Post by gatormom on May 6, 2008 19:45:57 GMT -5
Residents get to name Aurora school
Justin Kmitch
Daily Herald Staff
Published: 5/6/2008 4:24 PM
The soon-to-be-converted Waubonsie Valley freshman campus needs a new name - one more appropriate for what soon will be Indian Prairie Unit District 204's newest middle school.
School board President Mark Metzger said the district has a long-standing policy of letting the community name its new schools.
"It's actually a pretty fun process for the board members to read the submissions and choose," he said Tuesday. "It's not uncommon that we learn something new about the people being submitted or are reminded about something they've done."
The district's naming policy states school names can honor a prominent local, state, or national figure or family, including former district employees, students, parents or other residents. The submissions also may reflect the location of the building or facility.
"We always encourage a reasonable amount of creativity in these instances but obviously we're looking for serious submissions," Metzger said.
Many of the more common suggestions include the names of past or sitting presidents. During the naming of a recent elementary school, Metzger said even the president of Walt Disney World, Mickey Mouse, was suggested.
"Coming from an elementary student, I have to believe that was a genuinely serious submission but it just didn't make the cut," he said. "It's not uncommon for the students who will feed into the new school to participate in the naming process."
Submittals, which usually total about 60, likely will include a range of names simply scribbled on a piece of paper while others may include letters, newspaper archives or photos to support and justify the suggestion.
Either format is allowed but all nominations should include a brief statement stating why the name is being suggested and may be sent to Janet Buglio, director of communications, at school-name@ipsd.org or P.O. Box 3990, Naperville, IL 60567.
All nominations are due by noon May 19 and board members will discuss them during the committee of the whole meeting scheduled for June 3. The board is expected to announce the school name at the June 9 school board meeting.
FYI
• A look at the names of other Indian Prairie middle schools:
• Crone Middle School: Named for Clifford W. Crone, superintendent from 1975-1986.
• Granger Middle School: Named for Francis Granger, who served as mayor of Naperville from 1911 to 1913 and served 30 years as a school trustee and seven as president of the Naperville West Side School Board.
• Gregory Middle School: Named for Gordon Gregory, who over the course of 23 years served on the Granger and Indian Prairie Unit District 204 school boards, where he was president for a total of 19 years.
• Hill Middle School: Named for Thayer J. Hill, the district's first superintendent.
• Scullen Middle School: Named for Thomas G. Scullen, who served as superintendent from 1986 to 1995.
• Still Middle School: Named for former teacher Jeffery Still, who was killed by a drunken driver in 1997. Still served as a substitute teacher at Waubonsie Valley High School and at other District 204 schools until being hired as one of the original staff members when Granger opened in 1993. He taught social studies, coached basketball and became a sixth-grade team leader. At Waubonsie, he was an offensive and defensive line coach for sophomore football and volunteered as a sophomore baseball coach.
Justin Kmitch
Daily Herald Staff
Published: 5/6/2008 4:24 PM
The soon-to-be-converted Waubonsie Valley freshman campus needs a new name - one more appropriate for what soon will be Indian Prairie Unit District 204's newest middle school.
School board President Mark Metzger said the district has a long-standing policy of letting the community name its new schools.
"It's actually a pretty fun process for the board members to read the submissions and choose," he said Tuesday. "It's not uncommon that we learn something new about the people being submitted or are reminded about something they've done."
The district's naming policy states school names can honor a prominent local, state, or national figure or family, including former district employees, students, parents or other residents. The submissions also may reflect the location of the building or facility.
"We always encourage a reasonable amount of creativity in these instances but obviously we're looking for serious submissions," Metzger said.
Many of the more common suggestions include the names of past or sitting presidents. During the naming of a recent elementary school, Metzger said even the president of Walt Disney World, Mickey Mouse, was suggested.
"Coming from an elementary student, I have to believe that was a genuinely serious submission but it just didn't make the cut," he said. "It's not uncommon for the students who will feed into the new school to participate in the naming process."
Submittals, which usually total about 60, likely will include a range of names simply scribbled on a piece of paper while others may include letters, newspaper archives or photos to support and justify the suggestion.
Either format is allowed but all nominations should include a brief statement stating why the name is being suggested and may be sent to Janet Buglio, director of communications, at school-name@ipsd.org or P.O. Box 3990, Naperville, IL 60567.
All nominations are due by noon May 19 and board members will discuss them during the committee of the whole meeting scheduled for June 3. The board is expected to announce the school name at the June 9 school board meeting.
FYI
• A look at the names of other Indian Prairie middle schools:
• Crone Middle School: Named for Clifford W. Crone, superintendent from 1975-1986.
• Granger Middle School: Named for Francis Granger, who served as mayor of Naperville from 1911 to 1913 and served 30 years as a school trustee and seven as president of the Naperville West Side School Board.
• Gregory Middle School: Named for Gordon Gregory, who over the course of 23 years served on the Granger and Indian Prairie Unit District 204 school boards, where he was president for a total of 19 years.
• Hill Middle School: Named for Thayer J. Hill, the district's first superintendent.
• Scullen Middle School: Named for Thomas G. Scullen, who served as superintendent from 1986 to 1995.
• Still Middle School: Named for former teacher Jeffery Still, who was killed by a drunken driver in 1997. Still served as a substitute teacher at Waubonsie Valley High School and at other District 204 schools until being hired as one of the original staff members when Granger opened in 1993. He taught social studies, coached basketball and became a sixth-grade team leader. At Waubonsie, he was an offensive and defensive line coach for sophomore football and volunteered as a sophomore baseball coach.