Katie Hurckes and Dr. Judy Kmak win Distinguished Service Awards
28 staff members were nominated for the honor
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Watch this short video highlighting the 28 nominees for the District 58 Distinguished Service Award! Thank you for your outstanding service!
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DSA winners: Dr. Judy Kmak and Katie Hurckes
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The Education Foundation of Downers Grove District 58 announced
Katie Hurckes and
Dr. Judy Kmak as this year's Distinguished Service Award winners during an awards ceremony on Tuesday, May 16. Mrs. Hurckes is a first grade teacher at Henry Puffer School; Dr. Kmak is the principal of Highland School.
The Distinguished Service Award, or DSA, program annually recognizes District 58 teachers and staff who go above and beyond. This year, the Education Foundation received nominations for 28 staff members. Nominations were made by teachers, parents and students. Each nomination essay demonstrated how the employee exceeds expectations and is deserving of the DSA honor.
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Select 58 awards honor Herrick and O'Neill eighth graders for service
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Top: Herrick Select 58 recipients; Bottom: O'Neill Select 58 recipients
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District 58 celebrated this year's Select 58 recipients at a formal awards banquet at Herrick Middle School on Wednesday, May 10. Select 58 is an Education Foundation of Downers Grove District 58 program that honors 58 eighth graders (29 from Herrick; 29 from O'Neill) who provide outstanding service to their school and community.
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District will collect and refresh iPads
District offers tips to back up iPad content
District 58 will collect all student iPads at the end of this school year. During the summer, staff will refresh the iPads. This refresh will extend the life of the iPads and will help resolve some of the iPad space issues students have reported. It will also help District 58 ensure all iPads are up-to-date and properly set up.
This means that all content will be deleted on your child's iPad. Please back up any content you want to preserve on your child's iPad before turning it in. While it is optional to back up content on your child's iPad, it is the only way to save the work your child has produced on his or her iPad.
Please reference the below three links with information on backing up this data. We will email parents additional information on this process later this week.
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Henry Puffer wins national grant to build an edible organic garden
A little rain didn't deter Henry Puffer Girl Scout Troop 51266 and their community partners from planting an organic edible garden during "The Big Dig" event at their school on Saturday, May 20.
Troop 51266, which comprises fourth graders, won a $3,000 Grants for Gardens national grant from Annie's Foods, an organic food chain. Henry Puffer was the only Illinois school to receive this grant this year. The girls partnered with
Downers Grove Organic Gardeners
,
Bros@Work
and all Henry Puffer Girl Scout troops to hold "The Big Dig." More than 40 volunteers attended the event.
The Girl Scouts used their grant funding to build three 3'x9' raised beds, a 2'x5' herb garden, several pots, a compost bin, tool shed and fencing. They also installed a rain barrel irrigation system, which will catch recycled rainwater from the school roof and use it to water the garden.
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Fairmount, Highland and Kingsley teachers earn agriculture grants
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Mrs. Swallows' third graders read intently about soybeans.
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The DuPage County Farm Bureau recently awarded three District 58 teachers with Ag in the Classroom grants to support agricultural education.
Congratulations to
Ron Bowers, Kingsley second grade teacher;
Brittany Sanfillippo, Highland kindergarten teacher; and
Melissa Swallows, Fairmount third grade teacher, for receiving these grants. The teachers applied for the grants after attending a teacher institute day presentation led by the DuPage County Farm Bureau that inspired them to promote agricultural learning in their classrooms.
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Indian Trail kindergarteners discover science with DGS buddies
 Downers Grove South biology teachers Scott Parker and Beth Fields brought 25 of their biology students to Indian Trail School
for a kindergarten "Afternoon of Science" on Friday, May 19.
Beth Hatlen and Kristy Hopkins' kindergarten students gathered in Indian Trail's multi-purpose room and watched with amazement as Mr. Parker and Ms. Fields demonstrated fun and silly science experiments. Afterward, the high school students led the kindergarteners in fun mini-science experiments of their own, featuring microscopes, slime, food coloring and more! The kindergarteners watched in awe as their big buddies led the experiments; meanwhile, the high schoolers were very gentle and supportive of their little friends.
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Highland students learn video game design during new Coding Club
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Fourth graders Avery and Payton were very excited to learn new skills during Coding Club.
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Highland teachers Cheryl Varys and Beth Jania created and launched the school's first ever after-school Coding Club for intermediate students last week. The four-day program used the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Media Lab's free Scratch app to provide students with a comprehensive and fun introduction to coding basics.
Each day, Mrs. Varys and Mrs. Jania taught students a new coding lesson, and students applied their new skills to build their own Scratch game using code.
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Pierce Downer becomes pen pals with international friends
 Pierce Downer fourth graders in Mrs. Randi Kehm's classroom formed international friendships through a unique pen pal program coordinated between Mrs. Kehm and a former student teacher who now works in Greece.
"Each student is assigned a pen pal who attends a prep school in Athens, Greece," Mrs. Kehm said. "Through handwritten and typed letters, students are learning about Greek culture. In turn, the Greek students are practicing their English writing skills and discovering what American life is like."
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El Sierra Penny Wars raises $800
Student Council will spend $800 on a school gift
 El Sierra School's Student Council recently raised $800 during the spring Penny Wars! The Student Council hopes to spend the proceeds on a useful gift that the entire school will enjoy. The students will vote on gift ideas at an upcoming Student Council meeting.
Mrs. Meg Rohlfing's fifth grade class raised the most money, which means they'll get the chance to spray Principal Mr. Lynde with silly string on Field Day. Good work, students!
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Indian Trail and Whittier students explore creative elective classes
Indian Trail and Whittier schools recently hosted similar programs that encouraged students to explore new and creative interests.
 Indian Trail hosted Community Day on Friday, May 12. In the morning, the school transformed into a mecca of exploration and fun. Instead of attending traditional classes, students joined a variety of innovative, technical, fun or just silly classes of their choice. Want to learn coding? There's a class for that! Want to learn how to use a metal detector? There's a class for that, too. The classes allow students to explore their creative side, while mingling with peers from other classrooms and community role models.
 Whittier held its EXPLORE! elective program earlier this month. From May 2-5, students spent half-days discovering new interest areas that developed their academic, social, emotional and physical skills.
EXPLORE! classes are taught by specialists, instructional coaches and parent volunteers. During EXPLORE! classes, classroom teachers held 15-minute one-on-one conferences with each student to assess their growth in reading using the Fountas & Pinnell Individual Reading System.
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Fairmount 3D Printing Club shares creations during open house
 The Fairmount School LRC received an Education Foundation grant for a 3D printer this school year. In addition to using the printer to enhance instructional time, LRC Teacher Liz Stroud started a 3D Printing Club for students interested in learning more about 3D printing.
This past week, the 3D Printing Club hosted an open house during the school day, during which students proudly displayed their creations for all to see!
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Rep. Roskam visits Henry Puffer
 U.S. Rep. Peter Roskam visited Henry Puffer School on Friday, May 12 to meet with fourth, fifth and sixth graders and teach them how a bill becomes a law.
The students eagerly answered his questions and impressed Rep. Roskam with their prior knowledge of governance.
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El Sierra musicians perform with the Senior Suburban Orchestra
 El Sierra's fifth and sixth grade orchestra students enjoyed the unique opportunity to perform with the Senior Suburban Orchestra at school on Wednesday, May 10.
The Senior Suburban Orchestra comprises 60 senior citizen musicians from across the region whose combined music experience exceeds 1,400 years. The El Sierra students joined the orchestra for a fantastic performance of "Fire Dragon Mountain."
After a rehearsal with the Senior Suburban Orchestra, the combined group performed in front of the entire school. Wow! They sounded wonderful!
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O'Neill PTA Sip n' Stroll raises $5,500 to support school programs
 The O'Neill PTA recently held its first ever Sip-N-Stroll fundraiser, sponsored by the Community Bank of Downers Grove. One hundred people strolled downtown Downers Grove sampling donated libations and local fare from Another Round, Ballydoyle, Caribbean Corner, Cellar Door, Giordano's, Mia's Cantina and RBK American Grill.
The event raised $5,500 through silent auction items donated from 80 local businesses and cash donations. The profits will be used to support O'Neill's PTA programs including Snowflake, VIP Day, school musical, PTA Reflections art program, Author's Fest, school gifts, staff appreciation and several others. Thank you for your generosity, O'Neill PTA!
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Lester teacher's son featured in Chicago Parent story on autism
 The
April issue of Chicago Parent Magazine features an adorable little boy on its cover. He wears an inquisitive half smile, and his blue eyes sparkle. Beneath his photo is the magazine's cover story headline: "The face of autism - Then and now."
The little boy is Jake. He's Lester Reading Specialist Lisa Garbis's 4-year-old son. The cover story delves into the evolution of autism awareness and treatment in the United States, highlighting how interventions are much more readily available now than they were just a few years ago.
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Lester's "Fight Like Our Principal" fundraiser nets more than $700
Lester School recently held a "Fight Like Our Principal" fundraiser to raise money for the Susan G. Komen Foundation for breast cancer research.
The fundraiser is deeply personal - The Lester community united to support Principal Carin Novak as she fights breast cancer.
Throughout the week of May 8-12, the Student Council sold special "Fight Like Our Principal" wristbands (pictured above) and encouraged students to wear pink.
Afterward, the Student Council tallied their proceeds; they made more than $700 to support the Susan G. Komen Foundation! Thank you, Lester community, for your generosity!
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Henry Puffer's "I Stand By Addie" walk/run supports ISBA
 The Henry Puffer Student Council raised $1,500 to support the Illinois Spina Bifida Association during the school's ninth annual fundraiser walk/run on Friday, May 19. The students named the fundraiser "I Stand By Addie," in honor of Henry Puffer third grader, Addie, who has Spina Bifida.
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Kingsley hosts annual JDRF walk
 Kingsley School hosted its annual JDRF fundraiser walk on Thursday, May 11. JDRF, or the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, is a national nonprofit that supports research for type 1 diabetes. In support of JDRF's work, Kingsley students walked laps around their school, in accordance with their grade level. So, first graders walked one lap, while sixth graders walked six laps. Students had fun raising money and getting exercise for a good cause!
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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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District 58 on social media
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BOE Regular Meeting - May 8, 2017
The Board of Education held its regular May business meeting on Monday, May 8. Meeting highlights include:
- District 58 central office administrators and principals shared an update on the District's two report card committees.
- Superintendent Dr. Kari Cremascoli shared updates and information regarding 2017-18 registration, spring assessments,
summer learning, the Superintendent's Community Advisory Council, curriculum committees, facility planning and more.
- Herrick's Student Council and PTA provided updates regarding their achievements this year.
- The Business Report fielded Board member questions regarding the District's finances and the proposed 2017-18 budget.
- The Board appointed Melissa Jerves as the new Board secretary and secretary to the superintendent, starting July 1. Ms. Jerves currently serves as Pierce Downer School's secretary.
- And more.
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BOE Reorganization Meeting -
May 1, 2017
The Board of Education officially appointed new members Greg Harris, Darren Hughes, Jill Samonte and Beth Taylor during a special reorganization meeting on Monday, May 1.
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Upcoming Board meetings
Meet & Confer Strategic Plan Committee
Thursday, June 8
7 a.m.
Longfellow Center
Regular Board Meeting
Monday, June 12
7 p.m.
Downers Grove Village Hall
801 Burlington Ave.
Downers Grove, IL
60515
The June 12 Board meeting will include a spring student learning data update, a review of the Strategic Goals Action Plan End-of-Year Report, an English-Language Arts Committee update, a Lester facility discussion and more. The agenda will be posted on
BoardDocs on Friday, June 9.
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Have you registered your child for school?
90 percent of returning families have submitted their child's registration forms for the 2017-18 school year. Thank you!
Are you part of the remaining 10 percent? Please remember to submit your child's registration at your soonest convenience!
This will help District 58 plan its staffing and resource needs for next school year.
The District sent parents personalized registration information via email on April 12 and printed information with report cards on April 13. These messages included your child's snapcode, a password that lets you log onto your child's registration page.
To register, click here and enter your child's snapcode.
If you would prefer to register your child using paper forms, please visit your child's school to register, or download the forms online on your child's school webpage.
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District 58 is hiring!
District 58 is in the process of hiring teachers and staff for the 2017-18 school year.
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Upcoming events
Memorial Day -
No School
Monday, May 29
Eighth Grade Promotion Ceremony
Thursday, June 8
5-6 p.m. (O'Neill)
7-8 p.m. (Herrick)
Downers Grove North
Last Day of School (Half Day for Students)
Friday, June 9
Dismissal times:
AM Kinder: 11:05 a.m.
OKEEP: 11:40 a.m.
Grades 1-6: 11:40 a.m
Grade 7: 11:53 a.m.
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E-flyers
District 58 emailed new community e-flyers to all parents on
Monday, May 15. E-flyers are also posted on the
District 58 e-flyer page at dg58.org/e-flyers/ and listed below.
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