Spring 2017

New board seated2 Good news3 A year in review4

newslineBuTLEr SCHOOL DiSTriCT 53

Aanika Atluri and Ben Snukst were honored withthe Oak Brook Education Association CitizenshipAward for character, leadership and compassion.

Honored with the Academic Achievement Award forthe highest grade point were Ansh Shah, Sidh Leekhaand Adi Badlani (not pictured). Adi did not attendcommencement because he was competing in theNational Spelling Bee in Washington D.C.

Gratitude and appreciationradiated through this year’scommencement ceremony heldMay 31. The 66 Butler JuniorHigh 8th graders who took to thestage heard their peers thankparents, families, teachers,administrators and staff withheartfelt enthusiasm. “All of youhave influenced us in such aremarkable way and for that wesay ‘thank you,’ ” said AlishaKumar, Vice President of theStudent Service Board.

Mikhail Essa, StudentCouncil President, echoed thatsentiment. “Our most importantaccomplishment is thecommunity and family we haveformed here at Butler JuniorHigh, no longer just our school,but now our home.”

He also listed the accomplish-ments of the class, noting thesupport of teachers and staff:

Science Olympiad� Science teacher Kim Krupicka,who “treats us not as students,but like her own children withgenuine love, care and respect,”

Spanish � Spanish teacher Andrea Lettwhose Spanish-only classeshelped push students to fluency,

Broadcast Journalism� Broadcast Journalism teacherRobert Philipp, who helpedstudents broadcast the five-minute daily announcements,

Talent Show� Secretary Kathy Ferrell’s“warm personality and lovingattitude” in sponsoring andorganizing the Talent Show.

Student Council� The council’s sponsor, teacherRiley Wharton, whose supporthelped the council raise $1,100in a four-hour fundraiser.

Student speakers also notedthe accomplishments of theirclassmates. “I am truly honoredand humbled to be a part of thisremarkably talented class,” saidAlisha Kumar. In the future, shesaid, she will undoubtedly say, “Iwent to school with that person.”

Student Service BoardPresident Moosa Ahmed tickedoff the accomplishments of

student teams and extracurriculars. “We played until wewere exhausted and we alwaysleft with a smile on our faces.”

Principal Amy Read notedthat together the Butler JuniorHigh School community hadaccomplished something special:A school where students feel safein taking risks to learn and grow,a place where supportive anddedicated staff are willing to goabove and beyond in and out ofthe classroom, and a mindsetwhere students understand thattheir abilities can be developedthrough dedication and hardwork.

Superintendent Dr. HeidiWennstrom thanked parents, staffand students for theircommitment. “I hope you willlook back with immensefondness for the friendships youhave formed and for the teachersand staff who have mentored andchallenged you.”

Grads give thanks and gratitudeCOMMENCEMENT 2017

Student awards

For more photos on graduation,check out our Facebook page,Butler School District 53.

Dr. Chad Prosen was appointed as the new BrookForest School principal for the 2017-18 school year.Regarded as a passionate, collaborative and stronginstructional leader, he served most recently asprincipal of an elementary school in Flossmoor.

“Dr. Prosen will provide strong leadership in hisrole to ensure every child is successful,” saidSuperintendent Dr. Heidi Wennstrom. “He is a caringinstructional leader and is a very child-centeredadministrator.”

Dr. Prosen said he was drawn to Butler SchoolDistrict 53 because of its high expectations forlearning, the community’s support of education andthe value that everyone places on excellence. “Iabsolutely love being a principal. Every day is a new

opportunity to work with children, parents andteachers.”

He completed his Bachelor’s of Art and TeacherCertificate program from Baylor University in Waco,Texas, a Master’s of Arts in Education Administrationfrom St. Xavier University and his Doctorate inEducational Organization and Leadership from theUniversity of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

Dr. Wennstrom said she was pleased with the poolof applicants. The search process involved parents,Brook Forest faculty, administrators, superintendent,and representatives of the Board of Education. Theselected candidates participated in a series ofinterviews in April. Two highly qualified finalistsemerged and Prosen was chosen as the top prospectto recommend to the full Board of Education.

Welcome Dr. Prosen

Brook Forest teachers welcome Dr. Prosenfollowing his appointment. He is pictured here inthe back row, third from left.

“Every day is a new opportunity to work with children, parents and teachers.”

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The Board of Education has four new facesfollowing the April election. Dr. Sally Beatty, CabinKim, James Chow and Christopher Edmonds wereelected along with returning board member AhmadSulaiman, who was appointed in October. Theyjoined veteran board members Dr. Elizabeth Chunand Lou Paskalides. Officers were also elected: Dr.Chun as president, Dr. Beatty as vice president andSulaiman as secretary.

Dr. Sally BeattyTerm expires: April 2021Dr. Beatty is a consultant with Heidrick & Struggleswhere she is responsible for leadership consultingand executive search, working with both domesticand international clients. She holds B.A., M.A., andPh.D. degrees from The Ohio State University,studied at the London School of Economics andcompleted a fellowship at Northwestern University.Dr. Beatty is married and has two children. One willenter kindergarten in the fall, and another will enter2nd grade.

Mr. James Chow Term expires: April 2021Mr. Chow is the Chief Financial Officer for OakStreet Health, a leading builder and operator ofprimary care clinics. He holds a B.S. in BusinessAdministration and Accounting from St. ThomasAquinas College and is a Certified PublicAccountant. James is married and has a child atHinsdale Central and a son entering 8th grade atButler.

Mr. Christopher EdmondsTerm expires: April 2021Mr. Edmonds is the Senior Vice President ofFinancial Markets for Intercontinental ExchangeGroup (NYSE: ICE), leading all global client-facing

activities for fixed income, credit andcommodities. He is a graduate of theUniversity of Alabama at Birmingham.He and his wife Michelle have twochildren in District 53 schools, entering6th and 8th grades.

Mr. Cabin KimTerm expires: April 2019Mr. Kim is a Certified PublicAccountant in practice with his ownfirm. He is a recipient of the IllinoisCPA Society’s Excel Award. He holds

a BA from Duke University, along withan MBA and a Master’s Degree inPublic Administration, both fromHarvard University. He is married andhas two children, one entering 2ndgrade and another enteringkindergarten.

Mr. Ahmad SulaimanTerm Expires: April 2021Mr. Sulaiman is an attorney and owner of one of thelargest individual consumer protection law practicesin the Midwest, Sulaiman Law Group in Oak Brook.He has Bachelor’s and Juris Doctor Degrees, bothfrom Loyola University, Chicago. He and his wifelive in Oak Brook with their three children, oneentering 4th grade, another entering 3rd grade and apreschooler.

The five are joining two veteran Board members:

Dr. Elizabeth ChunTerm expires: April 2019Dr. Chun has lived in Oak Brook since 1992 and hasthree children who have been educated in the Butler53 school system. Dr. Chun has been a long-termmember of the District 53 PTO and helped coachthe Science Olympiad team. She has served oninterview committees both as a parent and a Boardmember and serves on the District Leadership Teamand as Board representative to the PTO. She hasbeen a member of the Board since October 2010.Dr. Chun has a B.S. from Eastern Illinois Universityand a M.D. from the University of Illinois.

Mr. Lou PaskalidesTerm expires: April 2019Mr. Lou Paskalides is chair of the District 53Buildings and Grounds Committee and also serveson the Technology Committee. He has been on theBoard since 2011 and is the District’s liaison to theIllinois Association of School Boards. Mr.Paskalides is married and has one child whograduated from Butler and is now at HinsdaleCentral.

New board members seated

Following the election, four new board members and onereturning board member were seated. Pictured left to rightare: Lou Paskalides, Dr. Sally Beatty, Cabin Kim, Dr. ElizabethChun, Christopher Edmonds, James Chow and AhmadSulaiman.

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Learning new skills,activities, sportsand arts is what

Exploremore Dayis all about. it was

the 29th year ofthis favorite Brook

Forest tradition.

Exploremore

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Many science lessonsat Butler Junior High

start off with a bang –literally. At thebeginning of eachunit, Butler science

teacher Jon Frink likesto demonstrate anexperiment. One day,he was talking about

motion and energy to his 7th grade class anddemonstrated an ethanol canon, heating a nail in aplastic bottle and launching a cork off the spout.

Students were asked to explain why it worked andthen started their own experiment using a marblelauncher. Using the wooden tool, teams of students

tested the angle of the launcher andhow far the marbles traveled,recording the data in a computerspreadsheet. That day’s lesson: Howangles can affect velocity andacceleration.

“An experiment usually hooksthem in,” said Frink.

Indeed, the students weretransfixed, asking questions, gettingright to their task, problem solving andanalyzing the data.

It’s a challenge to teach the largebody of science information to 6th, 7thand 8th graders. The lessons need tobe relevant but challenging, cover the large body ofknowledge and methodology in science and preparestudents for the rigors of high school.

At Butler, students are exposed to the majorcurricular areas: earth, physical and biological:

6th Grade – The major topic is biology with anemphasis on human anatomy.  The minor topic isAstronomy.

7th Grade – The major topic is biology with anemphasis on cell biology, heredity and kingdoms oflife. The minor topic is physics.

8th Grade – The major topic is chemistry. Theminor topic is physics.

In addition to curricular content, Butler JuniorHigh School’s goal is for students to also gain theknowledge of how to work in a lab.

“Many science programs teach a little bit of eachtype of science every year.  We focus on one area andteach it in depth,” Frink said.

For example, in a 7th grade unit about

microbiology, students obtain samples of bacteriafrom various places in the school (lunch tables,phones, etc...). Students then incubate the samples onnutrient agar (a general purpose medium thatsupports growth of organisms) in Petri dishes.  Aftera period of two or three days of growth, studentsobserve and record the results. The class furtherextends this activity by doing the same experimentafter cleaning the surfaces with common householddisinfectants.

This in-depth lesson helps students gain the rigorneeded for high school science. “By the time thestudent leaves Butler, for example, the 8th gradechemistry curriculum has been taught in enoughdepth that they should be well prepared for highschool,” he said.

For Butler Junior High, this rigor is key. “Manystudents go on to pursue science in college andcareers.”

Hooking students on scienceJuNiOr HiGH SCiENCE

Inspiring Instruction Science teacher Jon Frink demonstrates a chemical reactionwhile students look on and record the experiment. Students areexposed to the breadth and depth of science to prepare themfor the rigors of high school.

Science OlympiadsThe Butler Junior High Science Olympiad Team

placed 8th in the state finals in April, the highestranking they’ve reached since entering state.

Science Olympiad tournaments are rigorousacademic interscholastic competitions that consist ofa series of team events, for which students preparethroughout the year with sponsor and teacher KimKrupicka. The results are as follows:� Herpetology - 1st: Rohan Tolani, Kavin Anand,� Anatomy and Physiology - 5th: Ansh Shah, Adi

Badlani,� Meteorology – 6th: Yahya Junejo, Luke Berg,� Potions and Poisons – 6th: Fatima Mohammad,

Shivani Rao,

� Geocaching – 6th: Jui Khankari, AishvaryaGodla,

� Hovercraft – 7th: Aanika Atluri, Moosa Ahmed� Rocks and Minerals -7th: Merwin D'Souza, Sidh

Leekha.

Fun with fitnessHealth and Fitness Week in May at Brook Forest

is an informative and fun way to focus on theimportance of nutrition, exercise and wellness.Activities include the Nutrition Fair, where studentssample and rate uncommon fruits and vegetables;Jump Rope for Heart, which raised more than $8,300from the Brook Forest school community; andOlympic Day, where students rotate through Olympicstyle challenges. Wellness is emphasized during eachPE class, but the special week brings greatersignificance to the issue.

Helping feed the hungryBrook Forest families made dozens of extra

lunches for the needy as part of Student Council’snewest fundraiser. In fact, 54 of them.

The Student Council asked families to pack asecond lunch in addition to the one they make for

their child. As the students walked to lunch, theyplaced the extra lunches in the boxes, filling fourlarge plastic bins. The Student Council partners withthe PTO, which delivered the lunches to theElmhurst-Yorkfield Food Pantry in the afternoon.The service project, called “Lunch Plus One,” will beheld once a month.

“Our Brook Forest students, families and staffcontinue to outdo themselves with their generosityand concern for others,” said Lisa Owen, AssistantPrincipal, teacher and sponsor of Student Council.

Art on displayBrook Forest and Butler

Junior High students’ artworkwere displayed at the WestSuburban Consortium forAcademic Excellence alongwith works from 15 area schooldistricts. During the expostudent artists discussed theirpieces and professional artistswere on hand to view theartwork and provide feedback.Student art work was chosenbased on quality and effort.Sofia Mohammed,kindergarten; Arzoie Bajaj, 1stgrade; Mea Farano, 2nd grade;Dalia Bajwa, 3rd grade; LaurenLin, 4th grade; Anjika Kumar,5th grade; Sophia Lee, 7thgrade; Riley Conway, 7th grade;Bella Schopp, 7th grade; SavitaSundar, 8th grade; RaniaArain, 7th grade.

Commitment and service

Brook Forest student council members give thesignal for Lunch Plus One at the donationstation. The lunch donation program for anarea food pantry is the newest service projectfor the Council.

Third graders at Brook Forest simulatedimmigrating to American through Ellis island.Simulations help engage students and deepentheir understanding.

Above, 7th graders Audrey Hare and DanyalJawed test how far an object can travel whenaltering the angle of their marble launcher.

GOOD NEWS

“Self Portrait”(top) by AnjikaKumar, 5th grade,mixed mediacollage; “FlowerGarden” by SofiaMohammed,kindergarten.Additional artworkis featured on theDistrict 53Facebook page.

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BOARD OF EDUCATIONDr. Elizabeth Chun, PresidentDr. Sally Beatty, Vice-PresidentAhmad Sulaiman, SecretaryJames Chow, MemberChristopher Edmonds, MemberCabin Kim, MemberLou Paskalides, Member

Dr. Heidi Wennstrom,Superintendent

Postal Customer

Art BoardButler District 53 students

display their artwork onartsonia.com.

Pictured are 2nd grade drawing,2nd grade time machines and 5th

grade family portrait.

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CurriCuLuM� Enhanced the English Language Arts curriculumby integrating the Reading and Writing Workshopmodels with increased word study, vocabulary andgrammar,� Initiated a leadership, life skills and charactereducation program, called Eight Keys of Excellenceat Brook Forest, which enables students to learn at thehighest levels in the classroom. The program willexpand to Butler Junior High in 2017-18,� Launched STEM activities in the K-5 librarycurriculum, including digital citizenship, coding andothers,� Launched a professional development leadershipprogram, where teacher “leaders” coach, teach andfacilitate collaboration and learning among staff,� Provided training to teachers that advanced theteaching of 21st Century skills of communication,collaboration, critical thinking and creativity, all withthe goal to elevate student learning and engagement,� Provided structure for teachers to meet in curricularteams across subject areas to collaborate oncurriculum and assessment.

STAFFiNG� Reviewed current staffing and implemented a newplan for next year that merges some building rolesinto a new position that will serve students districtwide. The Director of Student Services is not an

addition in personnel but a leadership reorganizationdesigned to enhance student service delivery.

OPErATiONS� Provided before and after-school care at BrookForest in partnership with the Oak Brook ParkDistrict. The program, called Dolphin Station, isentirely funded through user fees, providing abeneficial and safe option for families,� Published parent communications norms thatestablish guidelines for parents and school volunteersdesigned to promote healthy and productive relation-ships.

FiNANCES� Instituted a study on how to reduce costs for bustransportation, which equals $2,000 per student riderin the coming year,� Continued the Board’s practice of institutingbalanced budgets despite decreasing support fromfederal and state revenue sources,� Retained the highest rating from Standards andPoors, boasted one of the lowest tax rates in the stateand maintained a moderate fund balance.

BuiLDiNGS AND GrOuNDS� Approved summer plans to replace the roof andexhaust units at Brook Forest, both past their lifeexpectancy and approved plans to repair and improvedrainage in the courtyard at Butler Junior High,� Dedicated the new vestibule off the gym at ButlerJunior High and the new improved visitor entrance tothe district office, and celebrated the new traffic flowfor safer bus and student pick-up,� Replaced furniture in the Butler Junior High STEMlab to enhance learning and create more effective col-laborative 21st century learning spaces.

TECHNOLOGY� Expanded the use of 1:1 technology by providingChromebooks to 3rd graders. This allows them tomove beyond using Apps on the iPad and intoproducing works on laptops and having the ability toaccess the Cloud,� Enhanced the use of Google Classroom at the

junior high, allowing parents more effective access totheir child’s classroom information. Plans are to moveto this free resource at Brook Forest in 2017-18,� In partnership with the PTO, integrated the use oflarge touch screen devices in common or collabora-tive spaces in both schools and integrated their use inthe curriculum,� Improved communications with families and theschool community by rolling out Facebook to theexisting communication vehicles such as the District53 App, community newsletter, Twitter, website andschool/district emails.

GOVErNANCE� Celebrated the retirement of four members of theBoard who had a combined 32 years of experience:Alan Hanzlik, Dr. Alan Kumar, Dr. Hitesh Patel andTodd Rusteberg, � Approved a Board of Education Handbook thatdetails the duties, commitments and guidingprinciples of the Board of Education,� Assembled as a Board 12 times for regular businessmeetings, 7 times for special meetings and 26 timesin committee meetings,� Reviewed and approved 60 policies and anadditional 70 administrative procedures and exhibits.

PTO � Donated approximately $25,000 in supplementalgifts to the schools, including interactive touchscreens, STEM lab equipment and buddy benches,� Funded 10 field trips, 6 assemblies and specialevents like Exploremore Day, Sock Hops and sportsprograms, among others; operated three after-schoolclubs each week.� Totaled 1,000+ volunteer hours during 2016-17.

Three students presented their social studiesprojects at a recent Board of Educationmeeting. Pictured (l to r) are Arjun Krishnan, isaHitchens, rayaan rauf and Principal Amy read.

Improving learning opportunities, creating efficiencies YEAr iN rEViEW 2016-17

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