10-17-24
Oct. 17 2024
D128 Parents and Guardians:
We hope this newsletter finds you well and enjoying the beginning of our fall season! This is a very busy time in D128 and we'd like to share some updates with you that were part of this week's Board of Education meetings:
Superintendent Search Update
At Monday night's Special Board Meeting, we welcomed representatives from BWP & Associates, Ltd. BWP is conducting the search for our next superintendent. During the meeting, we agreed on several parameters of the search and set a timeline for the process. BWP plans to post the vacancy on its website by the end of this week, and we will launch it on our district homepage on a “Superintendent Search” tab. We look forward to engaging our school community in the process. Watch for details on community forums and surveys coming soon.
Title IX Audit Update
As part of the Superintendent's Report on Monday night, Becky Nelson reported that the D128 Title IX Audit is well underway. A great deal of information has already been collected and shared with Kriha Boucek, the legal firm conducting the audit. This includes games and event schedules for each district activity, practice schedules, records of any upgrades of facilities, financial reports, and much more.
Athletic Department interviews and building tours were conducted last week. This included a two-hour building tour of facilities with the Athletic Director, as well as interview meetings with the Athletic Trainers, Athletic Directors, Assistant Athletic Directors, and selected coaches.
In the next few days, student representatives selected by the Title IX Audit team will be interviewed.. Parent representatives from both schools will have interview meetings via Zoom with the Title IX Audit team. Also, the Title IX Audit team will conduct interview meetings with the Fine Arts and Activities Directors of both schools.
2024-25 Support Plan
We have worked with the district leadership team to draft a multi-faceted plan that will guide our work for this school year. Each of the six goals in the support plan will be worked on this year.
VHHS Principal Search Plan
The District Leadership Team finalized the timeline for conducting the VHHS principal search. The vacancy will be posted on Oct. 25, with the chosen candidate brought to the Board of Education for approval in January.
Warm Regards,
Raymond Lechner and Rebecca Nelson
Co-Interim Superintendents
Please join us for an opportunity to learn more about the Extended Transition Services offered at the D128 Transition Pathways Center.
When: Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024
- Self-guided tour 5:45-6:15 p.m.
- Presentation 6:15 - 7:00 p.m.
Where: Transition Pathways Center, 904B South Milwaukee Ave., Libertyville
What: Parents and students will have the opportunity to tour the Transition Pathways
building before attending a presentation about the extended Transition Services offered
through D128. We invite you to join us for this presentation, which follows the self-guided
tour, to hear from current Transition Pathways students about their experiences and to learn
more about the extended transition services available. The presentation will begin promptly
at 6:15 p.m.
We hope to see you there!
District 128 values inclusion and access for all participants and are pleased to provide reasonable accommodation for this event. Please email Christi Steiner, Transition Pathways Supervisor, at christina.steiner@d128.org, to make a reasonable accommodation request by Oct. 3, 2024.
Featured Partner and Pathway
D128 will celebrate career exploration in different months by featuring a local partner and career pathway for students to learn about different options and opportunities after high school.
Lieutenant Tony Rodkey, Fire and Life Safety Director, Countryside Fire Protection District
Human and Public Services: Fire Sciences
What is your experience in your career pathway?
The Fire Service has opened up many exciting opportunities in my 30-year career that have led me to my current Fire & Life Safety Director role. Initially, I was becoming an Illinois Licensed EMT and Paramedic while completing the Illinois Firefighting Certificate at Wonder Lake Fire Protection District as a part-time member. This qualified me to test and apply for the positions at full-time fire departments, which can be very competitive among several other excellent candidates. My experience as a part-time Fireman/Paramedic revealed the dedication and commitment necessary to continue this pathway.
The mentors and incredible people I was surrounded by motivated me to continue this lifestyle. My co-workers shared their experiences and helped open the doors to various branches within the career, such as EMT Instructor, Fire Academy Instructor, Fire Inspector, Fire Investigator, Hazmat Technician, and Fire and Life Safety Educator.
Why might students be interested in pursuing your career pathway?
The Fire Service is more than putting out fires! There are medical emergencies or prevention/health education aspects, and special teams such as Water Rescue, High Angle Rope Operations, Wildland Teams, and Hazardous Materials Teams are just a few. Community Risk Reduction is related to all entities within the jurisdiction and works towards minimizing emergencies in a wide variety of communities. Specific staff positions such as Finance Manager, IT, Administrative, and Mechanics are also available within the Fire Service.
What advice do you have for students pursuing this career pathway?
My advice to students is to continue to work hard in school and understand that reading comprehension, writing well, working on math problems, and understanding the sciences are important skills in the Fire Service. Teamwork, understanding the chain of command, and learning to take direction are positive attributes to maintain. There is a physical element within the Fire Service, and taking care of yourself physically and mentally is very important. The fire service is a lifestyle, and it is like another family within this profession. If you have any questions, please reach out to me, Fireman Tony!
Students: Interested in learning more about this career pathway? Login to SchooLinks (through ClassLink), navigate to the Careers tab on the left, click on “Career Center,” and search “Firefighting” or “Fire Inspection and Investigation.” You’ll see:
A Day in the Life
Career outlook: Job growth and salary information
Required education & training
FAQs
Professionals: Interested in becoming a featured partner? Fill out this form and select “Participate in an interview.”
D128 and SchooLinks
We are excited to introduce our Community High School District 128 college and career readiness platform, SchooLinks! All of the SchooLinks features are designed with students in mind to help them become career, college, and life-ready. As a guardian, you can join your students in their career and college exploration process and discuss their future with them. You will have access to SchooLinks through your account.
SchooLinks allows you to:
View the results of your student’s career interest, strength, and mindset assessments to learn more about their interests and what careers might be right for them
Complete your own research on colleges, careers, and more to help you have informed conversations with your students. This will replace Naviance and SCOIR systems.
See what colleges and careers your student has favorited and set as goals
Check your personalized dashboard for upcoming events as well as important reminders and to-dos for your student
Compare college costs and explore expected financial aid, scholarships, and out-of-pocket expenses
Students can access it through their ClassLink account. Most students have already been introduced to SchooLinks via DARING Day, a class meeting, or asynchronously.
Parents/guardians can get access here (also attached). Please watch for invitations to SchooLinks learning sessions for families this year!
Career Trek to CLC Advanced Tech Center
D128 Career Trek to College of Lake County-Advanced Technology Center, Thursday Nov. 7, 2024, 9:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. Deadline Oct. 31. Questions: benjamin.rodriguez@d128.org, 847-247-4515 or Kassandra.vaszquez@d128.org, 847-247-4575
Career Speakers Series
Career Speaker Series: D128 is organizing a speaker series focusing on potential career paths. Our speakers will share valuable insights on their own education and career paths and provide tips to help you in your career exploration. Details: Nov. 13, 2024, LHS CRC, 5th period Presenting: Debbie Scott, HR and Safety Manager, LMT Onsrud; Dalibor Maksimovic, Manufacturing Training and Development Manager, LMT Onsrud. Questions: benjamin.rodriguez@d128.org, 847-247-4515 or Kassandra.vaszquez@d128.org, 847-247-4575
Career Speaker Series
Career Speaker Series: D128 is organizing a speaker series focusing on potential career paths. Our speakers will share valuable insights on their own education and career paths and provide tips to help you in your career exploration. Details: Nov. 20, 2024, VHHS Library Classroom, 5th period Presenting: Debbie Scott, HR and Safety Manager, LMT Onsrud; Dalibor Maksimovic, anugacturing Training and Development Manager, LMT Onsrud. Questions: benjamin.rodriguez@d128.org, 847-247-4515 or Kassandra.vaszquez@d128.org, 847-247-4575
Join us for our Business Advisory Meeting!
Build your pipeline by providing feedback on our career development programs and help create new opportunities for students entering your career fields?
We look to learn from you about career trends, opportunities, and skills to better prepare our students for your workforce.
Nov. 21, 2024
12:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
D128 Admin Office
50 Lakeview Pkwy, Suite 101
Vernon Hills
Questions? 847-247-4515 or benjamin.rodriguez@d128.org.
