Charter school emphasizes fun at fair Saturday

Drinking ale and eating corned beef isn't the only thing you can do in the Fox Valley this weekend.

The Cambridge Lakes Charter School in Pingree Grove is hosting its first Family Fun Fair on Saturday.

The kid-oriented event will feature games, crafts, face painting and the children's favorite, Lollipop the Clown.

There will also be performances throughout the day, more than 20 vendors, raffle prizes -- and food, of course.

The fair will run from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the school, 900 Wester Blvd.

There will be a shuttle to take you from the parking area, next to the Cambridge Lakes Activity Center, to the school.

Admission is free, but tickets for food and games cost $1 for four tickets.

Egg on my face? It seems I spoke too soon when I wrote last week that Community Unit District 300 was taking a laissez-faire approach to labor issues.

This week, I learned the district has been working behind the scenes to hear concerns, and address them when appropriate.

Three groups of employees in the district are trying to unionize: food service workers, bus drivers and charter school employees.

The food service workers have also said students are getting unsafe food because of defective equipment.

District 300 officials have met with representatives from Aramark, the district's food services contractor.

Superintendent Ken Arndt has also invited parents, workers and building-level administrators to come to him with any concerns about food safety.

District officials have also met with their counterparts at the charter school, and District 300 board member Monica Clark is the district's new liaison to the school.

A seat at the table: I had a chance to see Clark in action at the latest board meeting of the Northern Kane Educational Corp., the nonprofit organization that runs the charter school.

As a liaison, Clark is not a corporation board member and doesn't have a vote, but the meeting showed why she could be a valuable presence in the boardroom.

Clark raised the concerns of charter school parents, chiefly those about communication between parents and the school.

I hope Clark will continue to be a vocal presence in the boardroom -- speaking up for people who haven't been heard.

PTO auction to benefit NIU: The loss of five Northern Illinois University students in a shooting one month ago was deeply felt in the District 300 community.

Countless teachers, staff, students, parents and alumni in District 300 attend NIU, graduated from the school or have some connection with the university.

One school in the district, the new Gary D. Wright Elementary School in Hampshire, is raising money for NIU to show its support.

Wright Elementary, at 1500 Ketchum Road, is hosting a live auction from 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday at the school.

The event is a fundraiser for the Wright PTO. Half of the proceeds from items designated "Red and Black Ribbon" items will go toward the NIU Foundation.

Tickets are $20 at the door, and include non-alcoholic drinks, appetizers, dessert and entertainment.