This month, we proudly celebrate Mr. Timothy Perry! Although this is Mr. Perry’s first year at the Academy, he has quickly become an integral part of our school family. His calm and patient demeanor has brought a sense of peace and stability to our students and staff alike. Mr. Perry demonstrates a deep understanding of the needs of our Transition students and works diligently to support them in reaching their personal and vocational goals. His positive attitude and commitment to student success truly reflect the spirit of the Academy.

Independence Elmentary School (IES): Staff & Student of the Month-October

IES celebrates our staff and students of the month that have shown RESPECT: meaning treating others with kindness and consideration. These winners were selected by their peers because they are always respectful to others, and they create a positive environment where everyone feels heard and appreciated. Congratulations to Mr. Holmes, Mrs. White, and Eric Nelson

SPEED is kicking off Spirit Week and the Independence Elementary Staff are looking fresh in their school shirts!

Check out Independece Elementary School's October Activities!

Halloween Parade:
To wrap up the month, we enjoyed our annual Halloween Parade, filled with fun costumes and smiles, and cheered on our athletes during flag football games.


Speed 802 Petting Zoo:
A special highlight was our student petting zoo, which provided hands-on, sensory experiences that connected beautifully with our SPED students’ learning goals. The joy and engagement on their faces reminded us of the power of interactive, inclusive learning moments that reach every child.

Congratulations to the Early Learning Center staff of the month for November 2025!

Teacher - Reiden Guarin
Paraprofessional - Angola McRae
Related Service Provider - Debbie Kuhnhoffer

Congratulations to the Early Learning Center staff of the month for October 2025!

Teacher - Trziah Avenido
Paraprofessional - Briana Solis
Related Service Provider - Craig Madsen

Congratulations to the Early Learning Center staff of the month for September 2025!

Teacher - Thea Trenuela
Paraprofessional - Tanya Ethridge
Related Service Provider - Cindy Revis

Congratulations to the Program for Adaptive Learning (PAL) Staff of the month of November!

Gloria Jackson
Steve Zomparelli
Travaun Whittaker

Our Book Blast event was a huge success! Students had a great time exploring new stories and celebrating the joy of reading together. Their smiles said it all—reading is fun! Thank you so much to the Books Are Fun organization for collaborating with us and all of the family and friends that donated to students!

We are excited to present our Hispanic Heritage Month Assembly a few weeks ago, a vibrant celebration of culture, history, and community. Our neighbors from Southland College Prep students came to teach our students about Hispanic music, dance, hats, stories and overall culture—it was both meaningful and engaging for our students. We can't thank Southland College Prep enough for visiting our school!

Is your child interested in athletics? Our Young Athletes program services students age 2 - 7. Check out the flyer for more information.

Congratulations to the Program for Adaptive Learning (PAL) Staff of the month of October!

Xylena Ramirez
Lori Hilliker
Regina Harden

Are you interested in getting your child involved in Special Olympics? Our award winning team would love to have your student participate in our program! Please fill out the interest form by clicking the link.

https://forms.gle/v5dNfD75m6nL6Q5L8

Our Book Blast may be coming to an end, but the excitement doesn’t stop here! We look forward to continuing to celebrate our amazing winners and their love for reading. Students Lawrence Pinkston, Lily Morenzoni, and Julius Banks were this week's winners. Sweet Julius wanted to share his winning with his teacher ♥️.

Congratulations to the Program for Adaptive Learning (PAL) Staff of the month of September!

Latoi Brown
Ira Rafols
Anna Calhoun

Congratulations to the Program for Adaptive Learning (PAL) Staff of the month of August!

NiNi Love
Clarise Dean
Latoya Marshall

On Monday, SPEED welcomed Baruti Kafele as our keynote speaker for our first institute day. He fired up the staff for the next two days of institute days. Yesterday we welcomed back our students and we have hit the ground running for the 2025-2026 school year!

This is a friendly reminder that registration for the 2025-2026 school year is open and can be completed online without leaving the air conditioning!

If you need any help with access to registration, please give us call at 708-481-6100.

We hope everyone is having a great summer!

https://enrollment.powerschool.com/family/message?code=actionprivate

Please check out the flyer for Bloom Township's Summer Fest on Tuesday, July 29th, 2025 from 11:00am - 3:00pm at Veteran's Park in Glenwood.

Congratulations to the Program for Adaptive Learning (PAL) Staff of the month of May! Cleofe Gutana Nehemiah Bogus Kathy Petrey