New faces, fresh start in Libertyvile District 70's smallest school
The poster welcoming "Mr. Bogey" is a classic example of it being the thought that counts, and one that Jon Bogie Jr. happily will keep with the other tokens of appreciation.
"I never throw those away," said Bogie, the new principal at Adler Park School in Libertyville. Fashioned by a third grader, the handmade sign was posted on Bogie's door Monday, the first day of school.
Perennially a time of excitement for youngsters, the same can be said for the new leader of Libertyville Elementary District 70's smallest school - he's the first new face behind that desk in 22 years.
An import from East Maine District 63 in Des Plaines, Bogie replaces longtime Principal Janet Brownlie, who retired after the last school year.
"Janet Brownlie's work has really set Adler up on a great path. One of my jobs is to continue on that path," said the former fourth grade teacher and admitted technology geek.
A collaborative atmosphere with a creative and caring staff contributes to the learning environment at Adler, he added.
"They were so pumped up this morning. They were cheering. They really love Adler," he said of the students.
With a solid financial base and a big construction project in the rearview mirror, Bogie and the staff can concentrate on refining and tweaking the learning process for the 280 students at the award winning school.
In one second grade class, for example, students have no assigned desks, giving them "more of a community feeling,' Bogie explained.
Other teachers are experimenting with "social dynamics" in which a goal is set in the morning and revisited later in the day. Options also are being considered to expand the daily morning news, broadcast in house, to possibly include sports and weather.
"The creativity here is just fantastic," he said.
Bogie said he values communication, and as if on cue, a staffer breaks in to say a transfer student has just arrived.
The 39-year-old moves quickly to meet the first grader and promises to play guitar in the student's classroom some time.
"That's something I'll always have in common with him," he said. "We'll be new to the school."
Students in the other four District 70 schools also had a full first day, and there were other changes.
Classes at the four grade schools started and ended 15 minutes earlier, as the district began a new bus route system. The move is expected to save $105,000 over three years.
A new food service offering healthier choices also debuted, as did about 12 new staff members.
"Their energy is just as exciting as the students'," Superintendent Guy Schumacher said after a whirlwind morning visiting all the schools.
On the curriculum side, new science labs will replace 1940s-era models at Highland Middle School. Sixth grade is done, with 7th and 8th grade classroom completion expected in a few weeks.
"We're looking at genuine, 21st century labs for all our middle school students," Schumacher said.