Spring/Summer 2025

May - July

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Malta 1st grade teacher Megan Corn with her class in April.  

Greetings everyone!

As we close out the 2024-2025 school year, I want to take a moment to reflect on the incredible achievements of our students, staff, and community. This year has been filled with academic excellence, creative innovation, and an unwavering commitment to student success. From outstanding performances in the arts to record-breaking accomplishments in athletics, our students have made us proud in every way. We have also seen remarkable growth in STEM programs, literacy initiatives, and community partnerships that continue to strengthen our district.

None of this would be possible without our dedicated teachers, staff, and families who work tirelessly to support our students. Your commitment ensures that our schools remain a place of opportunity, inclusion, and success for all.

As we head into summer, I encourage everyone to take time for rest, rejuvenation, and adventure. Whether it’s reading a great book, exploring new interests, or simply enjoying time with loved ones, summer is a chance to recharge before we embark on another exciting school year.

Thank you for a fantastic year! I look forward to seeing all of you in the fall, ready for another year of learning and growth. 

With gratitude,

Let's go Barbs!

Minerva Garcia-Sanchez, Ed.D.
Superintendent

The spring comes with several national recognition days that provide us an additional opportunity to recognize the tireless and invaluable work of our teachers, nurses, office professionals, bus drivers, food service workers, principals, student support services, and more. We are thankful for each and every one of our dedicated employees who take pride in their collective work across the district to ensure our students have what they need to be ready to succeed in their studies and extracurricular activities.

We visited all of our schools this spring to capture our photos of our teachers in action. as part of National Teacher Appreciation Week (May 5-9). Along with highlights on the District Facebook and Instagram pages, you can also find a gallery of images on the District Website from each of our schools. 

The Daily Chronicle's May 8 'Thank You, Teachers' issue, also featured several D428 educators, starting with the cover story of Jefferson student teacher Drew Hoth, a former NIU football player who is taking his passion to the classroom and will be a 5th grade teacher at Mitchell Elementary this fall in his article, Role Model; Former NIU lineman Hoth finds new calling in teaching.

Also included in the special issue are:

Pictured at top left to right: 5th Grade Student Teacher Brianna Watson with Lincoln Friend, John Murray (STEM, CRMS), Olivia Frye (1st Jefferson), Anthony Tuzzolino (3rd, Brooks)

Pictured at bottom left to right: Alicia Lewis 4th, Founders), Jon Colvin (Health, HMS), Gabriella Hernandez & Stacy Stawinoga (3rd Cortland), Katie Davis (ELDC)

Our D428 team of principals, Mr. Hueramo, and Dr. Garcia-Sanchez
share a special welcome message for next year's
Owls, Dragons, Bobcats, Monarchs, Mustangs, Lions, Tigers, Falcons, and Jaguars! 

Time is running short to register your student(s) for the 2025-2026 School Year. Classes begin on Wednesday, August 13, for first through 12th grade. Pre-K and Kindergarten classes begin on Monday, August 18. All new and returning kindergarten through 5th grade students are required to provide proof of residency before registrations can be completed. New and returning student registration can be completed online. Visit the District's Registration page for complete details, including the updated attendance boundaries. 

Elementary and middle school students not registered by May 9, 2025, cannot be guaranteed placement in their home schools. Students are placed by registration date, and overflow placements may occur. DeKalb High School students must complete registration to be considered for summer school classes and to receive their schedules at the beginning of the school year.

Anyone needing assistance with registration is encouraged to visit the Education Center (902 S. Fourth Street) on Tuesday, June 24, anytime from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Staff will be available to provide assistance. Childcare will be provided while families are receiving assistance. 

Access to the Skyward family access account information or your email address is required. Please bring your proof of residency documents if you have moved, you are enrolling students in K-5th grade, or all new students to enroll.

For details on acceptable proof of residency documents, please visit the District's Registration page.

Any student not registered by August 1, 2025, may experience delays in transportation, receiving schedule information, or starting on the first day of school.

Formerly known as the SIT Conference, Barb STEAMCon 2025, sponsored by Meta, was held on Saturday, April 5, and proved to be an exciting morning of learning, exploration, and fun! More than 15 presenters hosted a wide variety of learning sessions on topics such as Drawing with Light, STEAM and Falconry, Space Research, Texture in Art, and the always popular Unmaker Space. 

Barb STEAMCon is a conference led by students for students and open to all D428 students in grades 3-8. Several DeKalb High School clubs and teams presented and volunteered to keep the event running smoothly. Special guests from NIU STEAM provided the opening keynote address and offered engaging sessions on coding, artificial intelligence, and automation to solve everyday problems. 

The event was made possible by generous support from Meta and the DeKalb Data Center. At the end of the event, participants and presenters could enter to win one of several prizes, including a PlayStation 5 Console, a Nintendo Switch, a variety of LEGO kits, including a LEGO NASA Space Shuttle kit, Meta Quests, and several games and puzzles. Everyone also received a special event T-shirt and STEAM kits to take home. 

The Barb STEAMCon planning team has already started preparations for next year's STEAMCon and is excited to continue to grow the event. Stay tuned for more information coming next spring, and don't miss the opportunity to sign your student up for this unique and valuable learning experience.

Entrepreneurial Lincoln 5th-graders had the opportunity to pitch their inventions to a panel of Sharks (a.k.a. local volunteer business owners, community members, and school district administrators) to see if their product is interesting enough to make a deal. Modeled after the business reality television series, 'Shark Tank,' students prepared to present to the panel of Sharks and convince them to make a business deal for their product or service idea. Students were asked to go through the Engineering Design Process to create an invention and presentation for the Sharks, who were encouraged to ask questions and make counter-offers on pitches, so that students had to consider multiple factors before settling on an offer for their deal. Some of the ingenious products presented included Flatula, Breezebrim, Fannaroo, and the Candy Keeper.

Director of Teaching and Learning Billy Hueramo participated as a Shark this year and was impressed by the growth he saw in students just in the short time they were presenting their ideas. "I watched students start off nervous and looking down, and by the time they were finished presenting and negotiating their deal, they were holding their heads high with confidence and excitement," said Hueramo. "What a great way for students to practice their critical thinking and presentation skills while interacting with members of our community who are role models and sources of inspiration for our kids."

Top Picture: Ja’Zelle C., Ty Annah P., Sakaiya P., Camryn N. with Shark Marcy Grace McCauley from Willrett Flower Co., and their TCJS Hair Oil

Middle Picture: Vlade J. and Felix M. present their invention, the Self Rebounder

Bottom Picture: Sharks Police DeKalb Chief of Police David Byrd DeKalb County United Soccer Club Vice President Ram Chitkara with Nora H., Gabby B., Maddy N., and Maddy B., with their invention, Cleat Covers

Outgoing Board of Education members Amanda Harness, Deyci Ramirez, Ariel Owens, and Fred Davis (pictured at right) were recognized for their service and contributions during their tenure on the board at the May 6, 2025, meeting. Also recognized were the district's 22 retirees. Pictured above on the left are retirees Sheavon Plant (Special Education - Cortland), Kim Lyle (Principal, Early Learning Development Center), Pam Sullivan (Office Professional, Early Learning Development Center), Connie Rohlman (Principal, Founders), Gail Cappert (DHS Multi-language Service Manager), and Michael Wolf (DHS Business Teacher).

Congratulations to our 2025 Project SEARCH Graduates, John D., Daley G., and Ian L., who have worked hard over the past year as Project SEARCH interns at Northwestern Medicine Kishwaukee Hospital. They graduated in May after learning several new skills and preparing themselves for future success! Project SEARCH is a transition program for students with disabilities that includes real-life work experience, career exploration, and training in employability and independent living skills. 

Cortland 5th-grade students Annabelle, Maddux, Emma, and Naomi spoke with a reporter from WNIJ to share their thoughts, experiences, and memories about starting school as kindergartners during the COVID-19 pandemic. Their conversation will be part of an upcoming story on WNIJ about the impact on kids and their education five years post-pandemic. 

A special 'Thank you' from our Beyond One Barb Transition Center crew, whose students and staff are grateful to be the recipients of the generous donation from Brian Bemis Toyota of Dekalb as part of the Northern Illinois University Spring Showcase. The Toyota Touchdowns for Education donation with Brian Bemis Toyota of DeKalb in partnership with NIU Athletics, took place throughout the football season. $200 was donated for each touchdown scored by NIU Football during MAC games. NIU Football scored 18 touchdowns, totaling  $3,600. Toyota then rounded up the donation to an even $4,000! With the opening of this amazing new learning space, the team is excited to use these funds to further support the needs of its students!

K-5 Multilingual Support Leader Melissa Baggett and District Multilingual Coordinator AJ Crook were honored to receive a $2,200 grant from the DeKalb County Foundation Board of Directors and the Youth Engaged in Philanthropy YEP committee. The grant supports organizations and projects that improve the quality of life for youth in DeKalb County and directly involve youth empowerment and leadership. 

The YEP grant funds will support D428's bilingual classroom libraries project that is intended to enhance students’ reading abilities in multiple languages and to increase interest in reading a variety of genres. This project aims to improve and expand the
Bilingual classroom library in 2nd and 3rd grade by curating multilingual texts, acquiring more diverse books based on student interests, including narrative and informational texts to support different learning styles, encouraging independent reading, and meeting state curriculum requirements..

Check out the District's Virtual Backpack page for information on a variety of community events, services, camps and more! You'll find a quick link to Virtual Backpack on the D428 website homepage.

As of May 13, 2025, the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) has reported eight measles cases in Illinois this year. More information is posted on our website to help increase awareness of the disease; help with disease recognition and reporting; emphasize the importance of prevention through vaccination; and help control and prevent the spread of measles in our community, along with procedures if there is a confirmed case of measles in the District.

May 23 - Last day of classes, half day of attendance
May 24 - DeKalb High School Graduation Ceremony, NIU Convocation Center, 10 a.m.

June 2 - 30 - Extended School Year (ESY) summer classes
June 3 - Board of Education Meeting, 7 p.m.
June 17 - Board of Education Meeting, 7 p.m.
June 19 - No ESY classes, Offices Closed - Juneteenth Holiday
June 24 - Registration Assistance Day, Education Center, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.

July 1 - Board of Education Meeting, 7 p.m.
July 15 - Board of Education Meeting, 7 p.m.

August 5 - Board of Education Meeting, 7 p.m.
August 9 - Back to School Bash hosted by Project H.O.P.E.
August 9  - Dr. Leroy A. Mitchell Elementary School Community Open House
August 13 - First day of classes, grades 1-12, half day of attendance 
August 18 - First day of classes, PreK-K, full day of attendance
August 19 - Board of Education Meeting, 7 p.m.

Miss an issue? View previous newsletters here.

Questions or comments? Email Communication@d428.org