June 2009 - Edwardsville School District 7

June 2009
Connections
Serving the Communities of Edwardsville, Glen Carbon, Hamel, Worden, Midway, Moro, Dorsey and Prairietown
Students learn the value of giving back
When asked to describe the youth of today, many adults
will engage in the same exercise as generation after
generation of adults did before them – they will recount, in vivid
detail, the perceived shortcomings of “kids today.” Adults will
talk about kids’ choice of clothing and music, the material things
they want and expect, their lack of work ethic, and the sense of
entitlement that pervades much of what they do. But to begin and
end this definition of young people today with these negatives is
both unfair and incomplete.
According to “From the Me Generation to the We Generation,”
published by the Poudre Valley Health System (Fort Collins,
CO), studies show that youth are volunteering at a much greater
rate than in the past. The article cited a survey conducted by the
Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), which
showed that youth volunteerism in America is up 15 percent since
1989. And, according to United Way, teenagers volunteer more
than 2 billion hours each year in the United States, an action that
is worth more than $34 billion annually to the U.S. economy.
Traditionally, opportunities for service were limited to those
students found through their churches or on their own. Schools
held fundraisers that raised money to improve their facilities by
purchasing playground equipment, library books, and computers.
Over the last few years, however, the idea of looking beyond
the schoolhouse doors to meet the needs of those outside has
grown to a full-fledged commitment to community service. From
primary schools to high school, District 7 students have learned to
value the experience of giving to others, and they have embraced
the challenges and rewards that serving others bring.
Just last year, District 7 middle school and high school students
volunteered more than 11,000 hours at elementary schools,
local nursing homes, the GlenEd Food Pantry, the Metro East
Humane Society, the Watershed Nature Center, and the Main
Street Center (Senior Citzen Center).
Students in all schools donated toys, clothing, and food to local
families at Thanksgiving and Christmas. Lincoln and Liberty
Middle Schools collected two tons of canned food and 1,500 toys
during the holidays. Students donated pet food and supplies to
the Humane Society, and personal care items for military personnel
stationed in the Middle East and for the GlenEd Food Pantry.
Schools sponsored fundraisers for St. Jude, Friends of Kids
with Cancer, the American Heart Association, the American Diabetes
Association, and the American Cancer Society’s Relay for
Life for a total of more than $140,000. Edwardsville High School
alone raised more than $50,000 for St. Jude Children’s Hospital.
Superintendent Ed Hightower credits the entire District 7
community - students, parents, staff members, and citizens – for
the sense of community that is the hallmark of District 7. “I’ve
been in education for 34 years, and this spirit of volunteerism
just seems to keep growing. We’re fortunate that we have students
who take pride in their community and possess the desire and the
commitment to have a positive impact on the world in which they
live,” Hightower said.
PERMIT #20
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
EDWARDSVILLE, IL
NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION
(Above) Relay for Life Event Coordinator Erica Hunt and her mother Stella Vivod participate in the
Survivor Walk. Vivod is an eight-year cancer survivor. Hunt began working with Relay for Life just
as her mother was finishing treatments. District 7 has hosted the event at Edwardsville High School
for the last nine years. (Below) EHS drama students present a scene from Jesus Christ Superstar
at the EHS Fine Arts Celebration, the second annual benefit performed for the Main Street Center
in Edwardsville. (Right) EHS representatives
present Director Jackie Kamp a check for $5,000,
the proceeds from the event.
What’s Inside...
Page 2
Letter from the Superintendent; 2009-10 Goals;
Softball; Calendar
Page 3 Graduation 2009
Page 4
EHS Wins All-Sports Trophy; Directory

Page 2 Connections: The Newsletter of Edwardsville Community Unit School District 7 June 2009
We are two
weeks into the
summer, and
preparation for
the next school
year has begun in
earnest. The summer
months provide staff with the
time they need for planning and training
to ensure that the new school year
starts smoothly.
Before we commit the 2008-09
school year to memory, however, I
want to commend our students, parents,
and staff for the outstanding
year we enjoyed in all aspects of District
7’s operation. Our students performed
well in the areas of academics,
the performing arts, and athletics.
Just last weekend, our athletic program
secured the Southwestern Conference
All Sports Trophy, and our softball
team finished its season as runner-up
in the IHSA 4A State Softball Championship.
This year’s graduation, our second
in the Lucco-Jackson Gym, was an
outstanding event in every way. The
District and EHS honored 573 graduates,
their families, and friends. The
ceremony was an excellent representation
of the year’s many accomplishments.
The event was highlighted by
the presentation of the senior class
gift, a five-foot bronze tiger that will
be displayed in the EHS lobby.
The achievements of the Class of
Le t t e r f r o m t h e Su p e r i n t e n d e n t
EHS Softball takes second at state tournament
The EHS softball team’s 24-game winning streak
came to an end at the IHSA 4A Softball Championship
on Saturday, June 13. The Tigers had to settle
for second place, losing to Loyola Academy
(Wilmette) 2-0, the same team they lost to before the winning
streak began.
The Tigers earned a place in Saturday’s championship
game by defeating Naperville Central 2-0 in Friday’s semifinal
matchup. Senior Lauren Francis tossed a no-hitter, the
first in Class 4A history and the first in the large school division
since 1999.
The Tigers were led by five seniors Lauren Francis, Adrienne
Kruse, Julie Honegger, Jessica McConnell and Madi
Exton. The Tigers are coached by Lori Blade, Donna Farley,
Ryann Spann, Liz Bray. They finished the season with a 36-5
record.
District 7 Goals — 2009-10
District 7 establishes goals annually to guide its services and operations. Goal-setting is critical to the success
of any organization, whether it is a public or private entity. Once established, the District develops strategies to
achieve the goals, gathers data, and monitors progress towards the desired outcomes. The goals for 2009-10 are
as follows:
Goal 1:
Goal 2:
Goal 3:
Goal 4:
Goal 5:
Goal 6:
Goal 7:
2009 give us many reasons to be proud.
We would like to send special congratulations
to our co-valedictorians Alexander
Litzau and Jonathan Westbrook
and our co-salutatorians Jordan Halfman
and Michael Lynch. Their leadership
and that of the rest of the senior
class provided an excellent example for
the underclassmen to follow. They will
leave behind a legacy of giving that will
be difficult to match.
2009-10 Goals
As we turn our attention to the
2009-10 school year, the District’s focus
will continue to be school safety, datadriven
decision making and instruction,
improved academic achievement, compliance
with state and federal mandates,
improved communication through technology,
fiscal responsibility, and an expansion
of current community service
initiatives. The District’s formal goals
are outlined in the box below.
Communication
The District continues to look for
ways to improve communication with
our families. During the last school year,
we revamped the District 7 website and
added several new features:
• Virtual Backpack, represented by a
backpack icon on the District’s main
page, provides an alternate method
of communicating with parents and
the public. It includes information
in the form of letters, flyers, fundraiser
notices, etc.
• Weekly Web Update is an email subscription
list that sends subscribers
weekly updates on news on the District
7 web site.
• The School Psychology page is
devoted to providing support and
resource materials to help parents
guide their children to be successful
in school.
For 2009-10, we will explore ways to
improve the efficiency of our communication
through technology. As part of
our research, we mailed parents a communications
survey during the second
week of June. The survey was designed
to determine internet access, parents’
preferred method of communication/
notification, and website use. As of
June 25, we received 1,159 responses.
We will continue to keep you informed
as we analyze the results.
Community Service
Our cover story talks about the
many ways in which our students, staff,
and parents work to give back to others
- from causes and initiatives within
the District 7 community to those that
originate at the regional, state, and national
levels. A goal for this year is to develop
districtwide initiatives to expand
upon the good work that is going on in
our schools. We will let you know more
about these initiatives when school begins
in August.
I hope that you will enjoy the summer
as much as your children are. With
your support, we look forward to another
outstanding school year.
To continue to maintain safe schools for students, employees, and parents.
To prepare teachers and administrators to be proficient in interpreting, analyzing, and
incorporating data into the instructional process in order to improve student achievement.
To improve academic achievement for those students who are not meeting district and state
standards by developing targeted instructional strategies designed to assist them in reaching
their academic potential.
To develop plans and strategies to implement Response to Intervention (RtI) as required by
new legislation.
To continue to revise the District 7 website to involve parents, the community and prospective
citizens.
To continue developing, monitoring, and modifying the 2009-10 budget.
To develop districtwide student, faculty, and staff initiatives to “give back to the community.”
photo by Bill Yarbrough of the Intelligencer
June, July, August
Calendar of Events
Monday, June 15 - Thursday,
July 16
Monday -Thursday
Elementary & Middle School
Summer School
Tuesday, June 16 - Thursday,
July 30
Monday - Friday
High School Summer School
Friday, July 3
Independence Day Holiday
Observed
No Summer School Attendance
Tuesday, July 28
Wednesday, July 29
Thursday, July 30
Middle School Registration
Liberty & Lincoln Middle Schools
Wednesday, July 29
Elementary School Registration
All Elementary Schools
12:00 noon - 7:30 p.m.
Monday, August 3
EHS Registration - Freshmen
11:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Tuesday, August 4
EHS Registration - Sophomores
11:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday, August 5
EHS Registration - Juniors
9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Thursday, August 6
EHS Registration - Seniors
9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Friday, August 7
EHS Registration - Make-Up Day
9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Tuesday, August 18
First Half Day of School
Wednesday, August 19
First Full Day of Student
Attendance
Connections
Connections is a publication of
Edwardsville Community Unit
School District 7. Any comments
or suggestions should be
directed to:
Connections
708 St. Louis Street
Edwardsville, IL 62025
Or, direct comments to
connections@ecusd7.org.
Grant Westhoff, photographer

June 2009
Connections: The Newsletter of Edwardsville Community Unit School District 7 Page 3
Class of 2009 looks to the future...
1) The US Marine Corps Color Guard
presents the colors. 2) Senior Class
President Leo Murphy addresses his
classmates. 3) Board President Greg
Roosevelt welcomes students, their
families, and friends. 4) Seniors look,
listen, and wait to walk across the stage.
5) Superintendent Ed Hightower addresses
graduates, their families, and guests. 6) The
Class of 2009 presented Edwardsville High
School with the gift of a five-foot bronze
tiger that will be on display in the lobby.
7 & 8) Co-valedictorians Alexander Litzau
and Jonathan Westbrook deliver their
remarks. 9) Senior softball players made
it back from their game just in time to
participate in the graduation ceremony.
The Tigers won the super-sectional and
advanced to the state tournament. 10-13)
EHS graduates are greeted by central
office administrators, board members, and
high school administrators as they receive
their hard-earned diplomas.
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3 4
6
7 8 9
10
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Page 4 Connections: The Newsletter of Edwardsville Community Unit School District 7 June 2009
EHS wins Southwestern Conference All Sports Trophy
E
dwardsville High School finished the
2008-09 school year as the winner
of the Southwestern Conference All Sports
Trophy, in a year that two new spring sports
were added: boys volleyball and bass fishing.
The Tigers had three first place finishes
in the spring season, including baseball,
boys tennis, and softball. The baseball team
won the regional championship, the boys
tennis team won the sectional championship,
and softball finished as the Class 4A
IHSA runner-up.
708 St. Louis Street • Edwardsville, IL 62025
Hadley House 656-1182
• Dr. Ed Hightower, Superintendent, ext. 10014
• Dr. Lynda Andre, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum,
ext. 10021
• Dave Courtney, Assistant Superintendent for Business
Operations, ext. 10047
• Nancy Spina, Assistant Superintendent for Personnel,
ext. 10003
• Dr. Bill Macdonald, Coordinator of Secondary Education,
ext. 10021
• Catherine Wright, Coordinator of Early Childhood &
Elementary Education, ext. 10020
• Rebecca Kolda, Director of Special Education & Student
Services, ext. 10016
• Susan Converse, Coordinator of Special Education,
ext. 10016
• Beth Crumbacher, Coordinator of Special Education,
ext. 10016
• Cindy Steele, Coordinator of Special Education, ext. 10016
• Bill Miener, Director of Information Systems & Services,
ext. 10019
• June Johnston, Substitutes, ext. 10004
• John Martin, Director of Food Service, ext. 10023
Building & Grounds 659-1266
• Steve Morrison, Director
Bus Transportation—First Student 656-0125
• Bill Patterson, Manager
District 7 Directory
Edwardsville High School 656-7100
• Norm Bohnenstiehl, Principal, ext. 20155
• Joe McNamara, Associate Principal, ext. 20169
• Rick Everage, Assistant Principal, ext. 20169
• Daryl Hall, Assistant Principal, ext. 20169
• Kim Jackson, Assistant Principal, ext. 20169
• Dr. Kari Karidis, Assistant Principal, ext. 20169
• Brad Bevis, Athletic Director, ext. 20213
• Sports Information Line—655-6555
• Attendance, (Sophomores/Seniors) ext. 20103
• Attendance, (Freshmen/Juniors) ext. 20102
Edwardsville High School South 692-7466
• Steve Jackson, Assistant Principal
N.O. Nelson Complex 656-8800
• Todd Hayes, Assistant Principal
Liberty Middle School 655-6800
• Dennis Cramsey, Principal, ext. 22101
• Alex Fox, Assistant Principal, ext. 22108
• Hillary Stanifer, Assistant Principal, ext. 22102
• Attendance, ext. 22117
Lincoln Middle School 656-0485
• Dr. Steve Stuart, Principal, ext. 21219
• Darnell Marshall, Assistant Principal, ext. 21118
• Pamela McBee, Assistant Principal, ext. 21217
• Attendance, ext. 21229
District Website: www.ecusd7.org
Albert Cassens Elementary School 655-6150
• Martha Richey, Principal
Columbus Elementary School 656-5167
• Vince Schlueter, Principal
Glen Carbon Elementary School 692-7460
• Curt Schumacher, Principal
Goshen Elementary School 655-6250
• Tara Wells, Principal
Hamel Elementary School 692-7444
• Dr. Barb Hutton, Principal
Leclaire Elementary School 656-3825
• Cornelia Smith, Principal
Midway Elementary School 692-7446
• Mary Miller, Principal
N.O. Nelson Elementary School 656-8480
• Tanya Patton, Principal
Woodland Elementary School 692-8791
• Tara Fox, Principal
Worden Elementary School 692-7442
• Beth Renth, Principal
Early Childhood Program 692-1222
• Catherine Wright, Coordinator