Mundelein Elementary School District

Perhaps no academic field evolves more rapidly than that of science and engineering.  At CSMS, staff identified a need for science labs - original to the 1957 construction of the school - to be reinvented in order to meet the needs of the 21st century student. Not only did teachers want the facilities to encourage collaborative learning, but also to explore scientific inquiry and engineering design to adhere to the Next Generation Science Standards.  Funded by the district, the new labs were primarily constructed by a hardworking District 75 maintenance crew whose work saved the district many expenses from outside contractors.

Seven talented 6th grade girls from Carl Sandburg -  the robotics team known as Gamma - have been honored with an invitation to compete this spring at the FIRST LEGO League Razorback World Invitational at the University of Arkansas from May 16-19!   One of the three robotics teams from the middle school and the first ever to be invited to go to a national competition, Gamma’s members are: Mari Hoover, Lia Kagan, Leah Kim, Sara Choi, Lucy Heikes, Sreya Kannappan, and Guadalupe Mayoral.  Head coach Mr. Bret Anno, a D75 parent, along with assistant coaches, teacher Eugene Skura and parent Scott Vandemotter, also deserve kudos.  “The entire Sandburg Community is proud of your work and accomplishments,”  says principal Mark Pilut in recognition of the great effort put forth by the group. Click for more information on how you can support their efforts!

Perhaps no academic field evolves more rapidly than that of science and engineering.  At CSMS, staff identified a need for science labs - original to the 1957 construction of the school - to be reinvented in order to meet the needs of the 21st century student. Not only did teachers want the facilities to encourage collaborative learning, but also to explore scientific inquiry and engineering design to adhere to the Next Generation Science Standards.  Funded by the district, the new labs were primarily constructed by a hardworking District 75 maintenance crew whose work saved the district many expenses from outside contractors.

Seven talented 6th grade girls from Carl Sandburg -  the robotics team known as Gamma - have been honored with an invitation to compete this spring at the FIRST LEGO League Razorback World Invitational at the University of Arkansas from May 16-19!   One of the three robotics teams from the middle school and the first ever to be invited to go to a national competition, Gamma’s members are: Mari Hoover, Lia Kagan, Leah Kim, Sara Choi, Lucy Heikes, Sreya Kannappan, and Guadalupe Mayoral.  Head coach Mr. Bret Anno, a D75 parent, along with assistant coaches, teacher Eugene Skura and parent Scott Vandemotter, also deserve kudos.  “The entire Sandburg Community is proud of your work and accomplishments,”  says principal Mark Pilut in recognition of the great effort put forth by the group. Click for more information on how you can support their efforts!

A Night at the Races is coming! Food, beverages, simulated off track racing, live and silent auctions, prizes, and more will make this second annual one-of-a-kind event an evening to remember. Consider joining in on the fun at Luigi's Ristorante at 1130 W. Maple Ave., on Saturday, May 4th at 6:30 pm. Single tickets are $35 and arranged table seating options are also available at group rates. Additional information can be found on the website - www.innovate75.com. Tickets are available on Eventbrite - www.eventbrite.com. All money raised by this STEAM Foundation sponsored fundraiser supports a variety of innovative D75 STEAM Foundation learning projects and activities – Robotics, the musical, the Cyber Patriot team, Saturday and Summer STEAMER camps - to name just a few.

Children who are 5 years old September 1, 2019 are eligible for Kindergarten enrollment for the 2019-2020 school year. There will be an informational meeting about the Two Way Immersion Program at Washington Early Learning Center at 5:30 pm on Tuesday April 2nd. The school is located at 122 S. Garfield Street. Parents may register their children for Kindergarten at the informational event.

A blood drive held in honor of Mundelein School District 75 teacher Kristen Meister surpassed all expectations, with 80 volunteers donating blood or red blood cells during the drive held on Tuesday, February 19. The drive was spearheaded by Brian Bautista, whose daughter was a former student of Meister’s. Meister was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer in August 2018.

Mundelein School District 75 is receiving $130,000 of a $262,699 grant awarded to the Mundelein Police Department to improve school safety measures. The funds, part of the STOP School Violence Act, will be used to secure entries, add panic buttons, and add strobe lights for lock-downs in areas where the intercom cannot be heard, for example, gyms, cafeterias, and band rooms. “School safety is a top priority for everyone, this grant gives Mundelein a unique opportunity to make some significant safety enhancements and provide a more secure environment to our children,” commented Mundelein Police Chief Eric Guenther. “We appreciate Police Chief Guenther for alerting us about the grants and for sponsoring a grant writer to coordinate the application process,” said Andy Henrikson, Mundelein School District 75 Superintendent.

Mundelein School District 75 schools hosted visits by Kate Messner, the award-winning author of books for young readers. The former tv news reporter and English teacher spoke with 6th - 8th grade students at Carl Sandburg Middle School on November 28th, primary students at Washington Early Learning Center on November 27th, and elementary school children at Mechanics Grove Elementary School on November 29th. As mentioned on her website, Ms. Messner loves to write books for children because “the books we read as kids are books that help shape us.”

Mark your calendars for Friday, September 7! Join the Mundelein School District 75 Administration, School Board Members and Parent Teacher Organization for its annual Brat Fest from 5:00 pm - 8:00 pm at Carl Sandburg Middle School, 855 W. Hawley Street. A complete meal deal is $5 and includes a brat, hot dog or tamale; roasted corn on the cob; chips; and soda or water. Items may be purchased separately as well. In addition to food, the event will feature many family fun activities such as face painting, carnival games, a bounce house and obstacle course. Activities are $1 each. Proceeds go to the District 75 PTO.

In order to promote a community of readers and prevent summer loss, all CSMS students will be required to read over the summer. Click for the complete list of books!

If you were ever a student in Mrs. Hugo's class, please join us for an open house celebrating her retirement from public school teaching! Refreshments will be served to all who come. This open house will be held on Sunday, May 20th, from 1:00- 4:00 p.m. at the Regent Center. The Regent Center is located at 1200 Regent Drive in Mundelein. It has both indoor and outdoor seating plus a small playground and walking path around the adjacent pond. It’s a sweet spot for a BIG reunion! RSVP here: https://tinyurl.com/hugocelebrationrsvp

Eighth grade ELL/SS teacher Jess Rebella was driving home from an evening class when she was struck with an idea. With only a part-time librarian at the middle school, she knew her students could help to fill in some of the gaps to promote and inspire teachers and students alike to read and use the library space.

Preschooler Alexis Jackson walked into the principal’s office on Friday, March 9th, but not because she was in trouble, she was about to take over Lincoln Early Learning Center as Principal Alexis!

On February 5, the Mundelein Elementary School District 75 Board agreed to explore the possible sale of the district’s administrative office building, located at 470 N. Lake Street.

War was declared.  Forces were united.  Tactics were discussed.  Strategies were formulated.  Students were armed and ready for battle.  Why?  Because when it comes to granting wishes, Mechanics Grove students don’t mess around!  From January 26th through February 13th, MG students battled for top rank in a “Penny Wars” competition to raise money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

What a huge success! Thank you to all of our students for your hard work the past 4 months! Thank you also to our parents, volunteers, teachers, school organizations, admin and community members for supporting such a wonderful endeavor. Whether you donated money to purchasing professional microphones, donated a basket or fog machine or donated time to help put on makeup and curl hair, your efforts are not unnoticed. Such a huge part of this success is the magic that happens behind the scenes. My sincerest thanks for your involvement. Thank you for being a part of District 75 history! Congratulations again! Mrs. Moulee Gupta Mrs. Carol Holck Mr. Mark Pilut

Students in District 75 schools celebrated World Read Aloud Day on February 1 by engaging with authors/illustrators via a live video chat. Thirty-three authors and illustrators spanning all genres and reading levels participated in free 20-minute sessions. Every student in grades Kindergarten - eighth grade had the opportunity to interact with an author during this special event.

All shows are now SOLD OUT! Thank you for your support! Excitement is rising in District 75 at the approach of Disney’s classic Beauty and the Beast Jr.  Performed by Carl Sandburg 6th through 8th grade students, the musical and theatrical skills of many middle school children are proving impressive!

On Sunday, January 21, two teams of District 75 CyberPatriots participated in the State CyberPatriot competition -- a series of tasks identifying cybersecurity vulnerabilities in virtual operating systems. The six hour competition was held at the Innovation Station, located at the Mundelein School District 75 offices.

On Tuesday, January 16th, the Board of Education recognized talented D75 artists at the start of the monthly meeting. Forty-four students have artwork currently hung in Studio 75 at the District Administrative Center.