It’s time for another Ask an 8th Grader!
Aman S shared that his favorite teacher at D60 was first grade teacher Mrs. Yopchick and his favorite subject is recess!
He also shared a great list of advice for future Westview Hills students:
1. Be kind to everyone
2. Be careful with what you say
3. Don’t take things personally
4. You don’t have to be friends with everybody
5. Find your tribe/group of friends
6. Grades aren’t everything, so don’t stress too much about them, but don’t forget them
7. Work hard and persevere!
Last week, Principal Kassir got demoted for a day while Meera took over as Principal for the Day at Holmes. She did a fantastic job and took care of business! #d60learns
Families and students are invited to come to view all the great work done by Maercker students in Fine Arts and STEM on Thursday, May 16 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Students will also be able to kick-start their summer reading with the Book Fair and can hear from Indian Prairie Public Library about their summer program!
Ask an Eighth Grader: What are your best memories of your time in D60?
Emily M said: “There is more than just one memory from my time in the district, but some of the best memories came from my time in Scholastic Bowl with the team and Mrs. Lathrop!”
What advice do you have for future Westview Hills students?
Emily shared: “There is so much advice that I would love to give to incoming Westview Hills students. I want to start by saying that there is nothing wrong with being scared or nervous because starting middle school is kind of a big change. If there is one thing I know is that the teachers are all going to be really supportive and kind. They will help guide you in anything you need help with, and they will make sure that you are comfortable. There are many adults in the building that you can count on such as the social workers-Mrs. Yackle and Mrs, Hans- your teachers, and Mr. Meehan and Dr. Scott. It may be scary to start because it's a big school with a lot of people, but I can assure you that the Westview Hills community created by the students and staff is really welcoming and helpful, so please don't hesitate to ask for help. I also want to say that you will be successful in school if you really try your best and put your effort in. Change is always going to be scary, but that doesn't mean that you should let that block your path of having a great school year. Try to join clubs and sports! They will help you interact with people of other grade levels and you will get to know more teachers. Once you begin your school year, you will realize that it isn't as hard as it seems.”
Students at Westview sent over 70 letters to a children’s home in Haiti called Be Like Brit. We are so proud of our students for taking the time to write to children in another country! #d60learns
It’s time for a new feature here at Maercker D60, “Ask an Eighth Grader!”
We checked in with a few of our soon-to-be high schoolers about their time in our district about their best memories of their time so far.
Steven S says, “everything that has happened at Maercker District 60 has left an impact on me one way or another so all of them come together to shape me who I am today. The biggest one would be when I joined cross country and track. Those have shaped me into what type of athlete I am today.”
His advice for future Westview HIlls students?
“For them not to be scared because you get more freedom, but with that freedom you do have more responsibilities to take care of,” said Steven. “School isn't all about learning and if you add some fun to it you'll be more than fine, but the priority is doing your school work!”
May is Mental Health Awareness Month! We checked in with Director of Student Services Maureen Kidd about the resources provided in Maercker D60 to support the mental health needs of our students. https://www.maercker.org/article/1589964
It’s time again to check in on some of our former Wildcats as they prepare to graduate from high school!
Austin Eldridge is graduating from Hinsdale Central and will be attending the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign for music performance where he received a scholarship for French Horn performance. Austin is playing a horn concerto with the Hinsdale Central Philharmonic Orchestra on May 14 and is finishing his time with the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra with a concert at Orchestra Hall on May 19. Way to go Austin!
Last week was the Illinois Principals’ Association Awards Breakfast which recognizes outstanding eighth graders from across the state for their strong academics, leadership skills, service and dedication to others, and consistently following the school’s expectations. Congratulations to Colin Vavra and Diya Patel from Westview who were honored! #d60learns
A huge shout out to the amazing teacher volunteers at Holmes, led by Mrs. Blake, for organizing the launch of One Book, One School last week! #d60learns #d60reads
There have been some amazing cards shared for Staff Appreciation Week! You can still send a personalized digital card to show some gratitude to the amazing D60 team. Get the details at the link: https://www.maercker.org/article/1583173
Westview Hills hosted the oboe and bassoon professors from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign to work with our double reed students. What a great opportunity! #d60learns
Students at Maercker partnered with Media Technology Specialist Stephanie Walker to gather research for their science project. They researched biomes utilizing a variety of resources including books and online research and were able to explore using Virtual Reality!
Wednesday, May 8 is School Nurse Day! Thank you to the amazing team of professionals who work so hard every day to make sure our students are feeling well and ready do their best!
Ms. Regalado's 7th Grade ELA classes wrote novels inspired by the Mysteries of Harris Burdick. These novels are currently on display in the Westview Library! #d60learns #d60writes
What were students at Holmes up to last week? Oh, just getting to spend time with puppies! Students got to visit with service dogs and learn about what they do while staff got to meet some adoptable pups. #d60learns
The Maercker School Ecology Club was fortunate to work together with the village of Westmont to plant two new trees! Prior to planting, the students learned about the benefits of trees and responsibilities of the job of arborists. The village provided the two new trees and assisted the students with planting them near our native gardens on the south side of the building. The Ecology Club has been instrumental in planting the majority of the trees on Maercker's property over the years and is run by Mrs. Gorey and Ms. Simms. #d60learns
May is Jewish American Heritage Month! This month is a time to honor the history and contributions of Jewish Americans and celebrate their diverse backgrounds and rich cultures.
May 6-10 is Staff Appreciation Week! D60 is fortunate to have an absolutely incredible team of educators and support staff who do so much for our students and schools each day. This year, we made it easy to share your appreciation with personalized digital cards. Get started at the link: https://www.maercker.org/article/1583173
Students in the Holmes Creation Club learn about coding, green screen and more. They are able to have fun with coding and circuits playing with Dash, Snap circuits and Beebots. #d60learns
