At the Jan. 18 meeting of the Palatine Community Board of Education, the board gave recognition to students, staff, and community members.
The meeting was opened by the Pledge of Allegiance led by the Marion Jordan Making School Better (MSB) club, which was started by students this year. The board was told the students started the club because they had a couple ideas of how to improve the school, like reorganizing the lost and found and helping reunite owners and lost items, researching and purchasing some snow toys to help make winter recesses more fun, and they are working on setting up a buddy system between classrooms.
“Their teacher, Shannon O’Connor, stepped up to sponser the MSB group and club this school year,” Jennifer Grosch, Marion Jordan Elementary School principal, told the board. “O'Connor has a strong commitment to providing opportunities for students to pursue passions, make visions a reality. Thank you for welcoming us and giving me a chance to recognize a group of students who excel in and outside the classroom. Their ability to organically create a popular, successful club in their elementary school is a sure indication the sky's the limit to what they can accomplish in life.”
Also recognized from Marion Jordan were students Addison and Peyton, who hosted their sixth annual toy drive over the holiday season and were able to donate and deliver over 500 toys to Ascension St. Alexius Women and Children's Hospital.
The board also recognized two students for their achievements in the Special Olympics. Carmine, a student at Plum Grove Junior High School, qualified and competed at the Special Olympics. Jimmy, a student at Lake Louise, qualified for the Special Olympics and won a silver medal in the 100 meter and a bronze in the 200 meter.
The board also recognized local organization Mission: MathMinds for their contribution of over 2000 books to foster facilities and elementary schools in the area.
Marion Jordan assistant principal Andrew Wilson was named staff member of the month. The board was told Wilson has gone above and beyond in his personal goal of making sure all the unfilled positions in the school’s autism instruction program were filled. The school was about to start the year with 11 open positions until Wilson took it upon himself to network, attend area job fairs, hand out his personal phone number for questions, help candidates get the correct certifications, and has successfully hired 10 quality teachers so far.
The board uploaded a livestream of its public meeting to the district’s YouTube channel.
In other business, the board voted to hire a speech therapist under a $46,200 thousand contract.
The board will meet again at 7 p.m. on March 8 at Walter R. Sundling Jr. High School on 1100 North Smith St.
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