AMBOY – The new Amboy Junior High School is still on track to be open for the start of the school year in August. Reporting at the May 18 Amboy School Board meeting, construction managers CTS Group said they expect to have work “mostly done” by the end of July and junior high teachers would be able to start moving in by early August. 

CTS said the project would be further along but they encountered a three-month loss of time last year waiting for NICOR. In spite of that delay, CTS feels comfortable saying the junior high will be ready for students in August. 

On the high school side of the project, difficulties in receiving some materials has caused additional delays. CTS said much of the work is done but some installations will likely need to be completed after school starts, although that should not impact students returning to school as scheduled. 

PRINCIPALS’ REPORTS

Amboy High School Principal Janet Crownhart congratulated May Student of the Month Maggie Lowery. 

Curriculum and School Improvement

• Students are getting signed up for summer school. There are 17 students signed up to take 33 classes.

• Work has begun on Transitional ELA through the Regional Office of Education in conjunction with SVCC.

• The Ed Pathway team met with the ROE on May 11 and then as an Amboy team on May 12 to begin planning the work needed for the Pathway grant.

• AP tests were held on May 11, 18, 19 and 20.

School Activities

• Prom was held on May 8. Prom court was Joe Ackert, Brady Jones, Preston Henkel, Trevor Vaessen, Lane Boehle, Madelyn McLaughlin, Brianna Blaine, Gabby Jones, Mallory Powers, Eden Lindenmeyer. King and Queen were Joe Ackert and Madelyn McLaughlin.

• The National Honor Society donated $300 worth of puzzles and craft supplies to Heritage Square in Dixon. They also donated $250 to Teen Turf.

• FFA held an open house on May 2.

• AHS staff and students participated in Denim Week to bring awareness to sexual assault victims. The high school donated $520.20 to the YWCA.

• Crownhart thanked everyone for their generosity for Teacher Appreciation Week. Teachers received goodies all week along with gifts from the board. 

• The FFA Parli Pro Team competed at the state contest on May 15 and came in 4th place.

Amboy Junior High Principal Andrew Full 

Curriculum and School Improvement

• On April 26 a faculty meeting was held to discuss the IAR and changes for next year along with discussion about Teachers’ Appreciation Week, virtual voyage, and grades. Amie Wiseman came and reviewed the technology subscriptions that will be renewed for the upcoming school year.

PBIS

On April 26 the monthly PBIS celebration/assembly was held over Google Meets and the following awards were handed out:

Students of the Month

5th Grade-Faith Fenwick and Kahne Skibbe.

6th Grade-Madisyn Heath and Ryan Garcia.

7th Grade-Emilie Reed-Dempsey and Olivia Ketchum.

8th Grade-Emersyn Noble and Atticus Goff.

P.E.- Alexa McKendry and Gavin Eisenberg.

Clipper P.R.I.D.E.- Wyatt Eisenberg, AJ Fisher, Carissa McRoberts, Callan Christoffersen, Tyler Mahar, Ayla Costner, Caleb Shugars, Nico Warner, Ty Florschuetz, Tinley Whitney, Lane Goff, Adrian Mimini, Dominic Fonderoli, Alena Shaw, Josh McKendry, Karagen Welch, Owen Althaus, Lily Montantes, Tyrah Vaessen, Abby Hicks, and Jason Hemmen.

Faculty and Staff Recognition- Arly Kaecker and Katie Henkel.

Students also got to pick envelopes for Fannie May sales, money was handed out to top sellers, and Henry Klein received $1,000 after his name was drawn for a multi-school drawing.

School Activities

AJHS track competed at Sectionals on May 8 and the following athletes placed:

7th Grade Girls - 5th 

8th Grade Girls - 3rd 

In 7th grade girls, Isabella Yanos - 2nd 100M, 1st 200M; Madison Althaus - 2nd 400M; and 1st 4x100 - Lily Leffelman, Alexa McKendry, Stephanie Nave, and Isabella Yanos. 

In 8th grade girls, Cierra Kessel - 3rd 100M, 2nd 400M; Natalie Pratt - 2nd 800M; Karagen Welch - 3rd 800M; and 3rd 4x200 - Cierra Kessel, Gloria Parker, Natalie Pratt, and Karagen Welch.

7th Grade Boys - 8th 

8th Grade Boys - 1st

In 7th grade boys, Nick Noble 1st - 800M.

In 8th grade boys, Josh McKendry - 1st 100M, 1st 200M, 1st Discus; Caleb Yanos- 3rd 100M, 2nd 200M; Quinn Leffelman- 3rd Discus, 1st 110M Hurdles; Michael Shoemaker- 3rd 800M; Jaden Haley- 2nd 1600M; and 1st 4x100- Nick Noble, Quinn Leffelman, Josh McKendry, Caleb Yanos.

• On May 7, AJHS held their yearly severe weather drill and on May 10 the third and final fire drill was held.

• Quinn Leffelman and Tyrah Vaessen were chosen to receive the IPA Student Leadership Award.

Principal Joyce Schamberger, Central Elementary 

School Improvement

• During the SIP day on May 24, Student of the Month awards were handed out as well as the annual End of the Year Awards by grade level. The afternoon gave teachers time to post grades as per contractual agreement.

PBIS

• Students will walk to Meusel’s Dairy Delite for an end of the year ice cream treat on May 26 after eating lunch.

School Activities

• The Annual Track and Field day was held on May 21. Chris Payne, PE teacher, planned all games and activities.

• Congratulations to 4th grade students Parker Zimmerly and Isabelle Klein. They were chosen as the recipients of the Illinois Principals Association Student Leadership Award representing Amboy Central School.

• Schamberger thanked all the parents who donated food items and soda to the lounge for Teacher Appreciation Week. 

OTHER BUSINESS

• A new board member, Amanda “Mandy” Powers, was sworn in during a Finance Committee meeting held on April 29. School board president Nicole Jones said the election authority provided the final vote tally for the April 6 consolidated election showing that Powers received 245 votes for the four-year term of office.

• Katie Pratt discussed the progress of Strategic Planning for the district. The core committee is in place, and she hoped the committee would have their first meeting the week of May 24 to discuss the timeline, the process that will be followed, and what the larger committee will look like. Pratt said the purpose of strategic planning is to create a new mission and vision for Amboy schools and getting input from the community is a priority. “We have to talk to the people we’re serving,” she said.

• Superintendent Joshua Nichols said he is very excited that the summer food program will continue. Food will be picked up on Wednesdays. 

• Nichols was also pleased to announce that the end of year enrollment in the district is up to 742. “That’s the highest it has been since the 2012-13 school year,” he said.

• Several Intergovernmental Cooperation Agreements were approved by the board. They include consolidating with Ohio  for baseball, softball, volleyball, boys basketball, and girls basketball for the next two school years; with LaMoille and Ohio for football and football cheerleading for the next two school years; with LaMoille, Ashton-Franklin Center and Ohio for boy’s and girl’s cross country, boy’s and girl’s golf, boy’s and girl’s track and field, and wrestling for the next two school years. They also approved an agreement with Ashton-Franklin Center for the Early Childhood Pre-K Program. 

• The board approved an agreement with Architect Richard L. Johnson Associates, Inc. for an outdoor classroom to be constructed at Central School near the baseball diamond. The project will include tables and a sturdy pavilion. 

PERSONNEL

Following closed session, the board accepted the resignations of Kalla Mahar as a paraprofessional, effective May 26 and of Karen Smith as custodian, effective May 14. They also approved a quote from the CTS Group for unit ventilator replacement with condensing units and exhaust fan replacements at the high school.