School News

 

 

D155 Superintendent Dr. Neil Lesinski Named Finalist for 2024 Innovative Superintendent of the Year

Congratulations to Dr. Neil Lesinski, Superintendent of District 155, for being named as a finalist for the Innovative Superintendent of the Year award for 2024 in the State of Illinois. This annual award, sponsored by Sibme, recognizes superintendents who exhibit creative and cutting-edge strategies to foster a culture of continuous improvement among their teams.

Dr.Lesinski has been instrumental in adapting to a changing school district. According to Dr. Kevin Werner, Chief Officer of Finance & Operations, "Neil developed an International Newcomer Center and supporting peer teacher coaching program to collaborate with our newcomer students to practice English and content-area academic skills.” By establishing a peer teacher coaching program, Dr. Lesinski ensures that professional learning is relevant to the individual needs of each teacher, and fosters a sense of community among staff.

Dr. Lesinski's approach to reflection and collaboration among teachers is rooted in active listening and empathy. "Neil treats each staff member with respect while reaching decisions through ongoing collaboration and consensus building.”

Ultimately, this sense of professional community impacts students first. As Dr. Werner shared in his nomination, “The impact that Neil has had on our district is incredible! Each year we conduct a School Culture Survey. Following his first year as Superintendent, 94.2% of students agreed that they feel like they belong in their school community, up from 74.3% from the prior year.”

Neil Lesinski’s nomination is a testament to his dedication and the positive impact he has made on Community High School District 155. His innovative approach to leadership, continuous improvement, and professional development sets a benchmark for other education leaders to follow.

 

Three District 155 Students have been named semifinalists in the 2025 National Merit Scholarship Program. Adam Kyrouac and Justin Weber from Crystal Lake Central High School, along with Jackson Woestman from Cary-Grove High School, have achieved this honor based on their outstanding performance on the 2023 Preliminary SAT.

These accomplished students are among approximately 16,000 semifinalists nationwide, representing less than 1% of U.S. high school seniors. They now have the opportunity to compete for National Merit Scholarships, which total more than $28 million.

Adam Kyrouac, student at Crystal Lake Central High School is a dedicated participant in various extracurricular activities. He proudly holds the prestigious position of first chair in the Symphonic Band and serves as the lead tenor saxophonist in the Jazz Band, where he is also a member of the Jazz Combo. Adam is also a section leader of saxophones and a part of the cross country team. Beyond music, Adam leads the hardware division in the computer club. After High School Adam plans to pursue a degree in sound and music production. 

Justin Weber, student at Crystal Lake Central High School  is actively involved in Science Olympiad, Interact Club, and serves as co-captain of the Math Team. His accomplishments include being named to the High Honor Roll, earning the title of AP Scholar with Distinction, and securing third place at the state level in Forensics for Science Olympiad. After high school, Justin plans to pursue a degree in physics.

Jackson Woestman, student at Cary-Grove High School, excels both academically and in extracurricular activities. He serves as the captain of the science olympiad team, which has advanced to the state competition for the past two years. Jackson is also the co-lead of the robotics programming team, a member of the National Honor Society, a part of the math team, and the Scholastic Bowl team, which has claimed the conference championship for the last two years. After high school, Jackson plans to attend the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where he will pursue a degree in Systems Engineering.

To become finalists, each semifinalist must submit a comprehensive scholarship application, which includes academic records, details of extracurricular activities, leadership roles, and a personal essay. Finalists will be announced in February 2025, with scholarship winners selected from this distinguished group.

The recognition of these three students highlights District 155's commitment to academic excellence and our dedication to preparing students for success in post-secondary education and beyond.

All four District 155 high schools ranked among the top 14% of public high schools in the nation for a sixth consecutive year. The U.S. News Best High Schools rankings assess nearly 25,000 public high schools across the United States. 

 

All four schools also earned recognition among the best high schools in the state of Illinois.

Prairie Ridge High - 64

Cary-Grove - 69

Crystal Lake South - 86

Crystal Lake Central - 121

 

“This recognition signifies a validation of our district's unwavering commitment to excellence in education. It's a testament to the dedication of our educators, the hard work of our students, and the support of our community,” said Dr. Neil Lesinski, Superintendent. “Being recognized among the top high schools in the nation highlights the collective effort invested in preparing our students to find their purpose.

 

These rankings offer a comprehensive view of educational performance, providing valuable insights into the success of high school education nationwide. Approximately 18,000 schools are evaluated based on criteria such as state assessments and their effectiveness in preparing students for college.

Virtual Enterprise classes from Crystal Lake South and Cary-Grove traveled to Middle Tennessee State University for the two-day ​​VEI Southern Region Student Leadership Conference & Trade Show on November 16. The students participated in an elevator pitch competition and leadership innovation challenge. They learned about finance and accounting, marketing, social media, business operations and technology from business industry leaders.

Crystal Lake South pitched its virtual business named PawPack.

“Our special subscription boxes and bundles come in different options with a plethora of toys, bones, and treats for your pup to enjoy,” said CLS senior and PawPack CMO Sydney Kroening. “If you aren’t looking for a bundle, we also sell key items like dog crates, beds, and food.” 

The company also donates a portion of its revenue to local dog shelters. 

The Cary-Grove students have a virtual business named BetterBox — a health-based company that provides locally sourced products and supplements. 

“It took us a long time to decide what our company was going to be,” said CG senior Reece Ihenacho. “We decided on October 15th, which is definitely a late choice. However, because we took so long we really went deep into the design for delight process so I can confidently say we designed BetterBox to truly benefit our customers.”

Ihenacho is one of six Virtual Enterprises Ambassadors in the Midwest region. He was selected for the position  after completing an essay and interview. As an ambassador he represents the Midwest VE student community, promotes the VE program, plans and participates in events and competitions. He is also the COO of BetterBox.

“At the MTSU tradeshow, my class, especially myself, had an amazing time meeting tons of new people, making connections with other firms, and learning new skills as individuals,” Ihenacho said. “This tradeshow gave me ideas that I can bring back to my firm. Overall I had so much fun meeting new people and making connections that I feel will benefit our firm in the long run.”

Students had an opportunity to use their marketing and sales skills during the virtual trade show where they bought and sold products/services and networked with other virtual businesses.

A highlight for Kroening was a Women’s Leadership panel. 

“All the women on this panel were either bosses, entrepreneurs, or had a very prevalent role within their place of employment,” she said. “This was by far my favorite part of the entire trip. The ladies spoke about the importance of women's leadership, how to handle pressure in the workplace, and overall informed us about their struggles and passions for working within business.” 

There were approximately 500 high school students in attendance, representing 40 virtual businesses from seven states, including Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois, Tennessee, South Carolina and Florida.

“I have taken many other business classes during my past three years with some interest in pursuing business, but this class is special,” Kroening said. “It is truly a hands-on experience of what it would be like to participate in a real business. Everyone around the country contributes to the VE community which makes it feel even more authentic. 

“This course is extremely valuable for those interested in pursuing a career within any job working closely with others. I personally can see myself thinking back to this course in my future line of work and using the tools and people skills I have learned to better my work.” 

Cary-Grove special education teacher Michael Arrigoni was recently named Star 105.5’s teacher of the month.

Dr. Arrigoni, who  is in his sixth year teaching at Cary-Grove, was nominated by the parent of one of his students, Kaysia Conour. 

“‘Doc A’ is an incredible teacher who truly cares about his students, all of whom have disabilities,” wrote Delaina Conour. “He is kind, patient, an amazing advocate for people with special needs, and has the utmost faith in his students’ abilities. Doc A motivates and encourages all of his kids, and my child has absolutely flourished in school because of him.”

Arrigoni is passionate about advocating for disability rights and equality. He hosts a podcast called AdvocacyPRIME, which shares stories, resources, and support for people with disabilities as well as their families.

“He is an immensely valuable asset to everyone he works with, and we are honored to know him,” said Conour.