North Boone District Blog

Accident Victims Support

2012-03-02T08:28:00.002-08:00

Thanks to everyone who has been supportive of the families involved in last week's tragic accident. North Boone willbe collecting foodstuffs and collecting donations for the families involved at the District Office on Saturday March 3 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Checks can be made out to Poplar Grove School. Thanks again for all of the support for these families and their friends in this tragic situation.

Pre-School Screenings to be Held

2012-02-15T07:34:00.000-08:00

Preschool screenings for three and four year olds will be held on March 12 & 13 from 8:30 am – 6:00 pm at Capron Elementary School. Parents must make an appointment for their child and may call 815-569-2314 to set up this up. Call Capron for more information.

Parent - Teacher Conferences

2012-02-13T14:00:00.000-08:00

As a reminder Parent - Teacher Conferences will take place at all North Boone Schools on Thursday, February 16 and Friday, February 17, 2012.

Please take part in order to keep up on how your children are progressing in school.

Budget Input for the 2013 Budget

2012-02-09T09:05:00.001-08:00

Once again it is budget time in school districts throughout the state. The North Boone Board of Education's Business Services Committee received updated projections from PMA (a financial services firm that works with a wide range of school districts and municipalities) that project a need to cut slightly over $731,000 in order to maintain a balanced budget for the next school year. As the administrative team works to develop recommendations for the Board, we are interested in obtaining your input through a short survey. Click here to take the survey. The survey will be available until February 22nd.

Please take a few minutes to provide the district with your thoughts about the upcoming budget process.
Thanks for your time and input,

Steven M. Baule, Ph.D.
Superintendent

State Library to respond to texts for information

2012-02-09T06:04:00.000-08:00

Since the vast majority of our community doesn't have direct access to a public library it is important to be aware about this new service from the Illinois State Library. The ISL has implemented "Text a Librarian," a new service where patrons may use the text message feature on their cell phone to send and receive information from the State Library.

As the official library of state government, the Illinois State Library offers reference and information services via e-mail, in person, and by telephone or fax," said White. "This new texting service provides another means by which we can fulfill the important information needs of our patrons. I encourage cell phone users to take advantage of this convenient new service."

"Text a Librarian" is intended for simple, quick reference questions (up to 160 characters) that can be answered in brief responses. To use the service, patrons must start the body of the text with the keyword ASKISL followed by a space, followed by their question. Send the text to (217) 953-0575.

Each year our reference librarians answer approximately 8,000 questions. Many of the inquiries are in-depth questions asked by state employees. The "Text a Librarian" service is available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Although the State Library does not charge for this service, message and data rates from the patron's service carrier may apply.

For questions requiring lengthy or detailed responses, patrons should continue to use the State Library's e-mail or telephone reference service.

Gracious Donor

2012-02-03T07:17:00.000-08:00

A gracious anonymous donor from Poplar Grove saw the recent news release about the $500 grant from Bound to Stay Bound books for the Poplar Grove School Library. They felt that library materials for students were a good cause and they donated an additional $500 to the school for materials.
Again, Poplar Grove School and the North Boone District as a whole are both humbled and extremely thankful for this and all of the support that our wonderful community provides to the children and staff of the district.

Summer Camp Option

2012-02-03T06:54:00.000-08:00

This summer, North Boone is partnering with Camp Invention to offer a summer science enrichment camp at Poplar Grove for students who were in grades 1 to 6 during this academic year. The program will run from June 11 through June 15. This program is intended to expand upon the normal science curriculum. Ms.
Rebecca Giesecke, a Poplar Grove teacher is running the program.

Additional information is available in the attached fliers. English Spanish.

Senior Night and Teacher Night Feb 3

2012-02-01T00:07:00.000-08:00

We would like to invite you to attend Senior Night on Friday, February 3^rd. Mr. Purvis is combining Senior Night with Educators Night. Senior parents will be recognized along with the teachers selected by each senior as the most influential in their school careers.

Mr. Jeff Corn was chosen by Melanie Krawczyk, Mrs. Jean Perkins by Caitlin Adams, Mrs. Suzi Parris by Hannah Schwarzbach, and Ahlea Ekberg chose Matt Lerner. Congratulations and thank you to the senior parents and the selected teachers for all you do for the children of the North Boone School District.

Honoring Black Veterans during Black History Month

2012-01-31T11:00:00.000-08:00

Honoring Black Veterans

The community is invited to attend three separate events celebrating Black Veterans in honor of Black History Month. Events planned for Black History Month will be held at the AMC Showplace 16 and Veterans Memorial Hall. Meet members of the Tuskegee DODO Chapter (Chicago) on Saturday, Feb. 26^th and members of the Montford Point Marines on Sunday February 27^th following their presentations beginning at 1 p.m. each day respectively. Guests will have an opportunity to purchase merchandise and apparel promoting the Tuskegee Airmen legacy during the Friday and Saturday events.

Friday February 24 2012, Showplace 16 – VIP Screening of RED TAILS - Cost: $15.00-

The weekend events will begin with a VIP Screening of LUCASFILM LTD. FEATURE FILM “RED TAILS”. Veterans Memorial Hall wishes to create an opportunity for Rockford area moviegoers to meet and greet some of the Chicago area surviving Tuskegee Airmen members. The goal of this VIP screening event is to capture the glamour of Hollywood to promote the film and the legacy upon which the movie is based, while enhancing community pride, education and knowledge about black military aviation and the Tuskegee Airmen’s historic role during World War II and America’s Civil Rights struggle.

A 3:00 PM press conference with members of the Tuskegee Airmen Chicago DODO Chapter will be followed by the 3:45 showing of the movie. Seats are limited so reserve early to ensure

a seat.

Saturday February 25 2012 Veterans Memorial Hall “Meet the Tuskegee Airmen, A Living

History” Cost: $5.00 (Seniors and Students no charge)

This event will celebrate the 70th Anniversary of the Tuskegee Airmen and promote the legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen. There will be a formal presentation from 1 to 3 p.m. followed by an opportunity for autographs and to purchase memorabilia. For more information about the Tuskegee Airmen check out their website at www.tuskegeeairmen.org

A 4:30 PM press conference with members of the Montford Point Marines Association will be held at Veterans Memorial Hall following the Tuskegee Airmen program.

Sunday February 26 2012 Veterans Memorial Hall “Meet the Montford Point Marines” The First

African-American Marine Unit. Cost $5.00 (Seniors and Students no charge).

In 1942, President Roosevelt established a presidential directive giving African Americans an opportunity to be recruited into the Marine Corps. These African Americans, from all states, were not sent to the traditional boot camps of Parris Island, South Carolina and San Diego, California. Instead, African American Marines were segregated - experiencing basic training at Montford Point - a facility at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. Approximately twenty thousand (20,000) African American Marines received basic training at Montford Point between 1942 and 1949. For more information about the

Montford Point Marines check out their website at www.montfordpointmarines.com

An opportunity to recognize our best teachers

2012-01-27T12:02:00.001-08:00

Barnes and Noble is sponsoring a writing contest to speak about what makes your best teacher so good. Consider taking a few minutes to have your child write an essay, poem or thank you letter about their best teacher.

Complete details are available on the Barnes & Noble website. Lets hope for some winners from North Boone.

A message about the school breakfast program

2012-01-25T10:56:00.000-08:00

We are all trying to eat healthier these days and making the right decisions can be difficult at times. It seems like every time we turn around something is no longer good for us and something new is recommended. Well, here at North Boone School District a lot of those decisions have already been made regarding your students meals

Did you know that our breakfast and lunch items are made with whole wheat flour? Whole wheat is healthier and better for all of us. Our breakfast super donuts are fortified with vitamins and nutrients, the cereals are low sugar, and our juices 100% fruit juice.

Our pizzas have whole wheat crust as well as low fat mozzarella cheese. All of our menu items are low in sodium and fat. We do not use any excess salt in any of our cooking. All of the hamburger and hot dog rolls we use are wheat. Our milk selection is solely 1% for chocolate and white, we also offer skim to those students who would like it.

If your student qualifies for free or reduced meals then they are eligible to receive breakfast as well. We offer breakfast at Capron and Poplar Grove as well as our High School. Reduced price breakfast is $.30, and full price is only $1.50. I encourage you to have your child eat breakfast at our schools, as it is inexpensive and a very healthy way for them to start the day. It is also a great social time for the students before the start of the school day.

I know the busy days we all have and having the opportunity to have your children eat at school is one to take advantage of. You can count on nutritious and tasty meals being served and it is two less things to have to worry about. Your child needs a full stomach to reach his or her learning potential and we offer that with breakfast at school.

I have been in school food service for over 24 years and am committed to finding the best possible items for our students to give them healthy tasty meals that meet all the guidelines that we must follow. Our cooks here in North Boone really care about the students and it shows in the meals that they prepare.

Thank you,

Janice Burmeister

Food Service Director

North Boone School District 200

815-765-3322

Evening Activities Canceled

2012-01-20T11:18:00.000-08:00

Due to winter storms, ALL after school activities at North Boone will be canceled this evening, Friday, January 20, 2012.

Internet Freedoms and the current Blackout

2012-01-18T10:17:00.000-08:00

Currently, Wikipedia, the Internet Archive and other free collaborative sites on the web are under blackout in protest to the pending federal legislation regarding intellectual property rights on the Internet. As schools and our children are heavily reliant on the Internet and many of these free collaborative sites, these bills will impact schools. These two bills, SOPA and PIPA, will have a long term impact one way or another on the future of the Internet and how search engines such as Google operate. Please take time to understand these bills and provide your feedback to Congress. The senate is set to vote on 1/24/2012 on these bills.

The links below should provide a balanced overview of the issues and the legislation:
(Some links taken individually may not provide an unbiased viewpoint)
CBS News Overview of SOPA and PIPA
Google's views on SOPA and PIPA
How SOPA and PIPA can affect you
Fox News Business Report: 5 Things to Know and SOPA and PIPA

Grading Practices Survey

2012-01-17T15:48:00.000-08:00

The North Boone staff is reviewing its grading practices this year. The committee is asking for parent and community input as to our grading practices. Please feel free to take the survey at the link below prior to January 21, 2012:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/SFPDSXR

A supplement to the survey is available here.

http://www.nbcusd.org/news/20120117GradingPracticesSurveySupplement.pdf

Workshop on e Readers to be held at NBHS

2012-01-14T12:00:00.000-08:00

So what’s with these eReaders anyway?

Kindle, Nook, Kobo, Sony etc. etc. etc.

Do you have one? Are you interested in one?

If you have an interest in ereaders or you have questions, come join me at the North Boone High School Library on January 26, 2012 at 6p.m. for Reading With E’s.

This group is open to all community members of all ages. Bring your Kindle or other ereader and learn some of the tips and tricks for using your device. Share ideas with other people with similar interests. If you don’t have your own ereader yet but you’d like to learn about them and try one out, I have some you can try.

I’m excited to share with you all the different ways that my Kindle has been both useful and entertaining for me. While some of these are Kindle specific, many of them can be accomplished on other ereaders as well.

For example, on my Kindle I can:

· Receive and read news sources like the Chicago Tribune, USA Today, the Wall Street Journal, the Christian Science Monitor, the New York Times and 100’s of others for FREE every day!

· Send an article I find online to my Kindle to read later.

· Follow RSS feeds of my favorite blogs or news sources or writers.

· Search the Internet and read articles on websites without all the extra advertisements etc. getting in the way.

· Prepare and organize all my materials for a research paper.

· Read library books.

· Read any Word document or PDF document.

· Play games like scrabble or solitaire, do word searches, complete logic puzzles like Sudoku or picture puzzles.

· Use the text-to-speech feature to auto page turn my books so I can read while exercising.

· And of course, read BOOKS! (Most of which I get for free.)

Please join me! I’d love to share what I know with you and learn more about how you are using your ereader!

Questions? Please contact Deb Torrison, High School Social Studies Teacher at dtorrison @ nbcusd.org or send me a text or voicemail at my google number: 920-543-6778

Poison Control Initiative

2012-01-13T13:19:00.000-08:00

Every year, more than 60,000 young children end up in emergency rooms because they got into medicines while their parent or caregiver was not looking. The Up and Away and Out of Sight educational program was created to remind families of the importance of safe medicine storage.

To help keep children safe through proper medicine storage, Up and Away and Out of Sight educates parents and caregivers by: reminding them about safe medicine storage; providing them with information and tools to keep their child/children safe; and encouraging them to take action. To learn more about the program and its resources and tools, visit www.upandaway.org (www.upandaway.org/es in Spanish).

For more information about what you can do to prevent accidental poisoning, please visit www.poisonhelp.hrsa.gov. And remember to program the Poison Help number – 800-222-1222 - into your cell phones!

Up and Away and Out of Sight is part of the PROTECT Initiative, in partnership with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA) Educational Foundation, and the Health Resources and Services Administration, among other organizations.

After School Activities and Contests Cancelled

2012-01-12T10:53:00.000-08:00

All North Boone afterschool activities and contests will be cancelled after school today. There will be no activities buses this evening. All practices, etc. are canceled for this evening 1/12/2011 . Please drive safely.

Community Resources Open House

2012-01-10T13:12:00.000-08:00

In order to try to provide parents with better links to other community resources, the Special Education staff is hosting an open house in conjunction with other community resource providers to make sure parents are aware of these services.

School Calendar Survey Results

2012-01-09T13:12:00.001-08:00

Thanks to the 132 people who took time to complete the School Calendar Survey over the last two weeks.

Overall, 83.3% of respondents, including 77% of K-8 staff, 94.1% of NBHS staff, and 89% of non-staff prefer the semester break and winter break aligned. Nearly 60% of the NBHS staff reported that balanced semesters were important to them.

Staff generally found four early release days as the right number (69%). However, nearly half (44%) of the non-staff would prefer no early release days.

The majority of respondents (57.6%) were okay with continuing to hold school on Casmir Pulaski Day, but a small number (six) commented that they would prefer to honor Veterans Day by not holding school. Most people wanted to retain the traditional federal Monday holidays. Thirty-two percent of the people would prefer a longer year and all of the holidays to be observed.

About two-thirds (64%) of people would prefer a two year calendar to be approved by the Board.

Among the comments, there were a couple of themes. The key ones were, as mentioned above, several people thought we should not have school on Veterans Day, that Christmas break should have more days before Christmas so people can better prepare for the Holidays. Others didn’t like coming back in the middle of the week. A few thought the Thanksgiving Break was too long and would prefer to go to school longer that week. Several people commented on how parent-teacher conferences were organized. One person asked for a longer school day.

This input will be used to draft the 2012-2013 and the 2013-2014 Calendars to be presented to the Board on January 23, 2012.

Congratulations to the NB Library Staff

2012-01-05T07:05:00.000-08:00

The North Boone library staff have worked extremely hard to bring grant dollars into the district over the past two years. Nearly all of the grants received by the district have been touched by Jane Lenser or one of the library assistants. Over the break, we were notified that the Poplar Grove Elementary Library will be receiving this month's Jessica Sibert Memorial Book Award from Bound to Stay Bound Books. Poplar Grove's Linda Mulholland was selected as the winner of $500 in books for December 2011.

Congratulations again to Mrs. Mulholland and the North Boone Library Staff.

Grow America

2012-01-03T06:57:00.000-08:00

The Monsanto Grow Rural Education program awarded NBHS a $10,000 grant this fall. North Boone was only eligible because local farm families nominated us to participate. We are sincerely thankful and are hoping that the families will again nominate North Boone for the next round of grants.

The Monsanto Fund looks forward to bringing America’s Farmers Grow Rural Education to 39 states in 2012. Enrollment begins January 6. We hope you’ll encourage farmers to nominate your school district. Visit Growruraleducation.com for further information.

Thanks again to both the Monsanto Grow Rural Education Program and to our local farm families.

School Calendar Survey

2011-12-20T06:27:00.000-08:00

As we wind down the first semester and approach the first winter break that aligns with the NBHS semester break, we want to gather your input for the next school calendar. Additionally, we are considering moving to a two year calendar, meaning the district would establish calendars 18 months ahead of time instead of the current six months. We have heard that does assist some families in planning vacations and other schedules. To provide helpful input into the development of the 2012-2013 Calendar, please complete the survey linked here. Click here to take the school calendar survey.
Thanks again and have a wonderful Holiday Break.

Winter Break Reminder

2011-12-18T09:14:00.000-08:00

The last day of school will be Wednesday, Dec. 21. Then winter break will continue through the new year. School will resume on Thursday, January 5. Please enjoy a safe holiday season with your family and friends. For those of you travelling, please do so safely.

The North Boone District Office will be closed Dec. 23, 26 and 31 as well as January 2.

Puri Family Outstanding Principal Award

2011-12-14T09:13:00.000-08:00

Exceptional principals inspire outstanding teachers and create a positive learning environment essential to the culture of every successful school. This year the Golden Apple Foundation is pleased to recognize an outstanding Elementary School Principal in Winnebago or Boone County.

Nomination forms are available here. Parents, teachers and administrators are encouraged to nominate an Elementary School Principal they consider worthy of this prestigious award. Please return your completed nomination form to the Golden Apple Foundation office at Rockford College before 5:00 p.m. on Friday, January 13, 2012.

After Hours Computer Access

2011-12-11T06:49:00.000-08:00

For ELL parents and school children

Open Computer Lab with Internet access for ELL parents and their school age children

Wednesday’s from 4:00 – 7:00 pm

· December 14, 2011

· December 21, 2011

· January 11, 2012

· January 18, 2012

· January 25, 2012

WHERE: Capron Elementary School; Room 16

December MAP Testing

2011-12-09T06:51:00.000-08:00

During the next two weeks, North Boone Students in grades 2 to 8 are taking tests called Measures of Academic Progress™ (MAP). Ninth and tenth graders will not take MAP again until the spring. We give students MAP tests to determine your child’s instructional level and to measure academic growth throughout the school year, and from year to year in the areas of math and reading. Your child will take the tests on a computer.

MAP tests are unique in that they adapt to be appropriate for your child’s level of learning. As a result, each student has the same opportunity to succeed and maintain a positive attitude toward testing. And with MAP tests, we can administer shorter tests and use less class time while still receiving detailed, accurate information about your child’s growth. Over the next few days, your child will spend a total of about two hours completing these tests.

A parent toolkit for understanding MAP scores is available here. More information about North Boone's assessment processes in general is available on the district's curriculum resource page here.

Battle of the Barns Chili Cook Off - December 16, 2011

2011-12-08T09:49:00.000-08:00

The First Annual Battle of the Barns Chili Cook Off will be held at North Boone High School on December 16. WTVO sports director Scott Leber will lead the panel of celebrity chili judges.

This fundraiser will take place Friday, December 16, when the North Boone Vikings host the Harvard Hornets Boys’ Basketball Games. The chili cook off is a cooking competition between the North Boone Fire Districts, Capron Rescue District, and the Harvard Fire Protection District. This fundraiser is being sponsored by Dean Foods Harvard & Belvidere and hosted by the North Boone School District Community Involvement Committee. NBHS will begin the event with a Fire/EMS themed pep rally at 2:30 p.m. in the main gym.

Food Costs will be:

ü Chili: $3.00 per bowl

ü Ice Cream: $1.00 per scoop

ü Hot dogs, chips, and beverages available from the concession stand

ü Girls Basketball Team Bake Sale

Chili will be judged at 5:30 p.m. and a traveling trophy will be awarded during half time of the varsity boy’s game for the winning chili cook off team. Another traveling Battle of the Barns trophy will be awarded to the winning varsity team at the end of the evening as well. This is one more example of how the community is helping to support the North Boone schools and our students.

Remember Pearl Harbor and the sacrifices of a current war

2011-12-07T06:10:00.000-08:00

One of the dates that most Americans remember is Dec. 7, 1941. The day FDR referred to as one that would live in infamy. It was the date of the deadliest attack on America by a foreign power. Japan's navy attacked the US military at Pearl Harbor, HI. That attack led to our entry into World War II and saw America become a world power. However, many of the WWII veterans are slipping away from us and there are so few Pearl Harbor survivors left, that the Pearl Harbor Survivor Association will disband at the end of this year.

USS Arizona in 1940

USS Arizona burning at Pearl Harbor, 1941

Take time this holiday season to visit a veteran and thank them for their service. For the WWII Vets, we won't have many opportunities left. NBMS & UE Students focused on those currently serving when they put together about 250 holiday cards to be sent to soldiers this holiday season.

The Rockford Register Star has some nice, retrospective editorials from the Rockford Register Star for the 70th anniversary of Pearl Harbor, available here.

ISBE Announces its four priorities

2011-12-05T10:49:00.000-08:00

Late last week, the ISBE announced its four priority areas for supporting education reform in Illinois. They are:

Increasing student achievement in low performing schools
Increasing the use of (longitudinal) data
Increasing the effectiveness of teachers and administrators
Improving the use of standards and assessments

The ISBE brochure on this Focus on Four can be accessed here. One question will be how will there agenda items impact North Boone?
As North Boone's current test scores don't put it into the ISBE's low performing schools category, we don't anticipate any additional funding through that channel. We do anticipate the ISBE's increased use of data will require us to provide the state more information about our students and staff and that those reporting requirements may well require additional time and effort on the part of district staff.
The teacher effectiveness initiative will require new evaluation procedures for most administrators beginning in the fall of 2012 and the fall of 2016 for all teachers. These new evaluations will need to consider student achievement as a significant factor in the evaluation process, but the current draft rules from the ISBE won't allow the schools to use ISAT or PSAE data even though the ISBE will continue to rate schools based on those tests. The potential impact of these new evaluation processes can't really be forecasted yet.
The ISBE will also focus on implementing Common Core based standards and new versions of state tests based upon those standards in 2015. The Common Core standards should help increase achievement by demanding more in the lower levels, so as to better prepare high school students for a rigorous curriculum that will prepare them for college or other post-high school training options.

Athletics "Dead Week" for the Summer of 2012

2011-12-05T07:12:00.000-08:00

In order to ensure that all of our families have the opportunity to have at least some time this summer without the requirement to drop student athletes off at practice, etc. The Athletic Department is instituting a "dead week" as allowed by the IHSA from from June 30^th through July 6^th. This means no contact days, conditioning days, games or tournaments will be held during that week. Hopefully having that information this far in advance will allow families to make summer plans.

NBHS Principal Selection Survey

2011-11-29T14:08:00.000-08:00

As Mrs. Troller is in the final stretch of her 34 year career at North Boone, we need to begin the transition planning for a new NBHS principal for the fall. The first step is to gather information from students, parents, staff and other community stakeholders about what they feel are the important characteristics and experiences the next principal should have. We also want to know what those groups perceive are the most significant challenges that will be facing the new NBHS principal. To that end, the district has developed a survey to assist in gathering that input Click here to take the NBHS principal selection survey. This survey will be available until Dec. 15. After that, the survey results will be used to assist in designing the final questions for the online application which will be available approximately December 20.
The application process will remain open until January 15, 2012. The initial screening of candidates will take place in mid-January. During the last week of January, the semi-finalists will interview with staff, students and parents. The final round of interviews should take place in mid-February with a recommendation planned to be made at the February 27, 2012 Board of Education meeting.

Parents or staff interested in being involved in the interview process should contact Dr. Baule. NBHS students should contact Mrs. Troller. Thank you in advance for your input in this important matter.

Political Advertisements from the Past

2011-11-28T09:45:00.000-08:00

As the primary season nears, we felt that students and parents alike might want to take a look at the presidential commericals of past elections. The website Living Room Candidate has commericals and political ads beginning with the 1952 Campaign.
North Boone Schools don't endorse any candidate, but we do encourage everyone to become informed about the issues in each election and urge all citizens to participate in the electoral process.

Thanksgiving Break

2011-11-21T10:52:00.000-08:00

During Thanksgiving break, if parents or students are looking for a productive way to spend some of their time, we might suggest some of the educational games and sites listed on the North Boone Curriculum Resource page http://www.nbcusd.org/curriculum.shtml.

Happy Thanksgiving to all of the North Boone Community.

Board of Education and the NBEA reach a tentative agreement

2011-11-17T20:08:00.001-08:00

The North Boone Board of Education and The North Boone Education Association have come to a tentative agreement for a new contract for the 2011-2012 and 2012-2013 school years. The negotiating teams have worked to come to an agreement since March 2011. Since August the teams have worked with a federal mediator to help reach an agreement.

According to Board of Education President Don Ward, “The District is successfully managing its finances and its priorities during difficult economic times. One of the challenges in negotiating this contract was to balance prudent fiscal management against the strategic goal of attracting and retaining outstanding educators. We remain strongly supportive of our excellent teaching staff.”

The NBEA and the Board of Education will vote on ratification of the agreement in the next few weeks. The details of the agreement will be published on the district’s website after ratification by both parties.

Don Ward                                                     Emily Gregory
President                                                       President
North Boone Board of Education                  North Boone Education Association

Poplar Grove Team comes in 2nd at Chamber Chili Contest

2011-11-16T11:59:00.000-08:00

Last night, the Belvidere Area Chamber of Commerce hosted its annual Chili Contest. Dr. Sharon Olds lead a Poplar Grove School team to second place in the event. Mrs. Becky Giesecke, Mrs. Sandy Kleckler, Ms. Krystal Kneip, Mrs. Sarah Mariani, and Mr. Andy Nicky were the other members of the second place team. Mr. Don Ward, Board of Education president was one of the judges. Alpine Bank's team captured the first place honors.

Mrs. Roen is the WZOK teacher of the week

2011-11-14T10:09:00.000-08:00

Renee Roen, 5th grade teacher at North Boone Upper Elementary was surprised with flowers and that she had been picked as the WZOK Teacher of the Week for the week of November 7. Congratulations to a most deserving and inspirational teacher.

Nov. 16 is the next Evening Computer Lab Access at Capron

2011-11-13T07:15:00.000-08:00

Mr. Klett, who is the district's ESL Coordinator as well as the Capron principal, has begun to open the Capron computer lab on some Wednesday evenings from 4 to 7 p.m. for parents who don't have computer access at home. A translator is also available for parents who speak Spanish. The lab will be open the following evenings through the end of the year.

November 16, 2011

December 7, 2011

December 14, 2011

Additional dates will be added for the spring semester if this trial period is a success.

School Board Member Appreciation Day

2011-11-12T08:08:00.000-08:00

November 15, 2011, has been designated as School Board Members Day in Illinois. This is a

time to show appreciation and to begin to better understand how school board members

work together to provide leadership for schools.

When it comes to selfless giving, our volunteer school board members deserve thanks from everyone in the

community. They are the only unpaid elected officials in Illinois. They come from many facets of life, but all have one thing in common: an extraordinary dedication to our public schools.

And it’s time we thanked them for their untiring efforts.

Everyone knows that board members attend meetings, but those hours represent just a fraction

of the actual time that they devote to leading their districts. They attend extracurricular

events to support their schools. They also attend seminars to learn how to be better

board members. And often they are involved in other community activities, representing

themselves, their community and their district.

More than any other public servant, school board members must listen to the voices of their

community and then craft a vision, mission and goals for their district to accurately reflect

those voices in the design. They must guard two of the community’s most precious resources

— their children and their tax dollars — while they create the best educational environment

possible with the money available.

Too often communities are quick to criticize school board members without really knowing

all the details that went into their decisions. As a result, the efforts of school board members

often go unrecognized and unrewarded.

Help us join with others from throughout Illinois to say “thank you” to the men and women

who provide the grassroots governance for public schools. Make a special effort to tell each

school board member his or her hard work has been noticed and is very much appreciated.

Health Alert

2011-11-11T09:40:00.000-08:00

The Boone County Health Department wants to alert people in our community that there has been an increase in the Rockford Area of a viral infection of the cornea and conjunctiva called EKC , presenting like “pink eye” but is viral in nature. We are asking you to be aware, and on the look-out for, this very contagious infection which present s with the red, watery, irritated eyes, drainage, swelling of the eyelids and high sensitivity to light. This is a highly contagious viral infection which needs to be differentiated from normal “pink eye” by a physician or ophthalmologist/optician. As a precaution, family members should not share towels/wash clothes and they should be washed in hot water. All surfaces which have been touched with infected drainage need to be thoroughly cleaned. Frequent hand washing and use of hand sanitizers is highly recommended. All people should refrain from touching their eyes or face. Those diagnosed with EKC will not be cleared to return to school until cleared by their doctor.

Veterans Day is Friday

2011-11-08T06:08:00.000-08:00

Please take time to thank a veteran for their sacrifice on Veteran's Day. Veterans Day was originally instituted to honor the veterans of World War One and is set to November 11 as that was the day of the armistice that ended the fighting in WWI. The official beginning of the armistice was at 11:00 a.m. on 11/11/1918.

An Act approved May 13, 1938, made the 11th of November in each year a federal legal holiday—a day to be dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be thereafter celebrated and known as "Armistice Day." Armistice Day was primarily a day set aside to honor veterans of World War I, but in 1954, after World War II had required the greatest mobilization of soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen in the Nation’s history; after American forces had fought aggression in Korea, the 83rd Congress, at the urging of the veterans service organizations, amended the Act of 1938 by striking out the word "Armistice" and inserting in its place the word "Veterans." With the approval of this legislation on June 1, 1954, November 11th became a day to honor American veterans of all wars.

Congratulations to the NBMS Chess Team

2011-11-07T12:45:00.000-08:00

The NBMS Chess team participated with in the RESA Team Tournament on November 5. Jarod Godsby received a medal for being unbeaten and untied. Tyler Nieves tied for 2nd Place in the Individual Section. Both the Green and White Teams went 3 to 1 in their team competitions. Guenther Wohlfarth is a former North Boone teacher and the volunteer chess coach.
Congratulations to Mr. Wohlfarth and the team members.

Making it easier to report bullying

2011-11-03T12:08:00.000-07:00

North Boone has created an online method for students and parents to report bullying or other safety concerns to the schools. At the bottom of each district web page, there is now a link to report bullying or other student safety concerns. These reports will go to the student services team for investigation and follow up. Reports can also be made to bullying @ nbcusd.org.
Let's continue to work to make NBCUSD 200 a safe environment for all.

Mrs. Keppel is WZOK's Teacher of the Week

2011-11-01T09:07:00.000-07:00

Poplar Grove First Grade Teacher Lindsey Keppel was surprised in her classroom today by WZOK staff who recognized her as WZOK's Teacher of the Week! She was given a bouquet of flowers and the entire Poplar Grove staff was rewarded with bagels and coffee from Panera. Thanks to WZOK for recognizing a wonderful North Boone teacher and congratulations to Mrs. Keppel on the honor.

Happy Halloween

2011-10-30T19:35:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween to all. Please take an extra minute to remind your children about safety while trick or treeting this evening. Poplar Grove's trick or treat hours are 4:30 to 7:00 p.m. Capron's hours are 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.

School Report Cards are Available

2011-10-30T12:09:00.000-07:00

The 2011 School Report Cards are now posted on the North Boone CUSD website as well as being available on the state websites.
Overall, the North Boone reading scores went down slightly, but in fact they went up at Manchester, Poplar Grove and NBMS. NBHS and Capron reading scores dropped.
Math scores are up in the district. NBHS showed significant growth in math last year.

ACT score results for the Class of 2011 some improvement over the Class of 2010. A total of 119 students took the exam and the overall composite score average was 20.7, which is up from 20.2 in 2010. The standard deviation for the ACT score is 0.3, so we are doing about as well as the state average, which was 20.9 for the Class of 2011.

Additional information is also available from the Interactive Report Card Site. This shows more trend data, etc. from the district over time.

ELL Parent Meeting

2011-10-29T06:24:00.000-07:00

North Boone will hold a special meeting for the parents of ELL students on Tuesday, November 1 at 6:00 pm at Capron Elementary School. At this meeting we will share resources that may be valuable for parents of ELL students and make sure they are all aware of how to navigate our website and use PowerSchool to check on the progress of their child’s education.

We are also making more documents available in Spanish for parents. That section of the website,

Para los padres will be expanded as time and resources allow. Look for the Para loa padres tag on the For Familes section of the website.

North Boone llevará a cabo una reunión especial para los padres de los estudiantes ELL en Martes, 01 de noviembre a las 6:00 pm en la Escuela Primaria Capron. En esta reunión vamos a compartir los recursos que pueden ser útiles para los padres de los estudiantes de ELL y asegurarse de que todos somos conscientes de cómo navegar en nuestro sitio web y PowerSchool utilizar para comprobar el progreso de la educación de sus hijos.

También estamos haciendo un mayor número de documentos en español para los padres. Esa sección del sitio web, Para Los Padres se ampliará con el tiempo y los recursos lo permitan. Busque la etiqueta Para loa padres en la sección Para Apuntate del sitio web.

Disability Awareness

2011-10-27T12:52:00.000-07:00

NBHS recently participated in a Disability Awareness presentation on October 27 featuring Stevie Hopkins as the key speaker.

Stevie Hopkins is the Director of Awesomeness at 3E Love, the disability awareness clothing line and marketing company that he co-founded along with his sister Annie, shortly before her untimely death. When Annie created the powerful symbol, that later became the tattoo on her shoulder, little did they know it would become a phenomenon and recognized worldwide as the international symbol of acceptance. Stevie is an entrepreneur who holds two degrees from the University of Illinois. He also happens to use a wheelchair due to Spinal Muscular Atrophy which is the inspiration and driving force behind his social acceptance campaign which he says, “starts with something very basic…I love who I am, and it’s okay to talk to me and get to know me. I may be different but I have something to offer this world.” Stevie's mission is to teach people the 3 E’s, to embrace living life no matter the obstacles and by doing so, educate society and empower those with disabilities to love life.
It is important for our students to learn to live with diversity in all shapes and forms and this presentation and similar presentations at other school levels occur throughout the school year.

RAMP, which is a multi-county not for profit organization which assists people with disabilities, has helped to organize many of these events and speakers. They helped over 914 individuals last year, many from within the North Boone community.

Student Attendance

2011-10-26T11:39:00.000-07:00

As the cold and flu season approaches, it is important to review the guidelines provided by Barb Sager, RN, BSN and available on the district's website here. If students do have to stay home, please make sure you remember to call in and notify the school of their absence.

NBHS Graduate wins Legal Writing Award

2011-10-24T12:00:00.000-07:00

Dylan Grady, NBHS Class of 2005, won the Education Law Association's George Jay Joseph Legal Writing Award for his article titled "Charter School Revocation: A Method For Efficiency, Accountability and Success."

Grady will have the opportunity to present his paper at the ELA's annual conference in November (10-12), and then his article will be published in the Journal of Law & Education.

Congratulations to Dylan on his accomplishments. North Boone is proud of him.

Athletic Department Recognized Mrs. Troller's Service

2011-10-24T06:00:00.000-07:00

Mrs. Troller, Allan Johnson - Booster Volunteer, Dale Purvis - Athletic Director

Prior to the varsity game on Friday evening, the Athletic Department presented NBHS principal, Chris Troller, with a plaque recognizing her more than 30 years of service to North Boone's athletic programs. Although the team wasn't able to overcome the opponents, the North Boone fans showed a great deal of school spirit. Below are the green meanies and some of the NB fans.

Final Home Football Game for 2011

2011-10-21T06:32:00.000-07:00

Tonight is the final home football game for the Vikings this year. They are currently 4-4 and are hoping to win their final game. The game will also be senior night. Please join us for a celebration of School Spirit.
The Boosters are still selling tickets for the Fill Your Freezer Meat Raffle. Tickets are $5 each or 5 for $20. Tickets are available at NBHS, the district office or from members of the Booster Club. Tickets will also be available at the Oct 21 game. The drawing will take place during the NBHS varsity game on 10/21.

Congratulations to North Boone Junior Tackle

2011-10-17T13:08:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to the NBJT 8th grade team that went undefeated in their regular season. They won the conference championship for the second time ever with a 52-6 victory over Rockford Christian. They unfortunately lost the bowl game against Roscoe this past Saturday 10/15.
Congratulations again to the Conference Champion Junior Vikes!

Principal Appreciation Week

2011-10-15T13:16:00.000-07:00

Governor Quinn has designated October 16 to 22 as Principal Appreciation Week. October 21 has been designated Principal Appreciation Day. North Boone is lucky to have an extremely hard working team of principals who work hard of behalf of students and their families each day. Please take a moment or two during the next week to let your principals know that you appreciate their hard work on the behalf of the children and families of North Boone.

Here is a link to the governor's proclamation.

Governor's Classroom First Commission

2011-10-14T08:00:00.000-07:00

As a follow up to Gov. Quinn's plan to significantly reduce the number of school districts in the state last spring, the Classroom First Commission was set up to look at ways to consolidate district services, etc. in order to reduce the cost of educating children in Illinois.

HB 1216 creates a commission charged with recommending ways Illinois school districts can improve student learning opportunities and reduce duplicative administration costs.

The commission has already met once and will meet for the next time on October 21. The committee is asking for input. The committee's website is here. They currently have an online survey available for submitting comments as well here.

Booster's Fill Your Freezer Meat Raffle

2011-10-13T13:00:00.000-07:00

Tickets are $5 each or 5 for $20. Tickets are available at NBHS, the district office or from members of the Booster Club. Tickets will also be available at the Oct 21 game. The drawing will take place during the NBHS varsity game on 10/21.

Mrs. Boyce selling raffle tickets at the 10/7 game

Recognition for Good Grades

2011-10-12T09:10:00.000-07:00

As report cards will be going out shortly, we need to remember how important it is to provide recognition and reinforcement to children for earning good grades. In many venues, North Boone students win accolades and receive recognition. However, our purpose is primarily to ensure strong academic achievement.
Donna Shutlz of Blackhawk Bank has asked the district to help publicize their academic recognition program, the A Team Scholarships. Donna is on the Board of Directors of the North Boone Education Foundation and is a NBHS graduate.
Students need not be customers of the bank or open any account to participate. The school with the most student entries wins $500 and students are entered into a drawing for a $1000 scholarship for each A that they earn on their report card. We would love to see a North Boone student win this scholarship this year.
Here is a link to a flier about the program.

Fall Traffic Safety

2011-10-11T08:24:00.000-07:00

Please remember with the harvest season upon us, that it is important to be on the look out for farm vehicles at all times of day and night. This past weekend saw several farm vehicle v. car accidents and even one serious accident is too many. Please take care to drive carefully and if you have teen drivers, please remind them to take extra care in driving during the fall.

Viking Spirit

2011-10-09T16:10:00.000-07:00

A photographer caught up with the North Boone varisty cheerleaders and the Viking mascot
at the October 7, 2011 game.

Butch Peters - Bus Driver

2011-10-04T17:34:00.000-07:00

As some of you may be aware, Mr. Butch Peters, a long time North Boone bus driver recently had surgery. He is recovering well, but misses the children. We are certain that he would appreciate get well cards. If cards are sent to the district office, we will see that they are regularly delivered to Mr. Peters.
Address Cards to:

Butch Peters

c/o NBCUSD 200

6248 N. Boone School Road

Poplar Grove, IL 61065

The Belvidere Walmart Awards $1000 to Capron Teachers for School Supplies

2011-10-03T05:40:00.000-07:00

Monte Hays, the manager of the Belvidere Walmart and HR Director Kathy Kastrzycki, were on hand at the Capron Month Reward Assembly to give out $1000 in Walmart Gift Certificates to Capron Teachers in order to help them purchase school supplies for the 2011-2012 School Year. North Boone would like to publicly say thank you to Walmart for its support of the community and particularly our schools.

Walmart Presents giftbags to ten Capron Teachers

According to Hays, "Walmart appreciates the impact teachers continue to make in our community. We know our educators contribute not only their time, but also their money to ensure our students have a successful school year. The Teacher Rewards program is our way of saying thank you."

October 3 is National Child Health Day

2011-09-28T11:05:00.000-07:00

On the first Monday of October, maternal and child health professionals across America remind us that nothing is more important the health of our children. On this 83rd annual celebration of Child Health Day, HRSA reminds you of maternal and child health programs that help children lead healthy lives everyday.
More information is available at the US Health and Human Services website on Child Health Day.
Click here to access their website.

North Boone Dancer performing on October 8

2011-09-28T06:43:00.000-07:00

Maxey

Sara Maxey, a NBHS member of the Class of 2012 is an associate of the Rockford Dance Company will be dancing and presenting her own choreography at The Young Choreographer’s Concert on October 8th at 8:00 P.M. Tickets are $10.00 and available at 815-963-3341.

Sara chose 2011 NBHS graduate Natalie Abel’s painting to inspire her solo “City Lights” since the theme for this year’s show is “Art in Motion”.

Celebrate the Freedom to Reading During - Banned Books Week

2011-09-23T09:00:00.000-07:00

The 30^th annual “Banned Books Week” is September 24 through October 1. This special week celebrates our freedom to read and access information while bringing attention to the harm of censorship. The library plays an important role in ensuring the availability of materials on a variety of viewpoints for those who wish to read and access them. Parents have the right and responsibility to guide their own children’s reading and should respect the right of others to do the same. In doing so, tolerance and respect for differing opinions is demonstrated.

Please take time this week to celebrate our freedom to read and explore diverse opinions by reading with your child.

Golden Apple Nomination Time

2011-09-22T08:54:00.000-07:00

It is that time of year, the Apple Orchard is open, fall is upon us and the Golden Apple nominations open up today. Please take time to support this worthy program and nominate that special teacher that made a difference in kindergarten through fifth grade. Nomination forms are available in all of the elementary schools, but they can also be made online at: http://www.goldenappleofrockford.com/goldenapple_nominationform.asp.
Thanks in advance for your support of the excellent teachers on North Boone's staff.

Bus Stop Child Abduction Alert

2011-09-21T00:01:00.000-07:00

A rash of attempted child abductions at school bus stops across the country reminds us of the importance to reinforce the “stranger danger” message to our students.

One of the first rules of school bus safety is for kids to stay away from strangers.

In our presentations to grade schools across Illinois, Toby Tire reminds students to stay away from strangers. Moreover, if a stranger bothers a child while the student is waiting for the school bus, the child should report the incident immediately to the school bus driver once the bus arrives.

School bus drivers should be trained to immediately report any such incidents to their school, transportation director or law enforcement.

With your youngest students who may not yet understand what a stranger is, here’s an easy way for them to remember:

A stranger is a grown-up whose name you don’t know.

Reminder of the 2012 Budget Hearing on 9/26

2011-09-20T07:15:00.000-07:00

The Board is set to approve the 2011-2012 School District Budget at its September 26, 2011 meeting at 6248 N. Boone School Rd in Poplar Grove. The Board will hold a public hearing at 6:30 p.m. on 9/26. The 2012 budget is tentatively set at $18,116,343. The revenues are anticipated at $17,128,925. Assuming accurate projections the actual deficit in all fund would be $987,418. The operating fund deficit is projected to be $343,585. The complete tentative budget is available here.

The budget is based upon the following revenue assumptions: (A complete list of assumptions is included in the Board packet for the 9/26 meeting which is available on the NBCUSD website.)
Local Sources:

· Property Taxes: ½ of the 2010 Tax Levy (Sept); ½ of 2011 Tax Levy (June)

· CPPRT (Corp. Pers. Property Replacement Taxes): Based upon three year avg. – Portion placed in Education Fund ($75k); Oper & Maint. Fund ($5k); IMRF/Soc. Sec. Fund ($30k)

· Interest income: Based upon the prior year actual

· Lunch Revenue: Based upon the prior year actual ($294.5k)

· Athletic Admission & Fees: Based upon the prior year actual ($75.2k)

· Registration Fees: Based upon 75% of fees for estimated students (HS-500; MS-225; K-6-925)

· Impact Fees: Based upon actual receipt from Village of Poplar Grove ($25.6k) – building permits granted thru 2010

State Sources:

· General State Aid: Prior year $5,143,814 x 96%, less additional proration by state = $4,766,728; Allocated: $4,491,728 in Education Fund; $200,000 to Oper. & Maint. Fund; $75,000 to Trans. Fund

· Special Education Categorical: Receipt of the remaining FY11 voucher payments plus receipt of two payments of FY12 funding at the level of 90% of FY11 funding

· CEANCI (Vocational): Based upon 50% of the prior year receipts

· Bilingual funding: Based upon receipt of FY11 grant receipts only

· Free/Reduced Lunch/Breakfast: Based upon prior year payments with some additional funding for breakfast program ($12k)

· Drivers Education: Based upon prior year payments

· Early Childhood Funding: Receipt of remaining FY11 voucher payments (5), plus receipt of four (4) payments in FY12 based upon 90% of the FY11 funding

· Per Capita Library Grant: Based upon prior year

· Transportation: Receipt of remaining FY11 payments, plus two payments of the anticipated FY12 claim at 60% reimbursement.

Federal Sources:

· No additional ARRA funding: Only receipt is from prior year grant remainder. ($96k)

· Federal Free/Reduced Lunch: Based upon prior year actual, plus the addition of a second required school for breakfast ($256k)

· Title 1: Based upon FY12 original allocation ($158k)

· Special Education IDEA: Based upon FY12 original allocation – Flow Thru ($300.7k); Pre-School ($9.8k)

· Title 3 Bilingual: Based upon prior year allocation ($26.6k)

· Medicaid: Based upon prior year ($10k)

· Title 2: Based upon FY12 original allocation ($55k)

MAP Testing

2011-09-16T07:03:00.000-07:00

During the next two weeks, North Boone Students in grades 2 to 10 will take tests called Measures of Academic Progress™ (MAP). We give students MAP tests to determine your child’s instructional level and to measure academic growth throughout the school year, and from year to year in the areas of math and reading. Your child will take the tests on a computer.

Students in grades two through eight will take the tests three times this year, in September, in December and again in early May. Ninth and tenth graders will take them at least twice. Following each testing period, you will receive a report showing your child’s growth. You should realize that many students haven’t taken computer based tests, so sometimes it takes students a while to become comfortable in this format.

Beginning with this fall's iteration of the test, the reports parent's recieve will analyize the level of growth each child made since last fall's testing.

A parent toolkit for understanding MAP scores is available here. More information about North Boone's assessment processes in general is available on the district's curriculum resource page here.

Patriots Day

2011-09-11T00:01:00.000-07:00

Thank you to all of those soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, police officers, firefighters and EMTs who have served to keep our country safe and protect us from harm. On days like today, it is important to stop and say thank you to those who have served or still serve today. Our country would not be what it is today without the sacrifices and efforts of those who stood for us on the field of battle or fought at sea. Similarly we are thankful to those who devote their lives making our communities safe and those who answer calls for help in the dead of the night in all types of weather. The North Boone Schools would urge you to take a minute to say thank you to all of those hometown heroes and troops in uniform. Write a soldier a letter or say thank you to the local volunteer firefighters. We greatly appreciate your efforts in keeping us safe from all types of threats and dangers.
We wish you a quiet and safe day.

Homecoming Parade, etc.

2011-09-09T11:42:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Homecoming Queen Kayla Glickenberger and King Icle Freeland and all of the court. Mrs. Troller was the parade marshall. Additional photos are on the North Boone Facebook Page. http://www.facebook.com/pages/North-Boone-CUSD-200/136830059709207

Registration Process

2011-09-08T10:06:00.000-07:00

Now that school has started and homecoming week at NBHS is nearly complete, it seems a reasonable time to look back and review how the centralized registration process went this year. I would encourage parents to take a few minutes to give us some feedback as to how the registration process went from the parent perspective. As a staff, we will also be looking at what we can do to improve the process for next year.
A short survey will be available until October 1 for parents to complete. Click here to take the survey.
Thanks again for your interest and support of the North Boone schools.
Sincerely,
Steve Baule

Tractor Day at NBHS

2011-09-07T17:59:00.000-07:00

A picture of the NBHS Parking Lot today

Homecoming Parade Information

2011-09-07T10:59:00.000-07:00

Parade Route Information Parade starts at 5:00 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 8th.

Capron:

•The parade will go South on 3rd St. Right on Main St
•Travel West on Main St. 3 blocks
•Turn North (right) on 6th St. (At Blackhawk Bank)
•Busses will pick students up at Methodist Church
Kids will get off floats and reload busses. The floats and cars can continue on in order to Poplar Grove. We will take Centerville Rd. past Edwards Orchard to Poplar Grove Road.

Poplar Grove:

•The parade will line up on Main St. (1 block West of Arturo’s)
•Parade will go North at Hill Street and end at the North Boone Fire Station.
•Kids will be loaded on busses at the fire station.

Notes

•All students must ride a bus. Kids can NOT drive to the parade
•Drivers of cars MUST be approved adults, kids can NOT drive!
•Nobody is allowed to ride the floats between towns and school!
•After the parade, floats can be parked in area west of the football field. They must enter from North Boone School Road.

NBHS Graduation Dates

2011-09-06T10:50:00.000-07:00

For clarification, the NBHS graduation dates are

Please put in your newsletter - High School Baccalaureate Date is May 21, 2012

High School Graduation Date is May 22, 2012

The calendar that was sent home by the some elementary schools had the wrong high school graduation date on it. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Kids Clothing Exchange at Candlewick

2011-09-06T06:33:00.000-07:00

As the school year starts, many of us realize that our children have grown out of many of their clothes. In order to assist all of us in keeping our kids clothed, Candlewick organizes a Kids Clothing Exchange. This year it will be held on Saturday, September 17 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. This event is open to the public and information regarding the specifics of the exchange are available here.

This week is Homecoming Week at NBHS

2011-09-02T13:18:00.000-07:00

Don't forget to take part in the NBHS Homecoming Festivities this week. The homecoming parade will start in Capron on Thursday September 8 at 5:00 p.m. Friday will include an evening of football with the varsity game against Rockford Lutheran at 7:00 p.m.

NBHS Band to participate Rockford Labor Day Parade

2011-09-02T09:00:00.000-07:00

While you are out relaxing over Labor Day weekend, don't forget to go to the Rockford Labor Day Parade and watch the NBHS Band. They will be marching for the 2nd straight year in the parade.

The parade kicks off at 10:00 a..m. in Rockford at 7th Street & Railroad. From there, it will go north on 7th St. to East State St., west on State St. to Wyman St. , north on Wyman St. to Mulberry St., west on Mulberry St. to N. Main St. and north to Beattie Park. Street closures around that area will begin to close at 9:00 a.m. in preparation for the parade.

First Home NBHS Football Game is Friday

2011-08-31T13:26:00.000-07:00

Please join the NBHS football team on Friday as the play their first home game against Rock Falls. The Vikes are currently 1-0 after a great victory over Clinton last week. Come and root on the Vikes. Season athletic passes will be available for sale at $50 for adults and $30 for seniors and students. It is a great deal if you are a regular attendee at NBHS and NBMS games.
The new season's NB Spirit Wear will also be available for sale by the Boosters.

Congratulations to Joey Naqvi

2011-08-24T13:48:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Joey Naqvi. He graduated from North Boone's Alternative School program on August 12, 2011. He is pictured here with Mrs. Troller and Mr. Hubert. He is planning to obtain a career in the trades.

Thanks to the North Boone Education Foundation

2011-08-24T07:04:00.000-07:00

North Boone CUSD 200 would like to thank the North Boone Education Foundation for its continued support of the district and its students. The Foundation is an organization devoted to supporting our schools. In the current economic climate, it is even more important for the district to get this type of support from the Community.

This week, the Foundation announced $3515.00 in grants to North Boone teachers to support innovative educational programming.

NBHS Deb Torrison ~ AVPen for White Boards	$750
NBHS : Bartel, Miller & Augustine ~RVC field trip support	$145
District: Jane Lenser ~ summer reading support	$500
Poplar Grove: Sandy Kleckler ~ Fitness Skillastics Game	$240
District: Melany Stacionis ~ Speech/Autism Resources	$200
NBMS Linnea Lerch ~ Novel Sets	$380
NBHS Nick Augustine ~Camp Winnebago Team Building Field Trip	$600
Poplar Grove Jill Grove ~ Microphones for fluency	$250
District Holly Parod ~ Peer Buddies & Mentors program	$450
Total	$3515.00

The Foundation received over $14,000 in requests for materials and programming this spring. Congratulations to the grant recipients. Thanks again to the Foundation for its support. The summer reading support was used this summer. The other grant materials will be used during the 2011-2012 School Year.

Donations to the North Boone Education Foundation can be sent to:

North Boone Education Foundation
c/o Poplar Grove State Bank109 N. State St.
PO Box 280
Poplar Grove, IL 61065-0280

Ronald McDonald Care Mobile

2011-08-22T08:06:00.000-07:00

It seems that many of our families may be able to take advantage of this service.

The Ronald McDonald Care Mobile

is coming in September!

The Care Mobile provides free basic medical and dental care to uninsured or underinsured children ages 0 to 18 who need care.

-September 12, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. DENTAL DAY

Capron Elementary School, 200 N Wooster, Capron

-September 13, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. DENTAL DAY

-September 15, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. MEDICAL DAY

North Boone Upper Elementary, 6200 N Boone School Rd, Poplar Grove

Medical and dental visits will be available by appointment.

This is a FREE and CONFIDENTIAL service.

Some of the services provided are immunizations, physicals, well-child exams, dental screenings, cleanings, fluoride treatments and basic dental restorative work.

For more information about the Care Mobile, call (815)971-5810.

To schedule an appointment call the District School Nurse at

815-765-3311 ext 5007.

NBMS & UE Announcements

2011-08-19T14:12:00.000-07:00

Thanks to the wizards in the IT department, the NBMS & UE announcements will be available on the web starting Monday. They can be reached by selecting ANNOUNCEMENTS from the NBMS/UE homepage. Again, welcome back and thanks for a good first week of school.

Breakfast begins Monday August 22 at Capron and Poplar Grove

2011-08-19T06:10:00.000-07:00

As a reminder, Breakfast will be available for children at Capron and Poplar Grove Schools beginning Monday, August 22. The breakfast menu is available on the Food Service Page of the website here.

Due to the increasing percentage of students eligible for free and reduced lunch at those schools, the federal government requires that we offer breakfast programs at these schools. Capron's breakfast program began last January. The expansion of the program to Poplar Grove is new for this year. Breakfast is also available at NBHS for students prior to the beginning of the school day.

Green & White Night

2011-08-18T12:40:00.000-07:00

Remember that Green & White Night is August 19. Activities begin at 5:45 p.m. at the central campus. This is a great opportunity to see our North Boone athletes prior to the start of their seasons. You will also be able to purchase season tickets and North Boone spirit wear that night. The North Boone Booster Club will be serving meals throughout the night.

2011 Green & White Night Schedule

Friday August 19th

5:45 Freshman Volleyball Scrimmage

6:05 Sophomore Volleyball Scrimmage

6:25 Varsity Volleyball Scrimmage followed by parent meeting

7:00 Jr. Vikes Scrimmage

7:15 F/S Football Scrimmage

7:45 Varsity Football Scrimmage followed by parent meeting

*We will introduce the golf, cross country, and cheerleaders in between the sophomore and varsity scrimmages.

Poplar Grove's New Playground

2011-08-12T12:24:00.000-07:00

Thanks to everyone who provided monetary financing for the project including the PTO, the North Boone Education Foundation, North Boone School District, Arturo’s and the North Boone Family Restaurant! The playground was installed last weekend and today 160 yards of mulch were spread today by staff, parents, and high school students. A special shout out to Tom Shattuck for his time and expertise!!

I wanted to commend the following high school students for their service to the Poplar Grove School Community. They are excellent workers and were a great help to us in our playground project:

Areli Lopez, Cheyenne Williams, Nick Fioretto, Amanda Huffar, Emily Foster, Danielle Yattone, and Emily Osterberg all worked over the weekend for 10 hours assembling and installing playground equipment. Dan and Tim Richert worked 3 hours shoveling and spreading 160 yards of mulch.

These students all demonstrated skills in working as a team, and I was very impressed.

Sharon Olds

Boone County Fair

2011-08-11T07:05:00.000-07:00

Hopefully everyone has the opportunity this week to take part in one or more of the Boone County Fair activities. Last night, the North Boone High School Band participated in the Fair's Battle of the High School Bands. This was a new activity this year and we need to thank the Fair Board for adding this to their agenda. The NBHS Band was able to bring home more than $1500 in prize money for North Boone programs. Please let the Fair Board know you appreciate its support of the local high schools.
North Boone is also represented by Kelly Boyce, Miss Boone County Fair 2011, a NBHS alum from the Class of 2010. She is currently attending Illinois State University.
Enjoy the rest of fair week.

Low Cost Internet Access

2011-08-08T11:17:00.000-07:00

We have been contacted by Comcast and asked to share that parents of children on free or reduced lunch status may be eligible to get $10/month Internet access through a new Comcast program called Internet Essentials http://www.internetessentials.com. This low cost program could have a positive impact in North Boone, as about 12% of our families didn't have a computer at all and not everyone with a computer did have Internet access when we did a home technology survey last fall. That was why we tried to make some of our retired computers available to low income families this year at registration.
Normally, I would not mention a commercial venture, but this program could make accessing district information and curriculum materials easier for parents and students alike.

Open House Hours Set

2011-08-04T21:00:00.000-07:00

The North Boone Schools have set the following times for start of the year Open House Activities. School begins for all students on August 17.

Monday, August 15, 2011

Capron Elementary Orientation: 5:30-6:30 PM

Manchester Elementary Open House: 4:00-5:30 PM

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

NBHS Open House: 5:00-7:00 PM

NBHS Edmodo Presentation: 6:00-6:30 PM

NBMS & UE Open House: 5:00-6:30 PM

Poplar Grove Elementary Open House: 4:30-6:00 PM

Poplar Grove Ice Cream Social: 5:00-6:00 PM

Registration Reminder

2011-08-02T16:41:00.000-07:00

Registration for the 2011-2012 School Year will be held at North Boone High School for all North Boone Students on August 4, 2011. Hours will run from 1:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. . Families registering after those dates will be assessed a late penalty. Thanks to everyone who registered on July 27.

All of the necessary forms for registration are available on the district website, www.nbcusd.org. All families will need to provide proof of residency prior to registering. The district understands that this can appear to be burdensome, but it is important to ensure North Boone funds are being used to support North Boone students.

If possible, to save you time and reduce wait time, please print the appropriate registration forms out ahead of time and fill them out, to save you time on August 4. It is not necessary for your children to come to registration. You will also be able to purchase season athletic passes for students directly at registration. The NBHS Booster Club will also be selling North Boone Spirit Wear at registration.

Website Search

2011-07-28T11:28:00.000-07:00

Some of you may have noticed the district's new website. As of today, there is now a search feature to allow you to search the North Boone websites and blog. You may assess it via the SEARCH term in the header of most pages or at www.nbcusd.org/search.shtml.

Sales people are not connected to NBCUSD 200

2011-07-27T15:31:00.000-07:00

At registration today, we were informed that some people are going door to door trying to sell books and software and are representing themselves as doing this on behalf of the North Boone School District. These people are in no way connected to North Boone. As well, the district would never undertake such a program without providing parents information through the district's direct communication channels.

Band Contest Announced for Boone County Fair, August 10, 2011

2011-07-22T07:04:00.000-07:00

The Boone County Fair Board announced the prize money to be awarded at the first “friendly” Boone County High Schools Marching Band Competition to be held at the Boone County Fair, Wednesday, August 10^th at 7:00pm in front of the grandstand.

Competing will be the three area high school bands including North Boone High School. The schools will be vying for a first prize of $2000, second prize of $1750 and a third prize of $1500 plus the schools will keep $5 of the $10 concert ticket.

“It’s a great opportunity for the bands to raise some money,” said Lyle Lee, President of the Boone County Fair Board, “Each school was given 600 tickets to sell that means

they could earn $3000 from ticket sales and another $2000 in prize money.”

Each band will have 30 minutes to give their best musical performance. But first, all three bands will join together and present their version of the Star Spangled Banner. It should be mentioned how much support the Boone County Fair Board provides to the local schools. It is most appreciated.

Tickets are available from any school band member or by calling the Boone County Fair box office at 815-547-4503. Obviously, North Boone would prefer to see you buy tickets from the NBHS students, so we get those extra funds for our coffers.

Common Core Standards & Parents

2011-07-14T13:00:00.000-07:00

In the last two years, 48 states and the District of Columbia have worked to develop a common set of educational standards. Generally referred to as the Common Core, these standards are much more rigorous than our current Illinois Standards. These standards are more narrow in focus than our current standards but go into more depth instead. If the states follow through, the Common Core will change elementary education in the US. They will also significantly improve secondary education, by providing a stronger base and making some changes to the core high school curriculum that has otherwise been fairly consistent since the 1920s. I urge every parent and community member to become familiar with the Common Core and learn more about this significant change in education. The national PTA site and the district's curriculum links both provide additional information on the Common Core.
In North Boone, we will be reviewing our math and language arts curriculum over the next year to fully implement a stronger core curriculum to meet the new standards. We will be working on new math assessments in the fall and doing our best to improve our students' understanding of math concepts and problem solving skills. Several lead teachers and principals attended a Common Core workshop this week and all of the principals will be attending a more in depth review of the Common Core Standards at the end of the month. The Common Core standards will be reflected in the Illinois State Testing beginning in 2015.

Registration Information

2011-07-14T06:01:00.000-07:00

Registration for the 2011-2012 School Year will be held at North Boone High School for all North Boone Students on July 27 & August 4, 2011. Hours will run from 1:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. both days. Families registering after those dates will be assessed a late penalty.

If possible, to save you time and reduce wait time, please print the appropriate registration forms out ahead of time and fill them out, to save you time on July 27. You will also be able to purchase season athletic passes for students directly at registration. The NBHS Booster Club will also be selling North Boone Spirit Wear at registration.

Summer Library Hours

2011-07-12T08:12:00.000-07:00

The libraries at Capron Elementary, North Boone Upper Elementary, and Poplar Grove Elementary will all be open weekly from June 14 to August 3 for students to check out books, participate in the summer reading program, and use the computers. “Since the school district is not served by a public library, this is an important program in order to keep students reading and improving their skills”, said Jane Lenser, District Media Specialist. The project is being funded through grants and gifts from the President’s Discretionary Fund of the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois, North Boone Board of Education, North Boone Education Foundation, and Poplar Grove PTO.

Poplar Grove’s library hours will be Tuesdays from 9:00 a.m. to noon with story time at 10:30 a.m. North Boone Upper Elementary School’s library will be open on Tuesday evenings from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. Capron’s hours will be on Wednesdays from 9:00 a.m. to noon and story time will be at 9:30 a.m. Students are invited to visit the libraries even if they do not attend that particular school.

Registration Reminder

2011-07-11T13:29:00.000-07:00

Remember, Registration will take place on July 27 and August 4 from 1 to 8 p.m. each evening. The necessary registration forms are being placed on the district website under Information for Families. Some of the forms are still being updated and will not be ready until about July 18.

Welcome

2011-07-11T13:12:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the North Boone CUSD 200 district blog. This site will provide up to date information along with the district's new website, Twitter and Facebook. If you have suggestions for information to provide via this site or the http://www.nbcusd.org/ website, please contact comments @ nbcusd.org.
Thanks for your interest in North Boone CUSD 200.