11 minute read
News
BY AYSHE ALI
Assistant to the Adviser
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Kaneland students and staff members rely on technology to get their work done every day. Whether students are using their Chromebooks for Kahoots or teachers are using their laptops to keep students informed about their daily tasks, everyone benefits from having upto-date technology at their disposal. Over the summer, District 302 Director of Technology Tim Wolf applied for a federal grant of over 1.5 million dollars to fund new devices for students and teachers, as well as adding WiFi capabilities to all district buses. “I had this idea that if we got WiFi on buses and students could use their Chromebooks, they could treat it as a study hall. Let’s say it takes an hour to get to school and an hour to get back; you could get a lot of work done if you could use your Chromebook,” Wolf said.
A router will be installed and tested on one bus before WiFi is installed in all 64 buses. If everything runs smoothly, the buses will be WiFi 6 capable and equipped with 5G routers in hopes that students get the best quality internet that will last as long as possible.
“Many students who have extracurricular activities after school don’t always have the time to do their work at home," freshman Kirsten Johnson said. "The bus would be a great time to get work done.”
In addition to adding WiFi on all buses, the majority of the grant money is being used to provide students from fourth to twelfth grade with new Chromebooks.
“We’re allowed to get up to 3,100 Chromebooks with the grant, which will cover any of the students that have threeyear-old Chromebooks,” Wolf said. “I applied for touchscreen Chromebooks, and we were approved for that.”
While the grant money does not completely cover the cost of laptops for teachers, it aids in providing them with new devices. Social studies teacher Kelsey Flanagan believes that new laptops will give teachers the chance to work to their full potential.
“With the way that technology advances in general, I’m sure there’s technology with better processors and battery life that will make it a tool for us to use, especially since most of what we do has gone online as opposed to print materials,” Flanagan said.
The grant deadline to purchase the equipment is June 30, 2022. Students, beginning with those in fourth grade, will get their new Chromebooks next school year. And if all goes to plan, district buses will have WiFi capabilities next fall.
Photo by Ayshe Ali As we continue to move towards a future where technology usage in schools is growing, Kaneland buses are advancing as well by adding WiFi. Next year, the bus rides to and from school can be productive and helpful times for students with busy schedules.
2022 WELCOMES A NEW PRINCIPAL TO KHS
BY SOPHIA OPP
Co-Editor-in-Chief of Print
After her 19-year career at Kaneland High School, Principal Jill Maras is set to retire at the end of the 202122 school year. This means KHS will soon be introduced to a new principal for next year. A panel of administrators, teachers and community members have conducted interviews, and according to Assistant Principal Carri Oslager, the final selection is likely to be determined by the end of February at the latest.
“We will go through the process at the beginning of second semester, and we will identify someone so that person can not only come in and be introduced, but they can also work with Maras and other administrators so when they take over officially in July, they will be able to hit the ground running,” Oslager said.
Many people have a voice in this process. Students and staff have been sent surveys, there is an interview team and there are many different steps that are taken before the position is appointed.
“It starts with [Superintendent Dr. Todd Leden], and they filter through people. They get feedback from families, then we sit and talk with them and get input as it goes through there,” Oslager said.
Maras is involved with this process as well because she, more than anyone, knows what this job entails and who would be fit for the position.
“District offices ask for my input about the job description and what my recommendations for what we are looking for are, not [recommendations of] specific people. Then I step back and let them go through the process,” Maras said.
Maras will then come back into the process after the new principal has been selected to help ease their transition.
This shift may be difficult, but many people see the positive side. Oslager says a fresh pair of eyes may lead to new ideas or advancements for KHS. Choir teacher Bryan Kunstman thinks as long as our new principal shows strong leadership and communication skills, this will be a smooth transition.
“I do believe a good leader will find a way to work with everyone connected to our school to create a learning environment where everyone is supported and is proud to be a Knight,” Kunstman said.
It is too early to know who the new principal will be, but regardless, Maras and many other Kaneland staff members and students have high hopes.
“[I’m just hoping to see] compassion and genuine care for Kaneland. There is not a right or a wrong,” Maras said.
Photo by Sophia Opp Starting this July, a new principal will enter current Principal Jill Maras' office and prepare for the 202223 school year. The selection process is ongoing.
BY NICHOLAS MITCHINSON
Co-Editor-in-Chief of Print
District 302 has formed a Personalized Learning Steering Committee that includes administrators and teachers of all grades, and it is led by Personalized Learning Coordinator Laura Garland. One goal of the committee is to implement personalized learning to some degree across all Kaneland schools. The second goal is to create the Personalized Learning Academy for Kaneland students.
The Personalized Learning Academy will be officially launched in the fall of 2023 and include fourth through eighth grade students. The purpose of the academy is to take the ideas and concepts of personalized learning to the deepest level and apply them with a smaller population of students. There will initially be 50 students from fourth and fifth grade and 150 students from sixth through eighth grade. After each year, the grade above the current highest grade will be added until the academy is accommodating twelfth grade students.
Each student will be tasked with learning objectives to guide them, but it will be up to the student to choose their daily schedule and when they want to work on what. Each student will be assigned to an advisor to support them. Seventh grade teacher and committee member Kendall Lawson is pleased with the decision to incorporate personalized learning as an additional learning option for Kaneland students.
“When I think about the careers and other opportunities my current students will be competing for after high school, I know we need to be providing different experiences for students,” Lawson said. “Personalized learning is multi-faceted and has many different components, but to me, it allows for systems and structures to be entirely student-driven with the necessary support. It allows students to create their own path of learning and success.”
A major emphasis of personalized learning is letting the students have a voice in what they want to learn. Kaneland Harter Middle School Instructional Coach and committee member Charri Trembley is an active supporter of students having more choice in their learning.
“This integration of active student voice is really difficult to reach in the confines of a 43-minute period. But what if
place right after second period for 30 minutes. This time will allow students to participate in different activities as well as to get work done. The only day that won’t have a homeroom period is Wednesday, which will remain the current Wednesday schedule.
“There will be some days dedicated to students getting help from teachers and having time to reassess. Some days will be used to help address topics that are important to students and grade level activities. There will be some fun activities thrown in,” McNally said.
Assistant Principal Kristin Faber, the head of the Homeroom Committee, has been working on this plan for several years. The committee has gathered data through student surveys to figure out the best plan to benefit students.
“Students feeling connected to the school is an important indicator of long term success,” Faber said.
Students will not only have the same homeroom teacher throughout high school, but the committee wants to keep the same group of students together as well.
“I think having a homeroom is a great way of making friends,” freshman Ashley Zwick said. “If you are new to the school, it allows you to form a connection with students that you might not have gotten to know otherwise.”
The Homeroom Committee is still working on finalizing the details of the plan, however they are optimistic about what homeroom can provide for all students at Kaneland.
“I hope students view homeroom as another way that KHS cares about them,” Faber said. “And that they learn more about themselves through the four years of homeroom activities.”
you didn’t have that as a limiting factor? What if you wanted to complete your science standard in one day? To be able to immerse yourself in the information, lab and results all naturally flowing from one to the next…that’s powerful learning,” Trembley said.
Students receiving more freedom and being given the responsibility to decide when and how they want to learn can lead to skepticism from some. Garland believes that a common misunderstanding of personalized learning is that the students are left by themselves to do everything and therefore end up struggling or not achieving enough.
“Initially there is going to be a significant period of time where we teach [students] how this works, and then we start to release responsibility where they can have more say over what they learn and how they learn and the other ways in which they learn things,” Garland said. “What will be consistent is that they all still have to learn the same standards that all students do, but how they do that and the pace at which they do that and how they show mastery will all be a little different.”
HOMEROOM PERIODS STARTING NEXT YEAR
BY AYSHE ALI
Assistant to the Adviser
Kaneland High School strives to create an environment that provides students with any help they need inside and outside the classroom. Administrators are constantly thinking of new ways to offer resources to benefit students, and next school year every student at KHS will be getting a homeroom period.
Homeroom is designed to offer all students in the building an opportunity to form connections with their peers and a staff member. Every student will have one homeroom teacher throughout all four years of high school.
The bell schedule will change from eight periods to nine, and each period besides homeroom will be 45 minutes. STEP will no longer exist with the addition of homeroom. Homeroom will take
Photo by Anna Olp The Homeroom Committee meets in room C110 to discuss plans for next year. Assistant Principal Kristin Faber leads this committee.
IF YOU COULD SWITCH PLACES WITH SOMEONE FOR ONE DAY, WHO WOULD IT BE?
Sandra Garcia (Senior)
Brenna Miller (Junior)
Ethan Yost (Junior)
“I’d switch lives with my twin brother because I would want to experience the emotions he goes through each day. I would be curious to see who he is in his friend group and how a guy’s daily life differs from a girl’s.” Sophie Thill (Freshman)
