at the NOW Arena, located at 5333 Prairie Stone Parkway in Hoffman Estates.

Tickets are required to attend. Ticket information will be shared with graduates and their families.

Ceremonies will also be livestreamed, recorded, and available for public viewing. The livestreams can be viewed on the District 300 website and each respective high school’s website.

For additional information, including answers to frequently asked questions, please visit www.d300.org/Graduation.

On April 13, families were notified via email that registration is now open for students who will be returning to District 300 for the 2026-27 school year.

Registration must be completed online using PowerSchool Parent Portal. The target date to complete registration for returning students is Friday, May 15, 2026, at 11:59 p.m.

To begin the registration process, please see the instructions available at www.d300.org/Register.

If you have questions or if you experience any difficulties with the online registration process, please begin by contacting your child's school registrar and for additional assistance email OLR@d300.org.

We look forward to starting the new school year on Tuesday, August 11, 2026!

Congratulations to the District 300 students listed below who were honored last week at the annual Student Leadership Breakfast hosted by the Illinois Principals Association-Kishwaukee Region!

According to the association, the event recognizes “tomorrow's leaders today,” with each participating school principal able to invite up to two students from their building’s exiting grade level for acknowledgment.

Special congratulations also to Dundee-Crown High School senior Ifeoluwa Hassan, who was randomly selected at the event to receive one of two $625 scholarships from the Illinois Principals Association-Kishwaukee Region!

• Laura Arneson (Algonquin Lakes Elementary School)
• Jack Lumb (Algonquin Lakes Elementary School)
• Hunter Hurlburt (Algonquin Middle School)
• Kailynn Kieffer (Algonquin Middle School)
• Allison Fowler (Big Timber Elementary School)
• Nisa Senturk (Big Timber Elementary School)
• Bianca Castro (Carpentersville Middle School)
• Isaac Montoya (Carpentersville Middle School)
• Nora Arenz (Dundee Highlands Elementary School)
• Andrew Brodycz (Dundee Highlands Elementary School)
• Tenley Dyer (Dundee Middle School)
• Lawrence Kilvington (Dundee Middle School)

• Ifeoluwa Hassan (Dundee-Crown High School)
• Emma Stoltz (Dundee-Crown High School)
• Natalia Dugo (Eastview Elementary School)
• June Leiva (Eastview Elementary School)
• Emily Forth (Gilberts Elementary School)
• Matthew Saraiya (Gilberts Elementary School)
• Amber Alvarez (Golfview Elementary School)
• Jonathan Nava (Golfview Elementary School)
• Elizabeth Lange (Hampshire Elementary School)
• Thomas O’Connell (Hampshire Elementary School)
• Maicee Baldwin (Hampshire Middle School)
• Rowan Kubiak (Hampshire Middle School)

• Zachary Farwell (Hampshire High School)
• Ezabella Llanos (Hampshire High School)
• Anh Dieu (Jacobs High School)
• Vincent Flores (Jacobs High School)
• Sofia Chojnacki (Lake in the Hills Elementary School)
• Ava Willford (Lake in the Hills Elementary School)
• Xochitl Andrade (Lakewood Elementary School)
• Leonardo Hernandez (Lakewood Elementary School)
• Michael Simonelli (Liberty Elementary School)
• Brooklyn Steinhaus (Liberty Elementary School)
• Lincoln Diesing (Lincoln Prairie Elementary School)
• Lillian Jaglowski (Lincoln Prairie Elementary School)

• Lillian Espejo (Meadowdale Elementary School)
• Jonathan Yanez (Meadowdale Elementary School)
• Madeline Hoth (Neubert Elementary School)
• Eryk Szmigielski (Neubert Elementary School)
• Je’Ana Williams (Oak Ridge School)
• Molly Zordani (Oak Ridge School)
• Lily Hernandez (Parkview Elementary School)
• Olivia Manthey (Parkview Elementary School)
• Athena Borja (Perry Elementary School)
• Alayza Gonzalez (Perry Elementary School)
• Cameron Giles (Sleepy Hollow Elementary School)
• Aryan Shah (Sleepy Hollow Elementary School)

• Layla McEvilly (Westfield Community School)
• Rani Soni (Westfield Community School)
• Nolan Valleskey (Westfield Community School)
• Jake Warner (Westfield Community School)
• Jaxson Haney (Wright Elementary School)
• Nicolas Wisniewski (Wright Elementary School)

Congratulations to the following Dundee-Crown High School students who medaled this past weekend at the state Science Olympiad!

• Westley Aguilar (third place in the “Electric Vehicle” category)
• Nathan Cortez (third place in the “Electric Vehicle” category)
• Oliver Derylo (fifth place in the “Agricultural Science” category)
• Emily Forsyth (fifth place in the “Dynamic Planet” category)
• Eva Garcia (fourth place in the “Ping Pong Parachute” category)
• Matthias Obien (fifth place in the “Agricultural Science” category)
• Byron Pootibarra (fifth place in the “Code Craze” category)
• Juliana Porras (fifth place in the “Dynamic Planet” category)
• Alexa Simon (fourth place in the “Ping Pong Parachute” category and fifth place in the “Code Craze” category)

Additional congratulations to the following Dundee-Crown students who also competed at state:

• Jacqueline Aguirre
• Sophia Brysacz
• Isabella Cardenas
• Mollie Carlson
• Evelyn Flores
• Arianna Keiser
• Alexandra Phommahaxay
• Joshua Rios
• Sabrina Rodriguez
• Joy Roman
• Ace Scholl
• Isaac Vargas
• Christian Zamora

The Science Olympiad team is led by Ms. Jaclyn Dugger, with assistance from Ms. Kayleigh Dugger.

This was the first time Dundee-Crown had a Science Olympiad team advance to state.

Congratulations to the District 300 students who recently presented projects at the Illinois Junior Academy of Science Region 5 Science and Engineering Fair at Cambridge Lakes Charter School!

Among dozens of creative and thought-provoking projects were ones titled “Slime,” “Burn, Baby, Burn?,” and “What Should We Feed Our Food?”

The following District 300 students now have the chance to participate in the state science exposition taking place today and tomorrow at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale:

Congratulations to the following District 300 high school students who earned accolades at the Fox Valley Conference Art Show reception, which took place April 16 at McHenry County College:

• Hampshire High School sophomore Elijah Duffie (Best of Show Photography Originality/Creativity)
• Hampshire High School sophomore Isabella Fruscione (program logo design)
• Dundee-Crown High School sophomore Ariana Guzman Garcia (Best of Show 3D Media Skills and Technique)
• Jacobs High School junior Darya Kozlova (Best of Show 2D Media Skills and Technique)
• Jacobs High School junior Tiffany Krempel (Best of Show 2D Integration)
• Hampshire High School senior Christina Pastorelli (Best of Show 3D Integration)

In addition, congratulations to the following six students who earned honorable mention at the reception:

• Jacobs High School junior Alexa High
• Jacobs High School senior Sofia Lindgren
• Hampshire High School junior Nathaniel Martinez
• Dundee-Crown High School sophomore Elizabeth Orozco
• Hampshire High School senior Julia Ramirez
• Dundee-Crown High School senior Anita Sutulina

A Fox Valley Conference Art Show slide presentation features the artwork created by the students above.

Dundee Highlands Elementary School fifth grader Lily Cotter has been busy working to make the environment better.

Last year, Lily joined the Dundee Highlands Service Club sponsored by Ms. Katelynn Ambrosini and Ms. Alison Smith. Club members volunteer their time for various service projects to help make the world a better place.

As part of her club involvement, Lily became more aware of water pollution and water conservation, which prompted her to attend numerous village meetings and town hall events to express concern about the environmental impact that fireworks have on our waterways.

In addition, she connected with state Rep. Suzanne Ness, the Illinois Environmental Council, and the Friends of the Fox River to further her environmental advocacy. In fact, earlier this month, she attended an Illinois Environmental Council lobby day event in Springfield to support state-level wetland protections.

District 300 would like to thank Lily for taking action to protect our natural resources. Thank you also to Ms. Ambrosini and Ms. Smith for their support of Lily’s efforts.

Congratulations to the 2026 D300 Foundation for Educational Excellence Distinguished Educator of the Year and Distinguished Employee of the Year, who were announced last week at a banquet recognizing all nominees!

Amy Moreno, secretary to principal at the deLacey Family Education Center

District 300 would like to thank the foundation for organizing the banquet and recognizing our valued staff.

Dundee Middle School students enrolled in Project-Based Learning with Mr. Michael Haase recently learned more about solar energy through hands-on projects led by three Jacobs High School students.

Sophomores Finnden Benoit, Charles Hoover, and Penelope Sluka recently visited DMS as part of their Principles of Engineering class with Mr. Fernando Medina.

While at the middle school, they engaged with students using solar power kits, providing information about series circuits, parallel circuits, and electrical terminology, which definitely made an impact on their younger counterparts.

“I’m really grateful for today and how fun it is and how nice an experience this is,” said seventh grader Amelia Marcinek right after she and her project partner, Lily Knapp, successfully lit up their solar panel.

“I’m going to Jacobs so I’m really excited to be in high school to do this again,” Lily added.

The new community garden at Carpentersville Middle School is being prepped for its first full season!

After being constructed last summer through a University of Illinois Extension grant, the garden is seeing involvement from the school’s Beta Club, which recently partnered with the Extension to create mini greenhouses in which starter plants are being grown.

“They selected seeds and built their greenhouses out of recycled material,” explained Sixth Grade Assistant Principal Danielle Salifoski. “The plants will be transferred to the garden when they begin to sprout.”

Thank you to CMS faculty members Mr. Kraig Sitton and Ms. Heather Smith for organizing the engaging activity.

District 300 would like to thank parents and guardians for the more than 535 Note of Appreciation submissions received so far this school year!

The last day to complete a submission is Tuesday, May 5, which is Teacher Appreciation Day.

To get started, just access the short Note of Appreciation form.

The next Board of Education meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, May 5, at District 300 Central Office, 2550 Harnish Drive, in Algonquin.

Meetings are called to order at 6 p.m., with board members immediately entering closed session; meetings then reconvene in open session at 6:30 p.m.

In-person seating for meetings is on a first-come, first-served basis. For your awareness, meetings are also streamed live on the District 300 YouTube channel beginning at 6:30 p.m.

Guidelines for public participation at board meetings are available on the district website.

District residents and members of the public can contact the board any time by emailing Board@d300.org. Any email sent to this address will reach all board members simultaneously.

Thank you to our students and staff for making the most of every school day. Let’s make each remaining day count.

Additionally, look for my next Superintendent Update on Friday, May 8.

Have a great weekend!