Archive for category: District Announcements

The EHS chapter of Science National Honor Society was established just one year ago and has already garnered a membership of 41 high school juniors and seniors. Now beginning their second year, Science National Honor Society (SNHS) students have launched a fun science night out for kids called Science pHun Night! Science pHun Night will be held on Friday, Nov. 17 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. and is open to kids in kindergarten through fifth grade. The event will include several activities, each with a focus on a different type of science. Students will go visit different rooms, exploring the different sciences and participating in the different activities related to each. In the biology room, students will do leaf chromatography. In the Earth Science room, students will create an earthquake simulation and in the physics room, there will be an egg drop. For chemistry, students will make slime to take home.

This event is being planned and hosted by EHS students who are members of the Science National Honor Society. Ava Rahman, a member of SNHS, and her fellow members are excited to see their event come to fruition after months of planning and preparing.

“I’ve never been in a leadership role for an event like this,” she said. “I can see from beginning to end how it’s going to play out.”

The group divides up into committees and each member is required to be on a committee. This gives students the chance to be a leader, work as a team, and meet new people.

SNHS wanted to put this event on to help get science out into the community and to give kids exposure to different kinds of science. Additionally, they hope to “get them interested in things that aren’t sitting on your cell phone,” and “doing things that involves learning,” Rahman said.

EHS science teacher and Science National Honor Society sponsor Sara Chapman hopes that the EHS students can be a good example the younger students. “[Kids] can see highschoolers who can be role models for them in the science field.”

They also hope to earn money for the EHS Science National Honor Society chapter. The money made from this event will go towards a science scholarship for an EHS senior, bringing in a speaker to talk to members, and the annual fee to be an SNHS chapter.

Members of the Science National Honor Society must have a cumulative 3.0 GPA across all classes, have a 3.5 GPA in science, have four years of science with at least one being an honor level course and another being a second level class, they must get a recommendation from a teacher, and agree to complete once science-based service hour per quarter. Applications will open for juniors and seniors in late November/early December.

The cost for Science pHun Night is $20/ child and $15/sibling, with proceeds benefiting the EHS SNHS chapter. To register, visit ecusd7.org/virtual-backpack and select “Science NHS pHun Night”. Fill out the registration form and return form and payment to Sara Chapman at Edwardsville High School.

written by: Caroline Gates, District #7 PR Intern

Congratulations to District #7 elementary technology specialists Shanyra Cox and Michelle Herman, who both recently became Microsoft Innovative Educator Experts.  

When the district became a Microsoft 365 district, the duo knew there was a lot to learn.  

“I quickly realized that I needed to accelerate my understanding of all things Microsoft in order to guide instruction,” said Cox. “MIEE helped me envision how to better support student and teacher learning in an ever-evolving world of technology, and it gave me the skills, mindset and supportive community to make that happen.”  

“A great deal of school districts around us are Google schools, and therefore, I felt like my outside resources were limited,” said Herman. “Earning the MIEE not only taught me a lot, but also opened the doors to some amazing resources.” 

The Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert program brings together a diverse community of educators from around the world and gives them an opportunity to share innovative practices.   

While the whole process consisted of many modules, the initial training academy was designed to teach coaches about the various Microsoft technologies while providing valuable insights and strategies for supporting teachers and students in integrating technology effectively in the classroom. 

“The emphasis on 21st century skills and instructional design is crucial for preparing students for the ever-evolving world of technology and the workplace,” said Herman. “Not only did I learn a lot along the way, but I also gained access to a supportive Microsoft Educational community of fellow educators across the world and a wealth of resources that I can share with teachers and students across the district.”

“I am excited to help District #7 teachers and students leverage Microsoft tools to create, collaborate and grow as learners!” added Cox.  

Each month, District #7 will provide a construction update on the projects associated with the Bond Referendum with Alex Metzger, the architect for the district. 

Lincoln 

• The project at Lincoln continues to be on schedule and under budget.  

• The demolition of portions of 1941 and 1953 buildings are complete.  

• The utility and site grading package for $677,000 to S. Shafer Excavating was approved by the Board of Education at September’s monthly meeting. This will include utility prep for the addition as well as regrading the beginning of digging for the foundation. Additionally, trees between Lincoln and the tennis courts will be removed for the addition to allow for needed space that will benefit students and staff. Any tree removed with a circumference of 36 inches will be milled and utilized in construction projects. 
• The addition is still scheduled to be ready for the fall of 2025. 

see gallery of photos of Lincoln’s work during September below 

Midway 

• Package went to bid last week (which was also under budget) for work on mitigating the water around Midway’s building.  

• Once approved by the Board of Education in October, work is expected to begin quickly thereafter in late October or November. The work to be done will be earthwork and grading. A new drainage swale will be put in to mitigate water from the building.  

• Student activity outside will not be impacted. Students will still have access to the playground and the asphalt.  

EHS Commons 

• Working towards design development set, which should be available soon. 

• Construction is scheduled to begin late August/early September of 2024 with exterior work. Upon the 2024-25 school year’s completion, this will be tied in and connected to the existing commons space. Scheduled to be open for use in the fall of 2025.

Playgrounds 

• Project is in initial stages and playgrounds are currently being assessed with a consultant from Cunningham Recreation by looking at the type of play, equipment, surfaces, and accessibility.  

Secure Entries 

• Secure entry hardware at Liberty Middle School, Cassens Elementary, Goshen Elementary, Midway Elementary, and Worden Elementary is projected for competition for next summer with district funds. 

• Edwardsville High School and Leclaire, Glen Carbon, and Woodland elementaries will undergo an interior renovation for secure vestibules. That is expected to be done by the fall of 2024.  

• With the design of Lincoln Middle School and the future design of Hamel Elementary, secure vestibules will be incorporated.  

• Nelson Elementary and Columbus Elementary will require additional design work.   

Hamel Elementary 

• Given the scope of work and costs involved, we are continually looking at Hamel to refine and ensure we can complete the project needed. 

Friday, Sept. 29 was the District’s first Everyone, Every day, Edwardsville t-shirt day and there were plenty of shirts being worn at each school. More than 800 t-shirts were sold during the initial campaign, which generated more than $3,000 that will go back to the schools to support anti-bullying and kindness initiatives. For those still interested in purchasing a shirt, the District will open the store again in October.

Gallery of photos

District #7 has always valued diverse languages and cultures and now we want to celebrate and recognize the many languages spoken within our District #7 boundaries! Beginning with the 2023-2024 school year, we will be participating in the Illinois State Seal of Biliteracy. The Illinois State Seal of Biliteracy is an award presented at graduation in recognition of attaining a high level of proficiency in English and in one or more other languages. It is officially designated on a student’s transcript and high school diploma. 

This award is a great way to honor and encourage bilingualism and maintenance of home language for our English learner students as well as an extra incentive for our English-speaking students participating in world language studies. The award is available to students of all backgrounds and can be assessed anytime during a student’s high school career.  

Based on a student’s level of proficiency in English and their additional language, a student may qualify to receive State Commendation Toward Biliteracy or the State Seal of Biliteracy according to the proficiency information laid out below: 

There are also many postsecondary award benefits to earning the State Seal of Biliteracy, including all Illinois public colleges and universities must accept the State Seal of Biliteracy as equivalent to two years of world language coursework taken during high school for admissions purposes.  This document (Albanian, Chinese, Korean, Spanish, Vietnamese) provides more detailed information regarding public colleges and universities in Illinois.