Tuesday, January 8, 2013
The Naperville School District 203 Board of Education approved an all-day kindergarten program for some, but not all, of its elementary schools.
The Naperville School District 203 Board of Education voted to approve all-day kindergarten for its district Monday night. The program would begin next year but would only be offered at half of the district's elementary schools. Under the district's current plan, all-day kindergarten would be offered at the district's seven Title I elementary schools. Title I schools have a higher concentration of low-income students. Like Valley View, District 203 will require renovations for the program to go forward. The program will approved by a 6-1 vote. “There’s no way that this community will stand for half of our schools having all-day kindergarten and half of them not,” said Dave Weeks, the only school board member to dissent. “And we are …
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
It's the start of the school year and day one of Valley View School District 365U's new all-day kindergarten program.
All-day kindergarten classes will make their debut at all 12 Valley View School District 365U elementary schools Wednesday. More than 1,000 children will enter newly-created classrooms at 9:05 a.m. and stay until 3:15 p.m. See photos from Pioneer Elementary School's kindergarten preview to the right. Since last year, Superintendent James Mitchem has been leading the charge to implement full-day kindergarten, with the aim of targeting students while they are in the lower grades to avoid the need for intervention later. Mitchem has cited studies that link full-day kindergarten to increases in student achievement, including data showing that 85 percent of pupils who participated in an all-day kindergarten program completed school without …
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Valley View School District 365U held a symbolic ribbon cutting ceremony Monday that represented several new building additions for the district's all-day kindergarten program.
- BACK TO SCHOOL
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Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Editor's note: The following is a press release from Valley View School District 365U. All-day kindergarten classes will make their debut at all 12 Valley View School District 365U elementary schools Wednesday. More than 1,000 children will enter newly-created classrooms at 9:05 a.m. and stay until 3:15 p.m. Previously, children attended either a morning session or an afternoon session. To make room for the new program, VVSD put additions on nine schools and renovated facilities in three others. Kindergarten students will be housed in new additions at Independence, Salk and Wood View schools and in remodeled facilities at Oak View, Ward, King, Skoff, McGee, Tibbott, Hermansen, Pioneer and Hill. Older students will move from existing …
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Amendment to contract adds site improvements, technology to existing agreement
Classrooms may soon be empty when summer break begins next week, but throughout Valley View School District, buildings will be buzzing with activity – construction activity, that is. On April 16, the Valley View Board of Education approved a Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMAX) contract in the amount of $12,320,590 with Wight & Company of Darien for the design, construction and renovation of the district’s 12 elementary schools to accommodate all-day kindergarten classrooms next fall. At its meeting Tuesday night, the board amended the GMAX contract to add the cost of site improvements at R.C. Hill Elementary School, as well as technology infrastructure improvements for the district’s kindergarten, first- and fifth-grades, math rooms and …
Friday, April 27, 2012
Community members are invited to learn more during events scheduled for May 7 in Bolingbrook and May 9 in Romeoville.
- GOVERNMENT
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Friday, April 27, 2012
Valley View School District 365U has scheduled two community forums for parents whose children will attend kindergarten in the fall. The forums will focus on the importance of the school district’s new all-day kindergarten program, including a sneak peek at the proposal for a more rigorous kindergarten and 1st grade curriculum that will be presented to the VVSD Board of Education on May 14. “Research shows giving children a foundation for success in kindergarten, first, second and third grades is the key to their long term academic success,” said VVSD Superintendent Dr. James Mitchem. “All-day kindergarten is the cornerstone of the long term commitment this district has made to student achievement.” The first forum will be May 7 at Brooks …
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Members sign off on $12.3 million in construction projects.
The Valley View Board of Education may have met with opposition to its decision to lay off teachers and staff, but a unanimous vote in favor of all-day kindergarten drew applause from audience members Monday night. The board OK’d a contract with Wight Construction for the renovations, additions and combination thereof needed to outfit all 12 elementary school buildings to accommodate the program. On Monday, Valley View awarded a contract in the amount of $12,320,590 to the Darien-based company. The new contract includes a prior $833,300 pact with the company for the completion of site work at the campuses. The contract also includes two new add-ons: toilet rooms for six campuses and $95,622 in technology infrastructure upgrades, according …
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
The board inked intergovernmental agreement deals with the Village of Romeoville, Fountaindale Public Library.
The Valley View Board of Education signed off on a $650,000 contract with Darien-based Wight and Company for design and engineering services on plans to outfit all 12 elementary schools to house all-day kindergarten. In January, architect Craig Siepka outlined a proposal that would use renovations, additions and a combination of the two to accommodate the program at Valley View schools. The contract with Wight directs the company to work to ensure that the project budget does not exceed $12 million, with the aim of having all 12 campuses ready by the start of the 2012-13 school year. Improvements on tap for R.C. Hill, Brooks More projects are in store for Valley View campuses. In exchange for approving the extension of Romeoville’s …
Monday, March 12, 2012
The board of education meets at 7:30 p.m. Monday, March 12.
The Valley View Board of Education is scheduled to vote Monday on a $650,000 contract with Wight and Company of Darien for architectural and engineering services needed to outfit all 12 elementary school campuses to accommodate a new all-day kindergarten program. In January, Wight unveiled a proposal that included renovations, additions and a combination of the two to allow the buildings to house the new program. According to the proposal, construction costs are estimated at $12 million. Under the proposed contract with Wight, the projects would be completed in time for the 2012-13 school year. Summer school up for a vote Last month, the board signed off on a summer program for elementary school students and for students with special needs…
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Architect presents plans to outfit each campus for the program.
A plan to bring full-day kindergarten to Valley View School District could come with $13 million in construction costs, according to the project architect. Craig Siepka of Darien-based Wight & Company said renovations, additions or both will be needed at each of the district’s 12 elementary schools to create space for the all-day program. Since last spring, Superintendent James Mitchem has been leading the charge to implement full-day kindergarten, with the aim of targeting students while they are in the lower grades to avoid the need for intervention later. The proposal is part of a plan to shift resources toward grades K-3 in an effort to boost academic performance. On Monday, Mitchem cited studies that link full-day kindergarten to …
Monday, January 9, 2012
Next board of education meeting is at 7:30 p.m. Monday.
Superintendent James Mitchem is scheduled to present a report on plans for an all-day kindergarten program in Valley View at the district’s Jan. 9 school board meeting. The district has been exploring adding a full-day program since last spring. Over the summer, parents responding to a district survey were overwhelmingly in favor of the program, with 85 percent saying full-day kindergarten is a good idea for Valley View. But more than half of the survey respondents said a proposed $150 per month fee was too high. Mitchem has said the program could prove vital to student achievement by giving kids an early academic advantage. Full-day kindergarten is part of the superintendent’s efforts to shift resources to grades K-3, helping students …
Mickey
10:08 am on Friday, August 31, 2012
About time! My daughter went to all day when we lived in Florida. Never understood 1/2 day. more ›