D97 Updates

Update from District 97
Update on Possible Attempted Child Lurings
There is no new information available about the possible attempted child lurings that were reported in Oak Park and Berwyn during the past few days. The police department is currently investigating these incidents, and has increased its patrols of the school walking routes. We will send you any updated information about this situation as soon it becomes available. In the meantime, you can access the alert we sent via e-mail on Tuesday by clicking here. In addition, below are the safety guidelines that we compiled for our students with the assistance of the police.
  • Always try to walk in groups or with at least one other person.
  • Walk on sidewalks and other open areas rather than alleys that have less visibility.
  • Be aware of your surroundings and any strangers who are nearby.
  • If you have a concern about another person near you, go to a neighbor’s house, find an adult to assist you, or go back to school.
  • Never approach a vehicle unknown to you even if the occupant speaks to you.
  • Yell loudly and run if you feel you are in danger.
  • Be sure to tell your parents if something happens. Parents should contact the police and the school.
New Member of the Board of Education
During its meeting on Tuesday, the District 97 Board of Education unanimously selected Amy Felton to fill the vacancy created by Jennifer Reddy’s resignation on September 30, 2011. Felton will serve the remainder of Reddy’s term, which is set to expire in April 2013. You can read more about Felton’s appointment by clicking here.
Status of the District’s Voicemail System
The replacement equipment has been installed, and the voicemail system is now back online. Thank you again for your patience while we worked to restore service.

Police heighten awareness of possible attempted child lurings 10.25.11

Four recent reports of what may have been attempts to lure juveniles into cars has Oak Park Police urging students, parents, teachers and residents to be alert and call 9-1-1 if they observe any suspicious activity.

Three incidents were reported in Oak Park and one in Berwyn since Friday. While specifics do vary by incident, Police say all shared the common elements of a white, male, in his 40s or 50s, approaching students en route to or from school.

The first incident was reported in Oak Park on Friday. At about 3:10 p.m., the juvenile was walking southbound on Harvey Avenue near Hatch School. The student reported a man sitting in a vehicle attempted to start a conversation about a nearby dog.

Two reports were made on Monday in Oak Park. At about 7:30 a.m., a juvenile reported a car following southbound on Ridgeland Avenue near Longfellow School, then stopping to observe the playground before continuing on. Then at about 8:30 a.m., a juvenile reported that, while walking north in the 800 block of south Oak Park Avenue, a car horn sounded and the driver asked if the juvenile needed a ride.

The Berwyn report was made about 7:15 a.m., Tues., near Lincoln Middle School on 16th St. The juvenile said a man sitting in a parked vehicle asked for his help.

In all four incidents, the students were a safe distance from the vehicles and immediately reported the events to school authorities.

Oak Park Police have stepped up patrols along school walking routes. Anyone with information about these or other incidents is urged to call 708.386.3800 or e-mail police@oak-park.us. Anonymous tips can be made at http://www.oak-park.us/police –– just click on the anonymous crime tip icon.

POLICE BULLETIN

Update on the board vacancy and district’s voicemail system
Vacancy on the Board of Education

During its meeting this evening, the District 97 Board of Education unanimously selected Amy Felton to fill the vacancy created by Jennifer Reddy’s resignation on September 30, 2011. Felton will immediately begin serving the remainder of Reddy’s term, which is set to expire in April 2013.

“Though there were a number of exemplary candidates who applied for the position, Amy’s experience, leadership in the community and vision for the district set her apart,” said Board President Peter Barber. “We believe she will be a wonderful addition to our team, and look forward to working with her on the important issues that will shape the future of our schools.”

Felton launched her own law practice in Oak Park in 2005, and works part time primarily on real estate matters. She was a member of the board of directors for the Parenthesis Family Center for seven years, including serving as the president for two years and secretary for one year. She was the co-president of the Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) at Oliver Wendell Holmes Elementary School for two years; and played a prominent role on a variety of school committees during the past six years, including serving as the co-chair of the School Enrichment Committee. Amy and her husband, Thad, have lived in Oak Park for more than 13 years and have twin boys who attend Gwendolyn Brooks Middle School.

“I am excited about my appointment to the District 97 Board of Education, and look forward to working with my new colleagues to build on the academic excellence that is the hallmark of our schools,” said Felton.

A total of 14 people applied for the opening on the board. The candidates’ backgrounds included professional experience in art, law, science, world languages, technology, government, social service, and education; and associations with a variety of community and civic organizations. Each candidate submitted a completed Applicant Questionnaire and letter of interest, and participated in an individual, in-person interview with the board during the week of October 17.

Barber expressed his appreciation to everyone who stepped forward and was willing to take on the responsibilities associated with serving on the board. He also applauded the tireless efforts of the hundreds of volunteers who work in the district’s schools on a daily basis.

“We are incredibly fortunate to live in a village where residents value education, believe in the benefits of a strong school system, and dedicate their time and talents to help our children succeed both in and out of the classroom,” said Barber.

Status of the District’s Voicemail System
The replacement equipment for the voicemail system has been ordered and is scheduled for installation tomorrow morning. We will send out another e-mail as soon as the system is back online. We apologize for any inconvenience this outage has caused, and appreciate your patience as we continue our work to restore service.

Update from District 97

Board Meeting Tonight
The next District 97 Board of Education Meeting will be held tonigh at 7 p.m. in the board room of the administration building (970 Madison Street). The items on the agenda include:
Public hearing for the tentative 2011-2012 budget
Approval of school recognition applications
Annual approval of grants
Approval of new committee charges
Approval of the establishment of the Committee for Legislative Action, Intervention and Monitoring
Approval of the board’s goals and superintendent’s goals for the 2011-2012 school year
Discussion about the vision statement for the district
Please click here to access the packet of materials for the meeting.
“Those Who Excel” Awards

Several members of the District 97 community have earned awards in conjunction with the Illinois State Board of Education’s “Those Who Excel” educator recognition program, including:
The Board of Education (Award of Excellence)
Tywone Smith, teaching assistant at Holmes Elementary School (Award of Excellence)
Ashley Kannan, teacher at Julian Middle School (Award of Merit)
Mary Beth Hausken, community volunteer (Award of Merit)
They will be among the individuals honored at a banquet being held in Normal, IL on October 22, 2011.

The “Those Who Excel” program annually recognizes and honors people who have made outstanding contributions to public and non-public elementary and secondary education. You can access additional information about the program by visiting http://www.isbe.state.il.us/those_who_excel.htm.CAST Program’s Film Premiering at Lake Theatre
“What the Playground Knows,” an original film produced by the CAST program at Julian Middle School, will premier at the Lake Theatre on Saturday, September 17 at 10 a.m. You can access the article about the film that was posted on the Wednesday Journal’s Web site by clicking here. You can access additional information about CAST by clicking here.

Helpful Links
Below are links that feature important school and district-related information and resources.
Digital backpack – http://www.op97.org/digital-backpack/index.cfm
Food service program – http://www.op97.org/business-office/Food-Service.cfm
District and school calendars – http://www.op97.org/School-Calendars.cfm
Bus routes and Safe Walking Routes – http://www.op97.org/Transportation.cfm
Reminder – District 97 is on Twitter
You can follow District 97 on Twitter by visiting http://twitter.com/#!/OakPark97.

Update from D97 on 8/1/11

Welcome to the District 97 community listerv for the 2011-2012 school year. This listserv will be used to disseminate important news and event information from the district and community. If you have questions or need additional information about any of the items listed below, please e-mail d97feedback@op97.org. If you no longer wish to receive these e-mails, please unsubscribe using the link found at the end of this message.

Launch of District 97’s New Web sites
District 97’s redesigned family of Web sites are now live. You can access them by visiting www.op97.org. The sites have several new features, including an upgraded online calendar, searchable staff directory, interactive district map, teacher Web pages and staff intranet site. There is also a brief video tour of the new site, which can be accessed via the first rotating image on the home page of the main district site.

Kindergarten Readiness Screenings
This month, all incoming District 97 kindergarten students will be asked to participate in a Kindergarten Readiness Snapshot screening. Through this screening, we will be able to effectively assess children’s skills and abilities prior to starting kindergarten, and be better equipped and prepared to meet their academic, social and emotional needs during the school year. Please click here for additional information about the screenings, including the dates, times and locations of the screenings for each elementary school.

District 97 Fee Information for the 2011-2012 School Year
Click here to access the District 97 fee information for the 2011-2012 school year, including:

  • Letter from Superintendent Roberts regarding fees
  • Payment options for all 10 schools
  • Middle school fee form
  • Elementary school fee form
  • Early childhood fee form

You can access the free and reduced lunch application by clicking here.

District 97 Digital Backpack
We have made several improvements to our digital backpack, which we implemented in January 2010 in an effort to reduce the amount of paper we use. The Web-based backpack features links and downloadable PDFs containing information from the schools, PTOs, district and community that has been distributed in a hard copy format in previous years. You can access the digital backpack for all 10 schools by visiting http://www.op97.org/digital-backpack/.

Handbooks and Policies
Please click here to access the Effective Student Behavior Handbook and Parent Handbook for the 2011-2012 school year. Please click here to access the policies that were recently adopted by the Board of Education, including the new student discipline and bullying policies.