Received in my email minutes ago:



March 20, 2009




This is a safety message regarding an incident that occurred at Hadley Junior High School today, Friday, March 20, 2009.

This morning at about 10:00 a.m., a group of five students came to the school office and told the administration that a student was talking about having a hit list. Administrators immediately began an investigation and called police. Administrators interviewed the student in question, who admitted creating a verbal list, and called his parents. They also spoke with the students who were either named on the list or who said they had heard about it, and called those parents as well. A Glen Ellyn Police officer took the student in question to the police station. The administration has initiated disciplinary proceedings in compliance with district policy and the Illinois School Code.

The matter came to light during the regular Friday Safety Check, a time during which students are encouraged to talk to a teacher if there is anything in the school environment that is making them feel uncomfortable or worried. Hadley staff members were apprised of the situation in order to help them be alert to any student issues related to the incident.

The Hadley staff and the entire district is committed to keeping students safe, and District 41 treats any incident that affects or could affect student safety with the utmost seriousness. Thank you for your attention to this message.

Is the kid named Casey Kasem?

To District 41 parents

This message is to share a bus-related incident that illustrates the importance we place on making sure that any adult who interacts with our children behaves appropriately at all times. Today, a Churchill teacher found an index card that fell out of a child's backpack. The card turned out to be a hand-written advertisement for a musician who is also one of our bus drivers. The card contained the driver's name, his email address and his facebook.com and myspace.com addresses. Other children on that route were also found to have cards. How they obtained them is not fully clear at this time.

District 41 immediately contacted the bus company, First Student, which began an investigation, removed the driver from District 41 routes, and has assured us that he will never be reassigned to a District 41 route. A different driver was assigned starting immediately. We also contacted the Glen Ellyn Police Department. As a matter of course, First Student conducts annual criminal background checks and drug tests on its drivers, and reviews each driver's Department of Motor Vehicle records every six months.

The driver in question had been assigned to Churchill's morning Route #7. This route has stops on Shorewood Dr., Evergreen Ave., St. Charles Rd. and Western Ave. He also drove the Kindergarten mid-day route. He was assigned to Hadley Junior High morning Route #13, with stops on Evergreen Ave., Newton Ave., 3rd St., Greenbriar Dr., Coventry Circle, and Victoria Ln. The Hadley administration was immediately informed of the incident.

If you ever have information or concerns that may affect student safety and well-being, please let the building principal or your child's teacher know immediately. The cooperation of parents, staff, students and all our partners helps us keep our schools safe and happy places.



Kind of an odd story.

BTW, I felt bad for the little kindergartner who apparently brought a knife to Forest Glen in his backpack yesterday. Probably was his pocket knife. But rules are rules. My kid knows that his PK stays at home...period.

Kindergartner with a pocket knife, what is this the inner city?

Clam, and you want to merge.......hahahahahaha

Also on the this just in:
From Schoolweek News:

Posted April 24, 2009
Costa Howard Won't Seek District 41 Board Presidency

By Diane Rado
Of School Week

"Glen Ellyn School District 41 school board president Terra Costa Howard announced at Monday’s board meeting that she will not seek to continue as president of the board.....

“It has become clear to me that perhaps certain personality conflicts will be difficult to overcome, and therefore I would not effectively be able to lead the organization,’’ Costa Howard said."

Hopefully have given enough credit to Diane in the above snippet.

A couple of interesting bits, here. Erica Nelson, now wants to add to transpareny by requesting, in open meeting, that prospective candidates fill out a "resume" with their reasons for wanting office and qualifications? What a hypocrite. When TCH found out she would be facing a significantly different board after the election, what did she think would happen? Why would the last two holdouts to clandestine school government now cry foul? We have had a dismal record of Board leadership over the last 10 years. Next will we see claims of chauvenism or something else to discredit true and honest leadership? TCH says that she has "forged very positive relationships with many stakeholders". I hope she can utilize those relationships to help the board from the end of the table instead of hinder them from the center.

I look forward to the new era on the D41 board. I look forward to a more responsive and receptive board. I look forward to actually moving forward for the children.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Rob Herbold,

I don't know TCH from Adam, but I am curious about her move. Seems weak. Leaders would put themselves up for the vote and sell their strong points. I guess when you are looking down the barrel of a gun that it must be best to run. She must see something in the new board make-up that is not favorable to her continuing to sit at the head table. So what happens now? Four years of contention? I hope these cats can learn to play nicely with one another.

Speaking of which...haven't John Vivoda's name uttered in quite some time.

Maybe some old dogs do learn new tricks.

“'It has become clear to me that perhaps certain personality conflicts will be difficult to overcome, and therefore I would not effectively be able to lead the organization,' Costa-Howard said."

Shouldn’t that have read . . . “I will not seek, nor will I accept, that which will not be offered me.”

TCH in ’09 sounds a little LBJ in ’68 to moi.