I am very excited to be officially launching our Strategic Planning process. I have thoroughly enjoyed meeting with staff and community members for the last few weeks in order to hear and learn about how we should invest our District 102 resources in order to accomplish our priorities.  The Strategic Plan is a framework through which the District establishes priorities and identifies specific ways  that it will invest in students, staff, facilities and the community. The D102 Mission, Vision, Core Values and the strategic areas of focus (see below) are used to form the foundation of the Strategic Plan.

While I still have several more community meetings ahead, one more way to collect feedback from you, our community and staff, is through the survey linked below.  We will send this survey to every staff member and every family as well as all taxpayers in District 102 boundaries who do not currently have children in the District. Our goal is to make sure that as many stakeholders as possible have a chance to provide feedback and lend their voice to this process.  We recommend that you take this 15 minute survey on a desktop/laptop, or if you choose to complete it on your mobile device that you hold it in landscape.

Our Board of Education, District and Building administration and District staff helped to define the following areas of focus for our next Strategic Plan.  The survey below seeks feedback about all six focus areas.

• Instructional Programming: Achievement and Growth

• Equity: Access, Opportunity and Belonging

• Exceptional Employees

• Community Engagement

• Finances

• Future Ready Facilities

Link to D102 Strategic Plan Survey

Please complete this survey by Friday, April 5 so that we can summarize the data and provide it to the Strategic Planning Committee.

In addition to this survey, another key source of feedback will be through the formation of a D102 Strategic Planning Committee. This committee, made up of approximately 60 people, will be a diverse group that includes parents, staff, community and business leaders from across our district. The committee's purpose will be to review the survey results and to offer additional feedback as they develop a recommended five-year plan. The Strategic Planning Committee will meet in the evening on April 10 and 11 to digest, discuss and develop priorities for D102 based on the data from this survey, information collected during community meetings and staff meetings and their personal experiences living and working in District 102.

If you would like to apply to be a part of the Strategic Planning Committee, Please submit your application through this link. 

Thank you in advance for participating in this very important process!  If you have any questions about this survey, or the strategic planning process, please contact me at covinoch@dist102.k12.il.us.  

Online registration opened  March 7, for the 2024-2025 School Year. 

**Please note you can not complete online registration on a cell phone.**

To register returning student(s), please log in to your PowerSchool Parent Portal. You must register each returning student(s) by selecting "Returning Student Registration" on the page's left side. If you have multiple students to register, return to your PowerSchool Parent Portal, switch students, and follow the same steps.

If a new student enters the district, you must complete the returning students' registration FIRST before starting a New Student Registration.

If your address has changed from what we have on file, you must provide new residency documents. You can upload new residency documentation as a part of this online registration or drop off those documents at your child's school of attendance. 

Residency information may be requested from returning families after the online registration has been submitted. 

**Registration is not complete until all requested paperwork is submitted.**

If you submit paper copies of residency documents, please complete the Residency Information Form and submit that with your paperwork.

*If you need to know which school you should register for, view the school boundaries map HERE.

Once you have submitted your form, your submission cannot be changed or modified. Please contact your school's main office if changes need to be made after submitting your form.

If you have additional questions, click HERE to visit the Registration page on the District website or email registration@dist102.k12.il.us

Registration opens on Friday, February 23rd at 6 p.m.
Registration closes on Friday, May 10th, at 6 p.m.

Summer Programming Times: 8:30 a.m. to 11:45 a.m.

3 Week Dates: Starts June 10, to July 3.

No Classes on June 19. No Friday Classes. 

Each child will need to be registered in PushCoin. The fee for registration for summer programing is $165. 

Destiny Imagination | Current Grades: K-5

Enriching experiences that build on prior knowledge through thematic units that include hands-on activities.

Dual Language | Current Dual Language Students Only | Current Grades: K-6

Current CP Dual Language Students continue to develop their Spanish communication skills in an interactive, fun, and engaging class.

Summer Bridge | Current Grades: K-6

Reinforcement of grade-level skills to better prepare for next year's grade level through focused instruction, hands-on & project-based activities.  

Classes will be held at Forest Road and Barnsdale Campus. 

Detailed information about programs and transportation is available in PushCoin. Families with children who qualify for ESY based on their IEP will be contacted by their case manager.

Visit your child's PushCoin account for additional information, transportation  options, and registration

Over the last two years, all District 102 school buildings have taken decisive steps to improve the safety and security of all students.  In addition to adding secure entrances, providing emergency training for our staff and students, purchasing emergency supplies, adding internal and exterior cameras, we have also made a commitment to partner with our local emergency responders and our Intermediate Service Center West 40 to take proactive steps to update policies and procedures to align with the latest research on school safety.

At the beginning of 2024, the US Department of Education provided all schools in the US resources to assist with the effort to keep students and schools safe.  These resources focus on firearm safety.  Please take a minute to read the message from Education Secretary Cardona and First Lady Jill Biden below.  This message includes a link to a town hall meeting they conducted with principals and school leaders from across the country on this very important topic. You can read the entire US Department of Education Policy Statement HERE.

Safe storage of firearms is an important prevention tool that can be used to help keep schools, homes, and communities safe from gun violence. To build further awareness of this important strategy, today the Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools (REMS) Technical Assistance (TA) Center, funded by the U.S. Department of Education (Department), is releasing a new resource that schools can use to communicate with parents and families about the importance of safe firearm storage, and encourage more people to take preventive action by safely storing firearms. Additionally, First Lady Jill Biden, U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona, and White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention Director Stef Feldman will hold a town hall with school principals today at the White House to elevate the importance of safe firearms storage and emphasize the role that principals and education leaders can play in helping prevent gun violence.

“Gun-related injuries and deaths are a heartbreaking public health crisis, and it will take action from all of us to better protect our children,” said Secretary Cardona. “We know that keeping guns locked and securely stored is one of the most effective tools we have for keeping kids safe and preventing senseless tragedies.

All D102 Principals will be sending home a resource that families can use to partner in this effort.  The goal is to communicate the importance of safe firearm storage.  This resource includes research-based, practical prevention and safety strategies.  Thank you for your attention to this important guidance.

In District 102, we recognize that children will make mistakes and will periodically behave in undesired ways.  When this happens, we take a teaching stance to help students learn from their mistakes and repair any harm that their behavior may have caused, whether intentional or not.  When the harm is relatively minor, such as an unkind statement or a small disagreement we might engage each student involved in a brief, informal restorative chat.

During a restorative chat, the educator asks the student a series of evidence-based, scripted questions designed to give the student a chance to reflect, share their perspective, and make a plan for the future.  Using scripted questions allows the educator to focus on actively listening to the child and empowering the child to participate in brainstorming ways to solve the conflict or problem.

When talking with a child who caused harm, whether intentional or not, the educator will ask the following questions from the International Institute for Restorative Practices, 2016:

• What happened?

• What were you thinking of at the time?

• What have you thought about since?

• Who has been affected by what you have done?  In what way?

• What do you think you need to do to make things right?

When talking with a child who was harmed, the educator asks:

• What did you think when you realized what had happened?

• What impact has the incident had on you and others?

• What has been the hardest thing for you?

• What do you think needs to happen to make things right?  

A brief, informal restorative chat allows the child who caused harm to become aware of the results of their behavior and to make amends with whoever was impacted, while giving the student who was harmed a chance to voice their concerns and generate ideas about how to resolve the issue.

We are looking for current parents and guardians in our schools to serve as volunteer special education parent ambassadors. This is a new and exciting development in our district that is intended to provide interested families with family-to-family camaraderie and support. Any interested parents/guardians of current special education students can apply.

Over the weekend was the 2024 STEM EXPO where students throughout the district presented their STEM projects to families and community members. Thank you to our staff members, Ms. Hohl and Ms. V, for putting on this event each year, along with the Science Center Parent Enrichment Council for District 102. We'd love to see your photos from the event, make sure to tag us in your photos and use the hashtag #d102studentspotlight to showcase your students work.

Durante el fin de semana fue el 2024 STEM EXPO donde los estudiantes de todo el distrito presentaron sus proyectos STEM a las familias y miembros de la comunidad. Gracias a los miembros de nuestro personal, la Sra. Hohl y la Sra. V, por organizar este evento cada año, junto con el Consejo de Enriquecimiento de Padres del Centro de Ciencias para el Distrito 102. Nos encantaría ver sus fotos del evento, asegúrese de etiquetarnos en sus fotos y utilizar el hashtag #d102studentspotlight para mostrar el trabajo de sus estudiantes.

Last week, Park Jr. High hosted a Black History Month Assembly filled with celebration and history. Students of the Affinity Group performed a "stroll", spoken word, dance, and music. They were also joined by local community organizations such as the Linda Sokol Francis Brookfield Library and the La Grange Public Library who shared their selections available for students to review on their own. In addition, the Dancing Divas performed a dancing act. Thank you to all who participated in making this event possible and honoring the culture of our students in our community. #d102studentspotlight #thankyoud102educators

The Park Jr. High Mighty Patriots will be competing in the Special Olympics Illinois Basketball Tournament this weekend! Their fellow student body gathered throughout the hallways yesterday in a school-wide clap out celebration to cheer them on before they left for their trip. Wish them luck as they compete other teams throughout the state! #d102studentspotlight #thankyoud102educators

Referral GPS - Connecting People to Treatment:  We are committed to creating a culture of well-being for students, staff,  parents, and the community. In an effort to continuously support this commitment, the district has entered an agreement with ReferralGPS. 

ReferralGPS is a web-based service focused on assisting our students,  staff, and community in finding local mental-health and substance use-related treatment. The service compliments the districts existing systems of support as a tool for student service teams and families to connect with treatment. Along with a searchable database of treatment options, ReferralGPS provides Care Navigation to assist families in triage, appointment setting, and follow-up care. 

School families may access ReferralGPS in two ways: 

1) Visit this link at https://referralgps.com/find-help/dist102 to search for treatment resources or connect with a Care  Navigator anonymously. 

2) Contact Student Services (social workers, psychologists,  counselors) to seek out treatment options. 

ReferralGPS takes into account all types of private and public insurance including PPO, HMO, Medicaid, Medicare, and families who are uninsured or underinsured. The platform also filters by age, gender, zip code, and special requests. 

ReferralGPS is available for use by district students, staff, and families at no cost. All information entered on the ReferralGPS tool is completely confidential and securely stored. 

If you are interested in seeking counseling-related services at this time,  please consider visiting https://referralgps.com/find-help/dist102 or reaching out to the Student Services team.

• After School Program at St. Michael's

• After School Program (Spanish)

• Our Future Reads Tutoring

• CommUNITY Diversity Group Summer Scholarship Program

• Donate to the CommUNITY Diversity Fundraising Campaign for Scholarships

• Brookfield Parks & Recreation Summer Camp

• Registration

• West End Arts Festival

• Application

• Westchester Youth Flag Football

• La Grange Park Public Library "What's Popping" Newsletter

• Pet Parade - Coloring Contest

• Park Jr. High Summer Basketball Camp

• Lyons Township BPAC Transition Event

Save the date! Run for 102 will be on Saturday May 11, 2024 at Cossitt Avenue Elementary School, 115 W Cossitt Ave, La Grange, IL 60525

Early Bird Registration: Take advantage of discounted pricing by signing up before March 11th.

Get ready to lace up your running shoes because it's time for our annual joint fundraiser event – the Race to the Finish! Join us for an exhilarating 5K and 1-mile fun run as we come together as a community to support our schools.

Here's what you need to know:

• Event Details: The Race to the Finish will be held at Cossitt Avenue School on Saturday, May 11, 2024.

  • 1-mile fun run starts at 8:00 am

  • 5K Race begins at 9:00 am

• Early Bird Registration: Take advantage of discounted pricing by signing up before March 11th.

  • $25 for the 5K

  • $20 for the 1-mile fun run*

  • $80 for families of 4 or more (use promo code FAMILY)

• *Special Note: If your child wishes to participate in both races but only needs one shirt, please reach out to runfor102@gmail.com for information on a discounted rate.

• Registration: Secure your spot today at Runfor102.org.

• Stay Updated: Follow our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/runfor102 for the latest news and announcements.

Don't miss out on this fantastic opportunity to support our schools while having fun with friends and family. Let's race towards success together!

Warm Regards,
The Run for 102 Committee