Voices of District 303
The Voices of District 303 Podcast is designed to open a window into the daily lives of our students, staff members, and community. Launched in 2021, Voices of District 303 strives to take you into schools, classrooms, and departments that make District 303 a special place to teach, learn, and grow.
Episodes
42 episodes
Inside the Classroom at Thompson Middle School: Teaming & MS Transition
This school year, the Voices of D303 Podcast is taking you inside our classrooms, to hear from our educators about their work in advancing the D303 mission of: Together, Building Pathways to Excellence.In this episode, we navig...
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Season 6
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Episode 5
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38:13
Supporting Student Attendance: “Guiding Students from Avoidance to Achievement” Parent-Empowerment Series with Dr. Megan Schmitz
As part of D303’s Student Attendance Campaign this year, the district hosted a parent-education and empowerment series with contextual-behavioral psychologist Dr. ...
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Season 6
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Episode 4
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11:55
Inside the Classroom: How Community Creates Excellence at Bell Graham
In this episode, we visit the classroom of Bell Graham 4th grade lead teacher Ruth Vostal to talk with her and Principal Amy Kleuppel about how educators come together in Professional Learning Communities to build a culture around the D303 core...
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Season 6
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Episode 3
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47:42
Inside the Classroom: Talking with North High School Department Chairs Jennifer Anderson and Stephanie Dodd
This school year, the Voices of D303 Podcast is taking you inside our classrooms, to hear from our educators about their work in advancing the D303 mission of: Together, Building Pathways to Excellence.In episode 2, we’re talking and thi...
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Season 6
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Episode 2
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40:40
Inside the Classroom: Talking English & Social Studies, with East HS Department Chairs Cara Drexler and Andy Ehrhardt
This school year, the Voices of D303 Podcast is taking you inside our classrooms, to hear from our educators about their work in advancing the D303 mission of: Together, Building Pathways to Excellence.In our first e...
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Season 6
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Episode 1
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40:13
Finding Your Pathway: A Conversation with Members of the Class of 2025 Pt.2
This is Part 2 of our special Class of 2025 Episode of the Voices of D303 Podcast. To close out the 2024-25 school year, we’ve spotlighted some outstanding members of our Class of ’25. When we recorded
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Season 5
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Episode 8
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27:17
Finding Your Pathway: A Conversation with Members of the Class of 2025
This year-end episode of the Voices of D303 podcast spotlights three outstanding members of our Class of 2025–James Shimon, Ellen Jahoda, and Tanner Karsjen. They talk with Dr. Gordon about finding their pathways and their “people,” as well as ...
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Season 5
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Episode 7
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39:10
Transparency, Teamwork, and Teaching: The Impact of PLCs at Corron Elementary
Effective Collaboration is one of three key priorities in the District 303 Strategic Plan, and Professional Learning Communities, or PLCs, play a vital role in bringing this priority to life. PLCs are thriving in every school across the dist...
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Season 5
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Episode 6
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30:29
Formative Assessments & Their Role In Elevating Excellence
For many educators in District 303, formative assessments serve as a diagnostic tool, helping them to analyze the effectiveness of their teaching methods. Receiving real-time feedback on student achievement encourages flexibility, as instruc...
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Season 5
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Episode 5
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36:44
Career Connections: Students Talk Self-Advocacy & Efforts To Increase Opportunities For All
Extracurricular academic programs or internships take learning outside of the classroom and can be instrumental for students looking to discover their passions. St. Charles East juniors Kunal Gaind and Rahil Bukhari recently joined the Voice...
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Season 5
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Episode 4
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27:15
Conversation with Distinguished Alumni Class of 2024
District 303 graduates Cheryl Denz, Rick Gibson, Jeffrey LaDeur, and Karen Schmidt were recently honored as the Distinguished Alumni Class of 2024. As part of their return to their former schools, the four award winners joined the Voices of ...
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Season 5
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Episode 3
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30:10
How Brain Science Is Enhancing Student Learning
District 303 educators are embracing new brain research that suggests that caring teachers can alter a student's brain chemistry for the better. Gifted Coordinator Yvette Stahl cites one study that showed students may respond more favorably to ...
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Season 5
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Episode 2
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45:09
Hyped for Homecoming
Homecoming week is a time for high schoolers to showcase their school pride while making lifelong memories. Three students who are involved in planning their school’s homecoming celebrations recently joined the Voices of District 303 podcast to...
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Season 5
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Episode 1
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27:40
High School Students Talk Passions, Overcoming Challenges
High school is a transformational time for students, as they begin to establish their independence as young adults. Four members of Dr. Gordon’s Superintendent Student Advisory Council recently joined the Voices of District 303 podcast to talk ...
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Season 4
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Episode 4
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49:12
The Power of PLCs
Renewed emphasis on professional learning communities (PLCs) is elevating student growth in District 303. Chief Academic Officer Dr. Christine Igoe, ELA Coordinator Dr. Amanda Wojcik, and Davis Primary School Instructional Support Coach Meghan ...
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Season 4
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Episode 3
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33:00
Finances and Facilities
School finance can be confusing. From the size of a school district’s budget and types of funds it includes to the percentage of local, state and federal revenue it receives, there’s a lot to understand. Chief Operating Officer Justin Attawa...
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Season 4
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Episode 2
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28:18
How District 303 Developed its Strategic Plan
District 303 is in its first year of implementing a new five-year Strategic Plan, which was approved by the Board last summer. The plan guides the District’s long-term priorities, resources and intended outcomes in order to drive student succes...
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Season 4
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Episode 1
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31:19
Blue Ribbon Achieved: Norton Creek Elementary and North High School
District 303’s Norton Creek Elementary and St. Charles North High School have been named 2022 National Blue Ribbon Schools by the U.S. Department of Education. They a...
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Season 3
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Episode 2
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21:47
Get to Know Superintendent Dr. Paul Gordon
New D303 Superintendent Dr. Paul Gordon talks about his professional journey from teacher to superintendent and getting reacclimated to the Midwest. Prior to joining St. Charles on July 1, Gordon held roles in Colorado as a high school football...
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Season 3
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Episode 1
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21:30
"The World is Better With You in it" Turning Positivity into a Business
St. Charles North junior Sara Tenbrock spent the first 16 years of her life in Texas and attended her entire sophomore year virtually. During that time she noticed that social media often had negative messages and she wanted to find a way to sp...
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Season 2
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Episode 6
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25:26
Women in Leadership Speaker Series
When two St. Charles East freshmen noticed they were only part of a small number of girls in their Introduction to Business class, they decided to find a way to encourage more girls to be interested in business. The Women in Business Speaker Se...
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18:48
Yes, Sir! One Student's Journey to the United States Military Academy at West Point
A standout athlete in track and field since middle school, Joshua Duncan set his sights on competing at a Division 1 college. The pandemic and an injury at the state track meet derailed those plans. Little did Joshua know that a coach from one ...
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Season 2
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Episode 4
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35:31
Illinois State Board of Education Student Advisory Committee
Each year a group of students is chosen from around the state to be student advisors to the Illinois State Board of Education. Students have the opportunity to see the State Board’s policymakers in action and work with them to provide student p...
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Season 2
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Episode 3
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15:36
How Woods and Autos Classes Help Build Students' Futures
October is manufacturing month and Dr. Pearson takes the opportunity to talk with 3 students enrolled in both Autos and Woods at St. Charles East High School. They have a conversation about what they like about being hands-on in the classroom, ...
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21:04