A Message from Dr. Kelley Gallt
November 30, 2022
Dear District 95 Families,
I hope that you enjoyed a wonderful and restful holiday with family and friends! Over the break, I had the opportunity to spend time in reflection of all for which I am thankful. I must admit that much of my “gratitude” list included all that is great in District 95. I am so thankful that I get to work alongside the most talented staff who demonstrate such a strong heart for children, serve a supportive community with incredible kids and families who believe in public education, partner with a Board who puts people first, and learn and grow daily in an environment that celebrates success and forgives mistakes.
I am so excited to share with you some great examples of the incredible work and successes that are going on across District 95. Please see the articles below about community partner support in our classrooms at Isaac Fox and Middle School North, philanthropic efforts by LZHS and Joanie's Closet, and our student, staff, and volunteer honorees from our recent Board meetings! Last but not least, please read about my most recent classroom experience at Seth Paine - what a fun (and educational) time we had!
Sincerely,
Dr. Kelley Gallt
Trees, Seeds, and Milkweed!
Second grade students from Isaac Fox participated in an in-school field trip with the wonderful volunteers from Ancient Oaks Foundation who taught students about trees, seeds, and how things grow. They simulated “feeding” the trees with balloons, learned how a tree grows, and even planted milkweed in the back of school. Students had just finished their Science unit on seeds and trees, and were very excited to hear from a local expert. Each student was sent home with seeds from the Ancient Oaks Foundation and teachers were provided with materials from the Foundation. We are grateful for our community and all of the work they do to enhance our curriculum and learning experiences!
Joanie's Closet...WOW!!
Thanks to the generosity of the community, Joanie’s Closet recently distributed more than 550 coats, hats, and gloves to under-resourced District 95 students and their immediate family members. Wow!!
NEW THIS YEAR!! Joanie's Closet is coordinating a clothing collection and distribution to provide help to the District 95 community. (See two flyers below, one for clothing collection and one for the clothing distribution). Please consider participating by donating, or, by receiving!
FINANCIAL HELP APPRECIATED!! As a philanthropic, non-profit committee, Joanie’s Closet relies on the continued support of the community. If you are able to help, please consider making a tax-deductible donation using this link.
The mission of Joanie's Closet is to "serve under-resourced District 95 students and their families, in collaboration with the community, by providing basic needs to help students achieve their full potential".
A Day in the Class of....Ms. Laura Budzban, Seth Paine
In this feature article, “A Day in the Class of…”, we highlight the Superintendent as a member of a classroom for one full period. A different school and class are highlighted each month, allowing readers a view into the classroom from a new perspective!. This lesson demonstrated Dynamic Learning Environment (Engaged, Collaborative), relating to the District 95 Instruction Learning Model.
What an incredible time I had playing with students during a very dynamic Physical Education lesson taught at Seth Paine Elementary School! I quickly realized that I was a little behind in my knowledge of proper hand holding related to a racket and striking a ball; however, between the teacher and my student team members, I caught on quickly. While the physical education portion of the lesson was clearly about accurately striking a ball using a racket, Ms. Budzban brilliantly and creatively brought life to the school’s school improvement efforts to improve both literacy and mathematics skills. She incorporated a game of Scrabble (which I came to learn that most students did not have prior background knowledge of through home/recess play). Each team worked together to strike a ball into a basket and earn Scrabble tiles. During this time, we enjoyed awesome music, giggles, and excitement related to both our mistakes and successes! There were also times when we were able to double the number of tiles we could pick up, which helped my team immensely, as we improved our accuracy over the course of the game. Towards the end of the class period, we were challenged to use our letter tiles to create connected words on a Scrabble mat. Every team was given the same amount of time to strategically create words in a way that we used the most tiles and earned the most points. While my team did not end up with the most points, we had so much fun playing together, and for some, learning a new skill and game.
Upon reflection of this innovative lesson, I do want to give some “gift” hints as we approach the holiday season for many… PLEASE consider family game options that support literacy and math skills. I realized during the game that the skills needed to successfully play really do support our students’ growth in such a fun way! So, consider going a bit “old-school” when considering gifts😊!
District 95 Job Openings
In addition to an ongoing need for bus drivers (see below for more information), District 95 also has many other current employment needs including playground/lunchroom supervisors, classroom aides, and more. For a current list of openings, please visit our online job listings by clicking here.
Bus Drivers
Looking for an opportunity to give back to the community? Retired and looking for a way to stay active and connected? A parent wanting to have the same schedule as your children? Want to bring your preschool aged child to work with you? Join our amazing team of bus drivers. NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY.
Benefits Include: · Paid Behind the Wheel Training · Partial Paid Health Insurance · Retirement Benefits · Sick Leave · Personal Days· Competitive Pay including pay for prior experience
Qualifications: · Good Driving Record · Minimum of 21 years old (Drivers) · Pass required Federal Background check · Pass a pre-employment/ annual physical & drug test · Enjoy working with kids!!
If you have any questions, contact the District 95 Transportation Department at 847-438-2834.
Click here to apply online by visiting our website or go to www.lz95.org/jobs ~ Click on Job Openings ~ Select Transportation ~ Select Apply button