Voices of District 303

This school year, we’ve taken you inside our schools and classrooms across D303. In this episode, we talk with three members of the D303 Communitywide Education Facilities Committee about what they learned as they went inside our schools and classrooms as one part of the 5-month Committee process, which culminated in a Final Report to the School Board, with findings that support a communitywide in...

This school year, the Voices of D303 Podcast is taking you inside our schools and classrooms, to hear from our staff about how we’re advancing our mission of…Together, Building Pathways to Excellence.  In this episode (which also includes video of the full conversations ), we visit several classrooms and student spaces at Wild Rose Elementary School and North High School. These are two of the scho...

This school year, the Voices of D303 Podcast is taking you inside our classrooms, to hear from our educators about their work in advancing the D303 mission of: Together, Building Pathways to Excellence. In this episode, we navigated the teeming Thompson Middle School hallways. There we talked with 8th grade teacher Sandy Ishaq’s and Principal Matt Clark about the critical middle school years and t...

As part of D303’s Student Attendance Campaign this year, the district hosted a parent-education and empowerment series with contextual-behavioral psychologist Dr. Megan Schmitz of Vital Living Wellness Solutions. In this special episode of the Voices of D303 Podcast, we talk with Dr. Schmitz about the topics covered in her three-part series and how her expertise can help remove barriers that may b...

In this episode, we visit the classroom of Bell Graham 4th grade lead teacher Ruth Vostal to talk with her and Principal Amy Kleuppel about how educators come together in Professional Learning Communities to build a culture around the D303 core values of Achievement, Belonging, and Perseverance. We also discuss how the entire Bell-Graham community works together to build pathways to excellence for...

This school year, the Voices of D303 Podcast is taking you inside our classrooms, to hear from our educators about their work in advancing the D303 mission of: Together, Building Pathways to Excellence. In episode 2, we’re talking and thinking in the Think Tank located inside the library at St. Charles North High School. Our guests are two fabulous Department Chairs at North: Stephanie Dodd (Fine...

This school year, the Voices of D303 Podcast is taking you inside our classrooms, to hear from our educators about their work in advancing the D303 mission of: Together, Building Pathways to Excellence. In our first episode, we stopped by Classroom B218 at St. Charles East High School to talk with the school’s Department Chairs Cara Drexler (English) and Andy Ehrhardt (Social Studies) about the cl...

This is Part 2 of our special Class of 2025 Episode of the Voices of D303 Podcast. To close out the 2024-25 school year, we’ve spotlighted some outstanding members of our Class of ’25. When we recorded Part 1 , St. Charles North High School Student Body President Anna Gagne was traveling overseas with her family. So we waited for her to return to St. Charles so she could talk with us about her fab...

This year-end episode of the Voices of D303 podcast spotlights three outstanding members of our Class of 2025–James Shimon, Ellen Jahoda, and Tanner Karsjen. They talk with Dr. Gordon about finding their pathways and their “people,” as well as the experiences they most treasure and most look forward to as they get ready to head off to college.

Effective Collaboration is one of three key priorities in the District 303 Strategic Plan, and Professional Learning Communities, or PLCs, play a vital role in bringing this priority to life. PLCs are thriving in every school across the district, including Corron Elementary, where educators are seeing a significant impact from collaborative teaching. Corron Principal Christine Balaskovits and 5th...

For many educators in District 303, formative assessments serve as a diagnostic tool, helping them to analyze the effectiveness of their teaching methods. Receiving real-time feedback on student achievement encourages flexibility, as instructors are able to tailor lessons to each individual class and revisit concepts that kids may be struggling with.  Tina King, Senior Director of Learning and Tea...

Extracurricular academic programs or internships take learning outside of the classroom and can be instrumental for students looking to discover their passions. St. Charles East juniors Kunal Gaind and Rahil Bukhari recently joined the Voices of District 303 podcast to talk about what they’ve learned by getting involved.  Kunal discussed how rewarding it was to take STEM classes at Johns Hopkins U...

District 303 graduates Cheryl Denz, Rick Gibson, Jeffrey LaDeur, and Karen Schmidt were recently honored as the Distinguished Alumni Class of 2024. As part of their return to their former schools, the four award winners joined the Voices of D303 podcast to discuss the honor and what it means to be recognized.  “My time at this school is very close to my heart, but I haven’t lived here in 15 years,...

District 303 educators are embracing new brain research that suggests that caring teachers can alter a student's brain chemistry for the better. Gifted Coordinator Yvette Stahl cites one study that showed students may respond more favorably to stressful situations when in the presence of a trusted adult.  “The results were clear, and they weren’t behavioral in nature- they were biochemical. T...

Homecoming week is a time for high schoolers to showcase their school pride while making lifelong memories. Three students who are involved in planning their school’s homecoming celebrations recently joined the Voices of District 303 podcast to discuss their favorite traditions at both East and North, and offer advice to underclassmen who may not know about all the different ways that they can par...

High school is a transformational time for students, as they begin to establish their independence as young adults. Four members of Dr. Gordon’s Superintendent Student Advisory Council recently joined the Voices of District 303 podcast to talk about their high school experiences and share secrets for success.  One key takeaway from their conversation was the importance of getting involved.  “While...

Renewed emphasis on professional learning communities (PLCs) is elevating student growth in District 303. Chief Academic Officer Dr. Christine Igoe, ELA Coordinator Dr. Amanda Wojcik, and Davis Primary School Instructional Support Coach Meghan Madigan recently joined the Voices of District 303 Podcast to share their perspectives. “Our teachers are really taking the time to come together and collab...

School finance can be confusing. From the size of a school district’s budget and types of funds it includes to the percentage of local, state and federal revenue it receives, there’s a lot to understand. Chief Operating Officer Justin Attaway shares insights into District 303’s budget, the tax levy process, and addresses school finance misconceptions.  This episode also reviews the financial consi...

District 303 is in its first year of implementing a new five-year Strategic Plan, which was approved by the Board last summer. The plan guides the District’s long-term priorities, resources and intended outcomes in order to drive student success.  The plan is the culmination of work from the Strategic Plan Development Committee. Over the course of eight months, the committee of nearly 20 individua...

District 303’s Norton Creek Elementary and St. Charles North High School have been named 2022 National Blue Ribbon Schools by the U.S. Department of Education. They are among 297 schools in the nation to be recognized and just 17 in the state of Illinois. Norton Creek Principal Tony White and North High School Principal Shanna Lewis discuss how they were notified of the honor, the celebrations tha...

New D303 Superintendent Dr. Paul Gordon talks about his professional journey from teacher to superintendent and getting reacclimated to the Midwest. Prior to joining St. Charles on July 1, Gordon held roles in Colorado as a high school football coach, principal and chief academic officer, and later served as superintendent for school districts in Glen Ellyn, Illinois and Wenatchee, Washington. It’...

St. Charles North junior Sara Tenbrock spent the first 16 years of her life in Texas and attended her entire sophomore year virtually. During that time she noticed that social media often had negative messages and she wanted to find a way to spread positivity on Instagram. Using her iPad and an apple pencil, she began creating positive messages and posting them on her Instagram account.  The simpl...

When two St. Charles East freshmen noticed they were only part of a small number of girls in their Introduction to Business class, they decided to find a way to encourage more girls to be interested in business. The Women in Business Speaker Series was formed.  In this episode, Dr. Pearson talks with now juniors Natalie Gibbard and Elyse Jens about how their series has evolved into Women In Leader...

A standout athlete in track and field since middle school, Joshua Duncan set his sights on competing at a Division 1 college. The pandemic and an injury at the state track meet derailed those plans. Little did Joshua know that a coach from one of our nation’s oldest and most prestigious military academies watched him race at state before he was sidelined with his injury. Dr. Pearson talks with Jos...

Each year a group of students is chosen from around the state to be student advisors to the Illinois State Board of Education. Students have the opportunity to see the State Board’s policymakers in action and work with them to provide student perspectives and concerns on the state’s education policies. Students come together several times throughout the year and work remotely on a research project...