Oak Grove District News

Dear District 68 Community,

Welcome to the first edition of our monthly newsletter for District 68. This email newsletter will deliver timely information about our districtwide initiatives and activities. The content will vary from our weekly school newsletter, which focuses on information relevant to students and families.

Our goal is to keep all community residents up-to-date about what we are doing to keep our schools moving forward. Feel free to forward this to someone you know without a student in our schools to help them stay informed!

I want to be sure to draw your attention to the sections below. You’ll find information about:

• Strategic Plan Update

• Education and Facility Architect

• Curriculum: Understanding CKLA

Thank you for your partnership in educating our students. Our slogan is “Where Students Come First” because it's central to all we do in District 68 and it's important you know that we take joy in serving our community. We hope you will find the information in this newsletter helpful, informative and inspiring to see our students and work in action!

Sincerely,

Allison Sherman

Superintendent

Earlier this month, all residents received a postcard from District 68 inviting them to participate in the feedback portion of our strategic planning process. All residents are invited to weigh in on the process through our online survey (linked below). We are also hosting focus groups and community forums for in-person feedback as well.

The strategic planning process aims to unite our community's diverse perspectives to create a robust plan for the future growth and success of Oak Grove School District. It's about laying a solid foundation that reflects our collective vision and priorities for our students and schools. We hope all residents will participate in setting the goals for our shared future.

After a thorough review of top school architects in the area and around the country, the Board has selected DLA Architects as the District 68 architect of record. It’s important to note that no capital improvement projects are predetermined. This is a preliminary step to assess the current facilities.

“DLA was the clear choice for our district because they are experts in school design, and their entire philosophy of work is based on functionality,” said Raabia Khan, board president. “We want our school to be wonderful and engaging places to learn and work; we also want them to serve our community for a long time, be efficient, and be fiscally feasible to maintain.”

The multi-step plan from DLA will include an on-site physical assessment of the facilities (the initial stages of that pictured here) and an educational assessment that looks at the function of our spaces for current education practices. The district will provide updates on these assessments and opportunities to weigh in on the process as they become available.

The district is in the midst of a 5-year curriculum review cycle. As an elementary district where our K-5 teachers provide instruction in all core subjects, it’s important that the review cycle moves at a pace where staff can participate in the review, selection, and implementation process.

Equally as important and new to the district’s curriculum process this year is gathering student feedback as we review and pilot a possible new English Language Arts (ELA) curriculum. Within the district, we often refer to this as “Student Voice and Choice.”

Through a survey, students are asked questions to gauge engagement in the lessons. Why? Because engagement is scientifically proven to be connected to higher student achievement and is, therefore, a core aim of any curricular changes.

What do students think about the new ELA curriculum:

The majority of students said:

• “I learned about perspectives/viewpoints that are different than my own.”

• “The topics I learned about seem important to the real world.”

Stay tuned as this curriculum review continues. A recommendation to the board is expected by the end of the school year.

Congratulations to the cast and crew of Newsies which took to the stage in this year’s 8th-grade musical. It was a well-attended and remarkable show featuring the talents of our students.

Don’t Miss a Moment! These are the top posts from last month. Help select the top posts by following and liking our posts on Facebook or Instagram!

With generous community support, OGSEF raised over $49,000 to continue funding teacher-initiated grants focused on innovation, creativity, and learning enrichment for the upcoming school year. In addition, OGSEF is proud to announce a donation of $20,000 towards this year’s Spotlight Project, enhancing the multimedia set-up in the Pat Patt Gym, which will allow our community to come together for many years to come!

Pictured: Rendering of the OGSEF Spotlight Project in the Pat Patt Gym.

Also Pictured: Gallery of photos from the OGSEF Annual Gala

• March 19 - Board of Ed Regular Meeting at 6:00 pm in the JH Cafe; streaming link posted on the website the day of the meeting

• March 19 - IL Primary Election (OGS is a polling location)

• March 25 - April 1 - Spring Break

• April 11 - Superintendent Chat at 5:30 pm in the OGS PD Room

• April 15 - Purple Up Day

• April 20 - OGS Multicultural Fair from 3:30 - 6:30 pm in the Pat Patt gym