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Features

'Portraits of Great American Scientists'

[DEC. 27, 2002]  AURORA -- Fifteen Illinois students, including 14 from the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy, hope their book, "Portraits of Great American Scientists," will inspire other youth to pursue science education and careers. The collection, now available in bookstores nationwide, is being hailed by scientists and educators alike.

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IMSA invites students and
parents to visit its campus

[DEC. 27, 2002]  AURORA -- The Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy has scheduled two Visitor Information Program Days this winter for prospective students and their parents to visit the campus and learn more about the academy's academic and residential programs.

IMSA's residential educational program serves Illinois students grades 10-12 who are talented in mathematics and science. Most room and board expenses are provided by state funds.

The VIP sessions are scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 1, and Sunday, Feb. 23. Musical entertainment by IMSA students will be at 12:30 p.m. Advance reservations are not required but guests are encouraged to arrive on time for the structured program activities.

Applications for the class of 2006, which will enroll next fall, are now being accepted. Talented Illinois students enrolled in the equivalent of a ninth-grade program are eligible for consideration. A written application must be completed and returned to IMSA, postmarked no later than March 1, 2003. Students should contact their high school guidance counselor or IMSA's admissions office at (630) 907-5027 or 1 (800) 500-IMSA to receive an application.

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Located in Aurora, the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy is an internationally-recognized pioneering educational institution created by the state to develop talent and stimulate excellence in teaching and learning in mathematics, science and technology. IMSA's advanced residential college preparatory program enrolls 650 academically talented Illinois students in grades 10-12.

More than 14,000 teachers and 20,000 students in Illinois and beyond have benefited from IMSA's professional development and enrichment programs. IMSA serves the people of Illinois through innovative instructional programs, public and private partnerships, policy leadership and action research.

[Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy]

Miss Heart of Illinois Contestant
meeting Saturday
Eureka College Student to Relinquish Title

[DEC. 27, 2002]  The 2003 Miss HOI Scholarship Pageant is set for the evening of Saturday, Jan. 25, 2002, at the Bertha Frank Performing Arts Center of Morton. The program is generously sponsored by the Morton Area Players, the Morton Park District and Bearce Automall of Washington.

Entries are now being accepted from young ladies ages 17 to 24. You could be the next winner of thousands of dollars in scholarships, and the chance to represent our area at the Miss Illinois Pageant in June.

This year's show will feature the current Miss Illinois Michelle LaGroue, a professional actress, singer, dancer and model.

Miss Illinois top-ten finalist & talent winner Valerie Milam, the current Miss Heart of Illinois. Milam is a senior at Eureka College majoring in Music Education, with a minor in Music. Upon graduation, she intends to obtain a K-12 teaching certificate, and teach music and chorus at the secondary level.

[Photos provided by Miss HOI]
[Miss Heart of Illinois Valerie Milam will relinquish her crown January 25.]

A classically trained vocalist since the age of 12, Val is a "Fine & Performing Arts" scholar at Eureka. In late May of this year, she toured and performed with the EC Chorale, in Southeastern Canada, and the Northeastern United States.

With a platform of "Donating Blood is Donating Life", and having been very actively involved in the area of blood donation for the past seven years, Val serves as a volunteer spokesperson for numerous blood banks in Illinois and nationally. As a THREE-gallon "CMV-Negative" blood donor, Val donates to high-risk neonates.

Val has been recognized both in Illinois and nationally for her seven-plus years of work promoting blood donations. She also has scholarship named in her honor. Val was the recipient of the Michael J. O'Malley Community Service Scholarship at Miss Illinois 2001.

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[Valerie is crowned by outgoing Miss HOI Alyssa Gunderson.]

The Miss HOI committee is pleased to announce that Lisa Marie Grethey of Mackinaw is the new executive director for the program. Grethey is a real estate agent with Coldwell Banker-Devonshire Realtors, and is also a general contractor with Grethey Construction, Inc. She was on the board of the Homebuilders’ Association of Bloomington, is executive director for the "Miss Mack-Ca-Fest" Scholarship Program, and is involved with Girls Scouts of America.

The Miss Heart of Illinois Program was honored at the state level for the quality of its show on pageant night, winning the "Best Production Award" in 2001. In 1999 and 2000 it won the inaugural "Outstanding Program Award" from Miss Illinois. Since 1998, it has awarded approximately $29,000 in cash scholarships to central Illinois women, thanks to area sponsors. Scholarship funds are sent directly to the contestant's university to pay for tuition only.

For more information on entering, sponsoring, or volunteering for Miss HOI, or visit the official Miss Heart of Illinois website: http://misshoi.homestead.com or call (309) 208-LISA.

[News release]

Initial Illinois Preschool sites announced

[DEC. 26, 2002]  CHICAGO — At the Illinois State Board of Education's meeting Dec. 19, first lady Lura Lynn Ryan announced the rollout of Illinois Preschool, a program that will give all Illinois families a choice of quality preschool options for their 3- and 4-year-old children. Mrs. Ryan is chair of the Illinois Preschool Council.

Illinois Preschool will be implemented in six sites throughout Illinois, including Chicago, Evanston, Rockford, Decatur, Rock Island County and Edwardsville. The communities were selected based on their ability to implement the model within their existing community partnership structure and are representative of Illinois' rich diversity.

"I am pleased to say that Mayor Richard M. Daley has chosen universal preschool in the city of Chicago as one of his highest priorities. I understand that he will be announcing his plans in January. As an Illinois Preschool pilot site, Chicago is well on its way to achieving this goal," said Mrs. Ryan.

The creation of Illinois Preschool, as well as first-year implementation through six rollout communities, was recommended by a task force chaired by Lura Lynn Ryan that outlined a multiyear framework for providing all 3- and 4-year-olds in Illinois with access to quality early childhood education programs. Gov. George Ryan accepted the recommendations of the task force and created Illinois Preschool under Executive Order 1, The Illinois Agenda for Excellence in Education.

The "Ready, Set, Grow -- Illinois Preschool" report is the foundation of the state's next step in building a comprehensive early childhood education system in Illinois. By coordinating, improving and expanding existing programs for young children, every community should be able to offer high-quality preschool in a variety of settings, from schools to child care centers, Head Start programs and community centers.

Every Illinois Preschool program will provide at least a half-day of high quality education with a certified teacher in the classroom. Each program will meet the Illinois State Board of Education's Early Learning Standards, be evaluated regularly for program quality and support parents as their child's primary teachers. Programs will be affordable to families and will be available in full-day and half-day formats as well as school-year and year-round schedules.

The five critical elements of Illinois Preschool are:

• Professionals in the classroom
• A well-designed curriculum
• Responsive to family needs
• Strong family involvement

• Two-year program serving 3- and 4-year-olds

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Illinois Preschool's comprehensive framework for universal access over the next several years includes recommendations to:

• Build a comprehensive system on the strong foundation of early childhood learning programs that exist now in Illinois.
• Construct the infrastructure necessary for quality programs in all parts of the state.
• Get more qualified teachers into preschool settings and find ways to help child care workers develop professionally.
• Improve early childhood curriculum and make sure all children are getting the same opportunities in class.

• Respond to the different needs of families in all parts of Illinois and help them participate and be a strong part of any early childhood program.

Research has demonstrated that children who receive two years of quality early educational programs have better short- and long-term outcomes related to school performance.

"The need for this program is great," said State Superintendent of Education Robert E. Schiller. "We must make every effort to find the resources to make it a reality."

While $5.2 million has been appropriated for universal preschool in fiscal year 2003, the plan calls for $14 million in funding in fiscal year 2004 to bid an additional six to eight rollout communities.

Costs increase to $137 million by the fifth year of the program, when over 61,000 children could access preschool. By 2012, more than 200,000 3- and 4-year-olds would be served in early childhood classes that are part of a comprehensive statewide system.

With the implementation of Illinois Preschool, Illinois will be the only state in the nation to offer universal access to high-quality preschool education to all 3- and 4-year-olds whose parents choose it. New York, Georgia and Oklahoma serve only 4-year-olds through their universal pre-kindergarten programs. Florida recently passed a constitutional amendment that mandates a voluntary, universal pre-K program for all 4-year-olds in the state.

[Illinois Government News Network
press release]

Honors & Awards

Menus

(Milk served with all meals)

Monday, Jan. 6 -- Cereal, toast with jelly, juice

Tuesday, Jan. 7 -- Cheese toasty, fruit

Wednesday, Jan. 8 -- Cereal, peanut butter and jelly sandwich, juice

Thursday, Jan. 9 -- Trix yogurt, rice crispy treat, banana

Friday, Jan. 10 -- Cereal, pop tart, juice

(Milk served with all meals)

Monday, Jan. 6 -- Hamburger on bun with cheese, potato rounds, raisins, baked beans

Tuesday, Jan. 7 -- Chicken strips with sauce, mashed potatoes, bread and butter, peaches

Wednesday, Jan. 8 -- Tacos with lettuce and cheese, corn, tortilla chips with salsa, pears

Thursday, Jan. 9 -- Barbecued chicken sandwich, french fries, carrot sticks, applesauce

Friday, Jan. 10 -- Spaghetti with meat sauce, peas, garlic toast, strawberry shortcake

Monday, Jan. 6 -- Pork tenderloin, potatoes, gravy, green beans, pears

Tuesday, Jan. 7 -- Ham horseshoe, french fries, broccoli, mixed fruit

Wednesday, Jan. 8 -- Soft tacos, lettuce and cheese, nachos, raw veggies, fruit crisp

Thursday, Jan. 9 -- Creamed turkey on biscuit, potatoes, peas, strawberry applesauce

Friday, Jan. 10 -- Grilled chicken on bun, potato rounds, corn, peaches

Monday, Jan. 13 -- Breadsticks, meat sauce, salad, green beans, pears

Tuesday, Jan. 14 -- Cheese pizza, potato rounds, slaw, fresh fruit

Wednesday, Jan. 15 -- Chili, crackers, toasted cheese, raw veggies, cake and fruit

Thursday, Jan. 16 -- Hot ham and cheese sandwich, french fries, baked beans, mixed fruit

Friday, Jan. 17 -- No school

Announcements

Lincoln Junior Woman's Club scholarships

[DEC. 5, 2002]  The General Federation of Women's Clubs has announced a number of scholarships available for students planning to attend Illinois colleges or vocational schools during the 2003-2004 school year.

Included in the list are the Arthur Grant Smith Drama Scholarship, $300; the GFWC Illinois Centennial Library Science Scholarship, $300; the Hamilton Ridge Music Scholarship, $500; Illinois Cottage Park Ridge Vocational Scholarship for Girls, $500; the Lincoln Lodge Vocational Scholarship for Boys, $500; and the Lorado Taft Art Scholarship, $500.

The Vina A. Miller Memorial Scholarship, $500, is also being offered to students planning to make the field of public affairs their career. Vocations in the field of public affairs include the study of crime prevention, life safety, fire, police, historical preservation and veterans affairs.

A new scholarship being offered by the GFWC Illinois Federation of Women's Clubs for the coming year is the Illinois Cultural Exchange Student Scholarship for students planning to study abroad.

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Students for all of these scholarships must be Illinois residents attending an Illinois school.

Winners will notified by May 1, 2003, and scholarship funds will be disbursed to the college financial aid office after verification of student registration is received at the Illinois GFWC headquarters.

Applications for these scholarships are available from the guidance department at Lincoln Community High School or may be requested by sending a self-addressed, stamped envelope to Lincoln Junior Woman's Club Scholarship Chairman Judy Rader at 132 11th St., Lincoln, IL 62656. Completed applications must be returned to Rader no later than Feb. 8, 2003.

[Judy Rader]

Epsilon Sigma Alpha scholarships available

[NOV. 26, 2002]  The ESA Foundation of Epsilon Sigma Alpha International, a women's leadership organization, is announcing the availability of scholarships for college-bound high school seniors, college students, trade school-bound students, as well as nontraditional students.

Individuals may go to the ESA Foundation website, www.esaintl.org/esaf, to find out more about the ESA Foundation and download the current application. The deadline for receipt of applications is Feb. 1, 2003. (If you get only as far as the Epsilon Sigma Alpha website, click on "Foundation" located at the bottom of the left-hand pick list.)

To find out more about Epsilon Sigma Alpha International, visits the website: www.esaintl.org.

[News release]

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