School districts 4, 45, 48 and 88 host annual Joint Board Meeting

Top: Addison Trail Social Worker Jorge de Leon (left) and Willowbrook Social Worker Erik Engel provide a recap of the “Day of Champions” event during the Learning Compact Joint Board Meeting on Oct. 12 between District 88 and its associate elementary school districts – Addison School District 4, District 45 and Salt Creek School District 48. "Day of Champions” is an educational program that took place this past spring to engage students in approaching drug education in schools. Bottom left and right: Engel leads the group in a discussion about the "Day of Champions" event.

On Oct. 12, District 88 and its associate elementary school districts – Addison School District 4, District 45 and Salt Creek School District 48 – hosted their annual Learning Compact Joint Board Meeting.

That event is an opportunity for Board of Education members from all four districts to come together to discuss important information taking place in each district, as well as issues facing public education. This year’s featured topic was a recap of “Day of Champions,” an educational program that took place this past spring to engage students in approaching drug education in schools. “Day of Champions” took place on May 15, 2017, as a partnership between District 88, AMITA Health Adventist Medical Center GlenOaks, 12 local schools and the villages of Addison, Carol Stream and Glendale Heights. The program also was supported by the DuPage Regional Office of Education (Regional Superintendent Dr. Darlene Ruscitti) and DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin through a drug forfeiture grant.

The day involved 90 high school students from District 88 and Glenbard Township High School District 87 coming together for a training session and then serving as peer mentors to facilitate conversation among 160 middle-schoolers regarding opioid use and drug education in schools. The elementary districts that participated are Addison School District 4, District 45, Salt Creek School District 48, Marquardt School District 15, Queen Bee Schools (District 16) and Community Consolidated School District 93.

The safety and well-being of students is the No. 1 priority at districts 4, 45, 48 and 88, and “Day of Champions” was discussed during the Joint Board Meeting as one initiative to help students lead a healthy lifestyle. The districts frequently meet and collaborate to ensure alignment and to provide a seamless transition and a positive educational experience for all students as they enter and graduate from District 88.