District 88 celebrates the beginning of the 2014-15 school year

Welcome to the 2014-15 school year, District 88 families and friends!

On the first day of school Aug. 20, District 88 Superintendent Dr. Scott Helton, Addison Trail Principal Adam Cibulka and Willowbrook Principal Dan Krause rode a school bus with students to celebrate the beginning of the school year.

Other highlights from the first day of school and the beginning of the 2014-15 school year include:

Addison Trail

  • 97 percent of students attended the first day of school.
  • The Buildings and Grounds staff had all the rooms cleaned and the floors waxed two weeks before the beginning of school. The school was painted and freshly landscaped to prepare for the first day. The tennis courts were resurfaced in preparation for the girls tennis season.
  • The Commons-area floor tile was replaced, concrete reinforcements were put in place and transition strips were placed in key areas throughout the building to accommodate for the expanding and contracting of the floor during winter and summer months and to prevent floor-tile cracking.
  • The Legacy Wall was completed in the Commons area to display the colleges to which members of the class of 2014 were accepted, as well as careers those students plan to pursue.
  • Principal Adam Cibulka and District 88 Superintendent Dr. Scott Helton rode the afternoon bus home with students to get feedback on their first day of school and suggestions for improvement.
  • The fall athletic season has begun. Boys golf took 8th place at the Addison Trail Invite on Aug. 20. Addison Trail’s first home football game will be on Aug. 29 against Glenbard South. Girls golf, cross country, girls tennis and girls volleyball have begun their seasons as well.

Willowbrook

  • 97.3 percent of students attended the first day of school. The staff welcomed students and displayed the 2014-15 Warrior Pride T-shirt.
  • The Willowbrook Drum Line welcomed students by playing in the hallways before school.
  • Principal Dan Krause and District 88 Superintendent Dr. Scott Helton rode the bus to school in the morning to greet students and to gather student feedback.
  • The Buildings and Grounds staff had all the rooms cleaned and the floors waxed before the start of school.
  • Banners that celebrate the top schools in America honors Willowbrook has earned individually and as a district with Addison Trail were displayed in the school.
  • The fall athletic season has begun. Boys and girls golf have participated in preliminary tournaments as they prepare for the Conference season. Willowbrook's first football game will be on Aug. 29 at home against Glenbard East. All other fall sports are practicing in anticipation of their season beginning.

District 88 Transition Program (a program that helps students ages 19 to 21 learn life skills, obtain job training in a community setting and successfully transition to adult life)

  • The Transition Program will open its Perks & Possibilities Café at 9 a.m. on Sept. 2. This is the fifth year the café will be open. Students in the Transition Program help set up the café, and several students stay for job training. The café is open from 9 to 11 a.m. Monday through Thursday and is in the Addison Public Library. The café is successful because of generous donations from the community, including Clyde's Delicious Donuts, which donates doughnuts throughout the year.
  • The Transition Program is proud to welcome 27 students this year.
  • This year, Transition Program students will experience community-based learning opportunities such as joining recreational leagues and going to museums, theater performances and other venues to develop life skills. They also will enjoy guest speakers to learn about services offered in their community and to increase independent living skills.
  • The Transition Program participates in a variety of volunteer programs throughout the year such as a canned food drive in October, where canned foods are collected from the community. In November, Transition students take those canned goods and stock them at a food pantry at the Humanitarian Service Project.
  • Students who have graduated from the Transition Program have gone on to earn competitive employment at various locations in the community. Other students have gone on to continue to use their life skills through placement in group homes, supportive living and residential placement.
  • The Transition Program is excited to welcome Vocational Aides this year to increase opportunities for students to receive job training in the community. Vocational training sites will start in September, and the Transition Program is always looking for new sites. If you’re interested in being a vocational site, contact District 88 Vocational Coordinator Christine DiRienzo at cdirienzo@dupage88.net or 630-530-3248.