Fairy tale mural transforms Belle Aire
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Belle Aire first and second graders enjoy the school LRC's new fairy tale-themed mural with their teacher, Tara Fulton.
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When Tara Fulton's first and second graders entered Belle Aire's Learning Resource Center, or LRC, on Wednesday, Sept. 28, they immediately gravitated toward a beautifully detailed fairy tale mural that lined the entire wall and reading nook. The children eagerly pointed out familiar images, excitedly sharing their discoveries with friends.
"I feel like I'm in a fairy tale!" first grader Kyla exclaimed. "My favorite is the Three Billy Goats Gruff."
"There's Jack and the Beanstalk," said Danny, a first grader. "He's my favorite!"
"Ooooo, wow, I like Rapunzel the best!" added Aubrey, a second grader.
All told, Belle Aire's brand new LRC mural seamlessly illustrates at least 18 fairy tales. Local artist and former Belle Aire parent Vicki McGrath created the intricate mural over the summer.
"Vicki took a blank and boring cinder-block wall and transformed it into something magical," said Principal Brent Borchelt.
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District 58 earns state and national recognition for its communications
District 58 recently received national and state recognition for excellence in communications.
National Honorable Mention:
From the National School Public Relations Association (NSPRA)
- Excellence in Writing:
"Kate Nickell: Nothing is impossible anymore" feature story 
State Awards of Excellence:
From the Illinois chapter of NSPRA
- E-newsletter:
Communicate 58 newsletter
- Social Media:
District 58 Facebook page
- Writing:
"Kate Nickell: Nothing is impossible anymore" story
State Awards of Merit:
From the Illinois chapter of NSPRA
- Annual Report
:
District 58 Annual Report to the Community
(Co-presented to District 58 and Maclyn Group; image above)
- Video:
Virtual Tour of Grove Children's Preschool
- Video:
Glance at our Grants: 3D Printing at El Sierra
- Video:
Glance at our Grants: Biliteracy Classroom Library at Kingsley
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Parents will receive their child's assessment results on Sept. 30
District 58 will send parents a letter on Sept. 30 containing their child's fall assessment results. Depending on each student's age/skill level, parents may receive results from the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP), ACCESS, PARCC and AIMSweb assessments.
 MAP: District 58 students take the MAP assessment three times per year. MAP tests students' proficiency and growth in Reading, Math and Language Usage (Language Usage is second grade and older). MAP results help teachers develop skill-based learning opportunities for children.
 ACCESS: ACCESS is given to students who speak a second language at home and who do not qualify as English Language Proficient. ACCESS measures a student's English language understanding in the areas of speaking, listening, reading and writing.
 PARCC: Students in grades 3-8 completed the state's PARCC assessment last March. PARCC has higher achievement standards and a different baseline from the ISAT, the assessment that it replaced in 2015. District 58 does not currently use PARCC scores to guide instructional placement.
 AIMSweb: This assessment measures a student's reading health. All kindergarten through second grade students take this assessment. Students may exit from the assessment when they are in at least third grade and meet strong reading performance indicators.
Parents will receive more information regarding each assessment in Friday's fall assessment letter. Parents may also view the District's Methods of Assessment webpage for more information.
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Teachers, staff collaborate during School Improvement Day
 District 58 students enjoyed a half day of school on Thursday, Sept. 22. In the afternoon, District 58 teachers and staff participated in a School Improvement Day.
Staff collaborated
with colleagues to sharpen their skills and advance their craft as teachers. Staff discussed student strengths and needs relative to reading and math instruction and curriculum, reviewed student achievement data, and planned for guided groups. They also reviewed and discussed curriculum committee updates and information.
"The day also provided an opportunity for grade level collaborative work and planning within the schools," said Superintendent Dr. Kari Cremascoli. "Some teachers also spent time advancing their practice relative to formative assessment. This collaborative time is incredibly valuable for our teachers and staff."
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May the books be in your favor: the 4th Annual Reading Games
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Dr. Kari Cremascoli poses with the top-scoring level 1 team during the 2016 Reading Games.
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Save the date! The Fourth Annual Reading Games will take place on Saturday, March 11, 2017 from 8 a.m. to noon.
This very popular District 58 program invites all students in grades 3-8 to form teams, read books, and collaborate with peers outside the classroom setting. The program culminates in a tournament where teams of students compete to answer questions about the books they read.
While The Reading Games will offer ribbons and prizes, its primary goal is to generate students' excitement for reading and collaborating with peers.
Form your teams now! The Reading Games will post its complete book lists in late October, and registration will open in early November! Learn more information and check out a book list preview on The Reading Games webpage or its Facebook page.
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District updates school concussion safety protocols
 The Illinois General Assembly recently passed the Youth Sports Concussion Safety Act, which updates school concussion protocols. In accordance with the new law, District 58 has added additional concussion supports to ensure every student who experiences a concussion has a successful recovery and re-entry to school.
"District 58 is very sensitive to our students' safety, and we believe these new protocols will enhance our existing concussion response policy," said Assistant Superintendent for Special Services Jessica Stewart.
District 58's updated concussion protocols include the formation of a concussion oversight team, additional concussion staff training and the creation of school-specific concussion emergency action plans.
"We hope very few students will need to use these extra supports, but it's great that we now have an updated system in place to address concussion injuries and rehabilitation," Stewart said.
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District 58's cross country teams are off to a strong start!
It's hard to believe that the fall middle school sports season is already more than halfway over! Herrick and O'Neill's student athletes have demonstrated tremendous growth in athleticism, teamwork and communication. Here are some cross country mid-season highlights.
O'Neill Cross Country:
 Nearly 100 runners joined the O'Neill cross country team this year! Season successes so far have included a first place team finish, first place individual finishes and several top 10 individual finishes. In addition, many players set personal records in recent meets.
"Coaches are proud of the team's overall progress, which has been due to the dedication and conditioning our runners have been doing to train," said Co-Coach Barry Kincaid. "Our focus is currently on the refinement of pacing as well as race strategy and preparation.
Herrick Cross Country:
 Herrick's cross country team has also seen great success this season, taking first place at all team levels during their first two meets, and taking second place at all team levels during their third meet.
"We are looking forward to competing at the Franklin Invitational on Sept. 29 at Northside Park in Wheaton," said Co-Coach Mary Lueck. "This pits us against tough non-conference competition in a large invitational setting. It is a great experience for our runners."
Check back next issue for a fall girls' volleyball update. In two issues, we will feature an end-of-season cross country story.
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 New community e-flyers were posted
Thursday, Sept. 15
on the District 58 e-flyer page. We will post our next group of e-flyers on Friday, Sept. 30.
Click here to visit the page.
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The mission of District 58, in partnership with parents and community, is to challenge and engage each child by providing quality educational programs and support services in a safe, nurturing, and child-centered environment in order to prepare all students to be lifelong learners and contributing members of a global society.
Communicate 58 shares timely, relevant information about District 58 with parents, community members and others who are interested in how we are living out our mission. If you have any questions/comments regarding Communicate 58, or have an article/photo idea for the publication, please contact Community Relations Coordinator Megan Hewitt at [email protected] or 630-719-5805.
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Downers Grove unites at Oktoberfest
The Education Foundation of Downers Grove District 58 welcomed more than 2,200 community members at its recent Downers Grove Oktoberfest.
All proceeds from the festival will directly
support District 58 students through the Education Foundation's many programs.
During Oktoberfest, Foundation President Liz O'Toole presented District 58 with a Reaching New Heights gift of $6,500, or $500 per school.
District 58 and the Education Foundation thank everyone who came out to Oktoberfest!
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District 58 seeks nurse subs
Are you a registered nurse? Are you available during school hours? Please consider applying to be a substitute school nurse at District 58!
Interested applicants with active RN or LPN licensure who are also approved subs may apply at
www.dg58.org.
Please select "About" and "Employment." From there, please complete the general "Substitute
Application."
School nurses are responsible for medical procedures, medication administration, first aid and health response support for our students, staff and schools.
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School board petition packets now available
District 58's Board of Education will fill four seats at the April 4, 2017 Consolidated Election.
Board candidates will file their nomination papers with the
DuPage County Election Commission (421 County Farm Road, Wheaton, IL 60187) between Dec. 12-19, 2016.
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Happy National
Custodial Worker's Recognition Day!
The annual National Custodial Worker's Recognition Day will take place on Sunday, Oct. 2. If you see your school's custodians in the upcoming week, be sure to thank them for their service, and wish them a Happy National Custodial Worker's Recognition Day!
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58 Doing Good: Share your story!
District 58 prides itself on its community service projects! Has your child, school, PTA or activity group completed a recent service project?
Please let us know!
District 58 occasionally shares the wonderful service our community provides in this newsletter and on the
58 Doing Good webpage.
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District 58 on social media
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