Folashade Olumola, a 2018 graduate of Homewood-Flossmoor High School, has been selected for a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Award. Olumola, a recent graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign who majored in political science, will be teaching university students in Turkey beginning in mid-September. The award is for a[Read More…]
Education
Property tax revenue boosts SD161’s prospects for balanced budget
Fran LaBella, associate superintendent of business operations at Flossmoor School District 161, offered a favorable preview of next year’s proposed budget during the board meeting on May 31. The district’s tentative budget for the 2022-23 fiscal year is $33.9 million. During a detailed presentation, LaBella said the budget is expected[Read More…]
Conservation interns learn ‘STEMpathy’ and the network of oak woodland species
Visitors to the Homewood Farmers Market on Saturday, June 4, had the chance to learn about the interconnected system of species that make up oak woodlands from the Homewood Science Center’s spring conservation interns. Lezlie Higgins of Homewood paused from her work putting the finishing touches on a poster to explain[Read More…]
H-F speech teacher Janine Stroemer helped students find their voice
Homewood-Flossmoor High School teacher Janine Stroemer helped hundreds of students find their voice. Stroemer, who retired after 19 years at H-F, organized speech teams around the slogan “Stand and Deliver.” Under her tutelage, H-F had six individual champions, 29 state finalists and 297 students who competed at IHSA speech tournaments.[Read More…]
H-F class of 2022 urged to ‘do something’ in response to society’s challenges
The Homewood-Flossmoor High School class of 2022 was showered with congratulations and several episodes of thunderous applause during the graduation ceremony on Sunday, May 29, but they also received some straight talk from student government leaders and from District 233 Board of Education President Gerald Pauling. First, Pauling applauded the[Read More…]
Paula Crawford’s 22-year career as H-F PE chair comes to a close
In her 22 years at Homewood-Flossmoor High School, Paula Crawford taught just about every physical education and health course on the books. Outdoor life and sports have always been a part of her life. She grew up on a South Dakota farm, the youngest of eight children. Between helping on[Read More…]
Retiring teacher ready to write a book filled with tips for new teachers
By Marilyn Thomas After 18 years in a classroom, retiring James Hart School teacher Mary Carvlin is thinking about writing a book – a primer for new teachers sharing all her first-hand knowledge. Carvlin said teaching “takes a lot of experience, but I also think it could be taught better”[Read More…]
Willow School nurse wraps up 40-year nursing career
The kids at Willow School are happy to have the school year come to a close, but for Willow School nurse Gail Straney it is bittersweet. “I’ll miss the kids,” she said as retirement looms. But after a 40-year career as a hospital nurse and then a school nurse, it’s[Read More…]
James Hart’s Dawn Spisak ends 35-year teaching career
For 18 years, Dawn Spisak has shared another world with James Hart School students through her Spanish language classes. She is saying “adios” to her students and the teaching profession. In all, she’s been in front of a classroom for 35 years. At James Hart, Spisak used games, songs and[Read More…]
D233 prepares for debt sale to banks reducing costs for $20 million initiative
The District 233 school board agreed to try a different approach on its $20 million borrowing plan that could save the district more than $2 million in costs. The board is planning to borrow the funds to cover the costs for constructing a new science wing onto the South Building[Read More…]
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