I am Lori Owens-Stranc. I am so excited to be here in Sunnybrook District 171. I have worked in education for 23 years, and have served the educational community in many capacities. I have been a teacher, a guidance counselor, an assistant principal, a principal, an Executive Director of Elementary Education, and now, I am honored to be Sunnybrook’s Assistant Superintendent Director of Curriculum and Instruction.

If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact me at: Phone: (708) 895-0750 ext. 2270 E-Mail: lowens-stranc@sd171.org

STAR Assessment: Fall: August 21 - September 15 Winter: January 9 - February 2 Spring: April 22 - May 10

IAR State Testing: March 4, 2024 - April 19, 2024

IAR Parent Portal Link: https://il-results.pearsonaccessnext.com/login

DLM-AA State Testing: March 13, 2024- May 8, 2024

ISA State Testing: March 1, 2024- April 30, 2024

WIDA: ACCESS TESTING Starts on January 17, 2024-March 5, 2023

The state of Illinois uses Common Core Standards as a means to ensure students across each grade level are taught high consistent content matter throughout the state to prepare them for college and career success. The link below will take you to the Illinois Priority standards:

Here at Sunnybrook we use the following textbooks:

• ELA K-6 Into Reading by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
• ELA 7-8 Into Literature by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
• Math K-8 use Go Math by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
• Science 4-5 use Inspire Science by McGraw-Hill
• Science 6-8 use IScience by McGraw-Hill
• Social Studies 6-8 use Network by McGraw-Hill

Technology Support Programs:

To further support our students academically, we utilize Freckle ELA, Math, Science and Social Studies. The Freckle platform allows teachers to differentiate instruction as a means to provide the support each student needs in their knowledge quest and skill set acquisition.

For more information please check out the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUCd3sHEuLU

Freckle has also created focus standards for teachers. These standards were formulated to assist teachers with closing the achievement gap caused by COVID-19 and summer loss. The link below will take to the focus standards

https://www.renaissance.com/focus-skills/?scrlybrkr

Faith’s Law to Safeguard Against Sexual Abuse in Schools

On December 3, 2021, Governor Pritzker signed Faith’s Law, P.A. 102-0676 (HB 1976), into law. Faith’s Law expands the criminal definition of grooming beyond electronic communications to include written communications and acts committed in person or by conduct through a third party. The law also makes it clear that mandated reporters must report suspected grooming to DCFS under the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act.

In addition to expanding the criminal definition of grooming, Faith’s Law includes several new requirements for schools and educators intended to prevent sexual abuse and misconduct in schools. Faith’s Law adds a completely new section to the Illinois School Code (105 ILCS 5/22-85.5) pertaining to sexual misconduct in schools. This section applies beginning July 1, 2022, and requires all school districts, charter schools, and nonpublic schools to develop an employee code of professional conduct policy that must be made available on the school’s website and included in any staff, student, or parent handbook. This employee code of professional conduct policy must address the following:

• Incorporate the Code of Ethics for Illinois Educators;
• Incorporate the statutory definition of “sexual misconduct” in Section 22-85.5;
• Identify expectations for maintaining professional relationships with students and appropriate staff-student boundaries, recognizing the age and developmental level of the students served, and establish guidelines for the following situations: (1) transporting a student, (2) taking or possessing a photo or a video of a student, and (3) meeting with a student or contacting a student outside of the employee’s of agent’s professional role;
• Reference employee reporting requirements under the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act and Title IX; and
• Reference required employee training related to child abuse and educator ethics applicable under State or federal law.

The law specifically provides that any violation of the employee code of professional conduct or failure to report a violation may subject an employee to discipline, up to and including dismissal from employment.

Faith’s Law also requires ISBE, by July 1, 2023, to create and post on its website a resource guide that will function as a centralized source of guidance about sexual abuse response and prevention for students, parents/guardians, and educators. Starting at the beginning of the 2023-2024 school year, school districts must annually notify parents of ISBE’s resource guide and provide copies of the guide to parents/guardians upon request or make the guide available on their website.

Need to report a concern or an incident? Call your child's school, state the reason for your call, and speak to the principal or a social worker.
Links Board Policy 5:90 - Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Board Policy 5:120 - Employee Ethics; Code of Professional Conduct; and Conflict of Interest