June 11 Newsletter

PACE Weekly Newsletter - June 11, 2007

Dear PACE parents,

We have 5 items to share with you this week -

1) Youth For Understanding (YFU) Exchange Program - YFU is a cultural/educational exchange program for high school students started in the 1950's to foster understanding between Europe and the United States after World War II. It has since grown to exchanges of students to and from the USA to all over the world. 500 students from 50 countries are scheduled to come into the Heartland district (Colorado, Indiana, Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota and Nebraska) this coming school year. YFU is looking for host families, including the greater Chicago area to take students for year-long placement, semester placement, 90 day placement, or to be a welcome family (temporary host placement for a student who has not yet had a permanent family identified by flight time (minimum 6 week committment). YFU places students with families that want the opportunity to share life in the USA with high school students including traditional families (including families with younger children), families without children, singles and seniors. If you know of anyone who would be interested in hosting a YFU student for all or part of this coming year, please contact Allison Boldridge at boldridge@comcast.net or 551-1857.

2) What is happening with our tax dollars? How is being spent? Find out at tonight's Board of Education meeting at 7pm, Oswego High School, Community Room. In addition to other items, the Board will hear recommendation on the construction of the third high school, which will cost tens of millions of dollars. Here is the agenda for the meeting, http://www.oswego308.org/districtinformation/boardofeducation/

pdf/Agendas/board_0607/061107.pdf. If you have time before the Board meeting, come by to the Curriculum Committee meeting occurring from 5:30pm-6:45pm at OHS main office conference room just down the hall. Parents will find out about NWEA Testing Results (MAP computerized testing), Reading 180 Program, and Planning for the Future - Middle School.

3) PACE planning for next year's events is underway! We have lots of exciting events planned! Events/Activities will run from September to about April of next year. If you like to find out about how you can get involved for any of these, please contact us anytime at pace308org@sbcglobal.net. More information about these will be coming in future emails and will be posted on our website, www.pace308.org.

4) Recommended Books for Kids page on PACE website - Want to share with other children information about books that your child enjoyed reading? Send us the book title, author, why your child likes this book, child's first name, school, grade, and age to pace308org@sbcglobal.net. We'll post it on our webpage, http://www.pace308.org/Kids_Suggested_Books.htm. Summer is here, so what better time than to get into some Summer reading.

5) Gifted Funding - We would like to thank parents for contacting Representative Tom Cross last week. Thank you for all your emails and phone calls! As soon as we hear an update from Springfield, we will be sure to share it with you. Thank you for all your support!

PACE Parents and Community for Excellence