An Update from Supt. Smith

Notable Dates and Events

• Calendar Reminders

News and Announcements

• Opportunity for Juniors: National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test
• Reminder: Safety Update – The Standard Response Protocol

District Highlights

• Video: A Look Back at District 300’s First Week of School
• Summer Internships Provide Students with Career Development Experience

Student Recognitions

• Hampshire High School Students Excel at SkillsUSA Championships
• Hampshire High School Senior Earns 10th Place in National Microsoft Contest
• District 300 Student Takes 1st at Special Olympics Illinois Summer Games
• D300 Special Olympics Bowlers Compete in Regional Tournament

D300 Community Recognition

• Project Backpack Event at ECC Benefits District 300 Families

School Highlights

• Middle School Gardens Cultivating Community

Note of Appreciation

• 2025-26 Note of Appreciation Form Now Open

School Snapshots

• Jacobs High School
• Lake in the Hills Elementary School
• Lincoln Prairie Elementary School
• Neubert Elementary School

Conclusion

District 300 would like to remind families of the following notable dates and events:

Friday, September 5, through Saturday, September 27:

• Fine arts events – Information about the Westside Strings Festival is available, as are details about marching band performances. To learn more, please visit the District 300 calendar by clicking here and scrolling down.

Wednesday, October 1:

• Late Start – For all K-12 students; October 1 will be a non-attendance day for preschool students.

To view additional calendar information, please click here.

Registration is now open for all juniors interested in taking the National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (NMSQT).

This optional test serves as the qualifying exam for the National Merit Scholarship Program, which recognizes and awards scholarships to high-performing students nationwide. Scholarships can range from a one-time award of $2,500 to a yearly award of $10,000.

If a student qualifies for a scholarship, they will be notified in the spring. In addition to scholarship eligibility, the test provides valuable feedback on college readiness.

Important information:

• Registration for the NMSQT will be open through Thursday, October 2, via each high school’s online webstore at https://store.d300.org.
• The cost is $18, with fee waivers automatically applied for eligible students.
• The NMSQT will be administered during the school day on Tuesday, October 22.

District 300 encourages families to register early and take advantage of this opportunity for their college-bound juniors. Any questions regarding the NMSQT can be directed to the main office at your student’s respective high school.

As a reminder, District 300 remains committed to student and staff safety and is strengthening our emergency response procedures for the 2025-26 school year. These updates include the adoption of the Standard Response Protocol (SRP) and the Standard Reunification Method, both developed by the ‘I Love U Guys’ Foundation.

To learn more about the SRP and Standard Reunification Method, please click here.

To celebrate the start of the 2025-26 school year, District 300 has created a short video showcasing photos taken during the first week of class at each of our schools.

To watch the video, please click here.

More than 60 District 300 students gained work-related skills this summer through area internships.

Geared toward incoming juniors and seniors, participating students were able to acquire experience in an array of targeted areas, including information technology, law enforcement, communications, education, and other fields.

In total, these students earned $56,700 through their internships, and they acquired more than 3,780 hours of career development experience.

Thank you to the Alignment Collaborative for Education and the Northern Kane County Education for Employment Region 110 office for their collaboration in making the internships possible across the region.

To learn more about interning through District 300, please contact the following business teachers:

• For inquiries related to Dundee-Crown High School, please email Ms. Michelle Buhrow at michelle.buhrow@d300.org.
  
  
• For inquiries related to Hampshire High School, please email Mr. Robert Beringer at robert.beringer@d300.org.
  
  
• And for inquiries related to Jacobs High School, please email Mr. Dustin Smith at dustin.smith@d300.org.

Congratulations to Hampshire High School students Jaden Sommers (pictured above from left), Lou Jensen, and Aric Abbott, who competed as a team this June at the SkillsUSA Championships in Atlanta, Georgia!

The Hampshire team placed 11th out of 40 in the welding fabrication category after students completed a written test and constructed a mini digging machine for a playground.

Congratulations to Hampshire High School senior Quinn Hanson, who competed this June in Certiport’s 2025 Microsoft Office Specialist U.S. National Championship in Grapevine, Texas!

Quinn earned 10th place in the Microsoft Excel (Office 2019) category.

Congratulations to District 300 student Mason Hager for earning a first place medal in standing long jump at the 2025 Special Olympics Illinois Summer Games!

Honors also go to the following district participants:

• Aliyah Ting Baron (second place in softball throw and 25-meter non-motorized wheelchair race)
• Conor Wood (second place in 100-meter run)
• David Heitman (fourth place in 100-meter run)
• Steven Monsen (fourth place in softball throw)

The Special Olympics Illinois Summer Games took place in June at Illinois State University.

D300 Special Olympics bowlers competed this summer in a regional tournament in Addison. Congratulations to the athletes listed below!

• Aliyah Ting Baron (gold medal; will advance to sectionals in October)
• David Heitman (silver medal)
• Chloe Jensen (silver medal)
• Steven Monsen (bronze medal)
• Steven Mackender (sixth place)
• Alex Neuzil (silver medal)
• Edgar Sifuentes (bronze medal)
• Conor Wood (sixth place)

Prior to the start of the new school year, more than 300 district students received school supplies and additional community resources at the Project Backpack 2025 event hosted at Elgin Community College (ECC).

The annual family event included free backpack and school supply giveaways, a Community Resource Fair, and a Family Activity Fair.

District 300 thanks ECC for hosting Project Backpack, as well as our staff members (pictured above) who supported the event as volunteers.

Gardens at Algonquin and Carpentersville middle schools are not only teaching students about food production but they are also providing fresh produce for the D300 Food Pantry.

At Carpentersville Middle School, a new garden made possible by an Illinois Extension grant features raised beds, on-the-ground planters, and trellises. Produce from the garden is being donated to the D300 Food Pantry.

Meanwhile, the garden at Algonquin Middle School – which is supported through Algonquin Garden Club grant funding – is providing hands-on learning for students in community development class. Since its start in 2023, the garden has provided more than 570 pounds of food for the pantry.

District 300 is excited to invite families once again to take part in our Note of Appreciation program, an opportunity to celebrate our incredible staff who make a difference every day.

The 2025-26 Note of Appreciation form is now live and can be accessed by clicking here. Submitting a note is simple: Just open the form, identify the staff member you would like to recognize, and share a few sentences about what makes that person extraordinary.

Parents and guardians are welcome to recognize any District 300 employee – teachers, counselors, family school liaisons, paraeducators, registrars, secretaries, and more – anyone who has had a positive impact on their student.

Each Note of Appreciation is printed and hand-delivered directly to the respective staff member, creating a personal moment of gratitude that means so much.

Your words of thanks definitely uplift and encourage our hardworking staff!

As we begin this school year, I am grateful for the dedication of our teachers, staff, families, and community members. Together, we will continue to build a strong foundation for the academic growth of our students.

As a reminder, you can find our communication guidelines for parents and guardians by clicking here.

Look for my next Superintendent Update on Friday, September 19.

Have a wonderful weekend!