Diamond Lake District 76 Superintendent Bhavna Sharma-Lewis reads to a kindergarten class this week. She has held the position for 10 years but will be leaving at the end of the current school year.
Courtesy of Diamond Lake District 76
The school year at Diamond Lake Elementary District 76 in Mundelein began this week with big news from its top administrator.
After 10 years leading and advancing the tiny district, Superintendent Bhavna Sharma-Lewis will leave at the end of the school year “to write the next chapter of my story,” she informed staff and families.
“When I joined the district, I set out with a vision to create an environment that prioritizes academic and professional excellence, cultivates a healthy and supportive culture and focuses on the holistic well-being of every student and staff member,” she wrote.
Those goals have been achieved — and surpassed — she added. The district’s SparkleOn brand, an acronym for service, passion, advocacy, respect, kindness, love, equity, opportunity and nurture, is well known in the schools and community.
“It’s our mindset. It’s our culture,” she said Thursday.
According to the most recent state statistics, Diamond Lake had about 856 students with 54% being identified as low-income.
Sharma-Lewis has been an educator for 33 years, nearly half as a superintendent. Since arriving at District 76, she has followed through with a stated priority to be “visible, approachable and collaborative with students, teachers, parents and the community.”
School board President Joy Hail said Sharma-Lewis “has created a climate and culture for the district where every student, staff and community member feels safe and valued when they entered our buildings.”
During the pandemic, Sharma-Lewis ensured the educational needs of students were met and worked to establish a “significant community outreach” to support families, be it with food, wi-fi connections or other needs, she added.
In 2017, Sharma-Lewis led the district through a successful no-tax increase referendum allowing the district to update and modernize facilities, Hail said. More recently, Sharma-Lewis led the consolidation of the district from three buildings to two: Diamond Lake school and the West Oak campus, which serves third through eighth grades, she added.
Improving student achievement has been a priority. Sharma-Lewis said 92% of students showed growth in English language arts and 94% in math.
“We are slowly closing that achievement gap,” she said.
Hail said the district will seek a new leader to continue Sharma-Lewis’ work.
“We feel that her work has been significant and are looking for a leader that will further the district’s mission and vision of Embrace, Empower, Excel: Each Child, Each Day,” Hail said.
On Thursday, Sharma-Lewis planned to read a book about being a “bucket filler” in all classrooms. The lesson is to be kind and sharing rather than negative and be a bully, she said.
“If you fill other people’s buckets, you’ll continue to fill yours,” she explained.
Besides a place to teach and learn, District 76 has become a thriving family where everyone is valued, supported, loved and inspired to reach their potential, Sharma-Lewis told staff and parents.
She didn’t say what her next chapter will be but plans to finish strong and celebrate the milestones this year as they come.
“You always want to leave a place better,” she said.