A look inside: Aspen Elementary School
Aspen Elementary School
Address: 500 N. Aspen Drive, Vernon Hills
Phone: (847) 990-4310
District's name and web site: Hawthorn Elementary District 73, www.hawthorn73.org
Number of students/grade levels offered: 509 students, pre-kindergarten through fifth grade
Number of staff: 74
School mascot: The Eagle
When was school built: 2004
Principal: Tom Springborn
• He has been at Aspen for one year.
• What is your favorite memory from Aspen school? "Being designated as a Quality School by the William Glasser Institute and during the ceremony, Dr. William Glasser visited the school himself and shared his insight into what the school had been able to accomplish."
• What do you think is an unique aspect of your school? "Every classroom has recently added to the number of computers available to the students for more regular use. With the generosity of the board of education, we were able to purchase more computers for the school, which made it possible for computer centers to be set up in classrooms as well as having the computer carts and labs available to use on a daily basis. Ideas that these are used for range from simple typing to streaming educational video clips for 3-4 minutes helping students visualize a concept, online virtual field trips, student created multimedia presentations and projects and computer centers along with everything in between. It has been a very important part of engaging and educating the students".
• What are you most proud of? "The teachers amaze me every day with their creativity and unique projects. There are many times that I see the students coming in in the morning carrying a poster box, project or sometimes things that I do not know what they are. The students are always very excited to tell me all about what they had to do. When I go into the classrooms to see the displays or the presentations, I see students who are very excited about learning and who are many times taking things beyond the expectations."
• If all school enrollments were determined by choice, what would you say to potential parents to convince them to choose Aspen Elementary for their children? "At Aspen Elementary, we incorporate Dr. Glasser's Choice Theory, which focuses on internal motivation and choice, building relationships of trust and respect and continuous improvement toward academic achievement through the creation of a nurturing and joyful learning environment."
• How has technology changed the way students learn over the past five years? Has that been a good change? "Technology is not something that is a separate entity to the education of students. It has become a regular resource that is part of the everyday classroom. Using computers, software, Internet and other technological resources has become part of the tool box for curriculum in the classroom."
• If you could get one thing accomplished between now and the end of May in your school, what would it be? "The school's main focus is not only to make all of the students successful academically, but also as citizens of the community. Every day, the expectation for the students within the curriculum are set high and the expectation for them ethically and socially are set just as high. The challenge is to help all of the students reach their potential and to enjoy the process at the same time. Learning for all whatever it takes."