Naperville News Digest: DuPage Children’s Museum pilots new East Asian play exhibit; park district’s weekly Children’s Lunch Hour Entertainment returns; Senior Task Force accepting senior of the year nominations

DuPage Children’s Museum pilots new East Asian play exhibit

Children and their families can celebrate East Asian culture through a new pretend play exhibit at the DuPage Children’s Museum in Naperville.

“A Taste of East Asia” will be open from Saturday, June 15, to Friday, July 26, at the museum, 301 N. Washington St.

As part of the exhibit, children can prepare, cook and serve pretend food to their families. All items are representations of East Asian ingredients and designed to celebrate the East Asian culture, museum officials said. The exhibit also features scent jars that contain real spices that are mainstays of East Asian cooking.

People connect with other cultures through food so incorporating activities around food and the regions from which dishes originate, children can expand their worldviews, officials said.

The new exhibit also incorporates a combination of fine motor activities and larger gross motor exploration, a news release said.

Park district’s weekly Children’s Lunch Hour Entertainment returns

Naperville Park District’s weekly Children’s Lunch Hour Entertainment series will be held at 11:30 a.m. Tuesdays through mid-July.

Every week a new performer provides free family-entertainment for about 45 minutes.

On June 18, the featured entertainer is children’s musician Jeanie B., who will be at the 95th Street Community Plaza, 3109 Cedar Glade Drive.

The following week, the duo Wendy and DB will perform on June 25 at the Riverwalk Grand Pavilion, 912 Honorary Sindt Memorial Court, behind Centennial Beach.

Musician Ben Tatar entertains on July 2 at the 95th Street Community Plaza and the musical group Scribble Monster takes the stage July 9 on the Riverwalk. The series ends July 16 with family musician Leonardo at the 95th Street Community Plaza.

For more information, go to www.napervilleparks.org.

Senior Task Force accepting senior of the year nominations

The Senior Task Force is seeking nominations for Naperville’s senior citizen of the year award through Aug. 31.

Nominees must be 65 or older and a Naperville resident with a history of community service, a news release said.

Nominations can include supporting documents such as newspaper articles or letters of support along with the nomination form. Information about the senior’s volunteer or community service, leadership roles in civic or charitable organizations, professional career and family should be included in the description.

The winner will be announced at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 15, at the Naperville City Council meeting.

For a nomination form or more information, go to naperville.il.us/government/taskforces/senior-task-force or call Gallagher at 630-362-5105.

Email the nomination form and any supporting documentation to Senior Task Force member John Gallagher at jjmg4423@comcast.net or send via mail to John Gallagher, 23W271 Creek Court, Naperville, IL 60540-9430.

Naperville District 203 welcomes several new administrators

Naperville School District 203 has hired several new district administrators effective July 1.

Mark Cohen will be the new deputy superintendent of high schools.

He began his 25-year educational career as a physics teacher in Lincoln-Way High School District 210. In 18 years at Lincoln-Way, he worked as a teacher, department chair, dean, assistant principal and principal. His other leadership roles included assistant superintendent in Elmhurst Community Unit School District 205 and superintendent at Mokena School District 159.

Katie M. Matthews has been hired as assistant superintendent of elementary education.

Matthews has 21 years of experience in elementary education, starting her career as a fifth-grade teacher in St. Charles School District 303. Her past leadership roles have included principal of Grove Avenue in Barrington School District 220 and principal at Willow Creek Elementary School in Woodridge School District 68. She has also served as an assistant principal at various schools in Arlington Heights School District 25.

Melissa McHenry is the new assistant superintendent of student services.

McHenry’s entire career has been with District 203, starting as a learning behavior specialist, a job she held for 10 years. Later, she was named the department chair for special education at Naperville North High School and then assistant principal at Meadow Glens Elementary School. Since 2021, she has been the director of student services.

Meredith Haugens has been named assistant superintendent of human resources.

She has been a 4th- and 5th-grade teacher as well as an assistant principal for elementary and middle school, middle school principal and assistant superintendent of human resources in Marquardt District 15.

Maribel Guerrero, who is the district’s dual language coordinator, has been promoted to director of language acquisition. Guerrero has also previously served as the learning support coach and dual language teacher at Mill Street Elementary School.

Kristen Caprarola will be the new principal of Lincoln Junior High School. She is currently its assistant principal.