May 15, 2025

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

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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!

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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!

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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.

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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!

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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.

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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.

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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!

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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.

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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.

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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! 

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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.

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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.

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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.

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!

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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!

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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.

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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!

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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!

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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.

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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. 

Dear Cass School District 63 Parents,

This is a friendly but important reminder to complete your child's registration for the 2025-26 school year by the May 9 deadline. This year is critical because we are switching our student management program from PowerSchool to Skyward. Once the May 9 deadline passes, we are going to migrate our data for those registered for next school year, and there is no option to register in Skyward for this fall.

This means that if you wait until after May 9, there is a strong likelihood that you will have to register your kids in person in August, as if they are new students to the school district. Also, over the course of the summer, we will be developing our 2025-26 bus routes and class lists based on those who have registered by the deadline. There is no way to include those who have not registered.

There is no benefit in waiting until after this date, and doing so is going to make things much harder both for you, and for us here at school. I do not want this to sound harsh, but it is the reality of the change and our staff will be working hard over the summer to make it happen. If making the registration payment is a concern, please contact your child's school office or email cassd63registration@cassd63.org. We are here to help!

Here are the registration instructions, and on behalf of our office staff, I truly appreciate your cooperation in getting your kids registered by May 9. Thank you!

Mark R. Cross, Superintendent

Cass students with perfect attendance through the second trimester.

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At the April 22 meeting, the Board of Education recognized and thanked outgoing member Liz Mitha, who will soon be seated on the Board at Hinsdale High School District 86. The Board also discussed the application process for the open Board seat, May 1 deadline, and special meeting scheduled for May 13 to interview final candidates. Superintendent Mark Cross also reviewed the Phase II summer facility project, as well as plans for a new Concord playground, a cooperative effort between the district and CARE, with upcoming fundraising efforts to be shared soon. More meeting information is available under the Board Briefs.

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School Board Applications Due May 1

The Cass School District 63 Board of Education is seeking qualified candidates to replace member Liz Mitha, following her recent election to the Hinsdale Township High School District 86 Board. The eventual appointment by the D63 Board will serve as a member of the Board for the remaining two years of the original four-year term.

Potential candidates who wish to be considered must complete the Board Candidate Application no later than noon on Thursday, May 1. A letter to the community from Board President Lana Johnson also includes the details, requirements, and timelines.

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2025-26 Registration Deadline May 9

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.

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Don't Miss the Annual Art and Jazz Show Next Week!

The 4th Annual Art and Jazz Show is coming on April 30 and will be held at Concord Elementary School at 6:30 p.m. All artwork should be submitted to Matt Etherington by April 25. Please contact Matt Etherington at metherington@cassd63.org or Belle Marien at bmarien@cassd63.org with questions. We hope to see you there!

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Join the Book Fair Next Week at Concord

Our Concord Spring Book Fair will be April 28 through May 2 with a family shopping night on Wednesday, April 30, in conjunction with the Annual Art and Jazz Show. 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. Please sign up here to volunteer!

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8th Grade D.C. Trip Informational Meeting May 1

For parents of students going on the 8th grade trip to Washington, D.C. on May 19-21, there is an informational meeting immediately following the choir concert on Thursday, May 1, 2025 at 7:45 p.m. in the Cass Junior High library. Please contact Scott Kondraschow with questions at skondraschow@cassd63.org.

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8th Grade Dance Tickets On Sale Through April

CARE is hosting the 8th grade dance at Chucks on the evening of May 9 and tickets are on sale now through April 30. You can order your tickets online or you can print this form and return it to the Cass Junior High office.

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Fun at McTeacher Night!

   

McTeacher Night was held last week at the Darien McDonald’s to raise funds for our schools. Families were served by staff members, which our students all seem to enjoy, while helping CARE raise over $1,600. Thank you to our families and our staff for participating and attending this fun event.

School Lunch Hero Day is next week and in honor of this day, we want to thank Just A Dash and their staff who work in our schools, including Francis and Rahila at Cass Junior High and Stephanie and Alexis at Concord Elementary, as well as Amanda who oversees our District. Thank you all!

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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.

Front Row Seat Raffle for the Spring Choral Concert

Enter the front row seat raffle for the May 1 Spring Choral concert at Cass Junior High. Three winners will receive four seats. Visit the CARE Shop to purchase raffle tickets for your chance to win. 

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Playground Fundraising Plans Coming Soon!

Details and renderings of the proposed Concord playground will be shared soon! The goal is to provide our children with an accessible, safe, modern, and fun space for kids to play and grow. CARE is leading an effort to fund the equipment with tax-deductible donations, with plans to recognize individual as well as corporate support. We look forward to making this dream a reality!

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Dear Cass School District 63 Parents,

Our first Multicultural Celebration last Friday evening was so successful, and I have never been so proud of our school district, as well as every community within our community. We had a jam packed gym for two hours straight, and we estimate that 600 to 800 people attended. Not bad considering it was our first time and if you missed it, you can be assured that we will do it again next year!

We sincerely thank our families who planned the most amazing ways to share their culture and background with everyone in attendance. They went so far above and beyond and put an incredible amount of work into making each country so special. We would also like to thank all of you who attended or supported this event. Just being there meant more to our participating families than you will ever know.

In a world that at times seems to be filled with hate and disharmony, I was so proud looking around our gym and seeing so much of that world smiling, laughing, sharing, and learning together. Darien Mayor Joe Marchese and his wife Cathy attended, and Joe told me this was one of the best events he has ever witnessed. I couldn’t agree more! A link to some cool pictures and two great videos are provided below.

On another note, our Board of Education is seeking qualified candidates to replace Liz Mitha, who was recently elected to the Hinsdale Township High School District 86 Board. Liz is an amazing human being and as Board President Lana Johnson shares in her letter to the community below, D86 is very lucky to have Liz in this role and we all benefit from her continued service in our high school district. We will miss her greatly, but our outstanding Board will appoint another stellar candidate.

Once appointed, the new member would serve for the remaining two years of the original four-year term. Take a look at the link below and if you meet the criteria and think you have an interest in this level of commitment and service to the community, given it some consideration. The responsibility of who is appointed lies with the Board when the time comes, but I welcome any questions in the meantime.

Mark R. Cross, Superintendent

The Multicultural Celebration was a huge success!

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April 18 Early Dismissal Reminder

There is a planned early release day scheduled for Friday, April 18 for school improvement planning. Concord will be released at 11:15 a.m. and Cass at 12:00 p.m.

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The Cass School District 63 Board of Education is seeking qualified candidates to replace member Liz Mitha, following her recent election to the Hinsdale Township High School District 86 Board. The eventual appointment by the D63 Board will serve as a member of the Board for the remaining two years of Mrs. Mitha’s original four-year term.

Potential candidates who wish to be considered must complete the Board Candidate Application no later than noon on Thursday, May 1. A letter to the community from Board President Lana Johnson also includes the details, requirements, timeline, as well as a link to the online application. Potential candidates are welcome to contact Superintendent Mark Cross with any questions.

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A Very Successful Multicultural Celebration!

Our Multicultural Celebration was a huge success, and a heartfelt thank you goes out to each of our families who went above and beyond to create the incredible displays, as well as the hundreds of people who enjoyed the event. From the food, the artifacts, the performances, to the vast information about various countries, it was a very special evening. A big thank also goes out to the planning committee whose hard work and vision helped make our first Multicultural Celebration such a success: Hajar Cummings, Beth Dooley, Matt Etherington, Jenny Kirkpatrick, Filomena Manna-DeChiara, Belle Marien, Katie Marinelli, Kristyn McElligott, Marie Musil, Sonali Patel, and Mark Cross. Thank you all, and we look forward to doing this again next year!

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Registration for the 2025-26 school year is open and the absolute deadline for registration by May 9. The District is transitioning to a new student information system and any families not registered by the deadline will have to start the registration process the same as new students in August. Here are the registration instructions. Please contact your child's school office or email cassd63registration@cassd63.org if you have any questions.

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Administrative Professionals Day is April 23 and without the excellent work of administrative assistants Maggie Adelman and Kathy Mensik at Cass Junior High, Amy Perez and Jessica Chapman at Concord, and Gayle Wilson and Amy Underhill in the district office, our schools and district would not be able to function. We truly appreciate their professionalism and what they put in each day to make it all happen!

Bus Driver Appreciation Day is April 22 and our students, families, and school district are very fortunate to have our great drivers making sure our students are safely transported back and forth to school each day. Thank you to Cass 63 drivers Joe Messina, Denise Kunz, Carrie Perry, Lou Stubblefield, Pete Alt, Wayne Ostrowski, and Keith Monaco, as well as our drivers Jerrold, Dave, Yoshi, Raul, Samuel, and William who drive our regular daily routes through our partners at Sunrise Transportation. We appreciate all of you!

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Washington, D.C. Trip Informational Meeting May 1

For parents of students going on the 8th grade trip to Washington, D.C. on May 19-21, there is an informational meeting immediately following the choir concert on Thursday, May 1, 2025 at 7:45 p.m. in the Cass Junior High library. Please contact Scott Kondraschow with questions at skondraschow@cassd63.org.

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!

Additionally, CARE is offering a great opportunity to help your student “step Up to 5th grade” by ordering a class of 2029 commemorative shirt. Shirts are on sale until April 20, so don’t miss out on your chance to celebrate your child moving on to Cass Junior High.

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The 5^th 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.

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Advanced ELA for Incoming 6th and 7th Grade Students

Parents of 5th and 6th grade students who would like their child to be considered for advanced/accelerated English Language Arts class for 6th and 7th grade, please take a moment to read the parent letter to incoming 6th grade parents or the letter to incoming 7th grade parents for more information about the class, the criteria for consideration, and a registration link. Registration must be submitted by April 25 to be considered.

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High Math for Incoming 5th Grade Students

Parents of 4th grade students who would like their child to be considered for high math for 5th grade, please take a moment to read this letter for more information about the class, the criteria for consideration, and a registration link. Registration must be submitted by April 25 to be considered.

4th Annual Art and Jazz Show April 30

The 4th Annual Art and Jazz Show is coming on April 30 and will be held at Concord Elementary School at 6:30 p.m. All artwork should be submitted to Matt Etherington by April 25. Please contact Matt Etherington at metherington@cassd63.org or Belle Marien at bmarien@cassd63.org with questions.

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CARE Book Fair at Concord

Our Concord Spring Book Fair will be April 28 through May 2 with a family shopping night on Wednesday, April 30. 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. Please sign up here to volunteer!

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8th Grade Dance Tickets On Sale Through April

CARE is hosting the 8th grade dance at Chucks on the evening of May 9 and tickets are on sale now through April 30. You can order your tickets online or you can print this form and return it to the Cass Junior High office.

Dine to Donate at Culvers on April 23

Mark your calendar for a night off of cooking on April 23 from 5-9 p.m. at Culvers on Plainfield Road in Darien. Be sure to present this flyer so that 15% of your dine in or take out order will go back to CARE/District 63. Be sure to stop by after the Spring Band Concert!

Recognizing the Rotary Club of Darien

Superintendent Mark Cross and neighboring superintendents Andrew Wise and Bob Langman nominated fellow Rotarians Dr. Jerry Nwonye, Mayor Joe Marchese, Chris Gerrib, Heather Conroy, and Dr. Priti Doshi Shah to be recognized by the DuPage Illinois Association of School Administrators for their work on the Early Childhood Literacy Project. The Rotary Club of Darien along with these community leaders have supported the new partnership between three school districts and the Indian Prairie Public Library. The project was developed to provide local preschool aged children with a head start in early literacy through a gift bag of books, manipulatives, and resources, along with a video guide to support parents in being their child's first teacher. In the most recent distribution, these educational resources to 500 children. We appreciate this partnership and the contributions of these individuals for truly making a difference for our children and community!

Alumni Accolades
Congratulations to Hinsdale South students Andrea Crisp, Annina Garro, Quinn Isberg, and Asmitha Pallath for securing starring roles in Hinsdale South’s production of Six. Additional accolades go out to Casey Johnson as part of the ensemble, Cami Macias and Boston Desmond as part of the orchestra, and to crew members Hailey Linarez, Leah Casey, Caroline Nash, Shashi Murphy, Molly Severus, Elliot Davis, Kenny Mahl, Alaina DeRousse, Emileigh Gallagher, Janina Kremper, Blake Levine, and Christian Rodriguez. This production was a triumph for all who participated.

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Dear Cass School District 63 Parents,

Our Multicultural Celebration this Friday evening has grown to be quite the event, and we hope you and your families are able to attend! On behalf of our planning committee as well as our participating families, we do ask that all children attending are accompanied by their parents or other responsible adult. This is important not only because of the size of the celebration, but also because of the displays and materials our families will be sharing. Please also be aware that some families may share food as part of this event, and parents need to be aware of potential food allergies. We want everyone to be safe, kids to be well supervised, and we will have an amazing event!

The Cass 63 Board of Education recently held a special meeting to approve moving forward with summer 2025 renovation work at both schools totaling $1,485,000. I will share more on this news soon, and some details are included in the Board Briefs. This project is completely separate from the proposed Concord playground, and more information on the fundraising effort is provided below. We will share more details regarding the proposed playground soon!

Last but not least, if you have not yet started the registration process for your children for next school year, you do not want to miss the May 9 deadline. Due to the change with our student management system, anyone registering after that date will have to start from scratch as a new student. This is critically important to our planning, and will also save you a ton of time if you complete this process in PowerSchool prior to the deadline. Details and links are provided below

As always, please reach out with any questions or concerns. Thank you!

Mark R. Cross, Superintendent

Our kindergarten students performing at their concert.

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We Hope to See You at the Multicultural Celebration!

On the evening of April 11, Cass School District 63 will be hosting a Multicultural Celebration at Cass Junior High School. Our families representing approximately 20 countries will showcase their heritage through clothing, dance, art, music, and foods. We look forward to celebrating and learning about the diverse backgrounds of the families in our school district, and to foster an appreciation for the different cultures that make up our local community.

For families with food allergies, please be aware that some tables may share foods as part of their culture, and there may be allergens in some of the food items. While we will do our best to provide ingredients, we also wanted to call your attention to this so that you can plan accordingly before attending. Any food served may contain, or may have come into contact with common allergens including, but not limited to peanuts, tree nuts, soy, dairy, eggs, wheat, and shellfish. Guests with allergies should exercise caution, as we cannot guarantee an environment free of allergens. Also, this is a family event and due to some of the displays, we ask that all children attending are with parents or other responsible adults.

This event is free of charge and the entire community is invited to attend anytime from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. We hope to see you there!

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Registration for the 2025-26 school year is open and the absolute deadline for registration by May 9. The District is transitioning to a new student information system and any families not registered by the deadline will have to start the registration process the same as new students in August. Here are the registration instructions. Please contact your child's school office or email cassd63registration@cassd63.org if you have any questions.

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Kindergarten Music Program

The Kindergarten music program was held on March 27 and what a wonderful evening it was. Thank you to teacher Kali Sheldon for creating a fun evening for our parents and families and for doing a great job developing the musical talents or our students. Please take a look at the evening’s program for an overview of how Ms. Sheldon is choosing what our students are learning and why she is choosing those activities for their growth.

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In honor of Assistant Principals week, we would like to recognize Concord Assistant Principal Katie Doyle and Cass Assistant Principal Michelle Roberts for their hard work and dedication to the students in our District!

In honor of National Library Workers Day please join us in celebrating our library workers, Beth Dooley at Concord and Monique Bell at Cass who both work hard to make sure our libraries are organized and ready for our students and staff!

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Important Message for 5th and 6th Grade Parents

As part of our Health Growth and Development curriculum in 5th and 6th grades, presenters from Candor Health will be joining us on Friday, April 18. This includes the Puberty I presentation in 5th grade. Program topics include eight physical and emotional changes that occur during puberty, including changes to the reproductive system, male and female anatomy, and harassment and sexual harassment are introduced and defined using age appropriate scenarios.

The 6th grade will receive a Human Reproduction and Embryology presentation. Program topics include a review of the physical and emotional changes that happen during puberty, female and male reproductive systems, the menstrual cycle of the female reproductive system, erection and ejaculation of the male reproductive system, embryology and the process of labor.

Here is a letter from Cass Junior High health teacher A.J. Petigo, which includes links to all class standards and objectives from the Candor Health website. Also, please be advised that if you would not like your child to participate in the program, they will not be required to do so if the parents submits a written request to Principal Christine Marcinkewicz at cmarcinkewicz@cassd63.org. Please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions or concerns.

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Advanced ELA for Incoming 6th and 7th Grade Students

Parents of 5th and 6th grade students who would like their child to be considered for advanced/accelerated English Language Arts class for 6th and 7th grade, please take a moment to read the parent letter to incoming 6th grade parents or the letter to incoming 7th grade parents for more information about the class, the criteria for consideration, and a registration link. 

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High Math for Incoming 5th Grade Students

Parents of 4th grade students who would like their child to be considered for high math for 5th grade, please take a moment to read this letter for more information about the class, the criteria for consideration, and a registration link.

8th Grade Yard Signs Order Due April 11
Don’t miss out on your opportunity to celebrate your child’s graduation with a personalized yard sign. Orders are due on April 11 and can be ordered online or sent in to the school office. Please review this flyer for information on how to order.

8th Grade Dance Tickets On Sale Through April
CARE is hosting the 8th grade dance at Chucks on May 9 and tickets are on sale now through April 30. You can order your tickets online or you may print this form and return it to the Cass Junior High office.

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Join Us for McTeacher Night on April 16

Mark your calendars for McTeacher Night at McDonald’s in Darien on Wednesday, April 16. Teachers and staff will be there selling apple pies and 20% of the proceeds go back to CARE/District 63. We looking forward to seeing our kids and families there!

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4th Annual Art and Jazz Show April 30

The 4th Annual Art and Jazz Show is coming on April 30 and will be held at Concord Elementary School at 6:30 p.m. All artwork should be submitted to Matt Etherington by April 25. Please contact Matt Etherington at metherington@cassd63.org or Belle Marien at bmarien@cassd63.org with questions.

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Cass Junior High will once again compete in a SDEAA Conference Swim Meet on April 29. Please see this flyer for information on practices and location of the meet. If you have any questions, please reach out to Landon Mitchell at lmitchell@cassd63.org.

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CARE Seeking Donations for New Playground

Details on a proposed new Concord playground will be announced soon and CARE is leading an effort to fundraise for this special project. We are seeking a playground that will provide a safe, fun space for kids to play, grow, and build lasting memories. All donations are tax-deductible, making it not only a meaningful gift to the community but also a great opportunity to give back. Every contribution, big or small, brings us closer to creating a space where our children can thrive and our community can come together. For more information and to learn how to help, please see this page. Thank you for helping us make this dream a reality!

Dine to Donate at Culvers on April 23

Mark your calendar for a night off of cooking on April 23 from 5-9 p.m. at Culvers on Plainfield Road in Darien. Be sure to present this flyer so that 15% of your dine in or take out order will go back to CARE/District 63. Be sure to stop by after the Spring Band Concert!

Hinsdale South High School Presents SIX: The Musical

Hinsdale South High School will be performing SIX The Musical April 11-13. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to enjoy some of our talented alumni performing.

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Polar Plunge in the Books

Congratulations to Concord staff members, Krista Jamrose, Katie Summers, Katie Paljetak, Kelly Glimco, Katy Modglin, and Bryann Poskonka for raising over $3,000 for Special Olympics Illinois by participating in the 2025 Law Enforcement Torch Run Polar Plunge last weekend. Well done!

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Dear Cass School District 63 Parents,

On behalf of Cass School District 63 and our planning committee, I hope that you and your families and friends will attend the Multicultural Celebration at Cass Junior High School on Friday, April 11, anytime from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. Our goal all along has been to celebrate and learn about the diverse backgrounds of the families in our school district, while fostering appreciation for the different cultures that make up our local community.

I’m very excited to share that some of our amazing families representing approximately 20 countries will showcase their heritage through clothing, dance, art, music and foods. They will be representing their incredible heritage from such homelands as Belize, The Caribbean, China, Croatia, Egypt, Greece, India, Ireland, Japan, Macedonia, Mexico, Pakistan, Palestine, Perú, The Philippines, Poland, Sweden, Syria, and Trinidad and Tobago. Amazing!

We are very excited to make this happen, and the entire community is invited to attend. Please feel free to share the event flyer with anyone you know, as well as our Facebook post. We hope to see you there. Have a wonderful and safe spring break!

Mark R. Cross, Superintendent

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Early Release and Spring Break
Friday, March 18 is an early release day with Concord being released at 11:15 a.m. and Cass at 12:00 p.m. There is no school next week for Spring Break, and school resumes on Monday, April 7. Have a wonderful break!

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Don't Miss the April 11 Multicultural Celebration!

On the evening of April 11, Cass School District 63 will be hosting a Multicultural Celebration at Cass Junior High School. Here is an event flyer with more details. Our purpose is simply to celebrate and learn about the diverse backgrounds of the families in our school district, and to foster an appreciation for the different cultures that make up our local community. Our families representing approximately 20 countries will showcase their heritage through clothing, dance, art, music and foods.

We are very excited to make this happen, and would love to have you be a part of it! This wonderful event is free of charge and the entire community is invited to attend anytime on Friday, April 11, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. We hope to see you there!

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Registration for the 2025-26 school year is open. The deadline to register is May 9 and it is a hard deadline because the District is transitioning to a new student information system. Here are the registration details and instructions. Please contact your child's school office or email cassd63registration@cassd63.org if you have any questions.

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Important Message for 5th and 6th Grade Parents

As part of our Health Growth and Development curriculum in 5th and 6th grades, presenters from Candor Health will be joining us on Friday, April 18. This includes the Puberty I presentation in 5th grade. Program topics include eight physical and emotional changes that occur during puberty, including changes to the reproductive system, male and female anatomy, and harassment and sexual harassment are introduced and defined using age appropriate scenarios.

The 6th grade will receive a Human Reproduction and Embryology presentation. Program topics include a review of the physical and emotional changes that happen during puberty, female and male reproductive systems, the menstrual cycle of the female reproductive system, erection and ejaculation of the male reproductive system, embryology and the process of labor.

Here is a letter from Cass Junior High health teacher A.J. Petigo, which includes links to all class standards and objectives from the Candor Health website. Also, please be advised that if you would not like your child to participate in the program, they will not be required to do so if the parents submits a written request to Principal Christine Marcinkewicz at cmarcinkewicz@cassd63.org. Please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions or concerns.

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High Math for Incoming 5th Grade Students

Parents of 4th grade students who would like their child to be considered for high math for 5th grade, please take a moment to read this letter for more information about the class, the criteria for consideration, and a registration link.

4th Annual Art and Jazz Show April 30

The 4th Annual Art and Jazz Show is coming on April 30 and will be held at Concord Elementary School at 6:30 p.m. All artwork should be submitted to Matt Etherington by April 25. Please contact Matt Etherington at metherington@cassd63.org or Belle Marien at bmarien@cassd63.org with questions.

Connections Correction!
In last week’s Connections, an error was made when the eSports team and the Argonne Electric Car Competition were combined into one entry when in actuality, the teams are separate. We apologize for the error and following is the corrected information!

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Cass eSports Team Success

   

Cass Junior High’s eSports program has launched with remarkable success, providing students with an opportunity to engage in competitive gaming while fostering teamwork, discipline, and school spirit. Our eSports team is currently ranked 1st in the country out of 600 middle school teams and we also have several students who are ranked in the top 20 nationally. Thank you to coach Matt Etherington for helping bring this opportunity to our students and helping guide this talented team through a very successful season.

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Argonne Electric Car Competition

   

Last Saturday, Argonne National Laboratory hosted its annual Electric Car Competition, and we are thrilled to announce that our Cass team, Ryan Gallagher, Matteo Vitagliano, and Alfred Park, earned an impressive third place in the design competition! The contest began in late fall, when teams received a kit containing a battery pack, a motor, and a set of wheels. From there, students had to design and build everything else, including the gear system and power connections. Our team showcased incredible ingenuity, using a combination of the school’s 3D printer, balsa wood, and a tremendous amount of collaborative spirit to bring their vision to life. Congratulations to Ryan, Matteo, and Alfred!

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Cass Junior High will once again compete in a SDEAA Conference Swim Meet on April 29. Please see this flyer for information on practices and location of the meet. If you have any questions, please reach out to Landon Mitchell at lmitchell@cassd63.org.

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March Madness 1st Grade Style

     

Our 1st grade classes have been conducting their own version of March Madness. The students have been listening to stories and voting on their favorites. The finals were today and the winner of the 1st grade Reading March Madness Tournament was Llama Destroys the World!

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CARE Seeking Donations for New Playground

CARE has prioritized fundraising for a new Concord playground, and would love your support! This playground will provide a safe, fun space for kids to play, grow, and build lasting memories. All donations are tax-deductible, making it not only a meaningful gift to the community but also a great opportunity to give back. Every contribution, big or small, brings us closer to creating a space where our children can thrive and our community can come together. For more information and to learn how to help, please see this page. Thank you for helping us make this dream a reality! 

Join Us for McTeacher Night on April 16

Mark your calendars for McTeacher Night at McDonald’s in Darien on Wednesday, April 16. Teachers and staff will be there selling apple pies and 20 percent of the proceeds go to CARE. We looking forward to seeing our kids and families there!

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Dine to Donate at Culvers on April 23

Mark your calendar for a night off of cooking on April 23 from 5-9 p.m. at Culvers on Plainfield Road in Darien. Be sure to present this flyer so that 15% of your sale will go back to CARE.

Hinsdale South High School Presents SIX: The Musical

Hinsdale South High School will be performing SIX The Musical April 11-13. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to enjoy some of our talented alumni performing.

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Alumni Accolades
Congratulations to Hinsdale South freshman Mauricio Gubert for finishing first in the Illinois Junior Academy of Science Region 5 Science and Engineering Fair which qualifies him to compete in the IJAS State Science and Engineering Fair in May.

Congratulations to Hinsdale South theater students Annina Garro, Quinn Isberg, Andrea Crisp, Casey Johnson, and Zara Jamil for being named all-sectional actresses at the recent IHSA Sectionals.

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Dear Cass School District 63 Parents,

I am a huge believer in teaching resilience, as I think it is one of the most important traits we can instill in our children. I'm also a strong believer in teaching and demonstrating a strong work ethic, the ability to communicate effectively, and of course, just being good human beings.

The thing about resilience is it can absolutely be taught, and it can help our children overcome so many future obstacles as they grow into adulthood. Having raised my two kids and now enjoying life with grandchildren, I love seeing these values get passed to the next generation and seeing it start at a very young age.

While very simple and short, I thought this recent CNBC article cut right to it on this topic. It addresses the obstacle so many parents face, which is that we all naturally want our kids to be happy. While there is nothing wrong with that, what we don't want as part of the effort to help our kids "be happy" is to do so at the expense of teaching them resilience.

While I am always searching for the reasons why so many kids and young adults struggle today, this one struck a chord and reinforces some of my personal views on this topic. I believe that we can have happiness for our kids as a long-term goal, but they will be much happier (and also probably more successful) in the end if we separate our emotions from their own as much as possible, and give them the tools to solve problems and work through issues, rather than trying to remove those obstacles. Sometimes, those challenges and obstacles are the very teacher that they need, and the worst thing we can do is try to solve it for them.

Thank you for allowing me to share these thoughts, and have a great weekend!

Mark R. Cross, Superintendent

The living wax museum visited the Board of Education!

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Registration for the 2025-26 school year is open. The deadline to register is May 9 and it is a hard deadline because the District is transitioning to a new student information system. Here are the registration details and instructions. Please contact your child's school office or email cassd63registration@cassd63.org if you have any questions.

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The 5Essentials Parent Survey was sent to families via email. Administered by the University of Chicago on behalf of the Illinois State Board of Education, this survey generates data that districts can use to guide continuous efforts to improve our schools and inform our parents and school community about our learning environment. The survey closes March 29. Thank you for participating!

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District Multicultural Celebration April 11

On the evening of April 11, Cass 63 will be hosting a Multicultural Celebration. This will be a wonderful event and the entire community will be invited to attend. We are also still welcoming Proposal Submissions through Friday if you want to share about your own cultural heritage. Thank you!

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Important Message for 5th and 6th Grade Parents

As part of our Health Growth and Development curriculum in 5th and 6th grades, presenters from Candor Health will be joining us on Friday, April 18. This includes the Puberty I presentation in 5th grade. Program topics include eight physical and emotional changes that occur during puberty, including changes to the reproductive system, male and female anatomy, and harassment and sexual harassment are introduced and defined using age appropriate scenarios.

The 6th grade will receive a Human Reproduction and Embryology presentation. Program topics include a review of the physical and emotional changes that happen during puberty, female and male reproductive systems, the menstrual cycle of the female reproductive system, erection and ejaculation of the male reproductive system, embryology and the process of labor.

Here is a letter from Cass Junior High health teacher A.J. Petigo, which includes links to all class standards and objectives from the Candor Health website. Also, please be advised that if you would not like your child to participate in the program, they will not be required to do so if the parents submits a written request to Principal Christine Marcinkewicz at cmarcinkewicz@cassd63.org. Please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions or concerns.

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At the March 18 meeting, the Board of Education welcomed 5th grade teacher Marie Musil and four of her students as they presented their wax museum projects. This included Sofia Schoper as Queen Elizabeth, Rhett Hofbauer as Steven Spielberg, Ada Shields as David Bowie, and Rayan Patel as Louis Armstrong. In terms of business, the Board approved curriculum resource materials and equipment, approved a low bid for exterior facility work and tabled interior renovation plans, subject to getting more details on the school district's potential energy tax credit. As always, more information on Board action and discussion is available in the Board Briefs.

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Cass eSports Team Success

Cass Junior High’s eSports program has launched with remarkable success, providing students with an opportunity to engage in competitive gaming while fostering teamwork, discipline, and school spirit.

Overall the eSports team is ranked 1st in the country out of 600 middle school teams and we also have several students who are ranked in the top 20 nationally. Thank you to coach Matt Etherington for helping bring this opportunity to our students and helping guide this talented team through a very successful season.

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Argonne Electric Car Competition

   

Last Saturday, Argonne National Laboratory hosted its annual Electric Car Competition, and we are thrilled to announce that our Cass team, Ryan Gallagher, Matteo Vitagliano, and Alfred Park, earned an impressive third place in the design competition! The contest began in late fall, when teams received a kit containing a battery pack, a motor, and a set of wheels. From there, students had to design and build everything else, including the gear system and power connections. Our team showcased incredible ingenuity, using a combination of the school’s 3D printer, balsa wood, and a tremendous amount of collaborative spirit to bring their vision to life. Congratulations to Ryan, Matteo, and Alfred!

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Girls Volleyball Season Comes to an End

Congratulations on an excellent season for the girls volleyball team. Varsity finished their season with a 5-5 record, finishing on a 5-game winning streak against tough competition. Both varsity and JV teams showed tremendous growth in skill and teamwork as they progressed through the season. Thank you to coaches Landon Mitchell and AJ Petigo for leading these teams and helping our players grow their volleyball skills both individually and as a team.

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Boys Volleyball tryouts are March 24 and 25 from 3:30-5:00 p.m. in the Cass Junior High gym. In order to participate, your student must have a sports physical in the school office that is dated no more than one year prior to the start of the season. Please have your student sign up in the gym and contact Landon Mitchell at lmitchell@cassd63.org with questions.

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CARE Seeking Donations for New Playground

CARE has prioritized fundraising for a new Concord playground, and would love your support! This playground will provide a safe, fun space for kids to play, grow, and build lasting memories. All donations are tax-deductible, making it not only a meaningful gift to the community but also a great opportunity to give back. Every contribution, big or small, brings us closer to creating a space where our children can thrive and our community can come together. For more information and to learn how to help, please see this page. Thank you for helping us make this dream a reality!

Concord Staff Taking Plunge for Special Olympics

On March 22, Concord team members Bryann Poskonka, Krista Jamrose, Katy Modglin, Katie Summers, and Katie Paljetak will be participating in the Chicago Polar Plunge supporting the Special Olympics. Please visit the Concord team fundraising page for and help them raise money for this great cause!

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8th Grade Yard Signs

Celebrate your 8th grade student with a yard sign announcing their graduation from Cass Junior High in 2025. The proceeds from the sale go toward funding the 8th grade dance. Please see this flyer for more information and the order form.

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Last Chance to Win Front Row Seats!

The Kindergarten music performance is on March 27 and here is your chance to win the best seats in the house. CARE is holding a seat raffle through March 24 so don’t miss out on your chance to avoid the lines and get the best pictures of the night.

Alumni Accolades
Congratulations to Hinsdale South students Elias Carder, Amanda Chen, Phuong Vu, Ryan Walters, Josh Mathew, Langston Love who medaled in the Business Professionals of America State Competition. Special congratulations and best of luck to Elias Carder, Amanda Chen, and Phuong Vu who are Business Professionals of America National Qualifiers. 

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The lost and found at both schools are ready for a purge! If your child is missing anything, please have them check, or contact your child’s school office. Any unclaimed items will be donated at the end of the school day on March 27.

Dear Cass School District 63 Parents,

One of the ways our school district is very unique is that Argonne National Laboratory makes up 37 percent of the land in our school district. Argonne is owned by the federal government and since federal property is obviously exempt from taxation, school districts with federal land are at a financial disadvantage in funding their schools.

As a result, we rely on federal impact aid to offset a small amount of the funding we lose. Impact aid exists to at least partially offset lost revenue associated with nontaxable federal property, and we get roughly seven cents on the dollar compared to what we would get if the same land was valued the same as the rest. Even though we only get pennies on the dollar, this is roughly $400,000 of annual revenue that our school district has relied on for years and cannot live without.

We are part of two organizations that include other federally impacted school districts across the country that advocate for the continued funding of impact aid, including military bases, national parks, and Indian lands. There are only eight federally impacted school districts in Illinois, including Burr Ridge District 180 and Lemont High School District 210 which are the other two impacted by Argonne.

This funding is absolutely essential to our school district and for many years, federal impact aid has received bipartisan support, but we continue to need the support of both Congress and the White House to maintain our funding. Our local representatives including Sean Casten and Bill Foster, along with Senators Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth have been very supportive of this program and we need it to continue not only for our students and school district, but also our local taxpayers.

None of what I am sharing is political in nature, and I personally believe that the government has areas in which efficiencies can be improved. However, we believe that the federal government also has an absolute obligation to continue to fund the impact aid program going forward. Also, like all federal funding for schools, the funding conduit for impact aid is through the United States Department of Education, which is obviously going through major changes that could impact our funding as well.

I will continue to share more on this with our parents and school community. Should you ever have any communication or connection with any member of Congress, or if you communicate via the public portal of the White House, all you need to reference is support for full and continued funding of Section 7002 and federally impacted schools.

Any questions are very welcome, and I appreciate your support as we navigate the currently uncertain times. Thank you.

Mark R. Cross, Superintendent

Concord friends just hanging out!

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2025-26 Registration Opens Monday

Registration for the 2025-26 school year opens on Monday, March 17. We will send an email and text message when the portal officially opens, and the deadline for registration is May 9. This year, the deadline is especially important as the District is transitioning to a new student information system. Since registration is through our current system, please note that May 9 is a hard deadline as we change to our new system over the summer to be ready to start the school year. Here are the registration details and instructions. Please contact your child's school office or email cassd63registration@cassd63.org if you have any questions.

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The 5Essentials Parent Survey was sent to families via email. Administered by the University of Chicago on behalf of the Illinois State Board of Education, this survey generates data that districts can use to guide continuous efforts to improve our schools and inform our parents and school community about our learning environment. The survey closes March 29. Thank you for participating!

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IAR Testing Begins March 18

Students in grades 3 through 8 will be participating in the Illinois Assessment of Readiness in March and April. The IAR assesses the progress of our students in meeting the Illinois Learning Standards in English language arts and mathematics, while the Illinois Science Assessment assesses student progress in grades 5 and 8.

During state testing, students are not allowed to arrive late to class or to leave early, so please review the schedule below and plan accordingly. We ask that students have earbuds or headphones each day of testing. The schedule for each school is as follows:

Concord Elementary School
March 19 and 20              3rd and 4th Grade Reading
April 9, 10, and 11            3rd and 4th Grade Math

Cass Junior High School
April 8 and 9                     5th-8th Grade Reading
March 18, 19, and 20       5th-8th Grade Math
April 22, 23, and 24          5th and 8th Grade Science

Please contact your child’s teacher or Principals Christine Marcinkewicz or Laura Anderson with any questions.

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IAR Spirit Week at Concord

In honor of the start of the Illinois Assessment for Readiness (IAR) for our 3rd and 4th grade students, Concord is celebrating with IAR spirit week. Please be sure to check out the flyer to see how your child can participate in the fun!

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District Multicultural Celebration April 11

On the evening of April 11, Cass 63 will be hosting a Multicultural Celebration. This will be a wonderful event and the entire community will be invited to attend. We are also still welcoming Proposal Submissions through March 21 if you want to share about your own cultural heritage. Thank you!

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Keeping Our Kids Safe

We know that the safety of your children is the most important thing to you and with this in mind, we like to remind our parents that they can access the DuPage County Sheriff Sex Offender search list at any time to see who is living in your neighborhood. This link is also always available on the District’s website under the Healthy Kids, Safe Schools tab.

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It is time for spring sports at Cass Junior High School! Following is information and updates on each sport and season. In order to participate in any sport, your student must have a sports physical in the school office that is dated no more than one year prior to the start of the season. Please have your student sign up in the gym if they are interested in joining any team, and contact the respective coaches with any questions.

Soccer - Boys’ and girls’ soccer tryouts are March 17 and 18 from 3:30-5:00 p.m. Please contact Megan Newton at mnewton@cassd63.org or Sarah Leganski at sleganski@cassd63.org with questions.

Track and Field - Track & Field starts on Wednesday, March 19 and is open to all interested 5th through 8th grade students. While this is an all are welcome sport, only 56 students will be chosen to attend meets due to roster and busing limitations. If you have any questions, please contact Scott Kondraschow at skondraschow@cassd63.org, Matt Etherington at metherington@cassd63.org, or Taylor Latta at tlatta@cassd63.org.

Boys’ Volleyball - Boys’ Volleyball tryouts are March 24 and 25 from 3:30-5:00 p.m. in the Cass Junior High gym. Please contact Landon Mitchell at lmitchell@cassd63.org with questions.

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Win Front Row Seats for Kindergarten Performance

The Kindergarten music performance is on March 27 and here is your chance to win the best seats in the house. CARE is holding a seat raffle through March 24 so don’t miss out on your chance to avoid the lines and get the best pictures of the night.

Alumni Accolades
Congratulations to Hinsdale South Science Olympiad team members Eli Carder, Jacob Borowski, and Rayyan Qureshi for qualifying for the State Science Olympiad.

Congratulations to Hinsdale South JV Science Olympiad team members Shaheer Ali, Antonio Bosiljanov, Eva Joseph, Freya Pang, Yacine Ouchen, Cash Hipsking, and Orest Oleynych for medaling at the JV Science Olympiad Regional Competition.

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The lost and found at both schools are ready for a purge! If your child is missing anything, please have them check, or contact your child’s school office. Any unclaimed items will be donated at the end of the school day on March 27.

Dear Cass School District 63 Parents,

Last week, I shared an update on our upcoming Multicultural Celebration, which is scheduled for the evening of Friday, April 11. We are so excited about this event, and we don’t want to leave anyone out!

From the proposals submitted by our district families so far, we have the following countries and cultural backgrounds represented: Belize, The Caribbean, Croatia, Greece, India, Ireland, Japan, Mexico, Pakistan, Palestine, Perú, Sweden, and Syria. Is yours missing?

If so, our planning committee is still welcoming Proposal Submissions! All of the details are included under the link, and our main purpose is to celebrate and learn about the diverse backgrounds and cultures of our families and our community. If you are interested, please submit your proposal by March 21.

Also provided below is a link to the 5Essentials survey. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions. Thank you!

Mark R. Cross, Superintendent

Don't forget to spring forward one hour this weekend!

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Registration for the 2025-26 school year is opening on March 17. Look for information on how to register in the March 13 Cass63 Connections.

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The 5Essentials Parent Survey was sent to families via email. Administered by the University of Chicago on behalf of the Illinois State Board of Education, this survey generates data that districts can use to guide continuous efforts to improve our schools and inform our parents and school community about our learning environment. The survey closes March 29. Thank you for participating!

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It is time for spring sports at Cass Junior High School! Following is information and updates on each sport and season. In order to participate in any sport, your student must have a sports physical in the school office that is dated no more than one year prior to the start of the season. Please have your student sign up in the gym if they are interested in joining any team, and contact the respective coaches with any questions.

Soccer - Boys’ and girls’ soccer tryouts are March 17 and 18 from 3:30-5:00 p.m. Please contact Megan Newton at mnewton@cassd63.org or Sarah Leganski at sleganski@cassd63.org with questions.

Track and Field - Track & Field starts on Wednesday, March 19 and is open to all interested 5th through 8th grade students. While this is an all are welcome sport, only 56 students will be chosen to attend meets due to roster and busing limitations. If you have any questions, please contact Scott Kondraschow at skondraschow@cassd63.org, Matt Etherington at metherington@cassd63.org, or Taylor Latta at tlatta@cassd63.org.

Boys’ Volleyball - Boys’ Volleyball tryouts are March 24 and 25 from 3:30-5:00 p.m. in the Cass Junior High gym. Please contact Landon Mitchell at lmitchell@cassd63.org with questions.

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Kids Heart Challenge - Thank You!
On behalf of the American Heart Association, we would like to thank all of the Concord Elementary School students, families, and friends for your incredible generosity. With your hard work, we were able to raise $9,176.53 this year. The American Heart Association estimates that this money will save 183 lives by helping to teach people the critical skill of hands-only CPR. Since 2010, the Concord Elementary School community has raised $121,585.60 for this important cause.

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District Multicultural Celebration April 11

On Friday, April 11, Cass 63 will be hosting a Multicultural Celebration. This has the potential to be a wonderful event and the entire community will be invited to attend! We are also still welcoming our students, families, and staff who wish to make a Proposal Submission to share about their cultural heritage. Thank you!

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IAR Testing Begins March 18

Students in grades 3 through 8 will be participating in the Illinois Assessment of Readiness in March and April. The IAR assesses the progress of our students in meeting the Illinois Learning Standards in English language arts and mathematics, while the Illinois Science Assessment assesses student progress in grades 5 and 8.

During state testing, students are not allowed to arrive late to class or to leave early, so please review the schedule below and plan accordingly. We ask that students have earbuds or headphones each day of testing. The schedule for each school is as follows:

Concord Elementary School
March 19 and 20              3rd and 4th Grade Reading
April 9, 10, and 11            3rd and 4th Grade Math

Cass Junior High School
April 8 and 9                     5th-8th Grade Reading
March 18, 19, and 20       5th-8th Grade Math
April 22, 23, and 24          5th and 8th Grade Science

Please contact your child’s teacher or Principals Christine Marcinkewicz or Laura Anderson with any questions.

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This week we want to recognize and thank Concord physical education teachers Craig Damrow and Greg Kirchen for their role in coordinating and orchestrating the Kid’s Heart Challenge for the past 16 years. In total this event has raised over $121,000 dollars that is donated back to the American Heart Association. This year’s event raised over $9,000. Thank you to both Mr. Damrow and Mr. Kirchen for not only being great teachers, but also role models for our students and ambassadors for a great cause.

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CARE Seeking Donations for New Playground

CARE has prioritized fundraising for a new Concord playground, and would love your support! This playground will provide a safe, fun space for kids to play, grow, and build lasting memories. All donations are tax-deductible, making it not only a meaningful gift to the community but also a great opportunity to give back. Every contribution, big or small, brings us closer to creating a space where our children can thrive and our community can come together. For more information and to learn how to help, please see this page. Thank you for helping us make this dream a reality!

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Choral Recital Night Success

Cass Junior High choral students shared their singing talents at Choral Recital Night. Students worked with Ms. Kriz to choose music and performed either individually or in small groups. Thank you to choral teacher Becky Kriz for helping to organize and prepare students for their performances. What a great night for all who attended!

CARE Virtual Meeting March 10

The next CARE meeting will be via Google Meet on Monday, March 10 at 7:00 p.m. and the meeting can be accessed at that time under the link. We know many of you aren’t able to attend in person, so this would be a good opportunity to sign up for activities or events that you would like to be involved with, or to simply join in and listen. 

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Preschool Screening March 14

Cass School District 63 is holding a Preschool Screening on March 14 for children who live in our district and are 3-5 years old. Your child must be preregistered to participate. Please see under the link for more information and how to register.

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Concord Staff Taking Plunge for Special Olympics

On March 22, Concord team members Bryann Poskonka, Krista Jamrose, Katy Modglin, Katie Summers, Katie Paljetak, and Kelly Glimco will be participating in the Chicago Polar Plunge supporting the Special Olympics. Please visit the Concord team fundraising page for and help them raise money for this great cause!

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The lost and found at both schools is ready for a purge! If your child is missing anything, please have them check, or contact your child’s school office. Any unclaimed items will be donated at the end of the school day on March 27.

Save the date! On the evening of Friday, April 11, we will be hosting our first Multicultural Celebration. Our purpose is simply 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 community. This has the potential to be a wonderful event and the entire community will be invited to attend!

As our planning committee works on the details, we are looking for our families who wish to share about their cultural heritage. We recently sent out a Proposal Submission form to families who expressed interest previously, but we are sharing it again in the event we missed anyone the first time around. Please take a look at the details and respond to the form above if you are interested.

We are very excited to make this happen, and would love to have you be a part of it, or just plan on attending and enjoying the event. If you have any questions, please email me at mcross@cassd63.org. Your participation will help us develop this into something meaningful for our students, families, and community. Thank you!

Mark R. Cross, Superintendent

Concord students participating in Jump Rope for Heart.

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No School Friday, February 28

Due to a staff institute day, there is no school on February 28. Enjoy your long weekend.

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District Multicultural Celebration April 11

On Friday, April 11, Cass 63 will be hosting a Multicultural Celebration. This has the potential to be a wonderful event and the entire community will be invited to attend! We are looking for our families who wish to make a Proposal Submission to share about their cultural heritage. Thank you!

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IAR Testing Begins March 18

Students in grades 3 through 8 will be participating in the Illinois Assessment of Readiness in March and April. The IAR assesses the progress of our students in meeting the Illinois Learning Standards in English language arts and mathematics, while the Illinois Science Assessment assesses student progress in grades 5 and 8.

Concord Elementary School
March 19 and 20              3rd and 4th Grade Reading
April 9, 10, and 11            3rd and 4th Grade Math

Cass Junior High School
April 8 and 9                     5th-8th Grade Reading
March 18, 19, and 20       5th-8th Grade Math
April 22, 23, and 24          5th and 8th Grade Science

Please contact your child’s teacher or Principals Christine Marcinkewicz or Laura Anderson with any questions.

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Chess Team Takes 3rd Place at Conference

Congratulations to our Cass Junior High Chess Team for placing 3rd in the recent conference tournament. Special recognition goes out to 6th grader Angus Woodbury, who was the fifth chair board winner, 7th grader Miles Kremper, who was the seventh chair board winner, and 7th grader Ian Chavez, who was the ninth chair board winner. Congratulations also go out to Angus and Ian who both went undefeated for the entire season!

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Kids Heart Challenge

Last Friday, Concord students participated in our 16th Annual Kids Heart Challenge in their physical education classes. The kids engaged in varying activities while raising money for the American Heart Association. Please enjoy these pictures from a fun day, and thank you for the support in raising funds for a great cause!

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We love to share the good news about our D63 staff, and in honor of School Social Workers Week, we are recognizing Dana Flutman at Concord Elementary and Bridget Gilmartin at Cass Junior High School. Our social workers play a huge part in meeting the needs of our students and their social and emotional growth. Thank you Mrs. Flutman and Mrs. Gilmartin!

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Deadline Extended for Class of 2025 T-Shirt Orders

Help celebrate your 8th grade graduate by purchasing a Class of 2025 t-shirt. All you need to do is print this form and return it with payment to the Cass Junior High office no later than February 25.

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Family BINGO Night March 7

Register now for a Family Fun Bingo night hosted by CARE. The fun takes place Friday, March 7 from 6:00-8:00 pm at Concord. Attendance is free, but registration is required, and includes one bingo card, popcorn, candy, cotton candy, balloon professional, and fairy hair! Pizza and water will be available for purchase and there are many kid friendly prizes!

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Preschool Screening March 14

Cass School District 63 is holding a Preschool Screening on March 14 for children who live in our district and are 3-5 years old. Your child must be preregistered to participate. Please see under the link for more information and how to register.

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Alumni Accolades

Congratulations to Hinsdale South High School basketball player Maeve Savage for reaching 1,000 career points.

Congratulations to Hinsdale South Math team members Mauricio Gubert and Shahmeer Ali for being a part of second place teams at the ICTM 3AA regional competition and to Eli Carder, Jeremy Fung, Collin Caldwell, Konrad Kremper, and Jeremy Fung for being a part of first place teams at the regional competition which qualifies them for the state competition in April.

Congratulations to Hinsdale South student Annina Garro and her speech partner for taking 2nd in state in Humourous Duet Acting at the IHSA speech state finals this past weekend.

Dear Cass School District 63 Parents,

We are very pleased to welcome Megan Conlin as the next assistant principal at Concord Elementary School. Earlier this week, the Board of Education unanimously approved her appointment and she will begin her new position this summer. That is when Mrs. Katie Doyle assumes the role of principal, replacing Dr. Laura Anderson who is retiring after 18 years of dedicated service at Concord and D63.

We are very excited to have Mrs. Conlin join our team, and the formal announcement provides additional details about her strong background and the experience she will bring to Concord. We had an outstanding pool of applicants, and we found the leader who ideally fit the profile we created to help identify our next assistant principal. Mrs. Conlin already met some of the students and staff this week and she truly looks forward to getting to know all of our students, staff, and parents this fall!

While we are on the subject of exciting assistant principal announcements, Mrs. Doyle and her husband are welcoming a brand new baby into the world! While Mrs. Doyle is out on leave, Ms. Julie Bartell will fill in several days a week. Ms. Bartell is a recently retired principal from Burr Ridge District 180 who has already made the rounds to some classrooms to start getting to know our Concord students and staff. We are grateful to have her here to assist Dr. Anderson and support our students, teachers, and staff.

Exciting times! Please join us in congratulating and welcoming Mrs. Conlin, as well as congratulating Mrs. Doyle and welcoming Ms. Bartell!

Mark R. Cross, Superintendent

Concord students enjoying Friendship Day!

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At the most recent meeting, the Board of Education approved leaving the 2025-26 school year registration and transportation fees unchanged, employed Megan Conlin as assistant principal at Concord, and reviewed the timeline for the Phase II Facilities Plan. Mr. Cross also shared concerns regarding the status of federal impact aid funding for our school district. Please see the Board Briefs for more information from the meeting.

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Class of 2025 T-Shirt Orders

Help celebrate your 8th grade graduate by purchasing a Class of 2025 t-shirt. All you need to do is print this form and return it with payment to the Cass Junior High office no later than February 25.

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Don't Miss Family BINGO Night!

Register now for a Family Fun Bingo night hosted by CARE. The fun takes place Friday, March 7 from 6:00-8:00 pm at Concord. Attendance is free, but registration is required, and includes one bingo card, popcorn, candy, cotton candy, balloon professional, and fairy hair! Pizza and water will be available for purchase and there are many kid friendly prizes!

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Important Traffic Safety Reminders!

Safety is important at all times at both schools, but especially during pick up and drop off times at Concord. For those in the car line…

• Please use your turn signal to indicate to other cars as well as our dutiful crossing guard Mrs. Dooley whenever you are turning in or out of the Concord drive.
• Do not make any U-turns in school traffic and continue through the car line with everyone else.
• Please exercise patience and care at all times, and pay attention to your surroundings and not your phone. This is the law in school traffic zones.
• Remember that children are not allowed to exit cars until 7:45 a.m. This is when staff supervision begins and the school doors open.
• Parents must remain in cars to keep traffic moving safely. If getting out to unbuckle your child is necessary, then cars must be parked in the lot and children walked to the school entrance.

Thank you for your cooperation in keeping our kids safe!

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This is your last chance to help support the 16th annual Kids Heart Challenge at Concord Elementary. Donations are being accepted through February 27. For information on how to register and donate please go to Concord Kids Heart Challenge 2025. Thank you for supporting this great cause!

Mock Newbery Celebration

   

Last week, some of our Cass students participated in the annual Mock Newbery celebration. After reading at least twelve of the nominated books, students met to review the results of our school-wide ballot and enjoy a delicious pizza party. Sixth grader Aziz Mitha read ALL 25 books and right behind Aziz was Aroush Qureshi, who read 23 books. Thank you to CARE for funding this opportunity for our students!

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Concord Sexual Abuse Awareness and Prevention

As we have shared previously, we will begin teaching our mandated, age-appropriate child sexual abuse awareness and prevention education program at Concord. Erin’s Law will be taught during Skills for Learning lessons in the last week of February and the first week of March. Here is additional information and links regarding Erin’s Law and sexual abuse prevention.

If you have questions about this program, please contact school counselor Helen Park at hpark@cassd63.org. If you do not wish for your child to participate, please place your request in writing to Dr. Laura Anderson at landerson@cassd63.org.

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Concord Holds Friendship Parties

Concord celebrated Valentine’s Day with CARE hosting our friendship parties. Our volunteers did a wonderful job creating fun games and crafts for our students to participate in and enjoy.

Darien Rotary Club Literacy Project

 

For the second year in a row, the Rotary Club of Darien has partnered with Cass School District 63, the Indian Prairie Public Library, as well as neighboring school districts Center Cass 66, and Darien 61 on a preschool literacy project to provide area children entering school for the first time with a head start in early literacy through a gift of books, manipulatives, and interactive resources.

A few weeks back, we hosted our local Rotarians as the next 500 literacy bags were put together to distribute to our youngest learners this spring. Superintendent and Darien Rotary Club member Mark Cross helps lead the project, and expressed the collective gratitude for the support of our local Rotary Club, the Indian Prairie Public Library, as well as our friends in the neighboring school districts, particularly some of our area preschool teachers and staff who were instrumental in developing the content.

We look forward to a continued partnership with Rotary to help give our youngest learners the best possible start in their educational journey.

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Concord Staff Taking Plunge for Special Olympics

On March 22, Concord team members Bryann Poskonka, Krista Jamrose, Katy Modglin, Katie Summers, Katie Paljetak, and Kelly Glimco will be participating in the Chicago Polar Plunge supporting the Special Olympics. Please visit the Concord team fundraising page for and help them raise money for this great cause!

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Alumni Accolades

Congratulations to Hinsdale South student Madison Witucki on qualifying for the IHSA state girls bowling finals.

Congratulations to Hinsdale South chess team member Konrad Kremper for earning an individual medal at last week’s IHSA chess state finals.

Congratulations to Hinsdale South student Annina Garro for taking 2nd place in humorous duet acting at the speech sectional, which qualifies her to compete in the IHSA competition.

Dear Cass School District 63 Parents,

Thank you all for your patience this week with the winter weather, a fire alarm and evacuation at Cass, and… well, it is only Thursday!

As much as we always try to be proactive with our planning and communications, things like this are a good reminder that sometimes you just have to stay calm, react to the situation, and respond the best way that you can. The good news is that all is well, the workers won’t be back during school hours to set the alarm off, and our weather forecast is looking good after this weekend.

On a much more fun note, what a great time we all had at Trivia Night last Friday! Our CARE group planned an outstanding event, raised $11,400, and everyone sure seemed to have a wonderful time. Some of the dress up themes were legendary as well! For those of you who supported by attending, donating, or participating in other ways, thank you for your support of our kids and our schools.

Enjoy the long Presidents’ Day weekend with your families!

Mark R. Cross, Superintendent

Some of our D63 staff at Trivia Night!

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Friday, February 14 is an early release day. Concord students will be released at 11:15 a.m. and Cass at 12:00 p.m. Also, in honor of Presidents’ Day, there is no school on Monday, February 17. Enjoy the long weekend!

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Spirit Wear is Back!

The CARE spirit wear store is open until February 19 so be sure to grab your spirit wear! ASAP! Not only will you be on trend with the latest Cass and Concord gear, but you're also supporting our local spirit wear vendor, the Hinsdale District 86 Transition Center microbusiness called THREADS. The District 86 Transition Center provides life and vocational skills instruction to young adults with disabilities between the ages of 18-22 who are from Hinsdale South & Central communities.

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7th Grade Experiences Shakespeare

   

After spending the last few weeks reading, discussing, and analyzing A Midsummer Night’s Dream, by William Shakespeare in their English Language Arts class, our 7th grade students went on a field trip to the Chicago Shakespeare Theatre downtown last Friday to see the play. Students and staff alike were amazed with the performance.

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Scholastic Bowl Begins February 18

The new Scholastic Bowl season is nearly here! Cass won the regular season last year and came in second place in the tournament. We have a great record to defend and that journey begins on Tuesday, February 18, from 3:30-5:00, with an introductory and informational meeting in Room 221 at Cass. This is open to all interested 5th-8th graders. Students can find out what it means to join and what to expect. Email Mr. Grand at jeffgrand@cassd63.org with any questions.

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The 16th Annual Kids Heart Challenge is kicking off at Concord Elementary February 10 through February 27. For information on how to register please go to Concord Kids Heart Challenge 2025.

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Concord Yearbook Sales Close February 20

If you have not already done so, now is your chance to order a Concord yearbook. If you would like to purchase a yearbook, please print and turn in this order form no later than February 20. Please contact Helen Park at hpark@cassd63.org with questions.

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Chorus Performs at Papa Passero's February 19
Enjoy some fantastic entertainment and some good pizza at Papa Passero’s on February 19! The Cass Junior High 5th and 6th grade chorus will be performing from 6:00 to 6:30 pm and 7th & 8th Grade Advanced Ensemble will perform from 7:00 to 7:40 pm. Be sure to print or show this flyer and bring it with you to give to your server so that 20 percent of your bill will be donated back to the schools.

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Kindergarten Round Up February 20

If you or someone you know has a child who will be five years old on or before September 1, 2025 and lives in Cass School District 63, it is time to register for kindergarten. Please contact Amy Perez at either aperez@cassd63.org or at 331-481-4000 and she will send the information needed to get started on the Fall 2025 registration process. Kindergarten round up will be held on Thursday, February 20 at 6:00 p.m. at Concord.

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Preschool Screening March 14

Cass School District 63 is holding a Preschool Screening on March 14 for children ages 3 to 5 years old who live in our district. Please see under the link for more information and how to register. Your child must be preregistered to participate.

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Concord Sexual Abuse Awareness and Prevention

It is estimated that 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys will be sexually abused by the time they turn eighteen years old. It is also estimated that around 90 percent of the abusers are people the child knows. In response to these startling statistics, and the hard work of Erin Merryn, who took a personal tragedy and created positive change across America, including Erin’s Law.

Beginning the last week in February, Concord will commence with our mandated, age-appropriate child sexual abuse awareness and prevention education program for our students at Concord. Erin’s Law will be taught during Skills for Learning lessons in the last week of February and the first week of March. Here is additional information and links regarding Erin’s Law and sexual abuse prevention.

If you have questions about this program, please contact school counselor Helen Park at hpark@cassd63.org. If you do not wish for your child to participate, please place your request in writing to Dr. Laura Anderson at landerson@cassd63.org.

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Class of 2025 T-Shirt Orders

Help celebrate your 8th grade graduate by purchasing a Class of 2025 t-shirt. All you need to do is print this form and return it with payment to the Cass Junior High office no later than February 25.

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Stock Up with Dine to Donate at Home Run Inn

Order by February 19 for this month’s Dine to Donate at Home Run Inn! Purchase the fresh pizzas of your choice before February 19 and then pick them up from the Darien Home Run Inn from 11:00 am to 8:00 pm on February 24, 25, or 26!  This would be a great time to stock up since Home Run Inn is giving 30 percent back to CARE! 

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Family Bingo Night March 7

Register now for a Family Fun Bingo night hosted by CARE. The fun takes place Friday, March 7 from 6:00-8:00 pm at Concord. Attendance is free, but registration is required, and includes one bingo card, popcorn, candy, cotton candy, balloon professional, and fairy hair! Pizza and water will be available for purchase and there are many kid friendly prizes!

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Concord Staff Taking Plunge for Special Olympics

On March 22, Concord team members Bryann Poskonka, Krista Jamrose, Katy Modglin, Katie Summers, Katie Paljetak, and Kelly Glimco will be participating in the Chicago Polar Plunge supporting the Special Olympics. Please visit the Concord team fundraising page for and help them raise money for this great cause!

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Alumni Accolades

Congratulations and best of luck to Hinsdale South students Quinn Isberg and Annina Garro for advancing to the IHSA Speech Sectionals.

Congratulations to Hinsdale South students Peter Gerges and Layan Quaddoura for being named February Social Studies Students of the Month.

Dear Cass School District 63 Parents,

During February we celebrate Black History Month, and I wanted to share some great resources for parents from PBS, as well as Common Sense Media. Under the links you will find excellent references to great books that celebrate black history, culture, and other educational resources. I am always open to suggestions to share with parents for this and other important celebrations throughout the year.

Please mark your calendars for March 17, which is when registration will open for the 2025-26 school year. Since we will be leaving PowerSchool for a new platform, every current student will have to be registered for next year prior to the early May registration deadline so that we can complete the conversion process. This is important and we will provide reminders along the way, so your assistance and cooperation will be greatly appreciated.

Trivia Night is this Friday evening at Chucks, and 40 of our D63 staff and significant others look forward to seeing many of you there. We truly appreciate the time and effort of our parents in our CARE organization who are making this event happen. This event will not only raise funds that will have an impact on future opportunities for our students, but will also provide an incredibly fun night for everyone. More details are below, including links to the awesome teacher raffles. You do not need to be present to win!

Thank you!

Mark R. Cross, Superintendent

2nd graders performing at their recent concert.

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Kindergarten Round Up February 20

If you or someone you know has a child who will be five years old on or before September 1, 2025 and lives in Cass School District 63, it is time to register for kindergarten. Please contact Amy Perez at either aperez@cassd63.org or at 331-481-4000 (x1) and she will send the information needed to get started on the Fall 2025 registration process. Kindergarten round up will be held on Thursday, February 20 at 6:00 p.m. at Concord.

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Last Chance for Trivia Night

Trivia Night is on Friday, February 7, 2025 at the Chateau Orleans at 6pm! We are only a day away and still have tickets available! Come dressed as your favorite decade for a fun night of trivia, dinner and fun! Check out the flyer for more details and purchase individual tickets or a table on the CARE website!

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5th Grade Hosts Wax Museum

Last week our 5th grade students participated in a living wax museum presentation. Ms. Musil and Mr. Kondraschow’s students read biographies of famous people, wrote essays, and prepared speeches to help create their “wax museum.” For the museum, students dressed as their chosen individuals, struck statue-like poses, and gave speeches to any visitor who pressed a button at their exhibit to make the figure come to life! Both parents and students marveled at the amazing wax figures and their fantastic speeches. It was a wonderful morning seeing the students' hard work come to life in such a creative and engaging way.

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2nd Grade Concert

Last week, our 2nd grade student gave a wonderful music performance. Thank you to music teacher Kali Sheldon for preparing our 2nd graders and guiding them through an entertaining evening for our parents.

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Poetic Power Poetry Contest

Students in Mrs. Howard’s 3rd grade class recently participated in a poetry writing contest through Poetic Power. Students could choose from many different types of poems to write, but they had to be 21 lines or less. We had seven students chosen to be included in an upcoming anthology published by Poetic Power. Congratulations to the following students whose poems were chosen: Araceli Casarrubias, Atharav Dongre, Sophia Hannon, Luke Hockemeyer, Yara Muslmani, Advika Singh, and Connor Yu.

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Preschool Enjoys Family Day at the Museum

 

Our preschool families had an amazing time at the DuPage Children's Museum for Family Day! It was great to see so many Concord Elementary families exploring, playing, and learning together. Kids had a blast with all the hands-on exhibits, and parents got to enjoy some quality time watching their little ones discover new things. A big thank you to the museum for providing each child with a book to take home. We’re so glad you could join us and can’t wait for more fun events in the future!

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The 16th Annual Kids Heart Challenge is kicking off at Concord Elementary February 10 through February 27. For information on how to register please go to Concord Kids Heart Challenge 2025.

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Preschool Screening March 14

Cass School District 63 is holding a Preschool Screening on March 14 for children ages 3 to 5 years old who live in our district. Please see under the link for more information and how to register. Your child must be preregistered to participate.

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Concord Yearbook Sales Close February 20

If you have not already done so, now is your chance to order a Concord yearbook. If you would like to purchase a yearbook, please print and turn in this order form no later than February 20. Please contact Helen Park at hpark@cassd63.org with questions.

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Family Bingo Night March 7

CARE is hosting a Bingo Night this year is on Friday, March 7 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Concord. Attendance is free and includes one bingo card, popcorn, candy, cotton candy, balloon professional, and fairy hair! Pizza and water will be available for purchase and there are many kid friendly prizes! Registration is required!

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The new Scholastic Bowl season is nearly here! Cass won the regular season last year and came in second place in the tournament. We have a great record to defend and that journey begins on Tuesday, February 18, from 3:30 - 5:00, with an introductory and informational meeting in Room 221 at Cass. This is open to all interested 5th-8th graders. Students can find out what it means to join and what to expect. Email Mr. Grand at jeffgrand@cassd63.org with any questions.

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Dine to Donate at Home Run Inn

Home Run Inn Take N’ Bake will be CARE’s next dine to donate from February 24-26! It’s a little different this time, but still pretty simple! Purchase the pizzas of your choice before February 19 and then pick them up from the Darien Home Run Inn from 11:00 am to 8:00 pm on February 24, 25, or 26. Home Run Inn is giving 30 percent back to CARE!

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This week we want to recognize teachers Jeff Grand, Audrey Vaci, Taylor Dazzo, and Marie Musil for their hard work organizing and assisting with the recent Cass Junior High Spelling Bee. Under their direction, we had more students than ever participating in this exciting competition that lasted 27 rounds and 3 ½ hours. We are proud to have so many teachers willing to go above and beyond to create these wonderful experiences for our students.

Several staff members also nominated 5th grade teacher Marie Musil for being an exceptional teacher who is dedicated to creating engaging and meaningful learning experiences for her students. This was especially evident in the incredible Wax Museum Biography project recently presented by the 5th graders (see story above). Every student was well-prepared, delivering outstanding speeches, thorough reports, and impressive outfits. Mrs. Musil continuously seeks out new and exciting activities to inspire and motivate her class. In their nomination, the 2^nd grade team said, “The success of this event is a testament to Marie’s passion and commitment, proving once again that she is simply the best!”

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Spirit Wear is Back!

Show your school pride with our new spirit wear! Spirit wear will be on sale for a limited time from January 30 to February 19. Spirit wear orders will be delivered by the first week in March via your child’s classroom teacher. All proceeds go to CARE and D63 schools!

Alumni Accolades
Congratulations to Hinsdale South students Antonio Bosiljanov, Jacob Borowski, Rayyan Qureshi, Shahmeer Ali, Eli Carder, Eva Jospeh, and Yacine Ouchen for taking home medals in the Crystal Lake Central Invitational Science Olympiad. 

Dear Cass School District 63 Parents,

In the January 9 Connections, I shared that PowerSchool had a data breach that potentially compromised personal student information. Of course, we find this completely unacceptable, but I wanted to do our very best to keep you informed regarding everything that we know as this has developed.

In case you missed previous communications, this was a nationwide breach and we were informed that the actor was identified, and PowerSchool assured us that the incident is contained. They also stated that there is no evidence of malware or continued unauthorized activity. PowerSchool also said they do not anticipate the data being shared or made public, and they believe it has been deleted without any further replication or dissemination.

As a school district, we put together a PowerSchool Data Breach Information page so we can update information as we learn more. It also includes some FAQs of what we understand, as well as any recent communications from PowerSchool at the bottom of the page.

On January 29, we received an update from PowerSchool, which is included at the bottom of our information page. The communication states in part that PowerSchool has “initiated the process of notifying involved individuals about the resources now available to them. As part of this process, we have posted a notice to our website. Credit monitoring and identity protection services are now activated and available.”

According to PowerSchool, a direct email notification will be distributed by Experian on behalf of PowerSchool in the coming weeks “to applicable current and former students (or their parents / guardians as applicable) and educators for whom we have sufficient contact information.”

It is good to know that they will be attempting to contact impacted families directly. We will continue to share any updates as they become available. Please feel free to reach out with any questions, and thank you for your patience as we continue to learn all that we can.

Mark R. Cross, Superintendent

Our Cass Junior High Spelling Bee participants.

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There is an early dismissal scheduled for this Friday, January 31. Concord students will be released at 11:15 a.m. and Cass at 12:00.

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Cass Spelling Bee Crowns a Winner

Congratulations to 6th grader Sai Sundaram who won the Cass Junior High Spelling Bee last week. After an incredible 27 rounds with 52 students, Sai was victorious, with our runner up and last year’s winner 6th grader Dhruv Rao battling until the very end. Even after three-and-a-half hours, five students representing all four grades remained.

Congratulations to Sai, Dhruv, and all 52 students who participated in the spelling bee this year, as they were remarkable competitors. We also wish Sai the best as she advances to the DuPage County Spelling Bee with 4,000 words to study! Congratulations to Sai, Dhruv, and all of our participants this year.

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Concord Welcomes Author Ada Ari

Author Ada Ari recently visited Concord, and our students and staff were amazed by her presentations and interactions with the students throughout the day. Ms. Ari and our students engaged in an interactive cultural program that held everyone’s attention from start to finish. We hope you enjoy these pictures from a great day!

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Kindergarten Round Up February 20

If you or someone you know has a child who will be five years old on or before September 1, 2025 and lives in Cass School District 63, it is time to register for kindergarten. Please contact Amy Perez at either aperez@cassd63.org or at 331-481-4000 (x1) and she will send the information needed to get started on the Fall 2025 registration process. Kindergarten round up will be held on Thursday, February 20 at 6:00 p.m. at Concord.

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Trivia Night is Coming...Don't Miss Out!

Our annual Trivia Night is on Friday, February 7, and there are two great ways to participate If you have not yet done so, it's not too late to register as a table or individual for the biggest night of the year so don’t miss out on this great night and purchase your tickets on the CARE website.

You can also purchase tickets to give your student a chance to win the coveted teacher raffle prizes, whether you attend trivia night or not! Raffle items are now available on the CARE website, so head over and see what our teachers and staff have lined up!

Online sales will close on February 5. All online ticket purchases and in-person ticket purchases at Trivia Night will be combined and randomly selected at Trivia Night. Winners will be notified via email and do not have to be present at Trivia Night to win.

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We love to share the good news about our incredible D63 staff, and in honor of National School Counseling Week, we are recognizing school counselors Helen Park at Concord Elementary and Lia Lamb at Cass Junior High. Our counselors meet with students individually, in large groups, and in classrooms helping students learn healthy social and emotional skills both in and out of school. Thank you Ms. Park and Mrs. Lamb!

Several staff members have nominated District School Psychologist Sara Zimmerman for recognition. Sara is a vital part of our student services team, and is always friendly and helpful to staff, students, and parents. Sara is always willing to assist and is respectful and compassionate in all of her interactions. District administrative assistant Amy Underhill said, "Sara has helped get many new staff members acquainted with our systems. She is a great resource for any parents who are new to the programs involved in student services. Her calm and friendly nature helps put people at ease in stressful situations."

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ESports are Coming to Cass Junior High 

ESports are coming to Cass for our 6th through 8th students. Tryouts are February 3 and 4. Please see this flyer with more information about this new program. If you have any questions, please contact STEAM teacher and ESports sponsor Matt Etherington at metherington@cassd63.org.

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8th Grade Picture Retakes February 13

Picture retake day for 8th grade students is February 13. If your child did not have their 8th grade photo taken yet, or if they want to retake the ones they have, please send them to school ready for pictures on February 13. Students may change after pictures if they wish. Please contact the Cass Junior High office with questions.

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Spirit Wear is Back!

Show your school pride with our new spirit wear! Spirit wear will be on sale for a limited time from January 30 to February 19. Spirit wear orders will be delivered by the first week in March via your child’s classroom teacher. All proceeds go to CARE and D63 schools!

Alumni Accolades
Congratulations and good luck to Olivia Ruffalo and the Hinsdale South Varsity Dance team that qualified for the state competition this weekend. Other Cass graduates include Junior Varsity Dance team members Lily Balsamo, Tatiana Beard, Kerri Hagen, Cate Johnson, and Alixandra Smith.

Dear Cass School District 63 Parents,

As a school district, we do not accept the status quo and we continue to push forward toward meaningful improvement and change. This is all part of a growth mindset, as no organization is truly thriving unless it has clear direction toward common goals, and remains focused on growth and measurable progress toward that vision. Certainly not all, but a good part of that vision is included as part of our Strategic Plan.

Two of those areas of focus are continued long-term facility planning, as well as our work to develop and build systems and support for student services and multi-tiered systems of support. Today I will share an update on our facility planning, and sometime soon an update in the area of student services.

Earlier this week, the Board of Education greenlighted the pursuit of Phase II of our facility planning, which we expect to complete this summer. While hopefully less disruptive than the Phase I geothermal HVAC, safety, and security projects of 2024, we are also excited about this phase, which 

The preliminary cost estimate totals approximately $1.9 million, and we expect to pay for this through a federal energy tax credit resulting from the geothermal project. Some of the larger project items include completion of ceiling replacement and LED lighting installation at Cass, renovation of the Cass gymnasium, renovation of Concord restrooms, and updates to music rooms in both schools.

In addition to this, we are separately pursuing a community fundraising effort to replace the Concord playground. On behalf of our Concord students and generations of kids to follow, please consider looking at this and sharing the opportunity as we work in collaboration with our CARE organization to make this incredible opportunity happen. We will also be sharing more about the playground with our kids soon!

I will share more details as both the facilities and playground project develops. In the meantime, please reach out if you have any questions. Thank you!

Mark R. Cross, Superintendent

3rd grade students receiving dictionaries from the Darien Rotary Club.

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The 2025-26 District Calendar has been approved and Parent-Student Orientation will take place on Tuesday, August 19 and the first day for K-8 students will be Thursday, August 21. Orientation Day will be held later in the day and with a slightly different format to better accommodate our families. More details will be shared later in the spring, but please plan accordingly with the calendar dates for next school year.

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Kindergarten Round Up February 20

If you or someone you know has a child who will be five years old on or before September 1, 2025 and lives in Cass School District 63, it is time to register for kindergarten. Please contact Amy Perez at either aperez@cassd63.org or at 331-481-4000 (x1) and she will send the information needed to get started on the Fall 2025 registration process. Kindergarten round up will be held on Thursday, February 20 at 6:00 p.m. at Concord.

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At our most recent meeting, the Board of Education reviewed progress on the Vision 2025 Strategic Plan, heard about progress with our student academic growth, and also authorized moving forward with Phase II facility plans to prepare for bidding. Here are the Board Briefs for more information on what was discussed and acted upon at the meeting.

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Concord Sexual Abuse Awareness and Prevention

It is estimated that 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys will be sexually abused by the time they turn eighteen years old. It is also estimated that around 90 percent of the abusers are people the child knows. In response to these startling statistics, and the hard work of Erin Merryn, who took a personal tragedy and created positive change across America, including Erin’s Law.

Beginning the last week in February, Concord will commence with our mandated, age-appropriate child sexual abuse awareness and prevention education program for our students at Concord. Erin’s Law will be taught during Skills for Learning lessons in the last week of February and the first week of March. Here is additional information and links regarding Erin’s Law and sexual abuse prevention.

If you have questions about this program, please contact school counselor Helen Park at hpark@cassd63.org. If you do not wish for your child to participate, please place your request in writing to Dr. Laura Anderson at landerson@cassd63.org.

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Cass Band and Chorus Visit Concord

The Cass Junior High Band and Chorus recently visited Concord Elementary to perform for our youngest students. Concord enjoyed a wonderful concert and were also given a preview of the things that they will have an opportunity to be a part at the junior high music program.

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Rotary Delivers Dictionaries to Third Grade Students

   

Superintendent Mark Cross welcomed his fellow Darien Rotary Club members to 3rd grade last week. Rotary is always looking for great ways to support our schools and the community at large, and one of the charitable things they do is donate dictionaries to every student in the 3rd grade in area schools. Several Rotarians delivered the dictionaries and talked to our kids, and we thank them for their generosity!

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New ESports Program at Cass Junior High School

ESports are coming to Cass for our 6th through 8th students. Tryouts are February 3 and 4. Please see this flyer with more information about this new program. If you have any questions, please contact Matt Etherington at metherington@cassd63.org.

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Cass Wax Museum Open January 31

Students in Ms. Musil and Mr. Kondraschow’s English Language Arts classes have created a wax museum, which will be open for parents to visit on January 31 from 11:00 to 11:45 a.m. Here is more information on parking and building access.

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Time to Register for Trivia Night

Our annual Trivia Night is on Friday, February 7, at 6:00 p.m. Trivia Night Teacher raffles are now available on the CARE website! Head over and see what our teachers and staff have lined up! Online sales will close on February 5. All online ticket purchases and in-person ticket purchases will be combined and randomly selected at Trivia Night. Winners will be notified via email and do not need to be present to win.

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CARE Seeking Donations for New Playground

CARE has prioritized fundraising for a new Concord playground, and would love your support! This playground will provide a safe, fun space for kids to play, grow, and build lasting memories. All donations are tax-deductible, making it not only a meaningful gift to the community but also a great opportunity to give back. Every contribution, big or small, brings us closer to creating a space where our children can thrive and our community can come together. Here is information on how to contribute. Thank you for helping us make this dream a reality!

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Concord Staff Taking the Plunge for Special Olympics

On March 22, Concord team members Bryann Poskonka, Krista Jamrose, Katy Modglin, Katie Summers, and Katie Paljetak will be participating in the Chicago Polar Plunge supporting the Special Olympics. Please visit the Concord team fundraising page for and help them raise money for this great cause! 

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Front Row Seats for the Second Grade Music Program

Enter the front row seat raffle for the upcoming 2^nd grade music program. Three winners will receive four seats. Visit the CARE Shop to purchase raffle tickets for your chance to win! 

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Girls Volleyball Tryouts January 27 and 28

Cass Junior High will be holding tryouts for girls volleyball on January 27 and 28 from 3:30-5:00 p.m. Interested students must have a current sports physical on file in the Cass office prior to the start of tryouts. Please contact Landon Mitchell at lmitchell@cassd63.org with any questions.

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BAM Theater is Coming to Concord

CARE has partnered with BAM Theater to come to Concord for the first time this spring to offer musical theater training on Thursdays from 2:45-3:45 p.m. after school. The program is for kindergarten through 4th grade students and the dates are March 20 and 27, April 10, 17, and 24 and May 8, 15 and 22. There will be a final performance after class at 4:00 p.m. on May 29 to which parents and families are invited to attend. Spots are filling up so don’t miss out and be sure to register soon.