Elgin school kicks off year college style

Living the college lifestyle at Abbott Middle School in Elgin will be encouraged today - just hold the beer.

To promote the school's participation in No Excuses University - a program aimed at getting students on track for college by the time they leave eighth grade - Abbott faculty and staff will throw a tailgating party at 11:30 a.m.

"My teachers are psyched and ready to go," Abbott Principal Shelly Hertzog said. "There are college pennants hanging all over the place... they're talking about decorating their cars with signs and streamers. Everywhere you go you see something that says 'Big East', 'Big 10' or 'Big 12.' It's great."

Of the 28 schools across the country participating in the college-readiness program, Abbott is one of only two middle schools. The other is Winston Junior High in Palatine.

As part of the national network, teachers promise to promote a culture of achievement among students. They also attend training and networking sessions with teachers from other schools on classroom and teaching ideas, Hertzog said.

College pennants hang from the ceiling in Abbott's main hallway, and each teacher has adopted a college for his or her classroom. Teachers will be wearing college gear, too.

"We want to make children aware of their future possibilities," Hertzog said. "There is a different level of expectation and accountability. Teachers will be doing things differently."

After attending a No Excuses University conference in San Diego last winter, Abbott faculty members began working on an application for the program.

The tailgating party is one of several events promoting college at the school this year.

In January, the school will hold a college fair that informs parents of middle school students what it will take for their kids to get into a college of their choice.

"We're planning on bringing in speakers from universities and former Abbott students who are in college now to talk about the things our students can do now to prepare for college."

With most of Abbott's students feeding into Larkin High School - which, like Bartlett, Elgin and Streamwood high schools, has failed to meet state standards in reading and math for the past five years - "we want to do better," Hertzog said. "We want to send our students prepared."

Hanover Countryside Elementary School in Streamwood and Kenyon Woods Middle School in South Elgin also are preparing applications to join the No Excuses network this fall, officials said.