February 18, 2022
Dear Palos 118 Families,
Happy February! It's the shortest month, and a good thing too since it's the last gasp of winter before we start to see some signs of spring. I've already noticed that it's not nearly as dark outside on my commute home so I'm taking that as a hopeful sign that spring is already on its way despite what I know will be a few more frigid weeks.
Portrait of a Graduate Update
Thank you to everyone who participated in our Portrait of a Graduate forums in January whether you attended a focus group, a public meeting, or took the online survey. All told, we had over 200 people participate and give their feedback on what they think are the most important skills and traits our Palos South graduates will need to be successful in high school and beyond. The next step is for the planning committee to meet in March where they will bring the full portrait into focus.
Palos South Dr. Dolittle Jr. Performances
Congratulations to all of the Palos South students and staff who staged a successful two-night production of Dr. Dolittle Jr. in January at Stagg High School. This year's production included close to 80 Palos South students with the lead role of Dr. Dolittle played by Mia Lewandowski. Thank you to the dedicated Palos 118 staff members who guided the production behind the scenes including eighth grade English language arts teacher Kevin Graham who directed; 7th grade teacher Adam Tourlakes who served as assistant director; Palos South Music teacher Amanda Schuller who was the Choral Assistant; Band Director Stavros Makropoulos who oversaw lights and sound; and teacher Randy Buvala who directed the play's stage crew. If you missed the live performance, you can see the show on the District's YouTube channel.
Palos West Food Drive Surpasses Goal
Kudos to the students at Palos West Elementary who collected over 10,000 non-perishable food items for their annual 'Souper' Bowl of Caring community outreach event this week. Student council members tallied all of the donations before loading them onto a truck. All of the food was donated to Palos Township for distribution. The fourth grade collected the most donations with 2,843 food items gathered. They will receive an outdoor tailgate recess in the spring.
Last Day for Palos 118 Art Show at McCord Gallery
If you haven't had a chance to visit yet, there is still time to see the artwork on display by Palos 118 student artists at McCord Gallery. The show runs through this Friday, February 18.
Palos 118 Grad Goes for the Gold
We are proud to count USA Women's Olympic Hockey Team captain Kendall Coyne Schofield as an alum of Palos 118 where she attended Palos West and Palos South. We were rooting for Team USA as they competed for the gold Wednesday night against Team Canada. Kendall and her teammates fell short of the gold, with a final score of 3-2, taking the silver medal home for the U.S.
Thank You to our Families
Finally, I want to say thank you to all of our Palos 118 staff and families for their respectful and compassionate response to last week's court ruling. I am grateful that everyone remained respectful of differing opinions and comfort levels, which allowed our school staff to maintain supportive, caring, and calming learning environments. Thanks to our entire school community, Palos 118 continues to prioritize the social-emotional wellbeing of our students keeps the has been able to keep the focus on teaching and learning within our schools.
Pursuant to Thursday's appellate court ruling, Palos 118 will continue to recommend, but not require, masks at school. Masks continue to be required on school buses. Thank you for your continued cooperation as we transition the school district into a new phase of addressing COVID-19 in the long run.
Board Recap
The Palos 118 Board met on Tuesday night. You can read a recap of the meeting here.
Best regards,
Dr. Anthony Scarsella
Superintendent of Schools
