10-24-2025

I am so thankful for the staff that chaperoned the  Outdoor Ed trip this past week.  Lauren, Colleen, Dan, Mark, Jim, Jen, Jessica, Alex, Nicolett and Carrie all did a tremendous job at a new facility and working with a new staff to continue this wonderful opportunity for our 6th grade students.  

Our super subs kept things afloat this week with Jill, Rich, Bill, Jen R, Rachel, Sarah and Alyssa all doing a great job filling in to teach our kiddos and being flexible when the tech went down! Our teaching assistants also stepped up and showed their leadership, the previously mentioned Rachel and Sarah as well as Michele S, Holly and Lana all stepped up and helped keep in class procedures consistent.  Finally thanks to our specials team who altered their schedule to provide opportunities for our stay back kids.   It takes a village!

Sports awards were held Wednesday Night and Dan, Jessica, Matt, Joe and Megan all gave great presentations to recognize our fall athletes.  I appreciate the work they do on and off the court/field to set great examples for our student athletes.  Thanks to Kim for getting all the certificates printed and ready for this event.  

Using Fresh Starts to motivate students

Theater Club tryouts are happening this week.  Thanks to Stephen, April and Danielle for beginning the process of our annual theater extravaganza.  I am looking forward to seeing Matilda this March!

We also have basketball tryouts happening this week to kick off the Winter sports season.  Dan and Matt will be at it again and Nicole has already started practices for the dance and cheer team! Games will be start soon.  

I appreciate the work Danielle is doing helping me with the IAR data.  I will be stopping by teams to get your input on some possible strategies to employ this year to improve learning.  

Our 8th grade team will be working with the high school staff on Monday to facilitate the Pre-ACT to our 8th grade students.  Please reference Mark's email for timing and please remind your students to be quiet in the testing hallways.  

Ms. Campbell's class is working on Ecosystems in a jar.  Hands on science is really engaging for her students.  

I appreciate Melissa Falkos opening up her classroom for the TGFD program.  Having a police officer teaching our 5th grade students sets a good example of law enforcement as a positive role model, while teaching the student valuable lessons.  

A jury consists of twelve persons chosen to decide who has the better lawyer.

Robert Frost (1874 - 1963)

Maturity is only a short break in adolescence.

Jules Feiffer (1929 - )

The world is round; it has no point.

Adrienne E. Gusoff

10-10-2025

 Mrs. Campbell and Mrs. Lana took their kiddos to an educational and fun field trip on Thursday to Sunny Acres.  They had a blast and learned a lot.  

Thanks to Drill Sergeant Tepe 🤣 for continuing to make sure that we finish all of our safety drills  including the bus evacuation this week.  Of course also big thanks to the staff for running the kids through the drill with the help of our 1st Student bus drivers.

Dr. McGill, Mrs. Smith and I conducted Learning Walks with 7th and 4th grade this week and were able to see some great lessons.  I also started my formal observations.  My favorite part of my job is getting to see the wonderful work that you are doing in the classroom with our students.   

Please make sure that if you supervise a club that you wait with your students until they are picked up.  Also if you get out there before April or myself please do not let students on the activity bus before you mark them off on the clipboard checklist.  

Making Retrieval practice a classroom routine

Congrats to Joe and Megan for finishing the CC season with a strong finish at the conference meet.   Dan, Jessica and Matt finished the regular season of the Volleyball and Soccer season Thursday.  We wish them the best of luck next week in the Conference tournaments.  The VB team was also able to go over to WCHS for middle school night this week.  

Big props to Marisa  who worked with her student to create a Scarecrow for the St. Charles Scarecrow Fest.  Better yet, she was able to get many staff to contribute to the scarecrow making it a true representation of our school.  She even brought it to the fest herself to get it set-up. Taking on this task showed great initiative and school pride.  Thanks for going the extra mile!

I am looking for a Chess Coach and have explored most avenues....if you have a friend or relative that is interested let me know.  The season is supposed to start in a week and 1/2 from now.  

All hail Michele Davis the Pierogi Queen of Chicago...West Chicago that is!  Speaking of going the extra mile to bring our staff together...making 27 dozen perogies for the staff to eat is doing just that.  Who doesn't love pierogies?  

The 6th grade Outdoor Ed trip is quickly approaching and I appreciate all the work that Colleen and Lauren are doing to make the trip at the new location a success, including the chaperone meeting they held Wednesday of this week.  

The Fun Run has arrived!  I want to thank the PTA for all of their effort to do something great for our schools. I also want to thank Margaret and Kim for helping to sort many of the materials and prizes, the teachers for trying to decipher what was happening and motivating your students and especially Jen and Joe for all of the heavy lifting they will be doing today to make this a special and fun day.  

I hope everyone enjoys their extended weekend and has time to unwind and relax.   

"Happiness is a choice you make and a skill you develop. The mind is just as malleable as the body. We spend so much time and effort trying to change the external world, other people, and our own bodies, all the while accepting ourselves the way we were programmed in our youths. We accept the voice that talks to us in our head all the time as the source of all truth. But all of it is malleable, every day is new, and memory and identity are burdens from the past that prevent us from living freely in the present."

Naval Ravikant

All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident.

Arthur Schopenhauer (1788 - 1860)

If all the world's a stage, I want to operate the trap door.

Paul Beatty