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2008 Illinois School Report Card

Read District 62 Summary
Download 2008 Illinois School Report Card
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2008 State Assessments Results

ISAT Reading results show that D62 fifth and eighth grade student performance mirrored State results.
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Global Warming - Mayor Arredia's visit to North School
During the month of April, students at North School were learning about global warming. The students in Mrs. Higginson, Ms. Beaty, Mrs. Grady, Mrs. Hills, Mrs. Ponce, and Mrs. Steffan's classes wrote letters to the mayor of Des Plaines. The letters included their thoughts on how Des Plaines can be an environmentally responsible suburb. Much to their delight, Mayor Arredia came to North School in order to discuss their questions and suggestions on April 30th. The students were able to witness firsthand how to make their voices heard.

Lincoln's Birthday Celebrated with Simultaneous Read
President Abraham Lincoln delivered what would become one of the most famous speeches in world history on November 19, 1863. Thursday, February 12, District 62 students will take part in a simultaneous reading of Lincoln's Gettysburg Address on his 200th birthday.

The live reading originated at 9:30 a.m. Thursday, February 12, 2009 from the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum in Springfield, Illinois and will be carried on a live webcast. Illinois school children, who are in class that day, have been encouraged to read the speech aloud at the same time, and all school children in the nation are invited to join in the reading as well. Commemorative posters with the words to the Gettysburg Address were provided by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE).

On February 12, 2009 the Chicago History Museum started its Bicentennial celebration with a day of Lincoln-inspired activities and the opening of the exhibition, Lincoln Treasures, which runs through August 16, 2009. Lincoln Treasures will highlight key artifacts and documents from the Museum's Lincoln collection that will rekindle visitors' emotions and excite memories about the man and his legacy. One of five manuscript copies of the Gettysburg Address in Lincoln's own hand, on loan from the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, will be on display at the Chicago History Museum during March 2009.

The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library opened a new exhibit entitled The Gettysburg Address featuring 35 pieces of art by famed illustrator Sam Fink. The hand-drawn and hand-lettered illustrations each measure 16 by 23 inches and include an additional piece of art and a chronology of events leading up to the ratification of the 13th Amendment that abolished slavery. "Lincoln's brief speech reminds Americans that the ideals of equality and freedom are foundational to healthy democratic government. A moving testament to the honored dead, the address also is a challenge to contemplate what was the ultimate cause for their sacrifice," said Illinois State Historian Thomas Schwartz. "Lincoln urges Americans to expand their understanding of American equality through a 'new birth of freedom' for the former enslaved peoples. The Gettysburg Address remains a speech for the ages."

Educational materials concerning Lincoln Bicentennial activities are now available to teachers at PresidentLincoln.org. In addition, Illinois teachers will now have access to a special curriculum that focuses exclusively on Abraham Lincoln. The Bicentennial Resource Guide covers lessons about the 16th President's life, from his early days in Kentucky and Indiana, to his time in Illinois, his Presidency and assassination. The ISBE is making this special Lincoln curriculum available to teachers in conjunction with the Indiana Department of Education. The lessons, developed by the Indiana Department of Education, align to the Illinois learning standards and teachers can download them at no charge from ISBE Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial website.

New Mission Statement for North School

Five graduating 5th graders were sent out on a mission! They were to come up with a draft of a new Mission Statement for North School. A Mission Statement is something that would encompass fulfilling our destination, what we look like at “Our Best” and who we are about: “Our Words and Our Actions.” All five went willingly on this journey of discovery. It consisted of reviewing four years of 5th grade Exit Surveys to gather important information from our outgoing students and reviewing our current Mission Statement and comparing it to the Mission Statements of various high performing schools/districts. During this research process they reflected on what is the ultimate goal of the students and staff of North School.

Once the students finalized the new Mission Statement, all artifacts were gathered and went through a review process by Dr. Jane L. Westerhold, North School staff members, and the North School PTO. Feedback was collected and this combined effort resulted in a new Mission Statement for the North School Community.

Thank you to Rhys Bakulinski, Jackie Contreras, Francesca Fragale, Andrea Lela, and Anjali Varghese for all their hard work and for leaving North School in such good hands.

D62 Teacher Earns Board Certification
In November, Dr. Regina Gursky, North School teacher, earned the profession’s top honor by achieving National Board Certification, according to the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS). Dr. Gursky was recently honored by the School District Board of Education and Dr. Jane L. Westerhold, Superintendent of Schools.

Teaching quality in Illinois classrooms made a substantial gain in 2008 with 703 state teachers achieving National Board Certification, according to the (NBPTS). Illinois ranked fifth nationwide in the number of new National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs). Dr. Gursky began teaching at North Elementary School in 1994. She has taught Kindergarten and first grade. Currently, she is teaching third grade. Dr. Gursky also served as an Instructional Specialist and a new teacher mentor. Prior to her employment with School District 62, Dr. Gursky worked at Triton College, Dvorak Specialty Academy, Proviso East, St. Alexander, Grant Elementary, and the Elmhurst Park District.

National Board Certification is the highest credential a teacher can obtain. A voluntary process initiated by the educator, certification is achieved through a rigorous performance-based assessment that is typically completed between one to three years and measures what accomplished teachers should know and be able to do. This process requires teachers to demonstrate how their activities, both inside and outside of the classroom, improve student achievement. Dr. Gursky’s certification process, which was completed in three months, focused on Professional Development, Leadership and Community Involvement. She included her students and documented their ability to improve their writing, reading, and speaking skills related to the standards. Her documentation and qualifications were judged using a wide range of media, that included videos, student writing artifacts, and exams.

School District 62 currently has three educators who are National Board certified. In addition to Dr. Gursky, Nancy Stenzel and Brenda Clement have earned this accreditation.