Dupage Policy Journal

At its April 12 meeting, the Community Unit 200 School Board welcomed Whittier Elementary’s Principal Robert Cerny to give an update on the school.

The elementary school served as the host location for the school board meeting that evening, and so the board saw a brief presentation on the students' school pride. Cerny said his favorite part of his job was getting to walk through the hallways at any point in the day and come across smiling students and teachers who love what they do. Cerny also talked about some programs he was especially proud of, including life skills classes for students with autism.

Cerny introduced some of the students who are members of the fifth-grade leadership club to talk about some initiatives and projects they had come up with to help in the school. The board was told the students are particularly involved with the library renovations that are going on at Whittier. Cerny said it was an exciting project as the library has not been renovated since the building was built in 1925. 

"This club is new to Whittier this year. And this club started because students were asking to help in the building and mentioned they wanted to help with different things in the building at the beginning of the year," Cerny said. "So we started this club and to our surprise, we have over 40 - which is well over half of our fifth-grade students - volunteered to be a part of this club and that's fantastic and has shown the character of these students. This club has helped Whittier in a variety of ways. They assisted with a food drive in the fall. They have helped kindergarten students in the beginning of the year as they were learning to navigate the building and where to go. They were just extra hands with our staff that we're helping kindergartners get to where they needed to go. At the end of the day, it's just a reassuring presence for those kids."

Students shared through PowerPoint presentations about how excited they are for their new library and upcoming renovations to their school in the next two years. They were also thrilled to announce that Whittier’s 100th birthday would occur in 2025, just two years from now. They talked about the changes to the library, including new walls, windows, and floor, and how it will all be new in August.