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  • 30 Days and Counting

    We are excited! There are 30 days until the start of the 2025 - 2026 school year. The construction is moving along at a great pace, and we have some nice changes in store. Check our website to see how things are going . Some teachers came back today for professional development. It was great to see them again. If you have not registered for this school year, please do so as soon as you can. We are working on schedules and it is important we have accurate counts. We are looking forward to seeing everyone back soon.

    Monday, Jul 21 2025

  • 25 -26 Supply Lists

    This is a reminder. If you need the supply lists for this school year, you can find them now. Stores are starting to sell back-to-school items. Prime Days are also starting. The lists are on each school's website. They are also in the files section here in ParentSquare. To see the lists in ParentSquare, follow these steps. If you are using a computer, look in the files section. The files section is on the right side of your screen. If you are using the ParentSquare app on your phone, tap "More" in the bottom right corner. Then tap "Media," then "Files."

    Monday, Jul 07 2025

  • Final Sunnybrook Scoop of the School Year

    District News and Updates Registration for the 2025 - 2026 School Year If you have not done so already please log into PowerSchool to register your child for next school year. To help us properly prepare for next year we need everyone to register as soon as possible so we have accurate counts on how many students will be returning. Should you have any technical questions please email support@sd171.org. If you have any general registration questions please reach out to your child's main office.   Nathan Hale Updates: Chess Club Season Recap The Chess Club had a very successful first season. Some Third and Fourth Graders learned the game while others enhanced their skills. The season ended with a tournament that lasted a few days, a couple of hours each of those days. The students were playing so strategically that each match took longer than expected, which is great! Semi-finals and Finals were the longest games and these 3 players did a phenomenal job. This year's winner is Yazen Torres, a 4th grader! This match between Justin Taylor and Yazen Torres lasted a little over an hour and it was so much fun to watch! Congratulations to all the students who participated in this year's Chess Club.  Nathan Hale Soccer Club Soccer club for 3rd and 4th grade wrapped up at Nathan Hale and we had a great time! We learned lots of new skills, played some practice games, and had fun with our friends! Some 3rd graders even had a chance to participate in skills challenges and received certificates for showing off their skills!!  Nathan Hale EL Students are Keeping Busy The EL students at Nathan Hale have been really busy! First, we went to Washington Park Zoo and had so much fun learning about different animals and being able to get really close to the animals in the exhibits! We had an EL picnic and even though it rained we made the most of it! The Heritage EL students even came over to join in on the fun! We are so proud of this growing program and how hard our students work all year long! Last, we had our annual multicultural parade and celebrated our 4th grade EL students finishing at Nathan Hale and continuing their EL journey at the middle school! We are so proud of all our excELLent students!    Heritage Updates: 6th Grade End of Year Recap The sixth graders ended the year with several engaging activities. They went to Brookfield Zoo, had an activities day, and enjoyed a BBQ. Students in math finished up their year with "The Statistic Olympics!" Students competed in houses to earn points and practice statistical landmarks. Students signed up for different events such as Scattegories, Froot Loop Stacking, Ping Pong Bouncing, Bean Bag Toss, and Trivia. After each event, students recorded and found the mean, median, mode, and range of their scores all while earning house points. The winning house was Atinuda!! 7th Grade Math Fun Students finished Q4 doing the If My Life Started Today Project. We started the project in March by selecting a US State/Territory. This project is based on real-world expenses and salaries. Students were given a salary based on their final math grades each quarter. They had to research careers, housing expenses, vehicle expenses, and budget daily living needs and wants. They also had to compose a 5-paragraph essay and slideshow that was presented before the class. Students shared that this was a lot of work, but really enjoyed the real-world experience and research. On May 29th, seventh graders participated in a Candy Probability Lab with M&Ms and Skittles. The most common color discovered from this experiment was green even though the most recent statistics show that yellow is the most common color in the packages.  Heritage Middle School Chorus - Music in the Parks Festival On Saturday, May 24, 2025, the Heritage Middle School Chorus traveled to the Music in the Parks festival for a fun and educational end of the year experience. After performing for two judges and their parents at Beach Park Middle School in Beach Park, IL., the chorus went to Six Flags Great America to enjoy the remainder of the day in the park. At the awards ceremony at the Wilderness Theater at Six Flags, the HMS Chorus was awarded a trophy receiving a Superior rating for their outstanding performance scoring 94/100 points. In addition, seventh grader Demani Ambrose received a medal for being named Overall Junior High/Middle School Vocalist of the Day. Great job, Nationals!   Upcoming Events Kindergarten End of Year Celebration Tuesday, June 3rd (9:30 - 11:30) Last Day of School Tuesday, June 3rd School Board Meeting Monday, June 16, 2025 at 6:30 at Heritage Middle School  

    Monday, Jun 02 2025

  • Congratulations 8th Graders

    Congratulations 8th grade students on completing your journey with Sunnybrook School District 171.  Good luck next year in high school.

    Friday, May 30 2025

  • Latest Edition of the Sunnybrook Scoop is Here

    District News and Updates Tree Dedication and Ribbon Cutting On Monday, May 19th, a dedication ceremony was held in honor of Joel Sarkey and Officer Novak. Plaques honoring their memory were placed at the foot of the two cherry blossom trees in front of Nathan Hale. The Nathan Hale Student Council was on hand to recite a poem to honor them both. The district also had a ribbon cutting ceremony to officially welcome people to the new addition at Nathan Hale. Registration Reminder Reminder that registration for the 2025 - 2026 school year is now open. We are asking all parents that have students returning next year to log into PowerSchool as soon as you can to register. This helps us greatly with planning for the next school year.   Heritage Updates: Student Council Carnival Recap HMS Student Council held its final event of the 24-25 school year - CARNIVAL! Students in grades 5-8 were invited to partake in various activities, purchase concessions, and win prizes. Delegates planned this event and selected the games or activities for students to play. It was a busy year for HMS Student Council, and we appreciated the support from students and staff. Consider joining HMS Student Council next year!  Heritage Soccer Season The inaugural HMS soccer season is well underway. Hats off to Ruby G. for scoring the first ever goal in program history. Go “Nacionales”!! 7th Graders Shine with Excitement on “Cats” Field Trip Last week, many of our 7th-grade students enjoyed an unforgettable experience as they traveled to see the classic Broadway musical Cats. From the moment the curtain rose, the students were captivated by the colorful costumes, mesmerizing music, and energetic performances. The field trip was not only a fun excursion but also an enriching educational opportunity. For many students, it was their first time attending a live theater production, and they were fascinated by the way the storytelling, dances, and songs came together on stage. Before the trip, students learned about the history of Cats, including its origins in T.S. Eliot’s poetry and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical adaptation. Seeing the production live helped bring those lessons to life in an exciting and memorable way. We are so proud of our 7th graders for representing our school with such maturity and joy, and we look forward to more cultural adventures in the future! Fifth Grade Spelling Bee Buzzes with Excitement! The Heritage Middle School commons was abuzz with anticipation on May 7th as the 5th-grade class proudly hosted their annual spelling bee. After weeks of preparation, the top 10 spellers from the grade took center stage in this highly anticipated event. The competition was fierce, and the students demonstrated impressive vocabulary and spelling prowess. In the end, three exceptional spellers emerged victorious. Congratulations to our First Place winner, Syanna Montgomery, whose outstanding performance earned her the top prize! Second Place was awarded to the talented King Smith, and Chloe Guyton claimed a well-deserved Third Place. All ten participants were recognized for their hard work and dedication, each receiving a special gift bag. Our top three spellers also received Amazon gift cards, unique trophies, and medals. These special awards were a creative result of a class project in the STEAM class, adding an extra layer of pride and accomplishment to their wins. The 5th-grade spelling bee was a resounding success. It showcased the students' commitment to learning and their ability to shine under pressure. Congratulations to all the participants, especially to our top three spellers! Heritage Outsmarts the Competition On April 29, 2025, the Heritage Scholastic Bowl team won their competition against five other schools in the Cal-Ridge Conference! They were victorious in the first round and moved on to the final competition, where they scored 100 points. McKinley came in second with a score of 65 points and Wolcott came in third with 50 points. The Scholastic Bowl Team consisted of the following eighth grade students: Lucas Dixon, Nathaniel Gomez, Camille Jackson, Myiesha Durojaiye, Seun Oyeyemi, and Emmanuel Christian. Students met after school to practice questions on a variety of topics including history, geography, literature, science, art, sports, music, and math. Heritage Track Athletes Headed to State! On May 17, the Heritage Middle School Track & Field Team competed in the IESA Sectional Meet at Hinsdale South High School. Despite facing strong winds and chilly temperatures, our athletes showed incredible determination and sportsmanship throughout the day. We are proud to announce that three Heritage athletes have qualified for the State Championships, which will take place on May 23–24, 2025, in Peoria. Ryan Whitt, 8th grade, qualified in both the high jump and long jump. This marks Ryan’s second consecutive trip to the state finals—last year, he finished in the top ten in the high jump, and he's returning with his sights set even higher. Tamyra Williams, also in 8th grade, qualified for the high jump. This will be her first appearance at the state meet, and we’re excited to see her compete at the next level. Virginie Akli, a 6th grader, will represent Heritage in the 400-meter dash. She is making history as the first female HMS athlete in over 25 years to qualify for the state finals in this event. Congratulations to all of our athletes and coaches for a great season so far. We wish Ryan, Tamyra, and Virginie the best of luck as they compete among the state’s best in Peoria!   Upcoming Events Nathan Hale Spring Concert Thursday, May 22nd at 1:30 Nathan Hale will be hosting its annual Spring Concert. This event will be in person and will also be livestreamed on the District's YouTube channel. No School - Memorial Day There will be no school on Monday, May 26th in honor of Memorial Day. 8th Grade Promotion Ceremony Thursday, May 29th at 6:00 at Heritage Middle School. Kindergarten Celebration Tuesday, June 3rd from 9:30-11:30 will be the Kindergarten Celebration at Nathan Hale. Last Day of School Tuesday, June 3rd will be the last day of school for the 2024 - 2025 school year.

    Tuesday, May 20 2025

  • Dedication and Ribbon Cutting Ceremony this Monday

    Please join us on Monday, May 19 at 6:00 at Nathan Hale for our tree dedication and official ribbon cutting ceremony.

    Tuesday, May 13 2025

  • New Issue of the Scoop is Here

    District News and Updates Our New Website is Live If you have not visited the district website recently you should check it out right away at sd171.org. We have made a major face lift to the site. We hope that you enjoy the new site as we updated the look, proved more information, in a more organized fashion. This was just another step in continuing to help keep everyone informed of what is happening at Sunnybrook and keeping us a world class institution for learning for the Lansing and Lynwood communities. Summer Construction has Begun It's that time again for summer construction to continue to beautify the buildings here at Sunnybrook. Last summer we working on the front of Nathan Hale and now it is time to work on Heritage. You can see that work is underway. We will keep everyone up to date on the construction progress via the Scoop and also on out website under the Facilities and Maintenance page. So keep an eye out and watch the progress as it is going to make a difference. We are doing work to the district and main office along with an expansion of the nurses office. All of this will help to facilitate a more efficient and safer school. We just ask everyone to be mindful when around the front of Heritage and abide by all signs and barriers to keep everyone safe. Welcome Our New Board Members On Monday, April 28th two new Sunnybrook board members were sworn in along with the re-swearing in of two existing board members. Let's welcome new board members Derrick Burks and Serene Smith along with returning board members Kenisha LeSure and Nicole Thompson. Our District Mathletes Made an Impact On Thursday, May 1st and Friday May 2nd, Sunnybrook had students in grades 1-8 participate in the South Cook Math Bowl at Prairie State College. Schools from all over southern Cook County demonstrated their math skills in both independent and team events. All of the students who attended the competition worked hard during the winter and spring months to prepare for the annual meeting of math minds. Our middle school students were able to secure some notable wins again this year. Lucase Dixon placed 5th overall out of all of the 8th grade students who competed. The 5th and 6th grade team that represented us placed fourth in their team event and the 7th and 8th grade team placed second in their team event.   An MVP was chosen from each school district for each day of the contest. Fifth grader, Mason Alvarez received the honor on Thursday and fourth grader, Justin Taylor received it on Friday. All of the students had an amazing time and were able to showcase their math skills. Congratulations to everyone on a job well done.  Sunnybrook Goes Marching This past Saturday, May 3rd Sunnybrook participated in the Lansing Good Neighbors Day parade. We had a blast handing out candy to the excited crowd along with members of our Heritage Band providing music along the way.   Nathan Hale Updates: Ms. Dockery's Class Enjoying Mad Science Day On April 17th Nathan Hale had their second Mad Science Day and Ms. Dockery's class got right into the fun having the students make slime. Kindergarten Went to the Farm Last month the kindergarten went and visited a farm in connection with their upcoming Farm Night. The students got to explore a real dairy farm and experience these animals up-close in person.   Heritage Updates: Career Day Returns Career Day was finally brought back to HMS on Thursday, April 17th!! The students were able to listen to various speakers about their professions, experiences, and educational requirements. They asked amazing and relevant questions of our 25 guest speakers. Career Day was a huge success and we look forward to hosting it again next year! The Halls are Alive with Music The 6th-8th Grade Band (Ms. Wagner) and Chorus (Mrs. Peel) visited Nathan Hale 4th Graders this past Wednesday to showcase the Music Department. Students enjoyed trying out instruments after the performances. Also, the 6th-8th Grade Band attended a Chicago Symphony Orchestra concert on Friday. The students enjoyed the "Community Pride" performance, showcasing the communication and comradery of an ensemble through classical music.   Upcoming Events Kindergarten Farm Night Tuesday, May 6th from 5:30 - 7:00 join us for the annual Kindergarten Farm Night at Nathan Hale. Heritage Student Council Carnival Tuesday, May 6th from 3:00 - 5:00 Heritage Student Council will be hosting their Carnival in the Commons. This is open to all 5th - 8th grade students. Heritage Spring Concert Join us at 5:00 on Thursday, May 8th at Heritage for the Spring Concert. This event will also be livestreamed on our YouTube channel. No School There will be no school on Friday, May 16th for a teacher in-service. School Board Meeting Monday, May 19th 2025 at 6:30 at Nathan Hale  

    Monday, May 05 2025

  • Spring Break Issue of the Sunnybrook Scoop

    District News and Updates Registration for 2025 - 2026 Reminder that registration for the 2025 - 2026 school is year is now open. We are asking all parents that have students returning next year to log into PowerSchool as soon as you can to register. This helps us greatly with planning for the next school year. Also we will be loading next year's registration fees into PowerSchool soon. We will have a new post in ParentSquare when we do, to allow you to pay your fees. We will also have a line for miscellaneous payments. So if you want to pay your registration fee over time you can. You would just use that line, pay what you would like to pay, and we will apply that amount to what you indicate or to the oldest outstanding fee. You Are Invited Please join us on Monday, April 28th at 6:30 at Heritage to welcome in our new School Board members along with the swearing in of the newly elected and re-elected board members.   Nathan Hale Updates: One Book, One School 2025 winners Everyone at Nathan Hale read the book The Chocolate Touch. Classroom winners received dibs on the book trophy, a bag of chocolates to share with students, and each winning student received their own copy of The Chocolate Touch thanks to our Nathan Hale PTA! Winning rooms were Hodo, Halcomb, Murray, Agosto, and Kindergarten tied with Gier and Miller. Thank you teachers for making this experience happen for our students. Thank you PTA for purchasing each child who won a copy of their own book with proceeds from our Scholastic Book Fair.  Parents, our Spring Book Fair is coming May 7 and May 8th. Make sure your children shop at the fair. When you buy books, it helps our school do reading experiences like this.  .   Heritage Updates: HMS Student Council earned the IAJHSC Honor Council Award for the 2024-2025 school year! The IAJHSC Honor Council Award gives special recognition to those schools that have designed exemplary programs for their junior high/middle school Student Councils. "Exemplary" is defined as participating in IAJHSC programs, sponsoring activities by attending summer leadership camp, participating in advisor and delegate workshops, and attending the annual IAJHSC Convention.  We also participated in the State Service Project - Feeding Illinois. Our council did projects that included: citizenship and school service, community service, and school spirit/student involvement. 66th Annual IAJHSC Convention The 66th Annual IAJHSC Convention on April 11-12, 2025 kicked off with inspirational keynote speakers to get our leaders in the right mindset! There were 721 students from 42 different schools attending Convention. This year, Mr. Bronson and Mrs. Saucier brought 30 delegates from HMS. Heritage earned Honor Council this year, and received recognition for fostering student engagement, service, and positive change in our school and community. Mrs. Lowry was also recognized for her 15 years of dedicated service as an Advisor. To top off this amazing experience, we had a delegate run for Northeast Lake (NEL) District Rep. Her campaign manager, Kadence McKeithen, delivered an impactful speech promoting Treasure’s platform and promises. After the ballots were scored, it was revealed at the final General Session that Treasure was announced and inducted as our new NEL District Rep! We are so proud of Treasure Brown’s hard work and cannot wait to see the wonderful contributions she will make in her position. Thank you to all our amazing delegates (and their families) for a wonderful Convention, and for showing us time and time again how they continue to let leadership grow in our school and community. Unity Club What is only truly complete once it is united? A puzzle! Unity Club met on Wednesday, April 16 in Ms. DeBartolo’s room to unite, collaborate, converse, and complete jigsaw puzzles. Members worked independently or together to complete a variety of puzzles and enjoyed a delicious snack. 5th Grade Open Gym Students enjoyed after-school activities on Friday, April 4. They played basketball, volleyball, ping pong, hockey, Giant Jenga, and cornhole. They also participated in scooter races and munched on chips and candy. They practiced their gymnastics and danced to music. All loved the free open play and appreciated having the gym and commons all to themselves. 7th Grade Honor Roll On Tuesday, April 8th, the 7th grade team celebrated and honored 38 Honor Roll students with a movie and snack celebration. These students received a 3.5 GPA or higher, and we are so proud of their hard work! Way to go, 7th Grade Scholars! Spring Spirit Week April 7th-11th was a Spring Spirit week at Heritage. Students and staff sported unique outfits for each themed day - Meme Monday, Denim Day, Elder Day, Color By Grade (Pep Rally) and Country vs City. It was enjoyable to see all the festive attire! On Thursday, April 10th, Student Council delegates organized a Spring Pep Rally celebrating sports and clubs at Heritage! There are so many talented individuals in our school and we are thrilled to showcase them! Lastly, there were some grade level competitions such as Basketball, Red Light, Green Light, Musical Chairs and a Dressed to Impress. Thank you Heritage students and staff for making this week a blast!  8th Grade Trip to Willis Tour The 8th graders celebrated their last Monday before Spring break by travelling to downtown Chicago. They had a beautiful day to look at the city from the 103rd floor of the Willis Tower. Students learned about the history of the building and how it was called the Sears Tower when it was originally built. This structure was the tallest building in the world at 110 stories for almost 25 years. It was built in 1974, and it stands 1,435 ft tall. After their sightseeing venture, students enjoyed tasty Chicago-style pizza from Giordano's located across the street from the Willis Tower. The 8th grade students were very full and sleepy on their bus ride home, but they shared an awesome day in the city with their friends. These moments make for lasting memories. Valentía Family Karaoke Night On Tuesday, April 15th, Valentía held a Family Karaoke Night for families from all four Heritage Houses - Amamihe, Àtinúdá, Dosti, and Valentía. Bravery certainly took the stage that evening with student, staff, and family performances! It was a great evening showcasing all the talent in our Heritage Houses!  7th Grade IAR Field Trip Ms. Smith, Mr. Korensky, and Mrs. Saucier celebrated 68 seventh graders with an IAR reward field trip to Up Your Alley on Wednesday, April 16. These students had the entire facility to themselves - bowling, arcade, laser tag, and food! Students and staff enjoyed the outing!    Upcoming Events Students Return From Spring Break Monday, April 28th Special School Board Meeting Monday, April 28th, 2025 at 6:30 at Heritage Middle School Descendants the Musical Join us on Friday, May 2nd at 6:00 in the Heritage Commons for this years Drama production of Decedents the Musical. Admission is $5 per person. Lansing Good Neighbors Day Parade Come cheer us on as Sunnybrook 171 will be represented in the Lansing Good Neighbors Day parade on Saturday, May 3rd.  

    Monday, Apr 21 2025

  • New Issue of the Scoop is Here - Registration Detail...

    District News and Updates Registration for the 2025-2026 School Year is Now Open It is time to start looking into next school year already. I know that seems like how can that be, but it is true. It is time to log into PowerSchool and register your child for next school year. The process is still the same. Log into PowerSchool, click on Forms on the left hand side, Click on the Enrollment Tab and complete the forms. If you need Tech Support throughout the process please email support@sd171.org. All new students will need to provide proof of residency. For returning students residency documents are not needed on initial re-registration. If documents are needed the office will contact you. We ask that if you plan on having your child return next year to please fill out the registration documents as soon as you can. This helps us greatly in planning for next school year.   Heritage Updates: Welcome to the 1st Ever Heritage Soccer Team Heritage is starting their first soccer team this year as the popularity and call for it at the school has been at an all time high. We wish the team good luck in its inaugural year. They started their season with an intersquad scrimmage but have their first game against another school on the 10th verses Harvey Brooks. National Junior Honor Society Induction Ceremony The Heritage National Junior Honor Society induction ceremony took place on Thursday, March 27.  Mr. Dan Podgorski, the Village Administrator for Lansing was the speaker for the event. Fourteen seventh graders and eight eighth graders were made new members of the group. The elected officers for next year are Sanaa Moore, president; Demani Ambrose,Vice President; Samia Thomas, secretary; Kadence McKeithen, treasurer; and Jacob Bender, reporter/historian. The Josue Alvarez Award was given to Seun Oyeyemi for her dedication to the five pillars upheld by the NJHS, that of scholarship, character, leadership, citizenship, and service. The honored faculty member this year was Mrs. Susan Brady, who has been a Nathan Hale teacher and then a reading specialist at both Nathan Hale and Heritage in her 44- year career working with children. Many parents and family members came out to support their scholars. They also enjoyed refreshments and took photos to commemorate this meaningful accomplishment.   Upcoming Events BPAC Meeting Tuesday, April 8th from 5:00 - 6:00 at Nathan Hale is the next BPAC meeting. This meeting will be focusing on WIDA testing. School Board Meeting Monday, April 14, 2025 at 6:30 at Heritage Middle School 1:30 Early Dismissal Thursday, April 17, 2025 - Early dismissal No School - Spring Break Friday, April 18th - Sunday, April 27th no school due to Spring Break  

    Monday, Apr 07 2025

  • Construction at Heritage and Change of Dismissal Pro...

    Dear Sunnybrook Community,  On April 7th, construction will begin on the front entrance of Heritage Middle School.   Construction will last throughout the Summer until the Fall of 2025.   There will be a slight change to the dismissal process. All Walkers and car riders will exit out of  Heritage Middle School Main Office Door 1,  instead of District Office Door 2,  in the afternoons.    This construction is meant to add security and beautification to the front of the building, expand and make the interior bathrooms ADA compliant, and modernize and enhance the nurses office.    Thank you for your patience and your time.

    Wednesday, Mar 26 2025