Each spring, District 58 students are evaluated for possible placement into two specific instructional programs - math acceleration and gifted instruction. Eligibility for both programs includes a review of students’ academic performance as well as teacher observations.  

All students who will be entering grades 3 through 7 are evaluated for potential math acceleration in the upcoming school year. This spring, District 58 has revised its acceleration criteria as well as the math course offerings in middle school. To learn more about math acceleration criteria, please see our website.

All students who will be entering grades 4 through 6 are evaluated for potential placement in our elementary gifted education program, which is a one day per week pull-out program hosted at a central location. Additionally, students entering grades 7 and 8 are evaluated for placement into the gifted Reading/Language Arts classes at the middle school. For more information about gifted program eligibility criteria, please see our website.

Student information is reviewed each spring, and all placement decisions will be finalized before the end of the school year. Notification to families of students who are newly eligible for the gifted programs or newly eligible for math acceleration (single or double acceleration) will be sent the week of May 30, with a reminder in the May 18 issue of this newsletter. Any general questions about gifted programming and math acceleration can be directed to Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction Justin Sisul at jsisul@dg58.org or 630-719-5867. 

District 58's elementary spring open houses will return to their pre-COVID in-person format and take place later this month. During spring open house, families will enjoy visiting their child's classrooms and seeing their work on display. Parents/guardians and children may attend! Here is the schedule:

Tuesday, April 26 from 6-7:30 p.m.: El Sierra, Fairmount, Hillcrest, Indian Trail and Kingsley

Wednesday, April 27 from 6-7:30 p.m.: Grove Children's Preschool at Henry Puffer; Gifted Program at Henry Puffer

Thursday, April 28 from 6-7:30 p.m.: Belle Aire, Highland, Henry Puffer, Lester, Pierce Downer and Whittier

Tuesday, May 3 from 6-7:30 p.m.: Grove Children's Preschool at Indian Trail

Attention current third and fourth grade parents/guardians! As a fourth or fifth grader next year, your child will have the opportunity to begin playing a musical instrument.

View this document to read FAQs about instrumental music and the recruitment process. Please review this information and talk with your child about playing an instrument! Additionally, please add the Parent/Guardian Information Meeting to your family's calendar:

District 58 is hiring for several immediate, summer and 2022-23 school year positions.

Jobs include custodians, a registered nurse, a maintenance mechanic, summer school teachers and assistants, classroom teachers, special education teachers, student support positions and more!

Learn more and apply at www.dg58.org/employment.

The Developmental Learning Program, or DLP, is a highly individualized special education program designed to meet the intensive needs of students with known or suspected intellectual disabilities that are often combined with other intensive needs in communication, independence, adaptive/functional skills, behavioral manifestations, and/or social skills. 

The DLP is located at Henry Puffer for preschool, Hillcrest for grades K-6 and O’Neill for grades 7-8.

The DLP aligns instruction with the Essential Elements, which are learning targets that adapt Common Core State Standards to academic expectations for students with more significant disabilities. 

The DLP uses a team approach, and instruction includes a classroom teacher, speech therapist, social worker, psychologist and instructional assistants to meet the needs of students. Core academic instruction in reading and math is embedded into weekly targeted lessons on daily living skills. Additionally, students engage in direct instruction, group therapy sessions, and community outings to practice skills across a variety of environments. 

“Like all of our programs, a core tenant of our philosophical approach is inclusion and integration,” said Special Programs Coordinator Dr. Jackelyn Cadard. “Students in our DLP learn with and alongside peers for morning meeting, specials and other academic experiences, as we firmly believe that all students are general education students first and foremost, and inclusive opportunities offer opportunities for learning that could not be replicated in a special education classroom alone. All students benefit from having time to learn and play together.”

Interested in learning more about the DLP program? Click here or contact Dr. Cadard at jcadard@dg58.org.

The Illinois PTA Reflections art competition recently selected three District 58 students’ art projects to advance to the National PTA Reflections competition. Only 26 students statewide advanced to this level of the competition! Congratulations to:

In addition, five District 58 students earned a State Honorable Mention. This recognition was only awarded to 57 Reflections projects statewide. Congratulations to this year's State Honorable Mentions:

Congratulations to Special Programs Coordinator Dr. Jackelyn Cadard. Dr. Cadard recently defended her dissertation and earned her Doctorate (Ed.D.) in Educational Leadership from National Louis University.

Way to go, Dr. Cadard!

Congratulations to the five District 58 third graders who won this year’s Downers Grove Fire Department’s Home Fire Escape Plan contest! The winners are:

District 58 partners with the Downers Grove Fire Department on several educational initiatives, including the third grade Learn Not to Burn program. As part of the program, students use their fire safety knowledge to design a home fire escape plan and enter it into the contest. The Fire Department carefully reviews each plan and selects the winners. Each winner received a ride to school in a firetruck, after joining the firefighters for breakfast at the firehouse.

Great work, students! The Village of Downers Grove produced this short video highlighting the Learn Not to Burn program and the Home Fire Escape Plan Contest. After all five students take their firetruck ride to school, District 58 will post a photo gallery on the website.

Wednesday, April 27 is Administrative Professionals Day.

District 58 wishes a very Happy Administrative Professionals Day to all of its secretaries and support staff. You each make a tremendous difference in the lives of our students, families and fellow staff!

Thank you for your service!

The Pierce Downer Heritage Alliance generously donated $1,500 to District 58 to support this spring's grade 1-3 field trips to Lyman Woods. This organization regularly supports this programming, but this year's donation is greater than usual.

Thank you, Pierce Downer Heritage Alliance for your continued partnership! Pictured: On behalf of the Pierce Downer Heritage Alliance, Ken Lerner presented the $1,500 to District 58 during the April 2022 Board of Education meeting.

District 58 invites all community members to complete its annual Communication Satisfaction and Preferences Survey now through Sunday, May 1. The District will use this feedback to inform district and school communication improvements. Thank you for your time!

The last day of school is Wednesday, June 8. It is a half day for students, with the following dismissal times:

Grades K-6: 11:30 a.m.

Grade 7: 11:45 a.m.

Grade 8: No school!

Eighth grade's last day is Tuesday, June 7. Eighth grade promotion will take place the evening of June 7. Promotion details will be shared by building principals.

If you haven't already registered your incoming grade K-8 District 58 child for the 2022-23 school year, please do so at your soonest convenience! Returning student registration was due on April 4, but the system will remain open for any families who still need to complete registration.

By registering your child for next school year now, District 58 can determine its staffing, classroom and transportation needs for the upcoming school year. Thank you for your prompt attention! Learn more and register.

Registration is open for Summer School in District 58! District 58 will offer three Summer School sessions and Extended School Year:

DIstrict 58 is excited to begin a two-way dual language program next school year. The program will be open to incoming kindergarteners. There will be one classroom section with a balanced number of native Spanish-speaking English learner students and monolingual English-speaking students. The program will be housed at El Sierra School.

District 58 will share signup opportunities with registered incoming kindergarteners. Read the "Discussion: Two-Way Dual Language Program" section of the April Board Briefs to learn more.

Celebrate Downers Grove's history during the Downer Grove Historical Society's Founder's Day events! Here are some of the children- and family-focused Founder's Day events:

Click here for a full listing of Founder's Day events and details!