Students and staff at Schafer Elementary School participated in a “Shark Week” celebration themed “Shark Attack on Books” during the week of October 20. The event aimed to promote literacy through shark-themed reading and math activities.
The week began with an assembly on Monday morning, where staff members dressed as sharks greeted students while the “Baby Shark” song played both inside and outside the school. Many staff wore fins or shark costumes to add to the theme.
Schafer Principal Julie Morse commented on the efforts made by staff: “Their enthusiasm and creativity made the week special, from decorating classrooms and designing posters, to wearing shark shirts that highlighted each grade level’s shark. Once again, it’s our staff’s passion and dedication that make Schafer a place where students feel inspired, connected, and eager to learn.”
Throughout the week, students engaged in lessons focused on reading and math with a shark theme. They also took part in a Shark Shiver event, pairing older students with younger ones for shared reading sessions.
Morse explained the purpose behind Shark Week: “The ultimate goal for Shark Week is to boost motivation and build strong reading habits both at school and at home.”
A competition was held among grade levels to see which group could “swim around the world” first by meeting daily reading goals set for both school and home. All students are expected to read 30 minutes daily at school and another 30 minutes at home.
“This is where we truly rely on our partnership with families,” said Morse. “By providing structure and dedicated reading time at home, our families help reinforce the skills and habits that lead to growth and confidence.”
Schafer Elementary is one of several schools represented within Villa Park School District 45 in DuPage County. Other schools in this district include Ardmore Elementary School, Jackson Middle School, Jefferson Middle School, North Elementary School, Stevenson School, Westmore Elementary School, and York Center Elementary School (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/).
According to data from the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), Villa Park School District 45 employs 224 teachers who earn an average salary of $74,159 before pension contributions; about 82.8 percent are women while 17.2 percent are men. There are no teachers in this district with more than ten absences per year (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/).
Demographic information from ISBE shows that Villa Park School District 45 has a student population that is approximately 43.4 percent White, 7.8 percent Black, 35.4 percent Hispanic, and 8.2 percent Asian (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/).
In terms of financials for education spending within Villa Park School District 45 in 2020, expenditures reached $23,216 per student for a total budget of $76,753,683 (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/).
