Go Gold: Seniors Enjoy District 88 Events for Free

Residents of District 88 who are 60 years of age and older may request a District 88 Gold Card which entitles the card holder to free admission at many of the outstanding extra-curricular programs offered at Addison Trail and Willowbrook High Schools. Each semester a calendar of events is published and mailed to Gold Card members, who can attend various sporting events, concerts and plays each school year. To receive your Gold Card and be added to the mailing list, please contact the Community Relations Office at (630) 530-3988.

Local Businesses Partner with District 88

District 88 students and staff have benefitted from the positive partnerships of local businesses with Addison Trail and Willowbrook. The involvement ranges from curricular aspects like classroom presentations, onsite job shadowing, internships and employment to fundraising opportunities including benefit nights, sponsorships and donations. The generosity of community members and business leaders provide District 88 students with the skills and learning experiences they need to be successful after graduation.

Launched in 2004-2005, the Addison Area Business Education Partnership Council meets monthly for important discussions with the schools and other business partners about student achievement, parent involvement and community outreach programs. JOIN US and be a part of this dynamic team of people who have helped launch successful programs such as a mentoring program, an annual Parent University and Saturday English as a Second Language (ESL) classes. The meetings are open to everyone and are hosted on the first Wednesday of each month from 7:30-8:30 a.m. at Republic Bank, 1640 W. Lake Street in Addison. For more information, please contact the Community Relations Office at (630) 530-3988.

Make a Difference in the Life of a Student: Become a Mentor

Now in its fifth year, the Addison Mentoring Program has successfully matched community members and business professionals with students at Addison Trail High School and Indian Trail Junior High in Addison School District 4. The purpose of the program is to identify students “on the brink of success” who will benefit from having a positive role model.

After receiving training and a background check, adults from the local business community are matched with students and meet once a week for one-half hour during the school day. This voluntary mentor relationship is based strictly on-campus and does not include any type of contact outside of the school setting or school year.

Although mentors do not provide any tutorial help, they encourage success in the students by simply offering motivation and encouragement to achieve in school and extracurricular activities. Research shows that as a result of this encouragement, students pay better attention in classes, earn higher grades, and possess more enthusiasm and interest in school events. Mentors can also help the adolescents focus on the future by identifying goals and developing strategies to reach these objectives.

Additional volunteers are needed for the 2009-2010 school year!

Please make plans to attend a training session this fall to learn more about the mentoring program and receive techniques for getting started. If you are interested in becoming a mentor, please contact Sherri Anderson at sanderson@dupage88.net.