KSD111 Monthly Newsletter
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Dear Staff and Families,
As we begin a new calendar year, I want to take a moment to thank you for your continued partnership, trust, and commitment to the students of Kankakee School District 111. January often brings a sense of renewal, a chance to reflect on where we are, clarify where we are going, and recommit ourselves to doing what is best for children, even when the work is complex or difficult. To ensure everyone is abreast of the work ahead, I am using this newsletter to reorient us.
Planning for the Future: Boundary, Facility Capacity, and Enrollment Study
Over the past year, our district has engaged in careful analysis and long-range planning to ensure we are stewarding our resources responsibly while maintaining equitable access to high-quality learning environments. To support this work, the Board of Education approved a comprehensive Boundary, Enrollment, and Capacity Study conducted by MGT Consulting Group. This study examines enrollment trends, building utilization, and facility capacity across the district, using both current data and future projections. The purpose of these studies is to help us understand where our students reside, how enrollment is shifting, and how well our existing buildings align with those realities, now and in the years ahead.
This work is not about quick fixes. It is about thoughtful, data-informed decision-making that prioritizes student learning, fiscal responsibility, and long-term sustainability. The study will also include multiple scenarios and opportunities for community engagement, ensuring transparency and shared understanding as we move forward.
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Edison Primary School: A Difficult but Necessary Recommendation
As part of our broader facilities review, the administration has recommended the closure of Edison Primary School at the conclusion of the 2025–2026 school year. This recommendation was not made lightly. Edison faces significant infrastructure and repair needs that are cost prohibitive at this time. When considered alongside declining enrollment and underutilized space in other buildings, continuing to operate Edison would divert limited resources away from students and programs across the district.The Board has begun the formal process required by Illinois School Code, which includes multiple public hearings to ensure community voice and transparency before any final decision is made.
Although public hearings were still held on January 7th and 8th regarding my recommendation to close Edison at the conclusion of this school year, we were required to relocate staff and students immediately following an engineering assessment that revealed more serious safety concerns, which were shared on December 29, 2025. The safety of our staff and students is paramount, and the additional analysis indicated that the infrastructure of the 1958 building addition was no longer safe.
I am incredibly grateful to the staff and volunteers who assisted in relocating staff; this was a massive undertaking and could not have been accomplished without the dedication of so many incredibly dedicated and thoughtful individuals.
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Moving Forward Together
I know that conversations about boundaries, buildings, and long-term planning are deeply personal. Schools are more than structures; they hold memories, relationships, and a sense of belonging that runs deep within our community. As we continue this work, my commitment to you is to lead with honesty, compassion, and respect by communicating clearly, listening carefully, and remaining anchored in what matters most: providing safe, supportive, and thriving learning environments for every student we serve.
At the same time, we are intentionally looking ahead. Through our five-year strategic planning process, we are inviting our community to help shape a shared vision for the future of Kankakee School District 111. This strategic planning work is about alignment and purpose, ensuring that our instructional priorities, equity commitments, and use of resources reflect not only who we are today, but who we aspire to become. Strategic planning allows us to move forward with clarity, even in moments of complexity, and to ensure that hope is paired with thoughtful action.
Your engagement, questions, and care strengthen our district and remind us that meaningful progress is never the work of one voice alone. Together, we will continue to plan responsibly, lead courageously, and hold fast to the belief that Hope Starts Here in our decisions, in our classrooms, and in the futures we are building for our students.
With gratitude and resolve,
Teresa A. Lance, Ed.D.
Superintendent
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Network Security Updates
The Technology Department took advantage of the recent Thanksgiving Break to execute critical infrastructure upgrades that focus on the District network security and data protection. We recognize the increasing importance of staying current in our digital defense. Corey Zych (Technology Systems Manager) and other members of the Technology team dedicated significant time over the holiday period to install and configure essential new equipment to limit the amount of network downtime during student learning hours. This proactive effort ensures that our systems are running on the latest platforms, while also enhancing the integrity of our network operations and safeguarding institutional data against modern cyber threats. We appreciate the team's commitment during the break to keep our digital environment safe and reliable!
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Welcome Back!
With the start of 2026, the Instructional Programs team is pleased to welcome students and families as we continue advancing strong instructional practices and meaningful learning experiences across our schools.This year, we are continuing to focus in on three areas to ensure every student thrives:
- Understanding the "What" and "Why" and “How”: We are empowering students to take ownership of their education. This means clearly defining what they are learning, why it matters, and how they will know they are successful.
- Literacy Across Content Areas: Literacy isn't just for English class. We are integrating reading, writing, and critical thinking across every subject.
- Engaging in Rigorous Tasks: We are challenging students with tasks that require solving complex problems and applying knowledge in creative ways.
Upcoming Dates:
Preparing for Success: State & College Readiness Assessments: Preparing for Success: State & College Readiness Assessments Preparation will continue for our upcoming assessments beginning in March.
- IAR (Illinois Assessment of Readiness): Math and English Language Arts for grades 3–8 (Week of March 23rd)
- ISA (Illinois Science Assessment): Science inquiry for grades 5 and 8 (Week of March 30th)
- PreAct and ACT: English, Math, Reading and Science for grades 9-11 (March 25th)
Magnet Fair at Taft: Thinking about the next step?Explore specialized programs and see how our district's pathways—from Fine Arts to Engineering—align with your child’s interests. Please click here for additional information about our magnet programs.
- Join us at the Magnet Fair at Taft on February 24th at 5:30 p.m.
Your Voice Matters: The 5Essentials Survey: We are seeking family input through the 5Essentials Survey. This tool identifies five indicators that lead to improved school outcomes.
- The survey link will be shared by your child’s school when the survey begins February 2, 2026.
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Online Learning Resources for Families
Our district provides high-quality software to support learning at home. Access to these programs is available via Clever. We recommend students spend approximately 15–20 minutes daily on their designated literacy or math platforms:
K-3rd Grade
- Lexia Core 5: Adaptive literacy instruction focusing on foundational reading skills.
- Zearn Math: Interactive lessons that align with our core math curriculum.
- MyOn: Online digital library
4th-6th Grade
- Lexia Core 5: Continued personalized literacy support.
- Lexia PowerUp: Adaptive literacy instruction for personalized literacy support starting at 6th grade.
- Magma Math: Targeted practice to help students master math standards.
- CommonLit: A digital library with passages to practice reading comprehension.
- MyOn: Online digital library
7th-8th Grade
- Lexia PowerUp: Designed for older students to sharpen word study, grammar, and comprehension.
- IXL (ELA): Comprehensive practice and immediate feedback for skill mastery.
- Zearn Math: Interactive lessons that align with our core math curriculum.
- MyOn: Online digital library
9th-12th Grade
- IXL (ELA & Math): High school level standard-aligned practice.
- SchooLinks: Our platform for college and career exploration and planning.
- MyOn: Online digital library
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Non-Tech Strategies for Success
The "What, Why, and How" Discussion: Ask your child: "What did you learn today, and why is it important?" How did you know you were successful?
Create a "Learning Zone": Designate a quiet, distraction-free space for studying. Encourage students to set their phones and other digital devices aside during this time to improve focus.
Home Literacy Connections: Encourage your child to read recipes, online information, books, or news articles, and use the 3-2-1 strategy.
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3 new facts or details they learned.
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2 things they found interesting or surprising.
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1 big idea or 'takeaway' they can explain in their own words
The "I Wonder" Routine: Use "I wonder..." questions during daily activities (like "I wonder why the sky looks that way tonight?") to spark curiosity and oral language development.
Vocabulary Play: Pick a "word of the week" from a school subject and try to use it in conversation at home. Building a strong vocabulary is a key predictor of success on assessments like the ACT.
January:
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Grades K–6: Analyze (Break it down) / Determine (Decide)/ Compare (Find similarities) / Contrast (Find differences)
- Grades 7–12: Interpret (Explain) / Hypothesize (Guess why) / Synthesize (Combine ideas) / Formulate (Create or develop)
February:
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Grades K–6: K–6: Evidence (Proof) / Collaborate (Team up) / Identify (Find or point out) / Describe (Provide details)
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Grades 7–12: Grades 7–12: Perspective (Point of view) / Coherent (Logical) / Justification (Give reasons or proof) / Significant (Important or noticeable)
March:
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Grades K–6: Summarize (Shorten) / Evaluate (Judge) / Predict (Guess what happens next) / Infer (Read between the lines)
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Grades 7–12: Assess (Check quality) / Explicit (Clear/Obvious) / Differentiate (Tell items apart) / Elaborate (Add more detail)
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Our Food Services team continues to work hard to meet all Illinois state food service regulations while still serving meals that students love. Fan favorites—like our popular orange chicken—remain on the menu, combining nutrition and great taste.
We’re also excited to introduce Essential Smoothies, launching January 12 in the KHS cafeteria. Students will be able to choose from three smoothie options, available during lunch periods for $5.00 each. Be sure to check them out!
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New Year, New You: Get Vaccines and Physicals Checked Off Early
A new year is the perfect time to start strong and stay healthy. If your student is entering Pre-Kindergarten, Kindergarten, 6th grade, 9th grade, or 12th grade, the State of Illinois requires updated vaccines and/or physical exams for school attendance. Skip the summer rush and schedule your appointment now.
Illinois School Health Requirements
Pre-Kindergarten
Physical Exam: Required
Vaccines Required:
DTaP, Polio, MMR, Varicella (Chickenpox), Hepatitis B, Hib, Pneumococcal (PCV)
Kindergarten
Physical Exam: Required
Vaccines Required:
DTaP, Polio, MMR, Varicella, Hepatitis B
6th Grade
Physical Exam: Required
Vaccines Required:
Tdap booster, Meningococcal (MCV4)
HPV vaccine is strongly recommended but not required
9th Grade
Physical Exam: Required
Vaccines: Must be up to date
12th Grade
Physical Exam: Not required
Vaccines Required:
Meningococcal (MCV4) booster
Schedule Your Appointment Today!
Avoid last-minute stress, prevent missed school days, and help your student start the school year healthy and ready to learn.
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Kankakee School Junior High Clinic - Phone: 815-802-5730
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Kankakee High School Clinic: Phone - 815-802-5530
New year, new you—let’s keep our students healthy, protected, and school-ready.
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Welcome Back!
We hope that all staff and students had a wonderful, restful, and joyful Holiday break. Whether you spent your days celebrating with family, catching up with friends, traveling, or simply enjoying some well-earned relaxation, we’re delighted to welcome everyone back for the start of a brand-new year.
As we step into the new year, this is a perfect time to set fresh goals, embrace new challenges, and look forward to the many opportunities ahead. A new year offers a clean slate—a chance to build on past successes, reflect on areas for growth, and continue developing the skills that help us learn and thrive together.
Over the coming weeks, we’ll be diving into exciting learning experiences, upcoming projects, and school events that will enrich our community both academically and socially. We encourage students to stay engaged, stay curious, and support one another as we work toward our individual and collective achievements. Likewise, we extend a warm welcome back to our dedicated staff, whose commitment and enthusiasm continue to inspire our school every day.
Let’s approach this year with positivity, kindness, and a renewed sense of purpose. Together, we can make the months ahead meaningful, productive, and filled with success.
Welcome back, and here’s to a fantastic start to the new year!
As winter continues to stay with us and more snow settles around our community, our maintenance and custodial teams are working each day to keep the school warm, safe, and accessible. We’re monitoring heating systems, clearing snow from entrances, and salting walkways to reduce icy spots. Please remind students to dress in warm layers, including hats, gloves, and waterproof boots—these small steps make mornings and recess much more comfortable.
Cold weather can be challenging at home as well, so here are a few helpful reminders for families:
• Keep a consistent indoor temperature to avoid frozen pipes.
• Open cabinet doors under sinks on extremely cold nights to help warm air circulate around plumbing.
• Check furnace filters and replace them if they’re dirty to help heating systems run efficiently.
• Place wet gloves, boots, and coats near a vent or on a drying rack so they’re ready for the next school day.
• Have a backup plan for extra-cold mornings, such as warming the car early or setting out warm clothing the night before.
Thank you for partnering with us to keep our school community warm and safe throughout the winter season!
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We are excited to announce that Kankakee School District is launching our process to develop its 5-year Strategic Plan. Our strategic plan will act as a roadmap for our school system, bringing all stakeholders together around clear priorities, common goals and a unified direction for our district in order to build a stronger school system for all students.The creation of this community-wide strategic plan will be led primarily by the Core Planning Team. This team is a diverse group of all stakeholders including students, parents, community representatives,teachers, administrators, and staff.
We are looking for interested individuals to join us on the Core Planning Team. Your input is crucial to the development of the strategic vision for Kankakee. As a member of the team, we ask that you commit to attending every team meeting - your voice counts!
Meetings will be held in-person and/or virtually at the district on the following dates:
- Tuesday,January 20 from 8:00 am-4:00 pm (Onsite)
- Wednesday, January 21 from 8:00 am-4:00 pm (Onsite)
- Wednesday, February 11 from 8:00 am–11:30 am (Virtual)
- Wednesday, April 15 from 8:00 am–11:30 am (Onsite)
- Thursday, May 14 from 8:00 am-11:30 am (Onsite/Virtual TBD)
Complete this brief interest form if you would like to be considered to join our Core Planning team. Please note that you must be able to commit to all meeting dates. The interest form submission window will close on Thursday, January 15th.
Unable to commit to all planning dates? We have three community forums in the evening February-April where you can participate! A student voice and community planning team will also be convened. More details to come soon.
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Welcome to 2026 from Early Childhood Education!
Happy New Year! As we welcome 2026, we hope you and your family enjoyed a restful and joyful Winter Break filled with special moments together. We are so excited to begin this new year with our amazing children, families, and staff.
A heartfelt thank you to all of our families for helping make Winter Wonderland such a wonderful success. The smiles, laughter, and shared experiences truly reflected the spirit of our school community, and we are grateful for your continued partnership and support.
In the coming weeks, our teachers and students will be completing the second assessment window of the DRDP (Desired Results Developmental Profile). The DRDP is an observational, play-based assessment that helps us understand how children are performing in preschool by capturing their learning naturally during daily routines, play, and classroom activities. It provides a whole-child picture of each child’s growth and progress across key developmental areas, including:
- Social–Emotional Development
- Language and Literacy
- Cognition and Early Math
- Physical Development
- Approaches to Learning
This information allows our teachers to individualize instruction, celebrate each child’s strengths, and provide support where needed.
While the DRDP is not a single predictor of kindergarten success, it does give us strong indicators of kindergarten readiness skills over time. It helps us understand how children are developing foundational skills such as communication, self-regulation, problem-solving, early literacy and math behaviors, and participation in group learning. This supports a smooth and successful transition into kindergarten.
As winter is fully upon us, we kindly remind families to dress our little ones warmly each day, as students may participate in outdoor movement and transition time whenever weather allows.
Please always know that across all of our Early Childhood programs, we take great pride in serving our families. If at any time you are in need of support, guidance, or community resources, we encourage you to connect with any member of our team—we are always happy to assist.
With gratitude and best wishes for a bright and successful start to 2026,
Pamela J. Powell
Director of Early Childhood Education
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Dr. González began her career in education in 2002 as a middle school teacher in Chicago Public Schools in the southwest neighborhood where she grew up. As a first generation college graduate, she understood the promise and obstacles for students in her community. Upon her hiring, her principal told her he believed she had a story to tell that would help students who often got overlooked.
Dr. González went on to lead in expanding leadership roles including school administration and district leadership. Her leadership trajectory encompasses leading elementary, high school and district communities toward academic excellence by casting shared visions, building organizational systems and team trust and capacity to strengthen schools in urban and suburban settings. Leading in complex and diverse contexts developed her commitment and ability to bring out the best in others to place the needs of young people at the heart of organizational improvement efforts.
Dr. González is also adjunct professor at National Louis University in their Educational Leadership Studies graduate program. NLU is a designated Hispanic Serving Institution and as a former NLU graduate student herself, it is rewarding to pay it forward by sharing her insights and experiences as a Mexican American in educational leadership with the next generation of education leaders.
When she is not working, Dr. Gonzalez spends time in Scripture and prayer and with her family and loved ones enjoying the simple things in life.
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Dr. James L. Henderson is a seasoned education leader and advocate for equity, with over 30 years of experience—including 25 years in senior cabinet roles—across districts serving up to 210,000 students. A native Mississippian and first-generation college graduate, he holds degrees from Jackson State University, Prairie View A&M, and St. John’s University.
Dr. Henderson most recently served as Superintendent of the Proviso Township High School District, where he led transformative initiatives in curriculum, facilities, discipline reform, and student achievement. His leadership introduced a college-ready curriculum, eliminated corporal punishment, and expanded access to advanced coursework and technology.
Recognized for his strategic, student-centered approach, Dr. Henderson has received numerous honors, including the Texas Legislative Black Caucus Outstanding Texan Award in Education. He is a lifelong member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., and a graduate of the AASA Urban Superintendents Academy at Howard University.
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Hope Starts Here. Hope Starts with YOU.
Kankakee School District 111 is looking for passionate educators to join our team. We have multiple teaching positions open, and we’d love for you to be part of our community.
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Spanish interpretation will be available on-site. We look forward to seeing you there!
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Parents & Guardians – We encourage you to download the ParentSquare app! This will be our district’s main platform for communication with families and teachers.
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We’re excited to be launching the KHS Alumni Foundation, a new way to reconnect graduates and support future Kays!
If you’re a Kankakee High School graduate, please fill out the form below and join us in building this inspiring new network.
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