Recently, Pleasant Hill Elementary School had a special visit from a mime! The mime helped students write a story, and then acted out their stories in front of the school during an assembly. The Pleasant Hill PTA supported this full-day event.
Gary Avenue Road Closure begins Week of March 16
The City of Wheaton has notified us that starting the week of March 16, Gary Avenue will be closed between Prairie and Harrison Avenues as crews begin the next phase of the Gary Avenue Reconstruction Project. This section of Gary Avenue is expected to be closed until mid-summer, once the south half of the road reconstruction is complete.
At this time, the City of Wheaton will be utilizing the detour route pictured below. The detour route can also be found on the City’s website (https://www.wheaton.il.us/1341/Gary-Avenue-Detour-Map).
We anticipate this road closure may cause transportation delays for students who attend the following schools:
- Wheaton North High School
- Franklin Middle School
- Monroe Middle School
- Sandburg Elementary School
- Pleasant Hill Elementary School
- Whittier Elementary School
- Emerson Elementary School
- Jefferson Early Childhood Center
We are working with our bus company to make adjustments for any routes that use Gary Avenue. Our building principals will communicate detour information and potential bus route delays with impacted families in the coming days.
We encourage you to visit www.wheaton.il.us/GaryAvenue for more information about the Gary Avenue Reconstruction Project and to stay updated as it progresses.
In this week’s CUSD 200 Newsletter, we highlight the following:
- Spring Testing: Information and Tips for Families
- Gary Avenue Road Closure begins Week of March 16
- Classroom Close-Up at Hawthorne Elementary School
- Mental Health & Wellness Symposium
- 5Essentials Parent Survey
- Online Registration for the 2025-26 School Year
- Citizens' Advisory Committee Now Accepting Applications for 2025-26 School Year
- Monroe Dance Marathon Raises $7K
- Pleasant Hill One School, One Book Program Creates Engaging Activities for Students, Gives Back to the Community
- Wheaton North Student Composes Large Symphony
- Emerson Parent Book Study
- Washington Family Fun Night
Read more by visiting, https://bit.ly/41sEA3i. #YourCommunitySchools
Join CUSD 200 and neighboring districts for the 3rd Annual Mental Health & Wellness Symposium this Saturday, March 8, at Metea Valley High School!
Choose from a variety of breakout sessions designed for adults and teens, covering topics from practical strategies for managing anxiety, supporting children's needs, navigating college readiness, and much more. Keynote speaker Doug Bolton will address the challenges of "Overscheduled and Overwhelmed: Navigating a Culture of High Achievement." Plus, enjoy free childcare (ages 3-10), a resource fair, and a book fair!
For more information and to register, visit https://bit.ly/3QgHgMn.
Recently, we stopped by Allison Kresal's fifth grade math lesson at Bower Elementary School, who was also joined by Math Coach Melissa Lamkin, for a Classroom Close-Up.
During the lesson, students were working with partners on vertical writing surfaces to explain why a pair of decimal expressions are equivalent. This activity challenged students by testing their understanding of multiplying decimal expressions and utilizing math vocabulary to explain their reasoning.
After working with their partners, students got together in small groups to share their written explanations of why the decimal expressions are equivalent, and provided feedback to each other. Students gave feedback on the math vocabulary they heard, if anything needed clarification, and suggestions for things to add or change to make their explanations stronger and clearer. #YourCommunitySchools
This week's #TBT takes us to Monroe Middle School in 2011. The Monroe eagle was soaring high and the yearbook challenged everyone to "Envision New Horizons". #YourCommunitySchools
Theatre students from both Wheaton North and Wheaton Warrenville South high schools recently attended the Illinois High School Theatre Festival, the largest and oldest non-competitive high school theatre festival in the nation. Throughout the event, students participated in a variety of workshops led by industry professionals, exploring everything from acting techniques and stage combat to set design, directing, and musical theatre.
Students had the opportunity to collaborate with peers from across the state, gaining new perspectives on performance, technical theatre, and storytelling. Students also attended inspiring performances, sparking fresh ideas and creative energy to bring back to our own stage.
A highlight of the festival was the All-State Production, a showcase featuring the top high school theatre talent from across Illinois. We’re proud to share that a Wheaton North student was part of the costume crew for this prestigious production, contributing her skills to a high-caliber show celebrated by festival attendees.
This experience not only strengthened our students' theatrical skills but also helped build strong crosstown relationships within our Performing Arts departments. The collaboration between Wheaton North and Wheaton Warrenville South students reflects our shared passion for the arts, and we’re excited to see how these connections will inspire future productions.
Edison Celebrates National Periodic Table Day
Every year on February 7, the seventh-grade science students at Edison Middle School celebrate National Periodic Table Day! Each seventh grader designs and presents a t-shirt representing one of the elements, and then they all wear their shirt for the big day!
The CUSD 200 Board of Education held its Committee of the Whole Meeting on Wednesday, February 26, at the School Service Center.
To read a recap of the meeting, visit https://bit.ly/3XkMsCW. #YourCommunitySchools
Wheaton North High School student Finn Wall spent this past summer researching atrial fibrillation and pulsed field ablation, guided by a fourth-year NYU medical student mentor. Finn gained foundational knowledge in cardiology, scientific writing, analyzing clinical trials, and understanding complex texts.
With the support of his mentor, Finn independently authored a paper titled "Breaking the Rhythm: Atrial Fibrillation and the Potential of Pulsed Field Ablation," (https://shorturl.at/7yFir) which was uploaded to the Research Archive of Rising Scholars on atrial fibrillation. Finn is currently pursuing publication in a peer-reviewed journal!
This experience solidified Finn's interest in pursuing a medical career, likely in cardiology, and sparked a passion for research and scientific writing.
Do you remember Seraph Warren Holmes Elementary School? #TBT to this school that was on Warren Avenue in Warrenville from 1913-1991, and was named after the town's first teacher! After the school closed its doors in 1991, it was later torn down to make way for Warrenville's police station. #YourCommunitySchools
Online registration is now open for the 2025-26 school year for new students, kindergarteners, and new and returning Jefferson Early Childhood Center tuition students. For more information and to begin the online registration process, please visit https://shorturl.at/rR3i9
Registration for all returning students for the 2025-26 school year is scheduled to open in the spring. More information will be forthcoming.
Parents of current students are invited to complete the Illinois 5Essentials Parent Survey! The information you provide will help guide improvement as we strive to inspire each student to excel through the education and opportunities we provide in CUSD 200.
Your participation in this survey is invaluable, voluntary, and anonymous. To take the survey, please follow the directions below:
Go to https://survey.5-essentials.org/Illinois/ to take the survey.
Select the parent survey
You may enter your email address if you would like to receive confirmation of your submission, but it is not required.
Then enter “[DuPage]” into the county field and “NAME OF SCHOOL” to find our school.
You will then be asked a series of questions to provide input regarding your family’s experience at your student's school. Please remember to click “submit” once you are done so your responses can be counted.
Please know that your identity and responses will be kept confidential and will not be connected with your child. If you have multiple children who attend a school, you may complete one survey for each child. Our goal is to complete the survey on March 6, so please submit your responses soon!
Thank you in advance for your valuable time and input.
The Community Unit School District 200 Board of Education Committee of the Whole Meeting is this Wednesday, February 26, at 7 p.m. at the School Service Center, 130 W. Park Ave. in Wheaton.
To view the agenda, visit https://bit.ly/3Jw8prm, and click on February 26, on the calendar in the top right hand corner.
The meeting will also be livestreamed and posted on our YouTube channel at https://bit.ly/4fL931R. #YourCommunitySchools
Summer Internship Opportunities for High School Students
Calling all rising juniors and seniors! Are you interested in exploring a new career and learning valuable job skills while being paid? CUSD 200 has a variety of Summer 2025 Internship opportunities for rising juniors and seniors. Please visit this link (https://shorturl.at/ASdKp) for more information. Registration ends February 28.
In this week’s CUSD 200 Newsletter, we highlight the following:
- 3rd Annual Mental Health & Wellness Symposium
- Classroom Close-Up at Bower Elementary School
- 5Essentials Parent Survey
- Online Registration for the 2025-26 School Year
- Citizens' Advisory Committee Now Accepting Applications for 2025-26 School Year
- Summer Internship Opportunities for High School Students
- CUSD 200's Dr. John Di Sanza Receives ISBE's Those Who Excel Award
- Wheaton North Student Research on Atrial Fibrillation and Pulsed Field Ablation
- Edison Celebrates National Periodic Table Day
- CUSD 200 Theatre Students Shine at Illinois High School Theatre Festival
- Mime Brings Engaging Writing to Pleasant Hill
Read more by visiting, https://bit.ly/430hcg1. #YourCommunitySchools
📣FREE Mobile Food Market TODAY 📣
There is a FREE mobile food market TODAY from 4:30-6 p.m. at Villagebrook Apartments, 278 E. St. Charles Road in Carol Stream.
Families will receive a week's worth of groceries at no cost. This distribution is drive-thru only, and is distributed on a first-come, first-served basis, while supplies last.
Please help spread the word! #YourCommunitySchools
For this week's #TBT, let's take a look back at Edison Jr. High School in 1978. #YourCommunitySchools
Yesterday, the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) released a list of educators who have been named recipients of their Those Who Excel Award.
We are incredibly proud and excited to share that CUSD 200 Psychology Department Chair Dr. John Di Sanza was given an Award of Excellence under the Student Support Personnel category!
To receive the Award of Excellence, the most prestigious of the Those Who Excel honors, educators must have demonstrated a commitment to equity and to the success of all students. They regularly collaborate with colleagues, students, and families to create positive school cultures. They are lifelong learners who connect their schools to the community at large and who inspire other education professionals within and beyond their schools.
Please join us in congratulating Dr. Di Sanza on this well-deserved recognition! #YourCommunitySchools
At the January Board Meeting, Dr. Schuler recognized community member Mr. Jae Haas for his involvement in the high school Business INCubator Program. Eight years ago, Mr. Haas pitched the idea of bringing Business INCubator to CUSD 200, and has played an instrumental role in the program every year since.
From spearheading the idea to bring this to our community, he has also helped establish the Board of Directors (the sharks), contributed funding used for awards and product development, hosts events to recruit board members, mentors, and coaches student teams, organizes judges for the pitch competitions, and provides ongoing guidance to our teachers.
On behalf of the CUSD 200 community, we thank Mr. Haas for helping us get this program started, and for his dedication to help it grow over the years. His involvement and commitment to the INCubator program is invaluable to our students, staff and schools.
Mr. Haas was presented with a certificate of appreciation for being a valued community partner. #YourCommunitySchools
