FOUR BLUE RIBBONS FOR DISTRICT 96 ELEMENTARY PHYSICAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS

Each of the four elementary schools in District 96 has been awarded blue ribbon recognition status for its physical education program. Exemplary program quality and staff commitment to meeting state and national standards distinguish Country Meadows, Ivy Hall, Kildeer Countryside, and Prairie as models of excellence in Illinois.

The physical education program review addresses curriculum, instruction, facilities & equipment, financing, medical/safety aspects, and administration. The Illinois Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation & Dance (IAHPERD) awarded District 96 elementary schools the highest recognition status, which will be in effect for five years.

Strengths that IAHPERD evaluators noted in District 96 programs included the wide range of age-appropriate activities the students enjoy, posters reflecting attention to multiple learning styles, quality assessments that include rubrics, safe and well-maintained equipment, and a District culture that provides teachers time and resources for professional development.

District 96 teachers whose physical education programs were awarded blue ribbon recognition from IAHPERD include Country Meadows teachers Kathryn Nihill and Kathryn Smith; Ivy Hall teachers Jennifer Cigrand and Todd Spangler; Kildeer Countryside teachers Deborah Blair, Luke Emde, and Jennifer Nemeth; and Prairie teachers Elizabeth Androjnaand Robin Lehtman. Formal recognition of District 96 elementary physical education programs is planned for November 2009 at the IAHPERD convention in St. Charles, Illinois.

Pictured, l to r, are Kathryn (Holly) Smith, Luke Emde, Debbie Blair, Jennifer Cigrand, Superintendent Thomas Many, Liz Androjna, Kathy Nihill, Robin Lehtman, and Jennifer Nemeth. Not pictured: Todd Spangler