Prospect School principal receives Golden Apple Award
Kristin Cummings, principal at Prospect School in Clarendon Hills, recently received a Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Leadership, one of six finalists to earn the honor in Illinois.
She and the other finalists received their award earlier this month from the Golden Apple Foundation during its Celebration of Excellence in Teaching & Leadership at the Q Center in St. Charles. The event honored ninth to 12th grade teachers and pre-K to 12th grade school leaders. The awards are presented in honor of Golden Apple board member Stanley Golder.
Cummings, who has more than 25 years of experience in education, including being a principal for seven years at a Title I school. She has increased student performance through professional learning communities that allow teachers to collaborate on student data and talk about best practices. Illinois Assessment of Readiness reading scores rose to 81% from 72% over four years, according to a news release.
Beyond academic achievements, she helps lead an annual toy drive at Prospect for Hope Children’s Hospital, with students collecting toys for children who have medical challenges. She also heads up clothing, book and food drives for the People’s Resource center and Prospect’s sister school, William Penn Elementary School.
Car show revs up in River Grove
Triton College hosts its annual car show from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 27 in the West Campus parking lots at Fifth Avenue and Hemingway Drive in River Grove.
Voting for the competition begins at 10 a.m. Competitors vie for Best in Show, Best Truck, Best Student Care, Peoples Choice and Beat Paint Job. Winners will be named at 12:30 p.m. Admission and parking are free, and there’s no fee to be an exhibitor.
Exhibitors check in from 8 to 10 a.m. Register to show off a vehicle at triton.edu/carshowreg. Advance registration closes at noon April 25. During the show, hundreds of car enthusiasts from across the Midwest are expected to attend and show off their vehicles.
The show will feature antique and classic cars, trucks and modern vehicles, as well as special awards, food, music and fun for families. Food and beverages will be sold. Tobacco, pets and alcohol are not allowed on the campus.
Triton’s Automotive Program offers associate degrees as well as several certificate options. Tours will be available at 10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. in the T Building. They include an automotive faculty member giving a brief program overview followed by a 50-minute walking tour. Registration is required for the tours. Check-in starts 15 minutes before each start time.
The rain date is May 4. Information is at 708-456-0300, Ext. 3062, or by emailing carshow@triton.edu.
Raise money for counseling by joining Walk the Walk
Walk the Walk for mental health steps off at 9 a.m. May 18 at The Community House, 415 W. Eighth St., Hinsdale.
The 1-mile “color walk” raises money for the counseling center at The Community House to provide “equitable access to life-changing mental health services for children, young adults, and families in need,” according to a news release.
An expo with local vendors, colorful opening ceremony and fun takes place before the walk begins, and music, games and food trucks will be available afterward.
Participants can walk alone or create a team; everyone receives a free event T-shirt. New this year are prizes for raising money: a baseball cap for raising $100 and a hoodie for bringing in $250 or more.
Register at https://www.thecommunityhouse.org/ or by calling 630-323-7500.
Elmhurst Symphony Orchestra performs Gershwin
George Gershwin’s piece “An American in Paris” opens the Elmhust Symphony Orchestra’s final performance of the 2024-25 season at 7 p.m. May 3 at Elmhurst Christian Reformed Church, 149 W. Brush Hill Road, Elmhurst.
The program, conducted Music Director Stephen Alltop, also includes Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson’s “Sinfonietta for Strings (II and III),” Gershwin’s “I Got Rhythm Variations featuring Sylvia Wang on Piano and Maurice Ravel’s orchestration of Modest Mussorgsky’s “Pictures at an Exhibition.”
The evening begins with a pre-concert talk at 5:45 p.m. to offer insight into the musical selections.
The Elmhurst Symphony Orchestra is a community-based professional ensemble. Tickets cost $35 to $45 for adults, $32 to 42 for older adults and $12 for students with ID. Visit https://elmhurstsymphony.org/ or call 630-941-0202.
‘Midsummer Night’s Dream’ hits stage
BrightSide Theatre presents “A Midsummer Night’s Dream at 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sunday, April 25 to May 11, at 2 p.m. at Meiley-Swallow Hall, 31 S. Ellsworth St., Naperville.
The show, a new version of William Shakespeare’s comedy, includes three songs with original music that incorporates his text.
Tickets cost $32 to $37 and are available at www.BrightSideTheatre.com or by calling 630-447-TIXS.
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