Students from the beginning, intermediate and advanced Cicero District 99 student bands provided an evening full of music entertainment Thursday, Jan. 17 during the District's annual winter band concert.

Congratulations to the Unity Junior High School Special Olympics basketball team on its regional championship at Oak Park and River Forest High School on Jan. 13.

The Tigers defeated teams from Proviso Township and Lincoln-Way Township to capture the crown.

When Cicero District 99 looks to forge a strong working relationship with an outside entity, it does so with the hopes of not only providing potential business and fiscal support to the District, but maintaining a connection complete with role model and mentorship opportunities.

That's why for the past 11 years, the District has been proud to call ExxonMobil a valued community partner for its monetary and personnel support towards various curriculum initiatives, including those within the STEAM curriculum.

When science is practiced in the real world, methods are learned and projects are completed through real-time observations and hands-on practice.

So, since seventh-grade students at Unity Junior High School are encouraged to actively learn their science curriculum practically through project-based learning, students had the opportunity to expand their practice this year through Project Lead The Way, a national, nonprofit project-based engineering initiative which develops STEM instruction for elementary through high-school age students.

This month, Cicero District 99 recognized Kristina Moreno, a first-grade teacher at Abraham Lincoln Elementary School, and Anel Sanchez, a sixth-grade social studies teacher at Warren Park Elementary School, for making a difference in the communities they grew up in.

On Dec. 3, students across the district celebrated the State's 200th birthday by researching historic landmarks, politicians and events and showcasing their projects for their classmates to see.

For 524 students living on Cicero's northeast side, the joy of Christmas came a few days early this year as Santa Claus and his crew of local police and fire personnel and area Walmart employees flocked to Liberty Elementary School on Thursday, Dec. 20, bringing games, presents and smiles.

Throughout December, students, teachers and family members from across Cicero District 99 came to school to celebrate the holiday season with snacks, games, crafts and of course, music and song.

The members of the executive council in Cicero District 99 wish all of our families and staff members a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

We can't wait to see everyone back at school in 2019!

In a proud display of community pride and Christmas spirit, Cicero District 99 partnered with the Town of Cicero and the Cicero Mexican Cultural Committee for its annual Cicero Christmas Posada celebration Friday, Dec. 14 at Cicero Stadium, 1909 S. Laramie Ave.

During the Cicero District 99 Board of Education's regular meeting on Wednesday, Dec. 12 at Liberty Elementary School, several students were recognized by the District for their commitment to education and demonstrations of interactive learning.

Last month, Unity Junior High School was proud to announce three of its students were named recipients of the Daniel Murphy Scholarship Fund — a Chicago-area scholarship which grants area teens the finances necessary to attend a private or boarding school of their choice for high school.

Now, Unity has the pleasure of adding the names of four more eighth-graders to the coveted scholarship's list — Lisani Calderon, Mario Cortes, Monserrat Flores and Evelyn Salgado.

Parents of students at William McKinley Elementary School were invited for an afternoon of interactive math games and math lesson practice Friday, Dec. 14.

Congratulations to technology resource teacher Katherine Karl Anderson, who was recently selected as a Feature Teacher by MasteryConnect for her efforts working towards finding innovative ways for students in Cicero District 99 to become better learners with the help of technology.

When Cicero parents send their children to school, they're trusting Cicero District 99 to provide their children with both the best curriculum possible and prepare them with the necessary skills needed for success in the 21st-century workplace.

To showcase to parents the benefits of a STEAM education and get parents in on the action themselves, Abraham Lincoln Elementary School hosted a STEAM Parent Day on Wednesday, Dec. 5.

This month, Cicero District 99 recognized Elizabeth Alba, a secretary at Abraham Lincoln Elementary School, and Nancy Brown, a second-grade teacher at Liberty Elementary School, for making a difference in the communities they grew up in.

To help residents in town celebrate the start of the holiday season, members of the Unity Singers — Unity Junior High School's student choir — sang Christmas carols for seniors and town officials at Cicero's annual Senior Christmas Lunch on Wednesday, Dec. 12.

On Friday, Dec. 7, Theodore Roosevelt Elementary School's digital literacy teachers Amanda Swert and Ian Armstrong welcomed Mary Monroy-Spampinato, Microsoft's Midwest operations and community manager, to the school for an Hour of Code event with fourth-grade students.