This is the June edition of a monthly update wherein you will receive timely reminders, links for upcoming events, and news from Community High School District #117. We promise to keep this to a 5 minute read (or less!)!
1. Important Dates for the Start of School
As you build your family calendars for August, we want to make sure the following dates are on your calendar:
- Wednesday, August 14 - Freshman Orientation Day - freshmen only - All incoming freshmen families will receive additional information about the schedule and details before the end of July.
- Monday, August 19 - Freshman First Day - first day for freshmen only
- Tuesday, August 20 - First Day of School for All Students Grades 9-12
You can bookmark the district and school-specific calendars at this link: https://www.chsd117.org/page/calendars
2. Summer Construction is On Track!
We are happy to report that our summer construction projects are progressing well. Continued work on the ACHS cafeteria and bathroom renovations, along with the LCHS Polley Field parking lot, will be completed by the beginning of the 2024-25 school year. LCHS will also be installing another set of bleachers to the current seating at Polley Field in early fall. Additional "behind the scenes" projects include improvements to our heating and cooling systems and the constant preparation of our facilities for the upcoming school year.
3. ACT is the New State Test Next Spring
Last month, the Illinois State Board of Education adopted the ACT as the high school statewide accountability test beginning in the spring of the upcoming 2024-2025 school year. We are working this summer to plan a smooth transition back to the ACT for our spring test and ensure our students and staff are familiar with and ready for the ACT. Please note that for this upcoming year, we will continue to use the SAT suite of assessments for our fall testing of 9th-11th grade students, including the National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT).
4. Computer Science Equity Grant
We found out earlier this month that our district is a recipient of the new Computer Science Equity Grant launched by ISBE earlier this year to bridge the digital divide in computer science education and close gaps in access to high-paying, in-demand technology careers. Our application was selected from over 100 applications from across the state! This grant will help fund our new Coding in Python course sequence officially starting this fall! With this funding, we have additional spots available in this program, so if you are interested in more information please email jeff.feucht@chsd117.org .
Have a question or topic for our July update? If you have a question or topic you would like us to include in our July update, please feel free to share your idea with our superintendent, Dr. Jeff Feucht via email (jeff.feucht@chsd117.org) or via phone (direct line: 847.838.7679).