District 62 Welcomes Students to the 2026-2027 School Year!

Children walk down a school hallway with lockers and bulletin boards on the left, and an open doorway with sunlight streaming in on the right.

CCSD62

Aug 28 2026 8:00 AM

District 62's kindergarten through eight-grade students were welcomed back to school on August 25, while preschoolers started on August 26.

A crossing guard in a bright vest directs children across a street in front of a house.

Lush green bushes in the foreground lead to a group of people gathered near a sign for "Central Elementary School" with trees and a street in the background.

A young boy in a red shirt walks down a hallway with a blue mat in the foreground, while other students and adults are visible through open doorways in the background.

Staff and district administrators enjoyed greeting students and their families during first-day morning drop-offs.

Children with backpacks and shopping bags are gathered near a brick building entrance with adults.

A group of young boys with backpacks walk down a school hallway with lockers and fluorescent lights in the background.

A young girl in a pink dress carries a large toy brick in the foreground, while colorful building blocks and a "Road Closed" sign are visible in the background.

Students throughout CCSD62 elementary and middle schools participated in various "welcome back" and "getting-to-know-you" activities during the first week of school.

A young girl with a playful expression stands in the foreground, facing away from the camera, while a second girl in a white sweater with red apple appliques looks towards the viewer in the background.

A young boy in a gray tank top looks with wide eyes at a bright screen in front of him, with a brick wall in the background.

Two young boys in the foreground look up attentively, with other children and a blurred classroom in the background.

At Central, students were excited to see their friends before school started and got a sneak peek at the new lunchroom.

Two young boys sit at a cafeteria table with pumpkins, while other children and a basketball court are visible in the background through large windows.

Children in casual clothing stand in a hallway with blue lockers in the background.

Children sit at desks in a classroom with colorful decorations and windows in the background.

Kindergarten students began their morning by listening to announcements, practicing writing their names, and coloring.

Two young children, one with blonde braided hair and the other with curly dark hair, focus intently on their work at a light-colored table, with a blurred classroom setting in the background.

A young girl with purple hair clips concentrates on her drawing at a desk, with a blurred classroom in the background.

A young boy with glasses sits at a desk in a classroom, with other students and blurred classroom elements in the background.

In Ms. Wubbena's 4th-grade drama class, students took time to connect with her and as she shared a bit about herself.

Children in the foreground sit cross-legged on the floor, engaged in a lesson, while shelves filled with colorful baskets are visible in the background.

Children in a classroom watch a projector screen displaying two soccer players, with colorful decorations on the wall behind them.

A young boy with glasses sits cross-legged in the foreground, looking up and touching his lips, while a blurred background reveals colorful artwork and musical instruments.

She then projected pairs of pictures on slides and asked students to hold up one or two fingers depending on which image they preferred.

Children in the foreground raise their hands to answer a question, while others in the background listen attentively in a classroom.

A young girl with blonde hair smiles in the foreground, while another girl with a braided blonde ponytail is visible in the blurred background.

Next, students were challenged to describe their summer to Ms. Wubbena using 10 words or less.

Children in the foreground are sitting on the floor with their fingers raised, while in the background, a classroom setting is visible with shelves and a sign that says "REASON."

A young boy in a white t-shirt sits cross-legged in the foreground, looking up with interest, while musical instruments are visible on a shelf in the blurred background.

At South, Mr. O'Donnell reviewed PE behavior expectations. He had students walk two laps before assigning floor spots named after sports teams like the Chicago Fire, Cubs, Sox and Bears.

Two girls in pink pants walk down a gym floor in the foreground, while colorful banners hang on the wall in the background.

Four children stand in the foreground with a whiteboard labeled "WARMUP" and "WELCOME!!!" in the background.

A man in a dark blue shirt and grey shorts gestures while speaking in front of a projector screen displaying various images, with the backs of children's heads visible in the foreground.

Students then practiced these expectations through a game: when music played, they walked or ran around the gym, and when it stopped, they paused to talk with the nearest classmate about their summer.

A young girl in a white sweater with red polka dots sits cross-legged on a shiny floor in the foreground, while a blurred figure in a white shirt and black shorts is visible in the background.

A young boy in a tie-dye shirt stands in front of a colorful classroom wall.

Children clap their hands in a gymnasium with colorful banners and a whiteboard in the background.

Standing toe-to-toe or shoulder-to-shoulder, they repeated this activity several times.

A male teacher stands talking to a young girl in the foreground, while other children sit on the floor in front of a colorful bulletin board in the background.

Children in casual clothing are engaged in an activity on a polished gymnasium floor, with colorful decorations and basketball hoops visible in the background.

Two young girls in the foreground bump elbows with smiles, while other children are blurred in the background of a gymnasium.

At Orchard Place, students toured the school and visited various stations-learning about key areas for the first time as kindergarteners or reviewing expectations as returning students.