With clear skies, temperatures in the low 70s, and a long Labor Day weekend ahead, Flossmoor School District 161 and the Flossmoor Library welcomed families to an idyllic back-to-school celebration at Flossmoor Park on Aug. 30.
The event provided community members with an opportunity to connect after summer break and engage with local student and community resources for support. Kids also enjoyed games, treats, and snacks from food trucks. The Flossmoor Library and Flossmoor Green Commission partnered to collect and redistribute gently used District 161 spirit wear for a “spirit wear swap.”
Superintendent Dana Smith commended the ideal weather and the excellent turnout at the event. “This really is a great time of year,” he said.
Smith, along with other administrators and district board members, handed out more than 600 frozen treats from Zarlengo’s Italian Ice & Gelato at the event.
“This reflects the diversity and the sense of community in Flossmoor,” District 161 Board President David Linnear said as he looked at the students and their families. “This reflects what we are actually striving to do, and that’s to elevate our school system. We all have to work together to make the best possible changes and bring about the best possible Flossmoor and School District 161.”
Over the summer, the board set goals to increase test scores and improve attendance across the district.
“We’ve got a couple of things in the cooker,” Smith said, looking forward to the upcoming year. “We’ve got some big steps to take on the academic side. We’re still working on standards-based grading. We have two more summers of construction, which is exciting, and the changes at Heather Hill and Serena Hills have been so positive. The kids are reacting well to the new lights, furniture and paint. Everything is coming together and we’re excited about it.”
“I’m looking forward to the kids feeling safer at school,” said Ashley Giddens, District 161 board secretary. “That’s a big thing that each teacher at each school says they’re tackling, and I am happy about that. I am also looking forward to seeing math and reading scores improve.”
Greyson Gilmore, a student at Heather Hill, said he was happy to be learning on his Chromebook again. While he hasn’t had much time to make sense of the second grade in his first week back, PE is his favorite subject so far.
