Welcome to Kewanee Community Unit School District #229

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Kewanee FFA President Katy Carton Earns Prestigious Illinois FFA Gold Chapter President Recognition

Kewanee Community Unit School District #229 is proud to announce that Kewanee FFA Chapter President Katy Carton has been named a GOLD Chapter President by the Illinois FFA Association.
This prestigious recognition is presented to a select group of chapter presidents across the state and highlights exceptional leadership, service, and dedication to agricultural education and FFA programs.

With 407 FFA chapters in Illinois, earning GOLD status is a significant accomplishment and reflects Katy’s outstanding commitment to both the Kewanee FFA Chapter and the broader community.

To qualify for the award, Katy compiled and submitted a comprehensive summary of her year of service as Chapter President, showcasing her leadership efforts, chapter involvement, and contributions to advancing agricultural education and community engagement.

The Illinois Farm Bureau sponsors the Illinois FFA Chapter President Award program, which recognizes student leaders who demonstrate excellence in service and leadership throughout their term as chapter president.

Katy will be formally recognized during the 98th Annual Illinois FFA State Convention at the First General Session on Tuesday, June 9, 2026, beginning at 1:00 p.m. at the Bank of Springfield Center in Springfield, Illinois.

Please join us in congratulating Katy Carton on this outstanding achievement and for her dedicated service to the Kewanee FFA Chapter throughout the past year.

Kewanee High School Spanish Students Receive Biliteracy Awards

Forty students at Kewanee High School have been recognized as Seal of Biliteracy and Commendation towards Biliteracy scholars. The prestigious award is given annually by the Illinois State Board of Education to deserving students who demonstrate a high level of proficiency in Spanish and English. An official seal will be placed on the diplomas and transcripts of the students who qualify. This designation provides universities and employers with a method of formally identifying people with language biliteracy skills.

Two honors are available, the Seal of Biliteracy and the Commendation toward Biliteracy. The Seal of Biliteracy is awarded to students who earn a top score on the English portion of the ACT and a high proficiency level on the STAMP test using a scale set by the American Council on

Teaching of Foreign Languages. The Commendation toward Biliteracy is awarded to students whose proficiency level is rated at intermediate in their language skills.

Achieving this level of language proficiency requires dedication, participation and hard work. The STAMP assessment is a rigorous three-hour test in which students have to listen to lengthy authentic audio pieces, read articles, write essays and record speaking samples to random prompts. Earning this award gives the students validation of their Spanish skills and encourages them to keep learning and speaking the language in the future.

The Seal of Biliteracy program encourages students to have a strong development of linguistic, cultural and communicative competence. Literacy in two or more languages represents a challenging academic standard and enables students to participate more fully in a global arena. These skills provide a foundation for college and career readiness in an increasingly interdependent world.