BOE May Meeting

May 14, 2025 Board of Education Meeting

Manhattan School District 114

May 15, 2025

MAY 2025

The May 14, 2025 Board of Education meeting video is now available.

Meeting Video Includes:

  • Public Comment

  • Open Session Meeting

  • Superintendent & Committee Reports

  • Board Action following Closed Session

MAY 2025 Highlights

Administrator Reports

Mrs. Kim Maher: 

  • Thanks to our Manhattan 114 PTO and families for so thoughtfully and generously showing their appreciation for our entire MSD114 staff during Teacher Appreciation Week!

  • Our new teachers wrapped up their year in the New Teacher Mentor Program with a final meeting.  We spent time reflecting on what it means to walk the walk on “Where we Succeed Together” and took time to recognize staff who defined what it means to succeed together for them this year.  46 staff members received letters of gratitude and recognition for their support of our new teachers.  Thank you again to every staff member that served as a mentor to the staff that joined us this year.

  • In collaboration with the Manhattan Fire Protection District and our safety committee, we will be renumbering the doors at each of our schools.  This will standardize the numbering system to allow for first responders to more accurately navigate to precise locations on any campus.  

Mrs. Cheryl Donovan:

  • A literacy survey and grant opportunity arose and we have applied for a $2250 grant. We first learned about this in Tony Sanders' weekly Message at the end of March. The survey was due on April 14th the grant application was due by April 30th (rather quick turnaround).  Money will be available to allocate in alignment of the Illinois Literacy Plan (which is a framework, not a mandate).

  • We officially wrapped up all state testing on April 30th with 5th and 8th graders completing the Illinois Science Assessment. 

  • Mrs. Ramsey and Mrs. Rea are hosting a STEM camp for incoming 4th and 5th graders this summer. 

  • This week we welcomed a neighboring district to Wilson Creek to observe and discuss our phonics UFLi implementation. 

  • Our spring benchmarking is wrapping up and data days are being held to review student progress and supports that are in place. 

  • I look forward to sharing more information about the math resource recommendation and Illinois PaCE framework with you this evening. 

  • Continued thank yous to every member of the Manhattan School District 114 system. Each person plays a role in shaping our students into lifelong learners. As we prepare for our final weeks of instruction, thank you!

Mrs. Julie Hantson:

  • Our 1st Student Services Night was a huge success. Thank you to all those that attended, all the staff that helped out, and vendors who came. It is much appreciated.

Ms. Cari Rohe: 

  • April was a busy month at Wilson Creek!  We had a small group of staff attend The Brain & Behavior professional development hosted by Character Strong in downtown Chicago!  The staff were refreshed on how important relationships are with students and how relationships are not formed by accident.  The staff presented what they learned at the professional development to all of Wilson Creek at this month's early release day.  With less than a month left in the school year, the staff were able to walk away with ideas that they can immediately implement in their practice.  

  • Mrs. Walsh and Mrs. Miller Amato hosted 1st Grade's Fine Art fair across the span of 2 evenings this month.  Each first grade class chose a favorite song/dance that they learned in music class this year to perform in front of the audience.  Mrs. Walsh selected artwork from the classes that showcased the artistic talent in the building!  This event was well attended by the community and our students did an excellent job!

  • Our Kindergarten and 1st Grade students learned about various weather during the Storm Science assembly.  The students were able to see the impact various storms can have based on the ratings of the storms.  Mrs. Rohe and Mrs. Zuccato were called up to the stage to assist.  Little did they know they would be showing static electricity in action as their hair was lifted off of their heads!  

  • During collab lab time, teachers have been wrapping the year up and starting to plan for next year. We have been working on our student tracking forms and preparing for UFLI next year. Now that we have an entire year of teaching this wonderful program under our belts, we are feeling more prepared to take it on next year! As we continue, we will have discussions on spring benchmarking data, and our new math curriculum and our needs for next year.  We are also preparing for the new school year ahead.  Staff are preparing class lists for next school year, working on the master schedule and preparing for incoming Kindergarten screenings/acceleration requests.  

  • The Early Childhood and Preschool For All classrooms recently completed five weeks of fire safety lessons with Firefighter Jackie from the MFPD! To culminate our lessons and celebrate, all of the preschool classrooms participated in a "touch a truck" experience and fire safety themed obstacle course. The lessons were from the "Learn Not to Burn" curriculum, which is a comprehensive fire safety curriculum for grades preschool through second grade developed by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). Some key features of the curriculum are its positive messaging emphasizing practical fire safety as opposed to fear-based messages, age appropriate content that is developmentally appropriate for young children, hands-on activities incorporating stories, pictures, movement, and music, home connections intended to reinforce fire safety messages at home, and alignment with learning standards. 

  • We want to give a huge shoutout to Mary Gorski, our Preschool For All Family Educator, for all of her hard work in putting together exciting family engagement opportunities for our program. We had a wonderful turnout for our recent family engagement opportunity titled, My Grown Up & Me Yoga with Miss Sam from Yoga with Sam. Students enjoyed a picnic "lunch" and participated in a nature/bug themed yoga session with their grownup. We have just two more family engagement opportunities left this year: Miss Sydnee of Simply Music in New Lenox will host Mini Melodies: My Grown Up & Me Music Class and the Manhattan-Elwood Public Library will facilitate Schools (Almost) Out Storytime. We are grateful for all of our community partners and looking forward to these last two events! 

  • In other news, we are almost at capacity for our upcoming screening on May 14. Interest in our Preschool for All program and screening inquiries have been steadily increasing each month. 

Mrs. Elise Kirk: 

  • Teacher Appreciation: Thank you to our PTO for taking such great care of our staff during teacher appreciation week. Thank you to our families for all of their support and love during this week!

  • Step-up Day: On May 21st we will welcome our incoming 2nd grade special education students for a step-up day at Anna McDonald. Our student council students will show our incoming students the building and answer any questions students may have. 

  • Mother’s Day Luncheon: Second grade students and staff hosted a Mother’s Day luncheon last week. They celebrated moms with lunch, songs, and pampering. It was a beautiful event! 

  • Safety Drills: We finished our safety drills last month with our last fire drill and intruder drill.
    End of Year: Pack Reward Day, Kickball, Field Day, Park Day, and so much more! Thank you to staff, students, parents, and our PTO for helping 

  • Data Meetings: Thank you to Angie Newman and Kristi Bolbat, along with our teachers, for facilitating end of the year data meetings. The team works extremely hard to ensure that each and every student has the necessary support to ensure success.

  • THANK YOU: The end of the year is filled with a calendar full of fun activities and a long to-do list to wrap up the school year. Thank you to all of our staff for their endless dedication and hard work getting to the finish line with a smile!


Mr. Ryan McWilliams: 

  • Family Engagement Night...thank you Ms. Lamont for planning & coordinating this evening. TCBY set up shop in the commons as well. Thank you to the entire staff for making this evening special for our kids and families. Everything from the decorating to the activities was magnificent. You all amaze me all the time and I am proud to be your colleague.

  • The Student Council took a team building trip to Camp Manitoqua in Frankfort on May 2.

  • MJHS Fine Arts Dept dropped by on May 12 to showcase their excellent band, orchestra, & choir talent. Our 4th & 5th graders will perform for their peers on May 16.

  • Thank you to the PTO for providing a staff appreciation luncheon & our annual Field Day activities. Also a big thank you to our district office team for providing the staff lunch on May 6.

  • MIS represented MSD114 at the Joliet Slammers Education Day May 13. Thank you LW210 for carting us there & back.

  • Thank you Officer Bernardy for sharing a cybersecurity presentation with our students the week of May 19.

  • Thank you Jackie O'Hara for bringing the CPR/Choking presentation to our 5th graders on May 30.

  • Thank you Mrs. Barr & Ms. Lamont for facilitating data days. And to Mrs. Barr for coordinating our state make-up testing.

  • Thank you Manhattan Park District for loaning us Round Barn Farm for grade level picnics.

  • A day of inflatables is June 2 and the 19th Annual Kickball Tourney is June 4.

  • May 14 for the next 5 years will be recognized as Mrs. Rossi Activity Day. This year while staff is trained on a new math series, students will enjoy a carnival of activities they've learned in PE class to enjoy. 

B&G News:

  • Both Fire & Life Safety Inspections were executed and went perfectly.

  • All 4 campuses have been fertilized...thank you Allied Nursery 

  • A list of summer projects is being created.

  • New exterior doors for Anna Mac are slated for June 9.

  • AM gym floor is scheduled for July 7.

Mr. Vince Perillo:

  • Teacher Appreciation Week:  Thank you to all the staff at Manhattan Junior High School for the time and effort they pour into working with our students.  Thanks to Manhattan School District 114 and to the PTO for providing lunch for the staff this week!  The teachers appreciate the recognition of the time and efforts given to our students!

  • Art Show/Pulsera Project:  The 3nd Annual Cycle Showcase was a major success!  Thanks to Mrs. Kim Johnson, Mrs. Katie Duff, Mrs. Amy Marshall, and Mrs. Jamie Smith for the work they put into planning for and hosting this community event where all students had work from their classes on display.  The staff and students had a variety of activities for the community to engage in during the event as well. Another highlight of the night was showcasing student work from the Monster Project, where 8th-grade students took renderings from students at Wilson Creek, re-imaged them digitally, and created the monsters using 3-D printers.  

  • As a part of the show, Mrs. Smith and her Spanish class raised money as a part of Pulsera Project Pulsara, a non-profit organization that works with Central-American artists while also investing in their communities.  

  • Rooms 500, 502, and 503: Rooms 500, 502, and 503 took their annual field trip to Wilson Creek to read children’s books to the K-1 students on May 12th. Thank you to Mrs. Dunlap, Mrs. Pierce, and Ms. Tooley, as well as Mrs. Rohe and Mrs. Conlin, for always letting our students participate in this wonderful tradition!

  • Spring STAR Testing / DESSA Screening: Students will be taking the Spring STAR Assessments the week of May 5th - May 9th.  The data from the STAR tests is a portion of what is utilized to place students in classes and programs, such as advanced classes, interventions, the Summer Bridge Program, and more.  

  • Starting May 5th, teachers will complete the DESSA Minis on students for the third and final time.  Staff analyze the data from the SEL screener to help support the whole child. 

  •   8th-Grade Dance:  MJHS hosted its 8th-Grade Dance on Thursday, May 29th.  Over the last few weeks of school, MJHS will celebrate the class of 2025 with a “Countdown to Graduation”.  Thanks to Mrs. Watson and Mrs. Dobczyk for coordinating the dance, from booking the DJ and “photo booth” to decorating and catering food for the students. Thanks in advance to all the staff members that will chaperon the dance! 

  • LWSRA PE Takeover:  On Tuesday, May 27th, the Lincoln-Way Special Recreation Association will be coming to MJHS to work with our students!  During the day, LWSRA members will be leading adaptive PE activities and games!  Thanks to Mrs. Bonnie Carroll for arranging this incredible day!  

  • End of the Year Events:  As a part of our Rewards Activities, all students will have a field trip towards the end of the May.  8th-graders had the opportunity to turn in permission slips and money to attend Great America on May 30th! 6th and 7th-grade students will be attending a Windy City T-Bolts game on Wednesday, May 28th!  Thanks to our PTO for hosting the annual Field Days at the end of the year, and MJHS is excited to have our first House Olympics on Thursday, May 29th.   

  • Class of 2025 Graduation:  Graduation will take place at MJHS on Tuesday, June 3rd, at 5:30.  Thank you to Mrs. Burlison and Mrs. Kurzawa for all their work with creating the programs, passing out tickets, communicating with families, and more!  

  • Athletics: The Demons Track & Field Program is working towards their IESA Sectional Meet, which Manhattan is hosting at MJHS on Saturday, May 17th.  At the Morris Invitational on Saturday May 2nd, many students earned ribbons, scored team points, and achieved personal records.  

  • On Thursday, May 8th, the Demons will compete in the DPVC Conference Meet at Joliet Memorial Stadium.  

  • The MJHS Bowling team competed at the state on Saturday, April 12th. The boys team qualified and placed 8th in state (a school record!) The boys team included Owen Kueltzo, Brayden Ptak, Gavin Ashley, Dominic DiLorenzo, Nathan Flaws, and Michael Schmitz. We had two girls qualify and compete as individuals- Lauren Holiner and Sabrina Gutierrez. Congratulations, Demon Bowlers!

  • Activities: The MJHS Scholastic Bowl team won both regionals and sectionals this year! For the first time in school history, they are headed to the IESA state finals on Friday, May 9th! Good luck, Demons!

  • Fishing Club: The MJHS Fishing Club will take it’s first fishing trip on Saturday, May 10th to the Monee Reservoir. We hope to see all our Demon Anglers out there!

  • Spring Play: The MJHS Spring Play performances will be held on Monday, May 19th and Tuesday, May 20th at 7:00 p.m. Mrs. Mancini and Mrs. Miller-Amato have been working hard at rehearsals with 6th-8th grade students to refine their shows. We’re looking forward to them!

  • Music Updates: Congratulations to the 6th grade Concert Band and the Symphonic Band for their great performances at the IGSMA State Festival on Saturday, April 26th!  The kids played great and the 6th grade Concert Band received an Excellent Rating and the Symphonic Band received a Superior rating. The Symphonic Band also received one perfect score!

  • 6-7th grade audition videos for placement in Symphonic Band are due Friday, May 16th. On Monday, May 12th, Symphonic Band will perform at MIS and AM during the school day for their spring tour. There is a Spring Concert on Tuesday, May 13th for 5th-8th grades at 6:30 in the MJHS gym. And Wednesday, May 21st is the band banquet at MJHS.

  • Congratulations to the Demon Orchestra and Chamber Orchestra for receiving a Division 1 rating at the IGSMA State Orchestra Festival on Saturday, April 26th.  A special congratulations to the Chamber Orchestra for earning a perfect score from one judge--which is not an easy feat at the State level!

  • Congratulations to the Demon Choir for receiving a Division 1 rating at the IGSMA State Choral Festival on Saturday, April 26th.  The Demon Choir also received a perfect score from one judge--which is not an easy feat at the State level!

  • A very special congratulations to the Madrigal Singers for receiving a "Superior with High Honors" rating at the IGSMA State Choral Festival on Saturday, April 26th.  The singers earned perfect scores from all 3 judges, which is an incredibly difficult task to do, especially at the State level.  Our singers were crowned the "best in show"! 

  • On Saturday, May 3rd, the Demon Orchestra and Demon Choir traveled to Zion Benton Township HS to compete in the "Music In The Parks" competition, and then spent the day at Six Flags Great America! During the week of May 5th, Ms. Perkne will stop by all 3rd grade classrooms to recruit any incoming 3rd grader looking to join the Manhattan Orchestra Program! On Tuesday, May 6th at 6:30pm in the MJHS Gym, the Demon Choir and Madrigal Singers (alongside the 4/5 MIS Choir) will have their Spring Choral Concert, which will feature a brief awards ceremony and reception to congratulate the Class of 2025! On Thursday, May 8th at 6:30pm in the MJHS Gym, the 4th Grade Beginning Orchestra, 5th Grade Jr. Demon Orchestra, Demon Orchestra and Chamber Orchestra will have their Spring Orchestra Concert, which will feature a brief awards ceremony and reception to congratulate the Class of 2025! On Monday, May 12th, the Demon Orchestra and Demon Choir (alongside the Symphonic Band) will go on their annual "Spring Tour" to showcase our amazing MJHS Music Program to the students at both MIS and Anna Mac. On Friday, May 16th, the 4th Grade Beginning Orchestra and 5th Grade Jr. Demon Orchestra will perform during the school day for their peers at MIS! We are so excited to showcase the music we've been working on in class! 

  • Best of luck to all music groups as they host their end of the year concerts the next few weeks!

  • Incoming 6th-Grade Step-Up Night:  On Wednesday, May 7th, MJHS hosted its first Step-Up Night for Incoming 6th-graders and their parents.  Visitors listened to a presentation regarding information about MJHS and then were able to tour the building on a scavenger hunt to become familiar with the new school.  Thanks to the over 100 families that came out for it.  A special thanks to Mrs. Hallihan, Officer Bernardy, and the Manhattan Athletic Boosters for their presence and help that night!