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Preparing for flu season
With flu season here, many parents across the country find themselves caring for children sick with influenza. Children are two to three times more likely than adults to get sick with the flu and, on average, the virus affects one in three children in the U.S. each year. The National Association of School Nurses (NASN) helps educate parents how they can keep their children healthy this flu season. Following is a simple three-step approach to flu prevention:

Vaccination: According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the best way to prevent flu is to get a vaccine. While October and November are the best times to get a flu vaccine, it is never too late to be vaccinated. It takes about two weeks for the vaccine to become fully effective. There is plenty of vaccine still available, according to the CDC.

Good Hygiene: Practicing good hygiene habits is a great way to help control the spread of germs like the flu virus. Parents should teach their children healthy habits such as:

• Washing their hands with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds
• Covering their mouths and noses with tissues when sneezing and coughing
• Avoid sharing drinks, water bottles, silverware and pencils

The CDC suggests that parents disinfect objects that are frequently touched by children, such as toys. Parents should also keep children who have influenza at home. Teachers, staff, and parents can help slow the spread of flu by serving as role models for good hygiene practices.

Antiviral Medication: Prescription antiviral medication is an important adjunct to vaccination for flu prevention and treatment. If a child has been around someone who has the flu, a doctor can prescribe antiviral medication to help prevent the child from catching the virus. However, it is important to contact the doctor soon, because children should begin taking the medication within the first 12-48 hours of exposure to the virus. If taken within that window of time, there is an 89 percent chance that antiviral medication will keep him/her from getting sick. A doctor can also prescribe antivirals to treat the flu, helping both adults and children feel better faster.

Beyond 220 registration opens (9/29/08)
Beyond 220, a self-supporting program of the Barrington 220 School District is offered in partnership with the District 220 Educational Foundation. The program’s goal is to offer courses that extend learning opportunities thereby enriching the knowledge, skills and lives of community members. Course subjects range from technology to cooking to financial help and exercise. Most classes are held at Barrington High School. All participants must be at least 18 years old. The registration deadline is one week prior to the beginning of class. More details can be found at Barrington220.org

Revenues outweigh spending in annual budget (9/29/08)
Barrington 220 will operate with a moderate budget surplus for the 12th consecutive year after school board members approved this year’s finances on Sept. 23. The 2008-09 budget details operating expenditures of $113.6 million versus $115.8 million in revenue. Of the revenue, 81 percent will come from local property taxes, while approximately 74 percent of expenditures are devoted to staff salaries and benefits. Highlights of this year’s budget include nearly $15 million for the construction of a new early learning center and renovations to Barrington Middle School Station Campus. In the previous year, the district has received state, national and international recognition for its financial management practices.

Board honors 14 National Merit Semifinalists (9/29/08)
Fourteen Barrington High School students are now officially among the nation’s brightest students. Board of Education members recognized this year’s National Merit Scholarship semifinalists. Seniors earning the distinction this year are Benjamin Altshuler, Aleksander Bapst, Will Chan, Lela DiMonte, George Farrell, Michelle Grube, Megan Karande, Brandon Kleinvehn, David Lilien, Sasidhar Madugula, David Martin, Sam Martin, Woody Rosenberg and Justin Yu. Nationwide, 1.5 million juniors in 21,000 high schools participated in the National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the preliminary SAT test last year. Of that group, just 16,000 are semifinalists. The students may now become National Merit Finalists. All winners of Merit Scholarship awards come from the finalist group, which is named in February, based on their abilities, skills and accomplishments.

ImPACT concussion diagnoses benefit athletes (9/29/08)
Although Barrington athletes may be susceptible to suffering concussions during game action, the days of them returning to the field before a proper diagnosis are a practice of the past. At its Sept. 23 meeting, Board of Education members learned how students in the school district are treated after suffering a blow to the head and the battery of tests they must go through before being allowed back into the field of play. Dr. Dan Di Iorio, Barrington High School’s primary sports physician, said the school now uses a computer program called ImPACT to help determine when students are suffering from a concussion and when they can safely resume activity.

Enrollment committee seeks new members (9/26/08)
The Barrington 220 Enrollment Monitoring Committee (EMC) has a member vacancy at Barbara Rose School, Grove Avenue School and Sunny Hill School. The EMC is looking for a community representative from each of these respective attendance areas. If you have any interest in becoming a member of the EMC, an application may be found on this Website or may be obtained at the schools. The deadline for submitting applications is October 6, 2008. All applications should be mailed to your respective school and marked to the attention of the principal

Arnett C. Lines School Receives Prestigious Blue Ribbon Award from U.S. Department of Education (9/12/08)
U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings announced this week that Arnett C. Lines School in the Barrington 220 District is one of only 320 schools nationwide to be named a 2008 No Child Left Behind-Blue Ribbon School. The No Child Left Behind-Blue Ribbon Schools award distinguishes and honors schools for helping students achieve at very high levels and for making significant progress in closing the achievement gap.

“We applaud the staff, students and community of Lines School,” said Superintendent Tom Leonard. “Their teamwork and achievement embody the high standard of learning known and enjoyed throughout Barrington 220.” Michael Gilmore, assistant superintendent of elementary education, added, “We are proud when one of our schools is recognized for the excellence that occurs on a daily basis in all our schools.”

Lines School, led by Principal Jill Schweiger, is honored for the second time, having previously received the award in the 1993-94 school year. Other U.S. Blue Ribbon recipients in Barrington 220 are Barrington High School (1992-93) and Grove Avenue School (1991-92 and 2007-08).

The No Child Left Behind-Blue Ribbon Schools Program honors public and private elementary, middle and high schools that are either academically superior or that demonstrate dramatic gains in student achievement to high levels. These include schools whose students achieve in the top 10 percent of their state on test scores.
Arnett C. Lines School will be honored at an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C. on Oct. 20-21.

Barrington ACT Scores Reach 5-year High (08/22/08)
Barrington High School students taking the ACT college entrance exam in 2008 achieved an overall composite score of 24.3 � the school's highest score in the previous five years. In 2008, 741 BHS students took the ACT. The annual exam consists of curriculum-based tests of educational development in English, mathematics, reading and science designed to measure the skills needed for success in first-year college coursework. The average composite ACT score in Illinois for 2008 was 20.7.

School Safety at Forefront of New School Year (08/22/08)
Video and audio observation cameras installed on 78 school buses, a unique pilot Website that allows students and parents to report incidents of bullying, and a recently named safety coordinator are among new initiatives to ensure the wellbeing of students.
Two new front and back cameras on each of the Barrington Transportation Company's largest passenger buses will help deter or document inappropriate and unsafe behaviors.

A pilot Website allows students and parents at all grade levels to detail and report cases of bullying or peer harassment with the option of anonymity. To complement interpersonal support, Barrington 220 is one of the first school districts in the Midwest to pilot a Website that allows families to inform school administrators about episodes of bullying. Some others include Lake Forest School District (67) of Chicago; Sleepy Eye Public Schools of Minnesota; Ferguson Middle School of Beaver Creek, OH; Yarmouth Memorial High School of Nova Scotia, Canada; and East Windsor Public Schools of Connecticut.

Austin Johnson, a dean of students at Barrington High School, will assume additional duties as the district's new safety coordinator for the 2008-09 school year. Johnson replaces Steve McWilliams, who becomes principal of Barrington High School. Along with maintaining emergency response plans, Johnson will work closely throughout the year with individual schools and area agencies to address safety and security issues at the building level.

Global Honor Adds to Financial Accolades (08/22/08)
The Association of School Business Officials International has selected the Barrington 220 School District to receive its 2007-08 Meritorious Budget Award. Only school systems that meet or exceed the organization's rigorous criteria for fiscal management are eligible for the honor. This recognition follows the district's upgrade to an elite 'AAA' bond rating from Standard and Poor's earlier this year as well as the Illinois State Board of Education's Certificate of Financial Recognition for the highest level of financial accountability.

Barrington Community Stadium Opened with First Game and Open House, Aug. 29 & 31 (08/22/08)
Weather permitting, one of the premier prep sports facilities in Chicago's northwest suburbs welcomed fans on Friday, Aug. 29, when Barrington High School hosted Libertyville High School. The inaugural football game kicked-off a new chapter in Barrington sports history, introducing a state-of-the-art complex with a cultured turf field also suitable for soccer, track and field, and lacrosse. A free community open house took place on Sunday, Aug. 31, from 1 to 4 p.m. Visit the online stadium photo gallery for construction images and event details.

The Pepper Construction Group is managing all onsite aspects of the work, with architectural design provided by the Cashman Stahler Group; both firms are of the Chicago area. Barrington 220 voters approved $4.4 million to build the community facility in an April 2007 referendum. Since then, the Friends of the Stadium charitable organization has added more than $1 million to enhance the development and to supplement the school district's overall project budget.

220 Education Foundation Awards $29,224 in Grants (08/22/08)
The District 220 Educational Foundation has awarded $29,224 in 2008-09 grants to enhance various learning initiatives. Of this amount, $8,862 in once-annual P.I.E. Grants were given in increments up to $1,500 for "innovative" teaching projects, and $4,764 Helping Hand Grants were awarded for fall semester requests that supplement various classroom needs throughout the school district.

The foundation also recently issued $15,598 in Opportunities for Excellence Grants for original projects at Barrington High School. Included was $3,500 for advanced equipment to augment AP Human Biology classes, $7,098 for AP Spanish teachers to attend a summer institute that will improve the AP Spanish curriculum, and $5,000 for multimedia equipment to support instructional and athletic programs.


EJ&E Rail Acquisition has Many Implications for Barrington 220 Schools (08/22/08)
At its Aug. 19 meeting, the Barrington 220 Board of Education reiterated its official resolution opposing the proposed acquisition of the EJ&E rail line by Canadian National Railway Company. The official Website of the U.S. Surface Transportation Board provides additional details on this important matter, including instructions for registering an official opinion.

The effects a 400-percent increase in freight traffic on the local economy will be substantial, with numerous implications for Barrington 220 schools and students: