Local parents to head up Summit 303
The St. Charles school district's new Summit 303 program is supposed to bridge the gap between you -- the taxpayer, parent, etc. -- and the school system. So it's only fitting a couple of longtime residents lead the charge.
District 303 this week announced parents Jim Keller and Sherry Schmidt will head up the "community engagement" effort, along with a small team of volunteers.
Keller is a financial planner and 15-year St. Charles resident. He has two children who have attended the school district. Schmidt, a 25-year local with a teaching background, has had three children in the district and is involved with the District Parent-Teacher Organization and the Greater St. Charles Education Foundation.
In their new roles, Keller and Schmidt will help organize and carry out monthly discussion Summit 303 meetings, as they're being called, which district administrators hope will draw hundreds -- if not thousands -- of residents. The goal is to get the community involved in charting the district's future and also to improve dialogue with district decision-makers.
Keller and Schmidt will get support from volunteers Glori De Jure, Kane County Forest Preserve President John Hoscheit, Dennis Murphy, retired Baker Memorial United Methodist Church pastor the Rev. C. Alfred Patten, St. Charles Alderwoman Betsy Penny, Ann Richards and Julie Strahl.
The first meeting is planned for 7 p.m. Nov. 9 at Charlestowne Mall, 3800 E. Main St. (Enter the mall near the movie theater and look for signs pointing you to the meeting.)
Gift of art: Fox Ridge Elementary School is a more colorful place to be these days, thanks to the St. Charles Rotary Club.
The club recently donated a watercolor painting by area artist Sherry Tolman as part of a program to support the annual St. Charles Fine Art Show. Adding to the package was Colbert Custom Framing of Geneva, which donated a frame and mat.
Elizabeth Bellaver, a volunteer who helps organize the fine art show, said she hopes to see more art donations in District 303's future.
"We hope that we will continue to find donors like the Rotary Club who are willing to purchase art for donation," Bellaver said in a news release. "Our vision is to place a piece of art in every District 303 school."
Tolman's painting is titled "Fox and the Mouse" and is displayed in the main lobby.
Anonymous donor: The Fox River Chapter of the American Red Cross in St. Charles had some good news to publicize recently: A donor gave the organization $5,000.
The donation came from an anonymous source through the Chicago Community Foundation, a corporate affiliate of Chicago Community Trust.
Ken Robertson, executive director of the local Red Cross chapter, said the funds will "go a long way" in replenishing reserves depleted after assisting victims of recent floods. "We are extremely grateful for the support," he said in a news release.
Chicago Community Foundation helps hundreds of individuals, businesses and families manage charitable giving. For more information about the foundation, go to www.cct.org.