Words from Dr. Keli Ross, principal of Memorial Junior High!

With the school year rapidly approaching, it's a perfect time to hear from our "new" principal, Dr. Ross. If you recognize the name of our new principal, that's because she has been at Memorial for four years as the 6th grade assistant principal! Dr. Ross was officially made head principal at the March 2015 School Board Meeting. I had a great chat with Dr. Ross last spring in her new office, which, by the way, is still in need of some serious decorating! Maybe some of our advanced art students should donate their art work :) During our visit, I learned that Dr. Ross is excited to encourage more student involvement in the community and connect and communicate regularly with parents in her new role. I asked Dr. Ross to write a little message to the MJHS parents. It is included below.

My name is Dr. Keli N. Ross and I am the new Principal of Memorial Junior High School.  I have been a part of the Lansing School District 158 family for almost 4 years as one of the Assistant Principals at Memorial.  During this time, I have worked diligently to build a learning and working atmosphere that promotes a positive and productive home for our students and staff.  My work ethic and dedication to the students at Memorial has been one that is grounded in our district’s belief in “Putting the Children First”.

To give you a little background information about myself, I was born in the Roseland Community and raised in the Englewood Community, located on the South Side of Chicago.  I am the older of two children.  I enjoy spending time with my younger brother watching and attending sporting events. I attended Curtis Elementary School, Altgeld Elementary School and Hyde Park Career Academy for high school, through the Chicago Public Schools system, before attending the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.  In May of 2000, I graduated with my Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education with a concentration in Mathematics and decided to attend graduate school at Southern Illinois University Carbondale (SIUC).  While attending SIUC, I received my Master degree in Curriculum and Instruction with a specialization in Mathematics in 2002, as well as my Doctorate degree in Educational Administration in 2007.  During my stay in Carbondale, I had the great fortune to work for Carbondale Elementary School District 95 for 10 years as a 7^th and 8^th grade mathematics teacher for Carbondale Middle School.  I arrived in Lansing in 2011 and accepted that great opportunity to be a part of the Memorial Administrative Team.

I am very devoted to the students, families, and staff of Memorial Junior High School and Lansing School District 158.  I have enjoyed working beside and leading the caring and knowledgeable professionals that make up the staff at Memorial.  I look forward to a lasting partnership with the dedicated Memorial parents and Lansing community to ensure a continued commitment to excellence in education and putting our children first.  I am excited about this opportunity as Principal to continue to lead the students and staff of Memorial as we promote the highest quality of teaching and learning as a model for all South Cook schools to follow. 

Sincerely,

Dr. Keli N. Ross

Thank you, Dr. Ross, for your commitment to our students! Bring on the 2015-2016 school year!

Why voting on April 7th helps our children succeed

As parents, it's natural to focus on our children's education through the daily grind of homework, studying, progress reports, extracurricular commitments, etc. We care about our children and put forth every effort to diligently fulfill our parental role in their educational process. But there's one important area that we sometimes forget to consider- being informed about our district's school board. The school board members make very important decisions that directly effect our children, such as whether renovations and improvements will be made to our schools, curriculum approval, personnel hiring and firing, and how the district's tax dollars are used.


Did you know there is an election on Tuesday, April 7th that has five candidates running for three school board seats? Voting in this election matters, because having the the most qualified board members making decisions makes a difference in our the education our children receive in this district!

District 158 PTAs will be holding a candidates forum on Thursday evening, March 19th in the MJHS gym from 6:30-8:30 pm. The candidates will introduce themselves and answer questions that allow us to get an idea of who they are and what they believe about education. Please don't miss this opportunity to be informed about the candidates for this upcoming election!

Want a sneak peek of the candidates? Check out the bios below! And remember, if you are traveling for Spring Break, you'll need to do early voting at the Cal City Library between March 23rd and April 4th!

Not registered to vote? Stop by the Lansing Municipal Center at 3141 Ridge Road by tomorrow, March 10th, or take two forms of identification to the Cal City Library between March 23-April 4th where you can register and do early voting simultaneously.

Have questions you hope to see addressed by the candidates or want more info on voter registration or early voting? Email dominique.newman@coolidgepta.com. And be sure to pass on this info to other Lansing residents!