Springfield Public Schools District 186

A New Pad for Our Owen Marsh Frogs! ?? March 11th was a huge day for Owen Marsh Elementary as we officially broke ground on the new school! With golden shovels in hand, Principal Wendy Conaway, members of the student council, and our district leaders celebrated the start of this exciting transformation. Superintendent Jennifer Gill shared how this state-of-the-art building will provide incredible new opportunities for students and staff, bringing innovation, collaboration, and growth to the heart of our school community. We are so grateful to our construction management team, O'Shea Builders and our design team, Farnsworth Group, for turning this vision into reality. A special full-circle moment was shared by Mike O’Shea, who revealed that his father helped build the original Owen Marsh Elementary—making it incredibly symbolic that he is now leading the construction of the new Owen Marsh! How cool is that? We were honored to have members of the school board,State Senator Doris Turner and City of Springfield-Municipal Government- Mayor Misty Buscher join us for this special moment. Projects like this don’t just benefit our students—they enhance our neighborhoods, strengthen our community, and create a brighter future for all. This incredible milestone is made possible by our Master Facilities Plan, funded by the 1% sales tax, which our community so generously supported. THANK YOU for investing in our schools and our students' future! We can't wait to follow this journey and see our new Owen Marsh Elementary come to life! Stay tuned for updates! #leveup186 #weare186 #ourcommunity #OwenMarsh #BreakingGround #NewBeginnings #welcometoournewpad #newpad

Time to celebrate our amazing educators! Nominations are now open for the 2025 Horace Mann Educator of the Year, Administrator of the Year, and Rising Star awards! This is YOUR chance to shine a spotlight on those who go above and beyond for our students every day. Who can nominate? Parents, students, fellow educators, and community members—basically YOU! Awards Breakdown: Educator of the Year: For an outstanding educator with 5+ years in the district. Rising Star: Celebrating up to 3 educators with 4 years or less in the district. Administrator of the Year: Honoring an admin with 2+ years of leadership. How to Nominate: Click the link- https://lnkd.in/g2bikP4z and provide: Nominee's name & school Their principal's name + email 1+ recommendation letter (can be emailed to [email protected]). Deadline: February 23, 2025 Don’t wait! Let’s show some love to the educators shaping our community's future. #levelup186 #sps186 #weare186 #District186 #EducatorOfTheYear #RisingStar #CelebrateExcellence #HoraceMann #LevelUpEducation

Time to celebrate our amazing educators! Nominations are now open for the 2025 Horace Mann Educator of the Year, Administrator of the Year, and Rising Star awards! This is YOUR chance to shine a spotlight on those who go above and beyond for our students every day. Who can nominate? Parents, students, fellow educators, and community members—basically YOU! Awards Breakdown: Educator of the Year: For an outstanding educator with 5+ years in the district. Rising Star: Celebrating up to 3 educators with 4 years or less in the district. Administrator of the Year: Honoring an admin with 2+ years of leadership. How to Nominate: Click the link- https://lnkd.in/g2bikP4z and provide: Nominee's name & school Their principal's name + email 1+ recommendation letter (can be emailed to [email protected]). Deadline: February 23, 2025 Don’t wait! Let’s show some love to the educators shaping our community's future. #levelup186 #sps186 #weare186 #District186 #EducatorOfTheYear #RisingStar #CelebrateExcellence #HoraceMann #LevelUpEducation

Looking for a career opportunity in education? Come to our Career Fair tomorrow, Thursday, January 9th and see all of our career options! We have two time slots for you to stop by our District office - 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. or 4 p.m.- 6 p.m. We would love to have you on our team! #LevelUp186 #sps186 #weare186

A Holiday Tale of Magic and Love at Ridgely Elementary Get your tissues ready – this one’s going straight to the heart! In Mrs. Barnard’s class, students received an extraordinary holiday surprise that they’ll never forget. Earlier this year, during a simple assignment, students colored rows on a piece of paper, following a pattern, and turned it in, unaware of what it was for. Little did they know, magic was brewing. Mrs. Barnard’s grandmother, armed with her incredible knitting talents, transformed those colorful patterns into something spectacular. She HAND-KNITTED scarves that matched each student’s unique design! Yesterday, the students unwrapped their special gifts – their very own custom-made scarves – and the emotions were through the roof! Joy, pride, and pure holiday wonder filled the room as students modeled their new winter accessories with pride. The smiles and cheers echoed through the K-2 wing, spreading warmth and holiday spirit. Moments like these remind us why our community is so special. Acts of kindness, big and small, make our students feel valued, seen, and cherished. And let’s not forget – our staff? Absolutely magical. Mrs. Barnard and her grandmother showed us that it’s not just about education but the heart that goes into building these connections. To our incredible community: thank you for making moments like these possible all year long. Your love and support fuel the magic in our schools. #levelup186 #weare186 #SPS186 #elementary #Bulldogs #RidgelyMagic #KnittedWithLove #HolidayCheer186 #holidaymagic

Superintendent Jennifer Gill’s Embedded Learning Visit at Lanphier High School For the past two days, Superintendent Jennifer Gill has been “embedded” at Lanphier High School, diving deep into the learning environment, meeting students and staff, and seeing firsthand what makes Lanphier special. These visits let her spend an entire day—or half a day—in one school, truly experiencing the heartbeat of each unique campus. She loves these opportunities to visit our 31 schools and connect with the dedicated staff and vibrant students who make up our District 186 family! ? #WeAre186 From the anime and board game clubs to athletics like girls wrestling , Lanphier students have so many ways to connect and feel at home. These clubs and activities offer a welcoming space, helping students find their community and foster lifelong friendships. We’re grateful to our dedicated staff for hosting and supporting these activities—it makes all the difference! After-school tutoring is another valuable tool we’re thrilled to offer students at all three high schools. Lanphier’s tutoring program runs on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays from 3:30–4:30 PM in the cafeteria, giving students the chance to catch up on assignments, ask questions, and collaborate with teachers and peers. These sessions create a supportive environment for academic growth and confidence! During lunch, students greeted Superintendent Gill with smiles and stories, and one student even shared a favorite memory of seeing her at Ridgely Elementary during a Student of the Month ceremony. Moments like these remind us of the lasting connections we build together. One highlight was seeing the impressive display of student work throughout Lanphier’s hallways—from Algebra work in the math wing to beautiful creations in the foreign language hallway. Showing off student work is a source of pride, inspiration, and motivation—it’s how we celebrate our students’ hard work and achievements! And another standout? The Student Voice Group! Meeting once a week to discuss topics important to students, this group tackled World Kindness Day in today’s session, brainstorming ideas and planning ways to spread kindness across LHS. These student-led initiatives bring so much joy and empowerment, reminding us of the incredible impact students have in their schools and community. Way to go, Lions! Let’s keep creating spaces where every student feels connected, valued, and inspired to succeed. #levelup186 #weare186 #sps186 #lanphier #lions #highschool #illinois #avid #collegeandcareerready

Springfield Public Schools District 186 is hosting Empower All Abilities Conference . Make sure to attend it on November 16!!!

Join Us for the 2024 Springfield Public Schools Empower All Abilities (EAA) Conference! Saturday, November 16th Registration 8:00 a.m. Program runs 8:45 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. For over 16 years, the EAA Conference has supported families, educators, and professionals to empower students with exceptionalities. This year, we're back in person on Saturday, November 16th at Lanphier High School! We’re excited to welcome social media influencer Jordan Toma , author of I’m Just a Kid with an IEP, as our keynote speaker! His inspiring journey will set the tone for a day filled with practical insights and strategies to support our students. Breakout sessions cover key topics like Autism, ADHD, transition services, and long-term planning. Plus, check out our exhibitor hall with amazing resources from local and national vendors! Don’t miss out! This is your chance to connect, learn, and grow in a supportive community. BONUS: Childcare is available for kids ages 3+!

From Barbie to Brass: SHS Band Levels Up the Sound! The Springfield High School band was music to our ears Wednesday morning as they diligently prepared during zero hour for their next field performance! Joined by the talented SHS flag team, they worked together to perfect their routines, blending movement and sound to create something truly special. The percussion section is bringing the rhythm with a featured piece, and the entire band is in sync, thanks to the incredible teamwork and guidance of their dedicated instructors. Music plays a vital role in students' well-being, fostering creativity, discipline, and collaboration. And with a fun twist, this performance features a touch of Barbie – you won’t want to miss their rendition of “Barbie Girl,” which rang loud and clear as the perfect start to our Wednesday! Good luck this year, Senators, as you continue making beautiful music together! #levelup186 #weare186 #sps186 #band #music #flags #SHSBand #GoSenators #MusicMatters #BarbieGirlVibes

Let's show our community spirit and wish our students & staff a fantastic school year!!! Welcome back Graham Elementary and Southern View Elementary! We are thrilled to welcome our students and staff back at our balanced calendar schools. This morning, our staff greeted students with open arms, and it was heartwarming to see so many smiles from families and students at drop-off today! Community support is crucial, and we deeply appreciate the parents and guardians who play a vital role in their student's success. Together, we can make a difference in our students' lives. Our staff is recharged and ready to LEVEL UP this year, helping our students achieve their highest potential! The entire district wishes Southern View and Graham Elementary a fantastic start to their learning journey. We are 186! #levelup186 #weare186 #sps186 #firstday #backtoschool #illinois #springfield #BackToSchool #WeAre186 #LevelUp #CommunitySupport #StudentSuccess