Our Core Values

Our core values articulate our key beliefs about students, learning, stakeholder responsibility, and the elements necessary to achieve equity and excellence in education.

• Relationships: We believe in the power of relationships in helping students, staff, and families grow and thrive.
• Collaboration: Encourage teamwork among staff, students, parents, and the community to achieve common goals.
• Excellence: Strive for high standards in academic achievement and personal growth for all students.
• Equity: Promote a safe and welcoming environment for all students, regardless of their background, abilities, or identities, and addressing the unique needs of diverse populations.

All students are seen, valued, and heard! No Exceptions!

Family Literacy Workshop

During our first Family Literacy Workshop of the 2025-2026 school year, our District 32 Dream Team facilitated an amazing session around ways our families can build language and support students at home with paying attention to the sounds of words so they can be more successful readers and writers at home.

We learned how to develop oral language in any language by placing simple household objects inside a paper bag and having children describe the object as they feel inside the bag. Parent are encouraged to ask questions and have students use more detail to communicate.

Additionally, our team walked parents through how to chunk out and blend sounds to make words. By practicing these skills at home, children become more fluent readers.

Last but not least, our team discussed just engaging in conversation with children as we walk around the neighborhood. Simple questions like:

• What do you see?
• What makes you say that?
• What more can you say?

Language development is key to building students' confidence, literacy, and communication skills.

Pumpkin Spice Gooey Bars

Cooking with your children is not only a great way to spend time to together, it's an opportunity to develop language and reinforce the academic skills of reading and math that younger students learn at school. See below for an easy recipe for making delicious and healthy Fall snack for the family.

INGREDIENTS:

FILLING:

• Cooking spray
• 1 (13.25-oz.) box spice cake mix
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

CRUST:

• 1 (8-oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 1 (16-oz.) box confections' sugar, plus more for dusting
• 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. CRUST: Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a 13" x 9" baking pan with cooking spray.
2. CRUST: In a large bowl, using a rubber spatula, mix cake mix, egg, and butter until combined. Press into bottom of prepared pan.
3. FILLING: In a large bowl, whisk cream cheese, pumpkin puree, and butter until smooth. Add eggs and vanilla and whisk until incorporated. Add confectioners’ sugar and pumpkin pie spice and whisk until combined. Pour over CRUST.
4. Bake bars until edges are set and center is still slightly jiggly, 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool.
5. Dust with confectioners’ sugar, then cut into squares.