Community Relations

Dr. Jane Westerhold, Superintendent of Schools, and John Swanson, Algonquin Middle School Principal, issued a joint letter to Algonquin families and staff.

It is posted to www.d62.org

Dr. Jane Westerhold issued a letter today stating that school will start as planned, August 23. Please check the district 62 website for additional information. 20ConstructionUpdate

Workers and trucks are on-site. Thank you to the bargaining organizations for reaching a tentative agreement. At this time District administrators are formulating plans. Once they are confirmed information will be released to families and staff. Looking for a site to house 700 Algonquin students.

All schools are closed tomorrow, April 2. Community flyers are posted to

An “in-school suspension” is a common intervention used to address typical student misconduct.  It is not used when students are physically or emotionally out of control, but when they engage in the type of conduct that is very typical for children, but not appropriate in the learning environment. Typical infractions that result in an in-school suspension include using inappropriate language, disrupting other students’ learning repeatedly with rowdy behavior, showing disrespect for staff, or throwing food at lunch.  Unlike a time out room, the in-school suspension area is not isolated or devoid of materials. Rather, it is similar to a classroom, in that it is monitored by a staff member and supplied with the learning materials necessary for the students to continue their class work. In-school suspension is identified as a disciplinary measure in Board of Education Policy 7:190 and the District 62 Parent/Student Handbook.

 District 62 strives to protect the learning environment for all students. During the time a student is serving an in-school suspension, students have access to curriculum and instructional materials to minimize loss of learning.

Many of our parents have responsibilities and obligations during the day. The option of in-school suspension allows parents to continue their regular schedule knowing that their children are being properly attended to at school. In-school suspension has been an effective intervention to improve student behavior in District 62.

 Parents are notified when students are assigned to in-school suspension. Additionally, a letter to the parents is generated that outlines the offense, the consequences, and the due process rights of parents.

ISAT testing is winding down this week and classes are getting back to the regular routine. Thank you to our parents, who supported us during this time by making sure that your child was rested, fed, and prepared for this annual event. We appreciate it very much.

Chippewa and early learning addition exteriors are also posted.

Phase I school exterior drawings are now posted to the CPA link. Construction will begin during spring vacation.

Last week during an AlertNow message about a soft lockdown at three D62 schools, several parents hung-up and hit redial.  It is very important when receiving an AlertNow general announcement that parents listen to the entire message and avoid hitting redial.  If the call had been an emergency, the phone lines would of been blocked from outside callers.  This does not happen for general announcements.  Normally, general announcements are scheduled for evening hours.  As all of you know, several communities close to Des Plaines were under hard lockdown due to an escaped prisoner, who was eventually captured. In an effort to keep parents informed that the District was aware of the situation, and that students were safe, we sent out the mid-afternoon call.

General announcements will reach only one phone number that you identify and your email address.  We also learned that the message was sent in several languages to some households.  Please check with your school secretary to review and revise your child’s contact and language information. AlertNow responds to the data that is sent by our data specialists.

For more information regarding AlertNow, please visit www.d62.org/news/index.html and click on the AlertNow logo located in the lower right hand corner of your monitor.

When planning the school calendar, the district must take into consideration state laws that dictate the number of days students must attend (174), Institute Days (4), Parent-Teacher Conference Days (2) and five emergency days. Last year the District moved five emergency days to the end of the school year.  The reason for this was two-fold. First of all scattering the days throughout the week breaks up the stream of instruction.  These interruptions are not conducive to student learning and retention.  Also, the district knew that contractors would need immediate access to buildings as soon as school was over for Comprehensive Plan construction projects.  This summer, Plainfield, Terrace, and Central will undergo major toilet room renovations.  Next summer, major renovations will take place at four schools.