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wilmettebeacondaily.com sound off
the wilmette beacon | October 17, 2019 | 25
Social snapshot
Top Web Stories
From WilmetteBeacon.com as of Oct. 14
1. Instagram post alludes to violence at
Highcrest, contains racial hate speech
2. In Memoriam: Wilmette’s Emanuel
remembered for high energy, respect
for family
3. Swastika graffiti found in Wilmette
Junior High bathroom
4. Families build Halloween scarecrows at
Wilmette’s Chalet Nursery
5. International potluck dinner entertains
Romona families
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From the Editor
Kudos to students for stepping up amid threats, hate speech
Eric DeGrechie
eric@wilmettebeacon.com
Sadly, I feel like
we’ve been reporting
on many violent
threats and hate speech at
local schools in the last
few years. Though the
reprehensible acts mirror
those occurring at schools
all across the country, it’s
never easy to write about
the ones happening right
in our backyard.
Out of the negativity
does come some positive
news in that each of last
week’s incidents were
reported to school officials
by students. In school,
there is sometimes a pressure
to stay quiet when
concerning information
you have may get another
student(s) in trouble.
Luckily, our local schools
have some students that
didn’t get caught up in this
thinking and decided to let
school officials know right
away.
In exchanges with
both Wilmette Police
Chief Kyle Murphy and
Wilmette District 39
Superintendent Dr. Kari
Cremascoli, they both
made a point to commend
the students.
“We want to applaud
those students and families
who utilized the district’s
tip line and notified
the police department,”
Murphy said. “School
safety is of the utmost
importance and the Police
Department works collaboratively
with the schools
throughout the year.”
School officials are
encouraging parents to
monitor their children’s
use of social media
platforms and report
anything suspicious to
building administrators,
use an anonymous online
reporting form or report
the matter to the Wilmette
Police Department.
“Our students are certainly
exposed to influences
from all around the
community and the nation
at wide,” Cremascoli
said. “It is important to
us and we’ve focused on
educations and community
building. As educators,
we believe strongly
in teaching our students
about the importance of
being safe and responsible.”
As of press time
for this week’s paper,
Wilmette Junior High
School had scheduled
an Institute Day for Oct.
14 that included training
from the Anti-Defamation
League for the staff.
The training was to focus
on interrupting biased
and hateful language and
actions while providing
staff strategies for how to
address these incidents in
the classroom.
These are good steps
and we’re hoping the
right amount of training
and communication between
all involved, along
with the community,
moves us forward.
Wilmette District 39 posted this photo on
Oct. 11 with the caption:
“These students in fourth period French
class at Wilmette Junior High finished up
their assignments early and are ready for
the weekend. Etes vous prets pour la fin de
semaine?”
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“Thank you for supporting @
SpecialolympicIllinois and the @
WilmettePD at the last weeks #Planepull.
Did we mention we beat @SkokiePD...”
@WilmettePolice Wilmette Police
Department posted on Oct. 4
Follow The Wilmette Beacon: @wilmettebeacon
nfyn
From Page 21
THE WINNETKA CURRENT
Students to be teachers at
pop-up reading event
Northfield’s Sunset
Ridge students will have
the chance to teach Thursday,
Oct. 24, when they
host a free, open to the
community, Pop-Up Family
Literacy event from
9:45-11:15 a.m. at the
Clarkson Lodge, 1950
New Willow Road.
Under the guidance of
English Language Arts
Teacher Jennifer Kahlenberg
and Speech Pathologist
Brittany Pengiel, the
group of fourth- through
eighth-grade students have
worked collaboratively to
create a fun-filled and educational
morning for local
tots.
Youngsters can expect
arts and crafts, singing
and dancing, sensory
stations, and of course,
stories. The goal of this
unique event is to teach
local little ones and their
caregivers how early exposure
to books and stories
benefit the children at
a young age.
Reporting by Alexa Burnell,
Freelance Reporter. Full
story at WinnetkaCurrent-
Daily.com.
THE GLENCOE ANCHOR
Zoning Code amendments
recommended to Village
Board to allow sale of
recreational pot
Residents of Glencoe
and neighboring communities
came to the Zoning
Commission meeting
on Oct. 7 to express their
sometimes impassioned
opinions on the hot button
issue of allowing recreational
cannabis dispensaries
in the village.
At the conclusion of
the three-hour meeting,
the Zoning Commission
forwarded its non-binding
recommendations to the
go figure
80
Age
Village Board for the final
decision.
Reporting by Neil Milbert,
Freelance Reporter. Full
story at GlencoeAnchor-
Daily.com.
An intriguing number from this week’s edition
of Wilmette crossing guard
celebrated with a surprise birthday
party Oct. 10, Page 14
Sound Off Policy
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Century Media are the thoughts of the company as a whole. The Wilmette
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