Social and emotional learning has a new component this year in D101. We learned about it at the parent question and answer session with our principal. The focus is teaching skills and empowering kids how to appropriately respond if they are a bystander in a bullying situation. Bullying does not happen in a vacuum. Often the presence of other kids and their lack of response or overt support of the bully add to the bully’s power. It creates a freight train effect. What popped into my head during the principal Q&A was something from my college Psych 101 class. There’s this thing called “the …

My son and I walked out of his preschool here in Western Springs. There in front of our minivan stood a mother, baby carrier and preschooler. She was aiming her remote at our car repeatedly. I could tell by her body language she was puzzled by why it wasn’t working. I had to smile as I called out to her to let her know it was our van. I’ve done the same thing myself on more than one once. The running joke in Western Springs is whether your child can distinguish their mini-van in the sea of other mini-vans during pick up time after school. When my daughter was a toddler we needed to buy a new …

Germs seem to always be in season, but I sure think of them more often this time of year. Some kids and families seem to have super immunity, ours does not. We were inducted into germ prevention when our first was an infant susceptible to ear infections. I appreciate that District 101 takes prevention seriously, with students using hand sanitizer and washing hands. Still, there are a few tricky kid disease-related issues we encounter in our community. I’ve come to realize vaccinations are a lightening-rod issue. Whatever their viewpoint, people tend to be vocal and passionate about their …

My daughter was ecstatic last year when she realized she could learn to have a swanky signature after she learned how to write in cursive. It was probably the thing she was most motivated to learn. Never mind it wasn’t actually part of Western Springs’ 1st grade curriculum. She practiced and practiced and even gave out autographs. In a twist of irony, cursive writing could well be on its way to extinction. From a national perspective, some schools have veered away from it entirely and others have significantly reduced instruction time. The focus has turned toward keyboarding skills. It hasn’t…

School fundraising usually sponsored by a PTA, PTO or an extracurricular organization exists to fill a funding void. Even in a financially stable district like D101, the school budget is extremely tight. Some social and enrichment activities are not funded by the district. Western Springs’ parents seem to be of the consensus that these unfunded activities are important. It may mean exposure to a field that is not a specific part of the curriculum or a more unusual learning opportunity. The additional monies give children and their parents more social opportunities. The parents that organize …

There’s a freight train in Western Springs that’s not the BNSF. My curiosity was piqued when the new teacher’s contract involved performance-based pay. More recently the phrases “new national common core standards” and “curriculum alignment” in the D101 newsletter caused me to wonder. The D101 newsletter is so packed that it’s easy to either skip it or scan it. OK, so they’re re-writing curriculum and using the services of a non-profit to help. What’s the big deal? New standards shouldn’t be a problem, education changes all the time. I like to think of myself as a moderately-informed person. …

Curriculum night, parent coffees, open houses—each D101 school offers different opportunities to connect with your child’s educators, administration and other parents in the next six weeks. It’s a rare chance. Outside of conferences and volunteering, there are not many occasions to have face-to-face contact with teachers. The curriculum standards for each grade are always available on the D101 website. It’s sometimes hard to dive in or have a sense of where things are headed just seeing the homework assignments out of the backpack. Having a chance to hear how curriculum will be presented …

Where do you live? Any other place I have lived, people generally give the street or major streets where they live when asked this question. Having people in Western Springs refer to their subdivision as their point of reference really puzzled me. I didn’t even realize it at first assuming they were just giving me a street name. Then I started to get pinned down in conversations with “No, what is your subdivision?” To which I would generally shrug. I had people tell me a few times what subdivision I did belong to but I could not remember. I finally had to step up to the plate when it came …

Around the time we had the freak December heavy rains in 2008, I noticed water issues becoming a frequent subject of conversation in Western Springs. Many people encountered water or flooding problems of some sort at that time. It’s been an issue that hasn’t gone away. Lifelong Western Springs’ residents tell me water and flooding has not been an issue prior to the past few years. It’s not one location that suffers alone—it’s all over town. People tell me they have lived in their home 20 plus years and have not had water in their basement until the past few years. It seems a compound problem…

“Hurry up; we’re going to be late!” "Finish dinner and let’s get going.” “This is important!” We pull to a screeching halt in front of the elementary school a few minutes early. “Wow, we got a great parking space.” And then: “Hmm, that’s really odd; there aren’t many other cars here.” This was the scene at what I thought was the school registration night last August. Unfortunately I had written down the date early in the summer. I didn’t check closely with the letter with updated information that came out with the class list. It turned out to be a big goof on my part. I had completely missed …

It all started when we were looking for a commuter-friendly community outside of Chicago. My husband did the legwork and created a listing of communities that were close to the train line, with low crime and good schools. Western Springs ended up winning the bid. As first time homebuyers we began to realize there were many factors and details about the home itself that went into the decision. Once we made the commitment to buy one of our favorite dates was taking a walk around our new community. Jump ahead a couple of years. What to do with a colicky newborn spring baby? Why, take her for a …

Western Springs is a pooch paradise. I would categorize it as a very dog-friendly town. A number of businesses have dog water dishes out front. People bring their dogs everywhere. I have mixed feeling about this. My family owned a series of dogs growing up. Generally I enjoy dogs. I am a runner, though. Living in Western Springs, I’ve had some unpleasant encounters and been chased by dogs while out on runs. One of my kids has developed a strong fear of dogs after being surprised by one. In town, people are usually sensitive and respond when they see my child get nervous around dogs. Some seem…

“Buy local” is the new push for purchasing produce. There’s logic behind the idea, and value to the concept beyond produce. Here in Western Springs there are some really great service providers and retailers.  There tends to be a difference in how they treat their clientele. We are less anonymous to them. We may be their neighbors, or we may have kids in class together. I don’t think that it’s just the closer proximity that changes how village customers are treated. There is more of a good customer experience philosophy. It’s unusual to live in a place where a service provider will give you a…

My heart starts to race, a smile is on my face and I am full of anticipation. Am I going bungee jumping? Perhaps running that long overdue marathon? No, this is what happens when I drive by a garage sale sign. I could be on the way to the hospital (really) and have second thoughts about detouring to make a quick stop. As I write, I have been eyeing the neighbor’s sale set-up all morning.  Western Springs’ garage sales are relatively common. I don’t do anything to find out about them other than if I am driving by a sign. Success at sales has been more elusive to me living in this community. I …

For a community that likes to celebrate, the Fourth is surprisingly bare in Western Springs. But there is a dizzying array of festive options from Lisle all the way down to the Lake Front.  Many families are out of town for this holiday weekend. Those that don’t leave often to connect with family for picnics and hoopla. In this village, people tend to be of the opinion that their option for how to celebrate is the only way to go. BK (before kids) we caught the Lake Front fireworks and they were fantastic. We have become less adventuresome since then.  My husband and daughter have trekked over…

Moving to Western Springs from downtown was a major transition for us. After we had our first baby a neighbor reassured me there were many opportunities to get to know people within the community. She said once our family entered the school system we would make lots of parent friends. Our family has made those connections and they’ve made a world of difference in our parenting and knowledge of resources. Something in that process really stands out to me. I think the people in our community are incredibly generous. When our first child was toddler age we were generously given a playhouse and …

Those of you driving by Field Park Elementary School recently may have noticed some decorated wooden containers near the playground; maybe even a little green poking out. These containers hold the start of a community garden project involving students and faculty from McClure Junior High, Field Park and community members. My elementary school classroom exposure to gardening was sprouting seeds in Styrofoam cups for science class. The Field Park Garden project has a broader focus including lessons on environmental conservation and nutrition. They are using the lasagna method, a low-maintenance…

I’ve noticed the “Celebrating 50 years of Excellence” stone at Forest Hills a number of times.  We tend to view those anniversary milestones as a positive thing. A recent weekly principal’s update let me know that lockers will be installed in our elementary school over the summer. I see it as a positive.  I think the cubbies have seen their day. The coatrooms weren’t built for the kind of gear kids bring to school today. I have my fingers crossed that this change will also reduce the transmission of head lice that just don’t seem to quit. It did get me thinking about the age of the school …

For the parents of D101 students, this past week was our last week of freedom for a while. We squeezed in work, gardening and a little pampering before the final bell. We know our place this summer will be behind the wheel, on the sidelines and in the pool. Getting kids to camp, lessons, practice and games is work. In spite of its small size, very few kid activities in Western Springs, don’t require a ride. We do our best to share the pain and car-pool when we can. Summer scheduling and it’s transportation and gear requirements are accepted without much complaint on our part. Sometimes we don…

A kid excited about learning is a wonderful thing. I’m not talking about a passion for high grades. It’s the deep desire to know more and enthusiasm about a topic or field. We’ve gotten a chuckle out of our daughter going around the house saying T-A-N-G-O over and over while she practices tango steps. Her current plans for application are focused on her Uncle Jeremy’s wedding this summer.  The learning exercise was a success. The dance engaged D101 Spanish language students. Kids were practicing it with each other on the school playground. It goes beyond dance steps to a chance to connect …