Students at Holmes spent some time learning about the behavior expectations in different areas of the school. They learned how to be safe, caring, and ready while following the rules. They also learned that together, we roar! #d60learns
The Maercker PTA is hosting their first benefit night of the school year on Tuesday, Sept. 9. It’s a great opportunity to enjoy delicious food while supporting this organization. Just head to Chipotle in Willowbrook and show the flyer to have 25% of sales donated to the PTA!
We’re excited to welcome Jennifer Olivieri at Westview Hills! She will join the team as a school psychologist. We asked Jennifer a few questions to get to know her better.
Why did you choose to work at Maercker D60?
“I chose to work in this district because of its strong sense of community and dedication to supporting the whole child to achieve their highest potential, which aligns with my values as a school psychologist.”
What attracted you to the field of education?
“When I was in grade school a counselor supported me through some difficult familial challenges. It was very minimal but absolutely changed my life in a positive way. This inspired me to join the helping profession in education, and especially cultivated my passion for prevention and early intervention.”
How will you empower and inspire lifelong curiosity for learning in your students?
“I will help each student align and identify with their personal strengths and individual values to empower them and ground them in their inherent worth. I will also help them to develop and build their resiliency so they will be able to successfully navigate challenges as they arise.”
Why did you choose to work at Maercker D60?
“I chose to work in this district because of its strong sense of community and dedication to supporting the whole child to achieve their highest potential, which aligns with my values as a school psychologist.”
What attracted you to the field of education?
“When I was in grade school a counselor supported me through some difficult familial challenges. It was very minimal but absolutely changed my life in a positive way. This inspired me to join the helping profession in education, and especially cultivated my passion for prevention and early intervention.”
How will you empower and inspire lifelong curiosity for learning in your students?
“I will help each student align and identify with their personal strengths and individual values to empower them and ground them in their inherent worth. I will also help them to develop and build their resiliency so they will be able to successfully navigate challenges as they arise.”
Students across Maercker D60 will begin taking the NWEA MAP Assessment next week! The MAP Growth assessment is a computer-adaptive test, which means it is unique for every student based on responses. Your child’s teacher will be sending home the exact date and time that they will be taking the MAP assessment.
Be sure to encourage your students to do their best and get answers to common questions at the link! #d60learns
https://www.nwea.org/blog/2024/12-common-questions-parents-ask-map-growth-assessment/
This is a friendly reminder that all D60 schools will be hosting picture day tomorrow (Thursday, Sept. 4) so get ready to smile! #d60learns
Welcome to Anne Donatelli! She is a new first grade special education teacher at Holmes Primary School.
She is excited to get back into the classroom and work with students again, and in turn make the world a better place.
Her goal to empower and inspire lifelong learning in her students is to continue to expose them to things that will make them curious and want to learn.
She is excited to get back into the classroom and work with students again, and in turn make the world a better place.
Her goal to empower and inspire lifelong learning in her students is to continue to expose them to things that will make them curious and want to learn.
Maercker D60 families, don’t forget that on Wednesdays students will be dismissed an hour early from all three schools. That means that tomorrow (Wednesday, Sept. 3) is an early dismissal day!
Join the principals for the first Parent Coffee of the year! The topic will focus on School Safety and it will take place on Thursday, Sept. 4 at 6 p.m. in the Wildcat Den at Westview Hills!
This is a great opportunity to connect with the principals of Holmes, Maercker, and Westview Hills as they share important updates on safety procedures and answer your questions. Learn how we’re working together to keep our schools safe and engage in an open conversation about supporting our students.
We look forward to seeing you there!
This is a great opportunity to connect with the principals of Holmes, Maercker, and Westview Hills as they share important updates on safety procedures and answer your questions. Learn how we’re working together to keep our schools safe and engage in an open conversation about supporting our students.
We look forward to seeing you there!
Maercker D60 families, don’t forget that on Wednesdays students will be dismissed an hour early from all three schools. That means that tomorrow (Wednesday, Sept. 3) is an early dismissal day!
Please give a warm welcome to Danielle Grow! She is a new ELL Interventionist and ELA Teacher at Westview Hills. Let’s get to know Danielle and how her teaching aligns with our mission!
“I chose to work at Maercker D60 because I identify and agree with the mission statement. I am also a lifelong learner who values diversity and world languages. I love the fact that Maercker D60 has so much diversity both in the student population as well as the staff. I enjoy how united this community is, and how involved the stakeholders are in support of students and families in the district.”
“I am a lifelong learner myself who enjoys working with young scholars to help them achieve their goals. I had so many great teachers, coaches, and professors in school who inspired me to give back to the younger generation. I was attracted to the field of education to be an advocate for students and encourage them to achieve high standards.”
“I will empower and inspire students to learn by building relationships with them, and by having structured routines and procedures that create a safe environment. I will celebrate the diversity, cultures, and home languages of all of my students. My classroom will be an inclusive space where students feel safe taking risks in their language learning, and are not afraid of making mistakes.”
“I chose to work at Maercker D60 because I identify and agree with the mission statement. I am also a lifelong learner who values diversity and world languages. I love the fact that Maercker D60 has so much diversity both in the student population as well as the staff. I enjoy how united this community is, and how involved the stakeholders are in support of students and families in the district.”
“I am a lifelong learner myself who enjoys working with young scholars to help them achieve their goals. I had so many great teachers, coaches, and professors in school who inspired me to give back to the younger generation. I was attracted to the field of education to be an advocate for students and encourage them to achieve high standards.”
“I will empower and inspire students to learn by building relationships with them, and by having structured routines and procedures that create a safe environment. I will celebrate the diversity, cultures, and home languages of all of my students. My classroom will be an inclusive space where students feel safe taking risks in their language learning, and are not afraid of making mistakes.”
Before the school year began, 93 incoming kindergarten students participated in the Summer Leap Into Kindergarten program at Holmes. The program provided a nurturing, structured environment where students built social-emotional skills, learned school routines, and formed strong connections with staff and peers and was organized and run by 21 dedicated staff members. #d60learns
Growing up and currently living in Downers Grove, Abbey McCormick is already engrained in our community! She is a new first grade teacher at Holmes Primary School!
From a young age, Abbey wanted to become a teacher. She loves working with young children and finds that teaching comes naturally to her. And she looks forward to sharing her love of learning with her students.
Abbey is excited to build strong relationships with her students and to ensure that they feel comfortable, valued, and respected within the classroom and school. She has big plans to make learning fun and engaging for students, while ensuring that it is meaningful and leads students to the most success.
From a young age, Abbey wanted to become a teacher. She loves working with young children and finds that teaching comes naturally to her. And she looks forward to sharing her love of learning with her students.
Abbey is excited to build strong relationships with her students and to ensure that they feel comfortable, valued, and respected within the classroom and school. She has big plans to make learning fun and engaging for students, while ensuring that it is meaningful and leads students to the most success.
Monday, Sept. 1 is a non-attendance day with all district offices closed. We’ll see you back on Tuesday ready to learn!
We really appreciate everyone who shared great first day of school photos last week! Here’s a few additional smiling faces that weren’t shared last week. #d60learns
We’re excited to welcome Andrea Carranza as a Dual Language Spanish Teacher at Maercker! Learn more about Andrea and how her goals for her classroom align perfectly with our district mission of inclusivity.
“I chose to join the education field because I’ve always had a passion for helping others learn and grow. Education has the power to change lives, and I wanted to be part of that impact. I was inspired by the teachers who believed in me and made me feel seen, and I hope to do the same for my students. I’m especially passionate about creating inclusive spaces where every student feels supported, valued, and empowered to succeed.”
“To empower and inspire lifelong curiosity in my students, I believe it starts with creating a safe, inclusive environment where questions are encouraged and learning feels meaningful. I strive to connect lessons to real-world experiences and student interests, so they can see the value in what they're learning. I also model curiosity myself—showing excitement for discovering new things and being open about not having all the answers. Most importantly, I aim to build strong relationships with my students, so they feel supported to take risks, explore new ideas, and develop a love for learning that goes beyond the classroom.”
“I chose to join the education field because I’ve always had a passion for helping others learn and grow. Education has the power to change lives, and I wanted to be part of that impact. I was inspired by the teachers who believed in me and made me feel seen, and I hope to do the same for my students. I’m especially passionate about creating inclusive spaces where every student feels supported, valued, and empowered to succeed.”
“To empower and inspire lifelong curiosity in my students, I believe it starts with creating a safe, inclusive environment where questions are encouraged and learning feels meaningful. I strive to connect lessons to real-world experiences and student interests, so they can see the value in what they're learning. I also model curiosity myself—showing excitement for discovering new things and being open about not having all the answers. Most importantly, I aim to build strong relationships with my students, so they feel supported to take risks, explore new ideas, and develop a love for learning that goes beyond the classroom.”
With the first week of the 2025-26 school year officially behind us, it’s a great time to remind the D60 community that we make it easy to recognize any teacher or staff member who has made an impact on you or your student. Just fill out a quick form to send an instant email message and card to Maercker D60 staff and recognize them for being the Gold Standard! #d60learns
https://www.maercker.org/article/1723786
https://www.maercker.org/article/1723786
Have you gotten your annual membership to the Maercker D60 PTA? Joining the PTA will allow you to stay informed and support their efforts and there are many ways to get involved. https://www.maerckerpta.org/join
We’re proud to welcome Ruby Islas as a 5th grade teacher at Maercker Intermediate! A former District 60 employee encouraged her to join our team and we couldn’t be more excited about the referral.
When asked how she will empower and inspire lifelong curiosity for learning in her students, she shared, “By sharing my own curiosity and enthusiasm for learning, I hope to inspire my students to become life long learners. I strive to create a supportive, collaborative environment where students have a voice and actively participate in their learning.”
When asked how she will empower and inspire lifelong curiosity for learning in her students, she shared, “By sharing my own curiosity and enthusiasm for learning, I hope to inspire my students to become life long learners. I strive to create a supportive, collaborative environment where students have a voice and actively participate in their learning.”
We’re proud to welcome Kaileigh McDonnell as a new kindergarten teacher at Holmes! Kaileigh completed her student teaching within the district years ago and loved her experience.
When asked why she chose to work here, she shared, “Maercker is home to wonderful and collaborative educators who truly care about their students!”
We asked, how will you empower and inspire lifelong curiosity for learning in your students?
Kaileigh responded, “By creating a classroom environment where questions are valued just as much as answers. I will encourage exploration, model curiosity myself, and celebrate discoveries. I will help students see that learning is not just something that happens at school, it is an exciting and never ending journey!”
When asked why she chose to work here, she shared, “Maercker is home to wonderful and collaborative educators who truly care about their students!”
We asked, how will you empower and inspire lifelong curiosity for learning in your students?
Kaileigh responded, “By creating a classroom environment where questions are valued just as much as answers. I will encourage exploration, model curiosity myself, and celebrate discoveries. I will help students see that learning is not just something that happens at school, it is an exciting and never ending journey!”
During our opening Institute Day last week, we recognized a few of our staff members who received Gold Standard nominations at the end of the 2024-25 school year. Let’s celebrate them!
Josh Vance is a dedicated and versatile educator whose impact reaches far beyond the classroom. Whether he’s leading engaging art and photography projects, coaching one of the top middle school boys’ cross country teams in the nation, or supporting colleagues at a moment’s notice, Josh brings energy, expertise, and a spirit of service to everything he does. He inspires his athletes to reach their full potential, fosters creativity and exploration in his clubs, and jumps in to help with any task - from last-minute needs to changing ceiling tiles - always with a positive attitude. Westview is fortunate to have such a passionate teacher, mentor, and teammate. Thanks for being the Gold Standard Mr. Vance!
Josh Vance is a dedicated and versatile educator whose impact reaches far beyond the classroom. Whether he’s leading engaging art and photography projects, coaching one of the top middle school boys’ cross country teams in the nation, or supporting colleagues at a moment’s notice, Josh brings energy, expertise, and a spirit of service to everything he does. He inspires his athletes to reach their full potential, fosters creativity and exploration in his clubs, and jumps in to help with any task - from last-minute needs to changing ceiling tiles - always with a positive attitude. Westview is fortunate to have such a passionate teacher, mentor, and teammate. Thanks for being the Gold Standard Mr. Vance!
