Daniel Wright

Friday, Oct. 23, is Principal Appreciation Day, and the Illinois Principals Association invites everyone to celebrate school leaders during the week of October 19. At District 103, this is an opportunity to recognize the principals and assistant principals who make a difference in the lives of our students, staff, and families every day.

Our school leaders do far more than oversee the daily operations of a school. They build relationships, support teachers, partner with families, celebrate student growth, and help create welcoming environments where students feel safe, supported, and challenged to reach their potential. They navigate challenges, make countless decisions, and continually look for ways to strengthen teaching and learning.

“Great school leadership is about people. Our principals and assistant principals know their students, support their staff, and build the relationships that make our schools special. They bring care, commitment, and a genuine desire to help every student succeed. I am grateful for the leadership they provide and the difference they make in our school communities every day,” said Superintendent Dr. Katie Reynolds.

Please join us in thanking our D103 principals and assistant principals for their dedication, compassion, and commitment to our students and school communities. Their leadership helps make District 103 a place where students can excel, grow, and make a difference.

Daniel Wright Junior High School

• Jessica Groncki, Principal

• Nicole Barba, Assistant Principal

• David Herlocker, Assistant Principal

• Greg Grana, Interim Principal

What an incredible day for Daniel Wright! BOTH our girls' and boys' soccer teams were crowned Conference Champions this week! Congratulations to our Warrior athletes and coaches for their hard work, teamwork, determination, and outstanding seasons! You've made the entire Daniel Wright community proud!

Please join our Daniel Wright Catalyst Club in helping students build the strengths, resilience, and values they need to make healthy, informed decisions—not just during Red Ribbon Week, but throughout their lives.

Our Catalyst Club, in partnership with the Stand Strong Coalition, is a student leadership group dedicated to supporting and encouraging a drug- and alcohol-free lifestyle.

This Year’s Message: “What’s Your Why?”

Throughout the year, Catalyst students will be encouraging their peers to think about the reasons behind the healthy choices they make. We also encourage families to have regular, open conversations with their children about:

• Why do you want your child to remain substance-free?
• Why do you choose to live a healthy lifestyle?
• What is your child’s personal “why” for making healthy choices?
• These conversations can help our students connect their choices to the people, goals, values, and future they care about most.

If you have any questions or would like additional resources for talking with your child about substance use, please feel free to reach out to me at sblue@d103.org.

Thank you for partnering with us to support our students and help them make healthy, positive choices!

Support the Wright Way Club's fall fundraising event and have a chance to win candy during your lunch period on Thursday, Oct. 29. Bring $2-$3 in cash and spin the wheel to win candy. All proceeds benefit the Hope for Autumn Foundation, helping families battling childhood cancer.

If you need to pick up your student for an appointment between 3:20 p.m. and the end of the school day, please plan to arrive before 3:20 p.m.

The end of the day is a very busy time, and early pick ups can interfere with bus traffic and the dismissal process. We also cannot guarantee that we can retrieve students from their classrooms so close to the end of the day.

If you arrive after 3:20 p.m., please plan to pick up your student at their grade-level exit doors at 3:35 p.m.

Additionally, any changes to your child’s dismissal plans (such as being picked up instead of taking the bus) should be communicated to the office before 3:15 p.m. to ensure the message can be relayed to your child promptly and accurately.

We understand that emergencies happen, and in those situations, we will always do our best to assist. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation in helping us ensure a safe and smooth dismissal for all students!

Thank you to our extraordinary bus drivers and the rest of our transportation team, who ensure our D103 students make it to school and home safely! We extend our heartfelt appreciation on Bus Driver Appreciation Day, which District 103 recognizes on Oct. 22. Thank you to our drivers; you are appreciated for your dedication and for always going the extra mile for our students! The district operates and maintains a fleet of 31 buses and 2 vans that travel the district's nearly 12-mile radius.

School Bus Drivers' Appreciation Day coincides with National School Bus Safety Week, Oct. 19-23, which is dedicated to promoting school bus safety.

Here are a few bus safety rules that parents can review with their children:

On the Bus - Each student riding a bus is expected to:

• Remain seated at all times
• No food or drink
• Be nice
• Be safe

Waiting for the Bus:

• While waiting for the bus, stay in a safe place away from the street.
• Be alert to traffic. When you get on or off the bus, look left, right, left before you enter or cross the street.
• When you get on or off the bus, look for the bus safety lights and make sure they are flashing.
• If you must cross the street, wait for the driver to signal you when it’s safe to cross and to always cross in front of the bus.
• If something falls under or near the bus, tell the driver. NEVER crawl under the bus to try and pick it up yourself.
• Don't jump up or down, fight, bully or tease other passengers or make a lot of noise while riding the bus. These activities can distract the bus driver, and he or she won't be able to give proper attention to driving.

Students are invited to join in Neon Nights from 3:45 to 5:00 p.m. Friday, Nov. 6, in the DW Cafeteria and gyms. Hosted by DW's Leaders in Learning Student Council, this event with a DJ, dancing, sports, and friendly competitions is sure to be a blast!

Tickets are $10 and are now available on RevTrak through Wednesday, Nov. 4.

Students may purchase candy, chips, and drinks with cash during the event for $1–2. The Late Bus will be available at 5:00 p.m. for students who register in advance.

The winter sports season will start soon! If registration has already been completed for this sport, you do not need to complete it again. This registration step is MANDATORY in order to participate in tryouts.

• Boys basketball is open to seventh- and eighth-grade boys. Tryouts run from Monday, Oct 26, through Thursday, Oct. 29. Fill out the interest form to tryout.
• Spirit Team is open to all grade levels.Tryouts run from Monday, Oct 26, through Thursday, Oct. 29. Fill out the interest form to tryout.

Tryout Details

• The registration form must be completed PRIOR to the start of the season.
• A current physical must be on file with the school nurse. This is a state requirement and physicals are good for one year and 30 days.
• Due to low ridership home from away games, the district will not provide busing back to Daniel Wright after participation in away meets/matches. Participants will be picked up at the visiting school or arrange carpools with teammates.
• Please direct questions to Kristine Rickert, Daniel Wright Athletic Director

District 103 is offering a discount to families to purchase its retired iPads on Thursday, Oct. 29.

• The sale is being conducted by the district's partner company, Secured Tech Solutions, which is where families may view the iPads for sale.
• The 15% discount will be applied to one iPad only. District 103 will provide the discount code on Oct. 29.

There will be an option to choose different "grades" on the iPads, such as "Excellent," "Good," and "Proven." Their grades are based on cosmetic issues, not on functionality of the device.

Are you interested in business? Do you want to compete in national competitions and develop leadership skills? Come join DWs newest ASA - FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America) starting Tuesday, Oct. 27, for 12 weeks. Meetings are every 2 weeks on Tuesdays.

FBLA is a national organization where students compete in business events, develop leadership skills, and explore business careers. We believe in getting an early start so students can build a strong foundation before the demands of high school make it harder to get involved. Students from Stevenson’s FBLA chapter will lead meetings to guide students. All ability levels and grade levels are welcome! Register on the RevTrak Web Store.

Please be aware that our automated tardy notifications stop after a student reaches 10 tardies per trimester. This means that even if you are no longer receiving email notifications, your student may still be accumulating additional tardies. We encourage families to make it part of their nightly routine to sit down with their student and review their PowerSchool account together. This is a great way to stay informed, monitor attendance, and have conversations about the importance of arriving to class on time. Please reach out to dw_attendance@d103.org if you have any questions about your student’s tardies.

Principal Jessica Groncki will be collecting T-shirt designs between now and Wednesday, Nov. 4, from eighth-graders. On Friday, Nov. 6, Mrs. Groncki will send a Google form where students can vote on their favorite design.

Guidelines for T-Shirt Design

• Students may create a T-shirt design either digitally or as a hand-drawn artwork on paper.

• For digital designs, please use a minimum resolution of 300 DPI.

• For hand-drawn designs, ensure the artwork does not exceed 11” x 11” in size.

• Limit your design to 1-3 solid colors.

• Use clean, bold lines. Thin or intricate lines may be difficult to reproduce on a T-shirt.

• Any inappropriate, graphic, or non-school appropriate language will be immediately disqualified.

• Be creative! All artwork must be original, created by the student submitting it, and not generated by AI.

Please email your design to Mrs. Groncki at jgroncki@d103.org by Wednesday, Nov. 4 by 5:00 p.m.

Join District 103 Sunday, Nov. 15, for a day of fun at a Chicago Wolves hockey game. Everyone will receive a free Chicago Wolves hat and be seated together in the same section. Our group name will also be on the LED boards during the game. Join us after the game for an autograph session from select Wolves players.

Purchase tickets today at d103pto.org

Our D103 PTO will set up a booth at the village's Boo Bash from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. Friday, Oct. 30, and will need help overseeing tattoo stenciling. Come join us and help promote the PTO to our community!

All D103 families are welcome to join this Halloween event sponsored by the Village of Lincolnshire. For event information, please see the Village of Lincolnshire website.

Sign up to volunteer @ d103pto.org

The PTO is partnering with Anderson's Bookfair Company to host a book fair for students, Monday, Oct. 26, through Friday, Oct. 30, in the Daniel Wright Library. We need parent volunteers to make it a success, and everyone is welcome to help!

Ways to help:

👉Sign up on d103pto.org today!

The Stevenson High School Dance Department invites eighth-graders to participate in a free Dance 1 class on Saturday, Nov. 21, from 10:00 to 11:45 a.m. in Dance Studio 2112. This opportunity will allow incoming students to experience a beginner-level dance class and get a glimpse of what dance is like at SHS. Participants should wear comfortable clothing suitable for dancing, such as leggings, yoga pants, sweatpants, and a tank top or T-shirt. Dance shoes are not required, and water bottles are highly encouraged! Registration is now open, and students are welcome to invite a friend to join them.

• Space is limited, so advanced registration is encouraged.

We are excited to announce that Key Club is hosting its Annual Community-Wide Trunk-or-Treat Celebration on Friday, Oct. 30,, from 4:30 to 6:00 p.m. at Adlai E. Stevenson High School (Lot C). Please join us at this event, a safe environment for children in our surrounding area to enjoy Halloween by dressing up and trick-or-treating from creatively decorated cars. There will also be entertaining games, music, snacks, and activities like face painting, fake Halloween tattoos, and a Halloween costume parade.

We are excited to share that the Lake County STEM for Girls Conference is returning for its 7th year! The conference hosts women from various STEM fields who work directly with students in hands-on, real-world activities. Each session is interactive, inspiring, and designed to help girls see themselves in future STEM careers.

• Event Date: 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24
• Where: Lake Community High School, 1600 Eagle Way, Lake Villa
• Registration closes: Sunday, Oct. 18, register using the Lake County STEM Google Doc
• Who: The conference is open to girls in grades 6-8
• Price: Free!

The Family Action Network at SHS is hosting author Angela Duckworth, Ph.D., in conversation with Nicholas Epley, Ph.D., at 7:00 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 22, at SHS. The evening will include opportunities for conversation and questions about Duckworth’s new book, Situated, an exploration of how the situations and environments around us shape who we become and what we are able to achieve. The event has been moved to virtual.

Register now for Vernon Area Public Library for adult AI classes.

• AI Safety & Ethics is Saturday, Oct. 24, from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m.
• Beyond the Bots: A Tour of the AI Landscape, Sunday, Nov. 10, from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Drop by the Vernon Area Public Library between 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 14, for a fandom celebration! There will be activities for all ages, including gaming, crafts, STEM stations, cosplayers, storytime, and more. This year features special guests: award-winning comic book artist Gene Ha and Anne and Luke Horwath from LEGO Masters season 5. Costumes are encouraged, but not required. Get all the details at VAPLD.info/MiniComicCon.

• Daniel Wright Calendar of Events
• Daily School Announcements
• Archived Newsletters
• Facebook
• YouTube

Principals


• Mrs. Jessica Groncki, Principal
• Mrs.Nicole Barba, Assistant Principal

• Mr. David Herlocker, Assistant Principal of Student Services

Reporting an Absence
• 847-604-5280
• Dw_attendance@d103.org