This month, Cicero District 99 recognized Anthony Grazzini, Cicero District 99's director of PLCs, special events and grants, and Deisy Mena, a physical education teacher at Unity Junior High School, for making a difference in the communities they grew up in.

Friday, Sept. 6 started off on a sweet note at Abraham Lincoln Elementary School, where during the school's Grandparents and Goodies program, students had the chance to share in the love of reading their favorite English and Spanish books with grandparents and parents over donuts.

Students and their families from Sherlock Elementary School celebrated the first day of school Wednesday, Aug. 28 with an official student ribbon cutting ceremony.

In celebration of Burlington Stores, Inc.'s new Cicero store opening this fall, the company has partnered with national nonprofit AdoptAClassroom.org to donate $10,000 to Cicero District 99's Cicero West Elementary School, demonstrating the great impact corporate community partnerships can make in the lives of educators and children.

Burlington and AdoptAClassroom presented their donation check to Cicero West during an all-school assembly Thursday, Aug. 29 at the school, located at 4937 W. 23rd St.

Wednesday, Aug. 28 was the first day of classes for all students in Cicero District 99, and three Chicago TV news outlets were at Sherlock Elementary School to cover two exciting stories: the opening of Sherlock and the District's new partnership with T-Mobile, guaranteeing free internet hotspots for all students in District 99.

While children and families across Cicero have been busy preparing for the first day of school, 62 new teachers have also been hard at work getting ready for the new school year, attending a week-long orientation and training program last week, learning about the ins and outs of Cicero District 99, working alongside staff mentors and gaining the resources they need for success with their career in the district.

Sherlock Elementary School opened its doors to the public for the first time Thursday, Aug. 22 at its ribbon cutting ceremony.

Univision Chicago and reporter David Palomino visited Sherlock Elementary School yesterday afternoon for a quick turnaround news package on the new school and what it all means for District 99 and the future of learning.

With the start of the school year a little over a week and a half away, administrators from across Cicero District 99 were invited to continue preparing for another busy school year for a special professional development day at Google's Chicago headquarters, located at 320 N. Morgan St. in the Fulton Market neighborhood.

To kick off the event, District 99's Chief Information Officer Cao Mac explained to the group of principals, assistant principals, deans and department leaders that because District 99 is a one-to-one district and is big on technology innovations within education, hosting the day-long workshop off campus at Google was a way to keep the creative juices flowing in regards to new technology and offer a fresh space for collaboration.

CBS2 Chicago and reporter Vince Gerasole recently stopped by the new Sherlock Elementary School to learn more about what the school means to Cicero District 99 and how it will impact the students of Cicero.