Three seventh graders at London Middle School were recently selected to have their artwork featured in a virtual gallery at the National Nordic Museum in Seattle. The Ar(c)t(ic) Design gallery features visual art focused on High Arctic conservation, and…

  Among the many improvements that Community Consolidated School District 21 has made to its food service program over the past year is a lesser-known partnership that promises to supply students and staff with fresh, locally sourced ingredients. The district…

Beanstack, a digital platform that encourages people to read, on Monday announced the top-performing schools for its 2024 Summer Reading Sponsored Challenge, with Tarkington Elementary School among the honorees. The school received an honorable mention for its Summer Reading and…

The latest edition of The 21 Ledger, our family and community newsletter, is now available! Check your email, head to our Facebook, or scroll below to read the full version. Let’s stay connected!

  The holidays are a time of joy, reflection and celebration, and in District 21, we want to showcase the diversity of holiday traditions across the globe! We invite all students to take part in this year’s Season’s Greetings Holiday…

Good afternoon, As part of our continued effort to ensure the safety and well-being of all students in our district, we would like to address a growing concern: the use of Orbeez water pellet guns and other look-alike toy guns.…

Though her degree may be in engineering, Lorri Grainawi’s education in mental health is what she would call “lived experience.” Shortly after her youngest son was diagnosed with schizophrenia in 2012, Grainawi enrolled in a class through the National Alliance…

  Community Consolidated School District 21 on Monday held a grand opening for the District 21 Health Center, one of the only school-based health centers in the state of Illinois. The center, a partnership between the district and Advocate Children’s…

  The Illinois Association of School Boards formally recognized Community Consolidated School District 21’s Board of Education for its exceptional governance practices, one of 46 school district boards out of 850 in the state to receive this designation. IASB’s School…

The latest edition of The 21 Ledger, our family and community newsletter, is now available! Check your email, head to our Facebook, or scroll below to read the full version. Let's stay connected!

The Universal Service Administrative Company and the Illinois State Board of Education this month officially approved a project by Community Consolidated School District 21 and WANRack for a private fiber wide area network solution and services. The project, which the…

Community Consolidated School District 21 is pleased to announce the dates for our annual Curriculum Nights, where parents and guardians can learn more about the educational programs, meet teachers, and understand what their children will be learning this year. This…

Hello, my name is Kenny Munao and I am a senior at Prospect High School. I just started as an intern this summer with Community Consolidated School District 21. I have always had a passion for storytelling from elementary to…

There is a famous quote about leadership that goes something like this: Where one goes, others will follow. This couldn’t be more accurate for the Alvarado brothers, all of whom work at CCSD21. Born in Mexico, four Alvarado brothers (and…

Sometimes fate has a way of guiding you towards the next steps of your life. After being employed in a variety of jobs, including supporting autistic children at Clearbrook home-based services, working at Starbucks, and teaching kids how to swim,…

It’s so inspiring when you hear that someone has found their purpose. They radiate light. They are happy. They are energetic. They connect with others. They contribute to a greater community. Kasia Gold, library and media center assistant at Field…

Maria Elena Martinez frequently gets mistaken for a student. “It’s probably because I’m small in stature and have youthful energy,” Martinez quips. But this teacher’s assistant at Twain Elementary School has over 30  years of teaching experience both in the…

If you haven’t had the opportunity to meet Buffalo Grove resident Dennis Depcik yet, you’re missing out on knowing a local renaissance man – a cultured, compassionate and open-minded person who has worn many hats during his long, rich life.…

While Josue Velazquez’s main role as a physical education teacher at Twain Elementary School is to teach the students how to be fit and keep active, he’s much more than that. If you look up the word “mentor” in the…

Donna McDonagh “makes this place what it is,” says Amy McCall, literacy equity teacher at London Middle School, as she’s heading out of the library and media center for the day. “She makes it all look easy and is incredibly…

Cindy Gonzalez is a huge fan of the TV show Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. As a child, she watched the show regularly and shares much of the same philosophy as the famous host, including the knowledge that children are easily influenced…

  “Learning is all around us. It’s everywhere,” says Heather Popilek, fifth grade teacher at Longfellow Elementary School. “It’s not just within the four walls of my classroom. What we learn in school can be used outside the classroom and…

“I love that every class is unique and special in their own way. Each class feels like a family to me that has private moments that only we share,” said Colleen Conley, kindergarten teacher at Kilmer Elementary School.  Conley has…

  Since Gustavo Atempa was in the second grade, he’s been interpreting. English to Spanish and Spanish to English. Starting with his parents who immigrated from Mexico, Gustavo helped them fill out government and medical forms. He didn’t want them…

One of CCSD21’s alumna, Chris Pippin Northwick, has a simple life philosophy: make connections with others. She believes that it has a direct correlation to personal success and creates emotionally, well-balanced individuals. And she should know. As the Co-Executive Director…

Alumna Lynda (Steckling) Collins sees her life as a series of building blocks. Learning a new skill and then securing a job with exactly that skill set required. Living internationally, and then securing a job that depends on cultural diversity.…

Contributed by Thomas Parker, Communications Intern   From a young age, Jim Ray, an alumnus of District 21, learned the valuable lesson of taking the chance to try something new. This was one of many lessons he learned during his…

Contributed by Comms Intern, Thomas Parker   For as long as she can remember, Gillian Sherman has dreamed of being a teacher. Her time in District 21, attending Longfellow Elementary School and Cooper Middle School, taught her a lot and…

Glenn Meier ‘68 Contributed by Thomas Parker, Communications Intern   From being a part of the very first class at Holmes Middle School in 1966, to his current membership with the Rotary Club of Buffalo Grove, Glenn Meier has always…

Contributed by Thomas Parker, Communications Intern  Andrew Manuel Sanchez, a native of the northwest suburbs, has always felt connected to the community. During his time within District 21, Sanchez attended Twain Elementary School starting in second grade before moving on…

Maya Belorusskiy has not always been the confident and outgoing individual she is today. She described herself as shy and anxious when looking back on her days at Longfellow Elementary School and Cooper Middle School. Belorusskiy  credits her favorite teachers,…

Allyson (“Ally”) Bremer didn’t have the best time in middle school. “I was really unhappy and never pictured an opening for myself,” said Bremer. That is, until, London Middle School teacher Miss Brand (now Mrs. Thomas) came into the picture.…

  Matt Pomilia is earning his second master’s degree. This comes after earning two other degrees from other higher education institutions. Education is important to Pomilia. “It’s the process of self discovery,” says Pomilia. “It’s a way to accentuate yourself…

Maggie Khayyata “Lights Up” (a song from Harry Styles' Fine Line album)  when talking about being able to see her favorite artist in concert. Besides her love for Harry there is so much more to know about her. Maggie attended…

  Joseph Eckert is one of four physical education teachers at Cooper Middle School and believes middle school P.E. is one of the most important classes students take. “Students learn social, cognitive and physical skills when they are doing athletic…

Meet Jasmine Rene, a current sophomore at Wheeling High School. She is the youngest of five older brothers and graduated from Mark Twain Elementary and Holmes Middle School. During her time at Twain a very memorable experience was her gym…