🏠 MAKE YOURSELF AT HOME: D99 WELCOMES FAMILIES FOR OPEN HOUSE 🤝

There's something special about seeing our schools through the eyes of our families.

Over the past three weeks, every school across Cicero District 99 opened their doors and welcomed families for Open House — and what a wonderful few weeks it has been!

And Open House season certainly started with some horsepower! Unity Junior High kicked off the districtwide festivities by turning its Open House into a full-blown car show, giving families plenty to admire before they even stepped inside. From polished classics to head-turning rides, it was a memorable way to get families together and set the tone for three weeks of community, connection, and fun across District 99.

From there, Open Houses continued throughout the district as parents and family members walked the same hallways their children walk each day. They stepped inside their classrooms, met the teachers and staff who work alongside them, saw student work proudly on display, learned more about curriculum and programs, explored school resources and, most importantly, had an opportunity to become even more connected to their child’s school experience.

And that connection matters.

Open House is about much more than seeing a classroom or putting a face to a teacher's name. It is one of the many ways we strengthen the partnership between home and school.

When families know their child's teachers, understand what it happening inside the classroom and feel comfortable walking through the doors of their school, we build something incredibly important: a community surrounding each child with people who know them, believe in them and want to see them succeed.

For our students, there is something powerful about getting to be the tour guide for a night, too. That classroom they walk into every morning suddenly becomes a place they get to show Mom, Dad, Grandma, Grandpa or another important person in their life. They get to point out their desk, share something they created, introduce their teacher and say, in their own way, "This is my school. This is where I spend my day. Come see my world."

Those moments may seem small, but they matter.

To every family who made time during these busy first weeks of school to join us: thank you. Thank you for showing up, asking questions, meeting our staff, exploring our schools and demonstrating to your children that their education is worth your time and attention.

And if Open House didn't work with your family's schedule this year, we hope you'll make plans to join us next time. Our doors — and our partnership with you — extend far beyond one evening.

As Open House season comes to a close across District 99, these photos tell a story bigger than any single night or school.

They tell the story of families showing up. Of educators welcoming them in. Of students proudly sharing their world. And of an entire community working together for the children of Cicero.

Because when schools and families come together, our students are the ones who benefit most!