Morton Grove Champion

Maine South students hack way to prize

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 21:42:00 -0500

Maine South High School seniors Griffin Stetson and Peter Hadlaw won gold medals in Web design at the SkillsUSA Leadership and Skills Championship held recently in Springfield. Over the course of six hours, teams were required to complete a series of design challenges focusing on website usability and accessibility, with at least one challenge related to scripting. Under the guidance of Maine South advisors Joe Greguras and Bruce Atkinson, Stetson and Hadlaw were named Illinois State Champions for the second consecutive year. They will be competing for the National Championship in Kansas City, Mo. in June after finishing fourth in …

Dist. 67 hires Lincolnwood native, Dist. 65 employee as superintendent

Sun, 05 May 2013 06:14:58 -0500

After the last two superintendents of Golf Elementary District 67 resigned, citing the long drive from their homes, the school board Thursday appointed a Lincolnwood resident to the post. Beth Sagett-Flores will replace Jamie Reilly, the outgoing superintendent who served for the past three years. Sagett-Flores is slated to start July 1. She comes from Evanston/Skokie Elementary District 65, where she serves as human resources director. Prior to that, she was principal of Lincolnwood Elementary School in District 65 for seven years. Sagett-Flores also has served as a principal, middle school teacher and special education teacher at Chicago Public Schools. …

District 67 looks at programs to restore if referendum passes

Fri, 22 Feb 2013 17:14:00 -0500

MORTON GROVE — If voters approve a tax hike referendum Tuesday, officials in Golf Elementary School District 67 plan to restore programs and staff over the next two years totaling about $720,000. District officials hope money will allow them to reverse some of the cuts made over the last several years, including the elimination of all-day kindergarten, elimination of teacher’s aides and cuts in clubs and sports programs. The District 67 School Board reviewed a list of items that could be restored at a meeting Thursday night, but will not take any action until after Tuesday’s referendum vote. If the …

Maine school buses get cameras, GPS

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 02:11:09 -0500

East Maine School District 63 is equipping its buses with on-board cameras and GPS units next year to better ensure the safety of students and drivers. The decision to add the devices came one week after an out-of-control school bus careened down a 1.3-mile stretch of Oakton Street in Park Ridge and Niles. The district’s contract discussions with transportation contractor Septran, Inc., however, predated the Jan. 29 accident involving bus driver Elaine C. Delaney, 77, of Wheeling. Delaney suffered a medical emergency behind the wheel and crashed into several vehicles while en route to a District 63 school in Des …

DCFS finds evidence of neglect, abuse in Maine West hazing case

Sat, 09 Feb 2013 16:18:00 -0500

Neglect and abuse claims leveled against two soccer coaches swept up in a hazing scandal at Maine West High School have been substantiated by Illinois’ child welfare agency. The finding by the Department of Children and Family Services lends new credibility to the allegations and closes yet another formal inquiry into the conduct of the coaches, leaving only Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez’s office with an ongoing criminal investigation into the matter.

Geography contest is new terrain for history students at Golf Middle School

Mon, 11 Feb 2013 06:20:47 -0500

MORTON GROVE — Students studying American history at Golf Middle School in Morton Grove had a chance recently to test their knowledge of geography. About 125 seventh- and eighth-graders took part in a local contest as part of the National Geographic Bee. The contest allows schools across the country to participate using materials prepared by the National Geographic Society. The contest is designed to encourage teachers to include geography in their classrooms, spark student interest in the subject and increase public awareness about geography. “I think they love it,” said Golf history teacher Ted Carris. “They were not only competing …

‘Freddie the Frog’ leaps onto Niles West stage

Mon, 04 Feb 2013 01:16:05 -0500

SKOKIE — Young children wrapped up in the musical adventures of a frog and his over-sized elephant friend may not realize by listening they’re actually building life skills.

District 67 begins search for new superintendent

Tue, 11 Dec 2012 18:16:08 -0500

MORTON GROVE — In response to Dr. Jaime Reilly’s intentions to resign at the end of the school year last Thursday, the Golf School District 67 board agreed Monday to have the Illinois Association of School Boards (IASB) conduct a search on its behalf for a new superintendent. Board members were also given a tentative schedule for how and when the process would be expedited, and were told that they could anticipate making a selection by early March. Officials listened to IASB Consultant Dawn Miller on Monday as she presented a menu of different services from which they could select …

Maine East Circus Club entertaining for decades

Sun, 30 Dec 2012 06:12:19 -0500

PARK RIDGE — Big-top fun and excitement fills Maine East High School in Park Ridge during performances of the school’s Circus Club.

Holocaust Museum: Students hear first-hand lessons about genocide

Sun, 23 Dec 2012 06:16:38 -0500

SKOKIE — Since 1990, all public and elementary schools in Illinois have been required to teach the Holocaust, the first state to adopt such a mandate.

Resurrection hosts holiday performances

Sun, 30 Dec 2012 06:06:55 -0500

Join in the festivities as the Fine Arts Department of Resurrection College Prep High School presents a variety of showcase performances and concerts to share the holiday spirit. The community is welcome to attend these events, all of which will be held at the school, 7500 W. Talcott Ave., Chicago. The Holiday Dance Showcase, featuring the students in the dance program at Resurrection along with the Orchesis competitive dance team, under the direction of Stephanie Mueller, will be held at 7 p.m. Nov. 30 in the Resurrection Little Theatre. “Silent Night/Sacred Night,” a holiday chamber concert, featuring the Resurrection Chamber …

District 219 school notes

Sun, 30 Dec 2012 06:16:35 -0500

Niles North hosts Family Fitness Night The Niles North Physical Welfare Department, along with the American Heart Association and POLAR heart monitors, invite Niles North students and their families to attend Family Fitness Night from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. tonight (Nov. 29) in the Cardio Lab Room (1950) at Niles North High School, 9800 Lawler Ave., Skokie. Families will be able to experience POLAR heart rate monitors and hear presentations from the American Heart Association on healthy living, as well as a cooking demonstration. This is a free event for the entire family. Tour the fitness facilities available to …

Student inventor competes in D.C.

Sun, 16 Dec 2012 06:29:54 -0500

Eric Ronning has the following advice for government leaders. “Support creativity and invention at the junior and collegiate levels,” Ronning said. “It gets (students) to go out and pursue ideas they think could work.”

Lawsuit: Sex assaults part of Maine West soccer team hazing ritual

Mon, 26 Nov 2012 13:49:57 -0500

A suit filed Monday against the Maine Township High School District claims three Maine West freshman students were sexually assaulted during a soccer team hazing ritual at the school. The suit goes into details of the hazing that have not been released by either the Des Plaines Police Department or the school district, which have both conducted investigations. Since the Sept. 27 incident, police have charged six students as juveniles while a total of 10 students have been disciplined, according to the district. Some of the 10 students were barred from playing on the soccer team, and one student told …

District 219

Sun, 23 Dec 2012 06:09:44 -0500

West news writer earns recognition for story Niles West News editor Gabrielle Abesamis was recognized at the Kettle Moraine Press Association (KEMPA) Fall Journalism Conference held Oct. 19 at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. Abesamis, a junior, received the 2012 Gebhardt Award for her story “Students from Ohio School Shooting Share Experiences,” which she wrote last school year for nileswestnews.org. The award, named for longtime KEMPA instructor Tom Gebhardt, is presented annually to the best feature story. College info session held for West juniors and their parents Niles West juniors and their parents recently attended “Putting the Pieces Together,” a college …