Recent News Articles for River Forest Public Schools - District 90

State of the District presentation—February 15, 7 P.M.

sullivank — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 13:28:51 +0000

Superintendent Dr. Ed Condon and the administrative team will share the successes of District 90, as well as the areas in which the District aspires to show further growth.

Wednesday, February 15, 2012
7:00 - 8:15 P.M.
Roosevelt Middle School Auditorium
7560 Oak Avenue
Light refreshments will be served

The evening will include an overview of District 90, presented by Dr. Condon, followed by brief breakout sessions on District finances and construction, and on curriculum, instruction, and student services. You will have an opportunity to hear both breakout sessions if you wish. We look forward to seeing you!

All District schools win 2011 Academic Excellence Awards

sullivank — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 17:46:02 +0000

For the fourth year in a row, each of the three District 90 schools has received an Academic Excellence Award from the Illinois State Board of Education. Across the state, 438 public schools—or just over 10 percent of those in the state—received the award for 2011.

To earn an Academic Excellence Award, schools must meet the following criteria:

They must have made Adequate Yearly Progress in 2010 and 2011 as required by No Child Left Behind.
In schools serving grades 8 and below, 90 percent of students must have met or exceeded state standards in both reading and mathematics for the three most recent school years.

Summer School dates announced

sullivank — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 18:03:42 +0000

As you begin to make summer plans, please take note of the following dates for summer school:

Thursday, June 7: First day of summer school classes
Wednesday, July 4: No classes
Friday, July 6: Last day of classes

Kindergarten through grade 4 classes will take place at Willard, while those for grades 5-8 will meet at Lincoln. More information about specific class offerings will be available on the District website in early spring.

School Board decides against full-day kindergarten

sullivank — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 03:10:13 +0000

At its January 23, 2012, Business meeting, the School Board voted 6-1 against pursuing an extended-day kindergarten program. To read a letter from Superintendent Dr. Ed Condon explaining the rationale behind his recommendation not to pursue such a program, please click here.

Pick up your kindergarten registration packet!

sullivank — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 16:14:28 +0000

Kindergarten registration for the 2012-2013 school year begins Friday, February 3, 2012. To be eligible for kindergarten, a child must turn 5 on or before September 1, 2012.

Kindergarten registration packets are now available and should be completed prior to turning in on February 3. Families with students currently attending District 90 schools can pick up packets in the Lincoln and Willard Elementary School offices. Families/students who are NEW to River Forest and District 90 Schools should pick up a residency packet AND a registration packet at the District 90 Administration Office (7776 Lake St.).

Residents who live north of Chicago Avenue attend Willard Elementary School (1250 Ashland), while those who live south of Chicago Avenue attend Lincoln Elementary School (511 Park).

Kindergarten packets should be turned in to the appropriate school office on Kindergarten Registration Day, which is Friday, February 3, 2012, between the hours of 8:00 – 11:25 a.m. and 12:25 – 4:00 p.m.

If you have any questions, please call 708-771-8282.

New vaccine requirements for middle schoolers

sullivank — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 21:35:57 +0000

The Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) has notified school districts that new rules on immunizations for middle and high school students have just been approved. Under the new rules, all students entering sixth grade must show proof of having received one dose of the Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, acellular pertussis) vaccine, regardless of the interval since his or her last DTaP, DT, or Td dose. Additionally, students entering seventh through twelfth grade who have not already received Tdap are required to receive one Tdap dose regardless of the interval since the last DTaP, DT, or Td dose.

Note that there is a difference between Tdap and DTaP. While both vaccines contain inactivated forms of disease, DTaP is aimed at giving children under age 7 immunity to diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (better known as whooping cough). Tdap, on the other hand, is a booster immunization that has a reduced dose of the diphtheria and pertussis vaccines; its purpose is to offer continued protection from the three diseases for adolescents starting at the age of 11 or 12 and adults through age 64.

Many middle and high school students may need an updated immunization in order to comply with the revised rules. Please check with your child’s physician to determine whether your child has received the appropriate immunization. Proof of immunization must be given to the school nurse prior to the start of the 2012-2013 school year; you may submit that documentation now for next school year.

To download a PDF with the IDHS rules on diphtheria, pertussis, and tetanus immunization, click here. Please note that although the rules state that proof of Tdap was required for the 2011-2012 school year, the rules were only just approved and therefore were not in force during the current year.

2011 State Report Cards available

sullivank — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 20:35:13 +0000

The 2011 State Report Cards, which include such information as demographics, class size, and percent of students meeting and exceeding state standards, are now available by clicking the links below:

District wins Bright A+ Award

sullivank — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 11:05:10 +0000

For the 13^th year in a row, District 90 has received the SchoolSearch Bright A+ Award for academic excellence. Only 59 of 868 school districts in Illinois received the award.

SchoolSearch is an educational and research consulting firm that publishes handbooks with comparative school district information, commonly used by corporations for relocating families. District 90 has won the award every year since SchoolSearch began giving it out in 1999.

The award is given to Illinois schools that fall into the top 5 percent of the state academically. For elementary schools, the award is based on districts’ average percentage of 3^rd through 8^th grade students who meet or exceed standards on the Illinois Standards Achievement Tests for reading and math. This year’s award was based on the 2010 Illinois School Report Card data, which shows that, on average, 81 percent of students in Illinois meet or exceed the standards. In comparison, 95 percent of District 90 students meet or exceed the standards.

“Creating a learning environment where children excel requires a high level of commitment on the part of many people, from talented teachers and hard-working students to engaged parents and a supportive community,” said Superintendent Dr. Edward Condon. “Receiving this award says a lot about the staff, families, and community members who have worked so hard to create high-quality schools for the children of River Forest.”

Friday Photo has moved

sullivank — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 09:46:23 +0000

We've created a new Communications tab on the District website, where you'll now find the Friday Photo, as well as the current issues of all our publications, including the Primer, all three principals' newsletters, Board Highlights, and the community postcard that is snail-mailed to your home. Visit the new page by clicking here.

Whose class appears in this week's Friday photo?

sullivank — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 12:20:54 +0000

To check out our new Friday Photo feature, go to the Our Schools tab on the District homepage or click here.

Read highlights of the September 19 Board meeting

sullivank — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 20:11:09 +0000

Highlights of the September 19, 2011, Board of Education Business meeting are available by clicking here.

Check out our new Friday Photo page!

sullivank — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 20:16:13 +0000

Each Friday, we'll be posting a photo of an activity that took place in our schools that week. The first Friday Photo is from the fifth-grade Adventure Education trip on Tuesday. You can find the Friday Photo page under the "Our Schools" tab on the District and school homepages, or by clicking here. Enjoy, and have a great weekend!

Next Board meeting: Monday, September 19

sullivank — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 19:07:09 +0000

A budget hearing will precede the September 19 Business meeting of the School Board. To see the agenda for the budget hearing, please click here. For the Business meeting agenda, click here.

Read highlights of the September 6 Board meeting

sullivank — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 20:08:37 +0000

To download a PDF of the Board Highlights from the September 6, 2011, Committee of the Whole meeting, please click here. You also can find these, and other highlights, on our Agendas, Highlights, Minutes page by clicking here.

The September Primer is out

sullivank — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 14:47:08 +0000

To download a PDF of the current issue of the Primer, District 90's monthly e-newsletter, please click here.