Don't forget, Monday, May 27 is a non-attendance day! Enjoy the long weekend!
Westview band students shared their talents with the residents of Bria retirement home today! Spreading beauty and cheer on their last days of school, Wildcats, we are proud of you! #d60learns
The last day of school for the 2023-24 school year is just one week away! Schools will have early dismissal with Westview Hills at 11 a.m., Holmes at 11:30 a.m., and Maercker at 12 p.m. What an amazing year!
We hope you have been enjoying Ask an 8th Grader!
Prapti S will be attending Hinsdale Central next year and shared that she really enjoyed the field trips with the band and her time in theater while at Westview HIlls. She says that Mrs. Lathrop, Mrs. Moffett, and Mr. Huff were her favorite teachers at Westview and that she is looking forward to a future in the world of creating games or becoming a software engineer.
Her advice for students is similar to others and is focused on getting involved!:
“Join clubs and sports as soon as you can! Don't wait around to see what's happening!”
Do you need meal plans for today? Head to Buona in Darien and show the flyer to have 20% of your total be donated to the Maercker D60 PTA! https://www.maerckerpta.org/event-details/buona-beef-benefit-day
Alexandra D will be attending Downers Grove North next year and says her favorite thing about her time at Maercker D60 and Westview Hills are the wonderful friends that she has made along the way and credits the environment and community of school with those friendships. She says Mrs. Lathrop is her favorite teacher and plans to pursue a STEM-related career in the future like engineering.
When asked her advice for middle school students, Alexandra said:
“Don't be afraid to try new things! Joining the clubs you want, and being involved in school is really the best thing you could do for yourself.”
Maercker third grade students are learning about citizenship and participation in their Social Studies class. The third grade team incorporated real-world experiences, like visits from elected officials, to enrich the learning process. Congressman Sean Casten visited Maercker school and students were so excited to have him there! He shared insights and stories that resonated with the students and answered student questions. Thank you to Congressman Casten for visiting! #d60learns
The 2024 Cultural Festival was a truly amazing reflection of culture and community represented in Maercker D60. Thank you to everyone who worked so hard to make this event happen! #d60learns
This weekend was the State track & field meet in East Peoria and Westview had three runners competing!
On Friday, George Z was the first to compete in the 8th grade boys 400 meter run. George finished in tenth place and ran his fastest time ever of 54.27 seconds.
Santiago L competed next in the 7th grade mile run. He ran his fastest time ever of 5 minutes and 1 second and finished in fifth place. Santi earned an all state medal for his performance!
On Saturday, Kasper competed in the 7th grade boys 800 meter run. Kasper also ran his fastest time ever of 2 minutes and 21 seconds while finishing in twelfth place.
Qualifying for the state meet is a huge accomplishment and all three runners running their best times ever on a hot weekend was very impressive. Way to represent Westview in such a positive way!
There’s still time left in the school year for Ask An 8th Grader!
Darian G credits his time in Maercker D60 for some wonderful friendships and cites Ms. Pervan as his favorite teacher. He looks forward to starting high school at Downers Grove North and wants a future focused on helping people. His advice for current middle school students is simple: “Do your homework!”
Let’s check in with another former Wildcat who is a member of the Class of 2024!
Marko Ivanisevic is graduating from Hinsdale Central High School and will be attending the University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign where he will be joining the wrestling team and has been awarded the Chick Evans Scholarship for Caddies. Great job Marko!
Email d60communications@maercker.org if you would like your Class of 2024 student featured!
Make no bones about it, students at Maercker got to compare skulls and skeletons from different animals in science during a comparison walk! #d60learns
Our eighth graders are probably counting down the days to the end of their middle school years, but we love hearing from them! Today’s Ask and 8th Grader features Jinhua Z who will be attending Hinsdale Central next year and wants to pursue a career as a first responder. He says his favorite teacher is Mrs. Lathrop because she gave him the chance to give tours to new students who then became good friends.
His advice for future Westview Hills students is simple and meaningful. Jinhua says, “Don't be scared and have fun.”
Fifth grade band students did an amazing job at their Spring Concert! Thanks to all who came out to support our talented students! #d60learns
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
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!
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.”
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!
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
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
