D60 Schools Recognized Nationally as PTA Schools of Excellence

Clarendon Hills, October 7, 2021—National PTA has recognized Holmes Primary School, Maercker Intermediate School and Westview Hills Middle School (all of whom are part of Maercker District 60 PTA) as 2020-2022 Schools of Excellence for their accomplishments in building a strong, effective family-school partnership that is enriching the educational experience and overall well-being for all students.

“We are thrilled to honor the accomplishments of Holmes Primary School, Maercker Intermediate School and Westview Hills Middle School and the Maercker District 60 PTA” said Anna King, president of National PTA. “Their efforts have made a positive impact for all students, families and their school, which has been and continues to be more important than ever, especially given the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.”

National PTA’s School of Excellence program is a year-long commitment to improving family-school partnerships. Throughout the year, PTAs and schools collect feedback from their school communities to create and implement plans of action to make a difference for every child. Through the School of Excellence program, PTAs and families become key partners in decision-making and school improvement efforts. The program opens the lines of communication and critical thinking within school communities to make data-driven decisions that yield positive, long-term results.

“It has been especially critical to have open lines of communication, strong family-school partnerships and families as key partners in decision-making process during the COVID-19 pandemic. We must continue to keep these practices going in the new school year to address learning gaps experienced during the pandemic and support students’ social and emotional needs,” said Nathan R. Monell, CAE, National PTA executive director. “National PTA’s School of Excellence program can help strengthen or rebuild family-school partnerships while we continue to recover from the effects of COVID-19 and ensure students, families and schools have what they need to thrive.”
Only 351 PTAs and schools nationwide and only 6 schools in Illinois are designated a 2020-2022 School of Excellence, and the schools of Maercker District 60’s PTA are 3 of them. Strengthening school connections during the pandemic was the Maercker PTA’s priority as students shifted between distanced and in-person learning. They established the Wildcat Strong program, named after the schools’ shared mascot. This program was implemented in 2 parts. The first was by creating the Wildcat Crew Room Volunteer program to help improve communication between teachers and parents and to strengthen bonds between students and families in each grade. They also partnered with the district administration to give their community tools to manage the mental health stressors of parenting during a pandemic. The district sponsored the Optimistic Household program created by positive psychology researcher Shawn Achor, and the PTA hosted coffee-style chats to discuss the modules as they rolled out to the community.

Dr. Sean Nugent, Superintendent of Maercker School District 60 writes, “we are so very fortunate to have an active and dedicated PTA in Maercker School District 60...Our PTA works very hard to support the district mission and vision, and I am truly grateful for all of their efforts.”

To celebrate their achievements, National PTA presented Holmes Primary School, Maercker Intermediate School and Westview Hills Middle School and Maercker District 60 PTA with certificates and National PTA School of Excellence banners to hang in their schools. For more information about the National PTA School of Excellence program, visit PTA.org/Excellence.

The Maercker PTA is hosting a brief awards presentation and celebration for the community at Westview Hills Middle School on Tuesday, Oct 19, 2021from 6:30-7pm. Kindly RSVP via the website: www.maerckerpta.org/upcoming-events. The District 60 Board of Education meeting will be immediately after the ceremony (7pm) also at Westview Hills Middle School, 630 W. 65th St. Willowbrook, IL 60527. Masks are required inside all school buildings.

About National PTA
National PTA® comprises millions of families, students, teachers, administrators, and business and community leaders devoted to the educational success of children and the promotion of family engagement in schools. PTA is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit association that prides itself on being a powerful voice for all children, a relevant resource for families and communities, and a strong advocate for public education. Membership in PTA is open to anyone who wants to be involved and make a difference for the education, health, and welfare of children and youth. For more information, visit PTA.org.

About Maercker District 60 PTA
Maercker District 60 PTA supports students and teachers from PreK through 8th grade across all 3 District 60 schools: Holmes, Maercker, and Westview Hills. The PTA funds and runs student enrichment programs like the National PTA arts competition (Reflections), Cultural Festival, Science Fair, and other fun events. Maercker PTA also funds school initiatives like One Book, One School, curriculum support materials, equipment, field trips, and more. Named a 2020-22 National PTA School of Excellence for their commitment to building Family Connections, they strive to support every child, teacher, and family in their rich and diverse community. Maercker PTA membership is open to community members who want to support our students and mission. For more information, visit MaerckerPTA.org.