Tentative agreement has been reached for the Head Start preschool program to resume operating in two La Grange school districts, possibly in November.

A change in agencies administering the federal grant, plus more restrictive regulations governing contract negotiations combined to delay the program’s start since the beginning of the school year.

Rather than hiring staff and operating the program as in the past, the two districts will lease space to CDI, the Colorado-based agency with an office in Hillside, which will run the preschool program.

“We’re disappointed it’s taken so long, but confident it’ll be up and running in the next couple of weeks,” said Superintendent Warren Shillingburg of La Grange Elementary District 102.

Up to 34 students from the district are expected to attend the Head Start program at Congress Park Elementary School in Brookfield. Another 34 students from La Grange-Countryside Elementary District 105 would be able to attend the program at Ideal Elementary School in Countryside.

“Our Head Start classroom is furnished and ready to go,” said District 105 Superintendent Glenn Schlichting. “We’ve all experienced frustration in the delay. I do know the parties have been collaborative in how can we get this program going.”

The District 105 board is scheduled to consider approving the lease at Ideal School Oct. 27. A date hasn’t been set for the District 102 board to approve the lease at Congress Park.

Families eligible for the program based on income and other factors will be ecstatic once they learn of a definite start date, said Al Banks, a member of the ministry team at Davis Memorial African Methodist Episcopal Church in La Grange. Several church members had been upset when the program didn’t start, Banks said.

“We were shocked to learn a contract had not been signed, and it was already September at that point,” Banks said. “There were parents who had Head Start-aged children, and they had not been told whether they would have it or not. It was a total lack of communication.”

Both superintendents said district representatives have tried to keep in touch with past families eligible for the program, as well as reach out to new families.

“We paid our past director and two staff members to recruit students who would qualify for services,” Shillingburg said. “We didn’t want to wait until the start date, because that would delay things even further.”

Unless Head Start families qualified for other services offered by their district, those children haven’t been involved in a program yet this year.

“We want to get that program going. It’s a big part of our school district,” Schlichting said.

Head Start had been under a deadline of sorts to open by Oct. 14 to enable it to hold the required number of class sessions by June 30. Since the program meets on four weekdays, Shillingburg said he suggested the program meet Monday through Friday. A CDI representative indicated the agency may apply for a waiver, the superintendent said.

Both superintendents said Head Start is a valuable program because it serves preschoolers and is federally financed without local funds. Shillingburg noted the program, which receives $400,000, frees up district funds to spend on the needs of other students.

“That program is entirely funded through grants, not local dollars,” Schlichting said. “For us it’s just a wonderful opportunity to get District 105 students involved. The investment in early childhood goes a long way to student success.”

CDI was named the grant administrator for Head Start in July, after federal officials found alleged financial irregularities with the prior agency, CEDA.

Nazareth Academy junior Daniel D’Onofrio of Clarendon Hills is a modern-day Renaissance man — honors student, athlete, artist and traveler. He’s best known as the artist whose work was chosen for the new Veterans Memorial in LaGrange Park.

“I have a huge passion for art, especially drawing and painting,” D’Onofrio says. “I’ve been creating art since I was 3 and have even taken some classes at the Art Institute of Chicago.”

D’Onofrioi is also a musician who sings and plays guitar, drum, bass, piano and banjo.

At Nazareth, D’Onofrio is an honors student, a member of the National English Honors Society, a student ambassador with Roadrunner Club and part of Youth Initiative. He also plays soccer and lacrosse for Nazareth.

1. What are your post-high school plans?

A. I’m not sure what I’ll study in college, but it will probably be something to do with the arts or history.

2. What do you like to do on the weekends?

A. I like to play music or sports, sleep in and hang out with friends.

3. What is your favorite class or favorite subject? Favorite teacher?

A. My favorite subject is history. I don’t want to play favorites with teachers so I’ll just say that every teacher at Nazareth is great.

4. What is your favorite social media?

A. I’m not too involved with social media, but I do enjoy Snapchat. It’s a fun way to talk with friends.

5. What is one thing someone wouldn’t expect to know about you?

A. I like to travel. I’ve been to 18 different countries.

6. What is your favorite thing about Nazareth Academy?

A. My favorite thing about Naz is how close everyone is — it really feels like a family.

7. What is your favorite sports team?

A. The Wisconsin Badgers

8. What is the one website that you must visit every day?

A. Whenever I’m bored, I always find myself going to YouTube or Google News to pass the time.

9. What is your favorite TV show?

A. Either “The Office” or “Arrested Development.”

Motorists might think nobody is watching, but driving around a stopped school bus with flashing lights could be a costly mistake in Westchester.

Following complaints from school bus drivers in the fall, police have stepped up a campaign to catch violators and write citations, said police Lt. Mike O’Hagan.

“Everybody’s in a hurry, and people don’t really think about what they’re doing,” O’Hagan said. “The school bus drivers have made a point that there have been violations, and they don’t want to see anything bad happen.”

Police are riding school buses and radioing to marked and unmarked squad cars in the vicinity when a violation occurs, and the motorist is pulled over immediately.

Illinois lawmakers passed a measure in January allowing bus companies to install video cameras to capture violations when the stop arm is extended from a school bus with flashing lights. The cameras are similar to red light cameras, O’Hagan said.

“We thought the police presence might be a better option than the cameras,” he said. “It’s not very frequent, but we want to get that taken care of right away.”

Drivers caught going around a stopped school bus face stiff penalties. Those convicted could have their driving privileges suspended for three months and be fined $150.

O’Hagan said the department is able to shift around its officers for the special detail without an additional grant, which sometimes finances special enforcement campaigns against seatbelt violators or impaired drivers.

The department isn’t yet releasing the results of enforcement efforts since the start of school, O’Hagan said.

“We’ve sent out a dozen warning letters and written some citations,” he said. “Most people are very respectful, but others are either not paying attention or they think it doesn’t apply to them.”

Violations are sporadic without a particular pattern as to bus route or time of day, O’Hagan noted.

“What we’re doing has been successful,” he said. “We’re hoping the number of violations will go down, as long as we can get the word out.”

A change in the school day schedule next year could have even more impact than nearly $22.5 million in construction projects, one Lyons Township High School Board member said.

Board members approved a change in the school day Oct. 20 to take effect in the fall, which will eliminate classes split by a lunch break in between and reduce the number of lunch periods to four from five.

More importantly, each student will have a daily 25-minute study period paired with his or her lunch period to receive help from teachers, access computer programs or do homework.

“We’ve had a big program to renovate the Reber Center showing our commitment to the performing arts, as well as redoing the cafeteria,” said board member Thomas Cushing. Cushing serves as chairman of the facilities committee overseeing construction and renovation projects on the school’s campuses in La Grange and Western Springs.

“In my opinion, this change of the school day will be the most powerful change that is done,” Cushing said. “Even if students don’t need the resource help, they’ll be able to do homework allowing them to participate in extracurricular activities with less stress, and they’ll sleep better.”

Board President Heather Alderman agreed that the schedule change will make a big difference for students.

“Research shows the more time on task, the better,” Alderman said. “What we’re here for is to help students do their best.”

Scott Eggerding, director of curriculum and instruction, said the study hall for all students had been under study for about five years to improve learning for every student. Expansion of the cafeteria was needed to accommodate more students in fewer lunch periods, he noted.

Teams of teachers and administrators have formed to work out a number of details associated with the schedule change, including the possibility of lengthening the school day to end at 3:11 p.m., instead of 2:59 p.m.

Dave Stormont, president of the faculty association, said teachers are “cautiously optimistic” about the schedule change, uncertain of all the ramifications until further details are spelled out.

Student representative Amanda Bolton said students are overwhelmingly in favor of the change.

“A study hall in the middle of the day? Find me a student who doesn’t think that’s a good idea,” Bolton said.

Mount Carmel High School invites prospective students and parents interested in exploring Mount Carmel’s academic and extra-curricular programs, and Catholic values-based environment, to attend an upcoming open house.

Open houses will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 9, and from 6-8 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 5 in Mount Carmel’s Convocation Center, 6410 S. Dante Ave., Chicago.

Families will have the opportunity to meet and speak with Mount Carmel president, the Rev. Tony Mazurkiewicz, a 1992 graduate of Mount Carmel and a 1996 graduate of Yale University.

Principal John Stimler and a large group of Mount Carmel students, faculty members, parents and alumni will also be in attendance to discuss Mount Carmel’s focus on college readiness and a curriculum built to teach to boys’ strengths. Visitors will tour Mount Carmel’s facilities and view the many campus additions made in recent years, including Carey Field, a multipurpose Sprint Turf synthetic playing field, and the Caravan Broadcast Network lab and studio, home to Mount Carmel’s unique videography program.

Students interested in Mount Carmel’s distinguished Honors/Advanced Placement Program and Curt Ehrenstrom Scholars Fraternity are also invited to attend the Honors Program Preview at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 25 to learn how graduates have earned credits from the University of Chicago, registered for their first year of college with a full year’s worth of credits already complete, and earned scholarships to some of the nation’s top colleges and universities. Those who plan on attending the preview should RSVP by Nov. 24 to Bill Nolan at 773-324-1020, Ext. 265.

Mount Carmel will offer renewable academic scholarship opportunities for incoming freshmen who take the entrance exam at Mount Carmel on Saturday, Jan. 10. Every incoming freshman who tests at the 90th percentile or above will receive an academic scholarship.

For more information on attending an open house, scheduling a shadow day, or taking the entrance exam contact Nolan at 773-324-1020, Ext. 265 or bnolan@mchs.org, or Phil Segroves at 773-324-1020, Ext. 281 or psegroves@mchs.org.

In recognition of Veterans Day, College of DuPage will host the eighth annual Veterans Day Read-In from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 12, in the Student Services Center, Room 2201 at the Glen Ellyn campus, 425 Fawell Blvd.

The program will feature readings from war and military literature. Participants are encouraged to select their favorite texts from war and military literature, such as poems, excerpts from short stories, essays, memoirs, public or private letters, or to share a personal story, memory or show pictures to honor a veteran they know. Presentations should be five to ten minutes and should include an introduction of the author or veteran, and a reading or viewing of the selection.

To participate, email Professor Bob Hazard at hazard@cod.edu by Nov. 1.

College of DuPage’s Veterans Services provides financial aid assistance, the VA work-study program, a dedicated student veterans’ lounge, referrals for specialized veterans counseling, as well as additional social and educational programs. The college also hosts job fairs and workshops to help veterans who are seeking employment.

College of DuPage recognizes a number of tuition-based veteran education bills, including the Montgomery G.I. Bill for Active Duty, Survivors and Dependent Educational Assistance Program, and the Reserve Educational Assistance Program. The college also accepts the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill, which provides a maximum benefit of free tuition, a monthly housing allowance and a yearly book and supply stipend of up to $1,000 for qualifying veterans.

For the sixth year, College of DuPage was included in the list of Military Friendly Schools compiled by G.I. Jobs, a veteran-owned publication focusing on post-military education and employment. Only 15 percent of colleges, universities and trade schools nationwide receive this designation.
For more information about Veterans Services at College of DuPage, visit www.cod.edu/admission/veterans or call 630-942-3814.

UPDATE: Closed schools include one in Skokie and another in Highwood.

Citing rising costs and low enrollment, Cardinal Francis George has said some Archdiocese Schools will be closed or consolidated.

George made the announcement in Catholic New World, the Archdiocese of Chicago’s newspaper.

“We will not be able to maintain all schools in their current form,” George wrote in a column that did not identify any specific schools targeted under the plan.

“Some school communities will be welcomed into healthier schools to bolster them further. Others will come together to form a new consolidated school that will use the best of the schools’ buildings, teachers resources and program approaches.”

The news should not surprise some of the schools, as the archdiocese was sending signals earlier this year to those that were at a critical point.

“A fairly large group of schools at risk have an average enrollment of only 145, well below the required minimum of 225,” George wrote.

Meetings were held with those at-risk schools in May to notify them of their status, George wrote. But “many of these schools were not able to grow in student numbers” he added.

“Supporting many low enrollment schools, particularly those with demographic challenges, spreads our scarce resources very thin and limits our ability to invest dollars in strengthening viable school offerings for our students.”

The Archdiocese school system currently educates more than 82,000 Chicago-area children in 240 elementary and high schools, George wrote.

“We remain as committed as ever to Catholic education, and we believe a more appropriately sized network will enable us to strengthen our system and serve our children more effectively.”

George wrote that though operating costs are lower than at public schools, expenses have continued to rise. As a result, he wrote, “the cost of a Catholic education is now beyond what many families can afford.” Because of this, the archdiocese has helped fund school operating costs to the tune of about $165 million from local parish contributions and Archdiocesan assets over the past five years, he wrote.

Operating aid to schools from the archdiocese was more than $23 million in the 2012 fiscal year. It has declined slightly, George wrote, to $18 million in the 2014 fiscal year.

The announcement of which schools will come at 3:30 p.m. today.

Minions with goggles descended on LaGrange Park Saturday, but they came in peace, determined to become science leaders, rather than mere followers.

The La Grange Elementary School District 102 Science Center hosted an array of science activities for 160 kindergarten through sixth-grade students, inspired by the “Despicable Me” animated films.

Students had the chance to create bags of transmutation serum jelly and cookie robots, while also learning about manipulating with magnets and how a shrink ray would never work on the moon.

“Our whole goal is to have kids excited about science and hopefully continue on,” said Ann Roth, president of the Parent Science Enrichment Council. “We wanted it to be fun.”

Organizers knew they had hit on the right theme when registration for the two sessions filled up quickly, and attendance was good, despite stiff competition from Halloween and sports activities, Roth said.

At the station to make the transmutation serum, students mixed ingredients in a bag to make a gooey substance similar to slime, which changed colors.

“Kids also learned the importance of the process in science,” Roth said. “If they pounded on the serum, that broke apart the starch and made it lumpy. If they massaged it, it would actually come together and become a slimy putty. The process is part of science, too.”

Students worked in teams at the magnet station to figure out strategies to move minions by magnet, as portrayed in the start of “Despicable Me 2.”

At the cookie robot station, participants followed instructions on how to wire tiny robots the size of a cookie. The young scientists hooked the robots to a battery and then race their creations connected to toothbrushes, Roth explained.

There was no shrink ray, but organizers used the science center’s inflatable planeterium and took students inside for a lesson on the moon.

Roth said she was pleased the activities appealed to all ages, offering the opportunity to extend the concepts and go into more detail for the older students.

The parents’ group also plans to sponsor after-school enrichment classes during the winter and a Science Expo day in March, similar to a science fair, but without an emphasis on competition.

To say that Nazareth junior Emilia Martinez is unafraid of the unknown is an understatement. Emi returned to Nazareth this year after spending her sophomore year in a small town in Portugal with a host family.

“It was a life changing experience,” Emi says. “For 10 months, every day was filled with new learning opportunities and new experiences. I spoke a new language (Portuguese), experienced a whole new culture and, most of all, learned a new sort of independence. The greatest challenge was to leave my comfort zone and open myself up to the unknown. I wasn’t sure in the beginning if I’d be able to make it ten months, but I made the adjustment and had great times.”

Now Emi is readjusting to life at Nazareth. Although she doesn’t believe her Portuguese school lived up to the high academic standards of Nazareth, she maintains strong grades and encourages others to investigate the chance to live abroad.

1. What are your post-high school plans?

After graduation I hope to spend a gap year abroad in Germany, Switzerland or France.

2. What do you like to do on the weekends?

Weekends are my chance to relax and hang out with friends. We watch movies or go to the mall.

3. What is your favorite class or favorite subject? Favorite teacher?

I am really enjoying Biology this year. My favorite teachers at Naz are Mr. Drinan and Senora Pascual.

4. What is your favorite social media?

My favorite social media is definitely Twitter because it’s so fast and simple. Tweets are short and sweet, sometimes interesting, or informative, or just funny.

5. What is one thing someone wouldn’t expect to know about you?

I love to read books. Nothing is more comforting to me than to lay in bed a read a good book.

6. What is your favorite thing about Nazareth Academy?

I love the school spirit at Nazareth, the way we cheer for our sports teams and support all the activities at school. When we all come out to cheer on a team, it feels like we are all one big family.

7. What is your favorite sports team?

I don’t follow pro sports, but I guess I’d choose the Bears.

8. What is the one website you that you must visit every day?

I visit Google every single day because Google has the answers to all my random questions.

9. What is your favorite TV show?

My favorite shows are “Skins UK” and “One Tree Hill.”

10. What else should we know about you?

In school I am involved as a student ambassador with the Roadrunner Club and am a member of both the World Languages Club and Culture Club, which seeks to introduce our international students to American culture through games and trips.

I am also working on becoming a volunteer for AFS-USA, which is the organization with whom I worked to study abroad.

A third school district is seeking legislative relief to withdraw from the Lyons Township Treasurer’s Office and manage its own financial affairs.

The La Grange-Countryside Elementary District 105 Board agreed Oct. 27 to pursue a legislation solution to separate from the treasurer’s office.

The district joins Lyons Township High School District 204 and La Grange Elementary District 102 in efforts to perform certain financial functions in house and avoid a fee assessed by the treasurer’s office for those services.

“We feel like we can save money and put that back into programs to educate our kids,” said School Board President Dave Herndon. “It’s nothing more than that. We have worked cooperatively with the TTO over time.”

Superintendent Glenn Schlichting estimates the district can save at least $110,000 over the next three years, based on a comparative analysis of providing financial services in 10 similar districts.

District 105 has paid the treasurer’s office $84,000 in each of the last two years.

Herndon said separating from the treasurer’s office also would avoid unexpected fee increases, such as the 28 percent hike a year ago.

The treasurer’s office invests more than $200 million in assets and manages payroll and other functions for 13 school districts and educational cooperatives in La Grange, Western Springs, Burr Ridge and other towns.

Changes in the fee structure were prompted as the office sorted out decades of financial mismanagement under former Treasurer Robert Healy. Cook County prosecutors charged Healy in August 2013 with theft of government property totaling $1.5 million, and the case is pending.

A Better Government Association investigation uncovered a host of irregularities under Healy and a lack of financial oversight in May 2012. Healy resigned that August and was sued by the office, which won and has recovered about $1 million.

Illinois law stipulates school districts are allowed to separate from a township treasurer’s office either by passing a new law stipulating the change or by seeking approval of a referendum proposal from voters in all the member districts.

LT officials said they aren’t pursuing a referendum because doing so would dissolve the treasurer’s office, and some member districts may want to continue receiving financial services.

Rep. Jim Durkin, R-82nd, Western Spring, introduced legislation allowing the high school to separate in 2013, but the measure stalled in the Illinois Senate.

Schlichting said a legislative strategy hasn’t been devised. The districts plan to seek assistance from ED-RED, a school lobbying group, in the upcoming legislative session in November, he said.

Lyons Township High School students are poised to jump on a business opportunity to wake up Western Springs coffee lovers on weekday mornings.

Special needs students are preparing to expand their Transition Perks coffee service at the south campus in Western Springs and open a shop at the Tropical Sno store, closed for the season at 1062 Hillgrove Ave.

Dave Paske, vocational coordinator of LT’s transition services program, said he read about Tropical Sno’s young owner, Nicholas Cozzi, being recognized as an entrepreneur launching the seasonal shaved ice shop.

Paske inquired about opening a coffee shop run by special needs students during the off season when the storefront wasn’t being used.

“I thought that was a great idea as soon as he said it,” said Cozzi, a junior at St. Ambrose University in Iowa. The 2012 graduate of Nazareth Academy just completed a second summer running Tropical Sno.

“It would be a perfect opportunity for kids to lean how to handle money, come into work, clean up and interact with customers and the community,” Cozzi said. “Most of the students live in the Western Springs and La Grange area and Countryside.”

Cozzi said he’s especially excited about the opportunity for his 18-year-old brother, John, who has Down syndrome and just entered LT’s transition program for students 18 to 22 years old. The students have completed graduation requirements, but can continue to receive services for gaining additional independent living and vocational skills.

Cozzi, who prepared for opening Tropical Sno by running the concessions for the Western Springs Little League, involved his brother in working at the store.

The storefront will be offered at no charge to LT students for their coffee shop.

LT teachers started a coffee program in February 2012 for some of the transition students to take orders from faculty, use a Keurig machine and deliver custom brews throughout the day.

The coffee service is part of the Transition Works student ventures, which include custom-made coasters and produce students raise from a garden in La Grange. Vegetables and herbs are sold at the La Grange Farmers Market and to area restaurants.

Paske noted the coaster and produce ventures have turned a profit. Proceeds will be used to buy uniforms to increase visibility for students out in the community and to set up a scholarship fund.

“Once students leave the transition program, there’s no funding from the state,” he said. “A scholarship fund could help students take vocational classes or courses at the College of DuPage.”

Opening the Western Springs coffee shop will give up to 45 transition students more opportunities to run a business and learn valuable skills to find jobs, Paske said.

“We’ll be starting with students at the shop closer to leaving the program and get different students in there every day to give them that opportunity,” he said.

The coffee shop will be open from 7:30 to 10:30 a.m. on weekday mornings when school is in session. A second crew of students will arrive in the afternoon to clean and set up the shop for the next morning.

“Everyone, from the health inspector to coffee distributors, has been more than helpful,” Paske said. “They’ve been excited to be involved in such a worthwhile project.”

Paske said coffee machines, which have been donated, are expected to be installed by Nov. 4, followed by a final visit from a Western Springs health inspector. The grand opening could be held Nov. 14.

Once the operation gets underway, Paske said he’s looking forward to developing and selling the program’s own brand of coffee to be marketed online.

The coffee shop opening comes at an opportune time.

Western Springs residents who live north of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe tracks recently have lamented the closing of the 7-Eleven at 1150 Hillgrove Ave., just west of Tropical Sno. Commuters had been lined up out the door at times for their morning brew.

“We plan to put flyers in homes and pass them out on corners to let people know when we open,” Paske said. “I’m hopeful local commuters and the LT community will visit Transition Perks for more than just a cup of coffee.”

A bike drive and benefit concert are being staged Nov. 15 in Western Springs to help grant some holiday wishes on two wheels.

Following the success of a spring drive, Lyons Township High School senior Pierce McLawhorn is spearheading a second effort to collect bikes for Working Bikes. The Chicago-based organization fixes discarded bikes and gives them to change lives here and around the world.

But this time, the emphasis is on collecting kids’ bikes in time for Christmas, McLawhorn said.

“I really had absolutely no idea it would go so well in the spring,” he said. “I thought it would be a success if we got 30, but we ended up with 160 bikes. It became kind of a chain effect. People would drive by and see the bikes in my driveway and ask what we were doing.”

McLawhorn said he’s not expecting as many bikes in November, but is hopeful people who missed the opportunity in May will take advantage now.

“A lot of people thought we were only doing adult bikes,” he said. “But now, we’re trying to get the inventory up for the holiday season to have some kids’ bikes.”

Because Working Bikes sends bikes to other countries, McLawhorn said he also decided to raise funds for shipping by putting together a benefit concert. Three acts will perform from 2 to 5 p.m. Nov. 15 at Hillgrove Wine Cellars, Hillgrove Avenue and Wolf Road.

McLawhorn, who sings and plays guitar, will be joined by fellow LT seniors Sean Shafer on guitar and vocals, Andrew Galletti on bass guitar and Nathan Henderson on drums. Their group, the Board of Education, plays modern alternative, ‘90s rock and classic rock, McLawhorn said.

Also performing are La Grange singer/songwriter Josie Dunn and members of the Street, led by Caleb Baron, who write most of their own material.

The bike drive runs through Nov. 22 for bikes in any condition. Bikes maybe dropped off at McLawhorn’s home at 4122 Franklin Ave. Or, arrangements can be made to have donations picked up by emailing him at piercemcl13@hotmail.com, or calling or texting 312-636-5598.

An Illinois Army National Guard officer urged students to take an active role in honoring veterans during an assembly Nov. 11 at Lyons Township High School in La Grange.

“We have 18,000 National Guard soldiers deployed today, and many who paid the ultimate sacrifice and can’t be with us,” said Command Sgt. Maj. Mark Bowman.

“We just welcomed 300 soldiers home from overseas two weeks ago,” Bowman said. “What can we do to honor them.”

Bowman, who enlisted in 1979, rose to command posts and continues to serve as an adviser, offered a series of concrete suggestions.

“You can vote, that’s what defines us as Americans. We have the freedom to vote,” he said. “If you’re an employer, hire a veteran. Our service members know how to be part of a team, and they value duty, honor, integrity and respect.”

Bowman asked listeners to spend time with veterans and urged military personnel to share their stories to raise awareness and understanding of the sacrifices made.

“Next time you see a veteran, tell them thank you,” he said. “The idea of service is what this day is all about. They may never have fought in combat, but they have been of service, which isn’t for everybody. Only 1 percent of our nation gets the chance to serve.”

Bowman challenged students to be of service, either in volunteering in their community or pursuing a profession of service, such as teaching or becoming a firefighter.

“There are so many jobs where you can give back,” he said. “You were born in this country. You can’t waste the opportunities you have been given.”

Nearly 100 military personnel, both active and retired, and their families filled the first two rows at the assembly. Many had been invited through a personal connection with Brookfield junior Kalyn Harris, who helped organize the program.

“I’ve been watching the assembly for two years, and I thought maybe it was missing some components. I had some ideas, and everybody was really supportive,” Harris said.

Harris and her family keep in touch with members of the Illinois National Guard’s 122nd Field Artillery Battalion. Her brother, Joshua, was part of the unit when he was killed by an improvised explosive device in 2008 in Afghanistan at the age of 22.

“A lot of them have been a source of help to us. They call, and we’re friends on Facebook,” she said.

Harris didn’t mention her loss or connection to the unit. She said she wanted to increase student understanding and gratitude for veterans.

“I’ve seen them struggle with things,” she said. “I just want the recognition for them they deserve.”

Two members of the Illinois National Guard in attendance said they were pleased with the respect shown.

“This was really good, a lot better than what my school put on,” said Specialist Mike Weinberg, 22, from Mokena. “I was in Washington, Ill., after the tornado hit. I’m in the honor guard for military funerals and going to school.”

Sgt. Jacob Martin said he appreciated Bowman’s remarks after serving in the task force he coordinated in Afghanistan in 2008 and 2009 to train security forces.

The program touched students as well.

“This is a great thing,” said La Grange junior Dirk Molek. “It’s incredible everything these people give up for so many others, and the things they’ve done are so selfless for us.”

Western Springs junior Gabby Esposito said she found senior James Arnold’s interpretation of “Taps” on the trumpet particularly moving.

La Grange junior T. J. Williams said he liked senior Chris Fonseca’s a capella version of the national anthem.

“It was awesome, really powerful to have everyone gathered here today,” Williams said.

The Engineering Club at College of DuPage will host an Explore Engineering Night from 6-9:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 21, in the Student Resource Center, Room 2000, on the main campus, 425 Fawell Blvd., Glen Ellyn.

Geared toward high school students and college freshman, this free event will provide participants with information on a variety of careers available within the engineering field, including bioengineering, civil and structural engineering, electrical engineering, industrial engineering and mechanical engineering.

Representatives from several schools, including the Illinois Institute of Technology, Northern Illinois University, Northwestern University, the University of Chicago and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign will be on hand to provide information and answer questions.

Following opening remarks at 6:30 p.m., presentations will occur simultaneously every half hour from 7-8:30 p.m. throughout the Berg Instructional Center. Complimentary refreshments will be available from 9-9:30 p.m. during a meet and greet with university representatives.

While not required, RSVPs are appreciated by Monday, Nov. 17, at admissions@cod.edu or by calling 630-942-2380.

The engineering program at College of DuPage provides the first two years of baccalaureate work, including mathematics courses through calculus and differential equations, chemistry, circuits, computer programming, engineering graphics, mechanics, as well as general studies coursework. Students can transfer to prestigious baccalaureate-granting institutions, including a 2+2 program that provides seamless transfer to the University of Illinois Engineering program.

A lot goes into becoming a National Blue Ribbon School, even pizza, Ogden Avenue Elementary School students observed during a celebration.

Students, staff and parents toasted the 2014 award during two assemblies Nov. 13. They acknowledged the achievement as a true team effort and teased out what makes Ogden special.

In addition to “nice, kind and smart” teachers, third-grader Eren Abik said he appreciated fundraising efforts and treats from the Parent Teacher Council.

“I like the PTC. One time they gave us free pizza and lots more,” Eren read from his essay. “My favorite part is recess. It’s a nice time to play and have fun.”

Second-grader Maddie Walsh acknowledged, “we clean up after ourselves,” in her essay. Fourth-grader Evelyn Kowalski and sixth-grader Rebecca Kural said expanded opportunities contribute to learning, such as Playground Pals, Student Council, keyboarding instruction, and Chess and Art clubs.

“Working hard and being kind is our school motto, but it also is why Ogden Avenue has earned a Blue Ribbon,” said fifth-grader Monika Krueger.

Superintendent Warren Shillingburg of La Grange Elementary District 102 likened the academic award to reaching the golden pinnacle of athletic achievement.

“The National Blue Ribbon is like the Olympic medal for academic achievement, so you should feel really proud of that,” Shillingburg said.

Ogden was one of just 12 elementary schools in Illinois named in 2014. The award is based on a school’s math and reading scores being in the top 15 percent, according to each state’s standardized tests.

Principal Pattii Waldo said the school’s success is built on a foundation of thousands of students in 104 years and strong community support.

“This is a huge award for our community,” Waldo said. “Thanks to our parents and grandparents for many hours of service.”

Students and staff celebrated throughout the week after Waldo and Shillingburg returned from a ceremony to accept the award in Washington, D.C. Students tied blue ribbons everywhere on school grounds, made paper banners or quilts, wore blue bracelets and ate blue frosted cupcakes. They sang a song of celebration during the assembly.

Newly retired first-grade teacher Melissa Mangan shared her story of persistence to get a teaching job at Ogden in 1992. Mangan recalled the level of commitment needed last year for staff to complete a lengthy application and document why Ogden should receive the top honor.

Mangan read from Dr. Zeuss’s “Oh, the Places You Will Go.” She issued a challenge to students.

“Bring this Blue Ribbon confidence to all your classes and light them up,” she said. “What can you do to get a great report card that makes you proud?”

Waldo emphasized the team effort needed for success. To illustrate the point, she directed students to line the school’s giant gym and join hands.

“Each of us has a strength to share,” Mangan said. “When we link them together, we are invincible. We are a National Blue Ribbon School.”

Performances of “The Little Mermaid JR” by a special needs acting troupe promises to be electrifying, especially when it comes to the eels in the cast.

“They’ll be on their stomachs gliding along on little scooters, and they’ll flick lights on and off,” said director Christine Rehak-Grohne. “It’ll be fun.”

The Lyons Township High School Adult & Community Education Actors with Special Needs stages its 21st production Nov. 22 and 23 in the school’s Performing Arts Center in Western Springs.

The company of 26 actors, ages 18 to 47, began rehearsals in the spring through an acting class in LT’s continuing education program. The class draws adults from the western suburbs, including La Grange, LaGrange Park, Indian Head Park, Western Springs, Hinsdale, Darien and Clarendon Hills.

Actors have been rehearsing in one of the high school’s cafeterias, rather than on stage. Major renovation of the Reber Center at the north campus in La Grange has funneled all of the school’s productions to the Performing Arts Center, which is in constant use.

Rehak-Grohne said she appreciates her group retaining a place in the center’s busy schedule, because the actors really look forward to sharing their talents and hard work each fall.

“You can just see their desire to do so well in their characters,” she said. “They are so into it.”

Barb Cerkanowicz of Darien plays the evil sea witch, Ursala. Cerkanowicz wore long black gloves and a full-length black gown for a rehearsal, but will have tentacles and stiff white hair when her costume arrives for the show.

“It’s fun being Ursala. It took a lot of practice to get that sinister voice,” Cerkanowicz said. “It’s a big change from how I usually am.”

The production also features Laura Lockett of Downers Grove as Ariel, Rob Incerto of Hinsdale as Prince Eric, Brian Santagelo of Hinsdale as Ariel’s father, Triton, and Doug Toops of La Grange as Sebastian.

With a lot of talented and experienced actors, Rehak-Grohne said she faced a challenge in casting the musical.

“My job is to make our stars shine and give somebody else new a chance,” she said.

Renee Vrchota of Danien, who plays a starfish, said the production is sure to be a crowd pleaser.

“It’s Disney. All the girls especially will like it,” Vrchota said.

Some actors can’t read, and they memorize their lines by listening to tapes. Others overcome hearing or physical challenges to perfecting their performances through repeated practice and help with cues.

During performances, Rehak-Grohne remains on stage in costume with a script to reassure actors or improvise, if someone decides to take the play in another direction. She hasn’t yet decided what she’ll be wearing to tie into the Caribbean theme.

The production’s success depends on a host of dedicated volunteers, the director said. Set designer Donna Walker added lights to Triton’s trident and electricity to the eels. Other assistants are Pam Brock and Karen Johnson, paraeducators from LT, and Marie McCaig and Mary Hardy.

Nazareth Academy recently announced its first quarter honor roll for the 2014-2015 school year. The “A” Honor Roll indicates a grade point average of 3.80-4.00 on a 4 point scale. The “B” Honor Roll indicates a grade point average of 3.33-3.79 on a 4 point scale. The following area students were included.

A HONOR ROLLS

From Burr Ridge: Riley Burchett, Christian Davis, Isabella Kolosa, Marco Laghi, Molly McAuliffe, Abby Meehan, William Pacella, Michael Rotolo, Ethan Tosheff.

From Clarendon Hills: Ian Austin, Jessica Bonaguro, John Bonaguro, Daniel D’Onofrio, Benjamin Ernest, Katherine Figura, Lindsey Gaffney, Hannah Guinn, Margaret Harrington, Mary Clare Harrington, John Herbst, James Moster, Madeline Moster, Katherine Owens, Claire Ramsey, Mary Rockouski, Rory Svoboda.

From Countryside: Charlie Stancik, Sydney Stancik.

From Darien: Angela Calabria, Grace Calabria, Jamie Glas, Sarah Janek, Brian Murphy, Christina Pirrello, Maggie Reynolds.

From Hinsdale: Zachary Cameron, William Costello, Nicholas Georgiopoulos, George King, David Klinger, Madison Lozanoski, Lauren Piskorski, Meghan Rooney, Aidan Smith, Gavin Smith, Emily Williams, Meaghan Woodward.

From Indian Head Park: Bridget Brodlo, Haylee Donovan.

From La Grange: Daniel Bier, Samuel Byczek, Lucy Byrne, Kevin Cahill, Emma Decker, Maria Flach, Matthew Flach, Natalie Gleason, Katherine Hill, Cheryl Hohl, Bridget Holly, Huangcun (Hudson) Hu, Jessika Jackson, Matthew Kelly, Mason Klonoski, Jiacheng (Frank) Li, Songsha Li, Casey Linn, Daniel McKenna, MaryClaire McKenna, Brian Metzger, Kyle Metzger, Mary Mullarkey, Zachary Newman, Hollis Popp, Julie Saladino, Thomas Sandt, Julia Saunders.

From LaGrange Park: Stephanie Birch, Mary Grace Chizewski, JamesEraci, Mary Elizabeth Franko, Ellen Gross, Margaret Masterson, Margaret Roache, Madeline Schierl, Vaennessa Seith, Julia Veome, Roger Veome.

From Oak Brook: Caroline Cofoid, Mary Hilding, Catherine Klostermann, Camille Theriault.

From Westchester: Bryan Behrendt, Olha Bosnova, Austin Brown, Colin Carlson, Mackenzie Carlson, Samantha Caruso, Colleen Cavanaugh, Edward Colaianni, Jack Cross, Michael Cross, Yicheng Feng, Anthony Frugoli, Emina Hadzic, Andrew Hosek, Kyle Kane, Evan Knight, Christopher Kulnig, Alex Kwok, Cindy Li, Erin Lorenzen, Emilia Martinez, Samuel Martyn, Emma McGee, Kelly McGee, Patrick McGee, Dominic Milano, Lauren Nortier, David Palacios, Nicolette Pedersen, Thomas Pedersen, Jeffry Pesek, Kevin Quinn, Lelandra Randle, Sarah Reynolds, Carl Robst III, Sophia Ryan, Caitlin Seegers, Chloe Seegers, Elena Sofia, Joshua Sone, Spencer Suchy, Stephen Suchy, Charles Swarts, Joseph Trelenberg, Courtney Urzen, Aidan Walton, Matthew Wilson, Abigail Wojtynek, Benjamin Wojtynek.

From Western Springs: Nick Baumel, Emily Beedie, Cayden Bonaccorsi, Amy Burke, Danielle Chopp, Ron Christian, Allison Cipra, Margaret Dolph, Adeline Doyle, Julia Doyle, Brenna Fritzsche, Jack Gloor, Amanda Harris, Molly Herr, Donald Kelly, Kathleen King, Meghan King, John Kravcik, Bridget Lockie, Frederick Lockie, Matthew Mara, Kathleen Mazur, Madeleine Mazur, Erin McGarry, Meghan McGarry, Gabrielle Meyer, Irene Minik, Thomas Moody, Katherine Moore, Gianna O’Connor, Kevin Schick, Sean Smith, Clare Sullivan, Anne Swade, Katherine Swade, Mayalin Vondrasek.

From Willowbrook: Devyn Zuro.

B HONOR ROLLS

From Burr Ridge: Malvi Gandhi, Juliana Petrovic, Ella Rudolph.

From Clarendon Hills: Brendan Breslow, John Brindley, Jack Faine, Tiernan Guinn, Michael Nasca, Michael Owens, Madeline Rockouski, Ariana Surek, Dominique Surek, Clare Svoboda, Andrea Turner, Roland Wilson.

From Countryside: Chancel Baumgart-Roach.

From Darien: Caitlin Convery, Madison Flowers, Andrea Gomez, Aila Haffner.

From Hinsdale: Kayla Cameron, Carly Collins, Fallon Corcoran, Emily Eddins, Melana Gee, Analisa Pieranunzi, Ethan Willett.

From Indian Head Park: Ali Nix.

From La Grange: Erin Bier, Liam Kennedy, Cailey Muldoon, Quinn Newman, Kelly  Renehan, Andrew Staelgraeve, Charles Titzer.

From LaGrange Park: William Bareis, Aidan Bresnahan, Thomas Henehan, Michael Hillsman, Ava Johannes, Matthew Prendergast, Megan Seyer, John Weyer.

From Westchester: Garrett Allar, Daniel Bakovich, Matthew Berger, Kirsten Bermudez, Kyle Bermudez, Jacob Blair, Joseph Bonavolante, Finbar Boyle, Jonah Bridgewaters, Sarah Busa, Justin Bustamante, Haley Calabrese, Amelia Castillo, Matthew Clark, Simone Colat, Allison Cruickshank, Melissa Drinnon, Lizzette Enorme, Lino Figueroa, Jade Giuffre, Mary Glorioso, Nicole Griffin, Maeve Grimes, Natalie Komoll, Julian Love, Thomas Martyn, Bianca Moran, Julia Nowicki, Jake Panek, Alec Podock, David Prignano, Francesco Ricchio, Jack Rizzi, Paiton Sanders, Erin Stewart, Marcel Tworek, Faith Villapiano.

From Western Springs: Bridget Adams-King, Emily Fredian, Peter Kelly, Connor Knoelke, Michael Morkin, Abigail Shannon, Joseph Smith.

Western Springs resident Eric Karaffa wants people to know that heroin is not a city drug and a city issue anymore. It is being used increasingly in the suburbs, he notes.

“People think it is not in their back yard,” Karaffa says. “It is in their back yard.”

Karaffa knows of what he speaks. He and his wife have spent the last seven years helping their youngest son fight heroin addiction.

Formerly 20-year residents of LaGrange Park, the Karaffas have three sons – all raised the same way and going to the same schools. Yet, they did not turn out the same. Their youngest son developed a heroin addiction that became evident by the time he was 17 years of age.

“That’s because heroin addiction is not a choice,” Karaffa says. “It is an issue with the brain.

“…People will ask ‘Why the hell doesn’t he just stop taking it?’ but that is like asking why a diabetic patient just can’t produce more insulin.”

He said his son has relapsed so many times “that I’ve lost count. This is not my first time at the rodeo.”

His son has lost more than 20 friends in overdoses and other drug-related deaths.

Karaffa shared his family’s “seven gates of hell” story as part of a community forum on heroin Wednesday (Nov. 12) at Lyons Township High School North Campus. The panel of medical personnel, police, drug-awareness experts and parents looked to draw attention to the drug’s growing presence in suburban Cook County.

A public health official said the statistics prove Karaffa’s point about increased suburban use of heroin.

“Heroin users have gotten whiter and more female since 1998,” said Steve Seweryn, director of the Community Epidemiology and Health Planning Unit for the Cook County Department of Public Health.

He said there are 200 opiate-related deaths in suburban Cook County every year, one-quarter of those from heroin overdoses.

Karaffa said he and his wife were proactive, doing everything in their power to help their son.

“We tracked his phoned. We hacked his Facebook account. We knew his passwords,” Karaffa said.

“We tried to keep our child alive.”

He said it was not until participating in a group activity at a rehab center that he saw the light.

Blindfolded and holding a rope, participants were to find their way to the exit. After a hot, exhausting 40 minutes and asking staff for hints, he heard countless participants cheering for finding the exit.

“I had to say I needed help,” Karaffa remembered.

That was the exit to which staff was referring.

Karaffa urged individuals who attended the forum to talk with friends about the heroin presence in area communities.

“We have got to be concerned,” Karaffa said. “We also have to destigmatize it. It has cost us dearly. We have lost a generation of our young people.”

Chris, a 41-year-old college professor who asked not to be identified, said he battles his own substance abuse issue: alcoholism. He said a student, knowing his condition, came to him on a Friday asking if she could get her help with her heroin problem. He said he would and by Monday had a list of resources to give to her.

“A friend of hers came and told me that she had OD’d over the weekend,” Chris said. “I dealt with it the only way I could. I canceled classes and by noon I was drunk.”

Chris, who has been sober for seven months, said heroin is in our schools and that we need to start treating substance abuse like the brain disease that it is.

“We hurt you a lot,” Chris said of himself and other addicts to the audience members. “We do shady things. We hide bottles in ceilings. I missed the birth of my daughter. How do I explain that to her one day?”

He said showing love is key to helping addicts, especially when they often have a hard time loving themselves.

Countryside Police Chief Joe Ford said law enforcement’s view of heroin addicts has changed from wanting to punish the individual to wanting to help the individual.

“We don’t want a heroin addict in prison. We want a heroin addict in counseling,” Ford said. “We want the heroin dealer in prison.”

Cathy Kokontis, a certified addictions counselor with offices in La Grange, said parents needs to talk with their kids about the issue.

“At 5 or 6, crossing the street is a big deal and we give them help with that. Substance abuse is a big deal in fifth- and sixth-grade,” Kokontis said. “Yet the community is hesitant to address it. No one is stepping up. We continue to teach them as adults.

“One student told me ‘I make the decision every Friday night whether to use (drugs and alcohol) or not use.’”

St. John of the Cross students rattled off a litany of conveniences when asked about what makes home special – everything from mom to WiFi.

“Now picture being without all those great comforts of home,” Tina Rounds, executive director of BEDS Plus Care, a La Grange-based non-profit agency that

assists homeless individuals, said to a gym full of St. John students Nov. 17.

“Think of the food in your refrigerator, cabinets and drawers. You wouldn’t have that couch, blanket, that food in the fridge. You wouldn’t have people around who love you. How would you feel? Probably sad, worried and confused.”

The message got through as students turned introspective, thinking about the advantages they have.

That’s the connection leaders of the Western Springs school were looking for two years ago when they changed the institution’s annual service project day from

simply doing crafts for faceless organizations to bringing representatives from local agencies into the school building for presentations.

Recipients of this year’s service project were BEDS Plus Care, which helps homeless individuals obtain stable, affordable housing and provides a continuum of

professional support, and Helping Hand Center in Countryside, which provides programs and services for children and adults with disabilities.

Representatives of Helping Hand noted that by the end of the school year, the population of the school will have doubled from 35 to 70 students. The school went into expansion mode after turning away 40 students before this school year.

St. John sixth-grader John Spitovsky of Countryside felt the service project, which included all 655 students in the building, was a great activity.

“It is a way for us to do things to help people who are not so advantaged, people who do not have what we have in life,” Spitovsky said.

St. John students’ service efforts included making Christmas cards, packaging crafts and turning in coins they collected as a fund-raiser to add a water fountain at Helping Hand Center.

Third-grader Charlie Phelan of Hinsdale colored in a red heart after writing a long message to a BEDS client on the Christmas card he created. In the back of the room, his mom, Katie, boxed up cards, crafts and toiletry items for BEDS clients.

When asked about what her son’s effort meant to her, Katie Phelan replied, “It lets me know that we are going into the holidays with the right mind-set, being there for others.”

Jeannine Sur of Western Springs spent months coordinating the school-wide service project. She was thrilled with the results.

“Every student from preschool to eighth-grade was involved,” Sur said. “All 655 students did the service project.”

Jim O’Keefe, assistant principal at the school, felt the project gives the students valuable insights into issues in the world.

“Programs like this resonate with the students. It helps them form a bond with groups in the community,” O’Keefe said. “It helps them learn better; and it helps

them develop compassion.”

College of DuPage Trustee Dianne McGuire came out swinging at critics of the school Thursday, especially those who have recently been charging the administration with improper accounting practices.

Speaking for 20 minutes, she referred to citizen groups Edgar County Watchdogs and the Tea Party as “right-wing ideologues” and maintained that “absolutely nothing illegal” had taken place regarding the school’s imprest accounting system.

McGuire also defended COD President Dr. Robert Breuder as a “most remarkable leader.”

The battle between the board and various citizen’s groups has been ongoing since spring, when a FOIA request revealed an email from Breuder to trustees imploring them to be nice to Gov. Pat Quinn at the college’s commencement ceremonies, the better to pry $20 million from state finances for a proposed teaching facility at COD.

The resulting furor prompted the college to drop its attempt to obtain the money for the new construction, but the controversy over the college’s accounting practices was just getting started.

Adam Andrzejewski, of watchdog group Open the Books, has been consistently critical of the college’s imprest system of accounting.

In its reports to trustees, the system doesn’t report payments to vendors that fall short of $15,000, which results in what Andrzejewski maintains are $96 million in hidden payments to vendors.

Moreover, in a recent article in the Huffington Post, Andrzejewski points out that some of these payments were for entertaining college administrators and trustees at COD’s Waterleaf Restaurant, including a holiday meal of $3,572.40 for senior management and another holiday meal of $2,331.60 for trustees, a meal that included $807 in alcohol purchases.

Several speakers lambasted the college during public comment, some suggesting that the administration was guilty of violating the state gift ban by providing the meals to administrators and trustees.

But COD attorney Rez Vazquez pointed out that the gift ban only applied to outside vendors seeking to do business with the college, and McGuire strongly defended the practice of trustees getting together for meals.

She pointed out that the restaurant had already proved to be a valuable asset in marketing COD and stressed that the money in question represented about 0.00017 percent of the college’s $186 million operating budget.

McGuire said the result of the protests of the last few months has been expensive for the college, listing $100,000 for FOIA requests, and the $20 million lost for the new teaching facility — money she stressed that was promised to the college in 2006 but never delivered.

“Never was there a trip to Springfield where we didn’t lobby for that money,” she said.

Trustee Kim Savage pointed out that the imprest system was in place years before any current trustee was serving and well before Breuder’s tenure.

“He (Andrzejewski) was aware of it, but now it’s a big deal,” she said.

Andrzejewski responded later that the spending uncovered a “perfect storm of incompetence, corruption and sense of entitlement among senior leadership, the president and trustees.”

He also said that he resented what he said was “laughing” by trustees and senior leadership when confronted with the evidence about the money spent on meals, saying it “shows the moral bankruptcy of the COD administration.”

Board Vice Chair Kathy Hamilton didn’t back off her criticism of the accounting system that didn’t list payments less than $15,000. She also defended the people protesting the administration.

“They just want transparency,” she said.

Hamilton has been a staunch ally of the citizen’s groups and has consistently spoken out against the imprest system, the attempt to get the money for the new facility, and what she considers to be the excess spending by the administration.

Hamilton’s conflict with other trustees became strained to the point where she was officially censured by her colleagues in an August meeting, a vote that sparked cries of “shame” from the audience.

Hamilton said that a proposed audit of the college’s books, to be conducted by an independent firm, would not be accurate in assessing the school’s financial status because it was too limited in scope.

“The $85,000 is a waste,” she said of the proposal.

Other trustees joined Hamilton in voting against spending the money for the audit, although for different reasons.

“No matter what we do, there’s going to be criticism,” Nancy Svoboda said.

Savage noted that abuse could be found at any institution, no matter how much oversight existed, and McGuire said, “they’re is nothing hidden here.”

At Hamilton’s suggestion, there was agreement reached that an item would be placed on December’s agenda calling for payments less than $15,000 to be listed individually on financial reports.

“I have no problem with that,” Savage said.