The Illinois State Board of Education recognized several Waukegan Public Schools staff members, and a Board of Education Member, during its annual “Those Who Excel” awards banquet last weekend. ISBE honored District # 60 educators in four different categories during the awards program.

In recent weeks District 60 has experienced several instances of intermittent Internet network connection. These outages have affected the Internet connectivity district wide, and have occurred for a variety of reasons outside of our control. We know the inconsistent Internet this month has caused frustrations in classrooms and offices. The lack of reliable Internet has affected testing and instruction, and it’s significantly hindered our staff and students' abilities to complete some day-to-day tasks. For this, we want to apologize, and ensure everyone that we are working diligently on these ongoing issues.

Waukegan’s Family and Community Engagement department will host four informational and/or activity-based events this month on a variety of topics ranging from family field trips to special educational presentations. More information on these upcoming events can be found below.

Waukegan Community Unit School District 60 is again partnering with the United Way of Lake County to raise money for the charity during this year’s Jeans Day on October 11.

Special Presentations -Representatives from Bravo Waukegan gave a presentation detailing some of the work the organization has done recently to assist Waukegan music students. Personnel Items -The Board of Education voted to approve the appointments, resignations and retirements of 19 employees, including the appointment of Mr. Issac Kirkwood as Interim Principal at Jack Benny Middle School.

Waukegan Community Unit School District #60 will be hosting a series of informational presentations this month designed to help parents better understand the district’s new Promotion Policy, as well as the Family and Community Engagement (FACE) department’s new three-year strategic plan.

Cooke Magnet School STEM/ Drama teacher, Ms. Rebecca Voight, was recently recognized by the Illinois Biotechnology Innovation Organization for her contributions to the school’s STEM program.

District 60 is saddened to report the passing of Ms. Isabelle Buckner, who passed away Monday in California at the age of 86. Ms. Buckner, Waukegan’s first African-American female principal, served as principal at Carman Elementary School, for many years, until her retirement in 1995. The school was later renamed Carman-Buckner in her honor. Information on local services to honor Ms. Buckner will be announced at a later date.

Waukegan Public Schools was recently recognized for its communication efforts with awards from the Illinois Chapter of the National Schools Public Relations Association (INSPRA). INSPRA recognized the school district with four honors during its annual Communications Contest last month, which celebrates school district communication efforts across the state.

Clearview Elementary School was recently recognized as a PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports) Gold Level School by the Midwest PBIS Network. Clearview was one of 400 schools across Illinois recognized in one of four categories based upon its implementation of PBIS and outcome data during the 2018-2019 school year.

Waukegan High School will be the host of two upcoming college financial aid events, aimed at familiarizing parents and students with the financial aid and FAFSA process.

Tickets are now on sale for the Waukegan Association of Music Partners’ annual Pasta & Pops dinner. The popular event, which features performances by the Waukegan High School orchestra, choir, and band, will take place on Friday, October 11 in the gymnasium of WHS Brookside Campus. This year’s event will again have seatings and performances at 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Students perform popular music from Broadway and Hollywood.

Special Recognitions and Presentations -Representatives from the Chocolate Chips Association discussed the organization’s relationship with Oakdale Elementary School, and they work they are doing with students. -The District’s Communication Department discussed some of its recent awards from the Illinois Chapter of the National Schools Public Relations Association.

Waukegan Public School’s SHINE program, funded by Workforce Development of Lake County, is again offering an innovative program aimed at helping two dozen young adults through its comprehensive Pharmacy Technician Program. The Pharmacy Technician Program is seeking 24 Lake County residents between the ages of 18 and 24 to participate in a six-month curriculum, which will guide participants through pharmacy technician training. The Pharmacy Technician cohort will begin in January 2020.

Waukegan High School’s homecoming week runs from September 22 to September 28. Below is a full list of home varsity sports contests, spirit week celebrations and homecoming events perfect for showing off your Bulldog pride. This year’s Homecoming Week theme is “Enchanted Forest.”

Four Waukegan Public Schools educators were recently awarded grants from the Illinois Retired Teachers Association Foundation (IRTAF). The IRTAF award grants throughout the state that allow educators to enrich their instruction with materials not otherwise available to them.

The annual Run With the Bulldogs 5K will be held on Sunday, September 22. Waukegan High School's Student Council will be hosting this new-look race, to kickoff the school’s annual Homecoming Week festivities.

Presentations -Representatives from Waukegan to College presented this year’s class of seniors in the program. -The Waukegan Park District Foundation presented on its SwimSmart partnership with Waukegan Public Schools.

I am writing you today to share some exciting news about the future of academic, community and administrative facility use in Waukegan Public Schools. During its Regular Meeting on September 10, our Board of Education voted to enter into a purchase sale agreement of the building at 214 Washington Street in downtown Waukegan. This 37,000 sq ft building at the corner of Washington and Genesee is the site of the former First Midwest Bank location.

Nearly two years ago, our Board of Education began the process of creating a District-wide promotion/retention protocol to ensure all students are making appropriate grade level progress throughout their educational career. The 2018-2019 school year was designated as a “pilot” year for the promotion/retention protocol to enable the District to identify any instructional, operational, and financial resources needed for a successful implementation of the initiative moving forward. This year, after conducting significant research and soliciting additional input from stakeholders, this policy will officially go into effect.

The annual Run With the Bulldogs 5K will be held on Sunday, September 22. Waukegan High School's Student Council will be hosting this new-look race, to kickoff the school’s annual Homecoming Week festivities. Additional details, including registration information, are below.

Waukegan Community Unit School District # 60 learned this month that it has been awarded a Preschool (PFA) for All grant from the Illinois State Board of Education, which will allow the District to expand its preschool offerings to Waukegan’s families.

Do you want to be a part of Waukegan High School's annual homecoming parade? This year's festivities will take place September 28 at 10 a.m. at the Brookside Campus, and the theme will be Enchanted Forest.

Special Recognitions and Presentations -Mr. Anthony McIntrye with AntMound LLC recognized Waukegan High School senior, Janette Martinez-Tolentino for designing a new corporate logo. Action Items -The Board of Education voted to approve facility usage fees for Lake County Community Concert Association at Brookside Campus that will be held in Trapp Auditorium on Sept 14, 2019 and October 20, 2019. The cost to the district is $2,700. -The Board of Education voted to approve the Temporary Facilities Reports completed by Green Associates for Glen Flora Elementary, Little Fort Elementary, Oakdale Elementary, North Elementary, Washington Elementary, Clark Elementary and Whittier Elementary. Each year the District is required by the Regional Office of Education to submit a two part Temporary Facilities Report for each temporary classroom (also known as mobile classrooms).

Earlier this week, you might have seen news reports about a data breach involving Pearson, an education assessment company, which is used by school districts and universities across the United States. Pearson is a third party company, which District 60 has used for more than a decade, to provide benchmark and progress monitoring assessments in reading and math to our students.