The District 25 Dish

This edition of the District Dish features the following

• Superintendent Message
  
• Need 2 Know
• Assessment Updates:
• State Proficiency Standards
• Updated Norms for some District 25 Standardized Assessments
• Assessment Calendar, 25-26
• Food & Nutrition Services Update: Free and Reduced Priced Meals
• Calendar Updates 🔔 (UPDATE TO THE 25-26 CALENDAR) 🔔
  25-26 Calendar - UPDATED
  Calendario 25-26 - ACTUALIZADO
• Safety & Supports
  Community Safety Night
• Celebrate with Us!
  
• Community Events
  

• Feel Good Story
  Advanced Math Students Predict the Baseball Standings!

• Help Needed | We are hiring!
  Scroll for positions!
• Instagram | @ahsd25social
  
• Board of Education
• Strategic Plan 21-25, Dashboard
• #d25ItsPersonal

Thank you! Click around and enjoy!

Dear District 25 Community,

It’s hard to believe it’s already been two weeks since our students returned! And what a start as our staff and students jumped right into the high standards of learning, fun, and growth that make District 25 so special.

We also have an early-year reason to celebrate: three of our schools - Ivy Hill (#2), Greenbrier (#31), and Patton (#32) - ranked in the Top 50 in the most recent Chicago Magazine ranking of Suburban Cook County elementary schools!

Quick visual | Full article

This recognition shines a light on these schools, but it’s also a reminder of how incredible all of District 25 is. The energy, collaboration, and support you see in our buildings is the result of all of us working together, staff, families, and students alike.

📢 Last Chance to Share Your Voice!

If you haven’t yet completed the Portrait of a Graduate/Learner survey, now is the time! Your feedback helps us shape the skills, qualities, and experiences we want for every District 25 student.

👉 Take the Survey
🗓️ Closes end of day Tuesday, September 9, 2025

Thank you for making this a truly great start to the year!

Dr. Brian Kaye
Superintendent, Arlington Heights School District 25

The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) has recently updated the Proficiency Benchmarks for the Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) and the Illinois Science Assessment (ISA), starting with the Spring 2025 administration. ISBE has also unified the performance level descriptors for both tests, so there are now four levels that use the same descriptors: Below Proficient, Approaching Proficient, Proficient, and Above Proficient. These changes were made to better reflect college and career readiness expectations. These updates will likely increase the number of students designated as proficient in Math and English Language Arts, and will likely decrease the number of students designated as proficient in Science. The test and the state learning standards have not changed. Student reports from Spring 2025 testing will be shared with families within the next few weeks and will reflect the new proficiency benchmarks. For additional information about these changes, please review this ISBE document.

Starting this fall, NWEA MAP, the Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT), and aimsweb+ reading measures will use a new set of national norms to interpret student scores. Parents may notice that their child’s percentile ranking has changed. This updated percentile represents where your child stands when compared with their grade-level peers nationally today. Because student performance has generally declined since the pandemic, in many cases, the same scores may now be associated with a higher percentile. After Fall 2025 testing, District 25 will review student performance to determine if any updates are needed to determine eligibility for intervention and advanced classwork.

While this change in MAP norms will apply to both current and past reports in MAP Growth, decisions made with student data before this school year will continue to be made with the norms in place during the testing window.

Please visit the following websites for additional information about NWEA MAP updates and the CogAT updates.

Each year, District 25 administers several state and local assessments to our students to inform instructional planning, determine who may need additional instruction, and obtain a general snapshot of students’ academic strengths and needs. The 2025-2026 assessment calendar, including information about the assessments and testing windows, can be found below:

ASSESSMENT CALENDAR | 25-26

Please note that classrooms will participate in these assessments at different times throughout the testing window, so be attentive to the dates and times provided by your child’s school. If you have questions regarding these assessments, please contact your child’s teacher or school principal.

Our District participates in the USDA funded National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs. Those families that are directly certified for free or reduced meals have been notified via email. If you are not directly certified through participation in SNAP, TANF, or Medicaid, and feel you may qualify for free or reduced meals based upon your household income, please complete an application online. You will need your student ID # to apply, which is listed above. If you are unable to complete an application online, please visit our website for our paper application.

If you qualified for free/reduced meal benefits last year AND you have not reapplied for this year, your benefits will expire on October 3, 2025. If you feel you still qualify, please fill out a Household Eligibility Application prior to October 3, 2025.

Superintendent Office Hours

• September 9, 2025

Community Safety Night at Thomas

• September 10, 2025

At the Tuesday, July 15, 2025 Board of Education meeting, a change to the 2025-2026 school year calendar was approved. The School Improvement Day originally scheduled for Monday, April 6 was moved to Tuesday, March 17. This means:

• March 17, 2026 → No school for students

• April 6, 2026 → Students will attend school

For more details on the change, click here for a letter sent to our community on July 17, 2025.

📅 View the updated calendar here:

• 25-26 School Calendar | English
• Calendario escolar 25-26 | Español

Did you know you can feed the District and school calendars into your personal calendar? There are easy steps located on our website, and for a video tutorial watch the video above!

Email Adam Harris (aharris@sd25.org) if you have any questions!

We’re excited to host a Community Safety Night at Thomas Middle School on Wednesday, September 10, 2025, 6:00–7:00 p.m.

This event will focus on electronic bike and scooter safety, including local ordinances and expectations on school property. We’ll also highlight drop-off/pick-up routines and before- and after-school expectations. It’s a great opportunity to learn, ask questions, and connect.

Have you ever visited our SAFE25 page? We invite you to check it out!

Ensuring the safety of our students and staff is our top priority. We are committed to creating and maintaining secure environments where learning can thrive.

School safety is an ongoing process, and your input is invaluable. Share your feedback with us at safe25@sd25.org. Together, we can build a safer future for our students.

Standard Response Protocol (SRP)

As part of the commitment of safety, we are transitioning to the Standard Response Protocol (SRP) this fall. This shift, made in partnership with the Arlington Heights Police Department, will help ensure a clear, consistent response to emergencies across all of our buildings. Please check out the SRP one page guide below.

Community Camera Registration:

Residents can opt to register their security cameras with the AHPD to assist in investigations. More details: Connect Arlington Heights Camera Registration.

Link Together Coalition Mission: Promote healthy youth, families, and communities by decreasing teen alcohol and drug use through education, advocacy, and access to community resources, and policy awareness, implementation, and change.

Working with D25: South and Thomas Middle Schools are provided with prevention initiatives that are targeted at youth to empower them to be drug and alcohol free.

Lets Talk More: In the past year, 52% of Wheeling Township high school students answered YES that their parent/guardians have talked to them about not using alcohol. See attached PDF below to learn more.

For more information and resources, visit our Parent Academy page.

District 25 is a partner in the Link Together Coalition, which gives our community access to the Glenbard Parent Series. Please check out the various Glenbard Parent Series presentations that work to engage top experts, parents, and school staff to become proactive and informed in pursuit of the mutual goal of strengthening our communities. Programs are free and open to the public. No registration required.

District 25 is committed to supporting the whole child and their family. We’ve created a new webpage to share community resources that offer assistance with food, housing, health services, and more. Visit the community supports page by clicking here to explore support options.

Care Solace is a free, confidential 24/7/365 Mental Health Care Coordination Service.

Call (888) 515 - 0595, or go to caresolace.com/site/northcook to complete a brief screening to be matched with a provider. Available for students, families and staff.

For more resources, visit our parent academy page: www.sd25.org/ParentAcademy.

BEACON (Behavioral Health Care and Ongoing Navigation) is a centralized resource for Illinois youth and families seeking services for behavioral health needs. It’s common for young people to struggle with behavioral and/or mental health challenges. Please know you are not alone, and neither is your child. Click HERE for support.

Patriot Day is a day to honor the victims who lost their lives in the attacks on September 11, 2001. On this day, we remember the victims at the World Trade Center in New York City, the Pentagon in Virginia, and passengers of United Flight 93 in Pennsylvania.

Hispanic Heritage Month is a month to celebrate the rich heritage of Hispanic Americans and the many contributions they have made to American culture. Celebrated Sept. 15 - Oct 15

This holiday celebrates Mexico’s declaration of independence from Spain in 1810.

Mexican Independence Day is a nationwide celebration. The country’s leaders were inspired by our own July 4 Independence Day festivities, so fireworks fill the skies at night and the day is filled with patriotic speeches, flag-waving, parades, live music, and feasts.

Below you'll find a snapshot of upcoming events in the area that may be of interest to our students and families. This is just a sampling so be sure to visit each organization’s website for a full list of activities and details.

The Park District wants to hear from you! AHPD is developing a master plan for Flentie Park and your feedback will help guide the park concept design being prepared. A virtual meeting will be held on August 27 from 5:30-7PM. A link will be provided closer to the date so check the "Learn more here." link below.

You can also provide input in this survey.

When: September 11, 2025 | 5:30 P.M. - 7:00 P.M.

Where: Flentie Park, 2040 E. Mulberry Ln

Learn more here.

Calling all 6th-8th graders – the Park District is opening the Arlington Ridge Center just for you! Join us for a night of open swim, open gym, pizza, and a movie! $16 pre-registration (open thru 10/16), $18 at the door. Space is limited!

When: October 17, 2025 | 7:00 P.M. - 9:30 P.M.

Where: Arlington Ridge Center (ARC), 660 N. Ridge Ave.

Learn more here.

Beginners are welcome at this short Dungeons and Dragons one-shot. Pre-generated characters and materials will be provided, but feel free to bring your own.

When: September 5, 2025 | 4:00 P.M. - 7:00 P.M.

Where: Cardinal Room

Who: Grades 7-12

Learn more here.

Develop your child's intellect through the royal game of chess! This class will consist of a fun, interactive teaching period with guided practice time where students can play against one another. Both beginner and experienced players are welcome and will learn under the guidance of an experienced Chess Scholars coach.

When: September 7, 2025 | 1:00 P.M. - 2:15 P.M.

Where: Lindsey Room

Who: Grades 6 years old - 6th Grade

Learn more here.

Join story-performer Chris Fascione to act out the best of children’s literature in this group participatory show full of juggling, comedy, and fun introductory theater skills!

When: September 14, 2025 | 4:00 P.M. - 5:00 P.M.

Where: Cardinal Room

Learn more here.

Get ready for school and learn what the library has to offer at their regular bookmobile stops! Kids grades K-5 can sign up for Read 500 to earn prizes as they read this school year. Stop by to also check out books on the bookmobile and do a craft!

More info about these bookmobile stops at ahml.info/bookmobile

• September 10, 3-4:15 p.m. | Greens Park, 601 E. Olive St.
• September 12, 3-4:15 p.m. | Ivy Hill Elementary, 2211 N. Burke Dr.
• September 19, 3-4:15 p.m. | Greenbrier Elementary, 2330 N. Verde Dr.
• September 25, 3-4:15 p.m. | Westgate Elementary, 500 S. Dwyer Ave.

Learn more about adult education offered by District 214!

Click here to learn more: https://www.ce.d214.org/

Meet Jennifer Lynn, Greenbrier’s Advanced Learning Specialist, as she shows how our Gators turn numbers into magic! From advanced math concepts to real-world predictions, these students use stats to forecast who will win the baseball divisions, make the playoffs, and even take home the World Series trophy!

But the fun doesn’t stop there… 🏀🎤🎬 Our Gators use math to predict March Madness outcomes, Eurovision winners, Oscar winners, and more throughout the year. They’re not just crunching numbers, they’re learning to think critically, analyze data, and have a blast while doing it! 📊✨ It’s math, it’s sports, it’s entertainment, and it’s seriously fun!

#GreenbrierGators #AdvancedLearning #MathMagic #FutureStatisticians #WorldSeries #MarchMadness #Eurovision #Oscars #STEMFun #d25ItsPersonal

District 25 is a great place to work — with opportunities to inspire, support, and impact students in a variety of roles. Whether you're in the classroom, behind the scenes, or on the front lines of support, there's a place for you here.

Explore opportunities at www.sd25.org/apply and see how you can make a difference in our schools and community!

✨ It’s Tuesday, which means it’s time for another #NewTeacherTuesday! ✨

Each week, we’re introducing members of our amazing new certified staff: the educators, specialists, and leaders who have joined District 25 this year. 👩‍🏫👨‍🏫

This week, meet Hyonjoon Kim, who is a School Psychologist at Ivy Hill Elementary!

Why did you decide to work in education, Hyonjoon?
“I chose to work in education to serve as a supportive role for students and families in developing their mental health and succeeding in their learning.”

We’re so excited you are here, Hyonjoon! 🙌 Stay tuned for more New Teacher Tuesday posts throughout the year!

#d25itspersonal

Retired custodian LeRoy Dansby created uplifting vibes, singing “Lean on Me” as our staff closed out opening day.

Mr. Dansby served D25 for 29 years, and he used to sing this song to students at Thomas at lunch… now it’s a reminder for all of us to lean on one another as the 2025–2026 school year begins. 💛

🎶 Watch as moments from the first few days of school…students walking into classrooms, laughing in hallways, and exploring their new year…blended with Mr. Dansby’s song, carrying that message of support and community throughout D25.

#D25ItsPersonal #LeanOnMe #BackToSchoolVibes #D25Strong

Our kindergarteners blasted off into their very first day of school! Tiny backpacks, big energy, and a galaxy of possibilities ahead. 🚀✨

#D25ItsPersonal #FirstDay25

Our Board Agendas are made public 48 hours before each Board meeting and can be accessed via our BoardDocs online program. To access BoardDocs, visit our website: www.sd25.org/BoardAgenda or click here.

What: School Board Meeting

When: Tuesday, September 30, 2025*

Where: Dunton Administration Building, 1200 S. Dunton Avenue, Arlington Heights

*The meeting will begin at 6:15 p.m. at which time the Board will move into Closed Session until approximately 7:00 p.m. Following Closed session, the Regular Open meeting will begin.*

Description

This meeting will be live streamed via YouTube. The link for this can be found on the Board Agenda page (www.sd25.org/BoardAgenda#Livestream) the week of the meeting.

This meeting will allow audience members in the room. Please note each individual agenda can be viewed on our BoardDocs program.

Public Comments:

Anyone who wishes to make a public comment can do so, in person, at our Board of Education meetings. The Board hosts two public comment opportunities on their agenda: 1) at the beginning of the meeting, prior to any agenda items; 2) at the end of the meeting after the agenda items have been discussed/presented.

The Board can be reached outside of Board meeting hours by emailing boardfeedback@sd25.org.

Follow along with our progress on the following goals within our Strategic Plan, 21-25:

• Student Achievement
• Family & Community
• Learning Environment
• High-Quality Staff
• Stewardship of Resources

You can stay up to date on the progress of our goals and strategies that guide us in our everyday work: www.sd25.org/StrategicPlan.

Our teachers teach from a personal place. #d25ItsPersonal has become a way for our teachers and staff to share daily occurrences, and reasons why they do what they do for a living, and why it's fulfilling, right here in District 25.

Together Today 2 Transform Tomorrow

Website: www.sd25.org
Location: 1200 South Dunton Avenue
Phone: (847) 758.4900
Facebook: facebook.com/ahsd25
Twitter: @ahsd25

Instagram: @ahsd25social