District 88 celebrates the start of the 2023-24 school year

Click the photo to view a photo gallery Click the photo to view a photo gallery
from Addison Trail's first day of school. from Willowbrook's first day of school.

Welcome to the 2023-24 school year! We’ve had an amazing first few days, and we look forward to another tremendous year.

It was absolutely wonderful to welcome students and staff back to the buildings on Aug. 16. I spent the first day of school greeting students with Addison Trail Principal Jack Andrews and Willowbrook Principal Dr. Daniel Krause. I also was fortunate to spend some time with students and staff in our Transition Program, which helps individuals ages 18 to 21 who have a variety of abilities learn life skills, obtain job training in a community setting and transition to life after District 88.

Below are highlights from the first day of school (Aug. 16)

Addison Trail – To view a photo gallery from the first day of school, go to https://dupage88.net/site/page/15680

The attendance rate on the first day of school was 90.62 percent. Freshmen attended an orientation in the morning and were then joined by sophomores, juniors and seniors in the afternoon.
Staff members lined the halls to greet freshmen as they entered the building for the first time as Blazers and wished them well as they began their high school journey. To view a video of that welcome, go to https://dupage88.net/site/page/15680.

Staff members displayed the 2023-24 Blazer Pride T-shirt, with the messages below.
The Buildings and Grounds staff had the rooms cleaned and the floors waxed before the start of school. They also finished several facility projects, including:
- Expanded visitor and handicapped parking in front of the main entrance
- Air conditioning in the Career and Technical Education (CTE) areas
The fall athletic season has begun. To view the competition schedule and other athletic information, go to https://schools.snap.app/aths.

Willowbrook – To view a photo gallery from the first day of school, go to https://dupage88.net/site/page/15681

The attendance rate on the first day of school was 91.86 percent. Freshmen attended an orientation in the morning and were then joined by sophomores, juniors and seniors in the afternoon.
The Drum Line greeted everyone as they entered the building. To view a video of that performance, go to https://dupage88.net/site/page/15681.
Staff members displayed the 2023-24 Warrior Pride T-shirt, with the messages below.

The Buildings and Grounds staff had the rooms cleaned and the floors waxed before the start of school. They also finished several facility projects, including:
- Air conditioning in the Career and Technical Education (CTE) areas
- A new concession stand and merchandise booth (Read more at www.dupage88.net/WBGrandOpening. To celebrate the enhancements, a “grand opening” took place on Aug. 18 during the school’s annual Silver and Blue Community Night.)
The fall athletic season has begun. To view the competition schedule and other athletic information, go to https://schools.snap.app/willowbrook.

District 88 Transition Program, which helps individuals ages 18 to 21 who have a variety of abilities learn life skills, obtain job training in a community setting and transition to life after District 88 – To view a photo gallery from the first day of school, go to https://dupage88.net/site/page/15680 or https://dupage88.net/site/page/15681

The Transition Program is hosted at the District 88 Office. The facilities were recently renovated, including expanding and upgrading the classrooms and kitchens. We will host a “grand opening” soon to celebrate and unveil the enhancements – stay tuned for details!
This year, Transition Program students will experience community-based learning opportunities such as joining recreational leagues and going to museums, theatre performances and other venues to develop life skills. They also will have guest speakers to learn about services available in the community and to increase independent living skills.
Students in the Transition Program receive job training at local vocational sites. The program is always looking for new job-training sites, and those who are interested can contact Transition Program Department Head Devon Harris at 630-458-4512 or dharris@dupage88.net.

Getting ready for the school year
To prepare for the 2023-24 school year, we hosted the following events. For a recap of these meetings, go to www.dupage88.net/Preparingfor2023-24.

On Aug. 1 and 3, our district and school leaders came together for District Leadership Team and Joint Leadership Team workshops. Read more about the workshops at www.dupage88.net/Preparingfor2023-24.

On Aug. 10 and 11, new staff members participated in New Teacher Orientation, where they were welcomed to the District 88 family and received information/training to acclimate them to the district. On Aug. 10, we hosted a Community Breakfast, where community leaders (including mayors/village presidents, police chiefs, fire chiefs, local legislators, Board of Education members and more) greeted new staff members and celebrated the start of the 2023-24 school year. Read more at www.dupage88.net/Preparingfor2023-24.
On Aug. 14, all staff members attended an Institute Day to begin the school year. Read more about that event at www.dupage88.net/Preparingfor2023-24.

Priorities and areas of focus for the 2023-24 school year
We are thrilled at the endless opportunities the fresh start of a new school year presents to expand on the tradition of excellence our schools have built through the years. To view our priorities and areas of focus for the 2023-24 school year, go to www.dupage88.net/HandbookLetter2023-24.

Our students continue to receive state and national recognitions in academics, athletics and extracurricular activities, and we know those accomplishments are possible because of our knowledgeable Board of Education members, caring staff members, involved parents/guardians, hardworking students and engaged community members. It takes all of us working together to build futures for our students, and we greatly appreciate your collaboration. Thank you for your continued support of District 88.

With District 88 Pride,

Jean Barbanente, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools
DuPage High School District 88