District 203 schools celebrate community connections
The school year is in full swing, and at Naperville Unit District 203 we continue to have much to celebrate. Here are a few highlights of what's been happing in your district.
The district had its first Focus 203 community engagement session of the school year in September. Community members were invited to a State of the District presentation, as well as to discuss the district's Focus 2020 Strategic Blueprint. Save the dates for the next Focus 203, Jan. 21 and 22. More information is to come.
District 203 hosted a legislative breakfast Sept. 24 at Lincoln Junior High School in collaboration with Indian Prairie Unit District 204 and Wheaton-Warrenville Unit District 200. Nine area legislators attended and discussed topics affecting the school districts, including Senate Bill 16.
The bill would adversely impact our district and many others, and while I agree that equitable school funding should be examined, the formula indicated in SB16 is not the solution because it fails to address the issue of adequacy of funding. You can view the discussion in its entirety on our website.
Continuing in the spirit of collaboration, I am co-hosting "School Scene," a new show on Naperville Community Television with Karen Sullivan, superintendent of District 204. Our first show, which focused on technology in the classroom, debuted Oct. 24.
Tune in to NCTV-17 to discover some of the amazing things both school districts are doing with technology to enhance learning inside and outside of the classroom.
At the Illinois Chapter of the National School Public Relations Association Communications Awards on Sept. 26, District 203 received five awards, including the top award, the Golden Achievement Award of Excellence, for our Future Focus Community Engagement Series.
Other highlights included Awards of Merit for the Naperville Education Foundation's Appreciation Breakfast and the District Awards Celebration Program. Awards of Excellence also were earned for NEF's "Yuks for Youth" fundraiser and the "Future Focus" documentary produced in partnership with NCTV.
Lastly, at 7 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 9, I'll be running the Naperville Half Marathon as part of Team NEF, supporting the Naperville Education Association, the district's not-for-profit group that raises funds for programs that enhance the educational experience in our district. For information about NEF and our partnership, visit nef203.org. I look forward to celebrating once I cross the finish line!
As always, thank you for your continued support of Naperville Unit District 203. I look forward to sharing our celebrations with you again in the coming months. Celebrate 203!