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Happy Valentine's Day from Monroe

Today's message to our students and staff was to lead with love and care for others, encourage positive behaviors and spread kindness. Our Lurie Children's Dance Marathon fundraiser is still going strong; we are almost halfway to our $5,000 goal! For more information, please see below for opportunities to donate and get involved.

This past week, our girls basketball and boys volleyball teams kicked off their seasons. We wish our eagle athletes the best of luck this season! Additionally, band and orchestra students had a big week as they "stepped up" to WNHS. Check out the pictures below for a glimpse. These eagle musicians are ready to spread their musical wings next year!

Winter play set design team and student producers (pictured below) have been hard at work creating the set and tickets for our upcoming March production Wizard of Oz The Deleted Scene. Look for details about how to buy tickets in an upcoming newsletter!

Here are events happening in the next two weeks:

Monday, Feb. 17: Presidents' Day, No School
Tuesday, Feb. 18: 8th Grade Course Selection, GBB v. Edison 4pm, Cook's Night Out @ Burger Social (see below for details)
Thursday, Feb. 20: BVB v. Jay Stream 4pm
Saturday, Feb. 22: Bowl for the Torch (details below), Solo & Ensemble Contest @ Hinsdale
Tuesday, Feb. 25: BVB v. Leman 4pm
Thursday, Feb. 27: BVB v. Hadley 4pm, Dance Marathon 4-8pm!
Friday, Feb. 28: Institute Day, No Student Attendance

Wishing you a wonderfully long weekend ahead,

Ashley Huettemann
Principal

Dance Marathon Coming Feb. 27

Monroe is proud to host a Dance Marathon to Support Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago on Thursday, February 27 from 4-8pm. Our goal is to raise $5,000 to support a cause near and dear to our hearts at Monroe.

Donations can be made by clicking this link, via the QR code below, or by sending in cash or check to the Monroe main office. We will write a check to Lurie Children's Hospital on February 27th for the total amount collected at Monroe! If you are a part of a local business or have connections in the community and would like to get involved, please reach out to our student council sponsors, Sara Aghazadeh at sara.aghazadeh@cusd200.org and Katy Granbom at katherine.granbom@cusd200.org.

Online Registration Now Open for Next Year

Bowl for the Torch

CUSD 200’s Special Olympics will once again be holding our biggest fundraiser, Bowl for the Torch. Join us on Saturday, February 22 from 1-3 p.m. Bowling and pizza will be $35 per person; this includes two games of bowling, shoes and pizza lunch. The cost is $20 per non-bowler; includes pizza and soft drinks.

We will be selling raffle tickets for the chance to win gift baskets. There is an option for registering and paying online - Click here to register and join us for a fun-filled day supporting CUSD200 Special Olympics programming.

Please contact Valerie.difresco@cusd200.org or jody.field@cusd200.org with any questions.

Classroom Spotlight: Mr. Aranda, 6th grade science

Students recently examined specific heat capacity and discovered which heats up faster, sand or water?

Mental Health & Wellness Symposium

Join CUSD 200 and neighboring districts for the 3rd Annual Mental Health & Wellness Symposium on Saturday, March 8, at Metea Valley High School!

Choose from a variety of breakout sessions designed for adults and teens, covering topics from practical strategies for managing anxiety, supporting children's needs, navigating college readiness, and much more. Keynote speaker Doug Bolton will address the challenges of "Overscheduled and Overwhelmed: Navigating a Culture of High Achievement." Plus, enjoy free childcare (ages 3-10), a resource fair, and a book fair!

For more information and to register, visit https://bit.ly/3QgHgMn.

Citizens' Advisory Committee Now Accepting Applications

CUSD 200 is looking for engaged community members to join the Citizens’ Advisory Committee (CAC) for the 2025-26 school year. The CAC works to provide valuable input on educational and district-related initiatives to district administration and the Board of Education.

Candidates must reside within CUSD 200 boundaries and shall not miss more than two meetings without first notifying an officer of the CAC or the superintendent’s office. Members serve one-year terms (up to five consecutive years) and meet regularly (usually monthly) throughout the school year.

Applications are due by March 28, 2025, and can be filled out and submitted online by clicking here or visiting the CUSD 200 website.

Questions? Please contact: Dianna Hutchison at (630) 682-2002 or dianna.hutchison@cusd200.org.

D200: Elements of PREPaRE Safety Model

In District 200, we have a comprehensive school safety and crisis response plan built on the ten essential elements of the PREPaRE Safety Model: The ten elements include:

School Security Policies
Multi-Hazard Vulnerability Assessments
Employment Screening Procedures
Multi-Tiered Academic and Social-Emotional Screening and Interventions
School Mental Health Procedures
School Disciplinary Policies
School Crisis Plan
Response, Communications, and Reunification Protocols
Psychological Triage and Assessment
Multi-Tiered Crisis Interventions

Throughout the school year, I will highlight each of the elements to give parents a closer look at our approach to keeping our students safe. This month, I will feature Multi Hazard Vulnerability Assessments.

A vulnerability assessment is the ongoing process of identifying, evaluation, and prioritizing risks and areas of weakness pertaining to safety. At Monroe, we strive to have staff and students as prepared as possible in the event of a potential crisis. Data from assessments assists schools in improving safety procedures and protocols to strengthen Emergency Plans. To that end, we practice our emergency drills such as severe weather and fire with great purpose. Additionally, our staff is trained in ALICE protocols, and our students and staff carry out ALICE drills on an annual basis. ALICE is a crisis response protocol for extreme emergencies that include an intruder in a building. The acronym stands for Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, and Evacuate. This protocol allows staff members to make choices based on the situation that they are in. Each building receives yearly ALICE training from our law enforcement partners.

These procedures and processes are overseen by our CUSD 200 Safety Committee composed of first responders, district staff, and district administration. We very much value the expertise and partnership that we have with our first responders.

Congratulations to the 6th Grade Stars of the Month!

Andy Duran- Andy has great effort and participation in class. He is a very engaged student.

Hailey Halperin- She is a hard worker with a positive attitude. Hailey shows enthusiasm, great perseverance, and good leadership skills.

MJ Hudzik- MJ has endless enthusiasm, is extremely inquisitive, works hard, and is kind to peers.

Cora Miller- Cora is such a hard working student who works well with everyone. She is very responsible, caring, and involved in school.

Laila Niznik- Laila is such a kind and positive student! She is always willing to help her classmates out and helps create a positive learning environment.

Zach Wilkinson- Zach is a great reader and writer. He works well with others and is cooperative. Exceeds expectations.

Henry Witt- Henry is such a conscientious and helpful student! He always motivates those around him to be better too!

Nora Wood- Nora is pleasant in class, always willing to help, works well with others, & shows good leadership.