Jan. 24, 2025
Shine Bright with Supt. Rebecca A. Jenkins
Dear District 70 Families,
Winter has made its presence known with the blistering cold temperatures we've experienced this week! Despite the chill, thank you for ensuring your children are bundled up and ready to learn each day. Your efforts help keep our schools running smoothly and allow our students to stay focused on their learning, no matter what the thermometer says.
We understand that winter weather can bring challenges, and I want to reassure you that our team is always prepared to prioritize safety while keeping learning on track. A detailed breakdown of our weather protocols, including how we make decisions about closures and delays, can be found in the story below.
Thank you for your partnership and for helping us navigate this winter season together. Stay warm, and as always, we appreciate your continued support of our schools.
Shine Bright!
Rebecca
Rebecca A. Jenkins
Superintendent of Schools
Libertyville School District 70
Rebecca's Instagram
Weather Protocols: Keeping Our Students Safe in Winter Weather
We understand that winter weather can bring uncertainty, and we want to ensure families are informed and prepared. Below is a breakdown of how weather-related decisions are made and the measures we take to keep students safe.
Decision-Making Process:
We monitor weather conditions closely and aim to make decisions about closures or delays by 5:30 a.m. to give families ample time to plan.
In cases of extreme weather predictions, decisions may be made the evening before.
Factors Considered:
Winter Weather: Road safety for bus and family transportation to school is considered in cases of ice and snow, Supt. Jenkins confers with other area superintendents, and administration contacts the bus company to make sure buses are starting.
*Extreme Cold Warning: Issued when the wind chill will be -30 degrees Fahrenheit or colder OR the actual air temperature is -15°F, indicating that life-threatening conditions and a safety risk exist. In-school classes will likely be canceled for either a Snow Day or remote learning.
*Cold Weather Advisory: Issued when the wind chill is -20 degrees Fahrenheit or colder OR the actual air temperature is -5 to -14°F, indicating non-life-threatening conditions but may still pose moderate safety risks. In-school classes will likely be held but outside activities may be canceled.
Recess is held inside when temperatures are below 10 degrees or the wind chill is at zero or less.
*D70 utilizes the National Weather Service as its meteorological source.
Communication:
Families will be notified via:
Phone calls, emails, and text messages. Ensure your information is up-to-date in PowerSchool.
Updates are posted on the district website and social media channels.
Safety Measures in Place:
Buses are inspected daily to ensure safe operation in cold weather.
Buildings are heated and may be opened early to allow more time for student drop-off to avoid waits at bus stops and to give parents/guardians extra time to get to work.
Sidewalks and entryways are cleared and salted to prevent slips and falls.
What Parents Can Do:
Ensure your child is dressed appropriately for the weather, including hats, gloves, and warm coats.
Keep contact information updated with your child’s school to receive timely notifications.
Review alternative childcare arrangements in case of closures or delays.
We have some Ohio State University Buckeye fans at Butterfield School. Congrats to the collage national champions and the fans!
CogAT Testing - Second Grade Students
Second grade students will be taking the Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) from Feb. 4th - 6th. In District 70, the CogAT will guide efforts to adapt instruction to the needs and abilities of students, identify students whose predicted levels of academic achievement differ markedly from observed levels of achievement, and measure cognitive development to help identify academically talented/gifted students. CogAT results will be mailed to parents in March.
CogAT appraises the cognitive development of students.The test measures students' learned reasoning abilities. Although grounded in biological processes, these abilities are developed through in-school and out-of-school experiences. The questions on CogAT require students to demonstrate their reasoning abilities in each of the three systems most closely related to success in school: verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, and nonverbal reasoning. The Verbal Battery assesses students' abilities to use search, retrieval, and comparison processes that are essential for verbal reasoning. The Quantitative Battery assesses students' abilities to reason about patterns and relations using concepts that are essential in quantitative thinking. The Nonverbal Battery assesses students' abilities to reason with somewhat more novel questions that use spatial and figural content.
You can help your child do his or her best on the test by:
1. Making sure they bring working headphones and a charged device each day of testing.
2. Making sure your child gets a good night’s sleep the night before testing.
3. Making sure, if possible, that your child attends school on the days of testing.
4. Providing breakfast on the mornings of testing.
5. Reminding your child to ask the teacher questions if he or she does not understand the test directions.
6. Letting your child know that you have confidence in his or her ability to do his or her best.
Thank you for your support!
Summer School Update
Planning is underway for District 70 Summer School 2025! Summer school will be held at Copeland Manor School this year. Please visit the D70 Summer School website to learn about dates, costs, contact information, busing and to view a course catalog to learn about the exciting courses offered. Classes are a mix of academic, athletic, and creative arts. Registration will begin early February. This year, parents will register for specific classes for each of the four periods. Summer school in District 70 is a great way to remain connected with friends and learning. Hope to see you there!
Secure Firearm Storage
District 70 schools and our community partners remain committed to safety for all and we ask for your help. This message is regarding the safe storage of firearms. Safely storing firearms at home can prevent tragedies. We have partnered with our local police department to send this message out to school families. D70 is committed to providing a safe educational environment for our students and staff. In conjunction with providing a safe educational environment, gun safety and the prevention of gun-related injuries is an important safety issue for our students and families. At home, our families play an integral role in the prevention of gun-related injuries as well. As a community, we understand that safety is a collective commitment and owning a firearm comes with important responsibilities.
Upcoming Families Learning Together/FAN Events
FLT/FAN Topic: Defy: The Power of No in a World That Demands Yes
Presenter: Sunita Sah, MD, Ph.D.
Interviewer: LaTosha Brown
When: 7 p.m. on Jan. 27, 2025
Zoom Registration Link: http://www.bit.ly/SahFANSponsor
Program Information: Sunita Sah, an author, is a force. Her research as to why people remain silent and compliant in situations that they know are wrong is revelatory. Many seek to align their actions with their values -- Sah's research and framing offer a path to making that happen. She is an award-winning professor of management and organizations at Cornell University's SC Johnson Graduate School of Management, and a core faculty fellow in the new Cornell Health Policy Center.
FLT/FAN Topic: The Way of Play: Using Little Moments of Big Connection to Raise Calm and Confident Kids
Presenters: Tina Payne Bryson, Ph.D. and Georgie Wisen-Vincent, LMFT
Interviewer: Carly Andrews
When: 7 p.m. on Jan. 30
Zoom Registration Link: www.bit.ly/BWVFANSponsor
Program Information: A great compendium of science-based strategies for parents, caregivers, and teachers who seek to bolster creativity and resilience in young children. Bryson is a psychotherapist, bestselling author, and the co-founder and executive director of The Center for Connection and The Play Strong Institute. Wisen-Vincent is a nationally recognized play therapy expert and co-founder (with Bryson) and head of the faculty for The Play Strong Institute. Carly Andrews will ask the questions at this event -- she is deeply knowledgeable and will bring great spirit to the screen.
FLT/FAN Topic: Out of Your Mind: The Biggest Mysteries of the Human Brain
Presenters: Jorge Cham, Ph.D. and Dwight Godwin, Ph.D
Interviewer: TBD
When: 7 p.m. on Feb. 5
Zoom Registration Link: ZOOM COMING SOON
Program Information: Cham is the best-selling and Emmy-nominated creator of "PHD Comics", a popular ongoing comic strip about life in academia. He is the co-creator and Co-Executive Producer of the animated series Elinor Wonders Why, which airs on PBS Kids and in 78 countries. He is the co-author of the award-winning book We Have No Idea (and its follow-up FAQ-U), and the co-host of the iHeart Radio show Daniel and Jorge Explain the Universe. Godwin is a Professor of Translational Neuroscience at Wake Forest University (WFU) and Senior Associate Dean of the WFU School of Medicine. This will be a lively, fun, smart program, and an intro crash course about all things brain!
FLT/FAN Topic: John Lewis: A Life
Presenter: David Greenberg, Ph.D.
Interviewer: TBD
When: 7 p.m. on Feb. 19
Zoom Registration Link: ZOOM COMING SOON
Program Information: A professor of history and of journalism and media studies at Rutgers University and author or editor of several books on American history and politics. Greenberg's biography of Congressman John Lewis (FAN '16, '17) has received overwhelming praise since its October release. "Monumental," exemplary," "lyrical," "profoundly moving, indefatigably researched, and absorbingly written'; that's just a small sample. The book landed on many 2024 Top 10 lists -- we're thrilled to host.
FLT/FAN Topic: The Grieving Body: How the Stress of Loss Can Be an Opportunity for Healing
Presenter: Mary-Frances O'Connor, Ph.D. (FAN '22)
Interviewer: Meghan Riordan Jarvis, MA, LICSW
When: 7 p.m. on Feb. 20
Zoom Registration Link: ZOOM COMING SOON
Program Information: A professor of psychology at the University of Arizona, where she directs the Grief, Loss, and Social Stress (GLASS) Lab. O'Connor's 2022 event for FAN for her book The Grieving Brain was a sensitive, thoughtful exploration of the neuroscience of grief. Her new book expands the topic to examine the impact of grief and loss on our cardiovascular, endocrine, and immune systems. This will be a fascinating program that touches all of us.
FLT/FAN Topic: Determined: A Science of Life without Free Will
Presenter: Robert Sapolsky, Ph.D.
Interviewer: Oliver Burkeman, FAN '24
When: Noon on Feb. 24, 2025
Zoom Registration Link: ZOOM COMING SOON
Program Information: Robert Sapolsky a giant in his field, and the book has been reviewed and debated everywhere. Sapolsky is a John A. and Cynthia Fry Gunn Professor of Biology, Neurology, and Neurosurgery at Stanford University, as well as a research associate at the Institute of Primate Research, National Museums of Kenya. He is also a NYT bestselling author of multiple books. Sapolsky so enjoyed his time this fall when he interviewed Jamil Zaki for FAN and subsequently reached out to see if we would be interested in a program for his most recent book about free will.
Please note the noon CT start time for this event, as Burkeman (interviewer) lives in England.
