The Board of Education held its monthly meeting in the Community Room on the evening of Apr. 16 at 7:00 p.m., where numerous awards were presented to students following an incredibly successful month at West Chicago Community High School.
To start, David Ramos-Perez was recognized as the March Student of the Month due to his outstanding academic and extracurricular involvement. He is a member of Alegría and was an instrumental part of ROAR this year, in which he included non-English speaking students who participated using his exceptional English and Spanish skills.
Furthermore, Christina Guo and Enaya Kazmi received Certificates of Recognition because of their commitment to the Wildcat Pride Awards, which honor students who caught the appreciation of staff and embody the Wildcat Way. Guo and Kazmi are committee chairs who consistently schedule meetings and provide committee members with an avenue to earn NHS hours.
The final student who earned an award that evening was Brady Johnson, a star member of the Sharks swim team. Due to his back-to-back State Championship titles and record-shattering performance, the Board of Education declared Feb. 23 and 24 as Brady Christopher Johnson days.
Moving on to the presentation agenda, Assistant Principal Mary Howard, along with various school leadership and staff, gave a presentation on West Chicago’s ESL students and the teachers which make efficient ESL and Sheltered learning possible. Included in the address was specific information on the Sheltered Placement criteria, which included testing for ESL students, double-evaluation of performance by certain WCCHS teachers, and the introduction of new courses in many departments to increase engagement.
Dr. Will Dwyer than gave his Principal’s Report, in which he congratulated the Wildcat Chronicle‘s Pacemaker certification and the Personal Finance Team, led by Candace Fikis, who have had incredible success this season. Other clubs recognized included the Chess Team’s ninth place finish in national competition in Baltimore, and the Drone Club’s recent success.
Junior Alejandra Rocha also highlighted the trust which WEGO staff place within their students during class and clubs during her Student Board Representative Report. Additionally, she thanked the District for introducing more study time and spaces within the school to promote learning at all times and areas of the building.
Following a series of committee reports, the Board moved on to New Business, where a Memorandum of Understanding was released by the District, in which they agreed to contribute up to $5,000 each year for the next three years to Healthy West Chicago, an organization which promotes beneficial health and lifestyle practices. Finally, after a series of minor motions, the meeting moved on to closed session.
