Plano High School and several community organizations participated in the Back to School BASH at Plano High School on Friday, Aug. 18. (Photo courtesy of Plano H.S.)
Photo courtesy of Plano H.S.)

Aurora

Kifowit hosts Meet Your Superintendent Night

To help parents and community members better connect with their local schools and discuss the new fair education funding reform, state Rep. Stephanie Kifowit, D-Oswego, is hosting a Meet Your Superintendent Night on Thursday, Sept. 21 at 6 p.m. at the Aurora Library-Eola Road Branch, located at 555 S. Eola Road in Aurora.

“It’s important for families to know how the state will provide equitable funding for our schools and for parents and community members to have the opportunity to discuss issues and ask questions directly with local superintendents,” Kifowit said. “School districts rely on the majority of the local property tax bill and I think it is important for residents to be engaged with their school district leadership. This event brings people together to discuss what we can do to give our children every possible opportunity.”

Representative Kifowit will welcome Dr. Mark McDonald, superintendent of East Aurora School District 131; Dr. Karen Sullivan, superintendent of Indian Prairie School District 204; Dr. John Sparlin, superintendent of Community School District 308; and Sarah Hartwick, co-director of legislative affairs for the Illinois State Board of Education.

“There are many issues affecting our schools right now, both at the state level and at the local level,” Kifowit said. “Hearing directly from the parents and community members I represent helps me make the best decisions for our communities, and I know our local superintendents feel the same.”

As seating is limited at the library, those interested in attending the information session are encouraged to RSVP by calling Kifowit’s constituent service office at (630) 585-1308 or by email at RSVP@ILDistrict84.com.

Kendall County

Rally Day for local churches is this weekend

Welcome back!! Rally Day at the United Methodist Church of Plano is Sunday, Sept. 10, 9 a.m. to 10:10 a.m.

Sunday School children and their families from First Lutheran Church of Plano, First Baptist Church of Plano, United Methodist Church of Plano and other churches are welcome to join us for a very special presentation by the Tim Hannig.

Hannig specializes in Rally Sundays, Vacation Bible School, and sharing GOD’s message with others. This presentation promises to bring the message to children of all ages in skits, songs, dramas, ventriloquism, magic, and much more.

On Sept. 10, five third-graders from Sunday School at the United Methodist Church of Plano will receive their Bibles at the 10:30 a.m. worship service as they grow in the love and knowledge of GOD. The five children are Serafina Wyncoop, Lynze Jeffries, Logan Martin, Cooper Beaty, and Brock Yarbrough.

All school children of all ages (3-99), from preschool though adult classes, are invited to bring their school backpacks, book bags, purses, and briefcases to the 10:30 a.m. worship service at the United Methodist Church of Plano on Sept. 10. Carriers of these items will be blessed in a special ceremony as they begin their new school and work year.

Oswego

SD308 gets top ranking by Realtor.com

In its recently published rankings, Realtor.com, the official website of the National Association of Realtors, named Aurora’s 60503 area at the top of their list for most affordable housing and top-ranked elementary schools in the nation. Aurora came in first due to having three top-ranked elementary schools and being 45 percent more affordable than the surrounding metro area, according to Realtor.com.

Community Unit School District 308’s Homestead Elementary School, The Wheatland Elementary, and Wolfs Crossing Elementary Schools are highlighted, due to their high ranking by Great School, an education information group. The three elementary schools serve over 1,250 students combined, in grades K-5.

SD 308 Director of Elementary Education Melissa McDowell said, “I am proud of the commitment our parents, teachers, school administrators, and surrounding community have for serving the students of School District 308 and making all of our schools a great place for learning.”

Realtor.com also ranks Aurora’s 60503 first on their list of Top Affordable Towns with the Best Middle School, naming SD 308’s Bednarcik Junior High School. 

The schools were chosen through Realtor.com’s economics team, which compiled monthly housing costs needed to purchase a median-priced home in all of the metro ZIP codes surrounding major cities, also factoring in the median income of residents living in those metro areas. School rankings are added to determine the rankings.

subhed: High School wind symphony to perform at ILMEA

Oswego High School’s wind symphony has been selected to perform at the 2018 Illinois Music Education Association (ILMEA) Conference in Peoria. The conference will take place Jan. 25-27 at the Peoria Civic Center. ILMEA is the largest Fine Arts education organization in Illinois, with the mission to advocate for universal access to comprehensive music education. Oswego High school was one of six high schools selected across the state.

“Oswego High School’s ensemble, Wind Symphony, being selected to perform at this upcoming Illinois Music Education Association Conference is an incredible honor for both the students and music staff,” said Michael Skura, chairman of the Oswego High School Fine Arts Department. “It reflects their hard work, and professionalism, I am so proud of our students and music teachers”.

The process of selection for the conference performance requires letters of recommendation and a recording of the ensemble. Application elements considered by the selection committee for the conference include the strength of proposal and/or performance recording, the target audience of demonstration/performance, the letters of recommendation documenting sustained musical excellence over time, and the type of ensemble.

The conference program features musical performances and demonstrations of the highest caliber, in order to provide conference attendees exposure to a variety of performances representing the geographic diversity of Illinois.

Oswego Senior Center hosts breakfasts

The Oswego Senior Center offers several programs for seniors age 60 and over. On Mondays and Thursdays, the center hosts the Kendall County Senior Congregate Meal program at noon for a suggested donation of $5 per person. Join us for a hearty breakfast for only $5 the first through fourth Tuesdays of the month at 9 a.m. Reservation is required for meals – call (630) 554-5602 by 10 a.m. the day before the meal date.

OSC also offers a number of activities such as regularly scheduled exercise classes, card and board games, bean bag baseball league, ceramics, wood carving and wood shop, knitting and crocheting, sewing and quilting, educational classes, volunteer opportunities and much more. For more information, visit the website, www.oswegoseniorcenter.org.

Plano

Community comes out for Back to School BASH

The sixth annual Back to School BASH was held for Plano Community Unit School District #88 students and their families on Friday, Aug. 18, at Plano High School.

More than 2,000 people – including more than 700 students – visited the many community organizations participating with give-a- ways and info, free food, school supplies, bounce house, and music.

Many attended the Purple and White Night scrimmages in football, soccer, and volleyball with the cheerleaders interacting with the crowd cheering on our Reaper Teams. All Plano students received a hot dog, chips, and a drink sponsored by Plano Youth Tackle Football.

Many Plano High School and community organizations participated with the Back to School BASH at Plano High School on Friday, Aug. 18.

A new organization representing Plano High School is the Interact Club sponsored by teacher Courtney Voise. This club consists of high school students who want to make a difference to others by providing services, unifying the community, and helping others.

They took donations to help two local families who lost their  homes in a fire recently. Pictured are high school students Payton Cullison, Curtis Brey, Sponsor and Teacher Ms. Voise, Laila Ertz, and Naomi Shead.

Sandwich

Library encouraging card sign-up

September is National Library Card Sign-up Month.

If you renew or register for a Sandwich library card anytime throughout the month of September, you will be entered into a special drawing for a free gift basket containing library themed goods.

Note that to sign up you must live within the Sandwich Library District lines to in order to be eligible for a Sandwich Public Library card. Call ahead or visit the library to make sure you qualify.

Parkview Christian Academy in Yorkville will be joining six area churches this fall in providing nutritious meals and overnight housing to the homeless as a Kendall County PADS starts its eighth shelter season. (Photo courtesy of Parkview Christian Academy)

Yorkville

Yorkville Academy joins PADS Mission

Parkview Christian Academy in Yorkville will be joining six area churches this fall in providing nutritious meals and overnight housing to the homeless as Kendall County PADS starts its eighth shelter season.

“We’re excited,” said Parkview Superintendent Deborah Benson, explaining that she has been receiving favorable feedback from parents about the school’s new mission. “The responses have ranged from very positive to ‘that’s awesome.’”

The need for a new Wednesday night shelter arose earlier this year when the United Methodist Church of Plano announced that it was unable to continue in the PADS program after six years of service. At the same time, Parkview was in the process of purchasing the building that formerly housed the Club 47 fitness facility at 202 East Countryside Parkway to accommodate its expanding enrollment, which has grown to about 350 students.

The private academy went through “a very careful process” before bringing the PADS proposal to its board of directors for consideration, she said. That included contacting representatives of the churches that have been hosting homeless shelters in partnership with Kendall County PADS since 2010. “It was all positive,” she said.

The school board voted unanimously to approve the measure earlier this month, to the delight and relief of the nonprofit group, which had been reaching out to the community for a replacement shelter site.

The Parkview shelter site will be completely separate from the academy’s classrooms, which are occupied during the day with middle and high school students. “We wanted to make sure that it is safe for all parties,” Benson added.

Overnight PADS guests receive a hot meal, safe place to sleep, breakfast, and a packaged lunch to go. Those who wish to donate or volunteer may call (630) 553-5073 or visit the website at kendallcountypads.org.

–Kendall County News Briefs–