Parkside Chat

Join Aaron as he speaks with our district instructional coaches: Jamie Kanas, Dominique Byrnes, Vanessa Woof, and Paul Uhler!

Join Aaron as he discusses life with the John Mills Elementary School team: Mr. Frank Kuzniewski and Ms. Lexi Oreluk! 

Join Aaron as he talks with Principal Matt Lerner and AP Stephanie Hagins about school, life, and tandem bikes.

Join our host as we discuss Elm Middle with principal Ashley Groeneveld and AP Morgan Freeck!

Join us as we discuss the latest high school news with Elmwood Park High School's Principal Doug Wildes, Assistant Principal Bernhard Walke, and Athletic Director Doug Noyes!

Join us for a discussion with Dr. Kim Ontiveros and Ms. Dominique Byrnes to discuss English Learners in the time of COVID!

Join us as we interview Dr. Kari Smith about student services and Remote Learning!

Join us for a conversation in EPCUSD401's Remote Learning 2.0 plans and get a chance to meet the new Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Leah Gauthier.

Back in August, we introduced our districtwide event called “Operation Genius” - an opportunity for our 6th - 12th grade students to become creators and innovators, solving mysteries and problems that interest them while making the world a better place.  We are now one month away from the main event and we have over 40 innovators who have made it to the final round.  Listen to 4 middle school and 3 high school students talk about their projects and their passions.

This episode is all about Standards-Based Reporting and the process behind the shift away from traditional grades to Standards-Based Reporting in order to provide improved feedback, more relevant instruction, and student ownership of education.  Listen to teachers and students from John Mills Elementary School as they talk about the process and how it has affected teaching and learning.

This episode features Dr. Nicolas Wade, Superintendent, as he gives a detailed explanation of where our great district is at in terms of a potential referendum.  He discusses what we have been able to do in the last 4 years, and where we need to go in order to ensure that we continue to move forward in preparing our students for 21 century society and beyond.

Samantha Hickey, Mia Morales, and Ayah Obeidallah, three of our EPHS students, talk about the classes they are taking at the Technical Center of Dupage (TCD) and how it is preparing them for the future.  

Learn all about Operation Genius, a challenge that culminates in a district wide event on March 12, 2020 focused on student choice, passion, creativity, and innovation.   Ms. Kristen Carroll and Ms. Jessica Iovinelli walk you through the inspiration for the project, the opportunities it will provide for our students, and how it will bring the community together.

Dr. Wade kicks off the 2019-2020 school year with an update on all of the work being done in the district by reflecting on the 2018-2019 school year and then discussing all of the upcoming plans for moving forward.

The epic secondary administrative team talks about preparing our students for 21st century society in this entertaining yet informative podcast about College and Career Pathways and what this means for our district and our students.

Dr. Kari Smith and Ms. Hilary Coia talk about the transition program for young adults with special needs who are 18 to 21 that will begin at Elmwood Park High School in the 2019-2020 school year.

Learn about all the benefits full day kindergarten has to offer our students and our plans for the 2020-2021 school year.

Listen to four amazing students educate the staff, students, and community about what LGTBQ+ means and how we support all students as they learn and grow in Elmwood Park.

Johanna Arias, EL teacher from John Mills, and Lisa Loffredo, EL teacher from Elmwood, talk about the ins and outs of co-teaching and how it benefits our students.

Teachers are lifelong learners.  So how do teachers continue to hone their craft?  Listen to Ms. Cami Breitzman and Ms. Penny Dahmer,  2 of the 11 National Board Certified teachers in our district, talk about the process and what motivates them to continue to learn.

In this episode, Dr. Wade discusses the state of programming at the elementary buildings including current challenges and plans for the future.  He also discusses the state of the elementary facilities and potential plans for moving forward.

Listen to Debbie Anichini, Angela Andrews, and Dave Parolin, 3 extraordinary EPHS teachers, talk about their experiences with 1:1 and how it is impacting teaching and learning.

Elm Middle School has a newly formed drama club. Emily Furgal, Alanis Rivera, and Dounia Timejardine-Zomeno talk about their experiences thus far as they prepare for their performances in "A Christmas Carol."

Listen to Alexa Duarte, Sarah Meyers, and Charles Sanchez talk about their experiences with the transition to 1:1 at Elmwood Park High School.

In this episode you will learn about the newly created Instructional Specialist positions and what they bring to our district.

In this episode, get an up close and personal look at the advances in Social Emotion Learning and the choices we are making to help support our students in every way possible.

This episode will talk all about the upcoming renovations at Elm Middle School and features Ms. Rebecca Siegel, Principal at Elm, and Ms. Ashley Groeneveld, Assistant Principal.

Here it is - the very first episode of Parkside Chat. Dr. Wade describes "An Invitation to Opportunity" and what it means to our district and our students.