Cass63 Connections 10.2.25

Dear Cass School District 63 Parents:

As many of you know, we had a neighborhood safety incident at the time of dismissal at Cass Junior High School today. I've already communicated the details with our junior high parents, but it's just a good reminder of how blessed we are to live in such a great community with supportive parents, an amazing staff, and an incredible Darien Police Department.

While it is necessary that we work closely with local law enforcement for our internal safety planning, we also sometimes have to collaborate on issues that may arise in our local neighborhoods. We communicate both ways quickly and thoroughly, and today was a good reminder of just how important that is.

It doesn't happen everywhere, but we are grateful for this kind of communication and support here in our community, as well as our police who have a difficult and thankless job. We all appreciate their work in working together to keep our community and schools safe.

Mark R. Cross, Superintendent

Universal SEL Screenings

Cass Junior High and Concord Elementary are committed to your student’s academic growth and success, as well as their social, emotional, and behavioral growth. We want all students to develop the tools to manage their emotions, develop positive relationships, and demonstrate decision making and responsible behaviors to accomplish success in both their academic career and in life.

With this in mind, each school will be screening students to assess their social, emotional, and behavioral growth. For more information on the screenings, please see this letter from the principals at Concord Elementary, and from Cass Junior High. Each letter also contains information on how to opt your child out of the screening if you do not wish for them to participate. Please reach out to your child's principal or school psychologist Sara Zimmerman with any questions.

Cass Students Learn About José Hernández

To celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, 8th Graders is Ms. Saucedo's class are watching and discussing the movie A Million Miles Away. The film tells the true story of José Hernández, a Mexican- American Astronaut while also showcasing the importance of embracing one's culture. While watching this film, students not only get to practice and strengthen their Spanish language skills, but they also gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of other cultures. Hispanic Heritage Month is observed from September 15th through October 15th and honors the histories, cultures, and achievements of Americans whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. 

Fall Sports Wrapping Up

Our fall sports seasons at Cass Junior High are coming to a close. From softball to baseball to golf and cross country, our athletes and teams did a great job growing their skills both individually and as a team. Thank you to coaches Danielle Hosman, Craig Damrow, Landon Mitchell, Scott Kondraschow, and Sarah Leganski for leading these young athletes through successful seasons. Also, best wishes to our cross country team and runners as they wrap up their season over this next week with several meeting, including conference and sectionals. Go Warriors!

National Custodian Day is October 2, and we appreciate the hard work and dedication of Pete Alt, Dan Farias, and Tina Milutinovic at Concord, and Donna Gerren, Pete Pauley, and Steve Boutet at Cass. While they are not custodians, we are also grateful for Facilities and Transportation Director Keith Monaco and Wayne Ostrowski, both of whom work hard to keep things running smooth. Thank you all!

We are getting ready for DASH 2025! All Concord students (grades preK-4) are invited to help raise funds for D63 and all Concord students will participate in running/walking laps and enjoying outdoor activities, regardless of dollars contributed. Here are the details to learn how to raise funds and cheer on your student in person! 

As a school district, we share information from time to time regarding social media with parents to help keep our children safe. Please always remember no child under the age of 13 should be on any form of social media, including and especially Snapchat. Snapchat is popular with young people and while the premise behind the app seems innocent, it can lead to serious problems if used inappropriately.

Snapchat offers extra protections for 13 to 17 year olds, including requiring teens to be mutually connected or in their respective phone contacts before they can start communicating. Snap has a set of in-app parental tools called Family Center to help parents get insight into how their teens are using Snapchat, including who they are communicating with and what public content they are viewing. Kids and parents can easily report concerning accounts to Snap’s 24/7 Trust and Safety Team.

Here is a list of important actions to help protect your teens on Snapchat:

• Family and Friends Only – Tell your teen to only invite and accept Friends on Snapchat if they are friends in real life or family members. Encourage them to check their Friends List regularly to make sure they still want to be in touch with each friend.
• Location and Privacy Settings – Talk to your teen about their location and privacy settings. At Snapchat, privacy settings are turned on by default, so people can only see the things you want to share, for as long as you want to share them.
• In-App Reporting – Make sure your teen knows how to use the in-app reporting tools, and Snapchatters do not know who reported them. These reports go directly to the 24/7 Trust and Safety team to investigate and take appropriate action. There are also reporting tools for those who don’t use Snapchat, which any parent can easily use.
• Think Before You Send – Remind your teen that, as with sharing anything online, it’s important to be really careful about sending anyone – even a partner or close friend – personal or sensitive images and information. Snaps and Chats may delete by default, but there are ways to capture images from a phone or other device without a person’s consent. This is true despite Snapchat sending a notification in some instances when a screenshot is taken.
• Join Family Center – Make sure you and your teen are signed up for Snapchat’s Family Center.

Concord Picture Retake Day October 7

Concord's picture retake day is Tuesday, October 7. Students who did not have pictures taken at the first picture day or who would like to have their pictures retaken may participate. Order forms are available in the school offices or you may order online at mylifetouch.com using Concord Elementary picture ID code EVTXCJDNP. Students who are retaking their pictures must return the original photos on picture retake day so that new photos may be taken.

Lunch menus from our partner Just A Dash Catering are updated regularly and payment information, preschool snacks, and other details are available under the lunch program. Lunches are $4.00 and milk is $0.75. Please note that no pork products are ever served in our schools. If pepperoni is served, it is turkey pepperoni. If turkey ham is served it is turkey. Should you have any questions, please let us know. 

Following are resources and opportunities outside of the district that are available to our parents and families in or around our school community. Please be aware that the district does not endorse any outside organizations or activities, but is sharing this information as a courtesy to interested families.

Dear Cass School District 63 Parents:

Does anyone else wonder where the month of September went? With almost six weeks of the school year complete, we are wrapping up fall sports and moving to indoor activities, and the CARE Dash is coming up on October 10!

More details on all of this is provided below. The CARE Dash is such a fun event, and parents are welcome to attend. Fundraising for our awesome CARE group is welcome, but not required for participation. Just be sure to check out the details below, because it is only two weeks away.

So many fun activities for the kids, while our primary focus will always remain on their safety and academic growth. Thank you as always for your support of our students, staff, and schools!

Mark R. Cross, Superintendent

Concord Celebrates Dot Week

Last week, Concord students and teachers celebrated International Dot Day. This included designing dots for a collaborative mural and creating other pieces of art, as well as completing dot themed STEM activities and learning growth mindset in Skills For Learning. Dot Week celebrates creativity, art, and recognizes the ability to “connect the dots” to celebrate community and human potential. Dot Day is inspired by Peter Reynolds' picture book, The Dot.

Little Ones Try Out Their New Rides

Thanks to a CARE grant, our preschool and kindergarten students are cruising around on brand-new tricycles! The kids are loving every ride, and we’re so grateful for the support that makes these fun learning experiences possible. 

We are getting ready for DASH 2025! All Concord students (grades preK-4) are invited to help raise funds for D63 and all Concord students will participate in running/walking laps and enjoying outdoor activities, regardless of dollars contributed. Here are the details to learn how to raise funds and cheer on your student in person! Don't forget to order your DASH t-shirt by September 29.

Save the Date! Multicultural Celebration April 17

We will be hosting our second annual Multicultural Celebration on the evening of Friday, April 17, 2026. Like last year's very successful event, our purpose is to celebrate and learn about the diverse backgrounds and cultures of our families, to promote family engagement and involvement, and to foster appreciation for the diverse cultures that make up our incredible community.

Please save the date to attend, and also consider ways that your family can participate. At a later date, we will send out a proposal submission for any family interested in sharing about their cultural heritage. One way or the other, we look forward to seeing you there!

At the September 23 meeting, the Board of Education held a hearing on the fiscal year 2026 budget, discussed potential Phase III facility improvement projects, and approved a resolution to join the Educational Benefit Cooperative, a health insurance consortium of approximately 135 school districts. The Board Briefs include more details about the meeting.

Picture Retake Days

Cass Junior High picture retake day is Thursday, October 2 and Concord Elementary picture retake day is Tuesday, October 7. Students who did not have pictures taken at the first picture day or who would like to have their pictures retaken may participate. Order forms are available in the school offices or you may order online at mylifetouch.com using Cass Junior High picture ID code EVTQVMQ63 or Concord Elementary picture ID code EVTXCJDNP. Students who are retaking their pictures must return the original photos on picture retake day so that new photos may be taken.

The Cass Junior High Math Team is back starting September 29! Please see this flyer for more information and please contact Ms. Mosquera with questions at kmosquera@cassd63.org. 

Cass Cheerleading Tryouts September 29 and October 1

Tryouts for cheerleading at Cass are September 29 and October 1. Please be sure you have a current physical on file before tryouts. If you have any questions, please contact Coach Gorzkowski at agorzkowski@cassd63.org and/or Coach Gray at agray@cassd63.org. 

Cass Junior High is holding basketball tryouts October 1 and 2. Please be sure you have a current physical on file. If you have any questions, please contact Coach Landon Mitchell at lmitchell@cassd63.org.

Lunch menus from our partner Just A Dash Catering are updated regularly and payment information, preschool snacks, and other details are available under the lunch program. Lunches are $4.00 and milk is $0.75. Please note that no pork products are ever served in our schools. If pepperoni is served, it is turkey pepperoni. If turkey ham is served it is turkey. Should you have any questions, please let us know. 

Following are resources and opportunities outside of the district that are available to our parents and families in or around our school community. Please be aware that the district does not endorse any outside organizations or activities, but is sharing this information as a courtesy to interested families.

Dear Cass School District 63 Parents:

We don't talk too often here about athletics and other extracurricular activities, but I think it is important for kids to find something that they want to get involved with at school. Obviously, there are many activities outside of school as well, but for a small district I'm grateful both for what we are able to offer, and especially the awesome staff we have who coach our kids and teams.

Many of our coaches are involved in multiple activities here at school, while they balance this with their own families. So for this fall season, let's give a shout out and special thank you to baseball coach Craig Damrow, cross country coaches Scott Kondraschow and Sarah Leganski, softball coach Danielle Hosman and assistant coach Mr. Trezzo, and golf coach Landon Mitchell.

All of our coaches are awesome human beings and incredible role models for our kids. Also, our kids have worked so hard and shown incredible improvement and competitiveness this season. We appreciate and are proud of all of you. Go Warriors!

Mark R. Cross, Superintendent

Concord Patriotic Assembly

Last week, Concord held its annual Patriotic Assembly featuring our third grade students. The kids gave a wonderful performance under the direction of music teacher Kali Sheldon. We take pride in teaching our children patriotism and they love sharing it!

Preschool Visits the Library

Our preschool families had a wonderful Family Day at the Indian Prairie Library last Friday. The head librarian welcomed us by singing songs and reading stories. Families also learned about the many resources available for young children - much more than just books! Our local library offers STEM kits, educational backpacks, leveled readers, and the exciting 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten program that families can sign up for their children.

Cass Studies the Election Process

Cass Social Studies teacher Amy Pollitz created an escape room for students to participate in to teach the election process. Students were able to participate during the early release day this past Friday. Please enjoy these pictures from this great learning experience for our students.

This week we want to recognize our IT professionals Mike Van de North and Mark Pragides. Both of these gentlemen work to ensure that our network runs smoothly, along with countless devices, phones, security systems, teaching platforms, online assessments, and so much more. These positions are very behind the scenes, but we appreciate all that they do!

The Cass Junior High Math Team is back starting September 29! Please see this flyer for more information and please contact Ms. Mosquera with questions at kmosquera@cassd63.org. Yay Math!

Cass Junior High is holding basketball tryouts October 1 and 2. Please be sure you have a current physical on file. If you have any questions, please contact Coach Landon Mitchell at lmitchell@cassd63.org.

8th Grade Washington, DC Trip Meeting September 24

The 8th grade class will be traveling to Washington, DC from May 18 to May 20, 2026. There will be a remote informational meeting through Microsoft Teams on September 24, 2025 at 7:00 p.m. We are aware of and apologize for the conflict this causes for members of the 8th grade band, but unfortunately the DC meeting was scheduled prior to our knowledge of the Hinsdale South Band Night. For those that can attend, here is the link to join the meeting or you may call 475-343-3289 using meeting ID 223 812 708 266, and passcode TY9bv3CY. Please contact Scott Kondraschow at skondraschow@cassd63.org for more information or if you have any questions.

We are getting ready for DASH 2025! All Concord students (grades preK-4) are invited to help raise funds for D63 and all Concord students will participate in running/walking laps and enjoying outdoor activities, regardless of dollars contributed. Take a look at the flyer to learn how to raise funds and cheer on your student in person! 

The Scholastic Book Fair is coming to Cass Junior High on Tuesday, September 23 through Thursday, September 25. Students can shop at the Cass Jr High Book Fair next week, Tuesday, September 23 through Thursday, September 25. Check out the flier for how to set up an eWallet or how to shop online.

Lunch menus from our partner Just A Dash Catering are updated regularly and payment information, preschool snacks, and other details are available under the lunch program. Lunches are $4.00 and milk is $0.75. Please note that no pork products are ever served in our schools. If pepperoni is served, it is turkey pepperoni. If turkey ham is served it is turkey. Should you have any questions, please let us know. 

Following are resources and opportunities outside of the district that are available to our parents and families in or around our school community. Please be aware that the district does not endorse any outside organizations or activities, but is sharing this information as a courtesy to interested families.

GPS Parent Series: Raising Addiction Resistant Kids

Dear Cass School District 63 Parents:

Mark R. Cross, Superintendent

Friday, September 12 is an early release day for school improvement work for our staff. Concord Elementary will be released at 11:15 a.m. and Cass at 12:00 p.m. Please note that preschool does not have class at all on early release days.

Dot Week at Concord September 15-19

Next week is DOT Week at Concord! Please review the details to see what your child can wear each day to help celebrate and participate.

The 7th grade annual visit to Springfield is scheduled for Friday, October 3 and the deadline to register is Friday, September 12. This is a one-day trip that includes visits to many historic sites, including Abraham Lincoln’s home and the Illinois State Capital. This trip coincides with the 7th grade social studies curriculum. Here is registration information and feel free to contact Mrs. Gorzkowski at agorzkowski@cassd63.org with any questions.

The Math Team is Back!

The Cass Junior High Math Team is back starting September 29! Please see this flyer for more information and please contact Ms. Mosquera with questions at kmosquera@cassd63.org. Yay Math!

Preschool Screenings September 19

There is a prekindergarten screening scheduled on Friday, September 19. Your child must be preregistered to participate. Please click here for more detailed information and to learn how to register.

8th Grade Washington, DC Trip Meeting

The 8th grade class will be traveling to Washington, DC from May 18 to May 20, 2026. There will be a remote informational meeting on September 24, 2025 at 7:00 p.m. Please contact Scott Kondraschow at skondraschow@cassd63.org with questions.

Scholastic Book Fair Coming to Cass

The Scholastic Book Fair is coming to Cass Junior High on Tuesday, September 23 through Thursday, September 25. More details on how to shop will be shared next week! 

Concord FUNdraiser October 10

Save the Date for the 2025-26 Concord FUNdraiser Run on Friday, October 10! Stay tuned for more details on how to purchase t-shirts, be a part of the fundraiser, and even visit Concord to cheer your child on! 

Lunch menus from our partner Just A Dash Catering are updated regularly and payment information, preschool snacks, and other details are available under the lunch program. Lunches are $4.00 and milk is $0.75. Please note that no pork products are ever served in our schools. If pepperoni is served, it is turkey pepperoni. If turkey ham is served it is turkey. Should you have any questions, please let us know. 

Following are resources and opportunities outside of the district that are available to our parents and families in or around our school community. Please be aware that the district does not endorse any outside organizations or activities, but is sharing this information as a courtesy to interested families.

Dear Cass School District 63 Parents:

Mark R. Cross, Superintendent

Concord Ranks Among Best in DuPage County

Chicago Magazine ranked the best DuPage County elementary schools and Concord ranked 14th overall. We are so proud of our students and our staff and excited that their hard work and dedication are being recognized in this way. The metrics for rankings are under the link. Go Concord Comets! 

D63 Family Directory Opens September 5

Our school district partners with DirectorySpot, an app that houses a directory to help our families to connect. The online directory of families can be sorted by classroom or grade, and unless parents opt out, the directory will include names, addresses, emails and phone numbers for parents and students. Emails will be sent informing families that the app is open and available to families on Friday, September 5.

If you have not already done so, please be sure to visit the Healthy Kids, Safe Schools part of our District website. This part of our website has all kinds of helpful and important information including, but not limited to, important district contacts, health and wellness information, housing assistance, counseling, bullying, and suicide prevention. Please take some time to familiarize yourself with the page so that you know where to look should the need arise. 

New Concord Climbing Wall

The new Concord climbing wall has been a very popular attraction for our physical education students. Here are a few pictures to see the kids taking the challenge while having fun!

Cass School District 63 has posted the vacancy for the position of superintendent of schools to replace Mr. Mark Cross, who will retire in June of 2026. The Board of Education has outlined the search process and timeline, with an application deadline of October 10. Candidates will be screened in October and confidential interviews will take place during the month of November. It is expected that the next superintendent will be appointed in December, and will officially begin duties on July 1, 2026.

District Lawn Treatment September 6

We want to make families aware that the lawns at both Concord Elementary and Cass Junior High Schools are being treated on Saturday, September 6. A complete list of the chemicals being used are available in the District office. Please call 331-481-4000 with questions.

Vision and hearing screenings begin next week at both schools. Please review this information for dates, times, and which students will be participating in the screenings. Please contact your child’s school if you have any questions.

Preschool Screenings September 19

There is a prekindergarten screening scheduled on Friday, September 19. Your child must be preregistered to participate. Please click here for more detailed information and to learn how to register.

8th Grade Washington, DC Trip Meeting

The 8th grade class will be traveling to Washington, DC from May 18 to May 20, 2026. There will be a remote informational meeting on September 24, 2025 at 7:00 p.m. Please contact Scott Kondraschow at skondraschow@cassd63.org with questions.

7th Grade Springfield Trip

The 7th grade annual visit to Springfield is scheduled for Friday, October 3. This is a one-day trip that includes visits to many historic sites, including Abraham Lincoln’s home and the Illinois State Capital. This trip coincides with the 7th grade social studies curriculum. Please see this flyer for registration information and contact Mrs. Gorzkowski at agorzkowski@cassd63.org with any questions.

Last Chance for Spirit Wear 

This is your last chance to help your children get in the Spirit of the school year. The CARE spirit wear store closes this Sunday, September 7. Don't miss out on helping your students show their school spirit!

We have one remaining teacher assistant position to fill for the 2025-26 school year at Cass Junior High School. For more information or to apply for current vacancies, here is the application and information. If you are looking for an opportunity to work a few hours a day while your kids are in school, our lunch program partner Just A Dash may be looking for you. Just A Dash has two positions available at Concord, with a starting time of 8:00 and ending time no later than 1:30.

Lunch menus from our partner Just A Dash Catering are updated regularly and payment information, preschool snacks, and other details are available under the lunch program. Lunches are $4.00 and milk is $0.75. Additionally, if you are interested in a part time job during the school day, Just A Dash is looking for interested individuals. If you think this is something you would be interested in, see here for more information.

Following are resources and opportunities outside of the district that are available to our parents and families in or around our school community. Please be aware that the district does not endorse any outside organizations or activities, but is sharing this information as a courtesy to interested families.

Darien Lion’s Club Looking for New Members

Dear Cass School District 63 Parents:

Mark R. Cross, Superintendent

We had an incredible crowd with hundreds of people attending last week’s Ice Cream Social and the grand opening of the Concord playground. It was wonderful having so many families in attendance to not only enjoy ice cream and fun, but also to see the dedication of our amazing playground. This could never have happened without the support of the Board of Education, CARE, and everyone who kindly donated to help make this dream a reality. Here is a link to some wonderful pictures taken by Concord parent Amanda Corral, who is also a professional photographer. Thank you! 

Labor Day is Monday, September 1 and there is no school. Enjoy the long weekend with your families!

Get Important Updates by Activating ParentSquare

All parents should have received an invitation to join ParentSquare earlier this week. If you have not yet had a chance to do so, please be sure to create your ParentSquare account and download the app to your phone. There are some great tools available to take advantage of with this new communication system. To learn more about what ParentSquare can do, please take some time to review this page that includes some great training tools.

8th Grade Parents AWARE Meeting September 3

Cass Junior High School Principal Christine Marcinkewicz is sharing this letter with 8th grade parents about the AWARE meeting scheduled for Wednesday, September 3 at 6:30 p.m. in the chorus room (125). We hope to see all 8th grade parents in attendance for this important topic.

Cass Junior High Picture Day September 3

Cass Junior High picture day has been rescheduled to September 3, including our 8th grade students. There will be a more formal 8th grade picture day later in the school year, but all students need to have their pictures taken. Order forms are available in the school office, but you may also pre-order your pictures, by going to mylifetouch.com, login to your account or continue as guest to enter the Picture Day ID: EVT66NJG8.

7th Grade Springfield Trip

The 7th grade annual visit to Springfield is scheduled for Friday, October 3. This is a one-day trip that includes visits to many historic sites, including Abraham Lincoln’s home and the Illinois State Capital. This trip coincides with the 7th grade social studies curriculum. Please see this flyer for registration information and contact Mrs. Gorzkowski at agorzkowski@cassd63.org with any questions.

Golf tryouts are Wednesday. September 3 from 3:30 - 5:00 p.m. Students who wish to tryout and participate, must have a sports physical on file dated no more than 12 months prior to the first day of practice. Please reach out to the coach Landon Mitchell at lmitchell@cassd63.org with questions.

Concord Chess Registration

Back by popular demand, Elite Chess will be offered again this fall to 2nd through 4th grade students with some knowledge of the game. Classes will start on September 4, and will be from 2:45-3:45 pm. Please click here for more information and registration.

Spirit Wear Available Until September 7!

Spirit wear is back! For a limited time only, the CARE Spirit Wear store is open with a variety of cool apparel for both Cass and Concord kids and families. Spirit wear also makes great gifts! All purchases can be made through the store and any proceeds benefit CARE, which puts funds right back into our schools and programs. The store will be open until September 7.

We have one remaining teacher assistant position to fill for the 2025-26 school year at Cass Junior High School. For more information or to apply for current vacancies, here is the application and information. If you are looking for an opportunity to work a few hours a day while your kids are in school, our lunch program partner Just A Dash may be looking for you. Just A Dash has two positions available at Concord, with a starting time of 8:00 and ending time no later than 1:30.

Interested in Substitute Teaching?

Are you interested in becoming a short-term substitute teacher, or do you know someone who is? There are several upcoming trainings through the DuPage Regional Office of Education. Please take a look or share this flyer. Thank you! .

Lunch menus from our partner Just A Dash Catering are updated regularly and payment information, preschool snacks, and other details are available under the lunch program. Lunches are $4.00 and milk is $0.75. Additionally, if you are interested in a part time job during the school day, Just A Dash is looking for interested individuals. If you think this is something you would be interested in, see here for more information.

Following are resources and opportunities outside of the district that are available to our parents and families in or around our school community. Please be aware that the district does not endorse any outside organizations or activities, but is sharing this information as a courtesy to interested families.

GPS Parent Series: Beyond Anxiety: A Creative Path to Fill Your Life with Joy

Dear Cass School District 63 Parents,

What an incredible first day! We had such a positive start today, and I cannot thank our staff and parents enough for having the schools, classrooms, and kids so ready to go. It is truly a joy seeing the kids returning to school with their smiles, backpacks, and school supplies. Oh, and if you haven’t taken a look at our D63 Facebook page, our fun back to school videos have been viewed thousands of times! Our staff is second to none, and their enthusiasm for our kids and passion for education is unparalleled.

We have heard so many positive comments this week about our new format for Orientation Day. We are grateful that it was well received, and next week we plan to release videos from our teachers and staff outlining some important back to school information for parents. Stay tuned for that!

One thing we believe in taking care of as early as possible in the school year is our required drills. Our teachers and administrators do an excellent job of making the kids feel safe and keeping it as positive as we can, particularly with the younger ones. We never want the kids to be scared, but I wanted to mention it in case they come home and say that the fire department came, the alarm went off, or we talked about weather or tornadoes. Just know that we do this not only because we have to, but to help ensure safety in the unlikely event of a real emergency.

Our annual back to school ice cream social is this Friday evening! This is always a fun event with a huge turnout, and thank you to CARE and our volunteers for making it happen. As an extra bonus this year, we are going to have a brief grand opening for our amazing new playground at 6:00 p.m. to kick off the event. The weather looks perfect, and we look forward to seeing you there!

We are so glad the students are back in school. Thank you for entrusting them to our care, as we look forward to an awesome school year.

Mark R. Cross, Superintendent

The 2025-26 school year is off to a great start! Students and staff at both schools are settling into their new classes and routines and we are so happy to have the kids in our schools again. We even brought the Warrior mascot out of retirement at Cass Junior High! Please enjoy some first day of school photos, and we will add more in the coming days.

Welcome New D63 Staff!
Students and parents are seeing some new faces among our staff this year. Please join us in welcoming our new people to Cass School District 63!

Pictured in the front row from left to right are Concord assistant principal Megan Conlin, Cass social worker Rozie Hornig, Cass music teacher Gretchen Stanfa, Concord teacher assistant Maddie Canong, Concord driver, custodian, and assistant Gina Negrete, Concord teacher assistant Nicole Linarez, Cass permanent substitute teacher Rebecca Kondrisack, and Concord teacher assistant Rubaiyat Tasnova.

Pictured in the back row from from left to right are Cass teacher assistant Nicole Klein, Concord 3rd grade teacher, Jamie Adams, Concord special education teacher Jessica McGinness, Cass special education teacher Bryan Koh, Cass ELA teacher Lauren Niedziela, Cass ELA teacher Alayna Krajack-Chavez, and Concord teacher assistant Danielle Moring. 

Not pictured are Cass STEAM Teacher Kelly Henrikson and Cass school nurse Amy Lesnicki. Welcome to all!

Ice Cream Social and Playground Grand Opening Friday!

The Annual Back to School Ice Cream Social is this Friday, August 22, from 6:00 to 8:00 at Concord! If you are interested, we are looking for volunteers to help make it a successful event. Also, at 6:00, we will be hosting a brief grand opening of the beautiful new playground. We hope to see you there!  

Reporting Student Absences

One very important parent responsibility is to contact the school first thing in the morning when your child will be absent. This is important not only for safety, but also to limit the need for us to locate parents to find this information.

To make this as easy as possible for you, parents can either call the attendance line and leave the necessary information, or send it via email, whichever works best for you prior to the start of the school day.

For Concord absence reporting, call 331-481-4000, choose option 1 and then option 5, or email concordattendance@cassd63.org.

For Cass absence reporting, call 331-481-4000, choose option 2 and then option 7, or email cassattendance@cassd63.org.

For both calls and emails, please leave your child’s name, grade level (and teacher for Concord), date of absence, reason for absence, parent name, and phone number. Please note that should you email an absence, the email must come from a parent email that is included in Skyward.

At the August 19 meeting, the Board of Education welcomed our new staff, reviewed the fiscal year 2026 budget, and reviewed survey results and discussed the process and vacancy announcement to replace Superintendent Mark Cross, who is planning to retire in June of 2026. More meeting information is available under the Board Briefs.

Concord Elementary Picture Days is Wednesday, August 27. Order forms were sent home today with students, however you may also pre-order your pictures, by going to mylifetouch.com, login to your account or continue as guest to enter the Picture Day ID: EVTQPKP7K.

Cass Junior High parents, we apologize that our photographer was unable to resolve their technical issues on Orientation Day. As a result, the Cass picture day has been rescheduled to September 3, including our 8th grade students. There will be a more formal 8th grade picture day later in the school year, but all students need to have their pictures taken. Order forms are available in the school office, but you may also pre-order your pictures, by going to mylifetouch.com, login to your account or continue as guest to enter the Picture Day ID: EVT66NJG8.

Spirit Wear Available Until September 7!

Time to get excited! The CARE spirit wear store opened August 19 and will be available until September 7! All purchases can be made through the CARE website.

Important! Bus Stop Arm Reminders
The new school year is a great time for a reminder of the need to stop for school buses. Simply put, the only time a vehicle is not required to stop for a bus with red flashing lights on is when both vehicles are on a four (or more) lane roadway and the bus is stopped in the opposite direction from which the driver is traveling. Any other time you must stop, even if on private property like a parking lot. The following guide may be helpful. Violations will be reported immediately to the Darien Police Department.

7th Grade Springfield Trip

The 7th grade annual visit to Springfield is scheduled for Friday, October 3. This is a one-day trip that includes visits to many historic sites, including Abraham Lincoln’s home and the Illinois State Capital. This trip coincides with the 7th grade social studies curriculum. Please see this flyer for registration information and contact Mrs. Gorzkowski at agorzkowski@cassd63.org with any questions. 

8th Grade Washington, DC Trip

The 8th grade class will be traveling to Washington, DC from May 18 to May 20, 2026. This is an optional trip, which offers many great learning opportunities in our nation’s capital. Here is more information on the trip and how to register for it. Please contact Scott Kondraschow at skondraschow@cassd63.org with questions.

Cass Golf Team Tryouts September 3

Golf tryouts are September 3 from 3:30 - 5:00 p.m. Students who wish to tryout and participate, must have a sports physical on file dated no more than 12 months prior to the first day of practice. Please reach out to the coach Landon Mitchell at lmitchell@cassd63.org with questions.

Skyward Parent Access Has Launched

Skyward launched last Friday, and parents received email invitations to create your Skyward account. Skyward also gives access to our payment platform eFunds. If you did not receive an email, please contact your child’s school office. There is also a Family Tool Kit if you are interested to see what is available and to help navigate Skyward.

Preschool Screenings September 19

There is a preschool screening scheduled on Friday, September 19. Your child must be preregistered to participate. Please click here for more detailed information and to learn how to register.

September Vision and Hearing Screenings

Vision and hearing screenings will be conducted during the month of September at both schools. Please review this information for dates, times and which students will be participating in the screenings. Please contact your child’s school if you have any questions.

We have one remaining teacher assistant position to fill for the 2025-26 school year at Cass Junior High School. For more information or to apply for current vacancies, here is the application and information. If you are looking for an opportunity to work a few hours a day while your kids are in school, our lunch program partner Just A Dash may be looking for you. Just A Dash has two positions available at Concord, with a starting time of 8:00 and ending time no later than 1:30.

Youth Admission to Hinsdale South Sporting Events

Hinsdale South High School has asked us to share the following message regarding attendance at high school sporting events. All middle school students and younger children must be accompanied and supervised by an adult who purchased a ticket, or has a HS Boosters ticket/pass. This adult is expected to be present at the game for the entire time while the children are present. If there is no adult present for students younger than high school age, they will not be permitted in the stadium. Any children without adult supervision, and/or who cannot find their supervising adult, will be required to contact a parent/guardian and be picked up from the game immediately. Essentially, we need parents and guardians of non-high school aged students to accompany and supervise students at high school football games. This is for the safety of all, particularly the younger children in attendance.

Lunch menus from our partner Just A Dash Catering are updated regularly and payment information, preschool snacks, and other details are available under the lunch program. Lunches are $4.00 and milk is $0.75.

Additionally, if you are interested in a part time job that coincides with your child’s schedule, Just A Dash is looking for interested individuals. If you think this is something you would be interested in, please see here for more information.

Following are resources and opportunities outside of the district that are available to our parents and families in or around our school community. Please be aware that the district does not endorse any outside organizations or activities, but is sharing this information as a courtesy to interested families.

GPS Parent Series:  How Parents Can Support Students

NAMI Walks September 27, 2025

Sokol Chicagoland Gymnastics

Darien Garden Club 4th Annual Sprouts Pickle Party

Darien Garden Club Sprouts Learning Garden

Dear Cass School District 63 Parents,

This Tuesday, August 19, we will host our annual Parent-Student Orientation Day with a new format and schedule. The details are provided below, and we hope you find the new format to be family friendly and welcoming!

We have continued our effort to improve our facilities, with the highlights this year being the beautiful refresh of the gymnasium, updates to the music rooms, and completion of energy efficient LED lighting at Cass Junior High. At Concord, you can’t miss the amazing new playground, the updated music room, and a much needed update to most of the student restrooms and related plumbing.

Included below is important information about drop off and pick up times and procedures. Please do NOT drop off your children prior to the designated times, please stay OFF of your phones when around our schools and in our parking lots, and please be PATIENT with the time it takes to drop off and pick up your kids, particularly at the beginning of the school year. Nothing is more important than the health and safety of our kids, and we truly appreciate your support and assistance with this.

Concord teacher assignments will be emailed early Monday morning and Cass Junior High class schedules will be distributed at Orientation, and available in Skyward on Wednesday. For parents who signed up for transportation, we will be sharing bus stops and times with you on Monday. Thank you for your patience with that as we finalize the details to ensure safe routes and stops for our students.

We are very excited to welcome our kids back to school! Please be sure to review the important details that follow not only so you are well-informed, but also to ensure the safety and well-being of our students. Thank you, and we will see you next week!

Mark R. Cross, Superintendent

Don't Miss Out! Parent-Student Orientation August 19

The new school year starts with our annual Parent-Student Orientation Day on Tuesday, August 19. The schedule includes recommended times to assist with traffic flow and crowds, but you are welcome to arrive anytime between 1:30 and 6:20 p.m. to visit our schools and meet teachers in their classrooms at both schools. Here are the supply lists for Concord Elementary and Cass Junior High if you are ready to drop off school supplies as well.

Orientation Day Pictures at Cass Junior High Picture 

Cass Junior High will hold their picture day on Orientation Day, including our 8th grade students. There will be a more formal 8th grade picture day later in the school year, but all students need to have their pictures taken at the beginning of the school year. To pre-order your pictures, please go to mylifetouch.com, login to your account or continue as guest to enter the Picture Day ID: EVT66NJG8.

Important! Family Directory Opt Out Deadline August 15

Our school district partners with DirectorySpot, an app that houses a directory to help our families to connect. The online directory of families can be sorted by classroom or grade, and unless parents opt out, the directory will include names, addresses, emails and phone numbers for parents and students.

The deadline is Friday, August 15 to fully opt out of the initial roll out. If you plan to have your family information included in the initial rollout of the 2025-26 directory (including if you are already in the current one), there is nothing you need to do. However, if you wish to opt all of your family information out of inclusion in the initial roll out of the directory, then please respond under the link above by August 15.

Ice Cream Social and Playground Grand Opening August 22!

The Back to School Ice Cream Social is Friday, August 22, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Concord! It’s always wonderful to see new families, friends, teachers, and staff to kick off the school year! If you are interested, we are looking for volunteers to help make it a successful event. Also, at 6:00, the district will be hosting a brief Grand Opening of the beautiful new playground. We hope to see you there!  

Last Call! Survey Deadline August 18

Superintendent Mark Cross will retire in June of 2026, and the Board of Education has released a parent and community survey to gather input on the characteristics and leadership profile of the next superintendent. Responses to the survey are due on Monday, August 18. Thank you for your input!

Effective Immediately - No Motorized E-Bikes on School Property

Effective immediately and until further notice, there will be no electronic scooters or motorcycles allowed on school property that are not owned and operated by a person of the correct age and licensed accordingly, per the City of Darien Ordinance. Even those licensed and of legal age must follow all rules of the road in the driveway and parking lots. If these are otherwise found on school district property, they will be confiscated and the police will be called.

E-bikes on school property can only be operated by pedal and without motor assist. Outside of this additional restriction, e-bikes are also subject to the above ordinance. Those with questions are welcome to contact Deputy Police Chief Austin Jump at 630-353-8314 with any questions. Anyone observing people on e-bikes who are not complying are encouraged to call 911 to report the activity. We truly appreciate everyone’s cooperation with following the law and ensuring the safety of all.

Student Drop Off and Pick Up Safety, Times, and Procedures

We cannot emphasize enough the importance of safety as it relates to drop off and pick up procedures, which can be found at the bottom of the page under the link. The times and procedures are very important, particularly at Concord with the little ones. In the past, we have had concerns with parents leaving their children at school before 7:45 a.m. when staff supervision begins at Concord.

Parents who leave their children unsupervised outside of the specified staffed hours of 7:45 to 3:00 may have their children added to the Ivy League Kids program and charged for that time. Of course we would rather not do that, so please plan accordingly with these times. Please contact us with any questions or concerns.

Important! Extracurricular Pickup and Rideshare Safety Policy

During the school year, parent pick up is at 5:00 p.m. for practices, clubs, and detentions at Cass Junior High School. Please plan accordingly to make arrangements to pick up your child. We have also seen an increase in parents sending Uber or other rideshare services to pick up kids after extracurricular activities.

Please note that we will not send a child home in a rideshare service unless the parent has sent their student a screenshot of the car, license plate, driver, and photo to be shared with the coach or sponsor. If our school staff cannot verify the car and driver from the parent, the student will not be allowed to leave in the car. This is important for safety, so please contact us with any questions.

Skyward and eFunds Parent Access Coming Soon

Skyward has replaced PowerSchool as our student management system, and coinciding with this change will be the implementation of eFunds as the new payment system to replace MySchoolBucks. Parents of students who are already registered will receive an email with further instructions on how to create your Skyward account.

Once parents create their new accounts, eFunds will be open and available to add funds to student lunch accounts by credit card or e-check (ACH). If you wish to add money to their account prior to that time, you may send a check into your child’s school office and they can add the funds on your behalf.

Coming Soon! 2025-26 Bus Route Information

We also ask that bus parents carefully review our Bus Procedures and Guidelines both for you and with your children and discuss the rules as appropriate for their age. Please keep in mind that pick up and drop off locations are neighborhood stops, and not likely to be immediately adjacent to or near your particular home. We are planning to communicate bus stop and route information early next week.

Popsicles in the Park for Kindergarten Families

CARE would like to invite all incoming kindergarteners and their families to Smart Oaks Park for Popsicles in the Park on Saturday, August 16 from 10:00 to 12:00! You still have time to fill out the RSVP form if you haven’t already done so. Let our organizers know if you are able to attend, and you can also join the kindergarten Facebook group to connect with the other families at Concord.

September Vision and Hearing Screenings

Vision and hearing screenings will be conducted during the month of September at both schools. Please review this information for dates, times and which students will be participating in the screenings. Please contact your child’s school if you have any questions.

Preschool Screenings September 19

There is a prekindergarten screening scheduled on Friday, September 19. Your child must be preregistered to participate. Please click here for more detailed information and to learn how to register.

Girls softball tryouts are August 18 and 20 from 3:30 - 5:00 p.m. at the Cass Junior High Softball Field. Students who wish to tryout and participate, must have a sports physical on file dated no more than 12 months prior to the first day of practice. Please reach out to the coach Danielle Hosman at dhosman@cassd63.org with questions.

We have one remaining teacher assistant position to fill for the 2025-26 school year at Cass Junior High School. For more information or to apply for current vacancies, here is the application and information. If you are looking for an opportunity to work a few hours a day while your kids are in school, our lunch program partner Just A Dash may be looking for you. Just A Dash has two positions available at Concord, with a starting time of 8:00 and ending time no later than 1:30.

Get excited and mark your calendar! The CARE spirit wear store will be open from August 19 - September 7! All purchases can be made on the CARE website once the store opens!

For those parents interested in before and after school child care for the 2025-26 school year, Cass School District 63 partners with Ivy League Kids. Registration for the program is open and this flyer includes fee and enrollment details.

Fee Waiver and Free and Reduced Lunch Applications
If you believe your family may qualify for free fees and/or free or reduced priced lunches, please take a moment to print, complete, and submit to the school district office the following forms for review. Hard copies of these forms are also available in the district and school offices.

2025-26 Application for Fee Waiver 

2025-26 Application for Free and Reduced Lunch

Please note that you must complete both applications if you wish to be considered for fee waiver and for free or reduced lunch. If you have questions about these forms, please contact Amy Underhill in the district office at aunderhill@cassd63.org.

Lunch service starts on the very first day of school and lunch menus are already posted from our partner Just A Dash Catering. Menus are updated regularly and payment information, preschool snacks, and other details are available under the lunch program. Lunches are the same price this year at $4.00 and milk is $0.75. If you are interested in putting money on your child’s account prior to the availability of eFunds, you may drop off or send in a check to your child’s school office and they can add the funds in for you now.

Additionally, if you are interested in a part time job that coincides with your child’s schedule, Just A Dash is looking for interested individuals. If you think this is something you would be interested in, please see here for more information.

Following are resources and opportunities outside of the district that are available to our parents and families in or around our school community. Please be aware that the district does not endorse any outside organizations or activities, but is sharing this information as a courtesy to interested families.

GPS Parent Series:  Start the Year with Organizational Skills for School Success

Children’s Safety Expo

Dear Cass School District 63 Parents,

We are very excited to have the kids back in school just two weeks from today! Some of our interior renovation work is still wrapping up and our outstanding custodians and summer workers are working hard cleaning up after the construction crew. We will be ready for you on Parent-Student Orientation Day on August 19, and the details and schedule for this are included below.

We are also finalizing bus routes and we will be communicating bus numbers and stops directly to parents who have registered and paid the bus service for the coming school year. I expect that this information will be communicated by the end of next week.

Important highlights from below include the August 15 opt out deadline for our family directory app, the superintendent search survey, and information on our change to Skyward and eFunds for online payment, which we will roll out soon. There is also much information about various activities and opportunities for our kids of all ages!

As we get into the school year, be sure to also stay up to date with our live calendar, which can be synced with your personal device. We constantly update with changes or new events, so this is the best way to keep up, in addition to our weekly communications right here.

Please reach out if you have any questions, or if you need anything as we get ready for a great school year. Thank you!

Mark R. Cross, Superintendent

Parent-Student Orientation Day August 19

We have made some changes to our annual Parent-Student Orientation Day that we hope is more parent friendly and welcoming for our families. This will be held on Tuesday, August 19, and the link includes recommended times to assist with traffic flow and crowds if it works for you, but you are welcome to arrive anytime between 1:30 and 6:20 p.m. to visit our schools and meet teachers in their classrooms.

Our goal is to provide an open door format to allow kids and parents to gain familiarity with the schools, classrooms, and schedules for the junior high, and of course your child’s teachers prior to the first day of attendance. Students at both schools are also welcome to drop off any supplies and put things in their lockers at Cass. Also at Cass, students will have school pictures taken on Orientation Day (more on that below).

Thank you for understanding that classrooms will not be fully “student ready” just yet since kids don’t officially start until Thursday, so we appreciate your kindness and understanding. We hope you like the new format, and we could not be any more excited to have our kids back to school!

Family Directory Opt Out Deadline August 15

Our school district partners with DirectorySpot, an app that houses a directory to help our families to connect. The online directory of families can be sorted by classroom or grade, and unless parents opt out, the directory will include names, addresses, emails and phone numbers for parents and students.

The deadline is Friday, August 15 to fully opt out of the initial roll out. If you plan to have your family information included in the initial rollout of the 2025-26 directory (including if you are already in the current one), there is nothing you need to do. However, if you wish to opt all of your family information out of inclusion in the initial roll out of the directory, then please respond under the link above by August 15.

A parent and community survey has been released to gather input on the characteristics and leadership profile of the next superintendent for Cass School District 63. Mr. Mark Cross will retire in June of 2026, and the Board of Education is beginning the process to search for his replacement. The superintendent search page includes a letter from President Lana Johnson that outlines the process and timeline. Responses to the survey are due on August 18.

Following are the 2025-26 school supply lists for Concord Elementary School, as well as Cass Junior High School. School supply lists are also always available under the registration section of the district website   

Skyward and eFunds Parent Access Coming Soon

Skyward will be replacing PowerSchool as our new student management system, and coinciding with this change will be the implementation of eFunds as the new payment system to replace MySchoolBucks. Closer to the start of the school year, parents of students who are already registered will receive an email with further instructions on how to create your Skyward account.

Once parents create their Skyward accounts, eFunds will be open and available for families to add funds to their child’s lunch account by credit card or e-check (ACH). If you wish to add money to their account prior to that time, you may send a check into your child’s school office and they can add the funds on your behalf.

Band Camp is coming to Cass Junior High Monday, August 11 through Thursday, August 14. Please be sure to review the schedule to know what time each instrument and age group should be in attendance. We hope your child can attend!

Fall sports at Cass Junior High School are starting next week! All students who wish to tryout and participate in any of the sports, must have a sports physical on file dated no more than 12 months prior to the first day of practice. Please reach out to the coach of the sport you are interested in with any questions.

Boys and Girls Cross Country – August 11 is the first day of practice at Cass Junior High

Boys Baseball – Tryouts are August 14 and 15 at 11:00 a.m. at the Eisenhower Pony Field (corrected dates)

Girls Softball – Tryouts are August 18 and 20 from 3:30-5:00 p.m. at the Cass Junior High Softball Field

Cass Junior High Picture Day August 19

Cass Junior High will hold their picture day on Orientation Day, including our 8th grade students. There will be a more formal 8th grade picture day later in the school year, but all students need to have their pictures taken at the beginning of the school year. To pre-order your pictures, please go to mylifetouch.com and enter the Picture Day ID: EVT66NJG8.

Ice Cream Social and Playground Grand Opening August 22!

Let’s kick off the school year at CARE’s annual ice cream social at Concord Elementary School on the evening of Friday, August 22. During this event, the District will be hosting the Grand Opening of the beautiful new Concord playground! Don’t miss out on this wonderful opportunity to enjoy a fun event with school friends and see the new playground. We hope to see you there! 

City of Darien Passes E-Bike Ordinance
The Darien City Council recently approved an ordinance governing the operation of electric bicycles, better known as e-bikes. Like many communities, the city found this ordinance necessary to address serious safety concerns. Parents are strongly encouraged to review the ordinance, and are also welcome to contact Deputy Chief Austin Jump at 630-353-8314 with any questions. Anyone observing people on e-bikes who are not complying are encouraged to call 911 to report the activity. Following is a summary of the recently passed rules.

We have one remaining teacher assistant position to fill for the 2025-26 school year at Cass Junior High School. For more information or to apply for current vacancies, here is the application and information.

Popsicles in the Park for Kindergarten Families

On Saturday, August 16, CARE is hosting Popsicles in the Park for our incoming kindergarten students and families. Don’t miss out on this great opportunity for our newest families to meet and get to know each other before the start of the school year! Please click the link for more information and registration.

Concord Chess Registration

Back by popular demand, Elite Chess will be offered again this fall to 2nd through 4th grade students with some knowledge of the game. Classes will start on September 4, and will be from 2:45-3:45 pm. Please click here for more information and registration.

For those parents interested in before and after school child care for the 2025-26 school year, Cass School District 63 partners with Ivy League Kids. Registration for the program is open and this flyer includes fee and enrollment details.

Fee Waiver and Free and Reduced Lunch Applications
If you believe your family may qualify for free fees and/or free or reduced priced lunches, please take a moment to print, complete, and submit to the school district office the following forms for review. Hard copies of these forms are also available in the district and school offices.

2025-26 Application for Fee Waiver

2025-26 Application for Free and Reduced Lunch

Please note that you must complete both applications if you wish to be considered for fee waiver and for free or reduced lunch. If you have questions about these forms, please contact Amy Underhill in the district office at aunderhill@cassd63.org.

Lunch service starts on the very first day of school and lunch menus are already posted from our partner Just A Dash Catering. Menus are updated regularly and payment information, preschool snacks, and other details are available under the lunch program. Lunches are the same price this year at $4.00 and milk is $0.75. If you are interested in putting money on your child’s account prior to the availability of eFunds, you may drop off or send in a check to your child’s school office and they can add the funds in for you now.

Additionally, if you are interested in a part time job that coincides with your child’s schedule, Just A Dash is looking for interested individuals. If you think this is something you would be interested in, please see here for more information

Following are resources and opportunities outside of the district that are available to our parents and families in or around our school community. Please be aware that the district does not endorse any outside organizations or activities, but is sharing this information as a courtesy to interested families.

Hinsdale South High School Black & Gold Game

GPS Parent Series: Start the Year with Organizational Skills for School Success 

Dear Cass School District 63 Parents,

Welcome back! I hope that you and your families have had a wonderful summer. While there is a bit remaining, three weeks from today is the first official day of school for our students outside of preschool. Summer has flown by, but our administrators, office staff, custodians, and summer crew have been hard at work the entire time getting the buildings ready. We have some extra clean up after more facility improvements, and I will share more on that closer to the start of the school year.

Something we are excited about this year are some changes with our Parent-Student Orientation Day, which is scheduled for August 19. Details on the new schedule and format are below, as we look forward to having you here that day in a more relaxed, open house style so you and your children can visit teachers and classrooms, drop off supplies, and just become more familiar with our people, schools, and schedule before the first day. More details are provided below, and your questions are always welcome.

On a personal note, most of you know by now that I am planning to retire next June. While there are many things to look forward to in retirement, I have very mixed feelings leaving the people and school district that I love. The Board will hire a great candidate, and I will do whatever I can to assist the Board and new superintendent in making a smooth transition when the time comes.

In the meantime, please respond to the superintendent search survey, which we are asking parents, staff, and the community to complete by August 18. This will provide important information in helping the Board find the right person to be the next leader in D63. More information follows, and thank you for the honor of allowing me to serve as the superintendent, and for your support of our wonderful school district.

Mark R. Cross, Superintendent

Parent and Community Survey Released

Superintendent Mark Cross will retire at the conclusion of the 2025-26 school year, and the Board of Education is beginning the process to search for his replacement. The superintendent search page includes a letter from President Lana Johnson that outlines the process and timeline, as well as a community survey to gather input on the characteristics, experience, and qualifications for the next superintendent. The Board thanks our parents, staff, and community for taking a few minutes to complete the survey, and responses are due on August 18.

Parent-Student Orientation Day August 19

This year, we are planning a different format and timeframe for our annual Parent-Student Orientation Day. This is scheduled for Tuesday, August 19 with parent and student arrival between 1:30 and 6:00 p.m. to allow for a more parent and family friendly opportunity to visit our schools and meet teachers in their classrooms.

Please be sure to review the schedule as the format and times of the day have been significantly adjusted from what we have done in the past. We still include suggested arrival times to help with crowds and traffic flow, so if it works for you to hit those times, that is helpful but you are not obligated to do so. Door will remain open, but we would like to conclude the evening and be able to send our staff home by 6:30 p.m.

Our goal is to provide an open door format to allow kids and parents to gain familiarity with the schools, classrooms, and schedules for the junior high, and of course your child’s teachers prior to the first day of attendance. We think this should go far to alleviate anxiety for kids (and maybe parents too!) and help get the school year off to an awesome start.

Teachers will be in their classrooms throughout the scheduled time at both schools to meet their students and parents. Students at both schools are also welcome to drop off any supplies and put things in their lockers at Cass. Also at Cass, students will have school pictures taken on Orientation Day. This includes 8th grade students, although there will also be formal 8th grade pictures taken later in the school year.

Please just be aware that classrooms will not be fully “student ready” just yet since kids don’t officially start until Thursday, so we appreciate your kindness and understanding. We hope you like the new format, and we could not be any more excited to have our kids back to school!

New Student Management and Payment Systems

Before the start of the 2025-26 school year, the district will be launching Skyward as our new student management system to replace PowerSchool. Coinciding with this change will be the implementation of eFunds as the new payment system to replace MySchoolBucks. Parents of students who are already registered will receive an email with further instructions on how to create your Skyward account.

Once parents are able to create their Skyward accounts, eFunds will be open and available for families to add funds to their child’s lunch account by credit card or e-check (ACH). If you wish to add money to their account prior to that time, you may send a check into your child’s school office and they can add the funds on your behalf. More information will be shared soon!

Please be sure to mark your calendar for the start dates for any fall sports your child may be interested in. These sports all start before the official start of the school year. All students who wish to tryout and participate in any of the sports, must have a sports physical on file dated no more than 12 months prior to the first day of practice. Please reach out to the coach of the sport you are interested in with any questions.

Boys and Girls Cross Country – August 11 is the first day of practice at Cass Junior High

Boys Baseball – Tryouts are August 14 and 15 at 11:00 a.m. at the Eisenhower Pony Field

Girls Softball – Tryouts are August 18 and 20 from 3:30-5:00 p.m. at the Cass Junior High Softball Field

Band Camp is coming to Cass Junior High Monday, August 11 through Thursday, August 14. Please be sure to review the schedule to know what time each instrument and age group should be in attendance. We hope your child can attend!

Cass School District 63 is looking for teacher assistants for 2025-26 school year. For more information or to apply for current vacancies, here is the application and information.

Popsicles in the Park for Kindergarten Families

On Saturday, August 16, CARE is hosting Popsicles in the Park for our incoming kindergarten students and families. Don’t miss out on this great opportunity for our newest families to meet and get to know each other before the start of the school year! Please click the link for more information and registration.

Concord Chess Registration

Back by popular demand, Elite Chess will be offered again this fall to 2nd through 4th grade students with some knowledge of the game. Classes will start on September 4, and will be from 2:45-3:45 pm. Please click here for more information and registration.

For those parents interested in before and after school child care for the 2025-26 school year, Cass School District 63 partners with Ivy League Kids. Registration for the program is open and this flyer includes fee and enrollment details.

Fee Waiver and Free and Reduced Lunch Applications
If you believe your family may qualify for free fees and/or free or reduced priced lunches, please take a moment to print, complete, and submit to the school district office the following forms for review. Hard copies of these forms are also available in the district and school offices.

2025-26 Application for Fee Waiver 

2025-26 Application for Free and Reduced Lunch

Please note that you must complete both applications if you wish to be considered for fee waiver and for free or reduced lunch. If you have questions about these forms, please contact Amy Underhill in the district office at aunderhill@cassd63.org.

Following are resources and opportunities outside of the district that are available to our parents and families in or around our school community. Please be aware that the district does not endorse any outside organizations or activities, but is sharing this information as a courtesy to interested families.

Sunday Funday Sports Flag Football

Hinsdale South Community Action Team Back-to-School Fair (August 3)

Dear Cass School District 63 Parents,

Earlier this week, we celebrated the Class of 2025 with a wonderful graduation ceremony. After nine or more years for most of our students, they are beyond ready for high school! It has also been a fun week for the kids over the last days and weeks with field trips, classroom and school activities, and field days. Tomorrow, we celebrate the last day of the school year with a half day of fun before early dismissal, including our 4th Grade Clap Out at Concord.

We have made a few changes to our back to school plans in August, including the format for both Parent-Student Orientation and Curriculum Nights. Next year’s calendar and back to school schedule are included below, along with what we think will be a more parent-friendly schedule for orientation.

Thank you for entrusting us to educate your kids, and I hope that you enjoy your time as a family this summer. Life is busy and goes fast, so enjoy every moment and make memories together. This will be the final Connections of the school year. We will share any necessary updates over the summer if needed and we will resume our weekly communications on July 31. Until then, please reach out with any questions, or if you need anything at all.

Have a safe and wonderful summer!

Mark R. Cross, Superintendent

Congratulations to our 8th grade students at their graduation!

Friday, June 6 is the last day of the 2024-25 school year. Students will be released early with Concord at 11:15 a.m. and Cass at 12:00 p.m. Please note that Ivy League Kids is not available after school so please plan accordingly. We wish your families a happy, healthy, and fun summer!

Class of 2025 Graduation

Congratulations go out to the Cass Junior High Class of 2025 upon their graduation. We are very proud of all of the many strengths and accomplishments of each and every one of our graduates and we look forward to seeing you continue to do great things in high school and beyond!

Cass Junior High Recognition Night

Earlier this week, we celebrated the hard work, talent, and dedication of our amazing students at the annual Cass Junior High Recognition Night. On Recognition Night, select students from all four grade levels and their families are invited to be recognized for their varying achievements throughout the year. From academic excellence to leadership and creativity, there was so much to be proud of this year. Congratulations to all of these students!

This week our very excited 4th grade students visited Cass Junior High to meet the teachers, tour their classrooms and the school, and to learn a bit about the changes they will encounter as the move into middle school. This video introducing staff to the students was shared with them as well. We look forward to officially welcoming our new 5th grade students to Cass in the fall!

Cass School District 63 is looking for teacher assistants and drivers for 2025-26 school year. For more information or to apply for current vacancies, here is the application and information.

Inspirational Teacher Essay Contest Winners

Cass 6th grade students Maya Muslmani and Monika Bakas participated in the Inspirational Teacher Essay Contest. On Tuesday night, they were recognized by State Senator John Curran and his team. Maya won 3rd place and Monika won 5th place. Their essays were on display in the Illinois Capitol rotunda at the beginning of May. If this were not enough to be proud of, Cass Junior High was the only school who had more than one finalist! Congratulations to Maya and Monika!

Concord Elementary Field Days

Concord Elementary held field days on Monday and Tuesday of this week. The students had perfect weather and a fabulous time. What a great way to celebrate the last week of school!

5th Grade Outdoor Education

Our 5th graders are enjoying their very first trip to Irons Oaks Environmental Learning Center in Olympia Fields! This amazing teambuilding experience is the perfect way to celebrate a year full of growth and success. Congrats to Vlad Tuhai and his team for breaking the previously held crate stacking record. Way to go, fifth graders! Here are a few pictures from their day.

8th Grade Learns About Sodium Polyacrylate

In our 8th grade science classes, students experimented with a cool substance called sodium polyacrylate. This superabsorbent polymer can soak up over 800 times its weight in water! It's the same material used in diapers and to create fake snow in movies. Students had a blast making their own “snowballs” and exploring how this amazing material works!

7th Grade Learns About Anatomy

Students in 7th grade life science have spent the last few weeks of the school year preparing and dissecting the earthworm, the perch, and the frog. Students learned about the anatomy and were able to compare the similarities and differences between each of these organisms. Students did a wonderful job with the dissections and demonstrated their knowledge with the ability to identify the various structures that they had been studying. Please enjoy these pictures of students in the process of their work. While students may have felt different levels of comfort (some exceeded their own expectations), students agreed that dissections were a positive experience!

Please take a moment to review the 2025-26 school year calendar. The first important date is the Parent-Student Orientation Day on August 19. Please be sure to review the schedule as the format and times of the day have been significantly adjusted. For the most accurate school year calendar, please be sure to check the district website’s live calendar, which also includes a link to the school district one page calendar with holidays. A listing of the important back to school dates are also noted below under Important Dates to Remember.

Goodbye and Thank You D63 Staff!

Thank you and best wishes to our staff members who are retiring or leaving District 63 this spring. This includes our congratulations to retiring staff Dr. Laura Anderson, Jennifer Callahan, Karen Hyder, Becky Kriz, Joe Messina, and Audrey Vaci. We also want to thank outgoing staff members Sarah Acitelli, Bridget Berger, Mike Gallagher, Meagan Garcia, Bridget Gilmartin, Julia Holbert, and Monica Rothbard, who are moving on to new opportunities as well. Finally, we want to thank SASED teachers Collette Kaufmann and Laura Dahl and all of the SASED staff because their programs housed in our buildings will be moving to a different location. We wish all of you the very best! 

Thank You from Dr. Anderson

On one of her very last days at Concord Elementary, Dr. Anderson got an unexpected visit from a turtle who appeared on Concord grounds. Knowing her love of animals, we are certain the turtle came to wish her well and give her the perfect send off into retirement. Dr. Anderson also wanted to share this parting note with our school community:

Dear Cass School District School Community and Parents,

Thank you for sharing your children, grandchildren, and families with me over the past 18 years. It has been an honor and privilege to serve this learning community, watch the students learn and grow, and celebrate the many successes both in and outside of the school environment. I will miss all the smiling faces each day. I wish all of you great health, personal triumphs, and true happiness in the future years. Best wishes and many successes always.

Love, Dr. Laura Anderson

Preschool Summer Learning Opportunities

The Concord preschool team has created a special website just for our preschool families. The website has great information about summer events and learning tools for our youngest learners. Please be sure to check out this flyer with all the information you need to take advantage of these great family and learning opportunities.

Please be sure to mark your calendar for the start dates for any fall sports your child may be interested in. These sports all start before the official start of the school year. All students who wish to tryout and participate in any of the sports, must have a sports physical on file dated no more than 12 months prior to the first day of practice. Please reach out to the coach of the sport you are interested in with any questions.

Boys and Girls Cross Country – August 11 is the first day of practice at Cass Junior High

Boys Baseball – Tryouts are August 15 and 16 at 11:00 a.m. at the Eisenhower Pony Field

Girls Softball – Tryouts are August 18 and 20 from 3:30-5:00 p.m. at the Cass Junior High Softball Field

Band Camp is coming to Cass Junior High Monday, August 11 through Thursday, August 14. Please be sure to review the schedule to know what time each instrument and age group should be in attendance. We hope your child can attend!

There is a community fundraising effort underway to build an accessible, safe, and fun new playground for current and future generations of kids to play, grow, and build lasting memories. All donations through our 501(c)(3) CARE organization are tax-deductible. Please take a look at the details, including the proposed new playground!

Free Summer Scholars Tutoring Program

Summer Scholars is a student-run nonprofit that provides free, one-on-one tutoring in reading and literacy for students in grades 3-8 founded by Hinsdale South and Cass Junior High School alum Sam Johnson. Each child is paired with a trained high school or college tutor who offers personalized support to boost academic skills, confidence, and motivation. They also offer flexible scheduling based on your availability. Whether your child could use a confidence boost, extra reading practice, or structured academic time this summer, Summer Scholars is here to help. Visit the Summer Scholars website to learn more and register your child.

Support the Back-2-School Bash for Local Families

Hinsdale South’s Community Action Team is holding a Back-to-School Fair on August 3 at Hinsdale South and they are looking for individuals and/or corporations interested in supporting or participating in the fair. This letter has more information for anyone interested in being a part of this great opportunity and this flyer is an invitation to the Hinsdale South families to attend and enjoy.

For those parents interested in before and after school child care for the 2025-26 school year, Cass School District 63 partners with Ivy League Kids. Enrollment in the Ivy League Kids program is now open for the 2025-26 school year. Please review this flyer for fee and enrollment information for next school year.

Dear Cass School District 63 Parents,

As we head into the final week of the school year, a little bit of celebrating is in order!

First of all, Hinsdale South High School had three juniors score a perfect 36 on their ACT and two of these students are from District 63! Congratulations to all three students, including our own Gerald Bauer and Cody Splingaire. This is something to truly celebrate because across the country, only 0.22 percent of students achieve a perfect ACT score. That defies all of the odds and speaks volumes to these two young men, their families, and the teachers they had in their lives in both District 63 and 86. Congratulations, Gerald and Cody!

On the extracurricular front, congratulations to Cass Junior High 8th grader Skylar Herbert who took second in the IESA state track meet in the 400 meter run last weekend. Sky also took 10th in state in both the 100 and 200. Perhaps most importantly, she set personal records in all three events, a true testament to her hard work and dedication toward becoming an elite runner. We are all excited to see what Sky will do as a high school athlete, and we celebrate Sky and our other track and soccer athletes and coaches for their hard work this spring. Well done!

Last but not least, another great school year is always worth celebrating. We are blessed in District 63 with a great staff, supportive parents, and a school board who supports our efforts at growth and improvement. We will do whatever we can to make the end of the school year as safe and joyful as possible for our students!

Mark R. Cross, Superintendent

8th grade students enjoying a day at The Forge.

Preschool Summer Learning

The preschool team has created a special website just for our Concord preschool families. The website has great information about summer events and learning tools for our youngest learners. Please be sure to check out this flyer with all the information you need to take advantage of these great family and learning opportunities.

No Ivy League Kids After School on June 6

The last day of the 2024-25 school year is June 6 and Ivy League Kids will be available in the morning before school, but will not be available after school. Please be sure to plan accordingly.

For those parents interested in before and after school child care for the 2025-26 school year, Cass School District 63 partners with Ivy League Kids. Enrollment in the Ivy League Kids program is now open for the 2025-26 school year. Please review this flyer for fee and enrollment information for next school year.

Book Buddies Project at Concord

Mrs. Hyder’s 3rd grade class and Mrs. Summers’ 1st grade class are Book Buddies and they worked together to create a unique project this week! Each pair of buddies colored parts of an American flag pattern, then put it all together to make a giant American flag. It was a fun activity to celebrate Memorial Day!

Our 4th grade students put on a fantastic concert with the theme How to Be a Pirate. Thank you to music teacher Kali Sheldon and our 4h grade pirates for a very entertaining evening!

Sky Herbert Takes Second in IESA State 400

Cass Junior High School 8th grader Skylar Herbert had an awesome performance at the IESA Class 3A state track meet last weekend. After taking 1st at sectional in the 100, 200, and 400, Sky placed 10th in the 100, 10th in the 200, and an incredible 2nd place finish in the 400. All of her times were personal records. Congratulations, Sky!

Please be sure to mark your calendar for the start dates for any fall sports your child may be interested in. These sports all start before the official start of the school year. All students who wish to tryout and participate in any of the sports, must have a sports physical on file dated no more than 12 months prior to the first day of practice. Please reach out to the coach of the sport you are interested in with any questions.

Boys and Girls Cross Country – August 11 is the first day of practice at Cass Junior High

Boys Baseball – Tryouts are August 15 and 16 at 11:00 a.m. at the Eisenhower Pony Field

Girls Softball – Tryouts are August 18 and 20 from 3:30-5:00 p.m. at the Cass Junior High Softball Field

There is a community fundraising effort underway to build an accessible, safe, and fun new playground for current and future generations of kids to play, grow, and build lasting memories. All donations through our 501(c)(3) CARE organization are tax-deductible. Please take a look at the details, including the proposed new playground!

Concord Yearbook Delivery and Raffle

Concord yearbooks are here and have been distributed to all students who ordered them. There is more information under the link, and if did not order a yearbook for your child and would like a chance at obtaining one, Concord is holding a yearbook raffle on June 4. Please see this flyer for information on how to participate in the raffle.

Does Your Family Need Summer Food Options?

If you are looking for available options to help feed your family this summer, there are several possibilities to help you. Free Summer Meals are available for children 18 and under. For families, Find Food Illinois is a community food map where eligible families interested in food assistance may locate local food pantries, identify locations that accept SNAP and/or WIC, senior food resources etc. during the summer months. The Northern Illinois Food Bank also has great resources to help your family find food banks, summer lunch options, as well as assistance and resources.

Cass School District 63 is seeking a school nurse at Cass Junior High School and we are also looking for teacher assistants and drivers for 2025-26 school year. For more information or to apply for current vacancies, here is the application and information.

This month we want to recognize and thank Bridget Gilmartin, who stepped in mid-year to assume the role of Cass Junior High social worker. Bridget has done a tremendous job stepping in and has such a positive attitude. Thank you, Bridget!

Two Cass Graduates Score a Perfect ACT
Two Cass School District 63 alums and current Hinsdale South High School students earned perfect scores on their ACT test. Congratulations to Gerald Bauer and Cody Splingaire who were two of the three Hinsdale South students who achieved this impressive feat!

Please take a moment to review the 2025-26 school year calendar. For the most accurate calendar, please be sure to check the district website’s live calendar, which also includes a link to the one-page school district calendar with holidays. A listing of the important back to school dates are also noted below under Important Dates to Remember.

A Summer Hangout at Activate

CARE has set up its first ever summer fundraiser by booking a summer hangout date at Activate in Oak Brook on June 26. This is a great way to get friends together and enjoy fun games and activities while also giving back. Please see this flyer for details on how to register and a code to use to make sure 50% of the cost goes back to CARE and our school.

If your child is missing any items that you think may have been left behind in school, please be sure to have them check the lost and found prior to Thursday, June 5. All items still unclaimed by the end of the school day on June 5 will be donated. If you have any questions, please contact your child’s school office.

Celebrate the Last Day of School with Dairy Queen

There is no better way to celebrate the last day of school then with ice cream at the Willowbrook Dairy Queen. Plan a trip with friends and take this flyer with you to ensure that 15% of your sales get donated back to CARE and our schools.

Lunch menus from our partner Just A Dash Catering are updated regularly and payment information, preschool snacks, and other details are available under the lunch program. Lunches are $4.00 and milk is $0.75.

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Following are resources and opportunities outside of the district that are available to our parents and families in or around our school community. Please be aware that the district does not endorse any outside organizations or activities, but is sharing this information as a courtesy to interested families.

Color Me Mine Grand Opening and Summer Camps

Dear Cass School District 63 Parents,

This is a very big year for retirements in our school district, and this week we are honoring each of our retirees for their years of service to generations of children in our community. Dr. Laura Anderson, Audrey Vaci, Jennifer Callahan, Joe Messina, Karen Hyder, and Becky Kriz have each made a huge difference in the lives of their students over so many years.

Just today, I received an email from a woman who graduated years ago wanting me to share her congratulations and let a teacher who was so impactful in her life know that she truly made a difference not only back then, but still today.

To me, that tells you everything you need to know. I’ve always believed that outside of parents, teachers are the most important people in the lives of so many kids. Sometimes they are the most important. All of us have at least one educator who truly made a difference in our lives that we probably still carry with us today.

Thank you to these six professionals for the countless differences they have made for their students. Congratulations, and enjoy your retirement!

Mark R. Cross, Superintendent

Our 8th graders enjoying their trip in Washington, D.C.

There is no school on Monday, May 26 for Memorial Day in remembrance of our lost service men and women in the Armed Forces.

Recognizing Our 2025 Retirees and Years of Service
Congratulations to our 2025 retirees! The following six people are retiring at the conclusion of the school year, and all have contributed greatly to our children and school district over many years. Collectively, these individuals have 161 years of service in our district and we are proud that they chose Cass School District 63 to spend most or in some cases, all of their careers. Congratulations and best wishes to these super six!

We also want to recognize our staff reaching milestone years of service as follows:

5 Years – Pete Alt, Jessica Cahill, Jessica Chapman, Mark Cross, Kelsey Daniluk, Donna Gerren, Danielle Hosman, Taylor Latta, Tina Milutinovic, and Michelle Roberts

10 Years – Lia Lamb and Kristyn McElligott

15 Years – Lauren Holder and Scott Kondraschow

20 Years – Deb Dolehide and Karen Mosquera

25 Years – Jim Bundy and Jane York

35 Years – Becky Kriz

Thank you for your dedication to our students and families!

At the May 20 meeting, the Board of Education seated new Board Member Fiyaz Khan, as well as honored retirees Joe Messina, Laura Anderson, Audrey Vaci, Jenn Callahan, Karen Hyder, and Becky Kriz, along with staff members reaching milestone years of service. The Board also reviewed the amended FY25 budget, appointed committees, and approved taking steps toward joining an employee health insurance cooperative. Please review the Board Briefs for more details from the meeting.

There is a community fundraising effort underway to build an accessible, safe, and fun new playground for current and future generations of kids to play, grow, and build lasting memories. All donations through our 501(c)(3) CARE organization are tax-deductible. Please take a look at the details, including the proposed new playground!

Sky Herbert Qualifies for State, Track Team Finds Success at Sectionals

After a wonderful season, several members of our Cass Junior High Boys and Girls Track and Field team participated in sectionals this past Saturday. Congratulations to the following athletes:

Maeda Schofield - 2nd in 8th grade hurdles and 800
Tra’Darian Rogers - 2nd in 8th grade hurdles
Geno Arnold - 3rd in 7th grade 800
Alyson Koh - 3rd in 7th grade 400
Olivia Moon - 3rd in 7th grade discus
Decker Kuntz - 3rd in 7th grade 1600
Skylar Herbert - 1st in 8th Grade 100, 200, and 400

A special congratulation to Sky Herbert not only for her three first place finishes, but also for competing in all three events this coming weekend at the IESA State Track Meet. Good luck, Sky!

Cass Spring Band Concert

The Spring Band Concert was held on April 23 and our talented students, led by band teacher Daniel Murphy, gave a stellar performance. Our students from beginning, concert, symphonic, and jazz band each had an opportunity to show off their skills and incredible growth over this school year.

Does Your Family Need Summer Food Options?

If you are looking for available options to help feed your family this summer, there are several possibilities to help you. Free Summer Meals are available for children 18 and under.

For families, Find Food Illinois is a community food map where eligible families interested in food assistance may locate local food pantries, identify locations that accept SNAP and/or WIC, senior food resources etc. during the summer months. The Northern Illinois Food Bank also has great resources to help your family find food banks, summer lunch options, as well as assistance and resources.

If you want to beat the crowd and ensure the best seat in the house at graduation, now is your chance. CARE is raffling off premium seats for graduation. Four winners will be chosen. Tickets are on sale until May 30, so don’t miss your chance!

Mark Your Calendars for the 2025-26 School Year

Please take a moment to review the August 2025 calendar and be sure you mark your calendars so you do not miss anything at the start of the 2025-26 school year!

Cass School District 63 partners with Ivy League Kids for before and after school child care. Enrollment in the Ivy League Kids program is now open for the 2025-26 school year. Please review this flyer for fee and enrollment information for next year.

A Summer Hangout at Activate

CARE has set up its first ever summer fundraiser by booking a summer hangout date at Activate in Oak Brook on June 26. This is a great way to get friends together and enjoy fun games and activities while also giving back. Please see this flyer for details on how to register and a code to use to make sure 50% of the cost goes back to CARE and our school.

Congratulations to Hinsdale South student Elias Carder who placed 2nd in the Nation for Python Programming and 3rd in the Nation for Java Programming at National Business Professionals of America competition! Kudos also go out to Amanda Chen and Phoung Vu who also competed at nationals. 

Celebrate the Last Day of School with Dairy Queen

There is no better way to celebrate the last day of school then with ice cream at the Willowbrook Dairy Queen. Plan a trip with friends and take this flyer with you to ensure that 15% of your sales get donated back to CARE and our schools.

If your child is missing any items that you think may have been left behind in school, please be sure to have them check the lost and found prior to Thursday, June 5. All items still unclaimed by the end of the school day on June 5 will be donated. If you have any questions, please contact your child’s school office.

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Lunch menus from our partner Just A Dash Catering are updated regularly and payment information, preschool snacks, and other details are available under the lunch program. Lunches are $4.00 and milk is $0.75.

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Following are resources and opportunities outside of the district that are available to our parents and families in or around our school community. Please be aware that the district does not endorse any outside organizations or activities, but is sharing this information as a courtesy to interested families.

Summer Reading at Indian Prairie Library

Summer Scholars Tutoring Program

Reality Illinois Teen Advisory Board Opportunity

Dear Cass School District 63 Parents,

Earlier this week, the Board of Education held a special meeting to interview candidates and select a new member. I am very pleased to share that Mr. Fiyaz Khan will be seated on the Board at the next regular meeting on Tuesday evening. He will replace Liz Mitha, following her recent election to the Board in District 86. Mr. Khan has served on our Finance Committee, and will be another outstanding school board member in District 63. We are very fortunate to have a Board that understands the role and functions at a high level as we keep moving forward in such a positive direction.

Also at next week's Board meeting, we will be honoring our retirees and employee years of service. We have six legends retiring this year, including teachers Audrey Vaci, Becky Kriz, Jen Callahan, and Karen Hyder, as well as principal Laura Anderson and bus driver and Concord lunch custodian Joe Messina. All six of these individuals have contributed greatly to the education of our children in D63 for decades. We will share more on their contributions of our retirees next week!

With that said, we are down to the final three weeks of school. Summer is coming quickly, so let's all work together to make sure we have a safe and joyful ending to another very successful school year. Thank you!

Mark R. Cross, Superintendent

There is a community fundraising effort underway to build an accessible, safe, and fun new playground for current and future generations of kids to play, grow, and build lasting memories. All donations through our 501(c)(3) CARE organization are tax-deductible. Please share the to a community fundraising details, and take a look at the proposed playground!

In honor of National Speech Pathologist day, we want to recognize our outstanding speech pathologists Jane York, Jessica Andujar, and Sharon Chacko. These three professionals provide outstanding service to our students in need of their services!

Fiyaz Khan Selected as New Board Member

After the recent resignation of Member Liz Mitha since she is now a member of the District 86 Board, the Board of Education recently conducted a search process to appoint a new member as her replacement. After screening and interviewing three applicants, the Board is happy to announce that at the May 20 meeting, Fiyaz Khan will be appointed to the vacant seat. Welcome to Mr. Khan and thank you to Mrs. Mitha for their service to the students, staff and community of Cass School District 63.

Cass Math Team Success

Congratulations to the 2024-25 Cass Math Team who solved tough math questions for the Fall and Spring Noetic Learning Math Contests as well as Math Con. NLMC is a semiannual problem-solving contest for elementary and middle school students. The contest is designed to promote students' problem-solving skills and math interest. Students are asked to solve 20 problems independently within 45 minutes. James Hetue tied for 4th in state for the 7th grade Fall Noetic contest and Ryan Gallagher tied for 4th in state for the 7th grade Spring Noetic contest which earned them both a National Honor Roll title. Great problem solving Warriors!

Preschool Family Day

On May 9, our preschool families and staff came together to enjoy a fun filled family day at Harvester Park in Burr Ridge. Please enjoy these pictures from the day.

Fifth Grade Learns About Space Travel

Ms. Newton’s 5th grade science class students are learning about the solar system and space travel. Over the past week they spent talking about rocket flight and how NASA rockets are designed and how they work, which of course led the class to an assignment designing and testing their own rockets! 

8th Grade End of the Year Information

Cass Junior High does an amazing job celebrating our 8th grade students as they prepare to leave Cass Junior High. Here is important information from Principal Marcinkewicz that outlines all of the dates and events coming up between now and the end of the school year.

The 5th grade outdoor education trip to Iron Oaks Adventure Center is on Thursday, June 5. Here is more information on the trip as well as the waiver form required for your child to participate. Registration and fees are due no later than May 19.

Free Summer Scholars Tutoring Program

Summer Scholars is a student-run nonprofit that provides free, one-on-one tutoring in reading and literacy for students in grades 3-8 founded by Hinsdale South and Cass Junior High School alum Sam Johnson. Each child is paired with a trained high school or college tutor who offers personalized support to boost academic skills, confidence, and motivation. They also offer flexible scheduling based on your availability. Whether your child could use a confidence boost, extra reading practice, or structured academic time this summer, Summer Scholars is here to help. Visit the Summer Scholars website to learn more and register your child.

Cass School District 63 partners with Ivy League Kids for before and after school child care. Enrollment in the Ivy League Kids program is now open for the 2025-26 school year. Please review this flyer for fee and enrollment information for next year.

Alumni Accolades

Congratulations to Hinsdale South student Lexi Fedinec who took 2nd place in shot put and Katie Joseph who was part of the 4x400 relay team who took second in the girl’s track and field conference meet.

Congratulations to Hinsdale South baseball player Brandon Elting on being named Suburban Life Athlete of the Week.

Congratulations to Hinsdale South students on being named student of the quarter in a specific department, Nicholas Ockrim in CTE, Asmitha Pallath in Science, and Ben Wyent in Social Studies.

Congratulations to Hinsdale South’s Social Studies students of the month Claire Moon and Erin Menako.

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Lunch menus from our partner Just A Dash Catering are updated regularly and payment information, preschool snacks, and other details are available under the lunch program. Lunches are $4.00 and milk is $0.75.

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Following are resources and opportunities outside of the district that are available to our parents and families in or around our school community. Please be aware that the district does not endorse any outside organizations or activities, but is sharing this information as a courtesy to interested families.

Darien Police Department’s 1st Annual Cops N’ Bobbers Fishing Event

Fishing Derby hosted by Senator Curran and Representative La Ha

American Music Institute Summer Music Camp

Dear Cass School District 63 Parents,

This is Teacher Appreciation Week, which is always a good time to recognize our wonderful people in District 63. Every day, I am amazed by our teachers and staff and their incredible work with and for our students. They are child-centered, maintain high expectations for academic achievement, and expect our students to learn and grow, while also just being a super group of human beings.

I am personally honored to lead and do what we can as a district to support them in this critical work of educating our children. We are also very fortunate to have such supportive parents in our community who share those same values. It is ultimately this relationship between school and home that makes it all work. I have always believed that the more the adults in the lives of our students are on the same page, the better outcomes they will have down the road.

Thank you for your support of our D63 staff not just during Teacher Appreciation Week, but throughout the entire year. This is appreciated more than you know!

Mark R. Cross, Superintendent

Concord Junior Chorus students putting on a great performance.

There is a planned early release day scheduled for Friday, May 9 for school improvement planning. Concord will be released at 11:15 a.m. and Cass at 12:00 p.m.

2025-26 Registration Deadline Tomorrow

The deadline for 2025-26 registration is Friday, May 9. Parents will need to re-enroll your child in August if you do not meet the deadline, as there is no way to include current students for next year who are not registered due to the changeover to our new student management system this summer. If making the registration payment or proof of residency is a concern, please contact your child's school office or email cassd63registration@cassd63.org.

We will also accept registration without payment of fees until a later date if this allows you to complete registration by the deadline. Here are the registration instructions, and we truly appreciate you completing registration by this Friday May 9. Thank you!

In a proud partnership with our 501(c)(3) charitable organization CARE, we are committed to a community fundraising effort to build a needed playground at Concord. Our goal is to provide our children with an accessible, safe, and fun space to play, grow, and build lasting memories for current and future generations of kids. All donations are tax deductible through CARE, and there are five tiers of giving to recognize our bigger individual, family, and corporate donors. More details are under the link, including a rendering of the proposed playground!

Honoring Ms. Kriz at the Spring Choral Program

Last Thursday, Becky Kriz led the choir in her final concert at Cass Junior High after 35 years in District 63. The 5th and 6th grade chorus, 7th and 8th grade chorus, and the advanced vocal ensemble did Ms. Kriz proud by giving wonderful performances. A number of her former students also came back to sing for her after the concert. It was a fabulous evening of music for the audience and a wonderful final curtain call for Ms. Kriz.

Fourth Graders Learn About Engineering

Elizabetha Stojanovska, one of our 4th grade parents, recently gave a presentation on Civil Engineering to the students. The kids watched a slideshow, engaged in engineering activities, and had a great time learning! Here are some pictures from the memorable learning experience.

Chemical Reactions at Cass

Our 8th grade students are currently studying chemical reactions in their science classes. By mixing a solution of calcium chloride with a solution of sodium bicarbonate, the students created a precipitate, which is a solid formed when two liquids react. They were quite surprised when they discovered that this precipitate was chalk! 

4th Grade Parent Night May 15

There is a 4th grade parent night at Cass Junior High on Thursday, May 15 at 6:30 p.m. to talk about the transition to Cass Junior High for the 2025-26 school year. For those interested, there is also a beginning band meeting immediately following. We hope to see all of our 4th grade parents there!

8th Grade End of the Year Information

Cass Junior High does an amazing job celebrating our 8th grade students as they prepare to leave Cass Junior High. Here is important information from Principal Marcinkewicz that outlines all of the dates and events coming up between now and the end of the school year.

Students Participate in Taste Testing

Some of our Cass Junior High Student Council members recently participated in a taste test to try out some new items for next year’s menus with our lunch vendor Just A Dash. Students tried items such as pancake muffins, Korean BBQ plant-based steak, and fava bean crisps among others. Students were given an opportunity to provide feedback, score items, and offer suggestions. We appreciate this collaborative opportunity offered by Just A Dash, and to our students for giving honest and helpful feedback so we can continue to improve the quality and options in our lunch program.

Cass School District 63 partners with Ivy League Kids for before and after school child care. Enrollment in the Ivy League Kids program is now open for the 2025-26 school year. Please review this flyer for fee and enrollment information for next year.

Alumni Accolades
Congratulations to Hinsdale South seniors Quinn Isberg who was chosen as Master of Ceremonies and Andrea Crisp Honors Orator at their upcoming graduation!

Congratulations to Hinsdale South senior Jeremy Fung for being chosen as the 2025 Prom King.

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Lunch menus from our partner Just A Dash Catering are updated regularly and payment information, preschool snacks, and other details are available under the lunch program. Lunches are $4.00 and milk is $0.75.

---

Following are resources and opportunities outside of the district that are available to our parents and families in or around our school community. Please be aware that the district does not endorse any outside organizations or activities, but is sharing this information as a courtesy to interested families.

Hinsdale South Bowling Camp

Hinsdale South Girls Golf Camp (3rd-8th Grade)

Hinsdale South Girls Golf Camp (9th-12th Grade)

Darien Lions Club 1st Annual Meat Raffle

Introduction to the DGC Sprouts Learning Garden

We are very excited to announce our plans for a new playground at Concord Elementary School! After much planning and effort among some very dedicated volunteers and staff and through a partnership with CARE, it is our intention to have the new playground in place when school opens in August. Our goal is simply to provide both current and future generations of children with an accessible, safe, and fun space for kids to play, grow, and build lasting memories.

Playgrounds of this nature are typically provided through a cooperative fundraising effort in the community, and we will gratefully accept all of the help we can get. CARE not only acts as our parent organization, but is also a 501(c)(3) charitable foundation, which means that all playground donations are tax-deductible. We also plan to recognize various levels of individual, family, and corporate support for this project.

Here are our fundraising campaign details, as well as a rendering of the proposed playground! Of course we welcome contributions of any size, and we encourage you to share this link with family, friends, grandparents, neighbors, and places of business. In case it helps, here is a printable flyer with a QR code that can be easily distributed as well. Our goal is $150,000 for the playground equipment itself, and we are already off to a great start with a $50,000 pledge from CARE and another $10,000 raised before we even formally announced this campaign.

Thank you for helping us get there! This only happens once in a generation, as the new playground will be in place for decades to come. We appreciate your support of this cause for our kids, and for sharing with others the opportunity to contribute as well. With your help, we will turn this vision into a joyful reality!

Mark R. Cross, Superintendent

A rendering of the proposed new Concord playground!

2025-26 Registration Deadline One Week Away

Our school district is transitioning from PowerSchool to a new system, and registration must be completed no later than Friday, May 9. Here are the registration instructions. Please contact your child's school office or email cassd63registration@cassd63.org if you have any questions.

Concord Playground Plans and Fundraiser Announced

In a proud partnership with CARE, our school district is committed to a community fundraising effort to build a needed new playground at Concord Elementary School. Our goal is to provide our children with an accessible, safe, and fun space to play, grow, and build lasting memories. With your help, we plan to turn this vision into a joyful reality. All donations made through CARE are tax-deductible, making this a meaningful gift to current and future generations of children in our community. Please share the fundraising campaign details and take a look at the proposed playground!

Next week is Teacher Appreciation Week and in honor of this we celebrate not only our outstanding teachers but our entire staff. In this District we are very lucky to have the very best educators and support staff. Please feel free to share your appreciation with any of our wonderful people who you think is doing an outstanding job and let them know you appreciate them. We will be celebrating our staff during the week, along with our parent organization CARE, who is planning different ways to celebrate our staff each day.

In honor of National School Nurse Day, we also celebrate our school district nurses, Katie Beringer at Concord Elementary, and Sarah Acitelli at Cass Junior High. Both work very hard to ensure that all of our students are healthy and safe while at school and to also make sure our parents have good information as we promote health and wellness in our school community.

Finally, we want to thank Julie Bartell who has stepped into the role of Concord Assistant Principal while Katie Doyle was out on maternity leave. Julie did an outstanding job while building great relationships with students and staff, and we appreciate all she did to make this temporary transition seamless. She will still be around assisting until the end of the school year as well.

Jazz and Art Show Success!

The 4th Annual Jazz & Art Show was held recently at Concord Elementary and it was a total success. The incredible artwork submitted by our own students coupled with music performed by our very talented jazz band made for a wonderful evening. Please enjoy these pictures from another great event!

3rd Grade Learns About Animals

Our Concord 3rd graders recently learned all about animal survival and adaptation in science and STEM. With this knowledge, they researched various birds and created two additional adaptations for existing species of birds. Once completed with their written descriptions and creative projects, the third graders enjoyed a gallery walk in the Learning Center and admired each other's work while enjoying the sweet sounds of birds chirping throughout the room. Please take a moment to enjoy the great work our students produced.

Cass Students Celebrate Arbor Day

Our 5th grade students and Ms. Jemin’s class joined others from Darien to celebrate Arbor Day at Ridgewood Park. Our students contributed to this special morning by releasing butterflies attentively hatched and raised in Ms. Newton, Mrs. Romaniszak, and Ms. Jemin’s classes.

Concord Junior Chorus Concert

The Concord Junior Chorus gave a wonderful performance last week. Thank you to music teacher Kali Sheldon and all of her talented performers for a great evening. Please enjoy these pictures from the performance.

4th Grade Parent Night May 15

There is a 4th grade parent night at Cass Junior High on Thursday, May 15 at 6:30 p.m. to talk about the transition to Cass Junior High for the 2025-26 school year. For those interested, there is also a beginning band meeting immediately following. We hope to see all of our 4th grade parents there!

8th Grade End of the Year Information

Cass Junior High does an amazing job celebrating our 8th grade students as they prepare to leave Cass Junior High. Here is important information from Principal Marcinkewicz that outlines all of the dates and events coming up between now and the end of the school year.

Last Chance to Enjoy Book Fair at Concord

The Concord Spring Book Fair ends on May 2. Students are able to bring money and shop during school hours or click here for the book fair homepage, where you can set up eWallets, donate to share the fair, and shop online. Don’t miss out on this great opportunity!

The 5th grade outdoor education trip to Iron Oaks Adventure Center is on Thursday, June 5. Here is more information on the trip as well as the waiver form required for your child to participate. Registration and fees are due no later than May 19.

Cass School District 63 partners with Ivy League Kids for before and after school child care. Enrollment in the Ivy League Kids program is now open for the 2025-26 school year. Please review this flyer for fee and enrollment information for next year.

Alumni Accolades
Congratulations to Hinsdale South students Rayyan Qureshi who placed 5th place in etomology and 9th in wind, and Eli Carder who placed 4th place in Write It, Do It and also earned top 10 overall at the State Science Olympiad. Congratulations also go to Ahahmeer Ali, Jacob Borowski, and Eva Joseph who helped the Hinsdale South team earn a ninth place finish at state.

Congratulations to Hinsdale South student Jeremy Fung who is state champ in orals at the ICTM 3AA State Math Competition this past weekend. 

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Lunch menus from our partner Just A Dash Catering are updated regularly and payment information, preschool snacks, and other details are available under the lunch program. Lunches are $4.00 and milk is $0.75.

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Following are resources and opportunities outside of the district that are available to our parents and families in or around our school community. Please be aware that the district does not endorse any outside organizations or activities, but is sharing this information as a courtesy to interested families.

Hinsdale South Back to School Bash Contribution Request

GPS Parent Series:  Everyday Principals to Grow Happy, Healthy and Smart Children

Mighty Oak Athletics Summer Strength Camp