Daniel Wright

Daniel Wright Junior High School continues to stand out for academic excellence, earning the #17 ranking in Illinois in the 2027 U.S. News & World Report Best Middle Schools rankings. With nearly 1,000 middle and junior high schools across the state, this recognition places Daniel Wright among the top 2 percent of Illinois schools.

U.S. News & World Report evaluates schools based on student performance on state-required assessments, including achievement in mathematics and reading, while considering how well schools serve students from different backgrounds.

“I could not be prouder of our teachers and staff. Their dedication, passion, and genuine love for what they do and the students they serve never cease to amaze me. While this recognition is certainly something to celebrate, our staff will always be #1 in my book. I see firsthand the countless ways they go above and beyond each day to make a difference in the lives of our students. This achievement belongs to them, our students, and the families who make Daniel Wright such a special community,” said Principal Jessica Groncki.

Added Superintendent Dr. Katie Reynolds, “I am incredibly proud of the Daniel Wright staff, students, and families. Our teachers and staff work hard every day to challenge and support our students, and our students rise to that challenge in so many ways. We are fortunate to have families who partner with us and reinforce the importance of learning, growth, and perseverance. This recognition is a reflection of the entire Daniel Wright community, and I hope everyone takes a moment to celebrate this accomplishment. While rankings are one way to recognize a school's success, what matters most is the difference we make in the lives of our students each day.”

If you are wearing a costume to school on Friday, Oct. 30, please adhere to these expectations:

• Keep it School Appropriate.

• No Weapons, props, or look-alikes

• No drugs, alcohol

• Avoid violence (blood, characters)

• No masks or inflatables that hide your face

• No items resembling drugs or drug paraphrenalia

• Nothing revealing - School dress code applies

• No short shorts

• No stomachs showing

• You may be asked to change if you do not follow these expectations.

• If you have any questions, please ask a teacher.

Daniel Wright Junior High School will hold its annual Treat Day on Friday, Oct. 30, during students’ lunch period. In partnership with the D103 PTO, we will be providing each student with a small treat bag containing:

• Oreo Cookie
• Fun Dip
• Jolly Rancher Candy
• Airheads Candy

View the ingredients

If you would prefer that your student not receive a treat bag, please complete our opt-out form.

DW and the D103 PTO, in conjunction with Anderson's Bookshop, welcomed author Struan Murray this week. Mr. Murray engaged sixth-graders about his career as an author and invited participation in designing the cover of a book. Mr. Murray's books and other favorites can be purchased through Anderson's Book Fair Company with a portion of the sales going back to the school.

This week, the Administrative Team, teachers, students, Board of Education members, and community representatives came together for the third and final session of our strategic planning process. Building on feedback from an earlier Board discussion this month, the group worked to develop a shared understanding of each proposed goal and identify the observable “look-fors” and “feel-fors” that will help us recognize successful implementation.

We also continued our work to refine D103’s core values. These shared principles will guide how we make decisions, set priorities, and allocate resources across the district. Our values are intended to guide the decisions and actions of the adults in D103, including the Board of Education, administrators, school leaders, and staff. They are distinct from our Portrait of a Graduate, which describes the knowledge, skills, and attributes we want our students to develop. Our values help guide the choices we make to create the learning environments and opportunities that support those outcomes.

What’s Next? The Administrative Team will now finalize the proposed strategic goals and success criteria to present to the Board of Education. Following Board approval of the final strategic plan, the team will work through the first half of 2027 to develop action plans that outline the specific strategies, steps, and measures needed to bring the goals to life.

Thank you to everyone who has contributed their time, feedback, and perspective throughout this process. Your input is helping shape a strategic plan that reflects our shared priorities and keeps student learning and well-being at the center of our work.

Please take a moment to share your feedback on the Fall 2026 conferences by completing this conference survey. The survey will remain open through Thursday, Nov. 12. Your input is valuable and will help guide decisions about conference formats in the future.

Students are invited to join in Neon Nights from 3:45 to 5:00 p.m. Friday, Nov. 6, in the DW Cafeteria and gyms. Hosted by DW's Leaders in Learning Student Council, this event with dancing, sports, and friendly competitions is sure to be a blast!

• Tickets are $5 and are available on the RevTrak Web Store through Wednesday, Nov. 4.

District 103 is offering a discount to families to purchase its retired iPads on Thursday, Oct. 29.

• The sale is being conducted by the district's partner company, Secured Tech Solutions, which is where families may view the iPads for sale.
• The 15% discount code LPV15 will be applied to one iPad only.

There will be an option to choose different "grades" on the iPads, such as "Excellent," "Good," and "Proven." Their grades are based on cosmetic issues, not on functionality of the device.

If you need to pick up your student for an appointment between 3:20 p.m. and the end of the school day, please plan to arrive before 3:20 p.m.

The end of the day is a very busy time, and early pick ups can interfere with bus traffic and the dismissal process. We also cannot guarantee that we can retrieve students from their classrooms so close to the end of the day.

If you arrive after 3:20 p.m., please plan to pick up your student at their grade-level exit doors at 3:35 p.m.

Additionally, any changes to your child’s dismissal plans (such as being picked up instead of taking the bus) should be communicated to the office before 3:15 p.m. to ensure the message can be relayed to your child promptly and accurately.

We understand that emergencies happen, and in those situations, we will always do our best to assist. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation in helping us ensure a safe and smooth dismissal for all students!

Principal Jessica Groncki will be collecting T-shirt designs between now and Wednesday, Nov. 4, from eighth-graders. On Friday, Nov. 6, Mrs. Groncki will send a Google form where students can vote on their favorite design.

Guidelines for T-Shirt Design

• Students may create a T-shirt design either digitally or as a hand-drawn artwork on paper.

• For digital designs, please use a minimum resolution of 300 DPI.

• For hand-drawn designs, ensure the artwork does not exceed 11” x 11” in size.

• Limit your design to 1-3 solid colors.

• Use clean, bold lines. Thin or intricate lines may be difficult to reproduce on a T-shirt.

• Any inappropriate, graphic, or non-school appropriate language will be immediately disqualified.

• Be creative! All artwork must be original, created by the student submitting it, and not generated by AI.

Please email your design to Mrs. Groncki at jgroncki@d103.org by Wednesday, Nov. 4 by 5:00 p.m.

Join District 103 Sunday, Nov. 15, for a day of fun at a Chicago Wolves hockey game. Everyone will receive a free Chicago Wolves hat and be seated together in the same section. Our group name will also be on the LED boards during the game. Join us after the game for an autograph session from select Wolves players.

Purchase tickets today at d103pto.org. Act now; ticket sales will close on Friday, Nov. 6, at 11:00 p.m. After the completion of the sale, tickets will be emailed to your address on file with Membership Toolkit.

Our D103 PTO will set up a booth at the village's Boo Bash from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. Friday, Oct. 30, and will need help overseeing tattoo stenciling. Come join us and help promote the PTO to our community!

All D103 families are welcome to join this Halloween event sponsored by the Village of Lincolnshire. For event information, please see the Village of Lincolnshire website.

Sign up to volunteer @ d103pto.org

We are excited to announce that Key Club is hosting its Annual Community-Wide Trunk-or-Treat Celebration on Friday, Oct. 30, from 4:30 to 6:00 p.m. at Adlai E. Stevenson High School (Lot C). Please join us at this event, a safe environment for children in our surrounding area to enjoy Halloween by dressing up and trick-or-treating from creatively decorated cars. There will also be entertaining games, music, snacks, and activities like face painting, fake Halloween tattoos, and a Halloween costume parade.

The Stevenson High School Dance Department invites eighth-graders to participate in a free Dance 1 class on Saturday, Nov. 21, from 10:00 to 11:45 a.m. in Dance Studio 2112. This opportunity will allow incoming students to experience a beginner-level dance class and get a glimpse of what dance is like at SHS. Participants should wear comfortable clothing suitable for dancing, such as leggings, yoga pants, sweatpants, and a tank top or T-shirt. Dance shoes are not required, and water bottles are highly encouraged! Registration is now open, and students are welcome to invite a friend to join them.

• Space is limited, so advanced registration is encouraged.

Register now for Vernon Area Public Library for adult AI classes.

• Beyond the Bots: A Tour of the AI Landscape, Sunday, Nov. 10, from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Drop by the Vernon Area Public Library between 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 14, for a fandom celebration! There will be activities for all ages, including gaming, crafts, STEM stations, cosplayers, storytime, and more. This year features special guests: award-winning comic book artist Gene Ha and Anne and Luke Horwath from LEGO Masters season 5. Costumes are encouraged, but not required. Get all the details at VAPLD.info/MiniComicCon.

• Daniel Wright Calendar of Events
• Daily School Announcements
• Archived Newsletters
• Facebook
• YouTube

Principals


• Mrs. Jessica Groncki, Principal
• Mrs.Nicole Barba, Assistant Principal

• Mr. David Herlocker, Assistant Principal of Student Services

Reporting an Absence
• 847-604-5280
• Dw_attendance@d103.org