Manhattan School District 114

Mrs. Kim Maher - Director of Communication, Development, and Safety:

Transportation: The 11th bus was added to our fleet on October 20th.  At that time, several routes and many times were updated.  While the buses are running less late, LW210 is still working to improve route time accuracy and information and direction accessibility for drivers and sub drivers.  We are hopeful that this will help drivers accurately report delays so in turn, we can proactively and accurately communicate with our families.  We maintain our expectations for bus routes that safely transport our students in reasonable amounts of time.

LW210 PPS Presentation: Members of the LW210 PPS departments joined us on October 27th to present to parents and staff on "Helping Your Child Navigate Grief."  Offering valuable insight, practical strategies, and useful resources, they provided information we are able to share with the families of our community.  Families can access the slides on the MSD114 district website. 

Parent-Teacher Conferences: Scheduling for Parent-Teacher Conferences opened on November 3rd.  All MSD114 parents are encouraged to attend conferences on Monday, November 24th or Tuesday, November 25th.

Fall PTO Events: Our PTO has already been so busy.  We are grateful for their efforts in bringing together the community at their Annual Trunk-or-Treat, hosting social events like the MJHS Halloween Dance and MIS Social, classroom parties, and their 2nd Read-a-Thon fundraiser.  An incredible amount of time and effort goes into planning, coordinating, and executing all of these events and we appreciate the dedicated volunteers that make it all happen!

Mrs. Cheryl Donovan - Director of Curriculum and Instruction:

The Illinois School Report Card is now live. If you’d like to discuss any components of the academic reporting or summative designation, I’m happy to do so. 

During the month of October and early November several staff members participated in professional development provided by various providers. A few of those opportunities are highlighted below.

• Kelly Barr, Jessica Patterson, and Michele Walker: Instructional Coaching

• Meghan Petschinsky: IAR Data Deep Dive

• Stephanie Boersma, Kristin Johnson, and Jenny Davis: Elementary Art 

• Amy Goberville and Joyce Watson: MTSS

Our staff continues to learn our new resource, Eureka Math Squared. Thank you to our leadership team and our teachers for staying attentive to preparing for instruction. Thank you to our families as well. Eureka Math Squared provides Family Math letters as well as resources and extra practice for home. 

On October 29th, our 8th grade students took the ACT 8/9 assessment. The assessment assists Lincoln Way West determine the courses our students will take as freshmen. Students will receive paper scores from the high school when they visit in February. Thank you to our staff for preparing for and administering the assessment. Thank you to Lincoln-Way West for their support in both preparing for the assessment and for sending support on administration day. 

The Illinois State Board of Education published the Illinois Comprehensive Literacy Plan in 2024. Our staff continues to learn about the plan as well as align practices. Recently the state of Illinois published in draft form the Illinois Numeracy Plan I referenced last fall when our report card was published. You can learn more about that process here.

Mrs. Julie Hantson - Director of Special Education: 

Our 2025-2026 Student Services Night is scheduled for Thursday, April 16, 2025 (5:30pm-7pm) at Wilson Creek School. We were notified by ISBE that our ISBE Special Education Compliance Visit is scheduled for the 2027–2028 school year. Preparations will be underway for this moving forward.

We were notified that we are on remediation for Preschool for our least restrictive environment and we will begin steps to rectify and move forward with a game plan. We have a team of people to problem solve how to have exposure to general education preschool students for our district. DESSA screening for the fall has been completed and we are currently working with students who showed they would benefit from support. Bi-weekly Team meetings for each building are underway and going well.

Ms. Cari Rohe - Wilson Creek: 

The last month has been super busy at The Creek!  We celebrated students who earned our character trait of the month award at our monthly Pride Assembly!  Students also earned a visit from the Kona Ice truck for all of their hard work during the PTO read-a-thon!  All of the 1st Grade classes took a field trip to the Manhattan Fire Department to supplement our safety month and all of our bus riders completed their bus evacuation drill! The week of Halloween was lots of fun for all of the students! 1st Grade had their annual bat day where their classrooms were transformed to bat caves!  K/1 had beautiful weather for their outdoor Halloween Parade where many families and friends lined the front of our building to watch!  K/1 also enjoyed their PTO Halloween parties and a visit from all of the parent volunteers!

We had professional development on the 10/12 early release where we educated staff about the ISBE literacy audit and continued to deep dive into the Character Strong curriculum!  We are so excited to start reviewing our literacy pillars from our audit. On the November 12th early release we will spend some time learning and doing activities surrounding the 7 pillars of literacy. We will talk about the 4 of the 7 pillars; fluency, word recognition, oracy and phonological awareness. We have all our Eureka M2 materials inventoried and delivered! In PLC's, we’ve been talking about some good apps and programs that can support you in math. We will continue to review how to better implement Seesaw, Wixie, Mystery Science and Brain Pop Jr. to support curriculum in the classroom. We are currently working on Module 2 in Eureka M2 and are gearing up to review Module 3 which is a big unit for both Kindergarten and First Grade. We are in the beginning stages of reviewing our vertical articulation for writing and plan to spend more time on this in the coming months. 

The preschool classrooms at Wilson Creek recently completed a month-long Creative Curriculum study on Trees. Students explored the natural world by noticing, comparing, and learning about different types of trees through hands-on activities like leaf collection, bark rubbing, and real-time observations of how trees change. This study strengthened their science knowledge, critical thinking, and appreciation for the environment.

Our Fall Family Involvement Day, Campfire Connections, was a huge success! Over 120 guests joined the fun as preschool students paraded their costumes around the commons before families explored classrooms filled with make-and-take activities focused on literacy, math, and fine motor skills.

This week, students began a new unit on Bread, a popular study since many of their favorite meals involve bread and bread-like foods! Through hands-on exploration of ingredients, mixing, and rising, children will develop critical thinking, fine motor skills, and early math and literacy concepts, all while connecting classroom learning to a real-world topic that resonates at home. 

PFA Parent Education, led by Mary Gorski, has been busy connecting families! October highlights included a coffee chat, the launch of our lending library, and a parent/tot connection opportunity titled "Purrfectly Cozy Storytime," where children adopted stuffed kitten reading buddies and enjoyed a couple of read-alouds with Michelle of the Manhattan-Elwood Public Library. This month, we look forward to another coffee chat, a potty training webinar, and a Zones of Regulation drop-in/make & take opportunity during conferences.

Mrs. Elise Kirk - Anna McDonald: 

Fire presentations-  Thank you to our Manhattan Fire Department for coming out and teaching our 2nd and 3rd grade students about fire and battery safety. Students enjoyed seeing the different tools on the truck and also racing the fire fighters to put on all the gear. The battery experiment was very exciting! 

Music/ Choir Club- 2nd and 3rd grade started after school music club with Mrs. Bloom. This club is a huge success and students are really enjoying it!

Math Magician Club- We are excited to offer more clubs at Anna McDonald. Thank you to Mrs. Bowlds and Mrs. Rottman for hosting our math magicians club. Students will sharpen their math skills by playing a variety of games with friends.

Halloween- Thank you to our PTO and party volunteers for making Halloween a great success. It was so great to see our streets lined with families for our parade route. These are the days that childhood memories are made of!

Pack Council- Thank you to pack council for hosting a trunk at the PTO trunk or treat at MJHS. It was so great to see so many families and share in the joy of Halloween.

Manhattan Public Library Field Trip- Our classes have been taking full advantage of our proximity to the public library. Classes have walked over for a field trip where students took a tour, enjoyed a read aloud and played a fun game.

MTSS Check-In Meetings Our staff will participate in 6 week data check- in meetings next week. Thank you to Jess Patterson and Angie Newman for facilitating these meetings. 

Specials Superstar: Each month our Art, Music, PE and STEM teachers nominate two students that exemplify the monthly character trait. This month we recognize students who demonstrated RESPONSIBILITY. Their picture is displayed on our Specials Superstar wall and they receive a certificate and trophy. 

Mr. Ryan McWilliams - Manhattan Intermediate, Director of Buildings and Grounds:

MFPD visited MIS on Nov 6th to present on fire safety & dangers of lithium batteries.

Thank you to all our PTO room parents for making MIS Halloween parties a blast!

Our early release days in October and November concentrated on ELA writing & literacy and the continued implementation of Eureka Math. Thank you to Mrs. Barr & Ms. Lamont for facilitating these conversations and products that resulted.

MTSS check-ins are scheduled for Nov 18. Thank you Ms. Lamont for coordinating those meetings with staff to ensure intervention & support practices are demonstrating achievement progress.

I would like to thank Mrs. Healy for organizing the collection of snacks &  treats for our Manhattan Fire & Police Departments.

MIS started on Nov 3rd offering students & parents homework club after school Monday thru Thursday. Students can stay after school and get work done in a quiet space and/or get any extra help needed. Thank you Mrs. Houk, Ms. Innes, and Mrs. Pilon for the supervision.

An Art club will also be offered by Mrs. Boersma starting after winter break. She will offer (3) 6-week sessions from mid-January thru mid-May. Mrs. Boersma has also opened her door and is sharing her wonderful expertise with a LWW student intern this school year.

MIS had a couple of former students come back this Fall to do their teaching observation hours. It’s nice that our former students reach out as we are always willing to help jumpstart their careers. Much thanks to the staff for welcoming them back.

Mrs. Ramsey & Mrs. Fox will be hosting the annual book fair in the library Nov 17th thru parent-teacher conferences. 

A reminder that the MIS band, orchestra, choir concert is Thursday, November 13th at MJHS at  6:30pm. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Buildings and Grounds

• Concession stand, stadium sprinklers, & retention pond fountains at MJHS have been prepared for winter.

• All the new addition exterior and interior doors at MJHS have key cores and are fully operational.

• Seeking to add additional security cameras at MJHS/DO in a couple blindspot areas and at the stadium.

• Our (3) older buildings have been transitioned to heating. Boilers have been cleaned & serviced. All (4) campuses were fertilized on October 18 by Allied Nursery. Deficiencies with fire sprinklers at WC and  MIS will be addressed during the week of Thanksgiving. Annual inspection will be over winter break.

• Seeking to convert all recessed lighting at WC to LED lights similar to the work done at AM and MIS.

• Game lines on gym floor and AM to be painted over Thanksgiving break.

Mr. Vince Perillo - Manhattan Junior High:

Veterans Day Tribute: The students of MJHS, with the guidance of our staff, hosted our Veterans Day Program to show MJHS’s gratitude to our Veterans. Our music ensembles performed patriotic selections during the program. The program also included the Flag Folding Ceremony, White Table Ceremony, and many more student inspired tributes. 

Thank you to all of the staff and students that were involved in planning and implementing our Veteran’s Day Breakfast and Assembly. A huge shout out to our music programs and Mrs. Gurley and Mrs. Pedziwater for preparing their musicians and to the groups for performing on Veterans Day. A fantastic job by all. An additional thank you to Mrs. West and Mrs. Watson for presenting the Missing Man Table Ceremony, Mr. Minuth for preparing the students who folded and presented the flag, and our cycles teachers, Mrs. Amy Marshall, Mrs. Katie Duff, Mrs. Kim Johnson, and Mrs. Jamie Smith, for having the students create items that were displayed and give-aways to our guests of honor. A special thank you to Mrs. Traci Ethridge for coordinating the event. 

8th-Grade PreACT Testing: On October 29th, the 8th-graders took their PreACT tests, which serve as data for initial placement at the high school. Thanks to Mrs. Cheryl Donovan, Mrs. Meghan Petschinsky, Mrs. Michele Hallihan, Mrs. Joyce Watson, Mrs. Amy Goberville, and all the staff that helped to proctor the test. Results will be available in January. 

Athletics: Boys’ basketball tryouts were held in October and all teams have begun their seasons, led by Mr. Marotta (8th), Mr. Van Dyke (7th), and Mr. Shiffer (6th). The MJHS cheerleaders also began their season, coached by Mrs. Klaric, and performed at the first home game on Wednesday, November 5th. We continue to hold our Athletic Expectations Nights for all athletic programs, providing coaches with an opportunity to review player and fan expectations and to meet with families prior to their season beginning. Wrestling will begin on December 1st at MIS and girls’ volleyball tryouts will take place on December 8th and 9th. 

Scary Stories: The students in Room 500’s, 502’s, and 503’s classes created and read their “Scary Stories” for our staff and some of our students. It was a “Spooktacular” success! This was the 17th year for the annual event, and we were happy to have many of our District Administrators and School Board members in attendance. We are very proud of our students’ creativity and originality. 

Red Ribbon Week: The staff and students at MJHS are to be commended for their participation in the annual Red Ribbon Week. Each day had a different dress up theme to create spirit for making healthy choices. Students participated in activities during their Small Group House Meeting and also received a presentation from Mrs. Worth, our social worker. 

MJHS Library News 

The junior high had a successful Book Fair. The funds raised will help purchase additional books and materials for our students. Thank you to all of the students and families for their enthusiastic support! Thank you to Mrs. Hallihan for coordinating the Book Fair. 

MJHS Blue Crew / Athletic Boosters: The Athletic Boosters and Blue Crew hosted a Pink Out on Thursday, November 6th, to raise money to donate to Pink Heals of Joliet. A huge shoutout to Mrs. Jeanelle Carpenter for securing donations to raffle off prizes to people who purchased tickets. The event raised over $1,500 to pass on to the organization, and it was a tremendous atmosphere in both gyms for the event. Thank you to Mrs. Betsy Dobczyk for her help with the Athletic Boosters. 

Candy Buy Back: MJHS hosted the Candy Buy Back again this year. Students received Live School House Points and entered a raffle for bringing in candy. The candy was then taken to a local dentist, who then sends the candy to troops overseas. MJHS raised $143 from this, which will go towards purchasing wreaths for the Wreath Laying Ceremony in December at Abraham Lincoln Cemetery.