eNews Oct 30, 2026

As part of the new Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) curriculum, Richmond students began by focusing on kindness. Building on this initiative, the Richmond Student Council proposed a schoolwide project to spread kindness across the school community. Say welcome to Rocky, the Kindness Caterpillar, located near the bus loop just north of the main office.

Rocky and the outdoor space have become a fun place for students to spend time outdoors, build new friendships and memories, and discover new ways to make the school a better place where everyone can belong.

Congrats to the Richmond Student Council group for turning learning into action, and to all Richmond students for showing that even the smallest acts of kindness can make a big difference.

Author and illustrator Kenneth Kraegel visited the Haines Early Childhood Fireflies for an interactive storytime. During his visit, he read his books, Firefly Lullaby and This is a Book of Shapes, to students. Throughout the session, students engaged directly with the stories as Mr. Kraegel brought the whimsical tales and vibrant artwork to life. They also learned about his writing process, discussed their favorite books, and talked all things art and drawing.

Between the morning and afternoon storytime sessions, he joined the Early Childhood staff for lunch, offering teachers and staff a chance to connect and discuss creative ways to foster early literacy and a love of reading in young learners. Huge thanks to Anderson Bookshops' Authors-in-Schools program for sponsoring this wonderful opportunity for our students.

Kenneth Kraegel is a self-taught artist with a unique style and a wonderfully fresh perspective. He created the companion books Mushroom Lullaby and Mermaid Lullaby, among other great works. In addition to creating books, he also tutors children with reading challenges, such as dyslexia.

On Friday, October 30, 2026, SCN Theatre Club students will head into the community, going door-to-door with a simple request: “Trick or treat… got any food to spare?”

Instead of collecting candy, students will be collecting non-perishable canned and packaged food items to donate to the Northern Illinois Food Bank.

What Can You Donate?

Non-perishable food items such as:

• Canned vegetables and fruit

• Canned soups and beans

• Pasta and pasta sauce

• Peanut butter

• Cereal

• Macaroni and cheese

• Other shelf-stable, non-perishable foods

Please make sure all donated items are unopened and not expired

Want to Help Before the Trick-or-Treating?

There will be food donation drop-off boxes in the offices of Student Life, the CCR, the student cafeteria, and the LRC at St. Charles North High School, giving students, staff, and families another opportunity to contribute to the drive. Drop-off boxes will be available starting on 10/1.