Members of the Board of Education are dedicated to the students of Waukegan, and to the community itself. Board Members routinely attend special events throughout the school district and the community. At times a majority of a quorum of Board of Education members may be in attendance at the same event. From November 21-24 the Board will be attending the Joint Annual Conference in Chicago.

Hear ye, hear ye! Tickets are now on sale for the Waukegan High School Music Department’s annual Renaissance Feast (Madrigal Dinner) on Friday, December 6 and Saturday, December 7. Lords and ladies throughout the kingdom are invited to attend this whimsical evening full of music, food, dance and much merriment at the WHS Brookside Campus.

Waukegan Community Unit School District # 60 has been announced as a grant recipient from the U.S. Department of Education as part of its Education Innovation and Research (EIR) program. WPS60 joins 41educational institutions nationwide which were awarded grants to assist with Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) education.

Waukegan Community Unit School District No. 60 is joining school districts across Illinois in celebrating “School Board Members’ Day” this week. The annual event, which corresponds with National Education Week, celebrates and thanks the elected leaders who volunteer their time to serve the students, taxpayers and employees of the communities they serve. Board Members’ Day is celebrated annually on November 15. The theme of this year’s event is “Transform Vision into Reality.”

At around noon today, an altercation occurred in one of our restrooms between two students which escalated to one student allegedly stabbing another student with a sharp object. Directly following the incident, the Washington Campus was placed on soft lockdown, and our school day continued without further incident. This incident is being investigated by the Waukegan Police Department, as well as school and district officials.

The Waukegan Community Unit District 60 Board of Education is looking for current WHS sophomores and juniors to apply for its soon-to-be open Student Board Member position for 2020.

Special Recognitions and Presentations - Representatives from Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority made a presentation in memory of Ms. Isabelle Buckner, the former Principal at Carman-Buckner Elementary School. A celebration of her life will be held December 14 at Carman-Buckner Elementary. - The Board of Education recognized District schools that recently eared Commendable and Exemplary designations with the State of Illinois. - Staff from Miguel Juarez Middle School made a special presentation detailing the schools restorative practice measures.

Waukegan High School students will perform 12 Angry People the Trapp Auditorium this weekend, on November 15-17. The play is an adaptation of the popular 1950s dram 12 Angry Men, which tells the story of jurors deliberating the fate of a teenager in a murder case.

Three Waukegan student musicians performed at the Illinois Music Education Association’s (IMEA) District Senior Festival last weekend at Grayslake North High School as part of the IMEA’s District 7 Music Festival. The students performing over the weekend make up three of the four Waukegan High School student musicians selected to participate in either the IMEA Jazz or Senior Festival concerts this month.

Waukegan Public Schools’ Parent-Teacher conferences will take place on November 6 and 7. Conferences will be held from approximately 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. each evening. Parents with questions about conferences should contact their child’s school.

The principal offices in Waukegan schools will look a bit different, on Monday, November 4, when Waukegan Public Schools hosts its inaugural Guest Principal Day. During this special day, community leaders, business leaders, community partners, and one special K9, have signed up to serve as Guest Principals in a school.

New designations from the Illinois State Board of Education mark a historic first for Waukegan Community Unit School District # 60, as one of its schools has earned the highest distinction possible on this year’s State Report Card, while the majority of District 60 schools continue to be rated in one of the two highest tiers.

Advanced Placement (AP) courses offer students rigorous, college-level curriculum as well as an opportunity to earn college credit through AP exam performance*. Waukegan High School strongly encourages all students to complete the AP experience by taking their AP exams in May 2020. To further support our AP students, Waukegan Public Schools will continue to fund the $94 exam fee in full for students currently enrolled in the AP course(s) for the exam(s) ordered. The College Board has made some changes to the AP Exam registration process including a new timeline for students to register for AP Exams. This year, students must register for their AP exams by November 11, 2019.

Visitation services for Dr. Terry Ehiorobo will be held at Draeger-Langendorf Funeral Home, 4600 County Line Road in Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday, November 8. The following day, on Saturday, November 9, visitation will be held from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Jehovah's Witness Kingdom Hall, 7333 Green Bay Road, in Kenosha. A Celebration of Life will follow at the Kingdom Hall beginning at 4 p.m.

Waukegan Community Unit School District # 60 is mourning the loss of Waukegan High School Co-Principal, Dr. Terry Ehiorobo, who passed away suddenly this week. Dr. Ehiorobo worked as Principal of Waukegan High School’s Washington Campus since August 2017.

Waukegan Public Schools will again host a special workshop exploring how Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) affect academic performance. The event, titled: “When You Know Better, We Do Better,” will be led by Dr. Kevin Brown, District 60’s K-8 Director of Teaching and Learning, will be October 30.

Action Items -The Board of Education voted to approve the waiver of facility usage fees for Child Evangelism Fellowship of Illinois Northeast Chapter being held at Glen Flora School, Clearview School and McCall School from September 2019 through March 2020. Total Cost of fee waiver is $4,640. The Child Evangelism Fellowship of Illinois Northeast Chapter is requesting facility usage fees be waived for the Good News Club.

The Illinois State Board of Education recognized several Waukegan Public Schools staff members, and a Board of Education Member, during its annual “Those Who Excel” awards banquet last weekend. ISBE honored District # 60 educators in four different categories during the awards program.

In recent weeks District 60 has experienced several instances of intermittent Internet network connection. These outages have affected the Internet connectivity district wide, and have occurred for a variety of reasons outside of our control. We know the inconsistent Internet this month has caused frustrations in classrooms and offices. The lack of reliable Internet has affected testing and instruction, and it’s significantly hindered our staff and students' abilities to complete some day-to-day tasks. For this, we want to apologize, and ensure everyone that we are working diligently on these ongoing issues.

Waukegan’s Family and Community Engagement department will host four informational and/or activity-based events this month on a variety of topics ranging from family field trips to special educational presentations. More information on these upcoming events can be found below.

Waukegan Community Unit School District 60 is again partnering with the United Way of Lake County to raise money for the charity during this year’s Jeans Day on October 11.

Special Presentations -Representatives from Bravo Waukegan gave a presentation detailing some of the work the organization has done recently to assist Waukegan music students. Personnel Items -The Board of Education voted to approve the appointments, resignations and retirements of 19 employees, including the appointment of Mr. Issac Kirkwood as Interim Principal at Jack Benny Middle School.

Waukegan Community Unit School District #60 will be hosting a series of informational presentations this month designed to help parents better understand the district’s new Promotion Policy, as well as the Family and Community Engagement (FACE) department’s new three-year strategic plan.

Cooke Magnet School STEM/ Drama teacher, Ms. Rebecca Voight, was recently recognized by the Illinois Biotechnology Innovation Organization for her contributions to the school’s STEM program.

Waukegan Public Schools was recently recognized for its communication efforts with awards from the Illinois Chapter of the National Schools Public Relations Association (INSPRA). INSPRA recognized the school district with four honors during its annual Communications Contest last month, which celebrates school district communication efforts across the state.

District 60 is saddened to report the passing of Ms. Isabelle Buckner, who passed away Monday in California at the age of 86. Ms. Buckner, Waukegan’s first African-American female principal, served as principal at Carman Elementary School, for many years, until her retirement in 1995. The school was later renamed Carman-Buckner in her honor. Information on local services to honor Ms. Buckner will be announced at a later date.

Clearview Elementary School was recently recognized as a PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports) Gold Level School by the Midwest PBIS Network. Clearview was one of 400 schools across Illinois recognized in one of four categories based upon its implementation of PBIS and outcome data during the 2018-2019 school year.

Waukegan High School will be the host of two upcoming college financial aid events, aimed at familiarizing parents and students with the financial aid and FAFSA process.

Tickets are now on sale for the Waukegan Association of Music Partners’ annual Pasta & Pops dinner. The popular event, which features performances by the Waukegan High School orchestra, choir, and band, will take place on Friday, October 11 in the gymnasium of WHS Brookside Campus. This year’s event will again have seatings and performances at 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Students perform popular music from Broadway and Hollywood.

Special Recognitions and Presentations -Representatives from the Chocolate Chips Association discussed the organization’s relationship with Oakdale Elementary School, and they work they are doing with students. -The District’s Communication Department discussed some of its recent awards from the Illinois Chapter of the National Schools Public Relations Association.

Waukegan Public School’s SHINE program, funded by Workforce Development of Lake County, is again offering an innovative program aimed at helping two dozen young adults through its comprehensive Pharmacy Technician Program. The Pharmacy Technician Program is seeking 24 Lake County residents between the ages of 18 and 24 to participate in a six-month curriculum, which will guide participants through pharmacy technician training. The Pharmacy Technician cohort will begin in January 2020.