"I am not an idiot."

By Annie Reed, Suburban Life Publications, Tue Jul 07, 2009, 06:04 PM

Swine flu precaution comes with hefty price tag for Pleasantdale family

When swine flu fever first hit the United States at the end of April, panic about a potential pandemic left many schools agonizing over how to respond.

For one family at Pleasantdale Elementary in Willow Springs, the school’s decision to err on the side of caution has resulted in more than $2,000 of medical bills for a swine flu test the family claims was unnecessary.

Now, the Pleasantdale School District 107 Board of Education must decide if the district will reimburse the family for any of the $2,031 influenza A (swine flu) testing, which the superintendent required against the opinion of the family’s doctor.

Flu back and forth
On April 15, kindergartner Lizzie Campos and her family traveled to Mexico to visit family. Lizzie did not attend school because of illness on the four days preceding the trip, according to school records.

Before making the trip, Lizzie was seen April 12 by Dr. Luis Osorio, a physician at the Family Medical Dental Center in Berwyn. Medical Assistant Luce Martinez said Lizzie was treated for dyspepsia, a gastrointestinal ailment akin to indigestion, according to medical information given to Suburban Life with the family’s permission.

When the family got back from Mexico a week later, the school requested that Lizzie’s mother, Ana, bring a doctor’s note stating Lizzie could attend school. Lizzie saw the doctor, and he wrote the note April 23.

Three days after she returned to school, however, the school nurse called Campos asking if Lizzie had been tested for swine flu. She had not been, Campos said, because the doctor had said Lizzie was healthy.

Within the hour, the school called Campos again to say she needed to pick up her daughter from the nurse’s office because Lizzie had flu-like symptoms.

In a letter signed by school nurse Lisa Penrod and Principal Matt Vandercar, Lizzie had been “complaining of a headache, stomach ache and a cough,” with a temperature of 99.6 degrees.

According to the nurse’s log provided to Campos by the school, Lizzie had also visited the nurse’s office the first day she returned from her trip and “complained of a stomach ache.” Her temperature was recorded as 99.6 in the log. She also visited the nurse on the 29th to use her inhaler before PE class.

Campos disputes the school’s diagnosis. She said that when she arrived, Lizzie was not displaying those symptoms, but District 107 Superintendent Mark Fredisdorf said he did not want to take any chances.

He said Lizzie would not be allowed back in school until she was tested for swine flu.

Wary of risks
At the time, in light of the potential pandemic status of Influenza A-H1N1, the Illinois Department of Health was issuing daily news briefs with guidance for the public.

Fredisdorf said he made his decision to require Lizzie be tested based on a release from April 27: “For people who have flu-like symptoms and have traveled to areas where swine flu has been confirmed, they should seek medical attention.”

By April 30 news sources were reporting more than 100 swine-flu-related-deaths in Mexico, where the virus first broke out.

“With the information we had at the time, we decided the testing was necessary,” Fredisdorf said. “It was the height of the swine flu alarm, and we had over 400 students in that school who would be at potential risk. That’s a chance we couldn’t take.”

Testing for swine flu requires a doctor’s order, so Campos took Lizzie to the family physician. However, when she got there, the medical assistant questioned the order.

Martinez, who said Lizzie was asymptomatic for the flu, called the school.

“The school insisted she be tested for swine flu even though I called and spoke to the nurse,” Martinez said. “In the doctor’s professional opinion, there was no need for it.”

Campos’ doctor finally wrote the prescription for the test. Martinez said she told Penrod that the family’s health insurance probably would not cover the procedure.

Penrod did not return requests for comment.

Costly caution
Lizzie’s swine flu test, performed at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, came back negative later that day. Campos was sent a bill May 31 for $2,031, the cost of the test, and was informed that her insurance would not cover the test.

“Charges are not covered with given diagnosis,” the insurance claim read.

Campos, who is a licensed practical nurse at Advocate Christ Medical Center, believes the School District should cover the charges because the test was ordered by the school against her doctor’s medical opinion and because she disputes that Lizzie was sick.

“We would not consider paying for it,” Fredisdorf said. “There are a multitude of vaccinations and other related medical things students need, and that’s just something a parent is responsible for.”

The question of Lizzie’s disputed flu-like symptoms is complicated by her school medical records. In her 130 days present, she visited the nurse’s office 34 times, often complaining of stomach aches and chapped lips, according to the nurse log. Nine times the log says Lizzie had a temperature between 99.5 and 99.9, but she was not sent home. She also was absent 17 days for illnesses or medical appointments.

Fredisdorf confirmed he did require that Lizzie receive the test, rather than giving the Camposes the option of keeping Lizzie home from school.

“Given the potential danger, I needed unequivocal results for the well being of this girl and the entire student body,” Fredisdorf said. “This was a real and present threat.”

A spokeswoman at the Illinois Health Department said schools were especially cautioned at that time to be vigilant, and in some cases the department recommended school closures where swine flu cases were confirmed.

However, “it was never our guidance that anyone had to be tested for H1N1,” spokeswoman Kelly Jakubek said. “For schools in particular, the guidance at the very beginning was that if students had those symptoms and had traveled to those areas, they should be seen by a doctor, but it’s up to a doctor or a physician whether they’re going to administer a test.”

Fredisdorf said one other family at the school was also identified as a possible swine flu case, but the family volunteered to get the student tested.

“It wasn’t an issue,” he said.

He did not know whether that family got tested for H1N1, or just a regular flu test. Though the latter typically costs under $200, the cost of the specific test for H1N1 was $1,659 on Lizzie’s medical bill (additional rapid flu and respiratory screenings made up the remaining $400 in charges.)

Campos recently wrote a letter to the School Board requesting reimbursement for the flu-testing bills.

School Board President Leandra Sedlack said that the board has no policy regarding medical bill reimbursement but that it will discuss whether or not to give Campos a hearing at its July 15 meeting.

Regardless of whether the board decides to foot the bill, Campos already has removed Lizzie from District 107 for the coming school year.

She said Lizzie’s experiences at Pleasantdale have left her “upset beyond explanation.”

She said the school "implied that I violated the recommendation of state law and brought my child to school placing every child and faculty member at risk."

"I am not an idiot," she said. "I am a well trained health care professional and I'm very capable of recognizing any signs or symptoms of sickness in my children."

Timeline of events

April 8, 9, 13, 14 Lizzie Campos is absent from school due to illness

April 15 The Campos family travels to Mexico

April 22 The Campos family returns from Mexico

April 23
■The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announces human cases of swine influenza have been identified in California and Texas.
■ Lizzie is examined by her family doctor and is given a doctor’s note approving her return to school April 27.

April 27
■The Illinois Department of Health urges caution, and says people with flu-like symptoms who have traveled to areas where swine flu has been confirmed should seek medical attention.
■ Lizzie returns to school.

April 29 The IDPH announces nine probable cases of H1N1 flu in Illinois.

April 30
■Lizzie is seen in the nurse’s office. The school calls Campos at work inquiring if Lizzie has been tested for swine flu since returning from Mexico. Campos said she had been seen by the doctor and given permission to return to school, but had not been tested.
■ School calls Campos to pick up Lizzie to have her tested for influenza A-H1N1 (swine flu). The school said she complained of a headache, cough and had a temperature of 99.6. Campos said when she arrived Lizzie did not appear sick.
■ Campos takes Lizzie to the family doctor. The medical assistant calls the school because she is “asymptomatic” for the flu. Superintendent says she will not be allowed back until she is tested for swine flu. Doctor Luis Osorio writes a doctor’s order authorizing the test.
■ Lizzie is tested for swine flu at Advocate Hope Children’s Hospital. The test comes back negative.

May 1 The CDC and the Illinois Department of Public Health change swine flu testing guidelines. They recommend those with mild flu symptoms be treated without testing, to focus efforts on hospitalized patients with severe illness.

May 31 The Camposes receive a $2,031 bill from Advocate Christ Medical Center for Lizzie’s H1N1 flu test on April 30.

June 16 Campos writes a letter to the Board of Education requesting the district pay for the medical bills resulting from the flu testing.

July 17 Date School Board President Leandra Sedlack said the board will discuss Campos’ request for medical reimbursement


Editor's Note:

Any school district employee knows that if they tell a parent that their child needs to see a doctor for any reason, the district is responsible for the bill. It is something you learn the FIRST day on the job. That is why teachers can NEVER recommend that a parent take their child for testing of ANY kind. So why is this case any different?

This child WAS NOT SICK! She was barred from attending school until she received this test despite a phone call from her doctor stating SHE WAS NOT SICK! She was not even given the option to stay home for a few days, SHE WAS BARRED FROM SCHOOL!

We'd like to know how many families in our district went to Mexico (Cancun, Puerto Vallarta, Cozumel, etc.) over Spring break? Were their symptomless children required to have a swine flu test before their return to school like Lizzie Campos was?

Our school board and superintendent needs to DO THE RIGHT THING by apologizing and compensating the Campos family for the medical bill that was incurred due to this unnecessary test.

And please, don't say this was another OVERSIGHT!!

Top Ten Signs of a Good Kindergarten Classroom

Kindergarten is a time for children to expand their love of learning, their general knowledge, their ability to get along with others, and their interest in reaching out to the world. While Kindergarten marks an important transition from preschool to the primary grades, it is important that children still get to be children.Getting kindergarteners ready for elementary school does not mean substituting academics for play time, forcing children to master first grade "skills," or relying on standardized tests to assess children's success. Kindergarten "curriculum" actually includes such events as snack time, recess, and individual and group activities in addition to those activities we think of as traditionally educational. Developmentally appropriate kindergarten classrooms encourage the growth of children's selfesteem, their cultural identities, their independence and their individual strengths. Kindergarten children will continue to develop control of their own behavior through the guidance and support of warm, caring adults. At this stage, children are already eager to learn and possess an innate curiosity. Teachers with a strong background in early childhood education and child development can best provide for children what they need to grow physically, emotionally, and intellectually.Here are 10 signs of a good kindergarten classroom:

1. Children are playing and working with materials or other children. They are not aimlessly wandering or forced to sit quietly for long periods of time.

2. Children have access to various activities throughout the day, such as block building, pretend play, picture books, paints and other art materials, and table toys such as legos, pegboards, and puzzles. Children are not all doing the same things at the same time.

3. Teachers work with individual children, small groups, and the whole group at different times during the day. They do not spend time only with the entire group.

4. The classroom is decorated with children's original artwork, their own writing with invented spelling, and dictated stories.

5. Children learn numbers and the alphabet in the context of their everyday experiences. Exploring the natural world of plants and animals, cooking, taking attendance, and serving snack are all meaningful activities to children.

6. Children work on projects and have long periods of time (at least one hour) to play and explore. Filling out worksheets should not be their primary activity.

7. Children have an opportunity to play outside every day that weather permits. This play is never sacrificed for more instructional time.

8. Teachers read books to children throughout the day, not just at group story time.

9. Curriculum is adapted for those who are ahead as well as those who need additional help. Because children differ in experiences and background, they do not learn the same things at the same time in the same way.

10. Children and their parents look forward to school. Parents feel safe sending their child to kindergarten. Children are happy; they are not crying or regularly sick.

Individual kindergarten classrooms will vary, and curriculum will vary according to the interests and backgrounds of the children. But all developmentally appropriate kindergarten classrooms will have one thing in common: the focus will be on the development of the child as a whole.


Copyright: National Association for the Education of Young Children. Reproduction of this material is freely granted, provided credit is given to the National Association for the Education of Young Children.

Pdale Family Camping Trip

Gas: $2.60 a gallon
Campsites: $45 a night
Building school community: Priceless

Pleasantdale Family Camping Trip

The first annual Pleasantdale family camping outing was a huge success! Great fun was had by all! Photos coming soon...

Swine flu precaution comes with hefty price tag for local family at Pleasantdale School

Swine flu precaution comes with hefty price tag for local family

Sad. Sad. Sad.

Teen bullying: Tormented boy's short life ends in suicide
Death stuns suburb, raises awareness of link between bullying and depression


Chicago Tribune
By Gerry Smith Tribune reporter
July 1, 2009


The bullying seemed inescapable.

His family and friends say it followed Iain Steele from junior high to high school -- from hallways, where one tormentor shoved him into lockers, to cyberspace, where another posted a video on Facebook making fun of his taste for heavy metal music.

"At one point, [a bully] had told [Iain] he wished he would kill himself," said Matt Sikora, Iain's close friend.

Iain's parents know their son had other problems, but they believe the harassment contributed to a deepening depression that hospitalized the 15-year-old twice this year. On June 3, while his classmates were taking final exams, he went to the basement of his Western Springs home and hanged himself with a belt.

His death stunned the quiet suburb west of Chicago and unleashed an outpouring of support for his parents, William and Liz, who say greater attention should be paid to bullying and its connection to mental health.

"No kid should be afraid for himself to go to school," his father said. "It should be a safe environment where they can intellectually thrive. And he was, literally, just frightened to go to school, fearing what he would have to deal with on that day. And it was day after day."

A school spokeswoman said she did not believe Iain was bullied. Police are investigating the allegations.

Nearly 30 percent of American children are bullied or are bullies themselves, according to the National Youth Violence Prevention Resource Center. Bullying can be physical, verbal or psychological and is repetitive, intentional and creates a perceived imbalance of power, said Dr. Joseph Wright, senior vice president at Children's National Medical Center in Washington.

This month, the American Academy of Pediatrics will for the first time include a section on bullying in its official policy statement on the pediatrician's role in preventing youth violence.

Wright, a lead author of the statement, said the decision to address the issue was due to a growing body of research over the last decade linking bullying to youth violence, depression and suicidal thoughts.

Last year, the Yale School of Medicine analyzed the link between childhood bullying and suicide in 37 studies from 13 countries, finding that both bullies and their victims were at high risk of contemplating suicide.

In March, the parents of a 17-year-old Ohio boy who committed suicide sued his school alleging their son was bullied. Instead of seeking compensation, they are asking the school to put in place an anti-bullying program and to recognize their son's death as a "bullicide."

'An easy target'

Iain Steele enjoyed riding his skateboard, his father said, but after hip surgery in 8th grade limited his mobility, he picked up the guitar and impressed an instructor with his musical talent.

He was revered by younger kids in the neighborhood, often fixing their skateboards, settling their disputes and including them in games. "He was a very gentle, kind kid, compassionate to a fault," his father said.

But Iain's embrace of heavy metal set him apart from classmates. He let his hair grow to shoulder-length and wore mostly black clothing, including jeans with chains and T-shirts of heavy metal bands with dark, sometimes morbid lyrics.

For this, his classmates at McClure Junior High School in Western Springs often called him "emo" -- a slang term for angst-ridden followers of a style of punk music, said Sikora, 15.

The bullying could also be physical, Iain's friends and parents said. In 8th grade at McClure, one bully pushed Iain into a locker while he was on crutches and accused him of faking an injury to get out of gym class. But Iain rarely shied away from his tormentors, his father said, and in this case, Iain punched the bully in the jaw.

"He was mainly bullied," Sikora said, "only because he was different, or hurt or stupid things like that. He never bothered anybody. ... It was all just because he was different and an easy target."

William Steele said his son had trouble ignoring the bullying because it "was just sort of relentless." It got to the point where the father sat down with the principal at McClure and with a bully's mother. But the harassment did not subside.

Steele said Iain "had a real trust issue because he felt like, particularly at McClure, the system let him down, that it didn't deliver on its promise to protect him from bullying."

McClure Principal Dan Chick said in an e-mail that "the District 101 community is deeply saddened by this recent tragedy of losing one of our children." Chick said he takes bullying very seriously but declined to discuss details of Iain's case because of privacy issues."

As with all situations, I investigated this specific matter and took appropriate actions within the limits of my authority," Chick said.

After graduating from McClure in 2008, Iain began attending the south campus for freshmen and sophomores at Lyons Township High School, where he found new friends -- and new tormentors. A new bully emerged who at first acted friendly, but then posted a homemade video on Facebook pretending to be Iain playing heavy metal on guitar.

"It was like a public humiliation to [Iain]," Sikora said.

The family of the student did not respond to requests for comment.

Jennifer Bialobok, a spokeswoman for Lyons Township High School, said "bullying is obviously not tolerated at LT," but added, "I don't think we're naive enough to think that bullying behavior doesn't exist."

Two years ago, Lyons Township created a "speak-up line" in which students can anonymously report "inappropriate or unsafe behavior," and the school hangs posters defining bullying and explaining how to report it, Bialobok said. If any student reported being bullied, a thorough investigation would take place, with consequences ranging from parental notification to out-of-school suspension, she said.

Bialobok said she could not discuss Iain's case because of student privacy laws, but "we don't believe that bullying was an issue while Iain was attending LT. Counselors and a host of other support personnel worked routinely to make his experience at LT a positive one."

Western Springs police have not documented incidents of bullying involving Iain but are still conducting interviews, Deputy Chief Brian Budds said.

Downward spiral

By this winter, Iain's mental health had begun a downward spiral, his parents said. In February, he told them he was having suicidal thoughts and asked to be admitted to a hospital.

He stopped going to school and began attending an outpatient program, seeing a therapist and a psychiatrist and taking medication for depression and anxiety. He tried returning to school on a half-day basis, but soon became overwhelmed with makeup work and inquiries from classmates who heard rumors he had tried to kill himself. After a few days in school, Iain asked to be readmitted to the hospital, where he stayed for a week, his parents said.

But as summer approached, he began showing signs of improvement. He was easier to communicate with, did his chores when asked, and his doctors believed they had found the right balance in his medication, his father said.

"He seemed to be in a calm, happy place," he said.

Iain's parents and friends say they do not know of any incidents that might have triggered what happened June 3, when his father found him in the basement. His death was ruled a suicide by hanging, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office. He did not leave a note.

Looking back, Iain's parents wonder what factors besides bullying may have contributed to their son's depression.

Iain's favorite heavy metal bands, such as Lamb of God, Children of Bodom and Bullet for My Valentine, often have lyrics with dark messages. One Bullet for My Valentine song is about being bullied, and another song contains the refrain: "The only way out is to die."

Also, Iain was deeply hurt this spring after a brief relationship with a girl he met in his outpatient program. The two exchanged text messages, but her parents and therapists advised against them dating and about two months ago barred her from having communication with him.

Still, Iain's parents remain convinced bullying played a significant role in their son's depression. As Iain's story spread through the community, many people approached Liz Steele to describe their own experiences with bullying, depression or suicide, she said.

"A lot of people don't want to talk about mental health or bullying because it's a difficult thing to talk about, but we need to talk about it," she said. "It shouldn't be a stigma."

Meanwhile, the community has rallied behind the Steeles. In Iain's memory, his classmates tied white ribbons around hundreds of trees in the neighborhood. On June 10, about 500 people attended a memorial service at First Congregational Church of Western Springs.

Rich Kirchherr, senior minister at the church, said the community has felt a "deep and abiding sadness" since Iain's death. Kirchherr said few people seemed aware that Iain was bullied.

"There is an acknowledgment now, as people have discovered that Iain might not always have been treated with the respect that every person deserves," Kirchherr said. "Many people were surprised to hear that."

Friends have established several Facebook groups in his memory, including the "Iain Steele Remembrance Group," which has more than 700 members. The commentary on the group's wall was summed up by a Lyons Township High School student who said she did not know Iain but had learned an important lesson from his death.

"I'm learning to treat everyone with respect, even people who I don't know well or people who I might not get along with," she wrote. "If there is anything good that can come out of this tragedy, the responsibility lies with us to live with kindness and be aware that life is fragile."

gfsmith@tribune.com

Back Up Plan

In case the stimulus money for the Promethean Active Boards doesn't pan out, maybe Pleasantdale can make their own, since they have no money for the the real thing...

Low-Cost Multi-touch Whiteboard using the Wiimote

I'll Never Survive Summer

My kids no longer require sleep. It's bizarre. Everyone has really stuffy noses too, so I can hear them sniffling all night long, yet they don't sleep in and they don't nap and they don't go to bed at night.

I never left the house yesterday. I didn't wash my hair. The kids weren't sure what was going on, because we go somewhere every day. After spending so much time in my house, I've determined my house is a mess and it should be burned down.

The kids run from room to room to room and destroy stuff and it's like watching a constant train wreck.

"Let's dump all the robots out and play with them for 2 minutes."

"Let's get out yarn and the hole punch and glue and paper and scissors and 200 crayons and all the markers and let's play with that for 1 minute."

"Let's eat three bites out of each nectarine and leave it."

"Let's play paper dolls and make new clothes for them and cut a trillion tiny pieces of paper and leave them all over the floor."

"Let's take all the cushions off the couch and pile them in the corner."

"I know! Let's change our clothes AGAIN."

"Let's read and take every single book off the bookshelf."

"I want to play the computer. No I do. No I do. No I do."

"Let's get out our Dora house, our Little People house, our Barbie house and let's make a city where the Barbies play with the Little People, and c'mon in boys and bring the robots AND their cars."

"Let's add all the stuffed animals TOO!"

"Wait. Weren't we cutting stuff up? Let's leave this and go do that again!"

"Let's take out our tents and bring out all our play food."

"I'm hungry, let's rip open the side of the wheat thins and have them explode all over the floor."

"I know. I know. Let's poop in the toilet AGAIN and not flush it!!!!!"

No wonder my grandmother used to throw us outside in Phoenix when it was a 115 degrees out. I feel you, Grandma. I threw mine out yesterday two or three times. All I know is that I'm never going to survive the summer. When do summer classes start again? Oh wait, when does SCHOOL START????? Was I all sad or something a couple days ago? I'm already over that!!!!

Reprinted with permission from Michelle at Triplets Plus One = Four Times The Fun
http://fourtimesthefun.blogspot.com/

Commentary on the Pleasant Dale Park Board and the Interim Director

In order for children to grow up to become law abiding productive members of the community, parents instill important messages in them while they are young. These messages include knowing right from wrong, making good choices, suffering the consequences of bad choices and setting a good example for others.

Unfortunately, at the Pleasant Dale Park District our children are learning some very different messages.

The messages are that it is okay to use and sell illegal drugs, to lie, hide a felony conviction, make false representations to the government and endanger the lives of children. And hey, if you want to violate Illinois State Statutes, that’s okay too!

On May 22, park commissioners Brad Martin, Wade Brewer and Colleen Pettrone hired a new interim park director. She has an office at the main park building. She is expected to move into the district owned house on park property at the end of the month. She has been working at the park just about every day since then. Yet she has not had a background check.

According to Illinois State Statute 70 ILCS 1205/8-23, “No park district shall knowingly employ a person for whom a criminal background investigation has not been initiated.” Why then is the Pleasant Dale Park District sending the message that it is okay to violate this law?

Katherine Parker, Pleasant Dale Park District’s new interim director, made some poor choices in her past. As a result, she was convicted of a felony for using and selling illegal drugs, placed on probation for five years and disbarred from practicing law in Illinois.

According to court records, “Her criminal conduct was greater than the crime with which she was charged.” and while Ms. Parker was partaking in her drug using and distributing lifestyle, she was also a practicing attorney - a state’s attorney! She knew better, yet she had no problem breaking the laws she was entrusted to uphold. In addition, according to court records, she was pregnant or had young children during this time, most likely endangering their lives with her illegal behavior.

Katherine Parker made bad choices and sadly, bad choices have consequences. This is something that we, as parents, try to instill in our children on a daily basis. Unfortunately, the message that park commissioners Martin, Brewer and Pettrone are sending to the children of our district is ‘don’t worry, because twenty years from now, all will be forgotten. In addition, you will be rewarded with a free home and a high paying job overseeing parks, children’s recreational activities and millions of dollars in tax money.’

It is said that people can reform, they can change their ways, and I believe that to be true. I recently met Ms. Parker. She was a pleasant woman with a warm smile. I believe Ms. Parker has turned a new leaf from her drug dealing past and this is evidenced by the reinstatement of her law license. I have no problem with Katherine Parker working and earning a good salary in the private sector, but please, not at our park district. For the sake of our children, don’t let her be a role model of what poor choices will bring to your future. I don’t want my children to learn that you can break the law by committing a felony and then be rewarded with a free house and a high paying job for which you have no experience.

I am calling on the residents and government officials of the local municipalities that are served by the Pleasant Dale Park District to say enough is enough and to put an end the detrimental messages that Pleasant Dale Park Commissioners Martin, Brewer and Pettrone are sending to the children of our community!

Free Entertainment!!

There's a new form of entertainment in our community these days - local board meetings. Let us share some of the highlights of the last five local board meetings we attended.

At the Pleasantdale School board meeting on April 15, superintendent Mark Fredisdorf attempted to explain why 35% of the students in the fourth grade are in remedial reading by stating they most likely have social/emotional issues and unsavory home lives – shifting the blame for a shoddy reading program away from the school district and onto the parents.

At the Willow Springs village board meeting on April 16, the head of public works and an administrative assistant were let go because they applied for a federally funded grant aimed at building sidewalks and installing traffic calming measures in order to help children walk to school. Apparently the school district and the village board did not want attention drawn to the dangerous streets that line the routes to school or they were afraid that someone else might get the credit for trying to make things better for kids.

On May 6, it was the Willow Springs’ Planning and Zoning Commission’s turn for political antics. At that meeting, commissioner Schmidt accused committee head Tom Kaptur of making deals on the side without the knowledge or consent of the entire board. Kaptur quickly adjourned the meeting, against the village attorney’s wishes, to stave off the accusations being hurled against him. Now it seems, they will have to reconvene the meeting and taxpayers will be footing the bill.

The icing on the cake came at the last two Pleasant Dale Park District board meetings. On May 12 in front of a packed house we learned that the new board members Brad Martin and Wade Brewer had themselves sworn in before the actual meeting which raised many eyebrows. We were enlightened on the hostile work environment at the golf course which has caused several employees to quit. We watched the two new board members and existing member Colleen Pettrone take over the meeting and the board much to the chagrin of everyone there. We heard a resident ask Martin how he got her unlisted number to solicit her support during the election. Finally, we learned that a commissioner may have broken the law by forging a letter on park district stationary for her son and his accomplices to get out of performing court ordered community service.

At the June 9th meeting, with over 40 residents in attendance, we watched park board president Brad Martin refuse to allow public comment at the beginning of the meeting as it has been done for the last 20 or so years. This did not seem to be a very smart move. The meeting lasted over two and a half hours and was filled with snide comments, boos and jeers from the audience. If public forum had taken place at the start of the meeting, the room most likely would have cleared out soon afterward. Instead, those in attendance got an earful and saw first hand how our park board has been hijacked and the district appears in shambles.

We learned that the interim director Katherine Parker Parker, who has no experience managing a park district, has been on the job 17 days yet had not had a background check. According to Illinois state statute, this must be done prior to employment when working with children or money. When Commissioner Moon made a motion to bar her from working at the park until the state obligation was met, commissioners Martin, Pettrone and Brewer declined to do so violating state law. Pettrone stated that "we haven't discussed her salary so we don't have to do a background check," even though Parker has already been on the job 17 days. In addition, an audience member brought up Parker's shady past.

https://www.iardc.org/rd_database/rulesdecisions.html (Search Parker) (pg. 6, 3/1/1991)

http://www.pioneerlocal.com/westernsprings/news/1614750,western-springs-pddirector-060909-s2.article

It was also revealed that the matter concerning the commissioners' sons and the forged letter satisfying a community service obligation was taken care of in executive session. With a 3 to 2 majority vote, one can only surmise how that was handled.

During the consent agenda, Moon questioned an invoice in regard to why the park district recently hired a locksmith to change one lock to the tune of $107 when they employ a full time maintenance staff. A nice waste of our taxes.

Audience members questioned who the president of the board was as Martin and Brewer sat there in silence while vice president Pettrone ran the meeting. Another audience questioned why Brewer wanted to be on the park board yet did not open his mouth once during the meeting.

A former park commissioner stated he was appalled that board president Martin called a special meeting at noon on the Friday of a holiday weekend, purposely so that the public could not attend. We also learned that Martin, Brewer and Pettrone violated the open meetings act by conducting their own meeting to discuss firing the former director, replacing the park attorney and hiring Parker despite any formal vetting process taking place. We heard that the former park director was dismissed quite abruptly and the taxpayers will be footing the bill for any litigation that will likely come out of this. Things went from bad to worse as the meeting went on.

This new form of entertainment is much better than any soap opera on TV these days. You really can’t make this stuff up. We look forward to the future meetings of these local boards because you never know what might happen! We also encourage all district residents to follow the political antics of these boards as well.

It's fantastic entertainment, and best of all, it’s free!!

Elementary School Song

Grades K-4 singing the elementary school song.

Fantastic job kids!!

Ten Parent Initiative

We are looking for ten parents for the month of June. Please email us if you are available.

Congratulations!

Congratulations to the Pleasantdale Class of 2009!

The best is yet to come...enjoy!

The Middle School Talent Show

I just wanted to congratulate the students at the middle school for the awesome performance this morning in the talent show, they were all great.

I have to comment on the final performance. I am still speechless after watching and witnessing what happened this morning.

The final talent was Delaney B. She got up there and did a song from High School Musical. And to my surprise the girls from "Dynamite Dancers" which performed earlier, came out and accompanied Delaney in the background with a dance. I was sitting all the way in the back and I could just see the joy in this little girl's face when those girls came out to back her up. She finished her song and the whole audience stood up and applauded her. It was the most amazing sight.

I know the moms sitting around me did not have a dry eye. It was just so beautiful.

What I want to say is YOU GO Delaney! And I am so proud of that group of girls that came out to support and accompany Delaney. I think that was such a wonderful act of friendship and kindness.

These are the things that I like to see going on in our school.

Hats off to everyone that worked on putting this talent show together! It was awesome!

Patty Gioia

May 20th Board Meeting

To view the rest of the May 20, 2009 board meeting, click the link below.

http://pleasantdale.powweb.com/20090520190812.wmv

Please note: It may take a few minutes to upload. If you are having problems, leave us a comment or send us and email.

Happy Viewing!

Technical Difficulties

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Because of this, many of our readers have experienced technical difficulties. Please access our blog at the following address until we can complete our upgrades: www.pleasantdaleschool.blogspot.com

Thanks for your patience. We hope things will be up and running smoothly again very soon.

Board of Education Meeting, May 20, 2009

Without further adieu...

More to come!

Bullying

We'd like to address the bullying issue in our school.

We don’t mean the bullying going on in both the middle and elementary schools. No, we mean the bullying going on by our administration.

Just last month Dr. Fredisdorf called a woman in from the IASB to instruct newly elected board member Karen O’Halloran on what her role on the board of education was. Two years ago, when three new board members were seated, did our superintendent have someone from IASB come out and tell them what their role was? No. Was it done in July of 2006 when Rosaria Becker took a seat on the board? No. We believe this woman was brought in from the IASB by our administration to put Karen O’Halloran in her place and to bully those in attendance.

This woman talked about how the board should not want the public to attend their board meetings. Why wouldn’t our board and administration want the public there? Our board members have a choice in whether or not to respond to public comment and they chose not to as instructed by our superintendent.

Rather than opening the lines of communication in this community, to become partners in the education of our children, we are bullied by their silence.

Another example of bullying was shutting the community out at last month’s meeting by holding the board self evaluation in closed session. If this board and superintendent are doing the wonderful job they would like the community members to believe they are doing, why evaluate themselves behind closed doors? It contributes to the secret society illusion that perpetuates in this district. We would like to know when the last time the board self evaluation was conducted in closed session prior to this year because it has not been done in the last three years according to the meeting minutes that are online.

According to your board policy, the School Board supports the formation and vitality of parent organizations recognizing that they are an invaluable resource to the District’s schools. Did the board welcome the Pleasantdale Education Network, an organization created by parents for the betterment of our children? No. Why did the board go against its own policy by refusing to work with and acknowledge the PEN organization? Again, it's a form of bullying by our administration.

Last evening, parent Anna Campos came to the board to provide numerous examples of how her 5 year old daughter has been bullied all year by her kindergarten teacher and how Mrs. Campos herself has been bullied by the staff, principal and superintendent. They demanded that her young Hispanic daughter be tested for the Swine Flu and could not return to school until then, even though the child displayed no symptoms. This five year old girl was put through the ringer until her parents finally pulled her out of Pleasantdale.

Three children have been pulled out of school this year due to bullying. Two of them Kindergartners, from the same classroom!

The teacher surveys from last spring talked about how the teachers are bullied by the administration. Remember these comments when asked what the roadblocks in district 107 were?

"Administrators rule with fear and intimidation."
"Being bullied."
"There is a climate of fear" at the middle school.
"Fear influences how teachers react to requests...if I don't do something they ask me to do, what will they do to me? If I question something that occurs, will I suffer repercussions?"
"Tone of voice used by principal (Meg Pokorny) when talking to staff members that disagree with her point of view is threatening."
"When I see teachers treated inhumanly or unfairly it makes me feel that anyone could be next."

How about last winter when our superintendent told the non-tenured teachers that if our slate of "rogues" won the election we would fire several teachers, trying to scare them into action. If that isn't bullying, what is?

When will the bullying in our district end and why does our school board allow it to continue?

We are beginning to realize that the bullying in our schools won’t ever end because it is a problem that begins at the top of our school district and propagates down.

We're hoping the board members on the social/emotional committee, Rick Rigley and Beth Tegtmeier, will look into the bullying going on by our administration and work to put an end to it - but we won't hold our breath.

Score one for the visting team!

In a March conversation with Pleasantdale technology specialist Judith Stevens, she was asked how many interactive white boards our district had. She stated the district did not have any. She was also asked if the district had plans to purchase any and she stated no. She went on to say the district was in the first year of a three year technology plan and at the present time there weren't any plans for things like interactive whiteboards, senteo clickers or document cameras but they were in the process replacing the tvs with monitors.

At the candidates forum we pointed out that our district was grossly behind many other districts including poverty stricken districts such as Markham and Joliet in the area of technology. While other districts were forging ahead we had no plans to do so. We also spoke of a study done by Robert Marzano who found that school districts who use interactive whiteboards have seen a rise in test scores. The current board members at the forum spoke of the wonderful mod tech program Pleasantdale had and that this program was sufficient in the area of technology.

This was our position:

"The technology program in our school district is seriously lacking. Our middle school computer lab is staffed with a teacher that has no expertise in the subject of modular technology. It was a poor decision of the administration to make this staff change that put our students at a disadvantage. While surrounding school districts are forging ahead in the area of technology using things like Smart Technology and Mimio Interactive Boards, our district has remained stagnant. The future lies in technology and it is time for our school to get on board and keep pace with the advances in technology that will in turn benefit our students.""

Now, just two months later, Pleasantdale has decided to seek out funds to purchase interactive whiteboards. At last night's board meeting, the school board approved an IDEA stimulus expenditure proposal in which funds will be used to purchase 48 Promethean Active Boards and document cameras.

This NEVER would have happened if we hadn't pointed out the serious inadequacies of our technology program during our campaign and at the candidate's forum in March.

Oh, and during a recent audit of our district, the ISBE found that the middle school mod tech instructor has no training in the area of technology and should not be teaching it. Therefore changes to the program must be made. Stay tuned to see what happens.

Violating Board Policy?

Is our board going against their own policy?

According to the May agenda, in item VII, a few reports and discussions will take place for the first time. These items include the IDEA stimulus expenditure proposal, the grade one job share proposal and the multi-age preschool.

In item VIII the board will be asked to vote on these policies after a discussion that is taking place for the first time just minutes beforehand.

If you read the board policy 2:240 below, doesn't it say that these items cannot be voted on the first time they are brought up in discussion?

Policy Adoption and Dissemination

Policies or policy revisions will not be adopted at the Board meeting at which they are first introduced, except when: (1) appropriate for a consent agenda because no Board discussion is required, or (2) necessary or prudent in order to meet emergency or special conditions or to be legally compliant. Further Board consideration will be given at a subsequent meeting(s) and after opportunity for community input. The adoption of a policy will serve to supersede all previously adopted policies on the same topic.

The Board policies are available for public inspection in the District’s main office during regular office hours. Copy requests should be made pursuant to Board policy 2:250, Access to District’s Public Records.

Hmmm, it's shaping up to be an interesting meeting tomorrow evening.