Unit 5 News and Special Events

October 19, 2009

September 14, 2009

August 21, 2009

 July 21, 2009

Unit 5 Names New Associate Principal at Parkside Junior High School

NORMAL, IL . . . July 13, 2009 . . . McLean County Unit District 5 has named Mike Clark the new associate principal at Parkside Junior High School. He assumes his duties immediately.

Mr. Clark, who has been with Unit 5 for eight years, was an assistant principal at Normal Community High School. He has served in that position since 2005. Prior to that, Clark served as the athletic director for two years. He was also a teacher for two years at NCHS.

The Board of Education approved Clark’s appointment at its July 8 board meeting.

“Mr. Clark has shown outstanding leadership at Normal Community High School,” Superintendent Gary Niehaus said. “His previous experiences have prepared him well for his new position.”

Mr. Clark graduated from Illinois State University with a Bachelor of Science in education. He is married and has two daughters attending Unit 5 Schools.

“I’m energized by the opportunity to work at such a fine school as Parkside Junior High School,” Mr. Clark said. “I look forward to teaming with Mr. Lee and the Parkside community to create an environment where all students can experience success.”

June 1, 2009

Oakdale Elementary School Announces New Principal

NORMAL, IL . . . June 1, 2009 . . . McLean County Unit District 5 has named Darrin Cooper as the new principal at Oakdale Elementary School. The position will be effective July 1.

Cooper, who has been with Unit 5 for 12 years, is currently the associate principal and athletic director at Parkside Junior High School. He previously was a math and science teacher at Northpoint Elementary School and Chiddix Junior High School. He also was a head wrestling coach at Chiddix for many years.

The board will officially approve Cooper’s appointment at its June 10 board meeting.

Cooper takes the place of Marlys Bennington, who was named the new principal at Benjamin Elementary School, scheduled to open in fall 2010.

“Mr. Cooper is an excellent administrator and a talented teacher,” Superintendent Gary Niehaus said. “He has the experience and the credentials necessary to help the students at Oakdale achieve academic excellence.”

A graduate of Illinois State University, Cooper earned a bachelor’s degree in education and a master’s degree in Educational Administration.

In his free time, Cooper enjoys the outdoors and spending time with my family. He is married and is the father of a 4-year-old daughter and 2-year-old son.

“Oakdale has a tremendous staff and I am excited to be a part of the Oakdale team,” Cooper said. “By working together, we will continue to ensure academic success for our students.”

May 28, 2009

Unit 5 Names New Principal at Towanda Elementary School

NORMAL, IL . . . May 27, 2009 . . . McLean County Unit District No. 5 has named Karrah Jensen as the principal of Towanda Elementary School for the 2009-2010 school year. The position will be effective July 1. Jensen replaces Sarah Edwards, who is transferring to Pepper Ridge Elementary School.

Jensen has been a teacher in Unit 5 for nine years, and is currently a fourth grade teacher at Northpoint Elementary School. She is also a district science curriculum chair for grades third through fifth. Jensen previously spent eight years as a teacher at Colene Hoose Elementary School in second and fourth grades. Last summer she was the director of Unit 5’s elementary school programming, a position she will hold again this summer.

The board will officially approve Jensen’s appointment at its May 27 board meeting.

“Mrs. Jensen will be a valuable addition to Towanda Elementary School,” Superintendent Gary Niehaus said. “Her duties as a summer school director have given her the skill set to run her first elementary school.”

A graduate of Illinois State University, Jensen earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Education and a Master of Science degree in Educational Administrations and Foundations.

Jensen is married and has a 3-year-old daughter. In her free time she enjoys camping and spending time with her family.

“Taking on this new role, as Principal, at Towanda Elementary School allows me to continue working with students, staff, and parents in a new and exciting way,” Jensen said. “I look forward to building new relationships and continuing the Towanda pride that has long been established.”

May 14, 2009

New Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources to join Unit 5

NORMAL, IL . . . May 13, 2009 . . . Nathaniel Cunningham, a school administrator from Ball-Chatham School District 5, has been named the new Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources at McLean County Unit District 5.

The Unit 5 Board of Education voted on Cunningham’s hiring at its May 13, meeting. He will assume the position July 1. During the next school year, Cunningham will work side-by-side with Assistant Superintendent John Pye, who is planning to retire in June 2010.

“Mr. Cunningham will be a valuable addition to the Unit 5 administrative team,” Superintendent Gary Niehaus said. “His experience in human resources and his background as a school leader makes him a good fit for the district and will help Unit 5 continue to hire high quality faculty and staff members.”

Cunningham is currently the principal at Glenwood High School in Chatham, a position he has held since 2003. Prior to that, he was an Associate Principal at Rantoul Township High School for three years. Cunningham also taught eighth-grade science for many years, as well as coached basketball and football. Before becoming an educator, he served in the United States Air Force for more than 10 years.

"I'm excited to have this opportunity. Any time you are starting with a new organization, there's a high level of excitement,” Cunningham said. “I see Unit 5 as having a great deal of community pride and support. There are great people in the district that are working hard to get things done for students, staff and the community.”

May 15, 2009

Unit 5 Hires Literacy Director

NORMAL, IL . . . May 13, 2009 . . . The Unit 5 Board of Education Wednesday night hired Carol Frericks to be the district’s Director Literacy and RTI (Response to Intervention).

Frericks has been an educator for 28 years. She will begin her new position July 1.

“I am delighted to be coming to Unit 5,” Frericks said. “My goal is to implement effective Response to Intervention opportunities for all students.”

Her responsibilities will include training teachers for reading intervention at the elementary level and organizing intervention groups. The district hired a literacy director to best prepare teachers to work with students on reading skills and strategies.

Frericks is currently the Literacy Coordinator for Quincy Public Schools. In that role she also serves as the district’s literacy coach for Pre-k through 12th grade. She received her bachelor’s degree at Quincy University in elementary and special education and her master’s degree in educational administration at Illinois State University.

“I welcome Ms. Frericks as a valuable addition to Unit 5,” Superintendent Gary Niehaus said. “Her experience working with struggling readers will allow Unit 5 to best meet the challenge of providing quality services for all of our students.”

April 21,2009

Unit 5 Names New Principal at Benjamin Elementary School

McLean County Unit District 5 has named Marlys Bennington as the principal of Benjamin Elementary School, which will open in fall 2010. The position will be effective July 1.

Bennington, who has been with Unit 5 for 19 years, is currently the principal at Oakdale Elementary School. She has served in that position since 2004. Prior to that, Bennington spent three years as a principal at Parkside Elementary School, and two years as an administrative intern at Prairieland Elementary School. Before becoming an administrator, Bennington was a special education teacher at Pepper Ridge Elementary and Colene Hoose Elementary schools.

The board will officially approve Bennington’s appointment at its April 22 board meeting.

“Mrs. Bennington brings a tremendous skill set to the Benjamin Elementary School principal position,” Superintendent Gary Niehaus said. “She has done a wonderful job helping the students at Oakdale achieve academic excellence, and I know she will continue those efforts as she leads a new school team.”

Bennington graduated from Illinois State University with a Bachelor of Science in special education and a Master’s degree in Educational Administration.

In her free time, Bennington enjoys reading and spending time with her family. She is married and has a daughter and son attending Unit 5 schools.

"I am honored and excited to have the opportunity to be a part of the opening of Benjamin Elementary School,” Bennington said. “I look forward to meeting and getting to know the future Benjamin families, as we begin this new journey together."

April 13,2009

Unit 5 Names New Principal at Pepper Ridge Elementary School

McLean County Unit District 5 has named Sarah Edwards as the principal of Pepper Ridge Elementary School for the 2009-2010 school year. The position will be effective July 1. She will take the place of retiring principal Diana Coombs.

Edwards, who has been with Unit 5 for 13 years, is currently the principal at Towanda Elementary School. She has served in that position since 2006. Prior to that, Edwards served as the Learning and Behavioral Disorder Coordinator for the district. She also taught at Brigham and Prairieland elementary schools.

The board will officially approve Edwards’ appointment at the April 22 board meeting.

“Sarah comes to Pepper Ridge with great experience,” Superintendent Gary Niehaus said. “She has all the credentials necessary to help the students at Pepper Ridge achieve academic excellence.”

Edwards graduated from Illinois State University with a Bachelor of Science in special education. She is married and has one son attending Unit 5 schools.

“I am extremely excited and proud to have this opportunity. I will always treasure the time I had at Towanda Elementary,” Edwards said. “I look forward to meeting the staff, students and families at Pepper Ridge, and continuing to work together to further ensure an excellent educational experience for everyone.”

Unit 5 Schools Honored for Consistently High Achievement

SPRINGFIELD — The Illinois State Board of Education and Northern Illinois University today recognized five schools in McLean County Unit District 5 for academic excellence. Colene Hoose Elementary, Grove Elementary and Prairieland Elementary, all in Normal, as well as Fox Creek Elementary and Northpoint Elementary, both in Bloomington, were each named Academic Excellence Schools. They were among only 388 schools statewide to receive this honor.

Unit 5 was among the top 2 percent of districts in the state with five Academic Excellence Schools. Schools winning the Academic Excellence Award have sustained very high performance levels on state assessment tests for at least three years. In these elementary schools, at least 90 percent of students met or exceeded state standards both in reading and in mathematics for at least 3 consecutive years.

“Unit 5 provides an outstanding education at each of its schools, and we are always happy when they are recognized for excellence,” Niehaus said. “I would like to congratulate the administrators, teachers, parents and students for all their hard work.”

A complete listing of the 2008 Illinois Honor Roll Schools can be found online at http://www.ilhonorroll.niu.edu/

Achievement Matters…In Bloomington-Normal.