April 2022

CAPE Report

April 29th, 2022

Administration

Dr. Abrell

• Nothing to report

Tom Hernandez

•  Middle school promotions will be on the football fields of the corresponding high schools.  Thursday, May 26 will be the day for middle school promotions.
• While we celebrate promotions, please remember that these are just steps in our children’s lives.  They have so much more ahead of them.
• School registration is open all year round.
• Tom wants to reiterate that his job is to be the point of contact with the district, he is not the superintendent.  He will help officiate who to contact, but that is all he can do.
• To figure out who your appropriate entities are, check your tax bill.  We have many different forms of government in Illinois that overlap each other.

High School Report: Chris Chlebek PCHS

• This is the busiest time of year for the high schools, Prom season is underway.  NHS inductions are happening.  Senior honor nights, end of year concerts, and senior nights for sports are also occurring at all the high schools.
• Graduation will be outside.   If it rains, we will try to push the events back to a time when the rain stops.  If it is a total wash out, we will move the celebration to Sunday at 1:00.
• AP testing starts next week and will go for next two weeks.
• No finals this year.  There will be some sort of end of the year assessment, just not a normal final.

Middle School Report: Principal of Indian Trail

• No finals.
• Panorama will be occurring again.  This test helps us look at social and emotional growth in students.
• Students will be taking their last IReady test for the year.
• Band and choir concerts going on now.
• Step up days are coming up for students and step-up nights for parents will also be occurring.
• Eighth graders have done their step-up nights already as well.
• Promotion is May 26. Rain date will be May 27.

Elementary School Report: Principal of Wesmere Dr. Debra Coberley

• Field days, kindergarten round up, step up days, all happening throughout the district.
• Do not forget to investigate kindergarten readiness because kindergarten is the new first grade.
• Multiple summer schools this year. Regular ESY for some SPED students. Bilingual summer school and some regular education summer school opportunities are also being offered this year.
• Assessments are occurring and will be sent home at report card time.
• Report cards will be going home electronically on June 1 or 2.

Board of Education: Barb Seiden

•  The BOE awards of excellence were held this week.  80 staff were nominated and 15 were honored.
• Central Elementary School Social Worker Shannon Edmondson received the 7th annual Cheryl Ricciardi Exceptional Student Service Award.
• The Board also presented the Elizabeth “Bess” Eichelberger award to District Technology Director Margie Bonuchi to recognize her significant service to District 202.
• The Board also presented the Richard Ira Jones award to businessman and community volunteer Steve Fry, to recognize his significant service to District 202.
• Finally, the Board presented the inaugural Lane Abrell Administrative Excellence award to its namesake, current Superintendent of Schools Dr. Lane Abrell, citing his more than 20 years of leadership, including nine years as assistant principal and principal at Plainfield High School.
• Middle school novel list for next year is on display.
• Central Elementary and Eichelberger will have cement work done this summer.
• Tim Albores did a great program about the district partnering with Big Brothers Big Sisters.
• The 5-year strategic plan is back on track.  We are recontacting people who said they were interested a year and a half ago to see if they are still interested.  It will be heavily publicized to the community.
• One small policy change was made because transportation asked for a five-day window when a student registered for school. 
• Chain of command is very important in making changes.  We suggest starting where the problem is and then you can slowly work up the chain of command.
• We as a district cannot share personal information and that can be frustrating.

Community Report

Mindy Jackson-Plainfield Public Library

• Last weekend we had a fandom fest and prom-a-com.  We had about thirty teens come to prom-a-com.  Fandom fest had 632 people.
• Summer reading program starts at the end of the school year and will run June 6 to July 30. The theme is read beyond the between path.  
• Everyone is invited to do the reading incentive program, but only people with a Plainfield public library can do the in-person programs.

Laura Yanchic Joliet Library

• Summer program starts on June 1.  Emphasis is on reading for pleasure.  We provide incentives to get children to read. We are doing the same theme and app as Plainfield.  Any child from birth through high school has a reading program they can be a part of.
• All our programs are listed on the website.
• June 4 will be our Star Wars Day at 11:00 am.

Plainfield Park District-Angela

• Summer camp registration is open along with swimming.
• All summer registrations will be opening Monday.
• Lots of passes and deals are coming up for.
• Plainfield Patriot Picnic is back this year at Central High School on July 3.  There will be fireworks.
• We need part time workers in all areas.

Kathy Kazmar - Homecoming Parade

• Kathy has been on the homecoming committee for 22 years.
• This upcoming year will be 70 years for the parade.
• The parade survived the tornado, the flood, and main street construction.  Only Covid in 2020 shut down the parade.
• When the parade started there were only two schools, and now there are 31 schools.
• No one recorded the very first year but starting the second year they recorded.
• Walking floats, bands, homecoming courts, have always been a big part of the parade.
• We need to work on getting more involvement and excitement about participating in the parade.
• We are going into the 70th year and we want it to be a big celebration.
• October 8, 2022 is this upcoming parade. Theme is movie adventures.
• The parade is the largest one-day event the police deal with all year.
• Every year, any school can join the parade even if not on the schedule.
• New this year will be a spirit award and a band award for the parade.
• Mid-July will be when the application is put out.
• Each school will be providing one adult worker for the parade this upcoming year.
• Starting this year there will be 2 grand marshals.  One from PHS and one for whoever they are playing football against.
• Any individual student who won first place in a school state competition will be asked to ride in the parade.
• A new route will be occurring this year, making it more condensed and easier on police and volunteers. 
• There will be parking at Central High School for tea attendants and handicapped and disabled people, so that they do not have to walk far.
• We ask that people step up the floats and put more time, energy, and pride into the floats. 
• There is a parade handbook that schools can use for creating their floats.

Next meeting is May 20th, 2022, at 9:30am.