McHenry School District 15
Today's Learners... Tomorrow's Leaders
End of The 2021-2022 School Year Update - Superintendent's Message
Dear District 15 Families and Staff,
We have officially reached the end of the 2021-2022 school year (Landmark's last day is Wednesday, June 1st) and what a memorable year it has been! As always, thank you for all you do on behalf of the young people of McHenry. The great partnership we enjoy between students, families, teachers and staff made this school year a success and one that we will always remember.
Unbelievably, for the third school year, COVID presented significant challenges that required everybody to once again adapt and show flexibility, patience and creativity. The ups and downs and twists and turns generated from these challenges were formidable; however, because we worked cohesively as a community, we endured. So much happens during the course of an academic year, and this term was certainly no exception. This year we thankfully resumed many of the special events that we have not been able to enjoy the past couple of years like sports, clubs, in-house music performances, field days, and promotion ceremonies. We are extremely happy to see so many of these activities return and look forward to many more in the future. We also recognize that while there may still be challenges ahead, we will overcome them as it is unquestionable that our impact can be profound if we all work together for the betterment of our students and community.
Today is our last day of the 2021-2022 school year. All of our students are different today than they were the first day of school–hopefully happier, more fulfilled and confident with everything they have learned and the bonds they formed these last nine months. We will certainly miss all of our students over the summer. Although we won’t see them for a few months, rest assured we will be quick to work in preparation for their return so that when the 2022-2023 school year begins they will be greeted enthusiastically and with care in our efforts to help them grow.
As we head into summer, we wanted to communicate some important pieces of information with you including summer learning opportunities and planning for the upcoming school year. Please take a few minutes to read through this newsletter as it contains information that we believe will be of use for you, your student(s), and your family.
Thank you again for your support and dedication to your student's education and we hope you have a fantastic summer, District 15!
Sincerely,
Josh Reitz, Ed. D.
Superintendent
In This Issue
- End of Year Happenings
- Summer Learning 2022
- Curriculum Updates and Information
- Planning for Next Year
- Online Registration for Next School Year
- Health Requirements for 2022 - 2023
- Student, School, and District Celebrations
- Congratulations to Our 2022 Retirees!
- Support Networks
- Join Our Team!!!
End of Year Happenings
Eighth Grade Promotion Ceremonies
Summer Learning 2022
Please join us in getting your student(s) ready for the coming school year by exploring some of our exciting activities and digital programs this summer! All of the activities and programs listed below will be available beginning June 1st and will conclude on July 31st.
Summer Tutoring (K-8) - District 15 will be offering free tutoring services, in all subject areas, to D15 students through the use of a program called TutorMe. This program will allow for students to connect with an instructor 24/7 at no cost to the families. The student can log on to the TutorMe platform and select a tutor from the list of highly qualified individuals in any subject area. Students can determine what they want to focus on or give the tutor a baseline of what they are hoping to gain from their experience and the tutor will accommodate. For more information and to learn how to utilize this service, please click here. This service will also be available during the school year!
Adventures in Learning (PreK-8)- Come explore our virtual learning experience! Adventures in Learning offers continuous learning opportunities, in both English and Spanish, aligned to grade level standards and can be completed daily at your convenience. To start these adventures, click here to start exploring.
Learning Digital Resources - District 15 is offering many online digital resources for our students and families to utilize and access from home.
Freckle Math & Literacy (K-8) - Freckle is an online learning platform that allows students to practice math and literacy at their own level. Freckle continuously adapts to each student’s individual skills, so each student is getting the appropriate challenges and working at their instructional level.
BrainPop Summer School Toolkit (3-8) - BrainPop has released digital summer school toolkits for students in grades 3-8. These engaging activities are in the areas of literacy, math, science, social studies and computer science.
Khan Academy (6-8) - Khan Academy has math lessons and activities for middle school math. Students can refine their skills by completing the grade level math course they just finished or even start to preview lessons for next year’s grade level. Getting started with Khan Academy information can be found here.
Wonder of Science (6-8) - Wonder of Science is offering several mini-lessons for students to continue their science knowledge. The lessons allow the students to digitally perform and show their work on the concepts being explored.
Featured LIVE Readers - Back by popular demand, in conjunction with our summer learning activities, we have partnered with several McHenry community members and District 15 staff members to read some of your children’s favorite stories LIVE on our district social media! Look for these stories on Facebook Tuesdays and Thursdays during the month of July.
At Home Summer Learning Kits (K-5) - For students that have requested a summer learning kit most of these should have been sent home with your student(s). Each lesson within these kits have instructional how-to videos to assist you and your student. To access these videos please click here. Additional information for celebrating the completion of these kits will be communicated in the near future.
Community Summer Activities - There are many fun summer activities and learning opportunities taking place throughout the McHenry community, as well. Please visit our Community Summer Activities page to learn more.
Summer Learning Video Tutorial
Parent University - Preventing Learning Loss Over The Summer Months
For additional information and to access the activities presented in the recording please click here.
Chromebook Devices
Curriculum Updates and Information
Trimester Three Progress Reports
In addition, your student(s) recently completed both STAR math and STAR reading assessments for the third time this school year. Each academic year, all students in District 15 take these assessments three times (fall, winter, spring) to help teachers and administrators to make decisions that best meet the needs of each student. Your student's Spring STAR parent report will be sent home with them today, if it hasn't been sent home already.
Writing Portfolios
For many years, McHenry School District 15 has maintained writing portfolios for students. Prior to the pandemic, the student writing portfolios contained a writing sample from kindergarten through eighth grade. We are taking this opportunity to transition from traditional paper/pencil writing portfolios to allow for more digital writing learning experiences. Today, your student will be bringing home the current writing portfolio with artifacts collected throughout their academic journey.
Illinois School Report Cards
The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) has recently released our annual School Report Card on www.illinoisreportcard.com. While this annual report card does not provide a complete description of the many attributes of our school district, it is a worthwhile data source on various aspects of McHenry District 15, and provides context on how each of our schools are progressing on our educational goals.
We are proud of the performance of all of our schools and students and look forward to diving into the data more deeply in our continual effort to better meet the needs of all of our students. To learn more about specific data available in our District report or to view the report of your child’s school, we encourage you to take a moment to explore the reports available on our district website.
Planning for Next Year
Updated Start and Release Times
As a reminder, the District wanted to provide you with an important update to some of our school start and release times for the 2022-2023 academic year. We wanted to give families ample notice of these changes to allow plenty of time to make any necessary adjustments to your schedules. Please review the changes below.
Food Services Information For 2022-2023
Based on current regulations, we anticipate selling breakfasts and lunches next year. As we did prior to the pandemic, children of families who have a free/reduced price meal application approved will be able to obtain 1 free/reduced breakfast and 1 free/reduced lunch per day.
Additionally, the waivers that have allowed us to feed all children for free, regardless of family economic status or district of residence are slated to expire as our school year comes to an end.
Unfortunately, without these waivers in effect, the District will not be providing summer meals like we have done the last two summers. If your family is in need of nutritional support, please contact any of the following associations as they will have summer meals available to those who need them.
McHenry Public Library - Monday-Friday @ 12:00 noon to 1:00 pm. Any Student 18 and under receives a complimentary boxed lunch provided by the Northern Illinois Food Bank
St. Vincent DePaul Society - 5211 Bull Valley Road, McHenry, IL 60050
Casa De Vida - 3430 Elm Street, McHenry, IL 60050
FISH of McHenry County - 3515 N. Richmond Road, McHenry, IL 60051
Wonder Lake Neighbors Food Pantry - 3506 E. Wonder Lake Rd., Wonder Lake, IL 60097
Faith Acres Foundation Food Pantry - 225 East State Rd., Unit H, Island Lake, IL 60042, (815) 669-0188
First United Methodist Church @ Algonquin Township Road District - 3702 US-14, Bldg#6B, Crystal Lake, IL 60014
Faith Acres Foundation Food Pantry - 120 W Dowell Rd McHenry, IL 60051,
Online Registration for Next School Year
Online registration is now open for ALL students (except new PreK students) that will be attending a District 15 school during the 2022-2023 school year. For more information on how to complete the registration process, please visit the registration section of our website.
Please complete your student(s) online registration by June 15, 2022.
Health Requirements
2022 - 2023 School Year
The Illinois Department of Public Health requires a number of immunizations and exams before students can attend school in person in the State of Illinois. Parents are asked to please submit the following health records to their student’s Health Office at the school for the 2022-2023 school year prior to the first day of school. You may drop the forms off at school or submit them through our form submission portal: Medical Form Submissions. If you have any questions, please contact your school nurse.
Physical Exams: All students entering Preschool, Kindergarten, Sixth and first time students entering an Illinois school are required to have a current physical examination completed on the approved Certificate of Child Health Examination https://www.d15.org/Page/278.
Immunizations: All students must be current with all Illinois immunization requirements. Please refer to the Health Requirements posted in the Health Services section of the District 15 website or consult with your physician.
Dental/Vision Requirements: All students entering Kindergarten or students who are first time students entering an Illinois school must have a vision exam. In addition, students in kindergarten, second and sixth grade are required to submit a dental exam. To obtain these forms visit https://www.d15.org/Page/278.
Student, School, and District Celebrations
Best Music In Education
INSPRA - Distinguished Service Award
The team was honored earlier this month for these accomplishments at a special luncheon.
Congratulations to Our 2022 Retirees!
Duker: Kim Ulrich
Edgebrook: Deb Marsh
Hilltop: Maureen Adams-Durkin, Elizabeth Bachta, Barb Szamleski, Dawn O'Herron
Landmark: Shari Reisinger
Parkland: Kris Stanek, Steve Kijak
Valley View: Diana Miller
Central Office: Angie Curry, Lois Zalewski
Transportation: Cathie D'Agostino, George Wilkinson, Al Vetrovec, Brian Lumpp
Support Networks
The following resource is available to District 15 families and students. McHenry County teens and tweens now have faster and easier access via text to mental health resources with a new mobile app called “MCHELP.” MCHELP is an anonymous texting service that allows teens to find immediate help. The service is available 24/7 and targets middle and high school students. It is completely anonymous, and is staffed with trained, licensed counselors to support teenagers who have a concern or a crisis. This app is intended for middle school and high school students in McHenry County, IL.
To download the MCHELP app, visit the links below or search "MCHELP" from your cell phone.
Apple App Store:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/mchelp/id1146075267?mt=8
Google Play Store:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.goodbarber.mchelp&hl=en
For more resources please visit our Student Safety and Family Supports section of our District 15 website.
Join Our Team!!!
Have a Wonderful Summer Break District 15!!!
Contact Us
Email: info@d15.org
Website: www.d15.org
Location: 1011 North Green Street, McHenry, IL, USA
Phone: 779-244-1000
Facebook: facebook.com/McHenryD15
Twitter: @School_D15