416 South Ridgeland Avenue
Dr. Todd T. Fitzgerald, Principal
Oak Park, Illinois
60302
(708) 524-3040
Fax (708) 524-3035
Chemaine Carr, Assistant Principal 6th
Dave Benson, Assistant Principal 7th
Laura Smith, Assistant Principal 8th
Friday, December 11, 2015
Dear Julian Parents/Guardians:
We believe that forging a lasting connection between home and school is vital to the success of our
students. Through this connection, we are able to work closely with parents/guardians to aid the
academic, social and emotional progress of the children we serve. We are also able to collaborate with
families on the creation of a support system that helps the young men and women of this community
realize their full potential both in and out of the classroom.
In an effort to further strengthen this critical connection, we are giving parents/guardians the
opportunity to participate in the district’s Research for Better Teaching (RBT) Parent/Guardian
Workshop Series. During the past three years, nearly 200 of our teachers and administrators have taken
part in staff workshops and learned about RBT strategies that are currently being used in their schools
to cultivate a nurturing environment based on a shared commitment to excellence. The series we are
offering to parents/guardians will feature a variety of parallel strategies that can be utilized at home to
help children set goals, develop and maintain a growth mindset, and maximize effort.
The parent/guardians workshops are scheduled for January 28, March 1, and May 3. These will be
held from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Julian Middle School in the Commons/Lunchroom.
The leader(s) of the workshops is/are Mr. Benson, 7th Grade Assistant Principal, Ms. Carr, 6th Grade
Assistant Principal, Ms. Smith, 8th grade Assistant Principal, Ms. Santos, 8th grade Language Arts
teacher, Ms. Brazen, 7th Grade Resource teacher, and Ms. Buccieri, 7th Grade Language Arts teacher.
Space for the workshops is limited to 40 parents/guardians per school. The individuals who are
selected to participate in the workshops will receive a follow-up communication.
Please contact me at tfitzgerald@op97.org if you have questions or need more information about these
workshops. In the meantime, thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Dr. Todd Fitzgerald
Principal, Julian Middle School