Sarah Adams Elementary School
Sarah Adams Elementary School
Address: 555 Old Mill Grove Road, Lake Zurich
Phone: (847) 438-5986
Web site: www.lz95.org/sa/
District's name and/or Web site: Lake Zurich Unit District 95 www.lz95.org
Number of students/grade levels offered: 462, kindergarten through fifth grade
Number of staff: More than 60 teachers and support staff
School mascot: Buddy the Bulldog
When was school built: 1981, with additions in 1993 and 1995
An interesting tidbit: Sarah Adams School is named after teacher Sarah Adams, who taught at the first school in Lake Zurich in 1862. She earned $32.92 that year. The average teacher salary in Lake Zurich now is about $63,340 according to the 2007 Illinois State Report Card.
Principal: Christopher L. Finch
• He has been principal at Sarah Adams for three years and was a teacher at Middle School South for five years.
• What is your favorite memory from Sarah Adams School? "In 2005, after Hurricane Katrina, we launched our K4K Campaign (Kids for Katrina) school-wide to raise money and resources to send to the victims of Hurricane Katrina. Every child was involved and we raised close to $5,000 in a short period of time. It truly was a unified, school-wide effort that brought together our community to support another community in need. That initial effort sparked many others like it and defines the character of our students, our families and our staff."
• What do you think is an unique aspect of your school? "Sarah Adams is truly a neighborhood school environment. The school is at the heart of the neighborhood. Families walk together to school, build relationships through school activities, participate in their child's education and volunteer to support all of the students at Sarah Adams Elementary School. Because we have such a strong community, we are able to offer many opportunities to our students and support the children in a variety of ways that goes beyond what we can afford in a school budget."
• What are you most proud of? "This year we initiated a Student Assistance Program that offers all students an opportunity to seek homework help two days a week after school, two days a week before school and one day a week during school. For our after-school program, we offer a bus route to support working families who cannot provide transportation for their child. Additionally, we provided students with ISAT preparation software accounts free of charge to the students and the district and added a team of trained reading support volunteers that come to the school every day to read and work with our kids. None of this could be possible without an amazing staff, a hugely supportive PTO, and outstanding parents who care about just as much about the school as they do the success of their own child. We, at Sarah Adams, are truly working together to provide the best in education for our children."
• If all school enrollments were determined by choice, what would you say to potential parents to convince them to choose Sarah Adams for their children? "Sarah Adams is taking an innovative approach to schooling. We have taken the first steps to break down the traditional classroom structure of an elementary school and to provide engaging educational settings for all students. One specific example is our multi-age flexible reading groups. Students in grade 3, 4 and 5 are grouped together to maximize our instruction and provide students with experiences that challenge them at their instructional level. Additionally, it continues to foster a strong community by allowing students to interact with other students and teachers during the school day."
• How has technology changed the way students learn over the past five years? Has that been a good change? "Technology is no longer just a tool used in enhancing technology; it pervades our daily existence and therefore must do so in our schools. Sarah Adams has taken a progressive approach to technology by adding a variety of technologies available to students and staff. Perhaps one of the most visible pieces of technology is the Smartboard. Smartboards are interactive whiteboards that allow students to physically touch and interact with the board to manipulate information. Additionally, we use Palm Pilots to collect data on students and help us to provide instruction that is challenging and appropriate on a real-time basis."
• If you can get one thing accomplished between now and the end of May in your school, what would it be? "I would like to finish the work we have begun with our Student Assistance Program and our flexible grouping model. In particular, I want to see these two initiatives planned for next year so that our students will have access to them from the first day they return to school."