09-18-24

D128 Parents and Guardians:

We hope that your family is having a smooth start to the school year. We'd like to share a few highlights from the Sept. 9 Board of Education Committee meetings:

LHS Cafeteria Construction Update

The Board approved the bids for the LHS cafeteria and the quad bathrooms. This cafeteria will be a beautiful space that has a positive impact on our students for decades to come. Please see the renderings below.

Superintendent Search Firm Presentations

The Board heard presentations from representatives from two superintendent search firms to provide details of their search processes and related services. At its Sept. 23, 2024 meeting the Board will vote to partner with one of the firms and move forward in the process of recruiting candidates for the next D128 superintendent.

The complete recording of the committee meetings may be found on our website here. Please note that our net Board of Education meeting will be held Monday, Sept. 23 at 7:00 p.m. in the VHHS library.

Warm regards,

Raymond Lechner and Rebecca Nelson

Co-Interim Superintendents

The first district-wide Panorama check-in will be administered on Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024. As a reminder, a check-in is a very short survey that consists of three to six questions and will take students one to three minutes to complete. During the 2024-2025 school year, the D128 MTSS teams will use the check-ins to monitor students’ SEL needs, sense of belief and belonging, and overall wellbeing More information on Panorama Check-Ins can be found on the D128website.

If you have any questions, please contact Charlotte Eames, Director of Data and Assessment, at charlotte.eames@d128.org.

As we implement our new operational school calendar, we want to reiterate our commitment to supporting the diverse needs of our student body and school community. We deeply value the significance of religious observances and understand that they play a crucial role in the lives of our students and their families.

We want to ensure that all students can participate fully in their religious practices, and our teachers are dedicated to minimizing any disruptions caused by these absences. They are working diligently to ensure that students who miss class for religious reasons will have access to the necessary materials and resources to keep up with their coursework.

To help us provide the best support, we kindly ask that you inform the school in advance if your child will be absent due to a religious holiday. If your child will be missing class for a religious observance and would like to obtain materials or assignments ahead of time, please provide us with at least one week’s notice. If this isn’t possible, rest assured that any missed work can be made up upon their return.

Please call us to report an absence at the following numbers:

VHHS Attendance Office (847) 932-2400

LHS Learning Support Teams:

• A to F (847) 327-7210
• G to P (847) 327-7220
• Q to Z (847) 327-7230

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation. We are committed to promoting an inclusive and supportive learning environment for all our students.

Please join us for an opportunity to learn more about the Extended Transition Services offered at the D128 Transition Pathways Center.

When: Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024

• Self-guided tour 5:45-6:15 p.m.
• Presentation 6:15 - 7:00 p.m.

Where: Transition Pathways Center, 904B South Milwaukee Ave., Libertyville

What: Parents and students will have the opportunity to tour the Transition Pathways

building before attending a presentation about the extended Transition Services offered

through D128. We invite you to join us for this presentation, which follows the self-guided

tour, to hear from current Transition Pathways students about their experiences and to learn

more about the extended transition services available. The presentation will begin promptly

at 6:15 p.m.

We hope to see you there!

District 128 values inclusion and access for all participants and are pleased to provide reasonable accommodation for this event. Please email Christi Steiner, Transition Pathways Supervisor, at christina.steiner@d128.org, to make a reasonable accommodation request by Oct. 3, 2024.

Community High School District 128 is committed to providing a safe educational environment for our students and staff. In conjunction with providing a safe educational environment, gun safety and the prevention of gun-related injuries is an important safety issue for our students and families. According to findings from the 2021 National Firearm Survey, it is estimated that 4.6 million children live in homes with access to at least one loaded, unlocked gun. District 128 is working in conjunction with local law enforcement and elementary school districts to inform our families about gun safety and provide more safety information on the D128 website

Continue reading complete article on the D128 website.

District 128 has contracted with ReferralGPS, an organization that helps families connect with mental health and substance use-related treatment providers in the community. This service complements the support and services provided by our student services teams by assisting students and families in making connections to local counselors and therapists. Along with a searchable database of treatment options, ReferralGPS provides Care Navigation to assist families with the process of setting appointments and following up with care. ReferralGPS:

• Is an optional resource that can be accessed by District 128 staff and families at no cost.
• Is completely confidential and securely stored.
• Filters information based on the specific concern, clinician specialty and/or gender, location, and insurance.
• Is available for all types of private and public insurance options, including PPO, HMO, and Medicaid, as well as for families who are uninsured or underinsured.

If you are interested in seeking counseling or treatment options at this time, please visit ReferralGPS or contact a member of your student's LST.

D128 is organizing opportunities for students to learn more about potential career paths. This includes a speaker series and career treks.

What is a Career Trek?

A worksite tour where students have the chance to visit a workplace, connect with a local employer, hear from employees about their educational and professional pathways, and participate in work-based problems or activities. These experiences are designed to be impactful, and give students insight into what careers are possible, and forge enduring relationships between employers and students.

What is a Career Speaker Series?

A monthly opportunity for a classroom or group of students to hear directly from a business person or career professional. Allows students to gain realistic perspectives on expectations in a job and/or career field and the workplace requirements.

Learn more about the upcoming opportunities in the flyers below.

Fifteen D128 seniors have been named 2025 National Merit Semifinalists by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation. Over 1.3 million juniors in about 21,000 high schools entered the 70th annual National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the PSAT - NMSQT in October of 2023. The nationwide pool of semifinalists, representing less than one percent of US high school seniors, includes the highest scoring entrants in each state. Semifinalists will apply to become Finalists and have the opportunity to earn one of the 7,000+ National Merit Scholarships worth nearly 28 million that will be offered next Spring.

Congratulations to our semifinalists pictured below:

LHS: (seated) Chloe Yang, Lena Dogadalski, Hannah Kurien, Maya Anderson, (standing) Principal Ray Albin, Allen Wang, Alexander Brown, Hayden Mazzeno, Ahanaditya Dey.

VHHS: (from left) Percy McGrath, Madelyn Wright, Kristina Semenova, Caleb Gumminger, Lakshmi Nair, Rebecca Portwood, Lora Kashidova.

Thirty-four D128 seniors have been named College Board National Recognition Program Award recipients. The National Recognition Program celebrates 72,000 high school seniors from across the country who have met the following criteria: 3.3 or higher GPA, PSAT scores within the top 10% of assessment takers in each state, identify as Black/African American, Latino/Hispanic, Indigenous/Native, first-generation college student, or attend high school in a rural area or small town.

Congratulations to our honorees pictured below:

LHS: (seated): Makayla Boone, Vitoria Dias Martins da Costa, Enrique Norman,

(standing): Darren Szell, Caleb Hwang, Gavin Wagner. Not Pictured: Jana Abdelrahman, Josh Holst, Gicela Medina, Andrea Miron Ortiz.

VHHS: (from left) Maricel Reyes, Sydney Herrmann, Mauricio Sanchez-Cerezo, Kaloyan Spasov, Tomasz Starr, Justin Kim, Alejandro De Los Santos, Percy McGrath, TyNia Henry, Micah Trachtman, Isabella Fernandez de Ferrariis, and Daniela Gomez Anez. Not pictured: Damiana Basa-Flores, Emmanuel Botello, Jaya Conner, Eeman Dayala, Daniel Finn, Jaewook Lee, Rino Lim, Xavier Mathers, Joaquin Sarmiento, Eva Tyderek, Isaak Vela, and Alexander Williams.

Noah Hewitt (Transitions Pathways) and Luke Angelos (VHHS) were featured on last Saturday's WGN Morning News. The Unified Partners were interviewed about their participation in Special Olympics during the Special Olympics Coaster Challenge at Six Flags Great America.

The D128 Business Office received a certificate of excellence in financial reporting from the Association of School Business Officials International for its Annual Comprehensive Financial Report for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023. The award letters note, "This award represents a significant achievement and reflects your commitment to transparency and high-quality financial reporting."

The D128 Foundation for Learning invites you to the 11th annual BIG EVENT BENEFIT on Friday, Nov. 8 at Austin's Fuel Room in Libertyville from 7:00-11:00 p.m. All proceeds benefit the students of LHS, VHHS and Transition Pathways.

In addition to celebrating our newest alumni achievement award winners and fundraising for our students and teachers at LHS, VHHS and Transition Pathways, the event will feature SIDEWAYS, a LHS alumni/parent band, as our entertainment for the night!

Buy your early bird tickets by Oct. 13 at the event site.

Join the Vernon Township Mental Health Board this coming Saturday, Sept. 21 from 10:00 a.m. to noon at the Community Service Building, 2900 N. Main St., Buffalo Grove. More than 20 area agencies that provide support and services for mental health and well-being, serve individuals with developmental disabilities and those who need support regarding addiction, will be at the event to share information and answer any questions from community members. All Township residents are welcome! Learn more on the Township website.