🌟 Gold Standard Spotlight: Kierstyn Setter 🌟
Kierstyn’s positivity, creativity, and collaboration inspire both staff and students every day. She builds trust, empowers teachers, and goes above and beyond to support our Wildcats. A true lighthouse in our building, she is The Gold Standard! 👏💛
Kierstyn’s positivity, creativity, and collaboration inspire both staff and students every day. She builds trust, empowers teachers, and goes above and beyond to support our Wildcats. A true lighthouse in our building, she is The Gold Standard! 👏💛
In 8th‑grade science, students are learning about the roles of macromolecules in the human body. One way they explore this is by burning each type of molecule to observe how energy is released from it! #d60learns
Let’s celebrate another one of our incredible principals during Principal Appreciation Week!
Elisa Maldonado is new to the district this year and is leading the team at Holmes Primary School. She has elementary teaching experience in a variety of suburban districts and CPS and has 14 years of school leadership experience as an assistant principal and principal in Minnesota and Illinois.
She says that she loves the diversity of the community and the students at Holmes and that she is really enjoying spending time with the young learners at such a fun age. A typical day for her is starting the day with arrival and ending it with dismissal but in between those, you will see her visiting classrooms, sitting in on meetings, and expecting the unexpected.
“Some days the schedule may look light but we are always moving and working to support staff and respond to student and family needs,” said Maldonado. “The first day of school this year went by really fast and I don’t know if I sat down all day. It was exciting to see the kids and get to be a part of their day.”
She was drawn to administration because she loved the impact that she could have on students as a teacher, but wanted to do that at a larger scale. She collaborates a lot with the other principals in the district and says that the team works well together because they have different strengths and support each other through guidance and collaboration.
“I don’t think there’s a more rewarding job at the end of the day,” she said. “We are in the people business so it’s all about supporting the people connected to our school. You may not see an immediate impact, but we really do help to make an impact. There is no training that you can really receive to prepare you for being a principal because you have to be open and be a listener and mostly be willing to learn and grow as you go!”
Elisa Maldonado is new to the district this year and is leading the team at Holmes Primary School. She has elementary teaching experience in a variety of suburban districts and CPS and has 14 years of school leadership experience as an assistant principal and principal in Minnesota and Illinois.
She says that she loves the diversity of the community and the students at Holmes and that she is really enjoying spending time with the young learners at such a fun age. A typical day for her is starting the day with arrival and ending it with dismissal but in between those, you will see her visiting classrooms, sitting in on meetings, and expecting the unexpected.
“Some days the schedule may look light but we are always moving and working to support staff and respond to student and family needs,” said Maldonado. “The first day of school this year went by really fast and I don’t know if I sat down all day. It was exciting to see the kids and get to be a part of their day.”
She was drawn to administration because she loved the impact that she could have on students as a teacher, but wanted to do that at a larger scale. She collaborates a lot with the other principals in the district and says that the team works well together because they have different strengths and support each other through guidance and collaboration.
“I don’t think there’s a more rewarding job at the end of the day,” she said. “We are in the people business so it’s all about supporting the people connected to our school. You may not see an immediate impact, but we really do help to make an impact. There is no training that you can really receive to prepare you for being a principal because you have to be open and be a listener and mostly be willing to learn and grow as you go!”
Our Bilingual Parent Advisory Committee (BPAC) is hosting an event for all District 60 families next week! Join us for a special Dia de los Muertos event on Tuesday, Oct. 28, from 6:30-8 p.m. at Holmes School at 5800 S. Holmes Ave. in Clarendon Hills.
All families are welcome to:
-Visit the community ofrenda (altar) honoring family and culture
-Learn about the traditions of Día de los Muertos
-Enjoy craft stations for families
-Celebrate culture, memory and togetherness
We hope to see you there!
All families are welcome to:
-Visit the community ofrenda (altar) honoring family and culture
-Learn about the traditions of Día de los Muertos
-Enjoy craft stations for families
-Celebrate culture, memory and togetherness
We hope to see you there!
Beginning Band is in full swing at Maercker School! This fall, 106 eager students are studying band instruments! #d60learns
🌟 Gold Standard Spotlight: Rose Ortiz 🌟
From welcoming new families with warmth and empathy to jumping in on day one to communicate bus delays, Rose goes above and beyond to keep our students and families supported. Her positivity, adaptability, and student-first spirit make her a true MVP. Thank you, Rose! 👏💛
From welcoming new families with warmth and empathy to jumping in on day one to communicate bus delays, Rose goes above and beyond to keep our students and families supported. Her positivity, adaptability, and student-first spirit make her a true MVP. Thank you, Rose! 👏💛
Over the weekend, the girls cross country team competed at the state meet and finished in 14th place. The boys cross country team competed at the IESA State meet on Saturday and finished in second place, and Yebby earned second place in the state race and all state honors, as well as second place in the 8th grade hall of fame. Awesome work, everyone! #d60runs
In 7th-grade Family and Consumer Science (FACS), students are challenged to create their own food trucks, complete with a menu. In Spanish class, students complete a similar project, but all menu items must be in Spanish. Later in the unit, students from these classes practice ordering from the food trucks, applying their language and culinary skills in a fun, interactive way! #d60learns
Happy Diwali from all of us at Maercker D60!
Did you know that October is National Principals Month? Plus, here in Illinois, we celebrate principals with Principal Appreciation Week from Oct. 20-24 and even Principal Appreciation Day on Friday, Oct. 24. We love celebrating our incredible school leaders, so we will be highlighting them this week.
First up is our longest-serving Principal, Dr. Allister Scott of Westview Hills Middle School!
Dr. Scott has been the principal at Westview for five years and says that he was interested in becoming a principal because he wanted to make an impact on more students and educators beyond what he was formerly doing as a high school science teacher.
“What gives me the most joy is that I feel like we have a small enough system that we can really make an impact on the lives of students and families while also supporting teachers,” said Dr. Scott. “I’ve always believed in the impact that education can have on students and I felt that being a middle school principal in a small environment is where I can make the most impact!”
He says he starts each day with a full lap of the building to say good morning to staff and students and that there is no predictable routine after that until the buses leave. He visits classrooms as much as possible and says that the job is largely centered around problem solving and supporting people. He tries to emulate a mentor who was the principal at his daughter’s school years ago.
“Something I took away from him is the ability to insert time into a situation so that things never felt rushed,” said Dr. Scott. “I know how hectic life as a principal can be, but he always made it feel calm and like he was really connected to the situation at hand and that made a real difference for my child so I try to do that for our families.”
First up is our longest-serving Principal, Dr. Allister Scott of Westview Hills Middle School!
Dr. Scott has been the principal at Westview for five years and says that he was interested in becoming a principal because he wanted to make an impact on more students and educators beyond what he was formerly doing as a high school science teacher.
“What gives me the most joy is that I feel like we have a small enough system that we can really make an impact on the lives of students and families while also supporting teachers,” said Dr. Scott. “I’ve always believed in the impact that education can have on students and I felt that being a middle school principal in a small environment is where I can make the most impact!”
He says he starts each day with a full lap of the building to say good morning to staff and students and that there is no predictable routine after that until the buses leave. He visits classrooms as much as possible and says that the job is largely centered around problem solving and supporting people. He tries to emulate a mentor who was the principal at his daughter’s school years ago.
“Something I took away from him is the ability to insert time into a situation so that things never felt rushed,” said Dr. Scott. “I know how hectic life as a principal can be, but he always made it feel calm and like he was really connected to the situation at hand and that made a real difference for my child so I try to do that for our families.”
🌟 Gold Standard Spotlight: Julia Damon 🌟
Julia’s patience, care, and student-first approach inspire confidence and growth in her students while supporting colleagues through her leadership and collaboration. She embodies our values of Student-Focused, Inclusion, and Resiliency every day. Thank you, Julia, for being The Gold Standard! 👏
Julia’s patience, care, and student-first approach inspire confidence and growth in her students while supporting colleagues through her leadership and collaboration. She embodies our values of Student-Focused, Inclusion, and Resiliency every day. Thank you, Julia, for being The Gold Standard! 👏
Both of our cross country teams crushed it at sectionals last week! The girls finished in third place and qualified for state for the third year in a row. Our boys finished in first place and dominated the race. Good luck to these athletes at the state competition tomorrow, Oct. 18!
4th Grade’s first ELA unit included some fun adventures as they learned about polio. During their personal narrative unit, they read chapters from “Small Steps: The Year I Got Polio” and learned survivor Peg Kehret’s story. They read about how Peg attributed her ability to eat normally again to a chocolate milkshake, and how she learned to play the accordion to develop her muscles. To immerse themselves in the story, they were treated to chocolate milkshakes by the Maercker PTA, and to a performance from Jon Kostal, Westmont’s very own owner of Uncle Jon’s Music, who volunteered his time to teach all the students about the accordion and play several songs!
They also learned about how the game Candyland was created by Eleanore Abbott, a polio survivor as well, to help kids in hospitals keep their mind off of polio and play a fun and magical game.
What a great way to learn! #d60learns
They also learned about how the game Candyland was created by Eleanore Abbott, a polio survivor as well, to help kids in hospitals keep their mind off of polio and play a fun and magical game.
What a great way to learn! #d60learns
We’re recognizing our Gold Standard honorees for all that they do for our students! From strengthening emergency planning and creating allergen-free snack procedures to screening hundreds of students for vision and hearing, Amy Bailey goes above and beyond to keep our Wildcats safe and supported. Her student-focused dedication makes her truly The Gold Standard! 🌟
In 8th social studies students worked on their first Document-Based Question—an essay where students use historical documents, along with their own knowledge, to build an argument and answer a guiding question. They started by exploring the question, “The Great Migration — What Motivated People to Move?” Students analyzed five primary sources, including maps highlighting segregation laws, graphs depicting agricultural workers, firsthand accounts from World War I factory workers, and letters written to the well-known newspaper at that time, The Chicago Defender. Using critical thinking and empathy, students thoughtfully examined this important historical movement as part of their first unit, Migration and Industry. #d60learns
Middle school students worked together during Hispanic Heritage Month to create a Frida Kahlo-inspired wings mural! They put their creativity into each wing to contribute to the mural, which is currently on display at Westview! #d60learns
It’s National School Lunch Week! Thank you to our Food Services team who provide high-quality, innovative, and culturally focused meals for our students every day.
D60 teachers use the Danielson Cluster Framework to guide their work and impact student learning. Clusters 2 and 3 are especially important as we start the year because it’s all about building positive relationships with students, creating classroom communities of caring and respect, and establishing classroom routines. This can look differently depending on the classroom, but we saw some great examples of it across our schools! #d60learns
For Hispanic Heritage Month, 8th grade students colored a mosaic to celebrate! This mosaic goes well with the display of books highlighting Hispanic cultures and authors. #d60learns
6th graders began their frog dissection last week! The dissection is part of the Ecology unit where students analyze frog adaptations to their ecosystems and the niches they occupy. 🐸 #d60learns
