A Message from Dr. Kelley Gallt
September 30, 2023
Dear District 95 Families,
As September comes to a close, there are so many exciting events and activities taking place across the district at all levels. As I meet elementary, middle, and high school students participating in some of these activities, or as learners in classrooms, I continue to marvel at their thoughtfulness, determination, and creativity. It is truly inspiring and uplifting to meet these young students - as an example, be sure to read below about my recent experience in Mr. Clarke's Chemistry class at the high school in the "Day in the Class" article series.
As a reminder, the District has asked all families and staff members to complete a survey about the school calendar, including feedback on holidays, breaks, finals (middle and high school respondents only), and more. Please see the article below and be sure to complete the very brief survey so your voice can be heard!
Also below is our continuing series about the District's new Empower95 Strategic Plan as we explain how this roadmap created by our stakeholders directs the district's work for the next five years. Follow the district on social media @LZdistrict95 for more on Empower95 and other important information!
Lastly, a very special bench dedication took place yesterday afternoon at the high school, a few hours before the football game. This bench honors the memory of Christopher Redding, an all-star athlete at LZHS from the Class of 2003, serving as captain of the football team who led the team to the IHSA Class 7A semi-finals. Several months after graduating, Christopher suffered a fatal asthma attack while jogging - he was eighteen at the time of his death. His family started the Christopher D. Redding Youth Asthma Foundation which provides asthma screenings and education for youth, asthma control devices, advocacy and more, within underserved communities in the Chicago metropolitan area. Click here to learn more about this amazing foundation in honor of Christopher, and enjoy the photos below from the bench dedication. The bench is just to the left of the main entrance of the high school.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Sincerely,
Dr. Kelley Gallt
Superintendent
National Merit Scholarship Recognitions
Congratulations to these accomplished LZHS students for receiving “Commended” and “Semifinalist” status for the National Merit Scholarship - an outstanding academic achievement.
Best of luck to the Semifinalists in moving forward in the selection of Finalists later this school year!
National Merit Scholarship Commended Students
· Dillon Bathery
· Ethan Charo
· Justin Charo
· Aidan Flannery
· Emma Harper
· Dalton Leitz
· Jiexun Li
· Joshua Middlebrook
· Courtney Morrison
· Sanjay Mothkur
· Sashrika Shyam
· Anushree Sudhakar
· Treyton Yelverton
National Merit Scholarship Semifinalist Students
· Lia Carroll
· Kyle Chua
· Matthew Chung
Calendar Survey
Annually, the district calendar committee meets to set dates for the school calendar including start-of-year, end-of-year, holidays beyond those required at the federal or state level, institute days, and more. Last year the committee developed a number of questions that we have used as the basis for a survey, and we would like your feedback to further inform our decision-making for the 2024-25 school year and beyond.
Please note that when building a school calendar there are several competing interests and not all options may be viable together - at the end of the survey there is an opportunity to rank questions which will help us prioritize.
Please take a few moments to complete the following survey by October 13th, 2023: https://lakezurich.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_b7ywBZd1d8hp058
District SAT Night
The SAT Suite of tests is now in a digital format. To support our learning community with this change, the district will be hosting an SAT Night. The event will focus on understanding the makeup of the new Digital SAT Suite from eighth grade - eleventh grade, reading and responding to astudent’s results, and the next steps the district is taking in response to both the digital change and data.
The SAT Night will take place on Tuesday, October 10, 2023, at 7:00 p.m. in the Lake Zurich High School Performing Arts Center (PAC). The event will also be available via livestream which can be accessed here or from our website (lz95.org, click on School Board, click on Meeting Broadcasts). During the event, there will be a time for questions. Please use this google form if you would like to submit a question in advance.
A Day in the Class of....Mr. Clarke, LZHS
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 Instruction (relating to the District 95 Instruction Learning Model).
I recently had the incredible opportunity to visit an honors chemistry class over two days- the first day to conduct an exciting and engaging lab experiment, the second day to complete calculations. Mr. Clarke and the students were so gracious in providing me the chance to participate in this learning activity over both days.
For this lab, Mr. Clarke challenged us to identify the approximate temperature of a Bunsen burner flame. Since household and even grill thermometers will only measure temperatures at lower degrees, this task required us to delve into the fascinating world of chemistry to determine this measurement.
As a premise for this experiment, we learned that energy always flows from an object at a higher temperature to an object at a lower temperature, meaning that the heat gained by the cooler substance equals the heat lost by the warmer substance, assuming no loss of heat to the surrounding environment. This concept serves as a basis for understanding how substances absorb and transfer energy. We utilized the following formula to support our efforts:
(Q) energy = (m) mass * change in temperature * Specific heat of substance (C)
One intriguing aspect of our lesson was exploring the Bunsen burner. In small teams, we learned that these burners provide flames with temperatures reaching around 1,200°C (over 2100 degrees Fahrenheit). Our calculations came close to this temperature, measuring at about 950 degrees Celsius. While our results were near the correct value, they weren't an exact match. However, this discrepancy led to an engaging discussion about the factors that might have influenced our measurements.
I must emphasize that this classroom experience was dynamic, exciting, engaging, and highly collaborative. Mr. Clarke skillfully orchestrated the entire lesson to be student-driven, acting as a master facilitator who supported our learning experiences. We were encouraged to safely explore, experiment, investigate, and, most importantly, think critically. The lesson invited all students to think aloud and participate in meaningful discourse, allowing us to deepen our understanding of complex scientific concepts. In this class, we had the opportunity to ask questions, develop hypotheses, confirm our thinking through experimentation, and apply our math skills to find solutions. It was a perfect blend of theory and practice, making learning not only informative but also incredibly enjoyable.
I am truly grateful for the educational opportunities provided by Lake Zurich High School and our dedicated teachers like Mr. Clarke!
Appreciation Days
- October - National Principals Month
- October 2 - School Custodian Appreciation Day
- October 5 - World Teachers' Day
- October 6 - National Instructional Coach Appreciation Day
- October 15-21 - Illinois Principal Association (IPA) Principal Appreciation Week
- October 16 - National Boss's Day
- October 16-20 - National School Bus Safety Week
- October 20 - IPA Principal Appreciation Day
- October 23-31 Red Ribbon Week
- October 27 - World Occupational Therapy Day
Temporary Road Closures
REMINDER!! The Village of Lake Zurich has closed South Old Rand Rd from Main Street to Route 22 for through-traffic from Main Street to Route 22 until the end of December. See the map of impacted areas above (map provided by Village of Lake Zurich).
Drivers (including student drivers) should allow extra time when traveling in the area and follow the appropriate detour routes.
For questions about the road closure itself, please contact the Village of Lake Zurich.
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
Lake Zurich Community Unit School District 95
Email: feedback@lz95.org
Website: www.lz95.org
Location: 832 S Rand Rd, Lake Zurich, IL, USA
Phone: 847-438-2831
Facebook: www.facebook.com/LZdistrict95
Twitter: @LZdistrict95