Gower 62 Community Newsletter

Click this link to listen to Simon Says as a Speechify-produced alternative.

The fall colors have started to appear and serve as an excellent reminder that 'change is inevitable'. I use that phrase often and am always sure to add an important disclaimer, 'but growth is optional'. I believe we have to be intentional when it comes to recognizing and making the most of the potential and opportunity that change brings. In schools, we are on the front line of so many changes that take place in the lives of our students and we simply cannot take the growth part for granted. In fact, it's through student growth that we measure our success. The Gower West Showcase presented to the Board of Education on Wednesday night is a great example of just how much thought and effort goes into planning, preparing for, carrying out, evaluating, and adjusting the teaching and learning experiences for each of our students.

Recently, our schools shared information that provides parents with insight into what 'Children at their Best!' might look like on the academic front. Individual 3rd - 8th grade student reports from the Illinois Assessment of Readiness were recently posted in the PowerSchool Parent Portal along with Fall NWEA/MAP reports; a separate assessment used from grades 1-8 as a way to benchmark current student performance and measure growth in the winter and again in the spring. It is a lot of information:) As a parent, I've always tried to keep a healthy perspective on 'balance' as it applies to the overall student experience. As much as I found the data reports for my own children informative, I was always cautious to avoid putting too much stock into these 'snapshots' of performance. Answers to questions such as, 'How did your day go?' or, 'What was your favorite part of school today?' always meant more to me than norm-referenced scores and/or percentile rankings. But again, balance.

I encourage parents to dig into these student performance reports if you haven't done so already and be sure to reach out to your child's teacher with any questions you may have. I also encourage you to keep asking those important, 'Tell me about your day', questions and to reach out to us the moment you get an answer that just doesn't sit right with you. And keep in mind, as the 1st Quarter comes to an end at Gower Middle next week and the 1st Trimester at Gower West will end just a few weeks later, this is a perfect time to review those report cards ahead of Parent-Teacher conferences on Nov. 24th. Our conferences have always been well-attended and provide an opportunity to discuss the ongoing changes, growth, and development taking place in your child's learning or in areas that may be impacting your child's learning.

If you are interested in a district-wide perspective on student performance, you may find some value in visiting our Academic Performance webpage. The Beginning-of-Year Student Performance Data presentation that was discussed in last night's Board meeting is on this page and you will see that our students are performing remarkably well. The annual IL School Report Cards for schools are expected to be published by the Illinois State Board of Education on Oct. 30th and will be linked to our Academic Performance webpage accordingly.

Thank you for your ongoing support of our school district and, as always, if you have any questions, or would like to discuss any other Gower Community topic further, please reach out to me directly at vsimon@gower62.com.

Respectfully,

Dr. Victor Simon
Superintendent of Schools

Recording Secretary to the Board of Education, Kate Schillinger, 630.286.4929

Click here for the monthly Superintendent Reports and here for our meeting agendas.

Regular Board Meeting Summary: The meeting was called to order and there was no public comment offered from those in attendance. October is National Principals Month, with the week of October 20-24, 2025 being Principal Appreciation Week. The Board saluted our two amazing principals who make Gower a better place every day! For more information on National Principals Month and the upcoming Principal Appreciation Week, read the Board Salute below. The Board also saluted the members of the Caterpillar Club, a group of 5 Gower West students who have dedicated their lunch and recess time over the last several weeks to caring for and observing the monarch caterpillars they found in the courtyard. The students attended the Board meeting and gave a short presentation about what they have learned about monarch caterpillars and what we can do to support them.

The meeting continued with the monthly Superintendent's Report which included separate reviews of the Beginning of the Year (BOY) and Fall Data Presentation (Appendix A) and the 2025-2026 Principal Evaluation Model (Appendix B). The report also included a presentation on Gower West's 2025-26 School Improvement Goals. The Board reviewed a series of monthly reports and approved a number of Board policy revisions as part of a 4-year revision cycle.

The Board did not enter Executive (closed) session. The meeting adjourned at 9:11 p.m.

The next regularly scheduled Board of Education meeting is scheduled for November 19, 2025 at 7:00 p.m. in the Gower School District Board Room, Gower West, south end of campus Door #B22. As always, you are invited to attend and share your thoughts and feedback with the Board.

The Illinois Principals Association (IPA) encourages all communities in Illinois to celebrate Principal Appreciation Week October 20-24, 2025, and Principal Appreciation Day on Friday, October 24th. This state-endorsed recognition was first approved by the Governor of Illinois in 1990 and is celebrated annually. The IPA also joins the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP), and the American Federation of School Administrators (AFSA) to recognition October as National Principals Month.

Principal Appreciation Day provides learning communities an opportunity to publicly recognize the work, commitment and importance of principals, assistant principals, and deans throughout the state. We invite all teachers, students, parents, and community members to perform some act of appreciation on Friday, October 24th to acknowledge the leadership of building administrators in Illinois' public and private schools.

A special 'THANK YOU' to Principals Capizzi and Murphy and Assistant Principals Hoff and Schiffler for all their hard work!

The Board saluted the Gower West Caterpillar Club, a group of five students who have taken real world inspiration and turned it into learning! After finding a monarch caterpillar in the courtyard, Ms. Brianna Morgan and the students created a habitat for it (and its friends!) and began learning about and observing the caterpillars and their lifecycle. You can read more about their discovery here. You can also read about what the students learned in their presentation here. Gower West's courtyard has even become an official Monarch Waystation! Way to go Gower West!

Monday, November 24th is a full day of Parent-Teacher Conferences in Gower and students are not in session. Tuesday, November 25th is a Teacher Institute Day and students are not in session, but they do benefit from being able to take part in our practice eLearning Day. This is an excellent way for our families to understand and become familiar with the eLearning process and gives everyone a chance to practice how we maintain continuity of learning on what would otherwise be an Emergency Day.

Again, students are not in session on a Teacher Institute Day, but they will have access to the eLearning assignments no later than 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, November 25th. Our teachers will also be 'e'-vailable to help answer questions and guide students through the activities from 8:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. on this day. This is great practice for everyone involved and a great use of our Teacher Institute Day!

If you have any questions about the upcoming Parent-Teacher Conferences or eLearning Day, please contact the Main Office at Gower West or Gower Middle and we will be glad to help.

October 23rd: Multicultural Night at Gower Middle, 6-7:30 p.m.

October 31st: Early Dismissal Day for all Students - Happy Halloween!

November 21st: Early Dismissal Day for all Students

November 24th: Parent-Teacher Conferences - No School

November 25th: Teacher Institute Day - No School - Practice e-Learning Day

November 26th: No School

November 27th: Thanksgiving

November 28th: No School