District 90 Seeks Input on Roosevelt Improvements

Roosevelt Middle School is located at 7560 Oak Avenue in River Forest.

River Forest School District 90 officials continue to seek the community's input on $1 million in improvements at Roosevelt Middle School, which could include renovated parking lots and the addition of lighting and bike racks, according to the Chicago Tribune.  A meeting was held this week to inform the community regarding discussions on the project at the school, which the school board delayed in March since "they thought a more extensive dialogue with the community was needed," according to the Tribune. 

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River Forest Election Endorsements: The Journal Makes its Picks

The Wednesday Journal makes endorsements for village president, village trustee and the District 90 school board race.

The Wednesday Journal made endorsements this week for the local elections that are contested, including the village president seat and the crowded District 200 school board race. The election is Tuesday, April 9. By policy Patch does not make endorsements during elections. But read below for the Journal's picks and links to its full endorsements.  Agree? Disagree? Tell us who you'll vote for in a letter to the editor.  Endorsed: Cathy Adduci Also running: Michael Gibbs "(Adduci) is running a campaign that is looking forward — positively and enthusiastically forward — while her opponent, Michael Gibbs, is fronting a slate steeped in a false nostalgia for the Mayberry version of what is a really terrific modern village.  "A woman with smarts…

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Schools Cancel Some Activities After Heavy Snowfall

Schools in the Forest Park, Oak Park and River Forest area have canceled some after-school activities.

Some area schools have canceled activities Tuesday afternoon because of the heavy snowfall in the area.  Check back to Patch for updates throughout the day, and sign up for FREE breaking news alerts to your email: Oak Park-River Forest alerts / Forest Park news alerts  River Forest District 90: All District 90 and PTO after school activities are canceled Tuesday afternoon.  Oak Park District 97: All activities after 6 p.m. are canceled, but the school board meeting will go on as scheduled.  OPRF High School: The district will close at 5 p.m. Tuesday. Activities and practices scheduled between 3:04 and 5 p.m. will still take place.  Oak Park Park District: The only Park District programs that will take place this afternoon and this evening …

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Young Authors to Participate in Conference, Get Feedback on Work

One student at each District 90 school will be selected to represent the district at the Young Authors' Conference in May.

About 40 District 90 students have submitted work for consideration and a chance to get feedback and have their work read at the Young Authors' Conference in May. Writing by students includes poetry, essays and fiction, among other literary styles of self-expression. Of the submitted work, three students will be selected from each of District 90's schools to represent the district at the statewide conference. Students whose work is picked will have their pieces read, discussed and affixed with the official seal of the Young Authors' Conference. All students who submitted work will get feedback and ribbons. Local author and Latin School teacher Billy Lombardo will also be giving a presentation on the writing process and interact with …

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River Forest District 90 Class Assignments Mailed Soon

Schedules for elementary and middle school students to be mailed by Aug. 23.

...And the end of summer begins to creep in. News from River Forest Public School District 90's monthly primer:  Classroom assignments for elementary students and schedule information for middle school students will be mailed on August 23. The Parent/Student Handbook will be distributed at the school level at the beginning of school. Please note that if your school fees are unpaid at the time of the August mailing, your child's class assignment will be held at the school office. Not sure whether you've paid your fees? Log in to your District web store account to view your account activity. 

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District 90 Scraps Plans for All-Day Kindergarten

Citing cost of launching program and unclear benefit, school board votes against plan.

The River Forest Public Schools District 90 school board has shot down a plan to bring all-day kindergarten to the district. The board opposed the measure by a 6 to 1 vote at Monday's district business meeting, with Liz Fischer casting the lone supporting vote. Earlier: District 90 Halts All-Day Kindergarten Plans All day kindergarten has been on the table since 2010, when then-Supt. Thomas Hagerman and school officials began exploring a range of plans, including extending the current school day, creating a full-day session, or a hybrid plan where students would attend three full days of kindergarten and two extended days. As of now, all of those options have been scrapped. In a letter to parents, new Supt. Ed Condon said the cost of …

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Blind River Forest Student Advances to National Literacy Challenge

Visually impaired sixth grader finishes first in regional literacy competition, now set for national challenge.

He may have been born with a vision impairment, but Roosevelt Middle School sixth grader Alexander Traub doesn’t let the disability hold him back from literature. "He meets challenges head-on and he perseveres when he is presented with something that is challenging," said teaching assistant Mari Burda. While he requires Braille to read, his favorite hobbies include reading science fiction and mystery novels, and doing anything related to computers. Traub is such an adept reader and writer that he’s qualified recently as one of just 12 students in his age group for the national Braille Institute’s annual Literacy Challenge, having taken first place regionally in the fifth and sixth grade level in February. Once school is out next month, he’…

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District 90 Diversity Club Cultures Students

Students treated to Greek history and tasty pastries during weekday visit.

The tray of spanakopita had barely hit the table and the group of middle schoolers hustled into line and scooped a pile of the spinach pastry onto their plates. "I love this stuff," said Roosevelt Middle School fifth-grader Thomas Weinheimer, surrounded by classmates during a session of the school's diversity club. On Monday, students learned about Greece, first through a short lecture by River Forest resident Marika Panton, who breezed through a few hundred years of Greek history while a DVD of the picturesque country played adjacent to her, and then from her father-in-law John Panton, a Greek-born Elmwood Park eye doctor who told students about the country's troubles during World War II. Students also learned about the Greek food, …

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District 90 Selects New Superintendent

Hinsdale native to take helm in River Forest.

The River Forest Public Schools District 90 school board has selected a new superintendent, officials announced Monday. Edward Condon III, principal of Butler Junior High School in Oak Brook, will be introduced at Tuesday's District 90 school board meeting, scheduled for 7 p.m. at Roosevelt Middle School.  He'll replace outgoing Supt. Thomas Hagerman, who announced his departure to take the top job at Winnetka public schools in January. Condon has 20 years of experience in public schools, beginning with a stint as high school social studies teacher in Chesapeake, Va., where he later became principal of a large middle school, according to a news release.  "Throughout the interview process and with each stakeholder group, conversations …

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Patch Election HQ

Meet Your Candidates: Liz Fischer, District 90 School Board Member

Liz Fischer, a River Forest homemaker and writer, runs for District 90 School Board.

Liz Fischer, a homemaker and writer in River Forest, is one of three candidates running unchallenged on the District 90 School Board ballot. Ralph Martire and incumbent James Weiss will also appear on the ballot. (Editor's note: Weiss was sent a candidate questionnaire, but has not returned it.) Born and raised in Oak Park, she attended OPRF high school and has lived in River Forest since 1997. She has three children with husband Bruce, including two currently in the District 90 school system. Fischer said she decided to run for the board because she sees it as a way to give back to her community, working toward a brighter future. In her spare time she enjoys Pilates, hockey, cycling, and browsing in bookstores. Patch: District 90's Board …

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