03-19-2025

D128 Parents and Guardians:

We are happy to share the following good news from D128:

• D128 Board of Education Members Jim Batson and Don Carmichael were recently recognized at the IASB Lake Division Dinner with Board leadership awards.

• D128 current and former D128 Special Olympians have been making lots of news:

• The D128 Unified Basketball team finished 2nd at Saturday’s IHSA State Championship.

• 2015 graduate, Mallory Marvin, competed in last week's Special Olympics World Winter Games in Turin, Italy. She earned a Bronze Medal in the 50 meter snowshoe championship.

• D128 Special Olympian Rishi Arun competed in the State Basketball Skills Competition earlier this month and finished in 4th place in Division 12.

• Nine LHS students recently represented D128 in the regional American Chemical Society’s Chemistry Olympiad. Only 17 students from our entire Chicagoland area can move on to the National Exam, with a maximum of two students from each school. Eli Cui and Eddy Li both excelled in the first-round test, with Eli earning the highest score in the Chicagoland area and Eddy placing third. They now advance to the National Exam on April 5 at North Central College. Congratulations and best of luck, Eli and Eddy!

• The new D128 website will launch during the week of Spring Break. We’re excited to share a fresh new look. Soon we will share more with stakeholders about the new tools that are part of our Finalsite communication suite. There will also be opportunities to provide feedback on the website.

Wishing our entire D128 community a relaxing, fun and safe Spring Break!

Have a great day!

Ray Lechner and Becky Nelson

Co-Interim Superintendents

Yesterday D128 parents and guardians received an email newsletter with details about April ACT and Pre-ACT testing. Please review the newsletter that includes the testing dates, schedules, accommodations, and more.

D128 is pleased to announce the recent approval of two new assistant principals at LHS and VHHS, effective July 1, 2025.

Shannon Garcia will join the VHHS administration team as Assistant Principal for Student Services. With over 21 years of experience as an English teacher and school counselor, Shannon brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the leadership team. She supports students and fosters a positive school culture. As a proud D128 alumna and parent of a VHHS Class of 2029 student, Shannon has a personal commitment to the success and future of our schools. She will be stepping into the role currently held by Andy Young, who will transition to the position of principal.

Meagan Silverberg will become the Assistant Principal for Operations at LHS. Meagan has been an integral part of the LHS community for 15 years, serving as both a social worker and team leader. Her unwavering commitment to the health and well-being of all students, along with her passion for upholding the values of the Wildcat community, makes her an excellent fit for this role. Meagan will succeed Eric Maroscher, who is retiring at the end of this school year.

We are excited to welcome Shannon and Meagan to their new roles and look forward to their continued contributions to our district.

This week, LHS and VHHS My Brother's Keeper group members met jointly at the D128 District Office with Trey Baker, who is the Lake County facilitator. This was the group's final meeting for this school year. During the meeting, students engaged in career planning and reflected on their experiences in the program.

My Brother's Keeper is a national program that addresses opportunity gaps young men of color face and ensures all young people can reach their full potential. MBK works to unleash the power of communities working together to solve problems for boys and young men of color, at a level to improve real life outcomes. To that end, D128 student members will participate in an MBK symposium next month at AON in Chicago where they will have an opportunity to network with professionals and young men from other MBK communities.