News Briefs: Eagle Scouts confirmed; Harper principal named; ‘Fairytale Lane’ begins May 5

Six local teenagers — Alex Farkas, Kevin King, Eli Polacek, Jack Singer, Andrew Spencer and Artur Zukowski — achieved Eagle Scout confirmation during a ceremony March 19 in Wilmette.

To earn the rank, the highest achievement in the Boy Scouts of America, Scouts must complete a service project and pass a review process.

All six Eagle Scouts are New Trier High School seniors.

Farkas built outdoor tables for for an outdoor garden at A Just Harvest, a Rogers Park nonprofit that provides meals to for the food insecure in Chicagoland.

King built a mobile garden tool caddy which enables those gardening at A Just Harvest to more easily move garden tools to the various garden plots which are separated several city blocks apart. He also built and installed a display sign so A Just Harvest can post information about upcoming events and activities for neighbors’ awareness.

Polacek cleared an acre plot of land that was full of trash, waste and weeds and prepared the land for gardening for The Talking Farm, a nonprofit that provides education, example and hands-on experience to raise awareness for food grown sustainably.

Singer built and installed two drop boxes for worn and tattered U.S. flags needing to be properly retired.  The drop boxes are located at a Wilmette fire station and Skokie fire station.

Spencer built and installed fire safety information boxes at the Wilmette fire stations. The information boxes also have codes to scan for fire safety information online.

Zukowski built two cafe windows and a Japanese bridge to help with early development and socializing for Romona Elementary preschoolers in Wilmette.

Harper Elementary assistant principal promoted

Harper Elementary School Assistant Principal Jackie Brennan will become the new principal of the school following approval from the Wilmette District 39 Board of Education on April 24.

She will take over the role on July 1.

“I am truly honored to be the next principal of Harper Elementary School,” Brennan said in a media release from D39. “Harper welcomed me with open arms two years ago and I knew immediately that I found a community that I wanted to grow with. I look forward to continuing to partner with Harper’s teachers, staff and families to support our students in their continued academic and social-emotional growth for a long time to come.”

Brennan became Harper’s assistant principal in 2021 after spending four years in a similar role at a Chicago elementary school.

Brennan reportedly has helped build leadership programs and implement the school’s safety plan, and she served on the district’s strategic advisory team.

“We are very excited to announce Jackie Brennan as the next principal at Harper Elementary,” Dr. Kari Cremascoli, District 39 Superintendent, said in the release. “Jackie’s experience, leadership skills, and commitment to both student growth and the mission of District 39 are exemplary and she is well prepared to lead the Harper community.”

Children’s theater’s one-act plays May 5-7

The Wilmette Children’s Theater will perform five student-directed, one-act plays in “Fairytale Lane” from Friday-Sunday, May 5-7, at the Community Recreation Center, 3000 Glenview Road, Wilmette.

Each show features: “Sleeping Beauty”; “Little Red Hen,” by Joe Ferriero; “Pied Piper”; “Fairytales all Wet, by Allyssa Hynes; and “The Tale of Werewolf Cinderella,” by Allyssa Hynes.

Performances are at 7 p.m. Friday, May 5, 11 a.m. Saturday, May 6, and 11 a.m. Sunday, May 7.

Get your tickets ($12) and find more information online.

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