News from District 153

Three District #153 students were honored for outstanding student achievement by the Board of Education at its November 10th meeting.

The students were presented with the 2024-2025 “Tom Dockweiler Award” which celebrates students who showed great academic improvement during the previous school year through hard work, persistence and a positive attitude. The award is presented yearly to one student in each of the school district’s three schools and is named in honor of Thomas Dockweiler, a former school board member who retired from the board in 2007 after 21 years of service.

Meet the latest recipients of the Jerry Morin Educational Excellence Award! The award recognizes outstanding teaching in and service to School District 153. The recognition was established in honor of former school board member Jerry Morin who retired in 2007 after 14 years of service. The District’s Board of Education honored these outstanding staff members during its November 10th meeting.

Classified Staff Awards

Certified Staff Awards

The James Hart Chamber Orchestra welcomed a special visitor to Wednesday's before school rehearsal. Chris Casteneda from The Homewood Arts Council stopped by to inform the group that they will be taking a field trip to Chicago's Electrical Audio recording studio to experience a full-day professional recording session. The Homewood Arts Council applied for and received a grant from the Rex Foundation, the charitable arm of the Grateful Dead. The grant will cover all expenses for the experience. These 7th and 8th graders will be the first elementary grade level musicians to record in the same studio as Foo Fighters, Cheap Trick, Jimmy Page and others.

District 153 is so excited for them and profoundly grateful to the The Homewood Arts Council for making it all happen!

November 11th is Veterans Day, a day set aside to recognize and thank those who have served our country. While many school districts and businesses close as part of this recognition, District 153 stays open as an opportunity to educate our students and publicly recognize many of the local veterans who have or are serving our country from our community.

Our annual Veterans Day event starts with a flag raising ceremony at James Hart. A school assembly follows featuring a rendition of "The March of the Armed Services," a chance to recognize the day's honored guests by their branch of service (video below). Finally, the day ends with breakfast for the service members and their loved ones.

Churchill and James Hart parents and guardians are encouraged to attend this special workshop on Monday, Nov. 17 to learn more about their student's test scores.

Due to layoffs, furloughs and suspension of SNAP benefits, so many of our families and neighbors currently are struggling with food insecurity. Will you help District 153 fill the shelves of Respond Now, a food pantry that serves the south suburbs?