Superintendent's Update
Dear District 59 Families:
I hope this message finds you doing well and enjoying a successful start to the New Year. I would like to take this opportunity to share the progress that we’ve made as a district this year as well as provide information about what lies ahead.
Our purpose or mission in District 59 is to prepare students to be successful for life, which means they will be equipped to be successful in whatever path they choose in their future and in their career. Our plan to accomplish this is to create a meaningful curriculum supported by authentic learning experiences for students. With that in mind, we are now in the process of rebuilding our curriculum to meet the needs and demands of a changing world and changing work place with the goal of developing students who have truly learned how to learn.
We strive to teach students to apply acquired skill, knowledge and content to real-world situations. Although this process will take time, we are very encouraged by the student performances and growth demonstrated this year, and particularly in the application areas such as communication, problem solving and critical thinking.
Over the course of the next two years, we will continue to develop and align our curriculum to more rigorous content area standards and 21st century skills. We are focusing on all aspects of student education, including the core content areas of literacy, math, social studies, and science, as well as necessary life skills such as critical thinking, problem solving, creativity, collaboration, social and emotional awareness, and learning through the use of technology. In the end, we believe that as students move through grade levels, they will take more ownership and responsibility for their learning and skill development, thus becoming life-long learners.
Earlier this year, District 59 staff and students were recognized by The United States Department of Education as one of the top 100 Future Ready school districts in the United States. I believe this recognition demonstrates our Board of Education, administration and staff efforts toward our goal of preparing students to be successful for life in the 21st century. We also recognize it is critically important to support our families in this approach to teaching and learning. Please watch for future communications detailing family learning nights that will be scheduled in late winter and early spring.
Finally, I would like to acknowledge our families, staff, administration, and Board of Education for the continued support and partnership in our work to prepare students to be successful for life.
Have a wonderful winter and spring.
Fondly,
Dr. Art Fessler
