Leyden Pride
Aug 13 - First day of school
Aug 26 - Open House
Sep 1 - Labor Day, no school
The first day of school is Wednesday, August 13, and it will run on an alternative schedule as follows:
New Eagle Experience for New Leyden Students
(9th graders and transfer students only)
7:35 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
Lunch will be provided.
All Returning Students
Lunch: 11:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
Period 1: 11:35 a.m. - 11:57 a.m.
Period 2: 12:02 p.m. - 12:24 p.m.
Period 3: 12:29 p.m. - 12:51 p.m.
Period 4/5/6: 12:56 p.m. - 1:18 p.m.
Period 6/7/8: 1:23 p.m. - 1:45 p.m.
Period 9: 1:50 p.m. - 2:12 p.m.
Period 10: 2:17 p.m. - 2:40 p.m.
Bus transportation
9th graders/ transfer students: routes start at 6:50 a.m.
Returning students: routes start at 10:30 a.m.
All students, regardless of family income, will receive one free breakfast and one free lunch while at school during the 2025-26 school year. This is due to an extension of Leyden High Schools participating in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) Program. Items beyond what is offered, such as additional beverages, lunches or desserts, etc. are provided at a cost. Students and families can purchase these additional items through a system called MySchoolBucks.
Link: MySchoolBucks
Leyden is pleased to partner with Young Hearts for Life® (YH4L) to offer all Leyden High School students a free, potentially life-saving ECG screening, on Tuesday, August 26, at East and Thursday, August 28, at West. These screenings are optional, offered at no charge and require advanced parent/guardian authorization. Parents/Guardians will receive information via email at the start of the 2025-26 school year with the required authorization form.
Translations
Our goal at Leyden is to provide communications in a language that each family can understand. To that end, during the enrollment process, we have collected each individual’s preferred language and make every effort to ensure communications are provided or available in each language. To learn more about all of the various resources available to families for translations and to see all of the ways Leyden makes communications accessible, please watch our translations video, available in 12 different languages on our website.
Link: www.leyden212.org/parents-community/translations
Look for the Leyden Translates icon in publications where additional accessibility is provided. Scan the QR Code to view this document in a text-only, online version, suitable for translation.
Direct Messages
Crisis
In the event of a crisis or other critical event, families can expect to receive phone calls, emails, and text notifications as appropriate. It is important that school records have accurate contact information. Any updates that have occurred since the enrollment process can be changed by contacting the school’s assistant principals office.
General
Leyden continues to utilize a system called Talking Points to offer families, teachers and students an opportunity to connect via text message.
Of the many benefits of this system, one of the most important is the ability to translate messages into the languages selected by our families during the enrollment process. This system provides instant auto-translations and then also utilizes live translations on a delay as needed to ensure the integrity of a message.
While this platform allows group communication, it also provides an opportunity for individual and confidential communication as well. Responses, when applicable, to any group message will be seen by only the classroom teacher.
Parents/guardians are automatically enrolled in this feature if a cell phone number was provided during the enrollment process. To opt out of any single message thread, respond with “goodbye” or to unsubscribe from all Talking Points communications from all teachers respond with “stop.” Messages will be delivered directly to your smartphone as a text message or parents/guardian may choose to utilize the Talking Points app to keep all messages in one place and to enable specific notification options. Students may enroll in the system as well, and are provided instructions during Advisory.
Please note that text messaging is one of many communication options available for teachers, and not all may choose to utilize this specific format for the sharing of information. Teachers who do plan to use text messaging are encouraged to alert families of their intentions and the expectations of response time, if any. We ask parents/guardians to be mindful that teachers spend the majority of their workday with students, focused on teaching, and to be respectful of message response time.
Publications, Social Media & Website
Weekly e-Newsletter, Leyden Pride
Every Monday afternoon, students and families can expect to receive this newsletter by email which includes upcoming events, news, announcements, feature stories and community news. If it’s information, it will be offered here. If there is an action-required, it will be offered in this newsletter and also as a direct message to families. Published editions of this newsletter are also provided on the Leyden website, under About Us>Publications>Leyden Pride e-Newsletter.
Facebook, Instagram, X and YouTube
Leyden posts stories of interest on Facebook, X and Instagram, and produce high-quality videos that are shared on YouTube. Find us @LeydenPride and utilize the hashtag #LeydenPride as well for event reminders, stories, shout-outs, photos and activities. TIP: YouTube videos provide exceptional content and translation options.
Leyden Website
The website features news, events, calendars, publications, directories, and information regarding academics, athletics and activities.
Ideas!
Please email us directly at PR@Leyden212.org if you have any suggestions that might help us improve our communication efforts.
Leyden welcomes the following 17 new teachers for the 2025-2026 school year:
East Leyden:
Charles "Chuck" Boland - Business Education
Alyssa Deplaris - PE/Health/Driver Ed
Mikolaj "Miki" Kowalski - PE/Health/Driver Ed
Eliza Kramarz - Multilingual Learners & Literacy
Miriam Luna - Counselor
Greg Miller - Special Education
Lesly Ortiz - English & MLL
Lorenzo Ramirez - Science/Bilingual
Adrian Remeniuk - Counselor
Amy Roe - Special Education
Daniela Ruelas - Modern Languages
Crystal Velazquez - Science
West Leyden:
Salvatore Biondo - PE/Health/Driver Ed
Jimmy Lonigro - Special Education
Karen Perez - Special Education
Kevin Vivaldo - Science & MLL
East/West Leyden:
Ruth Coronado - Multilingual Learners & Literacy
Leyden's marching band will be featured on CBS Chicago news, this Friday, August 15, at the end of its 4 p.m. broadcast. Check it out LIVE!
One Amazing Story: Three standout softball athletes
In this One Amazing Story, we dive deeper into the journeys of three standout softball players, Elise Bertsche, Abigail Cortez and Carmen Richardson, who have risen to elite levels in the sport. Two of the athletes share a unique bond beyond the field—their mothers also attended Leyden and were accomplished athletes in their own time. Through exclusive interviews we explore how legacy, mentorship, and shared experiences have shaped their paths. This episode highlights the powerful connection between generations and the enduring spirit of athletic excellence.
Link: Watch Video
Leyden honored for 100th Anniversary celebration
The National School Public Relations Association (NSPRA) honored Leyden High School District 212 with two high-level national awards for their efforts related to the 100th anniversary celebration.
Leyden was recognized with a Golden Achievement Award for the yearlong public engagement campaign celebrating the 100th anniversary. This is one of the highest honors a school district can achieve for strategic communications around a specific event, issue or impact.
One of the components of the yearlong campaign was a Youtube documentary series, Leyden: Making History, which also received the highest level of recognition, an Award of Excellence, in the Publications and Digital Media competition.
Link: Watch Documentary Series
“The support we felt from the entire Leyden community during the 100th anniversary celebration was incredible, and we are so grateful to be honored for the connections that were experienced and strengthened during the 2024-25 school year,” said Director of Communications Karen Geddeis. “This is a win for Leyden Pride and our students, parents, staff, alumni and community who demonstrated their care and commitment throughout the years.”
Leyden was honored at a reception at the 2025 national seminar on July 23 in Washington, D.C.
To view the supporting materials and see all of the national winning entries visit www.nspra.org.
Leyden High School District 212 Superintendent Dr. Nick Polyak has earned a spot on the District Administration magazine’s Top 100 for 2025. Polyak received this prestigious honor for his incredible leadership, bold ideas, and unwavering commitment to improving outcomes for students across the country.
"This honor represents the dedicated efforts of our staff, parents, students and supportive community," said Polyak. "We all work together and bring our expertise to help create the best possible experiences for the kids in our communities."
Link: View Story
Leyden High School’s 100th Birthday grabs national attention
Illinois Teacher of the year from Indian Prairie District 204 has hosted dozens of discussions
Polyak earns national honor for dist 212
Leyden recognized for Anniversary PR
“Really incredible”: Zoo’s new Gorilla Conservation Center brings students and animals together
Terry McCombs, Assistant Coach for East Leyden’s 1977 Football State Title, Dies
Leyden Alum Wins IPGA Senior Masters Championship
Leyden legend Jack Gregg dies at 89
Trilingual East Leyden Junior Chosen as New D212 Student Board Member
Community news pets welcomed to Morton Arboretum-burr ridge concerts and more
Elmwood Park’s Jordan Arredondo brings a lifetime of acting experience to the stage at Steppenwolf
Connect with us:
Email: pr@leyden212.org
Website: www.leyden212.org
Location: 3400 Rose Street, Franklin Park, IL, USA
Phone: 847-451-3000
Facebook: leydenpride212
Twitter: @leydenpride212
Instagram: leydenpride212
YouTube: leydenpride212