News from District 153

Welcome back to a new school year! I hope this letter finds you refreshed and excited for the upcoming academic term. As your superintendent, it gives me great pleasure to extend my warmest greetings and best wishes to each and every one of you.

The start of a school year is always a special time, filled with anticipation and new opportunities. It is a time when we come together as a community, ready to embark on another journey of learning, growth, and discovery. I want to express my gratitude to all of our dedicated teachers, support staff, and administrators for their tireless efforts in preparing for the year ahead.

As with any new school year, our first priority has to be making sure our students and staff are safe when they are on our campuses. We welcome the help of parents, students, staff, and the community in being more diligent about safety. All of us need to not only be more observant when things appear out of the ordinary on our school campuses or with an individual student but we also must report those concerns to someone who can make sure all is okay. A strength of our community has been the relationships between our parents, our patrons, our businesses, and our schools in working together to keep one another informed. Let's continue to utilize that strength to make District 153 a safe environment for our students and staff in 2025-2026. Please call me or our any of our schools if you see or feel something is amiss.

And please remind your student that they can share any concerns about themselves or others with a teacher, school counselor or administrator. They also can contact Safe2Help Illinois confidentially to ask for help.

Positive communication plays a crucial role in nurturing a supportive and collaborative environment between home and school. Effective communication ensures that your child receives the best possible education. In an age dominated by social media and instant messaging, it's easy to forget the importance of direct communication and personal connections. While social media platforms offer convenience and quick updates, they are not the ideal channels to address concerns or share important information about your child's education. Here are a couple reminders on maintaining positive communication between home and school:

Get Your Information Straight from the Horse's Mouth

Always consult our official communication channels: emails and newsletters from the District/School/Teacher; our website HSD153.org; and our Facebook and Instagram pages for up-to-date and reliable information.

Address Concerns Directly

Reach out to your child's teacher or school administration directly if you have a concern or question. Venting frustrations on social media does not solve problems.

Our focus remains on fostering academic excellence, promoting creativity and critical thinking, and nurturing social-emotional growth. Our dedicated educators have been working hard to design engaging and meaningful learning experiences that will inspire our students to reach their full potential. We will continue to invest in learning methods and educational resources that result in high levels of learning for all students.

Once again, welcome back to another extraordinary year at our amazing school district. I wish you all a wonderful start to a school year filled with joy, discovery, and new friendships. Remember, we are here to support your child and you every step of the way!

Warm regards,

Dr. Scott McAlister, Superintendent

P.S. I invite you to join District 153 and the Village of Homewood in welcoming in 2025-2026 by having some FUN! Our Back-to-School Party is Saturday, August 23th, 3:00-6:00PM in the Village Hall parking lot. There will be lots of free, family-friendly activities and great information about community resources and organizations. See you there!

it's like a Free Little Library, only REALLY, REALLY BIG! Expand or freshen up your at-home libraries with gently-used books, FREE for the taking! Take new-to-you books (many culled from our school libraries) and/or leave books you don't need or want anymore.

Do you have school hoodies, t-shirts, or other gear that you've outgrown or simply don't reach for anymore? Don't let those spirit gems gather dust! Bring your gently used SD 153 & SD 233 spirit wear to the library between August 1st and September 6th. Then choose exciting, new-to-you pieces that will ignite your school pride on September 6th!

All donations must be clean and in useable condition. Supplies are
limited

Bus routes are now available on our website. All routes are subject to change, especially during the first few weeks of the school.

Buses often run a bit late during the first week or two of school as students, families and drivers get used to new routines. Thank you for your patience!

Aug. 11: (afternoon) Class assignments/schedules available. Check your Parent Portal.

Aug. 14: (James Hart) 7th & 8th Grade Locker Move-In, 3:00-5:00 PM

Aug. 18: (James Hart) 6th-Grade Open House

Aug. 19: (Willow School) School Supplies Drop Off

Aug. 19: (Churchill School) School Supplies Drop Off

Aug. 20: FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL, ALL GRADES

Aug. 23: Back-to-School Party

Aug. 28: (James Hart) Picture Day

Aug. 29: Early Dismissal

Sept. 1: No School, Labor Day Hoiday

Sept. 3: (Churchill School) Picture Day

Sept. 11: (Churchill School) Open House, 5:00-7:00PM

Sept. 18: (Willow School) Open House 5:30-7:00PM

Sept. 26: (Willow School) Picture Day