While the District strives to be as responsible fiscally as it can during this challenging economic time , we continue to be faced with fewer revenue dollars from Springfield. Recently we learned that we will face an approximate 25% reduction in expected reimbursement for reimbursement for our regular bus routes. We also learned that we will receive no Reading Improvement dollars, so the District will be forced to fund elementary reading aides out of local proceeds.
Though some parents question the need to pay a registration fee, we try to be sensitive and respectful of the current climate and did not increase those fees for 2010-11.
Here is an article from the Chicago Tribune that helps share some of the hardship that this “cut” from the State Board of Education creates for Illinois districts.

Monday, June 7 we finish the final day of the 2009-10 school year with a half-day of school.
Thank you to all the staff, parents, students and school district supporters for a wonderful year!!!

One last reminder that we will close registration for returning students on June 13th. Have a safe and wonderful summer!!!

This is a reminder that Online Registration will close on June 13, 2010.  To date we have more than 50% of our students who have registered for next year.  You should be receiving a SchoolMessenger call on May 27th to remind you also about registration.

Here are the audio files in .m4a format (for iTunes) and .wav for other devices.

Online Registration Reminder

Online Registration Reminder wav

First of all, my sincere appreciation to all of those who worked so hard to clean up the community, care for the displaced, and rallied to keep our great City moving.

Second, there have been hundreds of questions about whether or not we have to make up school for yesterday. The simple answer is “YES”. We must approve a calendar that shows 180 days of student attendance.

But what about an “Act of God” day? Those are only applicable after a District has used all 5 of its emergency days. We had only used 3 days prior to yesterday.

We are looking at what our options can be regarding our final day of school, but there will be some   form of a school day on Monday, June 7th. As soon as we have final details we will communicate that to everyone.

We are finishing up ISAT testing, approaching the end of the 3rd Quarter, seeing some snow melt and starting to enter into Spring Sports seasons!

Here Jo Cheno “throws her weight around” indoor at a track meet in Sterling!

Every year our dance squad, the Maplettes, invites a group of senior boys to join them for a couple of home games.  This year they really decided to “shake things up” with a medley of songs about shaking!  As much as we appreciate the hard work instructionally that our students and staff put in during the year, these moments of FUN are what make the high school experience so complete.

Congratulations to Ms. Donaho and Ms. Wyffels for outstanding work with all these students!

The HS Varsity Scholastic Bowl competed Saturday at the Masonic Sectional. The students competed against 7 different schools.