Lisle school earns Blue Ribbon award
The success of Kennedy Junior High in Lisle is not a mistake, not happenstance, not a coincidence. Not magic or a miracle, it's on purpose.
Already recognized twice as a National Blue Ribbon School, Kennedy received the honor from the U.S. Department of Education again this year, and Principal Brian Valek knows why.
The success of Kennedy Junior High is not a mistake because no one attends Kennedy Junior High by mistake.
Parents always tell Valek they moved to their homes in parts of Lisle, Naperville, Woodridge and Bolingbrook specifically for the schools. Naperville Unit District 203 is a high-achieving district with a gravitational pull, and within that world, Kennedy draws families with an attraction of its own, hosting the district's junior high magnet program for gifted students.
"They're not here by accident," Valek said about his school's 950 students, sent by parents intent on providing the best public education they can. "They come to us with high expectations."
Valek said it's because of this purposeful commitment to the school - from parents, students, teachers and staff members, even district administrators, school board members and the community at large - that Kennedy once again is Blue Ribbon-worthy. It's an "embarrassment of riches" he says, and from an abundance of resources, the school is producing solid results.
In state standardized testing this spring, 77 percent of Kennedy students met or exceeded expectations for proficiency. Statewide, only 33 percent of students met or exceeded the benchmarks.
Intrigued by the school's high test scores, Valek said Department of Education officials contacted him in the spring and wanted to know more. He filled out an application of 20 pages documenting the school's climate, inclusiveness, professional development and parental involvement.
Valek said parents who move to a district specifically for its schools are the type who make sure their students are prepared. They provide early education at home and access to learning opportunities outside school. They introduce their kids to the arts and athletics and a diversity of views.
"It's a tradition of excellence sustained by parents and staff," Valek said - including the head custodian.
Working at the school since it opened in 1990, Bob Rechenmacher has built the bridge that formed Kennedy's partnership with Judd Kendall VFW Post 3873 in Naperville, a partnership with benefits that go both ways. The school conducts service projects for the veterans, and veterans come to the school to share their experiences.
Rechenmacher keeps the school clean, of course, but his work goes much farther than that toward establishing a positive learning environment.
On one fall afternoon, Rechenmacher stepped in to the annual "Friendsgiving" luncheon hosted by the school's two special-needs classes. Sitting with three students, two of them with autism using visual aides to communicate, he got right to chatting. That's not in his job description.
"If he can do something that's going to help us with a learning opportunity, he's right there," Valek said.
Assistant Principal Andrew O'Brien traveled to Washington, D.C., Nov. 7 and 8 to pick up the award, the school's third Blue Ribbon after previous recognition in 2002 and 2008. But while he was receiving the honor, life and learning continued at Kennedy.
Project Lead the Way engineering students built weight-bearing structures out of plastic straws. Science students used Chromebooks - newly given to each student this year - to follow along with presentations. A dozen seventh-graders met with Valek to share their feedback on the school in a principal's forum.
Adults, he told them, have recognized the school as among the top in the nation, giving it one of 279 Blue Ribbon awards handed out this year to public schools, including only eight other junior highs in Illinois. Valek reminded the students of the recognition and asked their thoughts - why they think Kennedy is special, what they think sets it apart. Teachers got the nod.
"They care about what we say and take it into consideration," seventh-grader Kiayla Rodgers said, noting that her teachers always show students respect.
"If you're really good at something, they won't keep you with the rest of the class," seventh-grader Ruda Katayayan said, noting that his teachers - like the school itself - recognize and promote excellence. "You can go higher."