Lies, Lies, Lies...Again

We thought it fitting that we repost this. Even golden boys fall from grace.

Mr. Jim

2013 Graduation Speech Honoring Mr. Jim

It seems like just yesterday you walked through the doors of the middle school as fifth graders and now you are graduating. It reminds me of my own 8th grade graduation just a few years ago. Well, actually it was a lot more than a few!

A long time ago, before Facebook, Instagram, Kik, Snap Chat, ask.fm, and even before the Internet, I sat here at my graduation from Pleasantdale, a little nervous about the future yet grateful to everyone that helped me along the way. So, before you set out on the next adventure of your educational journey, to a wonderful place called high school, I’d like to begin by taking a few minutes to thank some of the people that helped get you to this point.

First of all, thank you the boards of education, both past and present, and to the administration - Dr. Fredisdorf, Mr. Vandercar, Mrs. Pokorny and Mrs. Sherman for their vision when starting these students on the path to where they are today.

To the secretaries in the front office - thank you for enduring endless phone calls and questions, forgotten homework and lunches, late arrivals and early departures…nearly every single day.

Thank you to the PTA for providing special lunches, holiday treats, fortnightly, dances, field days and picnics.

Thank you to the entire staff and all the teachers along the way. Presented with a vision, our teachers, from Kindergarten all the way up to Eighth grade, made sure that these students learned the curriculum, achieved the outcomes and mastered their assessments. They taught not only school lessons, but also life lessons, such as organizational skills, timeliness, teamwork and responsibility.

Thank you to all the parents for getting your children up in the morning, packing them lunches, helping with projects and homework and cheering them on at their scholastic, musical and sporting events. Thank you for driving them to and from school, for typing papers, drying tears and mending hearts. Thank you for volunteering at school, for helping, caring and advice. Thank you for sometimes putting up with teenage attitudes, but mostly, thank you for encouraging and supporting these students, every step of the way.

Thanks also go out to these students here on this stage. Thank you for working so hard over the last nine years, for doing your very best, and never giving up. Thank you for raising money for various charities, collecting canned goods for food drives, filling our trophy case with trophies and sponsoring families during the holidays. Thank you for your participation in community service by working at animal shelters and the Ronald McDonald House. Thank you for your class gift and artwork that adorns our school hallways. Most importantly, thank you for making all of us proud!

One of the most inspiring philosophers was Mahatma Gandhi. He was a thinker and leader that travelled the world imparting words of wisdom which made people stop and think. I’d like to share some of his wisdom with this graduating class that they will be able to carry with them to high school and beyond.

Gandhi said BE THE CHANGE YOU WANT TO SEE. Too many people complain about what is wrong with this or that and yet don’t take action. The only way improve something is to put the effort into changing it. Somebody has to make the first move to set things right, why can’t it be you?

Gandhi said WHAT YOU THINK, YOU BECOME. You are the product of your thoughts. Keep your thoughts positive. If you think you will be defeated, you have already given up the fight. Your ability to grow is only limited by your imagination. Set goals and stay the course. Good things will happen.

Gandhi said WHERE THERE IS LOVE THERE IS LIFE. In other words, having passion keeps you going. But the first thing that comes to my mind here is that I hope this works for Chicago Blackhawks. Will their passion for hockey and love of the game keep them alive in the playoffs? I sure would like to see Stanley back in Chicago soon!

Gandhi said LEARN AS IF YOU’LL LIVE FOREVER. Many of you have been counting the days until you graduated today, thinking you couldn’t wait till you were done. The thought of no more papers to write, projects to finish, or tests to study for was pretty darn exciting. But soon you will be learning new subjects, new sports, even how to use the newest smart phone. The world will become your classroom and you will be the students of life. And somewhere along the way, you will begin to appreciate that learning is an adventure and the ability to learn a gift that will keep you forever busy, entertained and alive.

Gandhi said YOUR HEALTH IS YOUR REAL WEALTH. So please take good care of yourselves, don’t be swayed by peers or poor decisions, don’t let anyone text and drive or drink and drive, and always, always wear your seatbelt.

Gandhi said HAVE A SENSE OF HUMOR. Never take things so seriously that you can’t laugh at yourself. And don’t worry, everyone on Facebook and Instagram only seem like they have more fun and happier lives. They don't.

Gandhi said, ACTION EXPRESSES PRIORITIES. Your actions not only come from your priorities, but your actions also reveal your priorities. So remember, whatever you do, always give 100%...unless, of course, you’re donating blood!

Gandhi said FIND YOUR SELF IN THE SERVICE OF OTHERS. When you take the time to help others, to focus on something other than yourselves, you actually learn more about life, humanity, purpose and ultimately, your own lives. I think many of you have learned this lesson well here at Pleasantdale. There is no greater reward than that of helping others.

Gandhi said, YOUR LIFE IS YOUR MESSAGE. No one is going to remember your 8^th grade Explore score, your high school grade point average or a paper you wrote college. They are going to remember you by the way you treated them. You’re not going to gain the respect of others because of the profession you have, or the degrees you hold. You are going to be respected because of your character…what’s inside of you. Your integrity and your example are your message.

Before I close, there is one more person here that I would like to thank. It is not someone I forgot. I was just saving the best for last. The person that I am about to thank embodies many of Gandhi’s principals and their life is their message.

When I asked current and former students who made the biggest impact on them here at Pleasantdale, someone they will never forget, time and time again I got the same answer.

So I’d like to say thank you to Mr. Jim.

Thank you, Mr. Jim, for all you have done for these kids. Thank you for being a mentor, a counselor, a cheerleader and a friend. Thank you for believing in them. Thank you for your inspiration and your guidance. Thank you for attending not only every home game, but also every away game for every sport and every team.

Mr. Jim does so much more than clean and take care of our school. He leads book clubs and helps with homework. When students do not have money for lunch, he buys them lunch. He goes to kids’ concerts, plays, recitals and sporting events…even long after they graduate. He makes every student feel welcome here. He takes care of the duck families in the courtyard and makes sure they are fed.

He is the best cheerleader, not just here at Pleasantdale, but also in the entire LT feeder school system. He is known as Pleasantdale’s number one fan. He celebrates every student on their birthday by singing Happy Birthday to them at lunchtime. He knows all the students by name, and not just them, but also many their older and younger siblings as well.

When kids have a problem they know that they can always count on Mr. Jim for support. Mr. Jim is loved by everyone and students look forward to seeing him every day. There is even an acronym that reminds me of him. I’m sure you have seen it on t-shirts and in stores. So the next time you are faced with a challenge, indecision or you are at a crossroads; ask yourself, “What would Jim do?”

Let your life be your message, and your actions express your priorities, just as Mr. Jim does EVERY SINGLE DAY!

Finally, they say that one day your life will flash before your eyes, so make sure it’s worth watching. Memories aren’t created from the things you said you’d do. They’re built from the things you’ve done: the moments captured, the worlds discovered, a lifetime seized. You only live once, after all –YOLO! - so make it count!

Thank you.

Delivered by Gina Nelson

Congratulations!

Congratulations to the following local schools for winning the prestigious National Blue Ribbon Award!!

Ogden Avenue Elementary School in La Grange

St. Cletus Elementary School in La Grange

Seventh Avenue Elementary School in La Grange
Spring Avenue Elementary School in La Grange
Oak Elementary School in Hinsdale
Brook Forest Elementary School in Oak Brook (Pleasantdale's former special education director is the principal!)

In its 32-year history, the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program has bestowed this coveted award on just under 7,900 of America's schools.

"These great schools are fulfilling the promise of American education—that all students, no matter their name or zip code, can flourish when schools provide safe, creative, and challenging learning environments," Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said. "National Blue Ribbon Schools are models of consistent excellence and a resource for other schools and districts. We celebrate them for their tireless effort and boundless creativity in reaching and teaching every student."

Truth!

Congratulations to the Class of 2014!

Lessons for life...

"I've learned that no matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow. 

I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the ways he/she handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas lights.

I've learned that regardless of your relationship with your parents, you'll miss them when they're gone from your life. 

I've learned that making a "living" is not the same as making a "life." 

I've learn that life sometimes give you a second chance. I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw something back. 

I've learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision. 

I've learned that even when I have pains, I don't have to be one. 

I've learned that every day you should reach out and touch someone. People love a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back. 

I've learned that I still have a lot to learn. 

I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."

 ~Maya Angelou

Thanks Neighbors!

Thanks to the parents of D181 for recognizing our blog! 

"Not only does it appear that D107's board of education has its share of problems, but they too are going to have a new superintendent soon, since their current one has just announced his impending retirement.  We encourage you to read some of the posts on just how bad the administrative situation got in D107 before a detailed survey was finally commissioned and an outside auditor was hired to figure out if representations made by the superintendent regarding Common Core alignment were true.  You will be shocked by what you read."

Transparency and accountability are also two of reasons we blog. Parent blogs are popping up all over as parents are no longer willing to take a back seat in regard to the education of their children. 

This D181 blog post about the Pleasantdale blog can be found here.  Click the image to make it larger.

Breaking News!!

Mark Fredisdorf, who has been at the helm of Pleasantdale School District 107 for more than a decade, will retire after the next school year.

The School Board approved a retirement agreement with Fredisdorf May 20 after a closed session at the end of a contentious four-hour meeting. Fredisdorf has been chided by some board members for several months for not following their directives.

Read the entire story here!

http://westernsprings.suntimes.com/2014/05/22/pleasantdale-district-107-superintendent-retire-next-school-year/

Mission Accomplished?

Not quite....because a lot of damage can be done between now and then.

Caution! Directional Shift Ahead!

It has been in the making for about five months now but it became official last night... a new board majority has been born!

The new board majority consists of Doug Gilman, Mark Mirabile, Lisa Houk and Beth Tegtmeier.

Nearly every major vote at the May meeting went down 4 to 3.

It was truly politics at its finest.

Superintendent Mark Fredisdorf requested that board members who wanted officer positions submit a memo to him no later than Thursday, May 15. Up until the morning of May 21st, only two memos had been submitted for board officer positions - Kristin Violante and Gina Scaletta-Nelson.

Clearly this put Fredisdork into panic mode! So after phone calls, emails, or the ususal private meetings, a new alliance was solidified and by late morning, at the 11th hour, Doug Gilman and Mark Mirabile submitted memos for board officer roles.

Board officer selection is always the first thing on the agenda. BUT WAIT!!!

Beth Tegtmeier (who has either arrived late, left early or not even shown up at all for the last several montly meetings) would not be able to make it to the meeting in time for board officer elections. Apparently, according to Gilman, "Tegtmeier wanted to be present for board officer elections." Interesting. No one else got that memo. She didn't care about being there for the RtI or curriculum council updates, ELA or math audits,  or any other vote or topic of substance. She wanted to be there to cast her usual token vote to support Fredisdorf in the officer elections. Seriously Beth? You are a disgrace to every single person that voted for you to represent their interests on the board of education. And you care about kids? Get real! The only person you care about is Fredisdorf. 

So Gilman, in his ultimate power as president, decided that the board would not select new officers until she arrived. Interesting that those type of agreements used to be up to the full board. Not anymore... Tegtmeier waltzed in at 9:37 p.m.,  over three and a half hours late. At this point, why bother showing up? 

Nominations for Board President went to Kim Barker (who works harder than anyone on the board and has literally put her heart and soul into the district supporting students, parents and staff alike - always looking out for everyone's best interest including taxpayers) and Doug Gilman. 

Gilman was re-elected board president for a second term in a four to three vote by the new majority.

Nominations for Board Vice President went to Gina Scaletta-Nelson and Mark Mirabile. Scaletta-Nelson was ousted by Gilman's back door dealing and politically laced delay tactics. 

The role of vice president is really insignificant. The VP does absolutely nothing unless the board president is absent from a meeting and then the VP will step in and run the meeting. In the last year three years it has happened once, however, Gilman did not want to chance Scaletta-Nelson taking the reigns should he have to miss meetings in the future. The role of VP is really not a big deal... it's just the way the entire election process was handled and the principle of the matter. It's something Crook County politicians do, not necessarily suburban school boards. 

While we have to say that Gilman does a fair job of running the meetings and is usually calm and polite, (it was nice to hear him apologize to his fellow board members for last month's meeting); his team change was pretty much a slap in the face to his running mates and those that supported him and his promises during his election campaign.

The new board majority selected the STARR Assessment to replace the ITBS because as everyone knows, Fredisdorf is afraid to compare apples to apples. In other words, he does not want to compare D107 to the LT feeder schools. LT had hoped that D107 would join the entire feeder system by taking NWEA's MAP test, but the new majority gave a collective middle finger to the high school and those that want a side by side comparison to their neighboring districts by choosing something completely different.

If you recall, Gilman often spoke about wanting an assessment that would allow D107 to compare to the feeders during his election campaigns. Promise broken.

We could go on and on, but we will link the meeting when it's posted so you could see for yourself the new majority in action. Oh and when you do, pay close attention to Fredisdorf when he talks. It is more than obvious he talks in circles often confusing himself. You would think that he'd learned by now to keep his mouth shut, but he just likes to impress himself with his nonsense.

Sorry to those that dreamed of and banked on a new dawn for D107 and supported making the district better. It's just not going to happen anytime soon...at least not for another year or so according to Lisa Houk on the May 1st meeting tape ;)