Wednesday, Dec. 13

7 p.m.: Northside 5th and 6th Grade Orchestra Concert at Herrick



Wednesday, Dec. 13

7 p.m.: Southside Elementary Band Concert at O'Neill

Monday, Dec. 18

3:15 p.m. District Leadership Team at O'Neill

Monday, Dec. 18

7 p.m.: Southside 5th and 6th Grade Orchestra Concert at O'Neill

Tuesday, Dec. 19

7 a.m.: Board Policy Committee Meeting at O'Neill

Wednesday, Dec. 20

3:34 p.m.: Board Legislative Committee Meeting at O'Neill

Thursday, Dec. 21

7 p.m.: O'Neill Band, Choir and Orchestra Winter Concert at O'Neill

Friday, Dec. 22

Last Day of School Before Break (Full Day)

Dec. 25, 2023-Jan. 6, 2024

Winter Break- No school; school offices are closed

In addition, the District Office is closed on Dec. 25, 26, 27 and Jan. 1, 2.

Monday, Jan. 8, 2024

School resumes

Click here to view the 2023-24 calendar.

A message from Dr. Russell •••

Dear District 58 Students, Families, Staff, and Community Members,

As we approach the end of another eventful year, I want to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude and warmest wishes to each and every one of you. The Downers Grove School District 58 community is second to none and I am honored to serve as your superintendent. Your caring spirit and support for one another is truly inspiring.

As we enter the holiday season, let’s take this opportunity to reflect on the accomplishments and milestones we've achieved together. Our collective efforts have created a nurturing environment for learning, growth, and success for our students. The commitment of our staff, the support of our families, and the enthusiasm of our students have contributed to the thriving school district we cherish.

May this festive season bring joy, peace, and happiness to your homes. Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or another tradition, may the spirit of togetherness fill your hearts with warmth. Let’s take this time to appreciate the diversity that makes our community vibrant and unique.

As we look forward to a new year filled with hope and opportunities, I want to express my gratitude for your continued partnership. Together, we will navigate the future with determination and a shared commitment to the success and well-being of our students.

On behalf of the Board of Education and the entire Downers Grove School District 58 team, I wish you and your loved ones a wonderful holiday season and a Happy New Year! May the coming year be filled with prosperity, good health, and many more moments of shared success.

Thank you for being an essential part of our incredible community.

Guiding Words and New Year's Resolutions

At the start of each school year, I challenge staff to select one word that will serve as their guiding light throughout the year. This practice is commonly referred to as “The One Word Challenge.” I have practiced this myself for many years and found it to be very beneficial. 

Choosing one word as a guiding light can provide clarity and focus for an individual. This word serves as a powerful touchstone, encapsulating values, aspirations, or a desired state of being. It acts as a constant reminder, helping the person make decisions aligned with their chosen theme. Whether it's a personal goal, a mindset shift, or a guiding principle, this word becomes a beacon that guides actions and choices, fostering a sense of purpose and direction in one's journey.

The word I selected this year was “effective” (last year I selected the word “forward”). I chose “effective” because it is important to me personally and professionally. In my personal life, my family is supporting my wife as she undergoes chemotherapy to battle pancreatic cancer. Facing such a serious challenge has made us focus on what is the most effective form of treatment to battle this horrible disease. In my professional life, I chose this word because I recognize that each student only gets one chance at a grade level. We need to be as effective as possible with every student so they continue to grow and succeed academically, socially, and emotionally.

Throughout the school year, we have shared the words our staff members have chosen via social media. I am very proud of our staff for their focus and dedication on behalf of our students. As we close out 2023 and embark on 2024, I recommend considering participating in “The One Word Challenge.” Your word could become a New Year’s resolution that can carry you throughout 2024 and beyond.

Sincerely,

Kevin B. Russell

Superintendent 

Check out our staff members' Guiding Words feature on Facebook and Twitter this past year. We will continue posting them throughout 2024 every Wednesday. Posts that have already been published are featured in our Photo Gallery on our webpage.

PHOTO GALLERY: District 58 honors more than 80 artists and 89 pieces of artwork in PTA Reflections program ••

More than 80 Downers Grove Grade School District 58 students were honored during the PTA Reflections ceremony Tuesday, Dec. 5 at O’Neill Middle School. Students submitted 89 works of art for the Downers Grove Area Council of PTA Reflections program, 39 of which will advance to the regional level for further adjudication.  

Before the ceremony, students, parents and other guests perused the art, which included literature, music composition, visual arts, film production, photography and dance choreography. Winners were announced by school and given ribbons and those who were advancing to the next level were given certificates.

Reflections is a national PTA arts recognition and achievement program for students. According to the National PTA Reflections website: “Creating art is a valuable learning process that challenges students to use their critical thinking skills as well as their creative talents to create art that supports a specific theme.” Read more.

Photos from each school and select artwork can be found in the Photo Gallery.

Construction work at middle schools begin over winter break •

After many months of planning with architects and engineers, the very beginning of construction will begin at the two middle schools over winter break. 

Beginning Saturday, Dec. 23, contractors will begin asbestos abatement work, including removing ceiling and floor tile in first-floor areas at O’Neill. At Herrick, contractors will also begin asbestos abatement work, removing ceiling tile in the first-floor hallways. Work at both schools will continue until approximately Jan. 4. When work is completed and students return to school on Jan. 8, they will see unfinished concrete floors and/or open ceilings in abated areas.

The work will be performed by an Illinois Department of Public Health licensed Asbestos Abatement Contractor utilizing workers trained, accredited and licensed to perform asbestos abatement in Illinois public school buildings. In addition, the project will be monitored at all times by TEM Environmental. 

This work is important in that it allows the district to get a jump on construction immediately after school ends in May. Because of the size of the projects and a schedule like that of schools, the district needs to make use of every day when school is not in session.

During the work, the sections of the building where work is occurring will be isolated and restricted to only the licensed asbestos abatement contractor and environmental consulting team. Construction barriers and signage identifying these abatement areas will be posted at the entrances to the building areas that are restricted. Access to these areas will remain restricted until all regulatory clearance requirements have been met. This includes rigorous air sampling. 

Concurrent with this work, general contractor Bulley & Andrews will have additional teams working in both middle schools. They will be primarily focused on exterior door location changes and other advanced preparatory work.

Learn more about the progress of the Building for Success Referendum Project

Winter assessment schedule •

District 58 will administer its winter Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) assessment to students in grades K-8 between Jan. 8-26. Schools will send out individual testing schedules. 

District 58 is also administering its AIMSweb assessment following winter break (Jan. 8-Jan. 26). AIMSweb is an assessment that measures student performance on specific literacy and numeracy skills. The test is administered to students until they meet its exit criteria.

Please be extra sure that your child gets plenty of sleep and a good breakfast during these testing weeks!

View District 58's full assessment calendar. Learn more about District 58 assessments.

Here we feature student artists from four schools and their art. Each student tells a little bit about their art and how it came to be. We will feature additional schools and artists in upcoming Communicate 58 newsletters. ••

Winter Weather procedures; E-Learning prioritized over snow day ••

As a reminder, if inclement winter weather prompts District 58 to close its schools and facilities this year, the District will notify families and staff as soon as possible using a variety of communication tools. Please note, extreme weather is very unpredictable, and the decision to close schools is typically not able to be made until the morning of the event. District 58 will only send a message if schools will be closed. Otherwise, the day will proceed as usual.

If schools cannot be open due to inclement weather, District 58 will have the option to declare an emergency day (also known as “snow day”) or an e-learning day. The Board of Education has approved an e-learning plan that allows District 58 to use e-learning days in lieu of emergency days. As communicated previously, because of construction plans this summer and the need to maximize that time for construction, it is more likely that District 58 will prioritize an e-learning day in lieu of an emergency day (“snow day”). An e-learning day does not need to be made up in June. However, students are required to participate in e-learning from home in order to earn credit for the school day. If District 58 uses a traditional emergency day, that day will need to be made up in June. Read more about winter weather procedures.

Mental Health Resources Database Available ••

A database of mental health professionals and services is now available for District 58 families, called ReferralGPS.

The service allows District 58 families to access the database at no cost. Funding was made possible through the recent state grant that District 58 earned from the Illinois Department of Public Health.

School district staff and families may access ReferralGPS by:

• Contacting District 58 Student Services (social workers, psychologists, counselors) to seek out personalized provider lists
• Visiting https://referralgps.com/find-help/DG58 to search for treatment resources or connect with a Care Navigator anonymously



Learn more.

Science Fair sign-ups through Dec. 22••

Students in grades 1-6 are invited to participate in the Science Fair this winter! Registration is open through Friday, Dec. 22. To register, use this Registration Form.. The Science Fair will take place Saturday, Jan. 20 from 8-11 a.m. at O’Neill Middle School. The fair is open to all District 58 students in grades 1-6. Participating in the Science Fair is voluntary, but District 58 encourages every student to consider participating!

Students may register as an individual or with one partner. More details can be found here.

Parent workshops by Glenbard Parent Series ••

• 6 pm Thursday, Dec. 14

Motivación y el poder de los logros y Celebración de las fiestas/Motivation and the Power of Achievement and Holiday Celebration, Dr. Ferney Ramirez, In-Person Spanish presentation at Glenbard North.

• noon and 7 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 19

Dialing Back the Inner-Critic: Compassion and Kindness in Parenting. Presented by Lisa Baylis. Zoom links at gps.org.



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

Flu Vaccines, Health resources for uninsured or underinsured •••

• Free Flu Vaccines
• DuPage Health Coalition Resources

Downers Grove Grade School District 58

2300 Warrenville Road, Suite 200NE, Downers Grove, IL 60515

Community Relations Office: 630-719-5805 I fbehr@dg58.org | www.dg58.org

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