GENEVA SCHOOL NEWSSpring/Summer 2016

Administrative Offices227 North Fourth St. Geneva, IL 60134(630) 463-3000 Fax: (630) 463-3009Web: www.geneva304.org

SuperintendentDr. Kent Mutchler

Contact AdministrationEmail: genadmin@geneva304.org

Board Of EducationMark Grosso, PresidentKelly Nowak, Vice PresidentLeslie JubyDavid LambMichael McCormickMary StithWilliam Wilson

Contact Board of EducationEmail: board@geneva304.org

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PAIDPermit No. 662St. Charles, IL

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Focus On: Problem-Based Learning Students Learn About Making Positive Change in the Lives of OthersMs. Hayes’ third grade class at Williamsburg Elementary School makes regular trips to Arden Courts of Geneva, a residential facility that caters to the special needs of individuals with memory loss. These visits are an important component of an extended learning experience that puts students in charge of their learning. “The ultimate goal of the experience is to have the students apply what they have learned to make a difference in their community.” In this case, the goal is to enrich the lives of people suffering with Alzheimer’s disease.

The idea is to have the students dig deeper into a topic by allowing them to formulate questions that have meaning to them. Students then drive the learning as they journey to find answers to their questions. More often than not, said Mrs. Hayes, the students’ research leads to new and more sophisticated questions. “As students find the answers to their questions, they share what they have learned with others in a variety of ways.”

Over time, the students begin to better understand the disease and they discover what they can do to make their visits a positive experience for the residents. At their young age, the students show remarkable patience and compassion. “It’s amazing to see the relationships that have developed. Some of the students and residents just seem drawn to each other,” said Mrs. Hayes.

During the holidays this school year, Mrs. Hayes’ students decided they wanted to give the residents at Arden Courts a special gift. They did some research and decided to give them special jigsaw puzzles designed especially for Alzheimer’s sufferers called Puzzles to Remember.

The students voted to raise money by doing chores at home and around the community. “They became very motivated, counting the money every day and keeping a running tab,” said Mrs. Hayes. In the end, they raised over $100, enough to purchase several puzzles. The students did everything themselves, from deciding which puzzles to buy to ordering them online.

At their next visit, the students presented the gifts to the residents and worked together with them to put the puzzles together. The students also read them books and sang holiday songs. The smiles on the faces of the students and the residents showed Mrs. Hayes just how important this project was.

This type of extended learning experience not only help students learn about a topic, it also teaches them valuable 21st century skills – critical thinking, collaboration, etc. “By giving them an authentic, real-world issue to solve, the students realize they can make a positive difference in the lives of others. This is important as we aspire to develop collaborative and productive citizens in Geneva School District,” said Mrs. Hayes.

After their visit, students were eager to continue learning and helping. They interviewed a geriatric physician who specializes in Alzheimer’s and are planning to give him a Puzzle to Remember for his practice.

This is a life-changing experience for many of Mrs. Hayes students. “I hear from past students who are still visiting Arden Courts years later,” she said.

Egg Wars Get Students CrackingHow do you encourage students to think creatively and problem-solve on their own? You let them engineer their own “war” machines. Mrs. Fadukos’ 8th grade science students at Geneva Middle School North applied their knowledge of Newton’s third law — for every action, there is an equal and opposite reactions — to design a device that could protect an egg in a collision. Students researched design and material options, taking into account variables such as weight and mass, and then started building. The devices were put to the test by colliding them into each other in a messy, tournament-style egg war. If an egg stayed intact, the device moved on to the next round. If it broke, the student started to work on a redesign of his/her device.

#selfdirectedlearners

GHS Students Impress in Broadcast JournalismEight Geneva High School students from GTV (the GHS Television Network) won national awards at the national Student Television Network (STN) convention in Atlanta this spring. STN is an educational association of high school and middle school broadcast journalism, film and media programs. At the convention, students are given difficult real-world assignments that they must complete with limited time and resources. Geneva High School students showed an impressive amount of skill and collectively won more awards than any other school at the convention.

#EffectiveCommunicators

Superintendent’s MessageBy Dr. Kent Mutchler, Superintendent of Schools

CalendarJUNEJune 27 . . . . . Policy Committee Meeting, 6:15 p.m., Coultrap Educational Services CenterJune 27 . . . . . Board of Education Meeting, 7 p.m., Coultrap Educational Services Center

JULYJuly 4 . . . . . . Independence Day, School District Offices ClosedJuly 25. . . . . . Finance Committee Meeting, 6 p.m., Coultrap Educational Services CenterJuly 25. . . . . . Board of Education Meeting, 7 p.m., Coultrap Educational Services Center

AUGUSTAugust 8. . . . . Finance Committee Meeting, 6 p.m., Coultrap Educational Services CenterAugust 8. . . . . Board of Education Meeting, 7 p.m., Coultrap Educational Services CenterAugust 22 . . . . Policy Committee Meeting, 6:15 p.m., Coultrap Educational Services CenterAugust 22 . . . . Board of Education Meeting, 7 p.m., Coultrap Educational Services CenterAugust 24 . . . . First Day of School for Students

For more events, go to www.geneva304.org/calendar

M a r k Yo u r C a l e n d a r !

On Sunday, May 22, we were pleased to have over five hundred seniors graduate from Geneva Community High School! This was the 140th annual commencement for GHS which carried forward our “Tradition of Excellence.” Graduation formally opens the doors for each of these graduates to accept the challenges, responsibilities, and opportunities that come with adulthood. Our graduates are moving on to go to a wide variety of post-secondary colleges and universities, military service, careers, and other opportunities that fit into their future plans.

One of the main themes of my message to these graduates was that their success is our success. I mean this not simply from the Geneva CUSD 304 perspective though, because it truly takes the care and support of a community to help students succeed. We are so grateful for the tireless and high quality work of our staff, the commitment and support of our wonderful parents and guardians, and the ongoing support of our community. We know that resources supporting education truly impact the future in the most meaningful and efficient way.

Now, it is up to each of our GHS graduates to find their way to success. This most likely will take many years, lots of work, the navigation of various paths that may not often seem to make sense, and the tenacity to turn failures into learning experiences. The lessons may seem to come easier for some than others, but to spend a lifetime wanting to learn keeps each one of us fresh and dynamic in our approach to the future. We certainly hope that our 2016 Geneva graduates find many opportunities and successes in their futures.

Having closure on each school year allows us to reflect on the successes of the past year and then to look forward with excitement to the new school year and the opportunities it brings to our students! We are already busy planning for the 2016-17 school year — updating curriculum, hiring new staff, providing professional development, and deep-cleaning buildings. We are particularly focused on curriculum with an emphasis on 21st Century Learning Skills in order to help students prepare for careers that might not even exist yet. This is exciting!

Our staff will be back in our buildings full force on Monday, August 22 to prepare for the arrival of our students on Wednesday, August 24. We look forward to the 2016-17 school year and the opportunity to continue building on our “Tradition of Excellence.”

— What do you teach?My course load includes Engineering, Animation, and Architecture. I also facilitate Project Lead the Way. As I was recently told by Dex Tanksley, a Disney Imagineer, I teach what Imagineers do!

— What is Project Lead the Way?Project Lead the Way (PLTW) is a national organization that focuses on the development of STEM curriculum. STEM refers to the integration of science, technology, engineering and math curriculums all into one class. The courses are rigorous and challenging as students apply things that they have learned from other classes into one project or unit. Students also learn to communicate ideas and designs in a multitude of ways and are always problem solving through a challenge.

— How is Project Lead the Way different from traditional curriculum/teaching?Project Lead the Way is a Project/Problem Based Learning class. Students learn new concepts and then apply what they have learned to a project or problem in class. These problems and projects are directly related and drawn from problems that an engineer might encounter on the job. For instance, in Principles of Engineering, students learn about the simple machines and how to program a robot. Then they design a device that utilizes code they write to accomplish a particular task.

— Why is Project Lead the Way important for student learning? Classes like Project Lead the Way are incredibly important as they provide a safe place for students to fail and then learn from that failure. David Kelley, the founder of a top design firm called IDEO, goes by the mantra, “Fail often to succeed sooner.” When something goes wrong, it is not necessarily always bad. We have to realize that it is what we take from the failure to our next experience. Many students think they have to do everything perfectly or it is wrong. Some of the most useful inventions such as penicillin, microwave ovens, pacemakers, and silly putty were discovered by mistake.

— How do you see school continuing to change over the next few years?Students will interact more with the world outside of the building and develop skills that will help them figure out their path in the future. There will need to be more of a focus on education related to potential careers and students will need to be more comfortable stepping outside the box, just like teachers. Hopefully, we will see more in regards to cross-curricular projects and disciplines so that students clearly see the connecting between what they study and what they need to know to survive in the outside world.

60 Seconds with… Jennifer Arnett, Technology Education Teacher, Geneva High School

Geneva Teachers Honored Western Avenue Accelerated and Enrichment Teacher Barbara Freeman was named the 2016 Elementary Educator of the Year by the Kane County Regional Office of Education. Her nominators said she consistently goes beyond expectations to make sure students feel appreciated, and in turn, succeed. Mrs. Freeman retired at the end of the 2015-16 school year after 22 years of service in Geneva CUSD 304.

Geneva 304 Receives Financial Accountability AwardsGeneva School District continues to achieve top honors in financial and budget reporting, confirming the school business office’s commitment to financial accountability and transparency. For the fifth year in a row, the District earned the Meritorious Budget Award from the Association of School Business Officials (ASBO) International for high standards for financial reporting and accountability. It also earned the Certificate of Excellence in Financial Reporting for the sixth year for its Comprehensive Annual Financial Report.

District Administrators Trained in Youth Mental Health First Aid This winter, Geneva School District teamed with Linden Oaks Behavioral Health to train all Geneva administrators in Youth Mental Health First Aid. The eight-hour program introduced them to the unique risk factors and warning signs of mental health problems in adolescents, helped them understand the importance of early intervention, and taught them how to help an adolescent who is in crisis or experiencing a mental health challenge. “The more proactive our staff can be in identifying and aiding a student experiencing a mental health issue, the better the outcomes will be for that student,” said Director of Student Services Anne Giarrante.

Modular Classrooms at GHSThe Geneva Board of Education has approved the purchase of a refurbished modular classroom unit for GHS. The unit will provide GHS with six new classrooms and two bathrooms. It will be installed south of GHS on the blacktop where the Coultrap playground used to be and will be painted and landscaped to blend well into the community.

The modular classroom was the least expensive option for addressing immediate space needs at GHS. It is scheduled to be installed and ready for use by the 2016-17 school year. More information can be found on the district’s webpage, www.geneva304.org.

It’s Not about Devices, It’s about Learning and TeachingThe Geneva Board of Education has committed to a three-year comprehensive technology plan that will ensure every Geneva student has access to a mobile device (tablet or laptop computer) by the 2018-19 school year. The plan is phased and deliberate and will ensure that teachers have the professional development they need to get the most out of the new technology. It also incorporates important infrastructure upgrades that will ensure students have consistent and safe learning experiences. This forward-thinking investment is intended to prepare Geneva students for the 21st century economy by providing them with transferable skills and experience with Fortune 500 technologies. The Board of Education chose a combination of purchasing and leasing devices to ensure the best overall cost. It also approved a new per student technology service fee to offset the cost of the plan to the district and taxpayers.

Students in grades 6-12 will be able to take their devices to and from school. The plan is geared toward providing students with transferable skills and experience with Fortune 500 technologies for success in the 21st century economy. The Board has chosen a combination of purchasing and leasing to ensure the best overall cost for the plan and has approved a new per student technology service fee to offset the cost of the plan to the district and taxpayers.

Phased and deliberate

PD for teachers as they work to shift their practice

1:1 by 2018-19

Grades 6-12 will have take home devices

K will have shared tablets

1-2 will have full keyboards

3-5 daily access in schools, cart-based devices

Combination of purchasing and leasing to ensure the best cost

Infrastructure upgrades – efficiency and consistency

New tech fee to offset cost to district/taxpayers

Maximize student and teacher choices (blended learning) – transformation

Transferable skills and experience with Fortune 500 technologies