District 70 Notes

Updated: February 22, 2012 12:14PM

Schools honored with state awards

For the third consecutive year, Adler Park, Butterfield, Copeland Manor, Highland Middle and Rockland schools are being honored with the highest academic award given by the Illinois State Board of Education for providing students with a high quality education.

Each of the five schools in Libertyville Elementary District 70 received the highest award, an “Academic Excellence Award.” They were included with only 438 schools in the state to receive the award. In order to qualify for the award, those 438 schools showed they could sustain high student performance over at least three years. The award was given to schools where at least 90% of students met or exceeded state standards in 2009-2011.

This is the sixth year Copeland Manor has been honored with the award. This is the fourth year the award has been given to Adler Park, Butterfield and Rockland schools. Highland Middle School also won the award for the fourth time, having been awarded the Academic Improvement Award in 2006 for showing substantial student performance gains over three years.

The schools were given the award by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) and Northern Illinois University (NIU). This year, 703 schools made the Illinois Honor Roll for their continued academic progress.

Schools can receive three types of awards, including the one District 70 received, which is the highest, the Excellence Award. Schools also can receive the Academic Improvement Award and the Spotlight School award.

Winter Sing at Rockland Feb. 22

The Rockland Winter Sing for fourth and fifth-graders will be held at 7 p.m. on Feb. 22 at Highland Middle School. 310 W. Rockland Road, Libertyville.

Yo, Leonardo celebration Feb. 22

Butterfield first- and second-graders will present “Yo, Leonardo!, a musical celebration of the visual arts, at 7 p.m. on Feb. 22 at the school. Butterfield parents, along with music teacher Robin Evans, art teacher Alicia Sather and technology coach Jill Przybylski have created art reminiscent of the greats to be displayed around the gym and an ongoing visual presentation during the show. Take a stroll through the Butterfield art gallery and enjoy songs such as Picasso Paints the Blues, Vinny Van Gogh, and the Ever-Changing Gardens of Monet

Winter Showcase set for Feb. 22

The Rockland Winter Showcase, sporting a theme of “Rock and Roll Forever, How It All Began” this year, will be held at 7 p.m. on Feb. 22 at Highland Middle School, 310 W. Rockland Road, Libertyville. Fourth- and fifth-graders, and parents will be rocking out to the originals, including Elvis Presley, Little Richard, and the Beatles.

All School Dance at Highland Feb. 24

Highland Middle School will hold its second annual All School Dance from 7 to 9:30 pm on Feb. 24 at the school, 310 W. Rockland Road, Libertyville. Proceeds from the dance will benefit Childrens’ Memorial Hospital.

Highland to host Pancake Breakfast Feb. 25

The annual Highland Middle School pancake breakfast will run from 8 a.m. to noon on Feb. 25 at the school, 310 W. Rockland Road, Libertyville.

Smarty Pants assembly Feb. 27

Adler Park students will be treated to an assembly called “Smarty Pants” at 1:30 p.m. on Feb. 27 at the school, 1740 N. Milwaukee Ave., Libertyville. Performers use balloons to teach students about how simple machines work. At the end of the show, students join the group, linking machines together to create a giant mousetrap at the end of the show.

Textbook fees remain the same

Student textbook fees for the 2012-2013 school year in Libertyville Elementary District 70 will remain unchanged – for the fifth year in a row.

Fees for the upcoming school year, textbook rental fees and supply costs, would be as follows: students in kindergarten will pay a $60 student fee and a $20 technology fee; students in first through fifth grade will pay a $65 student fee and the $20 technology fee. For students in middle school, from sixth through eighth grade, the student fee will be $80 and a $20 technology fee.

D70 to hold art show for community

For the first time in years, the artwork of Libertyville Elementary District 70 students is making its way out into the community.

About 25 pieces representing every grade from first through eighth grade in a variety of media will be on display in an art show called “arteffects” at Cook Memorial Public Library from Feb. 29 through March 19. The bulk of the display will feature two-dimensional paintings, drawings and designs, said art teacher Megan Russell, adding that selection is limited due to space and safety concerns.

The community is invited to an Open House of the show from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Feb. 29 at the library, 114 N. Milwaukee Ave., Libertyville. The artwork will be displayed throughout the building.

The idea for a show originated with Russell, in her first year as an art teacher at Highland Middle School, and the school’s family association art committee.

The show is no small undertaking as volunteers from the Highland Family Association, as well as school administrators are working together to have the show go off without a hitch. This week, parent volunteers are framing and labeling the artwork.

District 70 art teachers, including Russell, Cindi Sartain, and Alicia Sather, have been working this year to get more student artwork in the community. The teachers arranged an art show in December at Libertyville High School and artwork also is being displayed for patients at Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville.

Four schools rank in attendance

Four Libertyville Elementary District 70 schools ranked in the top 10 for the 23rd Annual Lake County Elementary School Fall Attendance Week.

Ranking number one for “large” schools in the county was Highland Middle School. It tied for the top slot for large elementary schools with 980 students for a 97.63 percent attendance rate.

Ranking in the top 10 slots for schools smaller than 450 was fifth place Copeland Manor School with 400 students with a 98.07 percent attendance rate and coming up in seventh place was Adler Park School with 262 students and a 97.94 percent attendance rate. For Medium sized elementary schools, Butterfield School tied with several schools for seventh place in the top 10 with 531 students with a 97 percent attendance rate.

All Lake County elementary schools are eligible to be recognized by the Reginal School Superintendent for attendance week, which ran from Oct. 24-28 this year. The Top Ten Award Ceremony was held on Jan. 30 to honor the schools. The Libertyville schools were represented by principals and students on the school Student Council elected board. They were presented with certificates of achievement at the celebratory luncheon.

Highland names wrestling team

Highland Middle School has named members of its interscholastic wrestling teams for sixth, seventh and eighth grades for the 2011-12 school year.

Eighth grade wrestlers include Michael Beck, Corbin Chariter, Jackson Chartier, Robert Cline, Walker Hare, Matt Hay, Dylan Ledman, Henry Lee, Drew Lemberger, Jack Meyer, Jesse Moderwell, Noah Moderwell, Ben O’Donnell, Dante Parra, C.J. Slater, and Brian Vickers.

Seventh grade wrestlers include Ryan Cleary, Jackson Damenti, David Daniels, Noah Giles, Geoffrey Gratz, Michael Hegwood, William Junas, Rohan Kanianchalil, Jack Kosowski, Dylan McKernan, Alex Mitchell, Ethan Morgan, Drew Onufer, Patrick Potts, Kyle Schilling, Joe Tobiaski, Patrick Vickers, and Carter Wilson

Sixth grade wrestlers include Brandon Allen, Frank Anderson, Jr., Will Bertaud, Vincent Bitner, Jake DeBruler, Will DeBruler, Bob Dresner, Jack Durning, Logan Engeseth, Kyle Erlandson, Josh Groskopf, Will Hare, Wills Hetzel, Ryan Ledman, Joshua Lewis, Cole McClurg, Noah Morgan, Edward Moy, Sean Neal, Alex Niemann, Sava Prodanovic, Richard Rogers, Chad Spinozza, Steve Suk, Patrick Tanski, Peter Wacnik, and Sam Waring.

The student managers are Nicole Axe, Jojo Carmichael, and Reena Christy. The coaches are Adam Kimpler, Rob Rajcevich and Shane Crown.

Highland volleyball team named

The following students have been named to the 2011-12 Highland Middle School boys’ volleyball teams in Libertyville.

The eighth grade team, coached by Krista Casalina, includes Jordan Bach, Nick Bauer, Connor Clausen, Zac Clausen, Matt Franz, Joe Gattone, Jimmy Ivers, Jack Koch, Spencer Maddock, Jarrett Malec, Paul Manfredini, Matt Mulligan, Rudy Pagud, and Chris Rill.

The seventh grade team, coached by Cindy Beshel, includes Andrew Bringle, Steven Donovan, Drew Fortini, Joe Gasick, Caleb Haddon, Kevin Hayes, Ryan Hirschel, Tyler Jost, Sam Kharasch, Shane Kosmach, Brant Kym, Brian McAuliffe, Michael Quigley, and Ben Skeens,

Reese Dannenfeldt wins state art contest

A painting by Copeland Manor fifth-grader Reese Dannenfeldt has won the first place award in the Illinois Arts Education Poster Contest in downstate Springfield.

Dannenfeldt’s artwork will be turned into a poster to be displayed throughout the state in all public and private schools during Illinois Arts Education Week, which runs from March12-18. Rockland fourth-grader Eli McEwan won an honorable mention for his artwork.

The theme this year was Be Art Smart.

The artwork needed to include images representing visual arts, music, drama and dance. The piece also was reworked over a period of time.

Students participating in the event will receive recognition and be presented with a certificate at the IAAE Awards Ceremony on March 15 at the Governor’s Mansion in Springfield. Reese also will have a framed poster of her painting hung in the ISBE Springfield office. She also will receive a Resolution from the State Board of Education and a copy of the Governor’s Proclamation declaring March 12-18, 2012, as Illinois Arts Education Week.

Other District 70 student artwork entered in the contest was created by Mark Plunkett, Lillie Zahn, Eloisa Rego, Hayden Friese, Jack McDonald, Kate Michuda and Ethan Chen.

Five students earn perfect scores

Highland Middle School eighth-grader Brian Vickers, along with sixth-graders Edward Moy, Franklin Borre, Jared Hedlund and Margaret Shutts were awarded the highest honors recently in a national language arts competition called WordMasters Challenge.

Two of the students, Brian and Edward, competed in the very difficult Gold Division of the Challenge and earned perfect scores, said teacher Kerstin Cholewin, who coached along with fellow teacher Kristen Kubala. Nationally, there were only 62 eighth-graders and 26 sixth-graders earning perfect scores last December.

Competing in the difficult Blue Division of the challenge and earning perfect scores were Franklin, Jared and Margaret. In the entire country, only 120 sixth-graders earned a perfect score in the division.

As a team, the Highland sixth-graders tied for sixth place in the nation in the difficult Blue Division of the Challenge where 403 school teams competed against one another.

More than 220,000 students compete each year in three separate meets. The December meet is the first competition of the year.

WordMasters Challenge is an exercise in critical thinking. Students become familiar with a set of new words above their grade level and then use the words to complete analogies expressing various kinds of logical relationships. Highland students will participate in two more meets this school year.

Other Highland students receiving outstanding results in the meeting included eighth-graders Katherine Liu, Will Maes, Hannah Manetsch, Sam Scheck, Elliot Stahnke, Julia Thurau, Alexander von Ruden, Serena Amdur, Hannah Bouford, Eric Metzger, Luke Miller, Jillian Ruff, Jacqui Widmark, Hannah Loizzo and Nick Silivis. Seventh-graders doing well included Amanda Fan, Jack Sanders, Alex Duffy, Olivia Fordham, Max Lund, Daniel Samelson and Patrick Vickers. Sixth-graders earning outstanding results included Mary Cate Buchert, Alexander Dzierozynski, Leah Hartung, Veronica Houle, Michelle Katta, Mary Lothspeich, Ainslie Lounsbury, Jonas Maes, Jack Miller, Pater Wacnik, Katie Stahnke, Katie Lund, Colin Miller, Kate Roleck, Benjamin Sutter and John Zhou.

Working to solve the Challenge analogies helps students learn to think both analytically and metaphorically. The challenge appeals to students who enjoy the challenge of learning new words and logical puzzles posed by analogies.

Highland selects project to support Uganda students

Highland Middle School students, teachers and parents are working together this year to support a piggery that will feed students attending a school in Uganda.

For the first time in the school’s history, staff and students will work together to raise about $10,000 to build, supply and support a piggery through the COVE Alliance. Cove Alliance helps orphaned and disadvantaged children in Uganda. The piggery will help feed students in a school in the town of Kapeeka.

In a community that is very civic minded like Libertyville, there is always a fundraiser somewhere. But too often, he said, students are donating for projects and events and they don’t know what they are donating for.

A student talent show this month also will contribute to the fund-raiser.

Aside from raising funds for the piggery, a farm where pigs are bred and kept, teachers also are bringing the event to students in the classrooms.

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