Communicate 58: August 23, 2023

Volume 16, Issue 2 | Wednesday, August 23, 2023

About the cover photos: Left: Preschool students attend the Meet and Greet on Tuesday. Right: Pierce Downer students pose at the school's Meet and Greet.

Throughout this publication, you will see the following color-coded dots beside each article. The dots represent which strategic goal the article addresses:

• Focusing on Learning • Connecting the Community • Securing the Future

Have feedback regarding Communicate 58? Click here!

District 58 calendar •••

Friday, Aug. 25

First Day of Student Attendance

Monday, Sept. 4

Labor Day

No School

Tuesday, Sept. 5

Curriculum Night: Belle Aire, Henry Puffer, Lester, Highland, Pierce Downer, Whittier

Thursday, Sept. 7

Curriculum Night: El Sierra, Fairmount, Indian Trail, Hillcrest, Kingsley

Click here to view the 2023-24 calendar.

A message from Dr. Russell •••

Dear District 58 Families,

I hope this letter finds you well and we are very excited to start the school year. As you know, the safety of our students and staff is our highest priority. Over the past several years, District 58 has increased its safety measures in partnership with our students, staff, and families. Increased measures include implementing Safe 2 Help, screening visitors via the Raptor System, a new lanyard and identification system for all staff and visitors, embracing the ALICE Model (options-based training for a violent critical incident), and passing a referendum that will build secure entrances at all schools. Another key component of school safety is communicating with your child(ren) at home and monitoring social media usage.

Unfortunately, school districts across the country are experiencing an increase in threatening statements made by students of all ages (online and in-person) to one another, toward staff, or against schools. In previous years, District 58 has also experienced these types of incidents. While this is a national trend, I truly believe we can work together to bring it to an end in District 58.

As a parent of school-age children, I find this national trend very concerning. I view each and every student in our District in the same manner as my own children. District 58 and the Downers Grove Police Department will do everything possible to protect them from threats and harm. We will continue to place the safety of our students and staff above everything else. We will not tolerate any type of threat to our schools.

Additionally, the District will never allow a weapon or lookalike weapon on a bus, at a school activity, or a school. Please have a serious conversation with your child(ren) about why it is not permissible to make a threatening statement (even in a joking manner) online or in person. Also, please share with your child(ren) that they cannot bring any type of weapon or lookalike weapon to school, including toys. I am sending this letter out early in the year so we can be proactive.

If your child(ren) makes a threatening statement or brings a weapon or lookalike weapon to school, they will immediately be referred to the Downers Grove Police Department. Police consequences may include arrest, referral to the State’s Attorney and the Juvenile Court System. Further, your child(ren) will receive significant consequences at school which may include expulsion (see Board Policy 7:190). The recent tragic events all across the country committed by students of all ages underscore why we will not take any chances when it comes to the safety of our students and staff.

District 58 is also here to help any student or family that is struggling with mental health issues. If we can be of any assistance, please do not hesitate to reach out to us right away. The District has a free resource called Safe 2 Help that is available 24 hours a day every day of the year. Finally, please talk with your child(ren) about the importance of, “If you see something, say something.” School personnel must be promptly notified of anything that may not seem right so we can investigate all situations in coordination with law enforcement.

District staff will also speak with all of our students in the coming days and weeks about this topic (we will do so in an age-appropriate manner). I recognize that this type of letter may be unsettling. I wish I did not have to write this type of letter. However, this is a serious matter and I need your help. Together we can use this as a teachable moment for all of the students in the District so we can ensure the safety of all.

Sincerely,

Dr. Kevin Russell

Superintendent of Schools

Additional Safety Measures in District 58

Safe 2 Help
Building Secure Entrances
Raptor System for Screening Visitor
New Lanyard and ID System for Staff and Visitors
ALICE Model for Students and Staff

Please read Schools of District 58 Handbook ••

District 58 annually provides students and families with the Schools of 58: A Handbook for Families. (Manual Familias del Distrito 58) Please review this important handbook with your child, as it offers an overview of the District’s policies, procedures, resources and student expectations.

Handbook links

2023-24 District 58 Family Handbook

2023-24 Manual Familias del Distrito 58

During the first two weeks of school, your school will send home a letter and handbook receipt that asks parents/guardians to acknowledge that they and their child reviewed and understood the Schools of 58: A Handbook for Families. When you receive the handbook receipt, please sign it and return it to your child’s school. You can return the receipt either with your child in his/her backpack or at Curriculum Night. Like last year, the handbook is only available electronically. If you need a print copy, please contact your school office.

2023-24 calendar changes •

You may notice some differences in this year’s calendar compared to the previous year’s calendar. For instance, the last day of school in 2024 (barring that no emergency days are used) is earlier than in previous years. In order to maximize the summer 2024 construction window, the calendar eliminates some single days off, while maintaining typical break periods in alignment with District 99. Students will still attend school for the same number of days of instruction as in the past. One holiday and two teacher training days (one coincided with fall day-time parent-teacher conferences) were eliminated in the 2023-24 calendar in order to end school earlier this spring. With the delay in the opening of the schools this year to Friday, Aug. 25, two days at the end of the year, May 28 and May 29, will become student attendance days. As always, there could be additional emergency days due to inclement weather or other emergencies.

Form your teams and save the date! ••

District 58’s favorite reading competition is coming on Saturday, Feb. 24! The Reading Games is a free and fun reading competition for students in grades 3-8. The mission of the Reading Games is to encourage reading in Grades 3- 8, expose kids to different genres, series, authors, and topics, as well as to foster teamwork and responsibility. All this occurs as teams of 5 - 8 students, led by a parent or other volunteer community member prepare for a fun competitive day of book trivia!

Students form teams and collaborate to read nine books from one of two book lists. Lists are online now!

List 1 is geared for readers in third and fourth grade.
List 2 is geared for readers in fifth and sixth grade.
Students in seventh and eighth grade who want to play should read from List 2.

Like prior years, The Reading Games hopes to accommodate every team that wants to participate and register during the registration period. Each team will need an adult team leader to register the team for the event, act as a point person for all communications and help their team prepare for The Games competition day.

In addition, each team will be asked to send a volunteer (aged 16 years or older) to The Games to help run the day. For more information and to register, click here.

PHOTO GALLERY: Teacher Meet and Greets ••

Schools held Meet and Greets and PTA back-to-school events earlier this week. Pictured above clockwise, from top left are the Back to School Bash at Pierce Downer, the Lester Ice Cream Social, the Grove Preschool Meet and Greet, Belle Aire's Meet and Greet, a Meet and Greet at Pierce Downer, a preschooler at a Meet and Greet, a Highland Meet and Greet, a Fairmount Meet and Greet. In the center is a Meet and Greet at Indian Trail. Check out a photo gallery for more pictures.

Heat relief procedures

With schools starting on Friday, our schools will be implementing heat relief measures to help make students more comfortable during the day. While each school’s physical space differs, in general, the schools follow procedures such as rotating through air conditioned spaces, turning on fans to increase air circulation, keeping overhead lights dimmed and other things. Read about our heat relief measures.

Read Dr. Russell’s letter about the delay in the start of school

ALICE training for parents

In our last issue of Communicate 58, we explained our transition to using ALICE safety procedures for critical response. ALICE is an acronym for Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter and Evacuate.

Here is a video for parents that explains ALICE procedures.

Please see the last issue of Communicate 58, which highlighted additional measures that we are taking to enhance safety in our schools.

Bus Routes posted tomorrow

An email will be sent to all DG58 families tomorrow by noon notifying you that bus route information will be available on your PowerSchool parent account. In addition, bus stops will be posted on the Family Resources page of our website. Here are instructions on how to access PowerSchool.

District 58 partners with Glenbard Parent Series •

District 58 is a partner with Glenbard Parent Series, which is a free ongoing series of parent workshops about issues facing today’s youth. The Parent Series engages top experts, parents and staff from area school districts to speak to parents so that they can become informed and in turn help further the mutual goal of strengthening our communities.

Programs are free and open to the public. No registration is required. Click here to see the 2023-24 schedule.

How District 58 supports its new teachers ••

There are 30 new teachers in District 58 this year, ranging from first-year teachers to veteran educators. Whether they are new to teaching or have experience as educators, District 58 recognizes the importance of training new teachers in the technology, processes and culture of District 58. “Starting in a new school district can be both exciting and daunting and we want to empower our teachers for success,” said Superintendent Dr. Kevin Russell. Pictured at left are new teachers who completed a "race" activity learning the software Seasaw, taught by District 58 Instructional Coaches. New teachers (l to r) are Esmeralda Cordova, Dual Language teacher at El Sierra; Brooke Roche, Kindergarten teacher at Highland; Kyla Snow, DLP teacher at Hillcrest; and Kelly Price, first grade teacher at Kingsley. Read more about teaching training.

Trespassing and Vandalism Concerns ••

We have seen an increase in trespassing and vandalism on the exterior of our school buildings recently. Please note that our schools are under surveillance by cameras and that police have increased patrols in the area. Anyone in violation of trespassing and/or vandalism at our school sites will be arrested.

Concerns about Saturn app ••

You may have recently heard about a social media app named Saturn. While both D99 schools are "listed" on the app, no District 58 schools are currently listed. Because their terms of service require users to be 13 (likely in order to be compliant with COPPA), it is unlikely that they will expand to middle schools.

Saturn is not affiliated, nor does it receive any information from schools. However, it uses public information from a school district and then relies on users (students) to become members and share personal information such as class schedules. There has been recent media attention on how it's possible to access information about students, including their daily school schedule. Saturn has responded to this criticism by putting some protections in place to "verify" that users are, in fact, students.

Ultimately, it social network where the only way to get information about a student is if that student submits the information to the network. District 58 does not endorse student use of any social media applications.