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(Continued fr - n i>age 11) one of McHenry's "land­ marks." II was completely renovated to accommodate early primary school students. Approximately 390 students attend Landmark, which is staffed by eleven teachers. Constructed in 1956, Edgebrook school serves the needs of about 605 students from its location at the corner of Kane avenue and Green street. Thirty-one instructors teach first-through-fifth graders at the school. According to Daniel DeRoche, principal - at Edgebrook, "most of our curriculum changes at Edgebrook for this coming year are in the area of acquiring up- to-date textbooks and materials for the various academic areas. "Last year, we began im­ proving our playground facilities," DeRoche added. "A larger area was cleared, and now we have the new baseball diamond and backstop com­ pleted for the beginning of this academic year. "Our newly formed Parent Teacher organization (EPTO) js in the process of formulating plans that would provide more activities for the students during their use of the playground," he added. "The EPTO plans to continue their involvement with the schoo1 throughout the school year to assist school officials in various programs of on-going im­ provement." aHilltop and Valley View schools were constructed in the early 1960s to provide ac­ commodations for the ever- increasing school enrollment. Hilltop is located on Lincoln road, northeast of McHenry, and houses about 375 students in grades one through five. Twenty-seven qualified teachers provide the in­ struction. Valley View school was constructed shortly after Hilltop, and thestwo have the same architectural design. It is )<»:ated un Rt. 120, just west of ue gravel pit on Sherman Hill. Enrollment at Valley View this year has jumped from 478 students to 532, with the new influx of students placing the building at maximum capacity. "Every classroom and learning area is being utilized to its fullest capacity," according to E.J. Sobotkiewicz, principal at Valley View. "As in the past, our program at Valley View will place major emphasis on SUPPLEMENT TO McHENRY PLAINDEALER - PAGE 12 - FRIDAY, AUGUST 21. 1977 the '3Rs', plus the fourth *R', which is responsibility. "It's important to direct our energies toward helping children to see the need to 'behave' and to learn ways in which tliey know how to behave," Sobotkiewicz added. "We believe all children are responsible for what they say, how they act, and how they learn. Developing self- responsibility is a concern of the school as well as of the home." McHenry junior high is located adjacent to Edgebrook school on Kane avenue. This was the first junior high in the district, and presently serves about 450 students. Its counterpart, Parkland school, is on the opposite end of town, off Rt. 120 on Ringwood road. Parkland is the newest school in the district, having been constructed in 1971. At the present time, Parkland's facutly of thirty-two serves the needs of 550 students. Persons new to the district often ask similar questions. Does the district have in­ dividualized instruction? Is there team teaching? Are there any special education programs? Are counselors available? The answer to all of the.questions is 'yes'. More and more emphasis in the district is being placed on the individual student's needs and interests. Career education is receiving increasing at­ tention from kindergarten to eighth grade as a way to better prepare the student for the world outside of school, whether the student heads directly into a job, or onto further technical or collegiate education. Each of the schools in District 15 emphasizes working with the child as a 'person'. The concepts of Dr. William Glasser form the foundation for the Schools With Success program, concepts which in­ clude stressing individual responsibility and caring as a means of helping the child realize his or her full potential. In addition to the complete curriculum for each grade, the district offers a wide variety of service and support programs, to meet the needs of children. • Some of these are: learning disability programs; remedial reading programs; special education programs; gifted programs; bilingual-bicultural programs, career education programs; federally funded programs; community resource programs; guidance counselors; psychological services; team leadership; learning centers; reading labs; art; music; physical education; bands; chorus; interschool and intramural athletics for boys and girls; extra-curricular opportunities ; mini-courses; speech therapy; and instructional aides. This coming year marks the fifth year for the Schools With Success program in District 15. The program provides a systematic approach for im­ plementing the district's philosophy of individualization and humanization. It en­ compasses specific formats and ideas to insure that each child's academic and emotional needs are fulfilled. The foundation for the program is based on the recognition that the basic need of mankind is to attain a suc­ cess identity. The pathway to a success identity is through developing an ability to make and maintain genuine human relationships, and through seeing oneself as a worthwhile person, both in one's own eyes and in the eyes of others, in terms of what one actually does. It is a method of working with people. Schools With Success believes that a person is responsible for his or her own behavior, rather than society, the environment, or heredity. The Schools With Success program is not based on a textbook, it is based on life. It is action, hard work, the way a person lives with oneself and with others. Anyone trying to get along with anyone else or who wants to teach others how to achieve fulfillment through authentic involvement with others can find the answers in the Schools With Success program. PersonS in the community are provided the opportunity to get involved with District 15. Each school in the district has two members on the Citizens' Advisory council. These ad­ visory members are offered the opportunity to get involved in every phase of the school. Some of the citizens serve on the various district committees, which meet regularly to discuss the current programs and possible improvement' of in­ struction. Parent volunteers are used in each school/ These volunteers work in the classrooms, learning centers, offices, cafeterias, and playgrounds. According to the ad­ ministration, the assistance that these volunteers provide is invaluable, and they are an integral part of the saff.' Each month a 'second cup of coffee' is held in individual buildings for the parents of children who attend that building. The purpose of the program is to have informal discussions with the principal regarding the child's school. Notices of. the dates and times for these meetings will be published in a newsletter, which each child brings home every Friday. One statement from the administration probably sums up the operation at District 15 better than anything else. "We are positive that you will find your child's school a good place for children to grow." Montini A pleasant mixture of the 'old' and the 'new' will greet the approximate 520 students in grades one through eight who attend Montini Catholic grade school in McHenry this coming year. The Primary center, for­ merly St. Patrick's, will feature a new principal, Sister Patricia Durbin, who has come from North Carolina to replace Sister Paulina, who is involved with Mercy hospital in the Chicago area. * Also now are two nuns, both of whom will be teaching fifth grade at the Middle school, formerly St. Mary's. The new nuns are Sister Marianne Nilges and Sister Mary Madeline Trestik. Sister Marianne is the 'sister' of Father Harold Nilges, who was formerly an associate pastor at St. Mary's church, and is now the pastor in DeKalb. Two other new additions to the teaching staff are Jane Riley, who will be teaching seventh and eighth grade language arts,'and Karen compu6 )) Campus strategy th is ta l i is f inding comfortable :o lor fu l combinat ions; put togethers that a/iII put you on the Dean's List and the campus best dressed l is t as wel l . They re easy to f ind at Genevieves. Genevieve's 1315 N. Riverside McHenry 385-0238 Hours: DAILY 9-5:30 SATURDAYS 9 TO 5:00 USE OUR FREE LAY-AWAY PLAN! Johanson, who will teach sixth grade. As for the 'old', suffice it to say that Montini will continue to be, in the words of Superintendent and Middle school Principal Ron Svoboda, "a very traditional-oriented school in terms of discipline and structure." Therefore, don't expect to see the 'new' math, which "we've completely junked," according to Svoboda. However, just because Montini will be operated ih a manner known as 'traditional', don't think for one minute that Montini isn't being new,and innovative in some of its programs. Quite the contrary. The Primary center will continue to be a non-graded system. No, that doesn't mean that grades wou't be given out. Montini will continue to give outA's, B's, C's, etc. What being non-graded means is that the children are grouped across grade lines for the purpose of teaching reading and arithmetic. That is, a second grade student who has exceptional reading ability will not be held back by the remainder of his or her class. Rather, this child would be grouped with other students in the Primary center of similar reading ability, regardless of what 'grade' the child happens to be in. Svoboda reported that reading scores for Montini students have improved 10 percent since the non-graded system went into effect when Montini was estabwished in 1970. The program has worked with similar success in arith­ metic. Whenever students are grouped together according to ability, there is always the fear that an unhealthy situation could develop among those students grouped in the lower level classes. "We're very cautious of that," Svoboda said. "The thing that is important is that the groups are flexible. Theoretically, a student could be in a different group every week. Thus, psychologically, the students are not locked in. Also, since the students in each group are always changing, the kids don't have the time to 'brand' one another." A similar type of non-graded reading program is being refined at the Middle school. "The teachers came in and did some summer study," Svoboda said. "They are working on more reliable measures to place the^ kids in various groups, rather than just using subjective judgment." Being a parochial school, Montini, of course, adds the fourth 'R', religion, to reading, 'riting, and 'rithmetic. '•'At Montini, we take the position that religion is not only a subject to be taught, it's a religion to be lived," Svoboda said. "Hopefully, the children are a little more Christian than they would be had they not attended Montini. We try to reinforce the home life." This year will also mark the second year of a full musical band at Montini. The program was started last year, and about thirty students par­ ticipated. There is also a full chorus, and preliminary plans call for the chorus to sing at one of the masses at church on Sundays. Ron Svoboda Physical education will continue to be taught with co-ed gym classes, in compliance with federal regulations. Primary center P.E. will be held in the church basement. Svoboda explained that even without federal guidelines, Montini would probably still have co-educational gym classes. "It fits in well with our philosophy to get along with people," he said. "The time for sports is after school." Middle school gym classes will include such 'sports' as square-dancing, along with more traditional athletic ac­ tivities. Gym classes in the Primary center include ac­ tivities such as walking on the balance beam, which fits in well with the reading program, because it improves hand-eye coordinyion. This year, the total number of faculty members is twenty-one, including eight nuns, which is (Continued on page 13)