New year brings improvements to buildings, curriculum

Families throughout the city are preparing to send their children back to school for another year of learning and growing.

Each school year brings new energy, excitement and enthusiasm. Here in Naperville Unit District 203, we're looking forward to a year full of inspiration.

When students enter their buildings for the first time, many will notice they look a little different. Over the summer, construction crews were hard at work building a new entrance at Naperville North High School and a new wing at Elmwood Elementary School, and creating a new layout inside Steeple Run Elementary School.

Naperville Central High School, Lincoln Junior High and five elementary schools had their libraries transformed into a Learning Commons, a dynamic environment where a culture of collaboration, communication and creativity is fostered through thoughtful use of learning spaces and literacy growth programming.

Classrooms at NCHS and NNHS received a facelift to equip students with the technology needed to participate in our new Business INCubator classes. Students have the opportunity to work hand-in-hand with our local business community to create and execute their own business model.

This year, we'll place instructional technology into the hands of our youngest learners as we implement the final stage of our three-year Digital Learning Initiative, which provides personalized and individualized learning for students. For information, visit naperville203.org/domain/1216.

In fall 2016, more than 14,500 community members completed our School Day Survey. As a result of survey feedback, community engagement sessions and school board approval, both high schools will have a late start once a week to allow teachers to collaborate in professional learning communities. That is only the beginning as we continue to look at how to best use our school day at all levels.

New science curriculum will be rolled out at the high school and junior high levels, and a new social emotional learning curriculum will enable students to demonstrate the skills needed to be competent in their families, with their peers, in their school, at their work settings and in their communities.

Naperville 203 is once again hosting an opportunity to connect with new families in the district while meeting representatives from your child's school and community organizations.

We hope our families will join us for our Welcome to 203 Community Resource Fair from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 27, at Kennedy Junior High School, 2929 Green Trails Drive, Lisle.

Naperville 203 recently made headlines when Niche.com released its annual school rankings. The organization named Naperville 203 the third best school district, and the best unit district, in the state. Naperville Central and Naperville North were ranked 15th and 19th in the state, respectively, all five junior highs were ranked in the top 10, and all 14 elementary schools placed in the top 100. We know we are a successful school district in part due to our strong community support.

Please join me in celebrating everything that makes our students, staff and community exemplary. Thank you for your continued support, inspiration and commitment to education and our students.

• Dan Bridges is superintendent of Naperville Unit District 203. His column appears monthly in Neighbor during the school year.