Fall is in the air at Dist. 211

I don't need watch the falling mercury or see the back-to-school sales to know that students have returned to the classrooms. The unofficial end of the summer for me happens when Palatine-Schaumburg High School District 211 spokesman Tom Petersen hands me the academic calendars and handbooks for the district's five schools.

The year kicked off with District 211 Superintendent Nancy Robb coming by the newsroom last week to meet with editors and management at the Daily Herald. It was her first face-to-face meeting with editors here since she took over the top spot.

In other District 211 news, Fremd High School graduate Jacqueline Piccolino, who was selected as the only female soloist in the January 2009 Illinois Music Educators Association All-State Honors Choir meet in Peoria, will appear on the "Introductions" radio program on WFMT 98.7 FM. Piccolino, 18, a freshman at the University of Illinois at Champaign, will sing live from 11 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Sept. 19. The soprano will be singing songs by Schubert, Hageman and Mozart. The performance will be rebroadcast from 10 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Sept. 24.

Best of luck in the new school year to students, teachers, faculty, administrators and, of course, parents. And don't worry: Despite the current confusion over what's going on at the Sears Centre arena as Hoffman Estates prepares to take over management of the building, seniors from Conant, Fremd and Schaumburg high schools are still expected to walk with their caps and gowns on June 6, 2010, at the venue.