Voices of District 303

October is manufacturing month and Dr. Pearson takes the opportunity to talk with 3 students enrolled in both Autos and Woods at St. Charles East High School. They have a conversation about what they like about being hands-on in the classroom, some of their favorite projects, and what they hope to do in the future. They also discuss how the challenges of learning during the pandemic from a book an...

Empower is now part of the school day in all District 303 elementary schools. Although the launch of the innovative program was delayed due to COVID, students and teachers alike are excited to create, problem-solve, collaborate and learn during the time allotted for all students in kindergarten through 5th grades. Dr. Pearson talks with Sarah Cann, Assistant Director of Instruction, and Empower te...

National Board Certification (NBC) is a voluntary, advanced teaching credential that goes beyond state licensure. NBC has national standards for what accomplished teachers should know and be able to do. Dr. Pearson talks with District 303 educators Michelle Poelsterl, Lindsay Boynton, and Dr. Katherine McCleary about how earning their National Board Certification transformed the way they teach, in...

St. Charles North High School senior Tyler Strohl was able to put his love of science and engineering to work while interning at Fermilab. He worked with Dr. Mark Adams, QuarkNet Cosmic Ray Coordinator on a project to build and study Muon Detectors. Listen to this fascinating episode where Dr. Pearson and his guests take you into the world of astrophysics and give you a glimpse inside America&apos...

The Accelerate College program, in partnership with Elgin Community College, allows students to earn their high school diploma and Associate’s degree simultaneously. This unique program meets the needs of students who are ready to engage in college coursework, experience the college environment, and develop skills and mindsets that support the transition from high school to postsecondary life. In...

In this episode, Dr. Pearson talks with Teacher on Special Assignment Tina King and Director of Professional Learning Jennifer Phillips about iReady. This interactive tool that is used in kindergarten through 8th grades supports student learning, provides teachers with immediate feedback about students' progress, and provides a dashboard students can use to share their learning with parents....

How does a photography assignment about shadows turn into an award-winning piece of art? Dr. Pearson interviews St. Charles North junior Natalie Lamb about how she convinced her brother to be the subject of a photo that resulted in her receiving a prestigious Silver Medal from the 2021 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. Now in its 98th year, the awards are the nation’s longest-running and most p...

What does it take to transport 10,000 District 303 students safely to school and home every day, and how do we keep all those buses running? Dr. Pearson gets answers to these questions and more when he interviews District 303 Transportation Director Terry Primdahl and Head Mechanic Chris Bork. They go into detail about safety protocols, building bus routes, and the benefits of being a bus driver i...

In this week's episode, Dr. Pearson has a conversation with three women who are passionate about reading. Whether they are working one on one with a student who needs some additional help or providing professional development to District 303 staff members about phonics and the way that sound production can affect writing, Reading Specialist Becky Jordahl, Lead Speech-Language Pathologist Megh...

Dr. Pearson talks with Dr. Amanda Wojcik, Dr. Elizabeth Vander Woude, and Dr. Monica Boehle, three Instructional Support Coaches about the program that has been a part of the District 303 culture for the last 13 years. The coaches discuss how they partner with teachers in their buildings to promote professional learning in a "just in time" model to improve student learning. They also dis...

St. Charles North Senior William Laskey talks to Dr. Pearson about his love of music, his District 303 band experiences, and the Tri-M National Honor Society community service project with the organization Hungry for Music. William and his fellow musicians collected more than 30 instruments that will be donated to students in need across the country. You will get a chance to hear a snippet of musi...

Dr. Pearson interviews St. Charles East senior Bilal Karim about his volunteer work as one of 10 students from across the State of Illinois who have been chosen to serve on the Illinois Science Olympiad Youth Advisory Committee. Students were chosen based on their outstanding leadership skills and their passion for science. Bilal has shown his leadership skills through his work in school, at the S...

Wredling Middle School Social Studies teacher Laura Franklin asked her 8th-grade students to use The Fierce 44: Black Americans Who Shook Up the World  to research outstanding contributions made by people of color. Students had to create something to show what they learned. Elin Foreman and Isabella Adriatico chose prominent poets who inspired them to write and perform their own original poems. Dr...

Mayor Ray Rogina has dedicated his life to public service in St. Charles. He and Dr. Pearson talk about the Mayor's time as an economics and law teacher at St. Charles High School and the contributions he made to District 303. As he gets ready to retire from City Government, Mayor Rogina reflects on his teaching experience, some notable students he taught, and how he and his wife have created...

In the fall of 2021, District 303 will open Compass Academy in the Haines Center. Key features of the Academy that is open to all students in grades 9-12 include flexible scheduling, project-based learning, interdisciplinary courses, and competency-based education.  Link to Compass Academy page on the District 303 website. Guests: Sharon Stanley, Director Compass Academy Dr. Melissa Byrne, Directo...

In the fall of 2021, District 303 will open Compass Academy in the Haines Center. Key features of the Academy that is open to all students in grades 9-12 include flexible scheduling, project-based learning, interdisciplinary courses, and competency-based education.  Link to Compass Academy page on the District 303 website. 

In 2018, District 303 high school students had the opportunity to take an entrepreneurial class called INCubatoredu. The class takes students on a journey of solving problems through designing a product or service. This episode tells the story of St. Charles East student Chelsea Campagna who has been working to develop and market her product Thermostick over the last three years. She is joined by...

District 303 Head Nurse, Juanita Gryfinski talks with Dr. Pearson about the role of school nurses. This year, school nurses continued to support students who manage chronic conditions like diabetes, while also being responsible for making recommendations to their districts about contact tracing, data collection, and  communication related to COVID-19.  Mrs. Gryfinski and nurses from around the cou...

Kindergarten looks different than what many of us remember. In this episode, Dr. Pearson talks with veteran kindergarten teacher Julie Fothergill about what a day in the life of a kindergarten student looks like,  how students learn, and tips for parents on ways to prepare their children for school.  Jan Geier, Assistant Superintendent for elementary education and her administrative assistant Lynn...