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Dunlap Unit District #323 Board Splinters SUMMER 2009 BOARD MEMBERS Mrs. Christine Finley, President Ms. Amy Doering, Vice President Mr. Bruce Hay, Secretary Mr. Joe Eberle Mr. Brian Meginnes Mr. Paul Park Mr. Steve Rieker DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION SUPERINTENDENT Dr. Jay Marino ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT Ms. Lisa Parker EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF CURRICULUM Dr. Lonna Anderson BUSINESS MANAGER Dr. Kelly Funke Dunlap High School Tom Welsh, Principal Amber Heffner, Assistant Principal Duane Peterson, Athletic Director Dunlap Middle School Zac Chatterton, Principal Jeff Alderman, Director of Student Affairs Dunlap Valley Middle School Jason Holmes, Principal Molly Kahn, Assistant Principal Banner Elementary Greg Fairchild, Principal Dunlap Grade School Jeremy Etnyre, Principal Ridgeview Elementary Ali Bond, Principal Wilder-Waite Grade School Todd Jefferson, Principal Director of Special Services Brooke Mair Director of Transportation Bill Schroeder Technology Support Specialist John Wethington Superintendent’s Message Greetings Dunlap School Community! It is with great anticipation and enthusiasm that I write this! By the time of its publication, I will have just taken the reigns of the superintendent posi- tion. I want to take a moment to express my enthusiasm and excitement about the op- portunity to contribute to the long standing legacy of success and educational excel- lence that our District has sustained. I’d like to first recognize and thank the staff, administrators, students, parents, com- munity members and the Board of Education for the kindness, warmth and hospitality that has been extended to me and my family. We have felt very welcomed into the Dis- trict and the community. The District has greatly benefited from Jeanne Williamson’s effective leadership over the past seven years, and I’m thankful for her gracious assis- tance in this leadership transition. For those of you who are new to the Dunlap com- munity, I offer a special “welcome” to the Dunlap District family! As summer vacation gets underway, the 2009-10 school year seems far off in the distance. However, I’d like to share some thoughts about how we might continue the tradition of excellence in our work ahead. Please reflect on these ideas as you are re- laxing in the sun or vacationing with your family this summer: Meeting the needs of all students and developing their full potential through a student-centered environment focused on preparation for the world ahead Embracing shared leadership and consensus-building at all levels Ensuring a collaborative atmosphere that provides everyone (staff, students, parents and the community) opportunities to work together as a team Understanding and using data effectively to accomplish agreed-upon and prioritized goals Increasing the satisfaction of all customers and stakeholders with all aspects of our school system Implementing a guiding philosophy of continuous improvement that serves as the foundation for helping all students achieve their full potential In the fall, we’ll talk more about these concepts and how each of us can contribute to the continued success of the Dunlap School District. I look forward to working collabo- ratively with you soon! Dr. Jay Marino Superintendent

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Dunlap Unit District #323

Board Splinters S U M M E R 2 0 0 9

BOARD MEMBERS

Mrs. Christine Finley, President

Ms. Amy Doering, Vice President

Mr. Bruce Hay, Secretary

Mr. Joe Eberle

Mr. Brian Meginnes

Mr. Paul Park

Mr. Steve Rieker

DISTRICT

ADMINISTRATION

SUPERINTENDENT

Dr. Jay Marino

ASSISTANT

SUPERINTENDENT

Ms. Lisa Parker

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF

CURRICULUM

Dr. Lonna Anderson

BUSINESS MANAGER

Dr. Kelly Funke

Dunlap High School

Tom Welsh, Principal

Amber Heffner, Assistant Principal

Duane Peterson, Athletic Director

Dunlap Middle School

Zac Chatterton, Principal

Jeff Alderman, Director

of Student Affairs

Dunlap Valley Middle School

Jason Holmes, Principal

Molly Kahn, Assistant Principal

Banner Elementary

Greg Fairchild, Principal

Dunlap Grade School

Jeremy Etnyre, Principal

Ridgeview Elementary

Ali Bond, Principal

Wilder-Waite Grade School

Todd Jefferson, Principal

Director of Special

Services

Brooke Mair

Director of Transportation

Bill Schroeder

Technology Support Specialist

John Wethington

Superintendent’s Message

Greetings Dunlap School Community!

It is with great anticipation and enthusiasm that I write this! By the time of its publication, I will have just taken the reigns of the superintendent posi-tion. I want to take a moment to express my enthusiasm and excitement about the op-portunity to contribute to the long standing legacy of success and educational excel-lence that our District has sustained. I’d like to first recognize and thank the staff, administrators, students, parents, com-munity members and the Board of Education for the kindness, warmth and hospitality that has been extended to me and my family. We have felt very welcomed into the Dis-trict and the community. The District has greatly benefited from Jeanne Williamson’s effective leadership over the past seven years, and I’m thankful for her gracious assis-tance in this leadership transition. For those of you who are new to the Dunlap com-munity, I offer a special “welcome” to the Dunlap District family! As summer vacation gets underway, the 2009-10 school year seems far off in the distance. However, I’d like to share some thoughts about how we might continue the tradition of excellence in our work ahead. Please reflect on these ideas as you are re-laxing in the sun or vacationing with your family this summer:

• Meeting the needs of all students and developing their full potential through a student-centered environment focused on preparation for the world ahead

• Embracing shared leadership and consensus-building at all levels

• Ensuring a collaborative atmosphere that provides everyone (staff, students, parents and the community) opportunities to work together as a team

• Understanding and using data effectively to accomplish agreed-upon and prioritized goals

• Increasing the satisfaction of all customers and stakeholders with all aspects of our school system

• Implementing a guiding philosophy of continuous improvement that serves as the foundation for helping all students achieve their full potential

In the fall, we’ll talk more about these concepts and how each of us can contribute to the continued success of the Dunlap School District. I look forward to working collabo-ratively with you soon! Dr. Jay Marino Superintendent

P A G E 2

D U N L A P U N I T D I S T R I C T # 3 2 3

Dr. Kelly Funke Named New Business Manager Dr. Kelly Funke started July 1st as the Business Manager for Dunlap School District. She graduated from Augustana College in 1988 with a degree in Secondary Mathematics Education. She taught math in Belvidere, IL for one year before moving to the Peoria area with her husband. In 1989, she accepted a math teaching position with Lime-stone Community High School, where she taught for seven years. While there, she obtained a Master’s Degree and Certification in Educa-tional Administration from Bradley in 1992. Her first administrative position, in 1996, was as principal of Princeville High School. After serving four years with that district, she became the Curriculum Director for IVC where she remained for two years.

In 2001 she earned her Educational Specialist Degree (Ed. S), or Super-intendent’s Certification, from Western Illinois Uni-versity and was hired as principal of Limestone Community High School in 2002.

After one year as principal, she became the Assistant Superinten-dent of Limestone Community School District until 2007 when she became the Superintendent of the District. She earned her Doctorate of Education from Argosy Univer-sity in 2005. Kelly is very excited to be join-ing the Dunlap School District as Business Manager and is excited about the challenges and opportu-nities which lie ahead. Her husband, Steve, is em-ployed with Caterpillar as a Me-chanical Engineer. They have two daughters, Megan (16) and Sarah (14).

Dr. Lonna Anderson Named Executive Director of Curriculum

Dr. Lonna Anderson began employment on July 1st as the Dunlap School District’s Executive Director of Curriculum and Instruction. She brings 14 years of experience as an educational leader. Dr. Anderson is coming from the Oskaloosa School District in Southeast Iowa where she has been the K-12 Curriculum Director for the past eight years. She was part of Western Illinois University’s first educational leadership doctoral cohort, graduating with her doctoral degree in December of 2008. Previously, she completed her Educational Specialist Degree at WIU. Her teaching experience began in South Texas as a middle school teacher and coach where she taught for six years before returning to her home state of Iowa for her first administrative position as Assistant Middle School Principal and Athletic Director in Muscatine. Lonna’s family includes her husband, Clair, daugh-

ter, Anthea who will be a sophomore, and son, Jakob who will be a fourth grader. Clair will be teaching spe-cial education in the area. Both children are avid soc-cer players and Clair coaches. Dr. Anderson looks forward to being a part of the progressive Dunlap district and community. She wel-comes the opportunity and challenge of enhancing the Dunlap Schools’ tradition of excellence.

P A G E 3 S U M M E R 2 0 0 9

Delia Cai Earns Democracy AwardDelia Cai Earns Democracy AwardDelia Cai Earns Democracy AwardDelia Cai Earns Democracy Award

Delia Cai, a sophomore at Dunlap High School, won the Voice of Democracy essay contest spon-sored by the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW). Her essay, entitled “Symbols”, provided numerous ex-amples of symbols that represent our country re-lated to a sincere appreciation of our veterans. As our school winner, she was awarded $100.00. In addition, Delia’s essay earned the regional award. As regional winner, she earned an extra $50.00.

Dunlap High School Students Place in Bradley’s Chemistry Contest

Sophomores Alex Hoerr and Cameron Okeke were among the winners at the 32nd Annual High School Chemistry Contest held May 7 at Bradley University, placing fourth and fifth respectively. Dr. Edward Flint, Professor of Chemistry and Biochem-istry at Bradley, presented plaques to the students. Twenty-one students from Mrs. Polly Johnsen’s Honors Chemistry classes were among the approxi-mately 400 students from 22 central Illinois high schools who took the 45-question exam designed for first-year chemistry students. The contest is spon-sored by the Illinois Heartland Section of the Ameri-can Chemical Society and Bradley University.

Up, Up, & Away at DGS!

In February, schools across the state of Illinois celebrated the 200th birthday of Abraham Lincoln. Dunlap Grade School honored our 16th President with a balloon launch on Friday, Feb. 13. It was quite a site to see 300 balloons being released at the same time. Attached to each balloon was an index card on which students wrote facts about Abraham Lincoln’s life. The students were full of hope that someone from somewhere would find their balloon and return it to school. The first balloon was dis-covered one day later in a hay-field in McDonald, Pennsyl-vania. It had traveled an aston-ishing 494 miles in less than a day.

A map of the United States was put up in the front hallway displaying all of the places bal-loons have been found. Stu-dents stopped by each morning to see if new letters had been posted. These letters provided the students with a glimpse into what life is like across the country. Each letter brought with it a unique and special message to the students. One balloon was found by a family tapping maple trees on their farm in Ohio. Yet another was found while hiking near North Ben State Park in West Vir-ginia. While this activity was planned solely as a fun way to conclude our celebration of Abraham Lincoln’s 200th birth-day, it became so much more.

The excitement grew after realizing the bal-loons had traveled much farther than we had ever thought possible. There have been eighteen cards returned from five different states including Illi-nois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Vir-ginia.

DGS students launch balloons.

P A G E 4

D U N L A P U N I T D I S T R I C T # 3 2 3

Got Mou? We Do!

Dunlap Middle School 8th grader Kyle Mou finished 4th in the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C. This was Kyle’s third straight year to travel to our nation’s capital to represent Dunlap Middle School, the Dunlap School District, the State of Illinois as well as the Peoria Journal Star. Kyle finished 8th in the 2008 competition as a seventh grader and 60th in the 2007 competition as a sixth grader. Kyle was recognized at Dunlap Middle School for his accom-plishments on Wednesday, June 3, 2009.

On May 22nd and May 23rd, twelve girls and two boys from Dunlap Middle School competed at the IESA State Track Meet. The highest finish was by the 8th grade girls’ 4 x 100 meter relay team who finished 7th. In the process, the girls set a new school record of 52.83 seconds. Team members are Grace Xu, Erika Barber, Norris Akpan, and Meghan Morger. Also collecting a state medal was Norris Akpan who finished 8th in the 100 meter hurdles. Norris also broke a school record finishing in 16.41 seconds.

DMS Competes at IESA Track Meet

DMS Girls’ 4 x 100 Meter

Relay Team

DGS Goes SMART

Dunlap Grade School successfully piloted the use of SMART Boards in three classrooms during the 2008-09 school year. SMART Boards work by connecting the simplicity of a whiteboard with the power of a computer. SMART Boards allow students and teachers to manipulate computer applications and im-ages that are projected onto a touch sensitive screen. SMART Boards transform the learning experience by utilizing technology to actively engage students in lessons. The Dunlap School District is committed to provide stu-dents with the best technologies available. Additional SMART Boards are being installed throughout the district this summer.

DHS Chorus Celebrates 4th of July in Boston

This summer 120 members of the Dunlap High School Chorus departed on a week long performing tour to Boston, Massachusetts. Upon arriving in Boston on July 2, many fun and exciting activities were planned. The trip included numer-ous performances and was highlighted with a performance at the Old North Church and the Boston Harbor Fest, where the Dunlap Choir was honored, receiving one of the three “Showcase” concerts available. Other activities on the itiner-ary included a trip to see Blue Man Group, a day trip to Salem, fireworks on the Fourth of July with the Boston Pops Sym-phony Orchestra, and a choral clinic at Harvard University. The week concluded with a whale-watching cruise in the At-lantic Ocean and then on to historic Fenway Park before en-during the 24 hour bus ride home. The DHS Music Boosters were instrumental in the planning of the trip and contributed to its success with their fundraising efforts.

DUNLAP VALLEY MIDDLE SCHOOL now

has an online sports schedule feature accessible

from their homepage. Parents can also sign up for

text message and email alerts when schedule

changes or cancellations are necessary.

Another successful school year has come to a close at Wilder-Waite Grade School. There were many highlights throughout the year. We started the school year with a large increase in student enrollment. We grew by more than 60 stu-dents from the previous school year. This created some unique challenges, but the students and staff adapted well and managed the growth without a hitch. We used the temporary building to house a half-day kindergarten class and also moved the library to the adjacent room in the outside building in order to accom-modate the growth. Wilder-Waite students once again performed well academically as evidenced by the Academic Excellence Award they received from the Illinois State Board of Education. We also received some positive recognition from the Chicago Sun-Times as we were ranked #21 amongst all of the elementary schools in the state of Illinois. Recognition such as this comes as a result of a positive and meaningful partnership between home and school. The entire Wilder-Waite community should be congratulated for these honors. With the help of retired Caterpillar engineer Jim Martin, the Wilder-Waite Weather Station is finally up and running. The Weather Station will continuously measure barometric pressure, humidity, precipitation, wind speed and direction, and temperature. The measurement devices are located at the front of the building and the instrument panels are located in the main hallway across from the office. The Weather Station is funded through the Caterpillar Foundation and will allow students to study weather related data and patterns as an extension of our science curriculum. Special thanks go out to Jim Martin who donated countless hours in building the Weather Station. Wilder-Waite held its first Culture Fair in February with a variety of cultures being represented. Students, parents, and the PTO’s Project Impact Committee combined to provide our guests with a taste of the various cultures represented by Wilder-Waite students. The evening also featured an Art Fair in which student art work was on display. As the year has come to an end, we would like to say goodbye to several staff members who will be retir-ing or departing. We will miss each of them and thank them for their contributions to students achievement and development during their time at Wilder-Waite. These staff members are: Coleen Martin (5th grade), Lindsay Grimmer (1st grade), Laura Kogler (special education), Jen Wolcott (kindergarten), Diane Haywood (cook), and Kim Mangan (playground supervisor).

P A G E 5 S U M M E R 2 0 0 9

News from Wilder-Waite Grade School

Students help Mr. Martin with the construction

of the Wilder-Waite Weather Station.

The PTO spearheaded an effort to raise funds for new playground equipment at the beginning of the year. The students, with the help of Ann Rude, voted on the “Mega Slide” system and fundraising efforts allowed us to purchase and install the new equipment in the same year. Students were playing on the new equipment by the end of March.

P A G E 6

D U N L A P U N I T D I S T R I C T # 3 2 3

Banner Students Enjoy a Fun-filled Spring

KINDERGARTEN

The kindergarten students took their yearly trip to the zoo this spring. It was a beautiful day and students had a terrific time.

FIRST GRADE

The 1st graders enjoyed a day titled “Camp Learn-a-Lot” where they traveled to several stations. Some of these sta-tions included making smores, bracelets, having a scavenger hunt, and much more. They also learned about recycling and made instruments out of items that would normally be thrown away. They held a little mini-concert for the parents.

SECOND GRADE

Our 2nd grade students enjoyed a couple of days of science experiments this spring. They were mixed up all together and trav-eled from one room to the next. Students learned how crystals are formed, created tornados in a bottle, made thermometers, worked with “creeping colors” with celery stalks/food coloring, and other hands-on discovery activities.

THIRD GRADE

The 3rd graders took a trip to Sommer Park where they had the opportunity to experience several outdoor activities. This included learn-ing how to canoe, hiking on trails, roasting hot dogs, and much more.

FOURTH GRADE

The 4th grade students took a trip to Dixon Mounds this spring. They learned about Native Americans and had the opportunity to build some crafts.

FIFTH GRADE

This was the first year that our 5th grade stu-dents attended the Challenger Learning Center in Bloomington, IL. Thank you to the PTO for funding the way for this amazing trip. The students had roles as they had a mission to complete in space. It was quite the experience as they learned from some of their mistakes.

Banner students participated in Jump Rope for Heart this spring. They raised enough money to pur-chase around $600 in PE supplies for next school year. We even had special guests jump with us – a cou-ple of members of the Peoria River-men. Great job to all who partici-pated!

The PTO held their most successful Carnival, “Out of this World”. They reached their goal to add some new playground equipment. The students voted on one of two pieces where the vote was overwhelmingly 340 to 70 for the Infinity Loop. The students are very ex-cited to have another piece of equipment to play on next year. A special thanks to a group of our dads who are going to install it this summer.

P A G E 7 S U M M E R 2 0 0 9

Dunlap Valley Middle School Sports Report

The Seventh Grade Boys’ Basketball team, coached by Jeff Barker, had a stellar inaugural season for DVMS. They ended with an overall record of 19-2. They won the IESA Regional Championship title game. Their season ended with a sectional loss to Monmouth- Roseville. Led by Scott Vogel, the Eighth Grade Boys’ Basketball squad had an overall record of 8-12 showing steady improvement throughout their season. After defeating Illini Bluffs and the number one seed, Peoria Christian, to advance to the IESA Regional Championship, their season ended with a loss to Dunlap Middle School. In the first year of sixth grade athletics in Dunlap, our Sixth Grade Boys’ Basketball team, coached by Jeff Barker, had a record of 5-5 and participated in the Germantown Hills tournament. On the sidelines, our Cheerleaders, coached by Tricia Long, also had a successful inaugural season cheering on our Spartans in basketball competitions. The squad also competed and placed an impressive 5th Place at State in Small Team Cheer and 11th Place State in Small Team Routine. The Spiking Spartans, our Spartan Volleyball squads, dem-onstrated continuous improvement in skills and teamwork throughout their seasons. Coached by Valerie Wise, the sixth grade’s overall record was 6-4, 1 tie, and DVMS hosted a 6th grade volleyball tourna-ment. Seventh grade, coached by Lisa Uptmor, ended with an overall record of 6-11. Led by Coach Homer Montemayer, Eighth grade concluded with an overall record of 5-10 and lost the Regional game in 3. Our Seventh Grade Girls’ Track team coached by Steve Carter and assisted by Joe Wenskus had sev-

eral impressive finishes including 1st at St. Phil’s Invite, 2nd at Peoria County, and 2nd at Sectionals. Five

ladies advanced to State including, Nahee Park, Long Jump, Hurdles, 4 x 100; Kaylie Noll, 1600, 800;

and Emily Kim, Peyton Curtin, Kasey Kolb, 4 x 100. The Eighth Grade Girls’ Track team also led by

Coach Carter and Coach Wenskus finished 2nd at St. Phil’s Invite, 4th at Peoria County, and 4th at Weth-

ersfield. Four athletes advanced to State, Whitney Mills, 400, 4 x 200; and Alyssa Renner, Sarah Welsh,

4 x 200. Head Coach Jack Gleich and Assistant Coach Matt Andrews led the Boys’ Track Team to suc-

cess as well. The Seventh Grade Boys’ Track team earned 1st at St. Phil’s Invite, 2nd at Peoria County,

and 4th at Sectional. Treston Fowler earned an 8th Place State Medal in 100, 10th in 200, and 16th in 4x1.

Anthony Holshouser finished 30th at State in 1600. The Eighth Grade Boys’ Track team included the

impressive finish by Connor Schrader with a 2nd Place State Medal in Shot Put, 15th in 100, 17th in 200,

and 16 in 4 x 1. Cameron Rohman finished 7th Place State Medal in 400, 17th in High Jump, and 16th in

4x1. Devon Johnson placed 16th Place State in 4x1. Dunlap certainly eagerly looks forward to the contri-

butions of these athletes as they become Eagles.

Treston Fowler State Track Meet

7th Grade Boys’ Basketball Regional Champs

Connor Schrader 2nd Place State Shot Put

P A G E 8

D U N L A P U N I T D I S T R I C T # 3 2 3

RIDGEVIEW STUDENTS TAKE FIELD TRIP

Article written by Allison Cross, Ridgeview 5th Grade Student

On March 25th, 2009, the 5th grade students from RES went to the Challenger Learning Center, Aviation Museum, and Children’s’ Museum in Bloomington, Illinois. First, the Challenger Learning Center lets kids and adults experience space explora-tion. Everyone is assigned a job and put in the Space Station (ISS) or Mission Control (MC). The jobs you do are life support, which check oxygen, temperature, humidity, etc. remote and isolation experiment with samples using glove boxes, and robotic arms. Other teams are Press who report back, medical who test astronauts for motion sick-ness, communications who talk from MC and SS. Data does the same but types mes-sages, and Probe builds our probe while navigation tells us where to go. Our mission was to locate Comet Encke and get samples but NAV led us to the wrong spot and we encountered an unknown object, so the astronauts were sent back to base. Guess what? We each traded positions and went back up to find we discov-ered a new comet. We named it Ridgeview 5, and we left with a grin on our faces. We realized every little thing adds up to a big thing, and without one of the jobs you might fail - teamwork. Next we visited the Aviation Museum where we watched a short video and saw hats and real fighter planes. At the Children’s Museum we learned about the human body, sound, and many more things that were fun, entertaining, and hands-on. All in all, this

field trip was entertaining, exciting, and definitely worth the drive.

5th Graders at the Challenger Learning Center

Banner Students Receive Special Recognition

• Mackenzie Passmore (5th grade) wrote an essay sponsored through CEFCU’s “Money Smart Kid” Essay. She was one of three finalists who were recognized at a special breakfast on April 17. She won $115 in gift cards for her ef-forts.

• Sindhu Yegappen (2nd grade) received an honor through the Reading Rainbow. She was one of several kids in Cen-tral Illinois who wrote and illustrated their very own books and submitted them to the 15th annual WTVP READING RAINBOW Young Writers & Illustrators Contest. She earned 3rd place for her grade level.

• Jimmy Sniff (3rd grade) won a Silver Medal in basketball skills at the State Special Olympics competition in March. He also won Gold Medals in the standing long jump and tennis ball throw in May and competed at the State Summer Games in June.

• Bryce Raab (3rd grade) won a Gold Medal in the tennis ball throw and a Bronze Medal in the standing long jump in May. He, too, competed at the State Summer Games in June.

Students Create Storybooks

The 6th grade advisory students from Dunlap Valley Middle School recently participated in a project with 2nd grade stu-

dents from their sister schools, DGS and RES. As part of an advisory unit on tolerance, 6th grade students paired up with

2nd grade students to create a book about “A New Friend.” 2nd grade teachers helped their students fill out a question-

naire. The 6th grade students then took the questionnaires and input the information into the computer to create a person-

alized storybook. The story created was about accepting differences in others and learning how to bring people together

as friends. 2nd grade students visited DVMS and met with their 6th grade partners to put the storybook together and read

it. The unit served to promote an understanding of the true meaning of friendship and also created a service project for

the 6th grade students.

P A G E 9 S U M M E R 2 0 0 9

Dunlap High School’s Spring Sports Summary

Dunlap High School just completed a successful spring sports season highlighted by the following:

• The Varsity Boys’ Track team finished fourth in the Mid-Illini and fifth in the Freshman/Sophomore con-

ference. Two athletes were named to the first team all-conference and one athlete to the second team.

Junior John Crain was named the conference meet’s Most Valuable Athlete. John Crain and Cody Durand

qualified for the state meet. John Crain medaled at state, taking third place in the 1600 meter run.

• Our Varsity Girls’ Track team finished third in the conference. Four girls were named to the first team

all-conference, and five girls were second team all-conference. Eight girls qualified for the state finals

with three girls winning state medals. The team also finished second at the Dunlap Relays and first at

the East Peoria F/S Invitational and the Farmington Relays.

• The Varsity Baseball team won their regional and advanced to sectional play. Two players were named on

the second team all-conference.

• The Girls’ Soccer team finished third in the conference with a conference record of 6-4-2 and an overall

record of 11-6-5. The varsity team won the Galesburg Regional and placed two players on the first all-

conference team and three girls on the second team.

• The boys’ tennis team finished third in the conference with a 5-1 record and an 11-3 overall record. One

player was named first team all-conference, and four players were named to the second team. The var-

sity team won the sectional title and advanced four players (both doubles teams) to the State Finals.

The Freshman/Sophomore team was conference champions and undefeated on the season.

Earth Week Greens the Valley

Dunlap Valley students celebrated our glorious Earth;

not just on Earth Day, but for six continuous days. With

help from the Parents' Club, Mrs. Hochmuth and Ms.

Crawmer’s science classes began the celebration on April

17 by planting flowers, grass seed, and cleaning up the

front lawn of the middle school. Starting on Monday,

April 20, grades 6-8 learned statistics, explored labs, and

asked questions about 5 major topics that are either threat-

ening our Earth or can help make it a better place: recy-

cling, non-renewable and renewable energy, water pollu-

tion and water conservation, and global warming. Dunlap

Valley’s science teachers and students are extremely ex-

cited about starting this new tradition to celebrate Earth

Day.

Banner Uses AIMSWEB

Last school year, Banner teachers used an internet-based data system, Aimsweb, to track student data in the area of reading fluency and compre-hension. This past year, they added math as part of the data tracking. They benchmark ALL students three times per year (fall, winter, spring) with par-ents receiving a report for each period.

P A G E 1 0

D U N L A P U N I T D I S T R I C T # 3 2 3

High School Drama Department Produces Two Successful Shows

Under the direction of Eddie Urish, Dunlap’s theatre group went to the Illinois State Champion-ship for their contest play for the second year in a row. Contest play is a play in which schools set up and take down a set, organize lights and effects, and perform a play, all within one hour. Dunlap has been participating in the contest play for two years now. Last year, the group was ex-cited to make it to the state championship show in its first year. The theatre group’s second performance this year was “Grease.” The cast and crew were made up of students, and there was a guest appearance by our own superintendent, Jeanne Williamson. It was another successful production put on by Dunlap High School as many in the community anticipate the annual dramatic performances of our students.

JAZZ WEEK at Dunlap Valley Middle School

With the Commons transformed into Jackson Square, the sounds of New Orleans Jazz was heard through the halls of Dunlap Valley Middle School the week of March 23rd through March 27th, 2009. The Thematic Unit, “Jazz – A Salute to America’s Music,” was a cross-curricular activity that in-volved all students and staff grades six through eight. From special Creole and Cajun recipes prepared by the FACS students, a salute to literature and authors of New Or-leans in the library to lunchtime concerts given by Peoria –area musicians, all of Dunlap Valley was immersed in Jazz Music and its birthplace, New Orleans. There were special events each day of Jazz Week including an all-school assem-bly recognizing extra-curricular activities and the presentation of the 6th grade musical. The culminating activity on Thursday evening was the All

School Open House which included a sampling of the Cres-

cent City’s foods called “TASTE OF NEW ORLEANS,” and

the sixth grade chorus musical which demonstrated the history

of jazz. The sixth grade house featured projects related to

Hurricane Katrina and the study of hurricanes. The seventh

grade was the site of live Poetry Readings, and miniature

Mardi Gras Parade floats were created by the eighth graders.

Plans are already in the works for next year’s musical festival

as “The Valley” celebrates the 50’s!!

6th Grade Hurricane Katrina Project

DVMS students pose in front of a Streetcar at the Valley during Jazz Week

P A G E 1 1 S U M M E R 2 0 0 9

RIDGEVIEW ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL FOR A DAY!

Gabby Digiallonardo won the silent auction item to be “Assistant Principal for the day” from the Ridgeview Rock the House fundraiser. Miss DiG, as many called her that day, walked through classrooms, made announce-ments and assisted Mrs. Bond in the office during the afternoon on April 28.

Miss DiG

NOTICE TO OUR READERS In our technology-driven and recycling-conscious world, the Dunlap Administration and Board of Education are considering the option of discontinuing mailing our District news-letter, the Board Splinters, to individual homes beginning with our next edition. However, we will continue to post the newsletter on our District website in an effort to keep the Dunlap community informed. If you do not have access to the internet or you would simply like to continue to receive the District newsletter by mail, please contact the District Office at 243-7716 to provide your name and address so we may accommodate your request. If you wish to access our newsletter on-line, you may find it at www.dunlapcusd.net and click on the link for “District Newsletter.”

On April 28th, 2009 Ridgeview went to the D.A.R.E. game. Officer Jat-kowski got to throw out the first pitch. The Peoria Chiefs were playing the Cedar Rap-ids Kernels. There were a lot of other schools there. They all had their D.A.R.E. shirts on and it was a sea of colorful shirts. The kids all danced to the Y.M.C.A. song. Some lucky fans were chosen to play dizzy bat race, and two teach-ers got to box each other with huge boxing gloves. We had coupons to get our lunches-hot dogs, chips, and a soda. It was a great day. In the end the Chiefs won the game 1-0!

Kindergarten Students Visit Greenview Nursery

The RES kindergarten classes took a field trip to Greenview Nursery. The stu-dents learned about flowers and plants. This activity went along with their science unit on Trees and Earth Day.

Presidential Wax Museum

Ridgeview 4th graders displayed their presidential knowledge by per-forming in a president wax mu-seum. Students dressed up as differ-ent president statues and recited speeches they wrote in first person point of view. Parents, students, and teachers visited the museum, and the presidents came to life when their but-tons were pressed. The wax museum was a great success!

D.A.R.E. Baseball Game

Article written by Justin

Rockow, 5th grade

#323

DUNLAP COMMUNITY UNIT DISTRICT #323 Dunlap, IL 61525

PRSRT STD. U.S. POSTAGE

PAID PERMIT NO. 5 DUNLAP, IL

Back-to-School Dates for the 2009-10 School Year

Friday, August 14 New Teachers’ Orientation Monday, August 17 First Day for Teachers: Institute Day Monday, August 17 Freshman Orientation Tuesday, August 18 First Day for Students: Half-Day Wednesday, August 19 Half-Day for Students: Half-Day Teacher In-service Thursday, August 20 First Full Day of Attendance Monday, September 7 Labor Day: No School