Parent & Student Resources - Community Consolidated School District 15

Summer School Opportunities

In an effort to be responsive to the growing needs of our students, District 15 has, over the past several years, updated and expanded its summer offerings for students in grades 1 through 7. Each of the District’s summer programs are funded by Federal Grant dollars and target students that show the largest level of academic and experiential needs.

Historically, there have been two District 15 summer programs: the Extended School Year (ESY) and the Title 1 Summer Blast (T1SB).

Additional programs supporting multilingual students have been added over recent years. These programs include our Bilingual Math and Literacy Camp, our ESL for Newcomers Camp, and our Dual Language Culture Camp.

Our programs are scheduled strategically such that parents may also enroll their children in popular summer programs provided by their area Park District Programs.

Below is a brief description of each of District 15’s summer options.

Title 1 Summer Blast

June 3-27, 2024 (Monday-Thursday, no school June 19, 2024)

This program provides a Math, Literacy, and experiential Science, Technology Engineering, and Math (STEM) exploration for eligible students. This program targets students who are at high levels of academic risk by providing 4 hours of daily instruction for 16 days in June. This program focuses on students with limited financial resources that also display additional needs that may affect their learning during the regular school year. Students are taught by District 15 teachers and enrollment averages around 1,000 students per summer.

Extended School Year (ESY)

June 3-27, 2024 (Monday-Thursday, no school June 19, 2024)

Students who have IEPs may be eligible for summer programming, also called Extended School Year (ESY). A student’s IEP team, including their parents/guardians, collaboratively make the determination if a student is eligible for summer services based on the nature and severity of the student’s disability and factors including regression and recoupment of skills and learning. ESY includes half-day programming in the summer to support the maintenance of skills and learning for eligible students with IEPs.

Bilingual Math & Literacy Camp

July 8-August 8, 2024 (Monday-Thursday)

This program provides 3 hours of math and literacy instruction 4 days a week for a total of 16 days. Bilingual students who are not yet at grade level are invited to participate. Students engage in targeted practice of essential skills through games, assemblies, and real-world applications of math and literacy skills.

ESL for Newcomers Camp

July 8-August 8, 2024 (Monday-Thursday)

This program provides 3 hours of English language development instruction 4 days a week for a total of 16 days. Students who are our newest arrivals to the United States are invited to participate. Students engage in experiential learning through science, math, and literacy activities especially designed to facilitate language learning and build students’ confidence in reading, writing, speaking, and listening in English.

Dual Language Culture Camp

June 10-13, 2024 (Monday-Thursday)

Grade K-4 students currently enrolled in our Dual Language program at Jane Addams, Kimball Hill, or Winston Campus come together for one week to explore and ENJOY Spanish-speaking cultures from different regions of the world at our Dual Language Culture Camp, held June 10-13, 2024. Students participate in literacy and cultural experiences while also developing the third pillar of Dual Language education, which is socio-cultural competence.

Student Online Resources

123 Teach Me
Online Free Spanish
Computerized games reinforcing vocabulary, grammar, numbers, etc.
PBS Kids - Oh Noah!
Series on PBS exploring the language of Spanish and English - videos and games
PBS Kids - Spanish Games
Rockalingua
Rockalingua is a learning site run by teachers, musicians, animators, and computer programmers. The website contains songs, games, worksheets, videos, and a picture dictionary. Many items are offered at a cost however, there are free songs and games which are clearly labeled and valuable for practice.
Rockalingua - Videos
Spanish Playground
Computerized games reinforcing vocabulary, grammar, numbers, etc.
YouTube - Spanish Playground
YouTube channel dedicated to match their website to support learners of all ages to learn Spanish

Please note many of these websites run advertisements. It is important that students are monitored while using these websites in order to best provide them with a safe learning experience.

Parent Resource Links

Local Resources for Parents—This is a list of local resources for parents.

Dual Language Links

Supporting Your Emerging Bilingual Child

Language Learning for Adults

Video Library for Multilingual Parents—The Illinois Resource Center (IRC), in cooperation with the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) Multilingual Department, has developed a video library as a resource for members of Bilingual Parent Advisory Councils (BPACs) and parents of English Learners. The purpose of the video library is to address topics including family engagement, Pre-K–Grade 12 educational programs and services, higher education opportunities, parental leadership and advocacy, and immigration and community issues to help BPAC members in their roles and responsibilities. The videos, 10-30 minutes in length, are available in various languages including English, Spanish, Polish, Arabic, Urdu, Tagalog, and French. All are welcome to take advantage of this valuable resource.

WIDA—WIDA is a consortium of states dedicated to the design and implementation of high standards and equitable educational opportunities for English learners). Language is an integral part of our identities and plays an important role in maintaining communication and relationships with family. Please check out the Family Connections through Home Languages resource from WIDA in English or Spanish for ideas to strengthen your family’s connections through language.

Additional Resources

What Are Assessments Used For?

MODEL—Used for initial assessment and placement of ELLs who are incoming Kindergarten and first semenster of 1st Grade students.
WIDA-Screener—Used for initial assessment and placement of ELLs. The WIDA Screener is an adaptive test that can gauge students' proficiency up to Level 6 of the WIDA ELP Standards.
ACCESS—All English learners participate in the ACCESS test as required by the Illinois State Board of Education each year. The ACCESS assessment measures the English language proficiency levels of every student in listening, speaking, reading, and writing.

What is WIDA?

WIDA (World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment) is a consortium of states dedicated to the design and implementation of high standards and equitable educational opportunities for English learners.

Language is an integral part of our identities and plays an important role in maintaining communication and relationships with family. Please check out the Family Connections through Home Languages resource from WIDA in English or Spanish for ideas to strengthen your family’s connections through language.

Additional Resources

Community Partnerships & Tutoring

Weekly literacy tutoring and enrichment are provided at East Park Apartments for kindergarten and first-grade students from Central Road and Kimball Hill Elementary Schools. Programming focuses on early literacy and foundational math skills. Kids learn through games, songs, books, and more. All are welcome!

East Park Apartments Tutoring

Mr. Joe Prades
2nd Grade Dual Language Teacher at Winston Campus Elementary School

Mr. Prades is a cultural exchange teacher from Spain. He has one master’s degree as a Telecommunications Engineer, 2 degrees in Primary and Secondary education, and a master’s degree in Bilingual Education. Mr. Prades has been teaching for more than 10 years from 2nd grade all the way up to university level courses. He always helps, guide, and coach students and families to achieve their objectives and their potential. For Mr. Prades, empathy and motivation are the keywords in education.

Mrs. Pilar Gomez
Program Assistant at Winston Campus Elementary School

Mrs. Gomez is a teacher who graduated in early childhood education with a master’s degree. She has been a kindergarten and primary education teacher in Spain for more than 20 years. Her passion is to work with children and teach with heart. She thinks that music and stories are the best tools to reach the hearts of children and to help them learn letters and numbers from the earliest ages. With a positive attitude, she listens to the children and adapts to their needs, helping each to achieve their best.actice their language skills in every context of their lives.

Mrs. Carolina Ruiz
Program Assistant at Winston Campus Elementary School

Mrs. Ruiz has 17+ years teaching primary and kindergarten students. She holds a bachelor’s degree in primary education. This is Mr Ruiz’s first year teaching in the United States. She has a great rapport with children and always treats them with respect, kindness, and love.

Mr. Nichola Lopez
Bilingual Resource Teacher at Winston Campus Junior High School

Mr. Lopez is an exchange teacher from Colombia. He has taught English for 15+ years. He graduated from UIS University in Colombia with a bachelor's degree in foreign languages, specializing in academic projects and majoring in teaching English as a second language. This is Mr Lopez’s second year working in the United States. He is always trying to encourage students to be confident and practice their language skills in every context of their lives.

Green Lane Apartments Tutoring

Parent Mentor Program

Community Consolidated School District 15 is proud to partner with Partners for Our Communities (POC), the Illinois State Board of Education, and the Parent Engagement Institute to bring the Parent Mentor Program into our classrooms at Virginia Lake, Lake Louise, and Jane Addams Elementary Schools.

How It Works

Potential parents are interviewed, selected, and provided an initial full week of training.
Parents are assigned to a classroom (not their own child’s) where they work one-on-one or in small groups with children for two hours a day Monday through Thursday.
Parent Mentors come together on Fridays or Saturdays each week to spend time together and to receive ongoing support and training around academic instruction, community engagement and leadership skills.
After reaching 100 volunteer hours, our parent mentors receive a small stipend provided by grant funding.

Partners for Our Community (POC)

Partners for Our Community (POC) empowers underserved people to develop self-sufficiency and become leaders in their communities. We build partnerships with other community organizations, connect families with local resources, and remove barriers to access. POC is proud to provide a skilled, culturally sensitive staff that is bilingual and bicultural. By leveraging the services of over 15 partnering organizations, POC accelerates access to critical resources, meeting the needs of underserved families in the most efficient and cost-effective way, including Counseling & Social Services, Health & Wellness, Education Services, and Youth Programs.

Latino Family Literacy Project

The Latino Family Literacy Project is a research based program designed to teach the importance of establishing a family reading routine and helps both parents and children develop a love for reading together as a family.

The Family Literacy Project is a 6- to 10-week program in which parents meet once a week for two hours with teachers and administrators who've been specially trained to deliver the program. During each meeting, parents receive a new bilingual book written for their child's age group—either at the preschool, elementary, or junior high level—and teachers read through that book with them, pointing out ways to emphasize the book's themes, call attention to important details, and ask questions that will not only help their children understand what they've read but will also motivate them to read more.

The books in the program are carefully selected and address themes that provoke meaningful family discussions. Every week parents have the opportunity to talk about their at-home experiences with that week’s book. Often times parents share that the books have served as starting points for their families to have conversations about important topics that can sometimes be difficult and don’t naturally surface in daily communication. Throughout the program, parents and children also document their experiences by using a disposable camera to create a family album featuring photos that capture the fun they've had and the lessons they've learned after reading books together.

The impact of the program is perhaps best expressed by the parents who participated in the project themselves. For instance, Margarito Rios loved how the project provided him and his daughter with an opportunity to get to know each other better simply by reading together. "I discovered so much about my daughter," said Mr. Rios. "I was surprised at some of her answers. We read and discussed the book and learned about each other. We had the opportunity to learn more about our traditions and culture too."

Furthermore, Enrique Segura said the project helped his family go from not reading at home to having reading become a nightly family activity and having the staff recognize his family whenever it visited the library. "At home, our whole family changed," said Mr. Segura. "Before starting this program, we weren't really that interested in reading. We now read every night for about 30 minutes. This was a nice experience because it improved our reading experience at home 100 percent."