Community Connections | 6th Edition

COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS

MESSAGE FROM SUPERINTENDENT DR. KEISHA CAMPBELL

With so much going on in District 205 we look forward to providing the community with a deeper look into some of the great work happening in our schools through this Community Connections Newsletter.

One of the programs we are excited to share with you in this 6th edition is our Dual Language Program. There are so many benefits to providing a dual language program for students, both educationally and socially. The Dual Language program currently serves over 850 students and we are so excited to see the program expand to Churchville Middle School next year.

Having this story in both Spanish and English was important to us and I hope you are able to take a moment to scan the QR code that goes with story on page 3 to see the fully bilingual video of interviews with students and staff and to learn more about the Dual Language program from those who live it every day.

I’m also excited to welcome York High School Junior Kathryn Brody to the editorial team of Community Connections. Kathryn wrote

EDUCATE | EDUCAR

a great article about the new D205 CARES program being launched as a result of the $249,000 grant the district received from the Illinois Department of Public Health this winter. Access to mental health support is important and we are grateful to have this opportunity to not only help break down financial barriers that prevent students from obtaining mental health services, but also offer alternative support for students who wish to seek resources beyond in-school programs.

It’s hard to believe that it is already time to start thinking about registration for next school year! Registration for NEW families has begun and registration for returning D205 students will open in early March. Our new registration video guide will help walk parents and guardians through the registration process and will answer any questions you may have. Registration for summer programming is also currently available. Don’t miss out on the many amazing options offered to help make your student’s summer both fun and educational!

I am so proud of all of our students and grateful to have the opportunity to see them grow and achieve so much throughout their journey of excellence in D205!

Sincerely,

Dr. Keisha Campbell

District 205 offers robust summer programming options for ALL students! With courses that will allow your student to prepare for the next year, catch up from last year, or explore some new areas, you are sure to find something for your student.

Classes offered include math, reading, STEM, athletics, and fine arts. Courses will be focused on relearning, exploration, and acceleration for a diverse array of students.

All Summer Programs are currently scheduled to begin on Monday, June 3, 2024. We invite all families in District 205 to join Us! Scan this QR code to learn more!

EDUCATE

THE D205 DUAL LANGUAGE JOURNEY

MISSION

For all students to develop biliteracy and bilingualism, obtain high levels of academic achievement, and foster cultural competence in order to succeed in a global society and be college, career, and life ready.

By: Tonya Daniels

According to research on dual language education, there are a number of proven benefits for students who participate in a dual language program. For instance, engagement in a dual language learning environment affords students with the opportunity to develop bilingualism, biliteracy, and a greater cultural understanding among English learners and non-English learners - setting a student up for success, starting in elementary school.

Armed with this information, and a mission to serve all students with a high-quality education, District 205 implemented a dual language program in kindergarten at Conrad Fischer Elementary School in 2016. Since then, the program has moved up one grade level per year. Currently serving over 850 English learners, the program utilizes a two-way dual language model to deliver bilingual programming for English learners with Spanish as their home language.

We asked Morgan Folliard, fourth grade dual language teacher at Conrad Fischer Elementary School, to share some of the benefits she has seen from the program. “I could go on and on about the benefits

of dual language that I have witnessed at Fischer and in dual language in general,” she shared. “It really helps them academically, but also socioculturally. They have that sociocultural competence and it’s really beautiful to see them understanding other cultures, making connections between root words and prefixes and suffixes. It’s really worth it when you see the beauty of combining two languages every day rather than a traditional monolingual program.”

Dr. Efraín Martínez, Principal at Conrad Fischer Elementary School was beaming with pride for his students and staff as he spoke about the program. “Let me tell you, being an educator at Fischer, you need to have a special heart. Our teachers, our staff, our personnel are so dedicated and you need a special heart because you always have to think in two ways. You have to work a little bit more to make sure that you’re gathering the attention of both the Spanish and the English speaker, the different cultures and communities and levels of acquisition. It takes a lot of work to be an educator at Fischer, but it makes you a very special educator. I’m so proud of our team.”

In dual language twoway program models, there is a balance of language representation with a mix of students with English as a home language and students with Spanish as a home

language. This provides teachers with opportunities to use effective language models across the two languages, and support that biliteracy and bilingualism.

“The district uses a variety of programs to provide English learners with access to developing language and literacy proficiency in English with native language support while mastering gradelevel academic content,” shared Katie Lyons, Executive Director of Elementary Education in District 205. “In our district, the two-way dual language program is a transitional bilingual program based on research, a highly effective model for our students with Spanish as their home language.”

We sat down with some students in the Dual Language program and asked them about their experiences and what they liked most about the program. “It makes me comfortable because I can find kids that have my exact hobbies and with my language, so I can connect with people without even knowing them,” shared Edward Vasquez Hernandez, a fourth grade Dual Language student at Fischer. He continued, “What I like about speaking two languages in class is that I can get topics easier. For like science, Spanish, or like biographies, English. I can learn these different things, and I can use what I learned at home.”

All of the students that we talked to shared that one of the components that they appreciated the most was that it was an environment where they can help each other learn. “I like it because if someone needs help, like if they’re reading a book and they don’t know how to pronounce a word, I can help them,” shared Cristobal Ortiz Jr, who is in fifth grade at Fischer.

Whether speaking with students or staff, everyone who has been a part of the program feels pride to be a part of something that truly honors and celebrates diversity. Reflecting on the program, Nina Delgado, Kindergarten Dual Language Teacher said, “I feel that as a kindergarten teacher we see a ton of growth from the beginning of the school year to the very end and to see my students flourish through their path and their journey in education from the beginning of the school year where everything is also new from the school, the classroom, the content to the end of the year where now they’re reading and writing and forming conversations and developing friendships in English and in Spanish is truly empowering and, more than anything, is impressive and I am very proud of all of the students.”

The District is very excited that the first cohort of kindergarten students who are now in fifth grade dual language programming at Conrad Fischer will be moving into dual language in sixth grade at Churchville Middle School.

The progression of dual language programming to middle school is that students in fifth grade will then transition to sixth grade dual language at Churchville Middle School where they will continue their dual language experience. This will afford opportunities for students to engage in coursework in Spanish as well as in English to promote bilingualism and continue to foster a global perspective and affirm diverse perspectives.

El trayecto del lenguaje dual en el Distrito 205

MISIÓN

Que todos los estudiantes desarrollen la bialfabetización y el bilingüismo, obtengan altos niveles de rendimiento académico y fomenten la competencia cultural para tener éxito en una sociedad global y estar preparados para la universidad, la carrera y la vida.

De acuerdo con la investigación sobre educación bilingüe, hay varios beneficios probados para los estudiantes que participan en un programa de lenguaje dual. Por ejemplo, la participación en un ambiente de aprendizaje bilingüe brinda a los estudiantes la oportunidad de desarrollar el bilingüismo, la bialfabetización y una mejor comprensión cultural entre los aprendices de inglés y los estudiantes que ya hablan ingléspreparando a los estudiantes para el éxito, desde la escuela primaria.

Con esta información, y con la misión de brindar una educación de alta calidad a todos los estudiantes, el Distrito 205 implementó un programa de lenguaje dual en kínder en

Scan the QR code with your phone to watch interviews with the Principal, teachers and students.

Escanee el código QR con su teléfono para ver entrevistas con el director, las maestras y los estudiantes.

la Escuela Primaria Conrad Fischer en 2016. Desde entonces, el programa ha avanzado un nivel de grado por año. Actualmente, atendiendo a más de 850 aprendices de inglés, el programa utiliza un modelo de lenguaje dual doble vía para ofrecer programación bilingüe a los estudiantes de inglés con el español como su lengua materna.

Le pedimos a Morgan Folliard, maestra de cuarto grado en el programa de lenguaje dual en la Escuela Primaria Conrad Fischer, que compartiera algunos de los beneficios que ha visto en el programa. “Podría hablar sin parar sobre los beneficios del lenguaje dual que he presenciado en Fischer y en lenguaje dual en general”, compartió. “Realmente les ayuda académicamente,

EDUCATE | EDUCAR

pero también socioculturalmente. Tienen esa competencia sociocultural y es realmente hermoso verlos comprender otras culturas, hacer conexiones entre raíces de palabras y prefijos y sufijos. Realmente vale la pena cuando ves la belleza de combinar dos idiomas todos los días en lugar de un programa monolingüe tradicional”.

El Dr. Efraín Martínez, director de la Escuela Primaria Conrad Fischer, estaba lleno de orgullo por sus estudiantes y su personal cuando habló sobre el programa. “Déjame decirte, ser educador en Fischer requiere tener un corazón especial. Nuestros maestros, nuestro personal son muy dedicados y necesitas un corazón especial porque siempre tienes que pensar de dos maneras. Tienes que trabajar un poco más para asegurarte de captar la atención tanto del hablante de español como del hablante de inglés, las diferentes culturas, comunidades y niveles de adquisición. Se necesita mucho trabajo para ser educador en Fischer, pero te convierte en un educador muy especial. Estoy muy orgulloso de nuestro equipo”.

En los modelos de programas de lenguaje dual doble vía, existe un equilibrio de representación del idioma con una combinación de estudiantes angloparlantes y estudiantes hispanohablantes. Esto brinda a los maestros oportunidades para utilizar modelos lingüísticos efectivos en los dos idiomas y apoyar esa bialfabetización y bilingüismo.

“El distrito utiliza una variedad de programas para proporcionar a los aprendices de inglés acceso al desarrollo de la proficiencia en el idioma y la alfabetización en inglés con apoyo en su lengua materna mientras dominan el contenido académico a nivel de grado”, compartió Katie Lyons, directora ejecutiva de Educación Primaria en el Distrito 205. “En nuestro distrito, el programa de lenguaje dual doble vía es un programa bilingüe de transición basado en investigaciones, el modelo más efectivo para nuestros estudiantes hispanohablantes”.

Nos sentamos con algunos estudiantes del programa de Lenguaje Dual y les preguntamos sobre sus experiencias y qué es lo que más les gusta del programa. “Me hace sentir cómodo porque puedo encontrar niños que tienen exactamente mis mismos pasatiempos y con mi idioma, así que puedo conectarme con personas sin siquiera conocerlas”, compartió

Edward Vásquez Hernández, un estudiante de cuarto grado en el programa de Lenguaje Dual en Fischer. Continuó diciendo: “Lo que me gusta de hablar dos idiomas en clase es que puedo entender los temas más fácilmente. Para ciencias, español, o biografías, inglés. Puedo aprender cosas diferentes y puedo usar lo que aprendí en casa”.

Todos los estudiantes con los que hablamos compartieron que uno de los componentes que más apreciaban era que era un ambiente en el que podían ayudarse unos a otros a aprender. “Me gusta porque si alguien necesita ayuda, como si están leyendo un libro y no saben cómo pronunciar una palabra, puedo ayudarlos”, compartió Cristóbal Ortiz Jr, quien está en quinto grado en Fischer.

Una cosa está clara, ya sea hablando con los estudiantes o el personal, todos los que han sido parte del programa sienten honor y orgullo de ser parte de algo que realmente honra y celebra la diversidad. Reflexionando sobre el programa, Nina Delgado, maestra de Kínder de Lenguaje Dual, dijo: “Siento que como maestra de kínder vemos un montón de crecimiento desde el principio del año escolar hasta el final y ver a mi estudiante prosperar a través de su camino y su viaje en la educación desde el principio del año escolar donde todo también es nuevo desde la escuela, el aula, el contenido hasta el final del año donde ahora están leyendo y escribiendo y formando conversaciones y desarrollando amistades en inglés y en español. Es realmente empoderador y, más que nada, es impresionante y estoy muy orgullosa de todos los estudiantes”. El distrito está muy emocionado de que el primer grupo de estudiantes de kínder que ahora están en quinto grado en el programa de lenguaje dual en Conrad Fischer pasarán al lenguaje dual en sexto grado en la Escuela Intermedia Churchville.

La progresión de la programación de lenguaje dual a la escuela intermedia es que los estudiantes de quinto grado luego harán la transición al lenguaje dual de sexto grado en la escuela intermedia de Churchville, donde continuarán su experiencia de lenguaje dual y tendrán oportunidades para participar en cursos en español, así como en inglés para apoyar la bialfabetización y el bilingüismo y continuar fomentando esa perspectiva global y afirmando perspectivas diversas.

ENGAGE

D205 Registration is Open for NEW STUDENTS

Returning student registration, including students currently enrolled at Madison Early Childhood Center, to open in March

New Student Registration is as easy as 1, 2, 3!

STEP 1

Create your PowerSchool Enrollment account by visiting our student registration page which can be found under the resources tab of our District website, www. elmhurst205.org or by scanning the QR code below. This begins the online enrollment process.

If you receive an error when creating a PowerSchool Enrollment account that states ‘Your email address is already in use’, please click on the ‘Forgot Password’ link. You will receive an email from PowerSchool Enrollment with a link to create a new password. Once logged into your PowerSchool Enrollment account, please click on ‘Add Student’.

Please be sure to fill in the required fields on every page. When all fields are completed, the summary page will have green checkmarks for each form and you will be able to submit your registration. Once submitted you will receive a confirmation email.

STEP 2

After filling out the online registration you then need to bring all required registration documents into your neighborhood school. A list of all required registration documents can be found by visiting our student registration page and clicking on ‘forms’. All documents must be submitted in person.

Registration documents include residency verification, health documentation, age verification and other important information. Please note that your registration is not complete until all required documents have been submitted to your school.

If you are unsure which school is your neighborhood school, please visit the registration page on our website at www.elmhurst205.org to view our interactive boundary map. Please note that this tool is for informational purposes only. If you are unsure, please contact the District Office at (630) 834-4530 to confirm your boundaries.

STEP 3

Once you have submitted all documents to the school, and your student’s registration is confirmed, you will receive an email with a link to create your official PowerSchool Parent Portal account.

Please note that the contact information used to create your PowerSchool Parent Portal account is then automatically used to create your ParentSquare account - the mass communications tool for all District and school communications, and your PushCoin account - the D205 student fee management system.

Our new registration video and guidebook were designed to help walk parents and guardians through the registration process and answer any questions you may have. You can access both of these tools by scanning these QR codes. If you have any additional questions throughout the registration process, please contact your neighborhood school.

Thank you for entrusting us with the privilege of nurturing your child’s growth and development. We are confident that kindergarten will be a memorable and enriching year for your family, and we can’t wait to embark on this educational journey together.

Here’s to a fantastic kindergarten year of learning, laughter, and lasting memories!

D205 CARES ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH

By: Kathryn Brody

With 25 social workers, 21 counselors, and 19 psychologists and various student support groups, Elmhurst Community Unit School District 205 has more mental health resources than ever before. On October 26, 2023, a new mental health program was announced in a District press release. In contrast to previous mental health initiatives in the District, this program goes beyond inschool resources.

The grant of $249,000 dollars will go towards the newly instated Elmhurst Community Advocacy, Resilience, Engagement and Supports (CARES) program. These five key components are reflected in the mission of the program, to provide referral services and outside mental health services for low income students in the community. In addition to connecting families to mental health care providers that correspond with their financial and emotional needs, the grant will pay for the first eight sessions of this outside counseling.

“If you are a student who may be experiencing mental health issues, want to connect with a provider, but you need additional assistance, you would be able to connect through the program Referral GPS,” Dr. Kevin Rubenstein, Assistant Superintendent for Student Services, said.

Referral GPS is a web-based service that uses insurance data and individual health care needs to connect families to mental health care providers in their community. Through this application, mental health professionals within the district will be able to identify individuals as students in District 205, and offer financial assistance accordingly.

“There is a whole group of students that, because of their financial status, barriers within their family or because of stigma related to mental health, have never had access to a mental health provider,” Rubenstein said. “Through this grant and this program, we will be able to provide students with services that are so important on a day-to-day basis.”

With 16 percent of students in the district coming from low income families, according to the 2023 Illinois School Report Card, lack of financial resources poses a threat to more than 1,000 students in the community. These students were brought into great

consideration when deciding who this grant serves.

“We are going to start out by targeting students from low income backgrounds,” Rubenstein said. “We know that students from low income backgrounds have the most barriers when receiving mental health services.”

Being able to access mental health services can be expensive. By covering the cost of eight counseling meetings, this grant will save financially underprivileged students and families hundreds of dollars.

“I’m excited that Referral GPS can be something that District 205 families can utilize,” Deirdre Devlin, social worker at York Community High School, said. “We don’t want barriers for people trying to receive mental health support, and[Referral GPS is an online system that will look at insurance and find an appropriate fit. If there are more specific supports that you are looking for, it will identify local providers. It does a lot of the work for families in a more efficient way.”

This grant will help break down the financial barriers that prevent students from trying to obtain mental health services. However, it will also offer alternative support for students who wish to seek mental health resources beyond in-school programs.

“I know from my position in the district

that the number of students who need additional support relating to mental health is significant,” Rubenstein said. “The district isn’t always able to provide all the services for every single student on a day-to-day basis. We have a lot of resources, but there are also a lot of resources in our community. We need to link the two together.”

York has an abundance of mental health support opportunities available to all students. For example, York offers groups for those with anxiety or who want to improve their executive functioning skills. Additionally, students are able to meet with their counselors and social workers regularly. However, school isn’t always the place where students want to address mental health.

“Some students are really open to receiving mental health support throughout the school day,” Devlin said. “However, we have found that for some students, the school setting doesn’t feel like the right environment for them to be able to tap into those supports.”

With the abundance of students in need of mental health support, along with so many students not feeling comfortable in receiving that help at school, the district has begun putting a lot of resources towards the referral process.

“Your social workers and school counselors are going to have some additional resources at

Kathryn Brody is a junior at York High School and member of the editorial board for ThisIsYork.org. She is interested in a future in communications and media. Kathryn is the primary photographer for ThisIsYork.org and the York-Hi. She enjoys sharing the stories of others through her interviews and articles in ThisIsYork. Kathryn is also heavily involved at York through her participation on the speech team and various athletics.

their fingertips,” Rubenstein said. “While it’s not through this grant, all of our school social workers and school counselors are being trained in mental health first aid, which is a brand new program this year.”

Throughout the months of November and December, student services faculty have attended in-person sessions that equip them with the skills and resources to properly approach mental health emergencies. The national program works to teach school faculty how to better respond to signs of mental illness or substance abuse. York intends to use this program to gain more insight on the referral process.

“Even though some of us have been working in student services for a while, I appreciate that the district wants to keep us fresh,” Devlin said. “Trends change with what students might be experiencing. It’s always good to have those refreshers. It’s a nice opportunity when we receive that outside training to collaborate with outside districts.”

The student services team is working hard to provide programs that cater to the ever changing needs of students. One of the ways that they do this is by forming strong student-faculty relationships.

“We have a significant focus on making sure that our students have the support in school, to feel safe and secure from a physical and emotional standpoint,” Rubenstein said. “Our teaching staff connect with our students on a day-to-day basis to create a culture of belonging.”

Teachers play an important role in creating an encouraging and healthy environment for students as well. By interacting with students five days a week, teachers influence students in many different ways.

EXCELLENT EDUCATORS

“I share my struggles with my classes so that students can see it’s okay to struggle,” Alisha Bhimji, math teacher, said. “We should be talking about mental health more often. Teachers recognize their students and watch out for those who are struggling.”

Bhimji is a strong mental health advocate at the school. As someone who is vocal about her mental health struggles, she works hard to create an environment where students can openly talk about their struggles. Seeing students on a daily basis puts teachers in a position to check in with students and refer them to counselors if necessary.

“I think we should be checking in with students, asking them to reflect on how they are,” Bhimji said. “Anything that can help students get in touch with their feelings, and recognize what they are feeling, is a good thing.”

By working with students and counselors directly, teachers act as a bridge between the two, and offer valuable reference points when determining what supports students may need. The different levels of support within the school will all play an important role in making mental health resources available to all.

“Our superintendent is responsible for demonstrating just how much our students mean to us on a day to day basis, and that flows right to our classroom level,” Rubenstein said. “Our teachers are trying so hard to connect to every single student on a day-to-day basis, and our students are working really hard to connect to our teachers. This grant program is just going to make all of that much easier, so everyone is able to work together at different levels.”

JOIN THE D205 JOURNEY OF EXCELLENCE!

ALONG THE D205 JOURNEY OF EXCELLENCE

Meet Erin Howe! Erin is a Library Media Specialist at Jefferson Elementary School where she has worked for three years. You can’t help but feel the excitement when you are talking with her about what she loves about her job and working at Jefferson Elementary School. Library Media Specialists are an integral part of the D205 Journey of Excellence. Working with students throughout their entire education in elementary school, Library Media Specialists have an impact in building a student’s love for reading, introducing them to a magical world of creativity in the MakerSpace and Project Lead the Way classes, and bringing ideas to life as they expand problem solving and creative thinking. Scan the QR code to learn more about what Ms. Howe thinks is the best part of being a Library Media Specialist in District 205.

We are regularly hiring for administrative, teaching, support staff, and other positions in each of our buildings. There is currently a high need for applicants in the following areas:

 Special Education Teachers

 Educational Assistants

 Lunch/Recess Supervisors

 Custodians

 Substitute Nurses

Interested people should apply online at https:// qrco.de/D205Jobs, or by scanning this QR code.

www.elmhurst205.org | info@elmhurst205.com | 630.834.4530 | 162 S. York Street Elmhurst, IL 60126

@ElmhurstD205 | #WeAreD205

BOARD OF EDUCATION

boardofeducation@elmhurst205.org

COURTENAE TRAUTMANN, SECRETARY

Committees: Policy - Chair Safety

KARA CAFORIO

Committees: Finance LEND

ATHENA ARVANITIS PRESIDENT

Committees: Parent-Teacher Advisory/ Behavioral Interventions - Chair

JIM COLLINS

Committee: Finance - Chair

EDUCATION RECOVERY SCORECARD ANALYSIS

BETH HOSLER VICE PRESIDENT

Committees: Policy, IASB Representative SASED Gov Board

KELLY ASSEFF

Committees: Parent-Teacher Advisory/ Behavioral Interventions Finance

DR. KELLY HENRY

Committees:

Parent-Teacher Advisory/ Behavioral Interventions Policy

Researchers at Stanford and Harvard recently conducted research measuring the pace of academic recovery during the 2022-23 school year for school districts in 30 states, including Illinois. This district-level analysis shows that U.S. students achieved historic gains in math and reading during the 2022-23 school year, the first full year of recovery from the pandemic.

According to the report, the analysis compared standardized test scores from over 8,000 school districts from 2019 through 2023 utilizing a method which puts the test scores from each state’s tests onto a common scale and converts proficiency rates to “grade levels” of achievement. This comparison allows the measurement of changes in test scores between 2019 and 2023 on a common, interpretable scale for all school districts in these 30 states, despite the fact that they use different tests and proficiency thresholds. Scan the QR code to see how ambitious instruction, paired with aligned high-quality curriculum resources and targeted professional learning opportunities for our teachers, have helped drive tremendous results for D205 students.