TIC Central Helps Winnetka Trout Crisis

Last year our fourth grade team of teachers and students had an outstanding success with learning about local ecosystems and the power of that ecosystem on the survival of a population of trout. (Read more of that experience in the article below.) Winnetka students this year faced a major challenge when their population died out. Read how our Wilmette team came to the rescue!

Students Learn Some Life and Death Lessons (Winnetka Talk) (pdf)

Central Helps Kids Think Green!

Read about how Central School participated in International Walk and Bike to School Day on Wednesday, October 7th. Our crossing guard estimated that twice as many students walked to school than usual. Walking and biking to school may just catch on!!

"Wilmette School Embraces Green Awareness"
Wilmette Life, October 13, 2009

Central School Receives the National Blue Ribbon Award!!!

Quote from the Wilmette Life this month, "The U.S. Department of Education Tuesday named Central School in Wilmette District 39 to its prestigious list of Blue Ribbon Schools for 2009 based on its record of academic achievement and innovation."

Melanie and Mrs. DeCristofaro, representing the teaching staff, will be receiving the Blue Ribbon Award in Washington, D.C. in early November. Schools must be invited to apply for the award. The Blue Ribbon Schools Program accepts both public and private elementary and secondary schools that meet either of two assessment criteria:  
? High performing schools
? Dramatically improved schools  
Central falls into the "High performing schools" category because of the dedicated job of teaching from our staff. Once invited to apply the work of gathering documentation was extensive and contributed to our receiving the award. The hard work paid off.

A school-wide celebration following the D.C. ceremony is in the planning.
So, bravo and congrats to all of us!  Central is truly a first class school!

Wilmette Lands the Blue Ribbon Award - Wilmette Life, September 17, 2009
Central School Gets National Blue Ribbon Recognition - TribLocal, September 15, 2009
News release from the United States Department of Education

picture by Holly Goldin, District 39 Communications Director

New Trier Students Help Central School and Our Garden

Creative problem solving was the mindset that provided a meaningful experience for New Trier students and summer school students this past summer. What may have been a good learning experience for both groups also became a win-win for the keepers of the Central School garden. Caring for and maintaining watering and weeding has always been a scheduling challenge for those parents who have taken on the summer care of the 12 year old garden.

Sarina McBride, the faithful caretaker and PTA mom, found connections with New Trier and District 39 Summer School and the inventive plan all came together to provide the much needed care for the garden as well as good hands-on experiences for children.

Central will be celebrating a Garden Festival on October 4 from 1-4 p.m. for families and friends of the garden.

Summer Work in Central's Gardens TribLocal, September 14, 2009

picture by Trib reporter Bridget Doyle

ALA Principal of the Year

Melanie Horowitz received the 2009 American Library Association National Distinguished School Administrator Award at this year's annual ALA convention held in Chicago July 10 - 14. Melanie was nominated by Central School's librarian, Barbara Ungar, in recognition of Horowitz's contributions to the operations of an exemplary school library media center and for advancing the role of the school library media center in the educational program as defined by the award's criteria. 

Read the article from American Association from School Librarians.

Pictured: Melanie Goffen Horowitz, Principal, Central Elementary School
and Paul Littlewood, ProQuest Company (sponsor of award)

Mrs. Garcia Shares Her Views in Time Magazine!

As teachers we may never know what our students will be doing 10-20 years after they leave our classroom. In the case of Linda Garcia though, one of her students found her to interview her about the possible dying skill of cursive handwriting. Take a look.

Mourning the Death of Handwriting (Linda's thoughts begin on page 2) article as a pdf

4th Grade Trout Study and Release
During the whole of the2008-2009 school year, Central School's fourth graders studied the effects of environment and the maintenance of a controlled ecosystem for trout. They raised them from eggs until the trout were viable in Lake Michigan. Here is a site that shares that experience.

Trout in the Classroom
The final release day was featured in a Chicago Tribune article.