Communications, Media, & Public Relations

Cicero District 99 Superintendent Rodolfo Hernandez and School Board President Thomas Tomschin, along with Cicero Town President Larry Dominick and the Board of Trustees, are excited to announce the continuation of a collaborative community food distribution partnership for the start of 2021.

In this week's message, Superintendent Hernandez promotes the D99 Winter Challenge and gives a special "thank you" shoutout to the parents and volunteers who helped make this past Saturday's Santa's Drive-Thru event a success.

District 99 is asking all parents to complete the Hybrid/In-Person learning survey by Wednesday, December 23 at noon.

2020 is the year that Christmas really needs saving, and thanks to Cicero District 99's community partnerships, the District is able to provide an opportunity for a holiday drive-thru event!

Thanks to generous donations from Bimbo Bakery, Military Family United, the United States Census Bureau and the Cicero Mexican Cultural Committee, District 99 will be hosting Santa's Drive-Thru at Unity Junior High School this Saturday, Dec. 19 from 9-11 a.m.

Hey students: Achieve300 is hosting its own Winter Holiday Contest!

Achieve3000 is looking for kids across the country who complete at least five lessons between Dec. 19 and Jan. 3, with a first-try activity score of 75 percent or above.

Participants will be entered in state-wide drawings for a chance to win Skullcandy in-ear headphones.

From Nov. 2 through Dec. 4, Achieve 3000 hosted the 2020 Read to Succeed Contest for its literacy students.

Just because it's winter break doesn't mean the learning has to stop!

From Dec. 19 through Jan. 3, District 99 hopes all students take advantage of having more free time to engage in the District's online reading and math enrichment programs.

Superintendent Hernandez is back with "99 in :99", sharing updates on the upcoming virtual Christmas Posada event, winter break meal pickups, MAP testing, free flu shots and more.

Auditions for District 99's spring musical, "High School Musical Jr.", will be held next Wednesday beginning at 5:15 p.m.

Want to learn more about the show, but missed the information session on how to prepare for auditions? No problem!

Each year, Cicero District 99 teams up with the Town of Cicero and the Cicero Mexican Cultural Committee (CMCC) to celebrate the Hispanic culture of neighborhood families and ring in the Christmas season with Las Posadas, a traditional event which celebrates Joseph and Mary's journey to Bethlehem for the birth of Jesus and features holiday music, food and fellowship.

And despite conditions with the pandemic limiting social gatherings this season, District 99 is still hoping to deliver holiday cheer and goodwill this December, this time, with a virtual presentation — "Cicero Celebrates Las Posadas."

November 15 marks School Board Members Day in Illinois — an official statewide observance providing school districts and communities the opportunity to show support for their local board of education and their commitments to providing a local voice for educational vision.

Leadership has taken on new meaning in 2020, and School Board Members Day is a time to reflect on the board's role in creating lasting educational opportunities that meet local desires and offer a pathway to a successful future for each and every child.

Over the past several years, Cicero District 99's board of education has played a pivotal role in championing many successes in the district: bringing STEAM education to the forefront; supporting the implementation of one-to-one technology for all students; overseeing the construction of new schools and remodeling existing spaces to bring 21st-century, flexible learning spaces to Cicero; embracing dual-language education and multicultural programming; and much more.

For the past several years, Cicero District 99 has embraced the Mexican culture of its community through encouraging the education and celebration of Day of Dead ("Dia de los Muertos"), the Mexican holiday which involves family and friends coming together to pray for and remember loved ones who have passed away, helping support the spiritual journeys of the deceased.

And, though things undoubtedly look different this year with remote learning and social distancing due to COVID-19, District 99 remains dedicated to honoring the cherished district tradition of Day of the Dead — albeit all virtual.

On Monday, Nov. 2 from 4-5 p.m., District 99 will be teaming up with the Cicero Mexican Cultural Committee for an hour-long online celebration, which will be livestreamed on the District website as well as the District's Facebook and YouTube channel.

Superintendent Hernandez invites the community to join in for this year's special virtual Day of the Dead program.

October is National Principals Month, and this week, Cicero District 99 is highlighting all of the principals in the district!

Each principal brings their own unique leadership style to Cicero, helping students, staff and families along the road to excellence!

On behalf of Superintendent Rodolfo Hernandez, the board of education and the entire District 99 community, thank you, principals, for all that you do!

Dozens of community volunteers flocked to the main entrance of Cicero's Unity Junior High School during the morning hours of Thursday, Oct. 22, unloading boxes and bagging produce and baked goods for distribution during Cicero's one-day popup food pantry for locals in need.

Unity Day is PACER National Bullying Prevention Center's annual event, encouraging educators and students across the United States to unite together against bullying and unite for kindness, acceptance and inclusion.

In this week's episode, Superintendent Rodolfo Hernandez wants to make sure the community knows what the District's schools look like, from office check-in procedures and sanitizers throughout the buildings, to desks spaced apart in classrooms and social distancing markers placed throughout the buildings.

Classes may be meeting remotely due to COVID-19, but that doesn't mean that students don't need school supplies and other goods.

On Tuesday, Oct. 6, administrators at Abraham Lincoln Elementary School were paid a visit from the folks at Enchanted Backpack, a Chicago-based charity which provides school supplies and classroom materials to under-resourced elementary schools across Chicagoland.

Thank you custodians!

In honor of National Custodian Day this past Friday, Oct. 2, Cicero District 99 would like to highlight one of its groups of frontline workers for their dedication throughout this pandemic and their efforts of keeping all staff and community members safe and healthy!

Not all heroes wear capes! Thank you for saving lives!

In this episode, Superintendent Hernandez shares his enthusiasm for Hispanic Heritage Month, encourages parents to continue supporting their students during MAP testing and sends another push to the community to fill out their 2020 Census.

Like school districts across the county, Cicero District 99 has adapted to the challenges presented by COVID-19 by kicking off the school year in full remote learning. However, while working tirelessly to ensure students, parents and staff are supported while virtually bringing the classroom to the home, District 99 remains dedicated to maintaining something equally as crucial as a quality education — mental health support.

On Tuesday, Sept. 22, District 99 will be partnering with Riveredge Hospital in Forest Park to co-host a virtual School-Based Mental Health Roundtable discussion, inviting local educators and mental health professionals to collaborate on best practices in addressing student and staff mental health, as well as working through developing social and emotional supports during remote learning.

Superintendent Rodolfo Hernandez shares updates on progress from the Summer Learning Challenge, as well as enthusiasm for a strong remote learning start to the new school year and an important reminder for the Cicero community on the importance of the census.

This year, Abraham Lincoln Elementary School was named as a Model PLC School by Solution Tree!

Earning Model PLC School status is no easy feat.

The new school year has started in the most unconventional way, but Superintendent Rodolfo Hernandez is here with another message of positivity and praise for staff and parents who have helped their children get started on the right foot with Remote Learning!

As District 99 prepares for the start of the new school year in full remote learning, Superintendent Rodolfo Hernandez shares a new episode of "99 in :99" with the community, including information about the District providing school supplies and the importance of staying tuned to the District's technology help resources and news updates.

Rita Tarullo, the assistant superintendent and chief financial officer for Cicero District 99, knows a thing or two about coming from humble beginnings and the importance of working hard as a teen to help make dreams of obtaining a college education a reality.

Watch CBS Chicago's coverage of District 99's Back to School Car Parade here:

https://chicago.cbslocal.com/2020/08/08/even-without-bud-billiken-parade-back-to-school-celebrations-go-on-this-weekend-just-smaller-and-socially-distanced/?fbclid=IwAR2rfrQ2EqUbaHlpY85e0WKko66wxPWjZ5703GW7IoaRCZ5nMCU8phZ3z_4