Calendar of Upcoming Events

October 8, 2009

Table of Contents
Thursday, October 8
7:00 p.m. PTA Meeting in LRC Calendar
Page 1

Friday, October 9 From the Principal’s Desk

Page 2
Student Council Spirit Day: “PAJAMA DAY”
H1N1 Flu Update
MONDAY, OCTOBER 12 Page 3

NO SCHOOL COLUMBUS DAY

Head Lice Prevention
Page 4
Tuesday, October 13
7:30 p.m. Board of Education Meeting at 164 S. Prospect Battle of the Books
Page 4

Friday, October 16 Pumpkin Decorating Contest

9:00-2:00 Fifth Grade Field Trip to “Tall Ships” Page 5

3:00-4:00 PTA Market Day Pick Up

Franklin Funwear Information
Page 6, 7
Tuesday, October 20
9:00 K-2 PTA Cultural Arts “Story Teller, Donna Washington” PTA Meeting Reminder
Page 8
10:00 3-5 held in Franklin Auditorium
Franklin’s Halloween
Thursday, October 22 “Family Fun Night”
Page 8
Franklin Flyer distributed on line
District 64 Highlights
Friday, October 23 Page 9, 10
6:00-9:00 PTA Family Fun Night in Gym
Math & Science Connection
Page 11, 12
Thursday, October 29
10:00-11:00 Picture Retake Day

1
 



From the desk of the principal:

H1N1 Flu Update

District 64 continues to monitor the H1N1 situation closely and is working with the Cook
County Department of Public Health. Please read the message on the following page from
Dr. Pryor and Margret Petkofski, our District Nurse, regarding H1N1 Flu Vaccinations.

Opportunities to Consider
Franklin School and District 64 do provide many opportunities for students to be a part of
fun educational events that involve collaboration and teamwork. A great example is the
Battle of the Books, designed for fourth and fifth grade students. (Please see information in
this newsletter regarding the Battle of the Books program). Later in the year there will be
other events like the Science Olympiad and the District Spelling Bee. Please encourage
your children to be a part of these events. I will highlight these events more as the dates
approach.

Pumpkin Decorating Contest

Ms. Hetzke, our LRC Director, is promoting a Pumpkin Decorating contest!
Please see the announcement enclosed. Pumpkins will be judged at the Family Fun Night
Event!

Walk-A –Thon
Thank you Franklin PTA and all of the Parent Volunteers for making the Walk-A-Thon a
great success! I appreciate the flexibility from everyone, as we had to move to the rain date.

Please Help Us Monitor Our Roof

Over the past few weeks we have become aware that, during evening hours and on the
weekends, teens have been going onto the roof of Franklin School. This is a very serious
issue because we do not want anyone getting hurt and any foot traffic on the roof can cause
damage. If you see someone on the roof during evening and weekend hours, please call 911.

Dan Walsh
dwalsh@d64.org







2
 *** H1N1 Flu Update ***
District 64 Schools to Offer Free H1N1 Flu Vaccinations this Fall
In cooperation with the Cook County Department of Public Health (CCDPH), the
Board of Education has authorized District 64 schools to offer H1N1 flu vaccinations
for students in grades K-8 in coming weeks. Because the timeline for the availability of
the vaccination is not yet known, no specific dates have been set yet. However, it is
expected that the vaccinations will be offered at all elementary and middle schools.

The vaccinations will be entirely voluntary. Parents must submit completed

permission and health forms in advance for each child. Parents may come to school to
be present when the vaccination is scheduled. The vaccinations will be free.

In coming weeks, we expect to e-mail all parents with links to several important items.
At that time, you will be asked to read the materials and complete the forms:
1. H1N1 vaccine information sheets for both the nasal spray and the flu shot. It is
possible that either or both forms of the vaccination will be used by CCDPH.
2. Parent/guardian permission form. Please fill out a separate permission form for
each child, indicating your permission to receive the vaccination (“Yes”) or not
receive the vaccination (“No”).
3. Student health information form. Please fill out a form for each child receiving
the vaccination.

Details also will be announced about the expected day and time the vaccination is
scheduled to be given as soon as that information is finalized.

Prepare now for this upcoming program

At this time, please:
 Preview the vaccine information sheets at these links:
Information on nasal spray:
http://www.d64.org/site/files/vis_spray_10_2_09.pdf
Information on flu shot: http://www.d64.org/site/files/vis_shot_10_2_09.pdf
 We also urge you to contact your child’s health care provider if you have specific
concerns about your child receiving this vaccination.

The H1N1 page on the District 64 Web site will be the central focus for information
about these activities. It can be viewed via link from the home page at www.d64.org.

Dr. Sally Pryor, Superintendent

Margaret Petkofski, RN, Facilitator, School Health Services

3
 HEAD LICE PREVENTION
Although the focus of head lice is usually on treatment, prevention is just as important. Since
head lice cannot jump from child to child, preventing head lice may not be as hard as it sounds.

Experts recommend:

•Avoid head to head (hair to hair) contact during play and other activities.

•Encouraging your children to avoid sharing items that have been on or near another
child’s head, such as hairbrushes and hair accessories, hats, scarves, towels, pillows,
helmets, etc.

•Teach your child to hang up hats and coats on individual hooks. Avoid having coats
piled on top of others.

•Review pictures of head lice and nits (eggs) to help you understand what you are
looking for when checking your child’s head.

•Check your child for lice and/or nits on a weekly basis.

•Recognize symptoms of head lice: itchy scalp, and small red bumps on the back of the
neck and scalp.

•Review head lice prevention steps with your child before sleepovers or trips.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Battle of the Books
First Meeting!

Who: Fourth & Fifth Grade Students

Date: Tuesday , October 13th
Time: Lunchtime
Where: LRC
4
5
6
7
8
 Highlights
C OMMUNITY C ONSOLIDATED S CHOOL DISTRICT 64 Park Ridge-Niles
164 S. Prospect Avenue Park Ridge, IL60068-4079 (847) 318-4300 FAX: (847) 318-4351

Board of Education Meetings ! Summer-Fall 2009 Review

The following provides a brief summary of information presented and actions taken at recent
Board meetings (June 8 – September 28, 2009). Please refer to the date noted after each item to
read the full meeting minutes or report posted at: www.d64.org.
The Board of
Education Schools
welcomes your ! Student enrollment of 4,272 is 45 students fewer than last year’s. (Aug. 24, Sept. 14)
involvement, ! Assistant Principals were confirmed for Field School (Katie Kelly) and for Washington
questions and School (Dan Ophus); both schools have enrollments above 600. (July 13)
comments. ! A total of $1.1 million in Life Safety and maintenance projects were completed at all
schools over the summer, including extensive exterior work at Roosevelt School. The
first phase of sound abatement work was completed at Washington School. ((June 8,
Aug. 24) Jefferson School received a $25,000 Illinois capital program grant. (Aug. 10)
Board of Education ! Interactive “smart” boards will be installed in 33 classrooms around the District to
John Heyde, President
enhance the educational opportunities for students. (Aug. 24, Sept. 14)
Genie Taddeo, Vice President ! A parent communications survey conducted this summer provided valuable insights
Eric Uhlig, Secretary on contact preferences for ongoing news and emergency situations. (Aug. 24)
Pat Fioretto ! In cooperation with the Cook County Department of Public Health, District 64 schools
Russell J. Gentile
Sharon Lawson will conduct voluntary student H1N1 flu vaccinations this fall. (Sept. 28) Contingency
Ted Smart plans for potential school closures also are being developed. (Sept. 14)
! Following a competitive bidding process, the food services contract for the middle
E-mail:
First name initial followed by schools was awarded to Arbor Management. (June 8 & 22)
full last name @d64board.org

Superintendent
Curriculum & Instruction
Sally Pryor, Ed.D. ! A new location for the Outdoor Education field trip for fifth grade students will be
spryor@d64.org piloted in 2009-10. Franklin and Washington schools will participate in an outdoor
education experience at Camp Duncan, a YMCA facility in Ingleside. The remaining
schools will continue to visit White Pines Ranch in Oregon for the three-day, two-night
Upcoming Meetings learning experience. (June 8)
Hendee Educational Service ! An update on the District’s Educational Ends initiative showed that 76% of the 120
Center, 164 S. Prospect Ave.,
Park Ridge
assessments tracked in the Ends were in the green (“at or above target”) scoring range,
surpassing the District’s goal of 70% for the first time. (Sept. 28)
October 13 ! Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) testing results during its third year of use by
& 26 (Lincoln) District 64 students in grades 3-8 were examined. During 2008-09, 60.5% of students
November 9 (Franklin)
reached their full individual growth target in reading and 61.4% reached their full
& 23 growth target in math; both are increases from the prior year. The District has set a
multi-year goal of having 70% of students meeting or exceeding average growth, a
December 14 target shared by other high-performing districts that utilize MAP testing.
(Washington)
! The Board was updated on activities undertaken during the third trimester to move
forward with the District’s Response to Intervention (RtI) initiative. The District has
made strong progress with implementation at the elementary schools, while laying the
foundation at the middle schools. (June 22)
! Student Learning Goals for 2009-10 will continue to focus on improving the
achievement levels of the whole child. A key component will be the continued use of
assessment data to monitor and guide individual student growth through both the RtI
initiative and the Educational Ends project. A new Reading Framework and new
instructional materials in reading will be introduced this year. (Aug. 24)
! Early release Wednesday staff development time will be reallocated this year to
provide additional opportunities for problem solving and collaboration regarding
student learning and instructional practices. (Sept. 14)
(continued)

View agendas, complete reports and minutes: www.d64.org

9
 Board Highlights (continued)
District 64
! The Board ratified a new, three-year contract with the Park Ridge Education Association (PREA), which
represents District 64 teachers. Terms of the contract include a 2.5% increase in base salary. No changes were
made to the “step” increase based on a teacher’s education and experience. Teachers will continue to
contribute toward the cost of their own health insurance coverage. (Sept. 8)
! The Board discussed goals and key subjects to focus its work in 2009-10. (June 8, July 13, Sept. 14) District
administrators conducted orientation briefings for new Board members before or after regularly scheduled
meetings on all aspects of the District’s governance and operations. A Board retreat was held Oct. 2-3 to focus
on goal setting and continue the orientation process.
! Five Action Planning Teams have been formed to turn the draft Strategic Plan’s strategies into specific steps.
Community members as well as District 64 staff members and administrators volunteered for the teams, which
will work for about four months. Team leader training and an orientation for all team members were scheduled
for Oct. 8. (June 22, Sept. 14)
! District 64 joined the O’Hare Noise Compatibility Commission (ONCC) and named Director of Buildings &
Grounds Roy Jensen as its official representative. (July 13, Aug. 10) The District is working with ONCC to learn
why Carpenter School has been dropped from the FAA’s approved list for sound abatement work, as
announced at an ONCC meeting. (Sept. 28)
! To assist in its planning for the retirement of Superintendent Sally Pryor on June 30, 2010, the Board officers
interviewed the four top school administrator search firms in the area. (Aug. 10, Sept. 14)
! Goals for the Community Finance Committee’s activities in 2009-10 were approved (Sept. 28), and reports
received on recent Green Team (Sept. 14) and Traffic Safety committees (Sept. 28).

Financial
! The Board approved the appointment of Becky Allard as Business Manager and named her as the District’s
authorized agent and representative for its various financial accounts. (June 8 & 22)
! For the 2009-10 school year, the District’s annual supply of white copier paper was purchased for about
$52,000, a 15% decrease from last year. Vendors and bids also were approved for physical education and
custodial supplies. (June 8 & 22) As a District 64 Green Team Committee initiative, the District will use
remanufactured printer ink cartridges at an estimated cost savings of 25%. (June 22)
! Results for 2008-09 – The Board approved the annual transfer of interest income to the Education Fund from
the Working Cash and Debt Service funds. (June 22) Due to revenues received from the referendum, the
District’s financial position continued to gain strength. For the first time since the policy was adopted in 2006,
the District’s operating fund balance reached its goal of having 33% of expected annual operating expenditures
at the close of the fiscal year on June 30; the fund balance was about 47%. (Aug. 24)
! Budget for 2009-10 – Following a pubic hearing, the final budget was adopted (Sept. 28), based on the July 13
official tentative budget. The District will receive more income from the first installment (55% compared to
50%) of real estate property taxes in spring 2010, due to a change made by Cook County. (June 8 & 22, July 13,
Aug. 24) State funding for some 2008-09 aid payments has been delayed and some grants for the current year
have been reduced. (Aug. 24) The District approved resolutions in compliance with the Illinois Prevailing Wage
Act (June 22) and posted information in compliance with administrative compensation reporting requirements.
(Sept. 28) The Board approved employee medical and dental insurance renewal rates for 2009-10. (Aug. 24)
! The Maine Township School Treasurer reported a 2.61% return on the District’s investments. (Aug. 24)
! The District authorized legal counsel to intervene in tax objection complaint proceedings pending in Cook
County Circuit Court, excluding complaints filed on class 2 residential properties. (Sept. 14 & 28)

Awards & Recognition

! The District 64 Elementary Learning Foundation (ELF) presented the 2009 Judith L. Snow Ethical Leadership
Award to 8th graders Emma Brown (Lincoln), Jisha Jose (Emerson) and Ian Peter Pappas (Lincoln). (June 22)
! Several 8th grade students who were unable to attend promotion ceremonies at their schools due to illness
received their promotion certificates and congratulations from the Board. (July 13)
! All District 64 schools received Certificates of Recognition – Fully Recognized for 2008-09 from the Illinois
State Board of Education. (Aug. 10)
! A $250 donation from the BP Fabric of America fund was earmarked for energy conservation. (Sept. 14)
! The 2008-09 Student-Parent Handbook received an Award of Merit from the National School Public Relations
Association; the “Surviving Middle School” booklet garnered an Award of Excellence from the Illinois chapter.
(Sept. 28)
View agendas, complete reports and minutes: www.d64.org

10
11
12