Five Things You Need to Know Today

Jan. 13: Five Ways to Support Your Local School Districts

From upcoming fundraisers to important school board meetings, there are plenty of ways to support Lemont High School and District 113A.

In today's edition of "Five Things You Need to Know Today," it's all about the kids. Many important decisions will be made in the coming months in Lemont school districts regarding budget cuts, referendum possibilities and school board candidates, but the fact remains that a district's primary purpose is to serve the academic needs of children. In that spirit, here are five easy ways to show your support of Lemont-Bromberek Combined School District 113A and Lemont High School District 210: The District 113A Educational Foundation is partnering with the Lemont McDonald's, 1152 State St., for a special fundraiser Thursday evening. The restaurant is donating 20 percent of profits to the foundation for all meals sold between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. …

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Happy Holidays From Patch

VIDEO: Old Quarry Band Performs Holiday Favorites

The Old Quarry Middle School Band held their annual holiday concert Tuesday night, performing Christmas classics like "Frosty the Snowman" and "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer."

The Old Quarry Middle School Band helped kick off the countdown to Christmas on Tuesday night as they performed with Santa hats and decorated instruments for their annual holiday concert. More than 100 students in fifth-through eighth-grade performed a number of holiday classics, including "Frosty the Snowman," "The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)" and "Jolly Old St. Nicholas." The event, which was sponsored by the Lemont Band Boosters, is the second concert put on by the Old Quarry Band in recent months.

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Lemont Band Boosters Receive $10K From Romeoville Restaurant, Citgo Refinery

Paul Heatherington, owner of Ats-A-Nice Pizza, presented the check during the Old Quarry Band's fall concert.

For more than 30 years, the Lemont Band Boosters have been among the many unsung heroes of Lemont-Bromberek Combined School District 113A. From purchasing new equipment to organizing concerts, parent-volunteers have worked tirelessly to support music programs for students. When they learned in March that band was being cut from the 2010-2011 curriculum for Old Quarry Middle School, they worked overtime to turn the program into a fee-based after-school activity. Though the band was able to begin practicing in August, booster club members knew they would need another fundraiser to sustain the program throughout the year. To their surprise, the annual turnaround at the Citgo Lemont Refinery would provide the perfect solution. During the …

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VIDEO: Old Quarry Band Hosts Annual Fall Concert

Performances by the beginner, concert, symphonic/wind ensemble bands.

The Old Quarry Middle School Band played to a packed house Tuesday night at their annual fall concert event. The program featured more than 200 kids from the beginner, concert, symphonic and wind ensemble bands. It was the first time all four groups were included in the same concert. The Old Quarry Band is led by director Jim Rallis, who served as the concert band conductor Tuesday. The beginner band was conducted by Glen Pawlak, while the symphonic band and wind ensemble were conducted by Frank Alongi and Anthony Rallis.

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Old Quarry Booster Clubs Already Planning for Next School Year

The Warrior Booster Club and the Lemont Band Boosters reported to the school board Nov. 8 that they will continue to support fee-based extracurricular activities in District 113A.

Despite the possibility of more budget cuts next year in Lemont-Bromberek Combined School District 113A, fee-based extracurricular activities are here to stay. At the Nov. 8 meeting of the District 113A Board of Education, representatives from the Lemont Band Boosters and Warrior Booster Club updated board members on the programs and reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining as many student activities as possible. "There are bumps in the road, but we're working through those things," said Brenda Douglass, secretary of the Warrior Booster Club. "…We're planning on being back here next year." When extracurricular activities were cut from the district's budget in March, parents formed the Warrior Booster Club in hopes of maintaining the …

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