Barrington 220
Dr. Tom Leonard is the superintendent of Barrington 220 schools. He may be reached at tleonard@barrington220.org or by phone at 847-842-3588. Photo by Thomas Balsamo.
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2012
Sunrise or Sunset? It depends.
Have you ever looked at photos of the sun on the horizon and wondered, “Is that a sunset or a sunrise?” There are obvious resemblances between the two when a snapshot is your only reference; clearly, a sunrise provides one viewpoint while a sunset offers a very different outlook. Having enjoyed a week of touring schools in China last November, I experienced the same perplexity as when looking at a picture of the sun on the skyline. The Chinese education system is very similar and yet also very different from ours. It all depends on your perspective.
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NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2011
Life in the Past Lane
This time of year reminds me of a simpler era captured by
nostalgic movies and TV shows, such as Miracle on 34th Street,It’s a Wonderful Life, Leave it to Beaver and The Andy Griffith Show.
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SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2011
Confessions of a Kindergarten Stowaway
I recall many years ago when one of my earliest school
experiences involved trying to connect with my classmates, teachers and school. I grew up in Niles and attended a public grade school
a few blocks from my house. I loved my first year in kindergarten.
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JULY/AUGUST 2011
Treasures in the Soul of our Community
Late in April, I found myself in the principal’s
office at Grove Avenue School. No I
hadn’t done anything wrong; I was just there for
a regularly scheduled “touch-base” meeting with
the principal, Dr. Cindy Kalogeropoulos. I enjoy
touring our schools because I always learn something
new, when and where I least expect it. In this
stop, the unforeseen lesson involved colorful paper,
artistic surroundings, and some unabashedly
honest fifth-graders.
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MAY/JUNE 2011
Figuring It Out
Life is full of do-overs, or “mulligans,” as they are known in golf.
In education, we sometimes hear about “retaking the test.” The growing
process (and I’d like to think we are all still growing, whether
we’re 8 or 88) involves learning from our errors to avoid committing
similar gaffes again in the future.
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MARCH/APRIL 2011
A Miracle on Maui
March and April are when winter finally releases its grip, flowers begin
to emerge, and both high school and college basketball explode into the
playoffs. For sports fans, this is an exciting season. For me, spring is a reminder
of one of the worst high school teams to ever play the game of basketball.
I remember the players well because I was their coach.
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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2011
Coaching Moments Create a Culture of Mentoring
My fifth year out of college found me teaching math in the Crystal Lake
Central and South high schools. I considered myself a proficient teacher,
but there were still a few students I could not motivate. Granted, the
ambiguous Law of Sines in trigonometry is not the most exciting topic to
16 year olds. Determined to reach them, I asked my students, “Who is
the most motivating teacher or coach you’ve ever had?”
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NOVEBMER/DECEMBER 2010
Looking Back
During this season of giving, I want to reflect on the generosity of the Barrington community that supports our schools while telling a little
story from my childhood where the act of giving went awry.
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SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010
Essential Skills
Critical thinking, communication and interpersonal skills are as relevant for students today as they were in early civilizations. Most experts agree some general aptitudes are timeless.
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JULY/AUGUST 2010
If I Were Superintendent
It seems that I am qualified to write this article for two reasons. First, Principal McWilliam’s
assistant, Mrs. Zandi, is a friend of my
family. Second, my name is Tom Leonard.
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MAY/JUNE 2010
Artie Shaw, Benny Goodman or Lady Gaga: Appreciating Art is a Timeless Tune
A few weeks ago, a Barrington High School student participated in an evening presentation to the board of education. He attended in his tuxedo, having just played clarinet in a band concert down the hall in the school’s auditorium.
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MARCH/APRIL 2010
Outsmarted by a Squirrel
Because I’m a former math teacher, you may wonder, “What could he possibly
know about gardening?” Well, the answer is, not much. However, I have developed an appreciation for gardens.
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JAN/FEB 2010
How Do I Call a Snow Day? Let Me Count the Ways
Before taking on this role, I always heard retiring superintendents say they would not miss deciding whether to close school due to increment weather.
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2009
NOV/DEC 2009
Listen to Your Mother... H.E.R.E in Barrington
When my mom, Lita, passed away six years ago, my brother, sister, and I wrote down what we called her “Lita-isms” — words of wisdom she gave to us during her lifetime.
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SEPT/OCT 2009
Unstructured Time + Family + Nature = Balance and Resiliency
As vacations end and a new year of classes begins, families with school-age children and all those who serve them in our schools once again experience the mad rush into tight schedules that leave little room for reflection.
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JULY/AUGUST 2009
Summer’s Graceful Pace
Everyone needs a vacation, although there are many interpretations of what a vacation is or should be.
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MAY/JUNE 2009
Learning Mandarin Chinese in the Midst of an Economic Crisis
The Mandarin Chinese word for crisis,
“wēijī,” is comprised of two characters
which some decipher to represent “danger” and “opportunity.”
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MARCH/APRIL 2009
When Green is All There is to Be
With all due respect to Kermit the Frog, it’s not that hard being green. His melancholy made for memorable Muppet music but when it comes to conservation and preserving the environment, green is the shade every ecology-minded organization and citizen aspires to be these days.
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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2009
Piano Lessons, Podcasts, and Public Engagementor
For the last eight years I have been trying to learn to play the piano. Once a week, along with many younger students, my teacher’s lessons help me discover the intricacies of this wonderful instrument.
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2008
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2008
For the Holidays: A Taste of Barrington 220
The holidays are a special time where we give and often gather to enjoy a memorable feast. How many of us have fond memories of aromas wafting from the kitchen as our families prepared for these celebrations?
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SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2008
Birth of the Barrington Community Stadium
As I came to work each day this summer from my home in Lake Barrington to the school district offices in the village, I often drove down Hart Road to watch progress on the new Barrington Community Stadium.
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JULY/AUGUST 2008
Summer: Relax, Then Get Ready
Summer…what a wonderful season. When I was a high school principal, I always made sure to position myself between the students and buses as the last bell rang to signal the beginning of summer vacation.
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MAY/JUNE 2008
The Longest Day: From Teaching High School to Surviving First Grade
It starts with a tentative wave goodbye, a kiss blown from lips trying hard not to quiver, and steps that take us away from the ones we love the most. It’s the first day of school, and that scene describes both parents and children trying to cope with the transition from the familiarity of home to the great unknown that is school.
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MARCH/APRIL 2008
Bullying is Never Acceptable: Whether on Maui or in Barrington, Kindess is King
For most of my career in education, I have worked in high schools in the north or northwest
suburbs, but what few people know is that I once taught for two years at a private school on Maui. Seabury Hall was a semi–boarding school for grades 7–12 located on the slopes of Haleakala Crater looking down on the Pacific Ocean.
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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2008
Getting Connected Making School a Safe 'Second Home'
This sentiment, expressed so succinctly and eloquently by a first grader I know, sums up our District 220 goal of creating a “second home” for our children from pre-kindergarten to high school graduation.
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2007
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2007
Celebrations and Challenges: A look inside District 220
Not surprisingly, educators measure joy and fulfillmentin terms of how much
we have learned and grown from an event. According
to this criteria, my first few months as
District 220 superintendent have been ecstatic.
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SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2007
The New Face of District 220
Barrington’s School District 220 has a new face. On July 2, Dr. Tom Leonard began
his new job as the district’s superintendent. After a lengthy search that included
community-wide input, Leonard, the former principal of Barrington High School,
was hired from a pool of more than 40 candidates from across the country.
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