Cass63 Connections 4.9.26

Cass63 Connections Thursday, April 9, 2026 Dear Cass School District 63 Parents, Next Friday evening, April 17, we will host our 2nd Annual Multicultural Celebration. This free event is open to the entire community and last year it was a huge success with hundreds of people in attendance. If you were not able to attend, here is a short video created from last year's celebration to give you a flavor of what this is about. Speaking of flavor, there will be some very interesting foods to sample, along with clothing, dance, art, music and visual displays. All of this stems from our purpose of celebrating and learning more about the diverse backgrounds and countries of the families in our community. We hope to see you next Friday at Cass Junior High School, and you can stop in anytime between 6:00 and 8:00 p.m. Thank you for not only supporting, but taking the time to learn more about our cultures, families, and traditions in District 63! Mark R. Cross, Superintendent     Cass Junior High Book Fair April 14-16 Cass Jr. High’s Scholastic Book Fair is coming soon! Students can browse and shop during the school day and families are invited to our Family Shopping Night on Thursday, April 16 from 4:15 - 6:15 p.m. See the Scholastic homepage or flyer for more details. Interested in helping? Please sign up to volunteer!   Enrollment Plans for Next School Year If your child will not be returning to Cass School District 63 for the 2026-27 school year, we would appreciate your sharing that information. This is very helpful for our planning. Please complete this form if your child WILL NOT be returning next school year. Current 8th grade families do not need to complete this form. We appreciate your assistance!   8th Grade Dance May 15! Tickets are on sale for the 8th Grade Dance on May 15 at Chuck's Chateau Orleans. Tickets can be purchased in the CARE Shop.   In honor of National Library Workers Day on Tuesday, April 14, we want to recognize our Library Assistants Beth Dooley at Concord Elementary and Zainab Tapal at Cass Junior High. These ladies do so much for our students and staff to promote reading, and we appreciate all that they do!   McTeacher Night April 28 Mark your calendars for McTeacher Night on April 28 from 4:00 - 7:00 p.m. CARE gets 100 percent of the cash donations for the apple pies and 20 perfect of their regular sales if you mention the fundraiser. Come hangout with your favorite teachers and bring your friends!   Swim Team practices are starting April 15 with a conference swim meet scheduled for April 29. Please be sure to see the flyer for important information and contact Coach Mitchell with questions at lmitchell@cassd63.org. Students must have a current sports physical on file in order to tryout or participate.   Music Program Front Row Seats Raffle Purchase raffle tickets to have a chance to win Front Row tickets to the upcoming Spring Band Concert on April 16 or the Junior Chorus Spring Concert on April 23. Please visit the CARE Shop to buy tickets.   Dine to Donate at Culvers April 16 This month's Dine to Donate is April 16 at Culvers. Visit Culvers from 5:00 - 9:0 p.m. or stop by after the Spring Band Concert, and 15 percent of Dine in or Take Out orders will come back to our schools!   Good luck to Hinsdale South student Gracie Linarez who will be representing Hinsdale South High School in the Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) Fashion Apparel Display state competition.   Lunch at Concord. We have noticed an uptick in students requesting a second entree at lunch but because we want to make sure that all students have the entree options they would like available, we will be limiting students to one lunch entrée per day. If your child is interested in additional items, they may request additional sides or you may want to consider supplementing their lunch with something from home. Thank you for your understanding! Lunch menus from our partner Just A Dash Catering are updated regularly and payment information, preschool snacks, and other details are available under the lunch program. Lunches are $4.00 and milk is $0.75. Please note that no pork products are ever served in our schools. Even pepperoni and ham is made from turkey. Please contact us if have any questions.   Darien Rotary Club Casino Night The Darien Rotary Club Casino Night is April 28 at Ashton Place and registration information is under the link. This event raises money for many charitable activities inclusive of the Dictionary project that provides dictionaries to all of our 3rd grade students each year, and the Early Childhood Literacy program that provides books and reading learning materials to our preschool students. Come enjoy a fun night out and help support the children of Darien!   Following are resources and opportunities outside of the district that are available to our parents and families in or around our school community. Please be aware that the district does not endorse any outside organizations or courtesy to interested families. The Community Speaker Series: Your Perfect Fit - Navigating the Path to Your Dream School GPS Parent Series: Never Give Up On Kids   Important Dates to Remember For many more dates or to sync your calendar with ours, please visit the Cass 63 Calendar. April 17 Multicultural Celebration Cass Junior High 6:00 - 7:30 p.m. April 30 5th Annual Art and Jazz Show 6:30 - 8:00 p.m. May 15 Early Release Day - School Improvement Concord 11:15 a.m. Cass 12:00 p.m.   Cass School District 63 • 8502 Bailey Road • Darien, Illinois 60561 331-481-4000 • www.cassd63.org Follow us at 

Thursday, Apr 09 2026

Cass63 Connections 3.26.26

Cass63 Connections Thursday, March 26, 2026 Dear Cass School District 63 Parents, Thank you all for your patience as we dealt with a serious medical situation in the Concord car line at the time of dismissal this afternoon. I'm very proud of the response of our leadership team and staff, as well as several parents who assisted until emergency responders arrived. Most importantly, our prayers are with the individual and family involved. On behalf of all of us in D63, I wish you and your families a wonderful spring break. If you are traveling, please do so safely and if you are around home, enjoy the time with your family. Much of our staff will take some time off, and we will see your kids when they return on April 7. Mark R. Cross, Superintendent   Friday, March 26 is an early release day with Concord released at 11:15 a.m. and Cass at 12:00 p.m. Additionally, there is no school next week or on Monday, April 6 for Spring Break. We look forward to our students returning on Tuesday, April 7. We hope you have a wonderful break with your families!   If you or someone you love is having a challenging time, please reach out to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. This is a free and confidential number where someone is ready to listen and help with problems like stress, depression, anxiety, or drug and alcohol use. Our staff is also here for you and your families. We provide contact information and a wide range of resources under our Healthy Kids, Safe Schools page. Never hesitate to reach out if your child or family needs assistance or support.   Enrollment Plans for Next School Year If your child will not be returning to Cass School District 63 for the 2026-27 school year, we would appreciate your sharing that information. This is very helpful for our planning. Please only complete this form if your child WILL NOT be returning next school year. Current 8th grade families do not need to complete this form. We really appreciate your help!   Shining Comets Awards Celebrate Empathy and Kindness On Friday, March 20, one Concord student from each class was nominated by their teachers for their empathy and kindness. Family members were invited to the surprise celebration and students were so excited to see them! These traits align with key themes of our social emotional learning program. Students were recognized and family members hosted by Principal Katie Doyle and Assistant Principal Megan Conlin.     At the March 24 meeting, the Board heard an update on student learning and growth, approved a memorandum of understanding with Hinsdale High School District 86 for data sharing, and approved the future retirements of three veteran staff members. Please see the Board Briefs for more details from the meeting.   Principal and Assistant Principal for a Day! Concord Elementary had a new principal, Nicolette F., and assistant principal, Olivia M., one day this week! They got the job because their parents had the winning bids at the CARE trivia night auction. These two young stars made announcements, helped around the school, and even made some big decisions. They took their jobs very seriously and did an amazing job showing leadership, responsibility, and confidence.   Cass Junior High Spirit Week Cass Junior High has enjoyed a spirit week this week which involved dressing up with various themes like Adam Sandler day, decade day, and pajama day. It is wonderful to see students and staff alike get in on the fun!   In honor of Paraprofessional Appreciation Day next week, we want to take a moment to appreciate the amazing teacher assistants who work with our students each day. These incredible individuals assist our teachers in ensuring all of our students get the academic support that they need to thrive. Additionally, the week of April 6 is National Assistant Principal Week and we have two of the best in Concord Assistant Principal Megan Conlin and Cass Assistant Principal Michelle Roberts. These two outstanding individuals support our principals in the daily management of our buildings and are a large part of the reason our students and staff are so successful. We cannot thank all of our staff enough for all that they do for our students, families, and school community!   Volunteers Needed for Cass Book Fair Volunteers are needed for the Cass Spring Book Fair, scheduled for April 13 - 16. If you can assist, please sign up here. Thank you!   Swim Team practices are starting April 15 with a conference swim meet scheduled for April 29. Please be sure to see the flyer for important information and contact Coach Mitchell with questions at lmitchell@cassd63.org. Students must have a current sports physical on file in order to tryout or participate.   Hinsdale South Summer School Registration Summer school registration is open at Hinsdale South High School. To learn about available classes and registration, please be sure to visit the 2026 Summer School page.   Music Program Front Row Seats Raffle Purchase raffle tickets to have a chance to win Front Row tickets to the upcoming Spring Band Concert on April 16, Jr. Chorus Spring Concert on April 23, and more! Visit the CARE Shop to buy tickets.   Lunch at Concord. We have noticed an uptick in students requesting a second entree at lunch but because we want to make sure that all students have the entree options they would like available, we will be limiting students to one lunch entrée per day. If your child is interested in additional items, they may request additional sides or you may want to consider supplementing their lunch with something from home. Thank you for your understanding! Lunch menus from our partner Just A Dash Catering are updated regularly and payment information, preschool snacks, and other details are available under the lunch program. Lunches are $4.00 and milk is $0.75. Please note that no pork products are ever served in our schools. Even pepperoni and ham is made from turkey. Please contact us if have any questions.   Following are resources and opportunities outside of the district that are available to our parents and families in or around our school community. Please be aware that the district does not endorse any outside organizations or courtesy to interested families. GPS Parent Series: Parent Yourself First GPS Parent Series: Coping Skills to Address Anger and Challenging Feelings   Important Dates to Remember For many more dates or to sync your calendar with ours, please visit the Cass 63 Calendar. March 27 Early Release Day - Concord at 11:15 and Cass at 12:00 March 28 - April 6 No School - Spring Break April 7 School Resumes April 17 Multicultural Celebration Cass Junior High 6:00-7:30 p.m.   Cass School District 63 • 8502 Bailey Road • Darien, Illinois 60561 331-481-4000 • www.cassd63.org Follow us at 

Thursday, Mar 26 2026

Cass63 Connections 3.19.26

Cass63 Connections Thursday, March 19, 2026 Dear Cass School District 63 Parents, With spring break just around the corner, we have some special events coming up over the next month that you don't want to miss. Tomorrow is Family Bingo Night, but you must pre-register below! This is for all D63 families, and will be held in the Cass gymnasium. Kindergarten Round Up is Thursday, April 9, at Concord. More information is provided below, and we appreciate your help finding our 2026-27 kindergarten kiddos! Our Second Annual Multicultural Celebration is the evening of Friday, April 17, beginning at 6:00 p.m. This is a huge community event and last year it was a packed house as we celebrated our diverse families and their many cultures, foods, and traditions. The Concord Book Fair is the week of April 27, punctuated by parent night during our annual Art and Jazz Show at Concord on Thursday, April 30. We hope to see you at our upcoming events tomorrow evening, and following the spring break. We are here if you need anything and as always, thank you for your support of our students, staff, and schools! Mark R. Cross, Superintendent   Family BINGO Night - Last Chance to Register! CARE is hosting BINGO on Friday, March 20 at Cass Junior High. This is a fun and popular family event so please be sure to see this flyer for more information! Attendance is free but registration is required as last year's event reached capacity.     Congratulations to the Cass Electric Car Team! On Saturday, March 14, the Cass Electric Car Team, Alfred Park, Ryan Gallagher, and Matteo Vitagliano, competed against other middle schools from the Chicagoland area at Argonne National Laboratory. Under the direction of teacher Susan Paskzkowski, the team designed and built their own electric car. The team won 2nd place in Design! The car and trophy will be on display by the music room. In addition to the contest, the team was given an opportunity to tour Argonne's supercomputer, Aurora.   First Graders Catch Leprechauns Ms. Poskonka’s first grade class made traps in the hopes of catching some unsuspecting leprechauns. The students walked into quite a surprise on St. Patrick’s Day! While no leprechauns were caught, students checked their traps and found that some sneaky leprechauns had paid a visit!   The Cass Junior High spring sports season is getting underway with upcoming tryouts. Track & Field season starts March 23 and is open to all interested 5th through 8th grade students. While this is an all are welcome sport, a capacity of 56 students will be chosen to attend meets due to roster and busing limitations. Please contact Coaches Kondraschow at skondraschow@cassd63.org, Hosman at dhosman@cassd63.org, or Latta at tlatta@cassd63.org with questions. Boys' Volleyball Tryouts are March 23 and 24 from 3:30-5:00 in the Cass Junior High gym. Please contact Coach Mitchell at lmitchell@cassd63.org with any questions. Swim Team practices are starting April 15 with a conference swim meet scheduled for April 29. Please be sure to see the flyer for important information and contact Coach Mitchell with questions at lmitchell@cassd63.org. For all sports, students must have a current sports physical on file in order to tryout or participate.   4th Graders, Are You Ready to STEP UP to 5th Grade? Parents, be sure to purchase your 4th grade commemorative T-shirt before March 26! Students will get a chance to sport their shirt at upcoming 4th grade events. T-shirts will be delivered to your students at Concord. Youth Small-Adult 3XL sizes are available on the CARE Shop.   Kindergarten Learns About Ramadan and Eid Mrs. Jamrose's Kindergarten students have been learning about Ramadan and Eid. Students read a story to build their understanding, listened to classmates share their own family traditions, and celebrated the importance of kindness, community, and reflection. Students then created beautiful lantern drawings and wrote about what they learned about the holiday. It was such a meaningful way to learn from one another and celebrate the diverse traditions in their classroom.   5th Grade Takes the Win! Cass Junior High students competed to see which class would have the most St. Patrick's Day spirit with the St. Patrick's Day Green Out. Our 5th grade students took the win with an impressive 51 students wearing green! 7th grade came in a close second with 48 students showing their spirit. The winners were rewarded with shamrock necklaces from Student Council.   Front Row Tickets Raffle Purchase raffle tickets to have a chance to win Front Row tickets to the upcoming Kindergarten Music Program on March 26th, Spring Band Concert on April 16th, Jr. Chorus Spring Concert on April 23rd, and more! Visit the CARE Shop to buy tickets.   Congratulations to Hinsdale South student Davy O'Connor for winning the outstanding attorney award at the State Mock Trial competition.   For the month of March, we are encouraging everyone to visit Melt N’ Dip to thank them for donating all of the ice cream at the Ice Cream social earlier this year! Stop in after dinner, during spring break, or place an order online and enjoy it at home! Let’s make sure to support the businesses that support our district!    Lunch at Concord. We have noticed an uptick in students requesting a second entree at lunch but because we want to make sure that all students have the entree options they would like available, we will be limiting students to one lunch entrée per day. If your child is interested in additional items, they may request additional sides or you may want to consider supplementing their lunch with something from home. Thank you for your understanding! Lunch menus from our partner Just A Dash Catering are updated regularly and payment information, preschool snacks, and other details are available under the lunch program. Lunches are $4.00 and milk is $0.75. Please note that no pork products are ever served in our schools. Even pepperoni and ham is made from turkey. Please contact us if have any questions.   Following are resources and opportunities outside of the district that are available to our parents and families in or around our school community. Please be aware that the district does not endorse any outside organizations or courtesy to interested families. GPS Parent Series: College Admission Essentials   Important Dates to Remember For many more dates or to sync your calendar with ours, please visit the Cass 63 Calendar. March 27 Early Release Day - Concord at 11:15 and Cass at 12:00 March 28 - April 6 No School - Spring Break April 7 School Resumes   Cass School District 63 • 8502 Bailey Road • Darien, Illinois 60561 331-481-4000 • www.cassd63.org Follow us at 

Friday, Mar 20 2026

Cass63 Connections 3.12.26

Cass63 Connections Thursday, March 12, 2026 Dear Cass School District 63 Parents, As we have shared many times before, the most important of our core beliefs and values is the health, safety, and welfare of our students and staff. I touched on this several weeks ago as it relates to physical safety and our work with local law enforcement, but today I am sharing about the importance of keeping our kids safe in other ways. First of all, students or parents can always report a safety concern by emailing staysafe@cassd63.org. This could be to report bullying, share a safety concern, or provide an important tip. Information is essential, but this email address reaches several of our key staff members and someone will respond quickly. As another option or when a trusted adult is not available, Safe2Help Illinois also offers students a safe, confidential way to share information that might help prevent suicide, bullying, school violence, or other threats to child or school safety. This site is an incredible resource that also includes an anonymous tip line in the event children, parents or community members become aware of potential threats to safety. Last but not least, we have a wide variety of resources on our Healthy Kids, Safe Schools page. This includes key staff members you or your child can reach out to if anything is needed at either school. There are also resources regarding online and social media safety, medical information, child and family counseling, information on sex offenders and prevention of sexual abuse, as well as mental health, suicide prevention, and crisis support. We are always here for you, your families, and your children should anything ever be needed. Never hesitate to reach out, and thank you for the support and teamwork in keeping our kids safe. Mark R. Cross, Superintendent   Students in grades 3 through 8 will be participating in the Illinois Assessment of Readiness in March and April. The IAR assesses the progress of our students in meeting the Illinois Learning Standards in English language arts, and mathematics, while the Illinois Science Assessment assesses student progress in grades 5 and 8. During state testing, students are not allowed to arrive late to class or to leave early, so please review the schedule below and plan accordingly. We ask that students have earbuds or headphones each day of testing. The remaining schedule for each school is as follows: Concord Elementary School March 16, 18, and 19 - 3rd and 4th Grade Math Cass Junior High School March 16 and 17 - 5th-8th Grade Reading April 8, 9, and 10 - 5th-8th Grade Math April 20, 21, and 22 - 5th & 8th Grade Science Please contact your child’s teacher or Principals Christine Marcinkewicz or Katie Doyle with any questions.   Share Your Family's Culture and Heritage! Our Multicultural Celebration is coming up April 17, and here are the countries represented so far: Belize, Chile, China, Cuba, Germany, India, Ireland, Japan, Lebanon, Macedonia, Mexico, Pakistan, Palestine, Peru, Poland, and Syria. If you have not yet done so and would like to submit a proposal to share about your family's culture, heritage, and traditions, please do so by March 13!   This if your last chance to complete the 5Essentials Parent Survey. Administered by the University of Chicago on behalf of the Illinois State Board of Education, this survey generates data that districts can use to guide continuous efforts to improve our schools and inform our parents and school community about our learning environment. The survey closes March 13. Thank you for participating!   Family Bingo Night March 20 CARE is hosting BINGO on Friday, March 20 at Cass Junior High. This is a fun and popular family event so please be sure to see this flyer for more information! Attendance is free but registration is required as last year's event reached capacity.   1st Grade Reads Across America To kick off Read Across America, the 1st grade classes are reading 16 different Monarch Award nominees and using a March Madness-style bracket to vote for their favorite stories! The students are down to the Elite 8 with the Championship scheduled for March 26!   The Cass Junior High spring sports season is getting underway with upcoming tryouts. Soccer Tryouts are March 18 and 19 from 3:30 to 4:55. Please contact Coaches Newton at mnewton@cassd63.org or Leganski at sleganski@cassd63.org with questions. Track & Field season starts March 23 and is open to all interested 5th through 8th grade students. While this is an all are welcome sport, a capacity of 56 students will be chosen to attend meets due to roster and busing limitations. Please contact Coaches Kondraschow at skondraschow@cassd63.org, Hosman at dhosman@cassd63.org, or Latta at tlatta@cassd63.org with questions. Boys' Volleyball Tryouts are March 23 and 24 from 3:30-5:00 in the Cass Junior High gym. Please contact Coach Mitchell at lmitchell@cassd63.org with any questions. For all sports, students must have a current sports physical on file in order to tryout or participate.   Front Row Tickets Raffle Purchase raffle tickets to have a chance to win Front Row tickets to the upcoming Kindergarten Music Program on March 26. Visit the CARE SHOP before March 23 to buy tickets.    Congratulations to Hinsdale South students Gracie Linarez and Asmitha Pallath for being selected, along with their AP Environmental Science teachers, to participate in the Project 2100 Climate Conference.   For the month of March, we are encouraging everyone to visit Melt N’ Dip to thank them for donating all of the ice cream at the Ice Cream social earlier this year! Stop in after dinner, during spring break, or place an order online and enjoy it at home! Let’s make sure to support the businesses that support our district!    Lunch menus from our partner Just A Dash Catering are updated regularly and payment information, preschool snacks, and other details are available under the lunch program. Lunches are $4.00 and milk is $0.75. Please note that no pork products are ever served in our schools. Even pepperoni and ham is made from turkey. Please contact us if have any questions.   Following are resources and opportunities outside of the district that are available to our parents and families in or around our school community. Please be aware that the district does not endorse any outside organizations or courtesy to interested families. GPS Parent Series: Creating Healthy Connections Without Losing Yourself   Important Dates to Remember For many more dates or to sync your calendar with ours, please visit the Cass 63 Calendar. March 27 Early Release Day - Concord at 11:15 and Cass at 12:00 March 28 - April 6 No School - Spring Break April 7 School Resumes   Cass School District 63 • 8502 Bailey Road • Darien, Illinois 60561 331-481-4000 • www.cassd63.org Follow us at 

Friday, Mar 13 2026

Multicultural Celebration Proposals Due Friday!

Dear Cass School District 63 Families, The 2nd Annual Multicultural Celebration is coming soon and proposals to share about your family's culture, heritage, and traditions are due this Friday! So far, we have the following countries represented: China, Cuba, India, Ireland, Japan, Lebanon, Macedonia, Mexico, Pakistan, Peru, Poland, Syria, and the United States. Of course we want all cultures represented and multiple submissions from the same background are very welcome. After the deadline, we will coordinate if you want the option of sharing with another group. Submitting a proposal only takes a few minutes and more details are under the link. If you're not interested in submitting, please save the date of Friday, April 17, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. in the Cass Junior High School gymnasium. Thank you and we look forward to seeing you there! Multicultural Celebration Steering Committee   Cass School District 63 • 8502 Bailey Road • Darien, Illinois 60561 331-481-4000 • www.cassd63.org Follow us at 

Sunday, Mar 08 2026

Cass63 Connections 3.5.26

Cass63 Connections Thursday, March 5, 2026 Dear Cass School District 63 Parents, It's that time of year for state testing and we want our kids to perform the best that they can. Principals Christine Marcinkewicz and Katie Doyle have already shared information with parents about the upcoming Illinois Assessment of Readiness. The IAR is the state of Illinois assessment for mathematics and language arts in grades 3 through 8, and the Illinois Science Assessment is also administered for students in grades 5 and 8. The general schedule and more details are provided below. There are a few important other important reminders to follow, including making sure your family's culture and heritage is represented in upcoming Multicultural Celebration, as well as details on preschool screenings, information about spring sports, as well as the Illinois 5Essentials Survey and Family Bingo Night on March 20! As always, please never hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or concerns. We are here for you. Thank you! Mark R. Cross, Superintendent     Students in grades 3 through 8 will be participating in the Illinois Assessment of Readiness in March and April. The IAR assesses the progress of our students in meeting the Illinois Learning Standards in English language arts, and mathematics, while the Illinois Science Assessment assesses student progress in grades 5 and 8. During state testing, students are not allowed to arrive late to class or to leave early, so please review the schedule below and plan accordingly. We ask that students have earbuds or headphones each day of testing. The remaining schedule for each school is as follows: Concord Elementary School March 11 and 12 - 3rd and 4th Grade Reading March 16, 18, and 19 - 3rd and 4th Grade Math Cass Junior High School March 16 and 17 - 5th-8th Grade Reading April 8, 9, and 10 - 5th-8th Grade Math April 20, 21, and 22 - 5th & 8th Grade Science Please contact your child’s teacher or Principals Christine Marcinkewicz or Katie Doyle with any questions.   Is Your Family's Culture and Heritage Represented? Our Multicultural Celebration is coming up April 17, and here are the countries represented so far: Cuba, India, Ireland, Japan, Lebanon, Macedonia, Mexico, Pakistan, Peru, Poland, Syria, and the United States. If you have not yet done so and would like to submit a proposal to share about your family's culture, heritage, and traditions, please do so! We have extended the deadline for proposal submissions until March 13.   The 5Essentials Parent Survey is open! Administered by the University of Chicago on behalf of the Illinois State Board of Education, this survey generates data that districts can use to guide continuous efforts to improve our schools and inform our parents and school community about our learning environment. The survey closes March 13. Thank you for participating!   Preschool Screenings March 13 Parents of 3, 4, and 5-year old children, who do not yet attend kindergarten and are residents of Cass District 63, may register their child for a free preschool screening. The next Preschool Screening will be held on Friday, March 13, 2026   Children must be preregistered to participate in the preschool screening session. Sessions will last about one hour. To register, call 331-481-4000. Children who qualify based on preschool screening will be eligible to attend our blended preschool program for free.    Our blended program will provide high-quality preschool education that will be held 2 1/2 hours each day, 5 days per week. This program is taught by certified Early Childhood teachers using the research-based Creative Curriculum. The program follows the Cass District 63 school calendar. If your child does not qualify to attend our program for free our district offers a tuition-based option that serves children ages 3-5 who are progressing at a rate typical of their age.    The Cass Junior High spring sports season is getting underway with upcoming tryouts. Soccer Tryouts are March 18 and 19 from 3:30 to 4:55. Please contact Coaches Newton at mnewton@cassd63.org or Leganski at sleganski@cassd63.org with questions. Track & Field season starts March 23 and is open to all interested 5th through 8th grade students. While this is an all are welcome sport, a capacity of 56 students will be chosen to attend meets due to roster and busing limitations. Please contact Coaches Kondraschow at skondraschow@cassd63.org, Hosman at dhosman@cassd63.org, or Latta at tlatta@cassd63.org with questions. Boys' Volleyball Tryouts are March 23 and 24 from 3:30-5:00 in the Cass Junior High gym. Please contact Coach Mitchell at lmitchell@cassd63.org with any questions. For all sports, students must have a current sports physical on file in order to tryout or participate.   Family Bingo Night March 20 CARE is hosting BINGO on Friday, March 20 at Cass Junior High. This is a fun and popular family event so please be sure to see this flyer for more information and if you are interested please be sure to register soon as last year's event did reach capacity.   Lunch menus from our partner Just A Dash Catering are updated regularly and payment information, preschool snacks, and other details are available under the lunch program. Lunches are $4.00 and milk is $0.75. Please note that no pork products are ever served in our schools. Even pepperoni and ham is made from turkey. Please contact us if have any questions.   Following are resources and opportunities outside of the district that are available to our parents and families in or around our school community. Please be aware that the district does not endorse any outside organizations or courtesy to interested families. GPS Parent Series: Chef Curtis Duffy - Memoir of a Chef DGC Sprouts - Herb Gardening of Kids   Important Dates to Remember For many more dates or to sync your calendar with ours, please visit the Cass 63 Calendar. March 8 Daylight Savings Time - Spring Forward! March 27 Early Release Day - Concord at 11:15 and Cass at 12:00 March 28 - April 6 No School - Spring Break April 7 School Resumes   Cass School District 63 • 8502 Bailey Road • Darien, Illinois 60561 331-481-4000 • www.cassd63.org Follow us at 

Friday, Mar 06 2026

Cass63 Connections 2.26.26

Cass63 Connections Thursday, February 26, 2026 Dear Cass School District 63 Parents, The biggest event in our school district last year was our Multicultural Celebration, and we are continuing the tradition! If you are interested in sharing about your family's culture, heritage, and traditions at our second annual celebration in April 17, our steering committee is accepting proposals through next Friday, March 13. Not only would we love to have you be a part of it, but we want all of our families and cultures represented. We also appreciate you taking a few minutes to complete the 5Essentials Parent Survey. This is administered through the Illinois State Board of Education and if we get enough responses, it provides data that will be helpful in our continuous efforts to improve. The survey closes Friday, March 13. Also, thank you to those of you who were able to attend Trivia Night last Friday! Our CARE volunteers did a great job, and it was so much fun. We truly appreciate everyone's support of our kids, staff, and schools. Due to the DuPage County Teacher Institute Day, there is no school for students on Friday, February 27. Have a great weekend! Mark R. Cross, Superintendent   Due to a county wide teacher institute day, there is no school for students on Friday, February 27!   With the second trimester coming to a close this week, here is a reminder for parents on how to review your child's grades in Skyward. This information is available anytime, not just at the end of each trimester. Please contract us with any questions or if you need any assistance.   On the evening of April 17, we will be hosting our second annual Multicultural Celebration. Last year's event far exceeded our expectations and this year's has the potential to be even better. We are looking for our families who wish to submit a proposal to share about your family's culture, heritage, and traditions. Proposals are due on March 13th, and we hope you will consider being a part of this wonderful event!   Chess Team Finishes Second in Conference Congratulations to the Cass Junior High Chess Team on an outstanding season! The team finished the regular season with an impressive record, earning second place in the SDEAA Conference. We would also like to recognize some incredible individual accomplishments. Austin Lyall captured the title of 10th Chair Individual Board Winner and for the second year in a row, and Ian Chavez earned a medal as the 3rd Chair Board Winner. Congratulations to Coach Taylor Latta and the entire team on such a successful season. We are so proud of your commitment, sportsmanship, and perseverance. Go Warriors!   The Cass Junior High School Scholastic Bowl season is about to begin! If your 5th through 8th grade child is interested in joining, please encourage him or her to come to the first practices to see what Scholastic Bowl is all about. Practices will be held Mondays through Thursdays, from 3:30 until 4:50, starting Monday, March 2. The meets start March 24 and end April 23 and can run until 5:30. Our Cass Junior High team is the most successful team in the conference this decade, so we are excited to have another great season! Please contact coach Jeff Grand at jeffgrand@cassd63.org with any questions.   8th Grade T-Shirt Orders Due February 27 8th grade parents, please don't miss out on this opportunity to help your child celebrate their 8th grade year. Class t-shirts are on sale through Friday, February 27 and will be delivered by the end of March.   In honor of School Social Work Week next week, we want to take a moment to recognize our outstanding social workers Rozie Hornig at Cass Junior High and Bridget Gilmartin at Concord Elementary. These two professionals are newer to our school district, and do so much for our students through a wide array of services. Thank you to both Rozie and Bridget for their work and advocacy for our students!   8th Grade Learns About Alkali and Alkaline Metals Our 8th Grade students have a great head start learning chemistry, while testing compounds in Mrs. Paszkowski’s science classes. Their testing was for the presence of various alkali and alkaline metals.   Thank You for Supporting the Kids Heart Challenge! On behalf of the American Heart Association, we would like to thank all of the Concord Elementary School students, family and friends for your incredible generosity. With your hard work, we were able to raise $12,298.98 this year. The American Heart Association estimates that this money will save 245 lives by helping to teach people the critical skill of hands-only CPR. Since 2010, the Concord Elementary School community has raised $133,884.58 for this important cause. Thanks so much for making this fundraiser a success once again! Curious how the AHA uses your donations? Check out the chart below.   Illinois has started a college direct admission program that allows state universities and community colleges to admit students before they apply based solely on GPA. To learn more, here is a letter from Illinois State Superintendent Dr. Tony Sanders.   Congratulations to Hinsdale South wrestler Jon Mansker, gymnast Emma Glashin, and bowler Madison Witucki for qualifying for and competing in the state finals in their respective sports.   Lunch menus from our partner Just A Dash Catering are updated regularly and payment information, preschool snacks, and other details are available under the lunch program. Lunches are $4.00 and milk is $0.75. Please note that no pork products are ever served in our schools. Even pepperoni and ham is made from turkey. Please contact us if have any questions.   Following are resources and opportunities outside of the district that are available to our parents and families in or around our school community. Please be aware that the district does not endorse any outside organizations or courtesy to interested families. GPS Parent Series: Raising Terrific Kids in Terrifying Times Project Rise Food Drive Cradles to Crayons Clothing Drive   Important Dates to Remember For many more dates or to sync your calendar with ours, please visit the Cass 63 Calendar. February 27 No School - Staff Institute Day March 27 Early Release Day - Concord at 11:15 and Cass at 12:00 March 28 - April 6 No School - Spring Break April 7 School Resumes   Cass School District 63 • 8502 Bailey Road • Darien, Illinois 60561 331-481-4000 • www.cassd63.org Follow us at 

Friday, Feb 27 2026

No School Friday, February 27

As a friendly reminder, there is no school for students in D63 on Friday, February 27. This is due to the DuPage County Teacher Institute Day. We will see the kids again on Monday. Have a great weekend!

Thursday, Feb 26 2026

Multicultural Celebration Proposals Due March 13

Multicultural Celebration Proposal Submission Form Dear Cass School District 63 Families, Our 2nd Annual Multicultural Celebration is scheduled for the evening of Friday, April 17, and we are so excited to continue this tradition. Now it's time to let us know if you would like to share about your family's culture, heritage, and traditions. Whether you participated last year or not, we would love to have you be a part of it! Like last year's highly successful event, our purpose is once again as follows: To celebrate and learn about the diverse backgrounds and cultures of our district families. To promote family engagement and involvement in school activities. To foster appreciation for the diverse cultures that make up our community. Please consider this your formal invitation to showcase your country of origin, culture heritage, and traditions in a manner that you choose, subject to the guidelines below. There is no charge to participate and the school district will provide a table, chairs, a power source if needed, and other items if needed. We will provide access to set up anytime that you need it starting after student dismissal on the day of the event. Our Multicultural Celebration will be held in Cass Junior High School gymnasium from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. In addition to what you provide and display at your station, we also welcome ideas for a brief presentation for all present, such as music, dance, or other displays that could be provided as part of the evening. Creativity is welcome! In terms of the guidelines, please be mindful of the following: Booths include a cultural display of educational materials, artifacts, clothing, food, etc. Cultural arts, crafts, or similar items for children and guests are welcome Any food must have all ingredients and potential allergens listed Neither the sale of goods or political messaging is allowed at this event If you are interested, please submit your proposal by Friday, March 13. If you have any questions, please email mcross@cassd63.org. Thank you! D63 Multicultural Celebration Steering Committee   Cass School District 63 • 8502 Bailey Road • Darien, Illinois 60561 331-481-4000 • www.cassd63.org Follow us at 

Monday, Feb 23 2026

Cass63 Connections 2.19.26

Cass63 Connections Thursday, February 19, 2026 Dear Cass School District 63 Parents, Since our successful referendum just over three years ago, we have made incredible progress getting critical work done. The biggest was the replacement of the HVAC system, resulting in a highly energy efficient geothermal heating and cooling system at both schools. With the support of our Board of Education, taxpayers, and community, our facilities plan has also led to updating the Cass Junior High gymnasium, refreshing our music rooms at both schools, installing energy efficient lighting, and replacing the Concord playground, and more work is planned for Phase III this summer. One of the improvements that should not go unnoticed is a complete upgrade of our security system as well. This includes new interior and exterior video surveillance, security measures on our doors, and replacement of the fire alarms, intercom systems and phones, as well as the installation of the BluePoint security system. The BluePoint system is a gamechanger in terms of response time, with instant and direct contact with the Darien Police Department in the event of a high level crisis. When students are not in session, we also drill with our staff on this system with the police. The first of Our Core Beliefs and Values is "the health, safety and welfare of our students and staff must never be compromised and will always come first." These are powerful words that we do not take lightly, and they drive why we have put these plans into practice. While statistically not likely, the fact of the matter is we live in a world where some people choose violence against others for reasons we will never understand. We felt that it was important to plan for that possibility not only with physical barriers and a massive reduction in response time for law enforcement, but also as an integrated part of our training and preparedness with staff and our amazing police department. Your questions and concerns are always welcome! Thank you for the support and doing your part in helping us maintain the highest level of safety in our schools. Mark R. Cross, Superintendent   Submit Your Multicultural Celebration Proposal! On the evening of April 17, we will be hosting our second annual Multicultural Celebration. Last year's event far exceeded our expectations and this year's has the potential to be even better. We are looking for our families who wish to submit a proposal to share about your family's culture, heritage, and traditions. Proposals are due on March 13th, and we hope you will consider being a part of this wonderful event!   The 5Essentials Parent Survey is open! Administered by the University of Chicago on behalf of the Illinois State Board of Education, this survey generates data that districts can use to guide continuous efforts to improve our schools and inform our parents and school community about our learning environment. The survey closes March 13. Thank you for participating!   At this week's Board meeting, the Board approved the 2026-27 school year fees, heard a presentation on MAP assessment achievement, discussed Phase III facility planning, and approved an intergovernmental agreement with the City of Darien to replace the parking lot at Cass Junior High. The Board Briefs provide more details from the meeting.   MAP Students Up Their Science Game Our 5th grade MAP students recently made anemometers to measure wind speed and barometers to measure air pressure in extension of what they are doing in Ms. Newton's science class! Students plan to test the anemometers outside once the weather warms up!   Preschool Screening March 13 Parents of 3, 4, and 5-year old children, who do not yet attend kindergarten and are residents of Cass District 63, may register their child for a free preschool screening. The next Preschool Screening will be held on Friday, March 13, 2026   Children must be preregistered to participate in the preschool screening session. Sessions will last about one hour. To register, call 331-481-4000. Children who qualify based on preschool screening will be eligible to attend our blended preschool program for free.    Our blended program will provide high-quality preschool education that will be held 2 1/2 hours each day, 5 days per week. This program is taught by certified Early Childhood teachers using the research-based Creative Curriculum. The program follows the Cass District 63 school calendar. If your child does not qualify to attend our program for free our district offers a tuition-based option that serves children ages 3-5 who are progressing at a rate typical of their age.    7th Grade Advanced ELA Class Studies Hamlet The 7th grade Advanced ELA class finished reading Hamlet and then had the opportunity to the play downtown at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater!   Mock Newbery Celebration A Mock Newbery Celebration was recently held for students who read 12 or more books. This year we had 24 students accomplish this goal! They talked books and ate pizza, making for a great day. 7th grader Aroush Qureshi read the most books with 18. Well done!   Concord Kids Heart Challenge - Last Chance to Donate For the seventeenth consecutive year, this month our Concord Elementary students will be participating in an optional fundraiser for the American Heart Association called the Kids Heart Challenge. Over the next few weeks we will be discussing the importance of making heart healthy choices and learning life-saving techniques. If the students choose to participate in fundraising for the AHA, the easiest way to collect donations is to sign up and join the Concord Elementary School Team and share messages via email or social media to family and friends so that anyone across the globe can contribute online We would like to stress that students should not be going from door-to-door asking for donations from strangers. The celebratory event for the fundraiser will be held during physical education time on Friday, February 20 and will include a variety of jump rope games and activities. Donations will be accepted from Monday, February 9 through Friday, February 20. If you have any questions, please contact Greg Kirchen at gkirchen@cassd63.org or Craig Damrow at cdamrow@cassd63.org. Thank you, as always, for your support of this program!   The Darien Woman’s Club 50th Annual Creative Youth Art Fair will be held Sunday, March 1 at Cass Junior High in Darien and is open to students from Pre-K through high school.  Each piece must be mounted and include the student’s first and last name and phone number on the back, and no perishable items are allowed. Artwork must be dropped off on Friday, February 27, with judging on Saturday. The public viewing will take place on Sunday, March 1 from 2:00–3:30 PM, with an awards ceremony at 3:15 PM. Only registered artwork will be accepted. Online registration can be completed here and is it required. Registration will be open until 10:00 PM on February 21, 2026.   Glow Dance at Cass Our Cass Junior High Students enjoyed a Glow Dance last Thursday. The Student Council students and their sponsors did a great job planning this fun event. Enjoy the pictures!   Dine to Donate at Raising Canes February 26 This month's Dine to Donate is Raising Cane’s on February 26 from 3:00 - 8:00 p.m. CARE gets 15 percent back, but only if you show them the flyer so please sure to bring it along. See you there!   Concord Staff to Participate in Polar Plunge Concord is “Freezing for a Reason” for the third year in a row! We’re excited to continue this tradition and raise funds for the Special Olympics. If you’d like to contribute to this great cause, here is the donation link. Your support is appreciated and thank you for considering a donation!   Congratulations to Hinsdale South danceline members Cate Johnson, Ella Nash, Paige Kuszewski, Lilian Balsamo, Kerri Hagen, and Alixandra Smith who were part of the the Varsity Danceline who took at first at state or the JV Danceline who took second at state.   Lunch menus from our partner Just A Dash Catering are updated regularly and payment information, preschool snacks, and other details are available under the lunch program. Lunches are $4.00 and milk is $0.75. Please note that no pork products are ever served in our schools. Even pepperoni and ham is made from turkey. Please contact us if have any questions.   Following are resources and opportunities outside of the district that are available to our parents and families in or around our school community. Please be aware that the district does not endorse any outside organizations or courtesy to interested families. GPS Parent Series: From Self Doubt to Self-Worth   Important Dates to Remember For many more dates or to sync your calendar with ours, please visit the Cass 63 Calendar. February 27 No School - Staff Institute Day   Cass School District 63 • 8502 Bailey Road • Darien, Illinois 60561 331-481-4000 • www.cassd63.org Follow us at 

Friday, Feb 20 2026