Hello!

I’m Lisa Small, Superintendent of District 211. 

I’m here at Conant High School and we just passed the 12-week mark of the school year. 

As a reminder, you receive progress reports twice each semester, at both 6 and 12 weeks. 

In high school, the semester one and semester two final grades are the only grades officially posted on the transcript. The first semester ends in December, before winter break. Second semester ends in May, on the last day of school. Throughout the year, your Infinite Campus portal can give you an update on attendance and grades at any time. 

We continue to look forward to seeing every student each day. 

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With the Thanksgiving holiday quickly approaching, I’d like to talk a bit about gratefulness.

I’m nearly halfway through my final year in District 211. This has been my professional home for more than 30 years, and I’ve had the privilege to serve in many different roles.

In each role, I’ve had a different view of the District and how we accomplish all that we do. 

You may not realize that District 211 is comprised of over 2,000 employees.

Even though we have 7 different campuses, it is these 2,000 employees who come to school each day who make District 211 a place where students have opportunities,support and the chance to prepare for their future.  

I am tremendously grateful for the work of the 2,000 employees, the energy of our 12,000 students, and the support of our families and community volunteers who make District 211 what it is today.  

More than anything, I’m grateful for the time I’ve had here. District 211 continues to build a legacy of excellence through the hard work and creativity of so many people. 

I can’t wait to see what comes next.

I encourage all of you to practice gratitude this month and always. If you’re able to express a thank-you to someone in our schools, I know it would brighten a day.

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Finally, as we head into the winter months, I want to remind you of our weather-related emergency closing procedures. These are found on all our District and school home pages, and also below in the Resources section. 

If we can partner with you this winter for coats or family assistance, please connect with your school.. We know the winter weather is coming, so let us partner with you early in preparation. Reach out to any adult in the school for support. 

The resources section of this newsletter offers detailed information regarding cold temperatures ranges and when schools will close, but - as we have all experienced - it is extremely difficult  to predict snowfall in advance. 

Therefore, it is rare that school closures due to excessive snow are announced the night before. If school is closing due to snow, a decision is more likely to be made by 6 a.m. after we assess the roads and our parking lots. 

In the case of a closing for inclement weather, you will be notified as early as possible through various channels, including by phone and email. 

District 211 has an extended regular school calendar that allows us to take emergency weather days without having online classes or making up the day at the end of the year. 

Therefore, if it is too cold or snow impedes travel to the point of closing school, we will have a traditional snow day with no school and no make-up day at the end of the year. 

Once more, thank you for all you do to make your high school and District 211 the best it can be.