The Illinois 5Essentials Parent Survey is now open! Please take a few minutes to complete the survey to share your input. 

The 5Essentials Survey is part of the work of the Illinois State Board of Education that identifies five indicators that lead to improved outcomes for all students, including improved attendance and larger test score gains.

The five indicators that positively affect school success are:

1. Effective Leaders

2. Collaborative Teachers

3. Involved Families

4. Supportive Environments

5. Ambitious Instruction

At the end of February, 15 members of the chess team competed at the IESA State Chess Tournament in Peoria. After eight matches over two days the eighth grade level team made up of Aayush, DJin, Jonathan, Fabio, Jeremy, Vihaan, Andrei, Eric, Maggie and Lars finished in first place to capture the State Championship for Westview Hills Middle School. Taking home the trophy was a fitting end to a remarkable season for the team and the hardworking players. Eighth grade science teacher and team coach Don Engberg says that the team was determined from day one.

“Most of the players were on the team last year where we finished in fifth place which is just out of the range for getting a trophy,” said Engberg. “They almost immediately said ‘We are going to get back and try to win it all next year.’ Thanks to a veteran group of eighth graders who stepped up to lead the team, they made it their mission to get better and win.”

The 2025-26 school year is the 50th anniversary of Westview Hills Middle School and we have been celebrating all year with throwback documents, special activities, and more!

We have also reached out to some notable Westview Hills staff members to get their perspective about the school's history, impact, and their time there.

First up is Gregory Ostrowski who was a Mathematics teacher in 1968 before Westview was built and became Principal of Westview from 1986 until his retirement in 2002. His response has been minimally edited. Take it away Mr. Ostrowski!

50 years Westview Hills Middle School by Gregory F. Ostrowski

It is hard to believe it is 50 Years but I am happy to share some perspective on the building of Westview and a bit of history. I began my career as a Mathematics teacher in 1968 before Westview was built and then I was Principal of Westview from 1986 until my retirement in 2002.

The school was named through a contest which students were to submit names for it, thus it was a combination of communities that make up the name (WESTmont, GolfVIEW and Clarendon HILLS). It was the first School in DuPage County to be fully central air conditioned and probably for quite some time.

When Westview Hills was envisioned, the building was quite innovative for its time.The open classroom model was rare in 1975. The school was open with few walls and no doors for Mathematics, Social Studies, Language Arts, and Spanish.

Science, Home Economics, Industrial Arts and Music rooms had doors and full walls. The Instructional Materials Center was open to all of the classes that were without doors and full walls. It took a few months for myself and fellow staff to become used to the sound of other classrooms but we worked through it. The visual openness was actually very beneficial in teaching and not distracting at all. You could easily communicate with other staff and even remove some movable walls to team teach.

Later when I was Principal, I could visit classrooms very unobtrusively throughout the day. Many neighboring schools followed with the open concept!

Surprisingly the school was supposed to handle 600 students, however at that time typical classes were 25 to 35 students and no Special Education rooms so we opened with fewer than 300. And of course computer rooms were needed before the laptop was even in the picture.

When I left in 2002 there were 450 students and because of the need to accommodate so many different needs and classrooms while i was there I supervised two additions to the school and of course a third addition took place after I left.

Don't forget that Friday is a non-attendance day for students as we hold a staff institute day. Get other updates below:

Thank you to everyone who contributed to Fuel D60 this year! We have been able to provide food support to over 170 students and 75 families, as well as hundreds of snacks for students at Holmes. Donations will continue to be accepted, though we are shifting our program’s goals and partnering with the Northern Illinois Food Bank.

You are invited to the last BPAC meeting of the 2025-26 school year coming up on Tuesday, April 14. We will talk about grants, planning for next year, and creating strong connections between families!

Event: BPAC Grant Information Session
Date: Tuesday, April 14, 2026
Purpose: Grant Information Session and planning for the 2026–2027 school year
Location: Holmes School
Time: 6-7 p.m.

Has a member of the D60 team done something amazing? Tell us about it!

We make it easy for members of our community to recognize and celebrate the incredible teachers and support staff that make Maercker D60 a safe, inclusive community that empowers and inspires life-long curiosity for learning.

The Gold Standard is a way to show your appreciation and pride in members of our staff. Anyone in our community can submit a recognition for staff members which sends an instant message of appreciation to the staff member.

Maercker District 60 is beginning to plan ahead for the 2026-27 school year with positions available to join our team at the elementary and middle school level!

If you or someone you know is looking for a great place to start a career as an educator, look no further! We’re hiring Spanish dual language teachers, a Middle School FACS teacher, K-8 special education teachers and K-5 general education teachers.

When you teach at D60 you’ll join a community that champions diversity, continuous improvement, and high expectations with a strong mentorship program in a supportive community. 

The Westmont Village Board recently passed a local ordinance regulating e-bikes and motorized scooters in the Village of Westmont. The goal of the ordinance is to ensure the safety of all citizens including pedestrians and motorists. To provide residents with details regarding the new ordinance and e-bike expectations, the Westmont Police Department has scheduled an E-Bikes & Scooters Safety Program for Wednesday, March 25, 6:30 p.m. at the Westmont Police Department, 500 N. Cass Avenue.

“In recent years, the popularity of these motorized vehicles has skyrocketed,” said Westmont Police Deputy Chief Steve Thompson. “This new ordinance will help define the local do’s and don’ts regarding e-bikes and scooters. Our primary objective is to make sure everyone is safe. The information for this program will be helpful for both kids and parents as well as all e-bike owners. Space is limited, so we ask everyone to RSVP online.”

Check out all of the awesome programs coming up this spring at the Indian Prairie Public Library!

Whether you are interested in art or archaeology, gardening or cooking, there are tons of activities for every interest.