By Zion 6

Zion, IL. – Diego Nava, a 6th grader from East Elementary School, finished his 2019 spelling bee run at the Lake County Spelling Bee Finals on Thursday, March 14, 2019. This is the first year that Diego has made it to sectionals, but has been East’s champ three years in a row! For the 2019 Bee, it was Diego’s goal to make it to sectionals and he is happy to have accomplished that. Although Diego did not make it pass the eighth round, Principal Charmekia Edelstein believes that with his drive and determination, he has the ability to make it to nationals next year. From everyone at East Elementary and District 6, congratulations Diego and keep up the great work!
Newly Designed Sensory Pathway
West Elementary School has introduced a newly redesigned sensory pathway for its students. The pathway offers students an opportunity to participate in a sensory break outside the classroom when needed. It is intended for students to release their energy and/or reduce building stress or apprehensions in a positive way.
By allowing students to temporarily leave the classroom and walk the pathway, it limits classroom disruptions and increases the student’s ability to refocus and re-center themselves. Furthermore, the pathway gives students the opportunity to collect their thoughts and engage in a reflective discussion with teachers/staff prior to returning to class. Before the redesign, students were walking a pathway of green tape. Now, students engage in activities such as wall push-ups, log jumping, and hopscotch.
With the introduction of West’s sensory pathway, there has been a reduction in the amount of time spent out of class and has strengthened student-teacher communication significantly. By honing their own skills, students will soon be able to quickly assess their feelings, calm themselves down, and communicate with their teachers instantly.