Dear District 62 Community,

As the 2025-2026 school year has begun, I am writing today with anticipation regarding the future of Community Consolidated School District 62. Work has begun to implement Full Day Kindergarten at our elementary schools. This transformative initiative will be launched next year, beginning with Iroquois Community School in July of 2026, and our 10-month elementary schools in August of 2026. We are excited to begin this phase in our journey.

Background

While all schools in the state of Illinois are expected to implement Full Day Kindergarten by the 2027-2028 school year, we intentionally decided to begin our work a year in advance. This decision is a testament to our unwavering commitment to providing the best possible educational foundation for every child in our district. For our youngest learners, the benefits of a Full Day Kindergarten program are well-documented. The benefits include building essential literacy and math skills while also nurturing the social emotional development that is so critical at this age.

Benefits

This extended time in the school day will give children the space and opportunity to build stronger relationships with their teachers and peers while also developing skills to thrive in life. Extending the school day here in District 62 is about enriching our students’ kindergarten experience and laying a powerful foundation for their future success.

Next steps

To make this all a reality for our students, the majority of our extensive construction projects will take place at Central Elementary School, North Elementary and as previously mentioned, Iroquois Community School. The enhancements to all our schools are a vital part of our plan to create welcoming learning environments that can support a full-day kindergarten model for all our students. Our intent is for these construction projects to take place with as little disruption to our staff and students as possible.

Change can definitely bring questions and we intend to be open and transparent throughout this process. Our elementary schools and ICS can expect updates from the district regarding what you can expect and timelines as it relates to preparing for Full Day Kindergarten. We are grateful for your support and partnership as we bring this initiative to life.

I hope you share in my excitement as we build a strong future for the students of District 62.

Sincerely,

Michael Amadei, Ed.D.

Superintendent of Schools

Hey D62! Get ready to see our schools in a whole new light! We're thrilled to officially unveil our 12 brand-new school logos. These logos are a reflection of our communities, our unity and our future.

The process behind selecting these new logos and mascots began in the fall of 2024. Half of our schools were given the opportunity to select a new mascot to reflect their learning community through a voting process that included staff, students and families. In early 2025, four of our talented art teachers took time to create logo options for each of our sites so that our staff, students and families could participate in a voting process to select their new logo.

This is the first time Community Consolidated School District 62 has gone through this process to develop logos that represent each of our schools. We are excited to unveil these logos to you this school year and look forward to seeing them come to life throughout our hallways, classrooms and beyond.

August 5 marked District 62's collaboration with the City of Des Plaines Police Department to host National Night at the Westerhold Early Learning Center/Algonquin Middle School campus.

National Night Out is an annual campaign that promotes police and community partnerships. The event featured Police and Fire Department vehicles, a demonstration from the Tactical Response Team and an opportunity to see Des Plaines Police K9 dog Jager. The evening also included games, activities and displays from various community groups.

“We were thrilled to partner with the City of Des Plaines Police Department to bring National Night Out to our District 62 learning community,” said Superintendent of Schools Dr. Michael Amadei. “This event was a unique opportunity for our families and community to connect with our local law enforcement, build positive relationships and strengthen our collective efforts to create a safe and supportive environment for everyone.”

In addition to National Night Out, District 62 hosted two additional events that evening: a Community Resource Fair and a Registration Night for families.

That same evening, the City of Des Plaines hosted a food truck event from 4-8 p.m., which featured a variety of food trucks on the grounds of Forest Elementary School.

“We were excited to welcome our families and community to this multi-faceted event,” said Dr. Amadei. “We encourage our Des Plaines and Rosemont families to join us for future events this school year."

Listen in: Episode 7

As we head into fall, we invite you to listen in on our latest episode of Dr. Amadei's podcast, A Few Minutes with Dr. Mike. This episode features District 62 Education Foundation President Betty Murphy.

We invite you to spend 20 minutes with us as you learn about the work of the District 62 Education Foundation, the work they do and their hope for the future.

This year, the District 62 Education Foundation is celebrating 25 years of supporting the students of Community Consolidated School District 62. Having awarded more than $500,000 to District 62, students have benefitted from opportunities that include field trips, literacy and science nights and the purchase of musical instruments and sports equipment. In celebration of a quarter of a century, the foundation is asking for your support of $25 (or any amount!) so that it may continue granting wishes to our teachers and students for years to come.

To make a donation please click here.

Happy listening....

Episode 7 (as well as Episode 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1) can be found here.

Check us out on Spotify!

NEW! You can find us on Apple Podcasts!

Algonquin Middle School Principal

District 62 welcomes Julie Goolish as the new Principal of Algonquin Middle School.

“I am grateful and honored to serve as Algonquin Middle School’s next principal,” said Julie Goolish. “I am committed to working collaboratively with staff and families to ensure the academic and social emotional growth and development of all students.”

Goolish served as the assistant principal of Eisenhower Junior High in Schaumburg District 54 since 2023. Prior to that she held assistant principal positions in various schools in Schaumburg District 54. She also spent time in District 54 as a Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) coach, behavior specialist and a junior high special services teacher.

Multilingual Coordinator

Maggie Bialobrzeski joins District 62 as a Multilingual Coordinator.

“I am honored to be joining the District 62 team as a Multilingual Coordinator,” said Bialobrzeski. “I look forward to working with students, families, and educators to create opportunities that empower every multilingual learner to thrive academically and culturally.”

Bialobrzeski comes to the district with 10 years experience as a Polish bilingual and English learner teacher at District 21, where she honed her skills in supporting diverse student populations. After this, she spent two years as a Polish bilingual specialist at Pleasantdale School District 107. Additionally, she gained international experience by living in Shanghai, China with her children for one year while she worked at Concordia International School as an English Learner Coach for PreK-2. Her career also includes 5 years at Aptakisic-Tripp School District 102, where she served for three years at the elementary level and two years as an Assistant Principal for Aptakisic Junior High.

Health Services Coordinator

Last month, Katharine “Kasi” Valtos was named Health Services Coordinator.

In this position that is new to the district, Valtos is responsible for overseeing the district’s Health Offices to ensure compliance with our practices and to be a resource for our health staff, as well as all district staff, students and families.

“I am very excited to be joining District 62. From the moment I joined the team, I have felt truly welcomed,” said Valtos. “I look forward to meeting all the staff, students, and their families as I begin to build strong, meaningful connections within the community. It’s an honor to be part of such a supportive and dedicated district.”

For the last three years, Valtos has been the Health Coordinator/Lead Nurse at TrueNorth Education Cooperative in Highland Park, which is a special education cooperative made up of 18 school districts. Before she joined TrueNorth, Valtos was a school nurse for over 12 years. Prior to school nursing, she worked for 14 years in Labor and Delivery at Evanston Hospital.

Plainfield Elementary School Principal

Most recently, Alexandra "Allie" Joynyas was named the new Principal of Plainfield Elementary School.

“I am incredibly excited and honored to serve as the principal of Plainfield Elementary,” said Jonynas. “From the moment I stepped into the building, I felt the warmth, pride and strong sense of community that makes Plainfield School and District 62 so special. I look forward to developing relationships with the students, families, staff and community of Plainfield Elementary School.”

Jonynas brings nearly 15 years of experience in education to her new role, having served as assistant principal, instructional coach and classroom teacher across multiple grade levels from Kindergarten through sixth grade. She is known for her collaborative leadership style, commitment to equity and focus on student growth and staff development.

The District 62 Foundation Board has been setting goals for this school year with the hope to offer even more educational opportunities for the students of District 62.

As a Foundation, we were supported over this past year in a large way by Rosemary Argus. Her generosity and love for Des Plaines will be missed. Rosemary passed away this past spring. We are grateful for Rosemary’s belief in our mission and for the financial support of the Edward and Wanda Jordan Foundation.

As fall approaches the District 62 Foundation will celebrate a milestone of 25 years as a charitable non-profit. We look forward to continuing to serve and support the students and staff of District 62. We will continue to offer grants to District 62 teachers, host events highlighting students and their interests, and foster educational relationships for families within the community.

A few weeks ago, our Foundation Board visited classrooms and awarded 75 grants totaling more than $40,000 that will benefit the students of D62. These grants directly empower staff to pursue creative projects that go above and beyond the standard curriculum. Congratulations to all the grant recipients! We look forward to seeing the incredible impact of these projects.

If you would like to be part of our organization or make a donation to the District 62 Education Foundation, a 501c3, please contact us at d62foundation@gmail.com or visit d62foundation.com

Want to keep up with all things D62? Subscribe to our News Board on our website.

Once subscribed, when a new story is published, you will receive an email with a short summary about the article and a link to view the story and photos on the website.

Here’s how:

Step 1: Select one of the news stories below by clicking on its title

Step 2: When the page loads you will see two icons in the upper right corner of the article. Select the orange bell icon to subscribe to the school's news board.

Step 3: A pop-up window will come up asking you to select a board. Click on your school of choice and select Next.

Step 4: You will then be asked to input your first name, last name and email address. Check the box next to "I am a human". Then press the Sign Up button.

Step 5: A verification email will be sent to the address you just inputted in the last step. Press the Confirm Your Subscription button in your email and it will then direct you to a webpage saying that you have subscribed.

Then you are all set! If you have children in multiple schools within our district you'll need to subscribe to each one individually.

As we continue to refine our website and focus on improving our connections with our community, we are excited to introduce our new, intelligent AI chatbot. You can find the chatbot on our website homepage and coming soon--on each of our school pages on our website.

We hope the AI chatbot will help you get access to instant, accurate answers to your most common questions. We encourage you to visit our website today and try chatting with our new chatbots. We are confident that this new tool will be an incredibly valuable addition to our communication toolkit. Feedback is welcome!

Cumberland Elementary

Student Council decorated messages in the form of a display of a "Kindness Tree."

Central Elementary

Students spent time this spring planting seeds and flowers to honor Planet Earth.

Chippewa Middle School

Student Council partnered with the K-Builders club, creating thank-you bags with treats and encouraging messages for Des Plaines first responders.

The Des Plaines Youth Commission recognized all District 62 schools for participating in the Youth Commission’s Pay it Forward initiative this past spring. During that time, students participated in acts of goodwill and kindness.

Algonquin Middle School

The Algonquin Middle School Service Club stuffed drawstring backpacks with hygiene products, toiletries, and cold-weather essentials to donate to Hines Veterans Hospital this past winter.

Central Elementary School

Students planted seeds and flowers in flower beds outside of their school, taking care of the environment and honoring the Earth. All of those who pass by the school can benefit from the beauty of their work.

Chippewa Middle School

Chippewa Student Council led the school in several kindness activities this past year. The school collected pet items to donate to Border Tails Rescue, a dog rescue and adoption organization and the school held a Penny War to raise money for the Illinois Special Olympics. Students also raised money for those affected by the California wildfires and partnered with the CMS K-Builders club and created thank-you bags with treats and encouraging messages for Des Plaines first responders.

Cumberland Elementary School

During the week of April 29, students had an opportunity to share kind messages on heart-shaped leaves. The Cumberland Student Council decorated these messages in a display of a "Kindness Tree." Classrooms also engaged in various read-alouds about kindness and how students can continue to demonstrate acts of kindness within the school community.

Forest Elementary School

Third through 5th graders participated in Falcon Tales, a summer read aloud video series created for Forest students by Forest students, with the goal of spreading kindness, promoting literacy, building community and staying connected during the summer. The students recorded themselves reading picture books aloud and they were shared with Forest families throughout the summer to support reading at home.

Iroquois Community School

Fourth and 5th grade student council members organized the school’s 3rd annual clothing drive, planning the event from start to finish. All items were donated to the Self-Help Closet and Pantry of Des Plaines supporting families in need and promoting sustainability. The student council also joined forces with the Middle School Student Government to host a Spirit Week packed with school pride and community purpose. During that week, students participated in a food drive to benefit the Self-Help Closet and Pantry of Des Plaines. Each day highlighted a different category of requested items, helping meet specific needs in our local community.

North Elementary School

Fourth graders organized a Penny Funds fundraiser in which they asked students to donate loose change - anything they had in their pockets, piggy banks, couches or the floor of their car, etc. All donations were given to the Self-Help Closet and Pantry of Des Plaines.

Orchard Place Elementary School

Third through 5th graders packed meals and the school’s kindergarten through 2nd graders made care packages for the Des Plaines Fire and Police Departments. In addition, a group of 3rd, 4th and 5th grade students painted messages of kindness on rocks to position around the school grounds to spread joy for visitors and students alike.

Plainfield Elementary School

A Kindness Walk was held in which students carried signs promoting ways to be kind and the importance of being kind. Students also created a Kindness Tree bulletin board and the entire school wrote notes on ways to be kind, which were then placed on the bulletin board at the school for all to see.

South Elementary School

Students used morning circle questions to talk about what it means to be kind. On the Friday of Kindness/Pay it Forward week, students created a quilt square and illustrated something they had done kind during the week or something they would like to be able to do to show kindness/pay it forward to others.

Terrace Elementary School

The Terrace Student Council collected breakfast items for the Des Plaines Food Pantry, creating a domino train (“a ripple of kindness”) around the gym for all the kids to watch. The student council also collected personal care items for the Des Plaines Food Pantry. And, the entire school participated in a project called “Kindness Hearts” in which every student wrote kind messages on a heart and placed them in front of the school!

Westerhold Early Learning Center

The Early Learning Center celebrated Kindness Night as part of their ongoing effort to promote compassion and service. Families, students and staff came together for a heartwarming evening filled with meaningful acts of kindness. Students created and exchanged friendship bracelets to build connections and show appreciation for one another and they designed thoughtful bookmarks to pair with read-aloud activities, turning literacy into a way to share kindness with others.

Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25) concluded at the end of June. The district posted a deficit for the year due to making final payments on outstanding bonds, which are now all retired. Another factor in creating the deficit was the steeper than expected reduction in the Corporate Personal Property Replacement Tax (CPPRT) revenues received from the state.

Looking ahead to Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26), revenues will be flat with the increase in the tax levy being offset by the further decrease in CPPRT. Expenses will be up mainly as the result of the construction and related costs associated with the implementation of Full Day Kindergarten. Moreover, increases in employment, insurance, and transportation costs will contribute to the deficit.

District 62 will work to ensure that it remains in a strong financial position in the coming years.

Coming soon: Full Day Kindergarten Coming soon: Full Day Kindergarten

Introducing our new school logos Introducing our new school logos

62 Stories: Meet Donna Hennessey 62 Stories: Meet Donna Hennessey

Inaugural National Night Out event a success Inaugural National Night Out event a success

Check out Dr. Mike's latest podcast Check out Dr. Mike's latest podcast

District 62 begins the school year with new administrators District 62 begins the school year with new administrators

Algonquin Middle School Principal

Multilingual Coordinator

Health Services Coordinator

Plainfield Elementary School Principal

News from the D62 Foundation News from the D62 Foundation

Keep up with D62 news stories! Keep up with D62 news stories!

Check out our new AI chatbot Check out our new AI chatbot

District 62 schools participate in Pay it Forward initiative District 62 schools participate in Pay it Forward initiative

Cumberland Elementary

Central Elementary

Chippewa Middle School

FinanceBits FinanceBits