Start of the 2014-2015 School Year
August 19, 2014, marked the start of the 2014-15 academic year at the Maryville Jen School. The staff and students were welcomed by a back to school picnic with all of the Maryville programs to help kick start the year on a positive and festive note! The Jen School students are already involved with exciting projects by being hard at work harvesting produce in the garden, perfecting their customer service skills by hosting their weekly farmer’s markets every Friday, doing volunteer work for the Des Plaines Chamber of Commerce, and preparing for our September 23rd open house featuring a “recycled art” theme. Keep your eyes open for other exciting events coming soon!
Art Extravaganza
On July 24th, enthusiastic students, staff members, and volunteers partook in Jen School’s 3rd Art Extravaganza! Participants enjoyed a myriad of projects designed to fuel the imagination, foster individual expression, and support collective creation. Students spent roughly thirty minutes at SIX different “stations.” They unleashed their creativity yarn bombing a tree outside chief academic officer Anne Craig’s office window, painting fabric peace flags to be strung together, tie dying t-shirts, coloring paper discs to be affixed to a large group canvas, tying strips of fabric to beautify the school’s recently acquired garden fence, and sprinkling sand on a giant mandala while reflecting. In between stations, students were able to visit a bubble blowing stand and a beading stand. The Art Extravaganza is a great way for the students to get out of their classrooms and engage in hands on experiential learning. They took pride in their individual masterpieces and eagerly shared them with others. Similarly, they supported one another in the group projects, demonstrating a vested interest in the final product. After a great day of group and individual expression and creation, all participants enjoyed a delicious picnic, prepared by Ms. Toni and her team. The weather that day couldn’t have been better and lead organizers Ms. KT and Ms. Clare are already thinking about next year’s event. Thanks to all those who participated in this special day!
“Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.” -Pablo Picasso
Recycling Initiative
The Jen School is starting an initiative to improve recycling on the Des Plaines campus. This initiative will be spearheaded by the recycling team in the INVEST program. Recycling centers are being set up across campus and the recycling team is spreading awareness by delivering recycling boxes to offices and making regular collections. A poster competition was held at the Jen School to get students involved and to create student-made art that could be used to designate the recycling areas. Pictured here is the winning poster, designed by one of our very talented community students!
4th Annual Jen Bake Sale
Oreo cookie truffles, chocolate covered peanut butter cookies, cake pops, and an assortment of brownies and cakes were all offered at the 4th annual Jen School Bake Sale on May 22, 2014. All of the classrooms and several talented staff members collaborated to make a delicious array of treats. Maryville staff members, students and friends came out to support the school’s fundraiser. All the proceeds were donated to Share Our Strength’s national and local efforts to end childhood hunger in America. The bake sale was a very tasty success which raised over $500 for this great cause. Thank you to everyone for their support, hard work and contributions that made the bake sale a success!
Jen School Coffee Cart!
Come and support the Jen School’s latest student vocational collaboration from Mr. Z’s classroom. Students will be serving coffee and homemade baked goods every Friday morning from 9-10am in the school cafeteria. Beverages include regular and decaf coffee, apple cider, tea, and hot chocolate. The coffee cart also offers a variety of pastries, such as banana and pumpkin breads, and granola made at the school by the students. If you are not already tempted by a tasty Friday morning treat, please consider supporting the Jen School students in practicing their ability to handle money, make appropriate change, and learn valuable customer service and interpersonal skills. All proceeds go directly to ongoing school programming. Thank you to Maryville staff members and friends for all your support for our students and school community! P.S. Keep an eye out for iced coffee selections coming soon!
Jen School Olympics
Relay races, basketball shots, and great teamwork were all on display during the annual Jen School 
Olympics.This year’s Olympics were held on October 1, 2013, on what turned out to be a perfect fall morning for outdoor activities. Specific events included: Basketball skill competitions 7-21, an NBA 3-ball contest and several football relays, including the Center-Snap-Pass relay. Competition was fierce and the participants put forth a great effort. In the end, Team 1 took second place and Team 3 was the overall winner. Staff from MB Financial Bank volunteered to assist with running the event and sponsored a cookout lunch for everyone. A special thank you goes out to Ted Smart and the MB financial crew! A great time was had by volunteers, students, and staff.
Jen School Open House 
A harvest theme was used to promote excitement for the fall 2013 Jen School Open House, held on the evening of October 10th. Hand crafted fall décor dressed up each classroom as students were able to show off their academic accomplishments to their parents, guardians, and program staff. Some of the notable attractions included a gigantic Frankenstein monster, aka “Frankie”, from Ms. Mary’s room, very impressive art work from “A Nightmare Before Christmas” and a super cool cornucopia in Ms. Pam’s room. There were also creative Halloween themed lanterns in Ms. Stephani’s room, homemade goods in Mr. Z’s room and very creative bulletin board displays. The school was full of activity and enthusiasm for the open house. Everyone’s hard work and participation made the evening a success
