HR1283 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR1283 LRB096 22420 KXB 41604 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are pleased to congratulate the students, staff, faculty, administration, and alumni of Old Orchard Junior High School in Skokie as they celebrate the 50th anniversary of the school; and

WHEREAS, Old Orchard Junior High was constructed in 1959 and 1960 after Sharp Corner School became too small for the growing district population; in the fall of 1960 the school opened and 6th graders attended the junior high for the first time; at its peak, there were 1,400 students in the building; and

WHEREAS, Today the student population is between 600 to 700 students, and part of the school has been turned over to the Early Childhood Center; major renovation has taken place to bring the school up to modern standards in the last few years; however, the majority of the structure has held up well thanks to the outstanding planning of long time Buildings and Grounds Superintendent, Charlie Kalmes; and

WHEREAS, Old Orchard uses a teaming structure, and was one of the first schools in the nation to adopt the concept back in the late 1960s; and

WHEREAS, Students at Old Orchard are assigned to one of two teams at each grade level; the two current teams are the Olympians and Oracles; the teachers on these teams meet on a regular basis to plan and discuss student progress; and

WHEREAS, Teachers in each subject meet across the team to insure a coordinated and similar learning experience; each team has a subject area specialist and a special education teacher; a team leader organizes the team and meets with other team leaders and the administration on a regular basis; and

WHEREAS, The current leadership for the school is Dr. Frances McTague, Superintendent, Skokie School District 68, and Mr. Luis Illa, Principal, Old Orchard Junior High School; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate everyone involved in the 50th anniversary of Old Orchard Junior High School and wish them continued success in the future; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Principal Luis Illa as a symbol of our respect and esteem.