Blythe Park 2026-27 School Year
August 11th, 2026
Welcome to the 2026-2027 School Year!
Dear Blythe Park Families,
I hope you are all enjoying a wonderful, relaxing summer break with your families and taking some well-deserved time to recharge.
As we look forward to the upcoming school year, I am absolutely thrilled and honored to introduce myself as the new principal of Blythe Park Elementary School. This school community has a fantastic reputation for academic excellence, a supportive environment, and a vibrant neighborhood. More than anything, I am eager to get to know each of your children, welcome them into our classrooms, and partner closely with you to ensure they feel safe, valued, and inspired every single day.
To give you a little background on myself, I have spent the last nineteen years in education, serving as both a teacher and administrator at CCSD181 Clarendon Hills/Hinsdale. Throughout my career, my absolute favorite part of the job has always been the direct connections made with students and their families.
Supporting Every Child: The first half of my teaching career was spent as a resource teacher. This role taught me the invaluable importance of looking at every student as an individual. It afforded me the opportunity to form deep, trusting relationships with parents and guardians so that together, we could support each child's unique learning needs and celebrate their growth.
Advocating for School Community: For the past several years, I have served as a Pupil Services Administrator at Elm Elementary School, Madison Elementary School, and Hinsdale Middle School. Serving as a special education coordinator and assistant principal, my primary focus was always on fostering a warm, inclusive, and positive school culture where every student feels like they belong.
Prior to entering education, I spent eleven years in the private sector overseeing quality departments, supply chains, and employee training for a manufacturer. While this background sharpened my skills in organizational effectiveness and data-driven continuous improvement, its greatest lesson was that people always come first. I bring that same people-first mentality to leading our school.
As a leader, my core philosophy is built entirely around relationships and collaboration. I firmly believe that an exceptional elementary school education is the result of a strong, transparent partnership between the school and home. Your insights, your voice, and your support are vital to your child’s success.
I want you to know that my door is always open to you. I am incredibly excited to meet your children, learn their interests, and welcome them into a new year of discovery. Together, we are going to make this a safe, joyful, and memorable school year!
Warmest regards,
Chris Reid
Principal, Blythe Park Elementary School
Riverside Public School District 96
Playground
Progress continues on the new playground and sports court! We have been working closely with the village and contractors, and the results are very exciting. The overall vision is taking shape, with careful attention to detail ensuring the final space is accessible to all age groups. The students and community will definitely enjoy it!
Welcome to Our New Staff
We are very excited for these new team members to join Blythe Park:
Building Substitute: Timothy Donfris, who has served in other roles with us, will move into the building substitute position.
Paraprofessionals: Please welcome Carrie Boike and Ryan Stirrat.
Intervention and Support Coordinator: Jennifer DeBruin will serve in this role across all four elementary buildings.
Advanced Learning: Finally, our new Advanced Learning teacher will be Brian Trimmer. He has been with District 96 for numerous years. We are very excited for Brian to join the Blythe Team.
Family Information Guide
An important reference guide for parents and families has been posted on the Blythe Park website The Family Information Guide communicates Blythe Park's day-to-day practices, procedures and general guidelines to ensure a safe, productive, and enjoyable school year for all. I strongly encourage all families to take time to read this document in its entirety as it will provide you with clear direction for the upcoming year.
Family and School Partnership
Our school district believes in a strong partnership between families and educators. The Family and Community Partnerships Action team, composed or parents and school staff, developed guidelines for Family and Community Engagement. These guidelines support our ongoing and shared efforts to connect in meaningful ways to support your child's education with us. We know our partnership is key to your child's success.
PTA Events and Communication
Our amazing PTA has been busy planning and organizing the upcoming engaging activities and events for the 2026-27 school year.
- Thursday, August 27th: 8:00-8:45 am PTA Welcome Coffee
- Tuesday, September 15th: PTA Meeting 6:30-7:30 pm Library
- Friday, September 25th: Rainbow Run & Ice Cream Social 5:00-7:00 pm
Blythe Park PTA
The PTA provides programming, academic enrichment, and family fun for the Blythe Park community. Help support these events by joining the PTA. Learn more at https://blytheparkpta.org/