08-22-24

D128 Parents and Guardians:

We hope this message finds you well and that the new school year is off to a fantastic start for your family! We are thrilled to introduce ourselves as the new co-interim superintendents of District 128.

Since joining the D128 team in July, we have been energized by the dedication and enthusiasm we see in our students, parents, and staff. With many years of collective experience in education and four years of serving together in interim superintendent roles, we are committed to fostering a supportive and dynamic learning environment for all.

We are excited to have the opportunity to work with you and look forward to meeting you and your students throughout the school year. We hope that this first issue of the District's monthly newsletter provides you with useful information, including updates on our Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS), academic support for students, and more.

Here’s to a successful and enriching year ahead!

Warm regards,

Raymond Lechner and Rebecca Nelson

Co-Interim Superintendents

District 128 Parent/Guardian:

The mission of Community High School District 128 is to provide a safe environment for all students, staff and community members. As required by the Illinois School Safety Drill Act (105 ILCS 128/20), during each academic year, schools must conduct a law enforcement lockdown drill to address a school shooting incident. This drill shall be no later than 90 days after the first day of each school year, that addresses an active threat or an active shooter within a school building.

Law enforcement lockdown drills must be conducted on days and times when students are normally present in the school building and must involve participation from all school personnel and students present at school at the time of the lockdown drill, except that administrators or school support personnel in their discretion may exempt students from the lockdown drill. The appropriate local law enforcement agency shall observe the administration of the lockdown drill.

Also, as required by Illinois, schools must provide sufficient information and notification to parents and guardians in advance of any walk-through lockdown drill that involves the participation of students. Listed below are the dates and times that each of our schools will conduct its first lockdown drill:

• Libertyville High School - Thursday, September 12, 2024

• Vernon Hills High School - Thursday, September 5, 2024

• Transition Pathways - Wednesday, October 16, 2024

Schools must also provide parents and guardians an opportunity to exempt their child for any reason from participating in the walk-through lockdown drill. If you wish your student to be exempted from the law enforcement lockdown drill, please contact your school.

Libertyville High School, Learning Support Teams

847-327-7025 (last names A-F) 847-327-7031 (last names G-P)

847-327-7037 (last names Q-Z)

Vernon Hills High School, Learning Support Teams

847-932-2269 (Blue) 847-932-2006 (White)

847-932-2005 (Silver)

Transition Pathways, Teri Maine

847-327-7700

If your student is exempted from the drill, the school must provide alternative safety education and instruction related to an active threat or active shooter event to students who do not participate in a walk-through lockdown drill to provide them with essential information, training, and instruction through less sensorial safety training methods.

Thank you for your support in ensuring a safe and healthy environment for our students and staff.

Thanks,

Briant Kelly

Associate Superintendent

D128 has a long and proud history of providing a range of services and support to help students succeed academically and social-emotionally. Many parents have expressed concerns about how students will receive these services in light of our changes in course offerings, such as team-taught classes. To enhance these efforts, and ensure that all students receive equitable services, we have focused on enhancing our overall system, known as Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS). In the spirit of continuous improvement, we will monitor and evaluate our MTSS on an ongoing basis and make changes as needed.

What is MTSS?

MTSS is an evidence-based framework for coordinating and organizing the delivery of a continuum of supportive services for students. A well-designed MTSS will utilize both classroom and school-based data to identify students who need academic, social-emotional, and behavioral support. MTSS frameworks are typically represented as a pyramid divided into three sections (tiers), as shown in the graphic below. Each tier of the pyramid represents an increased level of student support, intensity and duration.

All D128 students now have free access to Varsity Tutors. The Varsity Tutors Platform gives students more opportunities to learn at their own pace and get support with assignment completion. It offers 24/7 on-demand chat tutoring and on-demand essay review to help your student with any questions about homework, classwork, or test prep. Students can access Varsity Tutors through their Classlink account.

The D128 Storm athletes kicked off the 2024-2025 season at this month's Northern Area Bowling tournament at Stardust Lanes in Addison. Twenty D128 athletes competed and brought home nine golds, three silvers, four bronzes, two 4th-place honors, and two 5th-place honors. Special congratulations to the gold-medal winners who qualified for Sectionals to be held in Rockford in early October: Eddie Beecher, Malene Brody, Matthew Elman, Liana Fuhrman, Alexis Gallegos, Xavier Granados, John Keating, Addison Potter, Max Zinder.

From MASH and the Write Place, to online tutoring via Varsity Tutors, LHS offers a wide array of options to support student learning needs. View the complete options for student supports.

The VHHS Academic Resource Center (ARC) , located next to the library, is open daily from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Students who need academic support in any academic area are highly encouraged to visit the ARC. Peer tutors (110 tutors this year!) and teachers are available throughout the day with no appointment necessary. The ARC Schedule details when tutors will cover specific subject areas. A VHHS staff member will facilitate the tutoring and support sessions and welcome your student to the ARC.

As a reminder, a late bus option is available to all students at 4:30 p.m. and 6:15 p.m.

Nominate an outstanding D128 alumni for the Foundation for Learning's Alumni Achievement Award. Nominations for this year's honorees close Sept. 15. Find out more on the Foundation's website.