U-46 school news

Here is what's in the news for the week of Nov. 30-Dec. 4 at Elgin Area Unit District 46 schools. For details, visit u-46.org. Seniors ages 62 and older living in the district may attend U-46 plays and concerts for free if they pick up a platinum card from Paula in the Communications office. Call (847) 888-5000, ext. 5040, to order one.

Bartlett High

• On Thursday, the Band will present its Holiday Concert at 7 p.m. in the Bartlett High auditorium, 701 Schick Road. Tickets are $1 per student or senior citizen, $2 per adult and $6 per family.

Elgin High

• On Saturday, Dec. 5, the Elgin High Chamber Choir, Renaissance Singers, Chamber Orchestra and Madrigal Brass will present the 13th annual Madrigal Dinner at 6:30 p.m. at Epworth United Methodist Church, 37W040 Highland Ave. in Elgin. Tickets are available until Nov. 30 by calling the treasurer at Elgin High at (847) 888-5100, ext. 5103. Tickets are $28 for adults and $25 for students and senior citizens.

Kenyon Woods

• The Kenyon Woods Middle School orchestra will present a concert at 7 p.m. at South Elgin High School, 760 E. Main St. Also participating will be fifth- and sixth-grade orchestra students from the following elementary feeder schools: Clinton, Fox Meadow, Garfield, Liberty, Nature Ridge, Wayne and Willard.

Centennial

• On Tuesday, the fifth-grade band students at Centennial Elementary School will present a concert at 7 p.m. at Bartlett High School. They will perform along with Bartlett and Sycamore Trails elementary schools and Eastview Middle School seventh-grade North Beginners Band.

• On Wednesday, the sixth-grade band students will present a concert at 7 p.m. at Bartlett High School. They will perform with Bartlett, Sycamore Trails, Prairieview, Hawk Hollow and Spring Trail elementary schools and Eastview Middle School eighth-grade intermediate band.

Hawk Hollow

• On Friday, the Barnes and Noble Book Store at Stratford Square Mall in Bloomingdale will donate a percentage of all book purchases made by staff and students back to Hawk Hollow Elementary School. The orchestra and chorus will perform at the book store beginning at 5:45 p.m. with the fourth-grade orchestra, 6:30 p.m. for the chorus and 7:15 p.m. for the fifth- and sixth-grade orchestra.

Highland

• On Wednesday and Thursday, Tekakwitha Woods will present "Nature in Your Classroom" to the second-grade classes from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. The Highland Elementary School children will learn characteristics of owls during this hands-on program.

Hillcrest

• On Thursday, fourth- to sixth-graders at Hillcrest Elementary School will perform a Holiday Sing at 7 p.m. in the Larkin High School auditorium, 1475 Larkin Ave., Elgin.

Laurel Hill

• On Wednesday, adult English Language Learners classes will be from 6 to 8 p.m. at Laurel Hill Elementary School. On Thursday, ELL Parenting classes will be at 9:45 a.m. at the school. The classes are sponsored by Hanover Township to discuss homework strategies, etc. with parents. The class meets Thursdays.

Lincoln

• P.E. teacher Karen Peterson started a running/walking club during lunch recess at Lincoln Elementary School. Parents are invited to join their children. The plan is to go "From Sea to Shining Sea." A map of the U.S. was painted on the playground to chart the club's progress, along with another map on the lunchroom wall to watch. The club only started a week ago and more than 1,000 miles have been logged. Teachers have said that student concentration in the afternoon studies has improved because of increased activity at lunch recess. This Mileage Club is thanks to an "Activate Elgin" mini-grant the school received in October.

Lords Park

• On Thursday, a Holiday Sing will be performed by Lords Park Elementary third- to sixth-graders at 7 p.m. in the Elgin High School auditorium, 1200 Maroon Drive. The concert is free.

Otter Creek

• On Monday, Otter Creek fourth- to sixth-graders will present a Holiday Sing at 7 p.m. at South Elgin High School, 760 E. Main St.

• On Thursday, Polar Express Literacy Night will take place at 6 p.m. at the school. Families will have the opportunity to meet for literacy activities following the main presentation. There also will be refreshments and raffles.

Prairieview

• On Tuesday, the annual "Holiday Shoppe" will be from 2:30 to 7 p.m. in the Prairieview Elementary School gym, 285 Mayfair Lane in Bartlett. This is an annual event for students and their families to purchase gifts for the holiday season. There will be a craft project available for students to learn how to make candles. At the Cookie Walk, they can purchase tins of homemade cookies just in time for the holidays. New this year is a four-foot stocking that will be raffled off.

Timber Trails

• On Wednesday through Saturday, the annual "Holiday Shop" will be in the upper main hallway of Timber Trails Elementary School, 1675 McDonough Road in Hoffman Estates. It will be open during school hours Wednesday through Friday and from 9 to 11 a.m. Saturday. During the Saturday hours, families may also have "Breakfast with Santa."

Wayne

• From 10:30-11:30 a.m. Thursday, the third-grade students at Wayne Elementary will go caroling through the village of Wayne. The parents gather around to hear the children sing, and will watch the Wayne Garden Club prepare holiday wreaths.

• On Friday, the fifth-grade students will graduate from the DARE program, "Too Good for Drugs." The program at noon is sponsored by the DuPage County Sheriff's Office and the Wayne Police Department.

Woodland Heights

• On Thursday, area vendors and community members will be selling crafts, desserts, cosmetics, collectibles, Avon, and a variety of other items at "Mall in the Halls" from 3 to 7 p.m. at Woodland Heights Center for Early Learning, 900 S. Park Blvd. in Streamwood.

In the news

• The first elementary art show of the season is scheduled to open at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 2, at First Community Bank, 50 Tyler Creek Plaza in Elgin. There will be an artists' reception from 5 to 7 p.m. This show will feature approximately 175 pieces of student artwork from 20 elementary schools. The exhibit will run through Dec. 30 and is open to the public during regular banking hours. The participating elementary schools are: Century Oaks, Clinton, Coleman, Creekside, Fox Meadow, Garfield, Harriet Gifford, Highland, Hillcrest, Hilltop, Huff, Illinois Park, Lincoln, Lords Park, Lowrie, McKinley, Otter Creek, Sheridan, Timber Trails, Washington, Willard and Wayne.

• Horizon Elementary School art teacher Cindy Walker has teamed up with Artsonia, www.artsonia.com - the world's largest online kids' art museum - to display the students' artwork.