Wednesday, March 20

Kindergarten Roundup, Henry Puffer, Kingsley, Lester

Wednesday, March 21

Kindergarten Roundup, Belle Aire, Highland, Hillcrest, Pierce Downer

Monday, March 25-29

Spring Break: No School

Monday, April 1

School resumes

April 1-April 19

IAR Testing window

Friday, April 5

Board of Education Financial Advisory Committee meeting, 7 a.m. O'Neill

Monday, April 8

Board of Education Regular Meeting

7 p.m. Downers Grove Village Hall

Tuesday, April 9

Kindergarten Roundup, Indian Trail

Thursday, April 11

South Side 4th and 6th Grade Elementary Orchestra Spring Concert, 7 p.m. O'Neill



Tuesday, April 16

South Side Elementary Band Spring Concert, 7 p.m. O'Neill

Thursday, April 18

South Side 5th Grade Chamber Strings Concert, 7 p.m. O'Neill

Click here to view the 2023-24 calendar.

Click here to view the 2024-25 calendar

Click here to view the 2025-26 calendar

Message from the Superintendent •••••

Dear District 58 Families,

I hope this message finds you well. As we welcome spring and with Spring Break right around the corner, I wanted to share some exciting developments about referendum construction. After more than a year of planning, you will see signs of construction outside of the middle schools. 

Middle School Construction

While we did some indoor preliminary work over winter break, we are eager to mobilize both construction projects in earnest. Mobile construction trailers were dropped off this week at Herrick and O’Neill and construction fences will be installed around both schools and they will remain in place for the duration of the project. Work will begin in rooms 124 and 126, the small gym, locker rooms, storage and other areas in the northeast portion of O’Neill. These areas will be abated of asbestos using workers trained, accredited and licensed to perform the work in public school buildings. At all times the project will be monitored by TEM Environmental and aggressive air testing will be conducted following the abatement. These areas will remain unoccupied following spring break as renovation work will begin in this area.

To keep you apprised of construction progress, we have worked with our contractors Bulley & Andrews to develop dashboards of progress.

• Herrick Dashboard
• O'Neill Dashboard

In addition, you can read updates on construction on our website at https://www.dg58.org/building-for-success/index Dashboards are also linked on the website.

Phase 1 Elementary School Construction

In addition to the middle schools, over spring break on Saturday, March 23, the District will begin preliminary construction work at the Phase I Elementary Schools (Henry Puffer, Highland, Hillcrest, and Whittier). In small areas at each of these four schools, asbestos will be abated using a licensed and trained 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, Inc. 

This limited work allows us to get a jump start on larger projects. Since the District needs to begin work immediately after we end school in late May, we want to use every opportunity we have to be ready to go. If we put off abatement until June, then regular construction work would be delayed by two more weeks. The following areas will be abated over Spring Break:

• Henry Puffer – Abatement will occur above the primary hallway ceiling
• Highland – Abatement will occur in ceilings above two classroom bathrooms
• Hillcrest – Abatement will occur in ceilings and walls of primary bathrooms
• Whittier – Abatement will occur in ceilings above the primary bathrooms 

All schools will undergo environmental air testing following the work. Contractors will cover any masonry units or holes created from the abatement work before school resumes. 

The New Civic Center

Significant progress is being made on the new District office that we will share with the Village of Downers Grove and the Downers Grove Police Department. The police will move in later this spring and Village staff will follow. District 58 staff will move in at the end of September. We have to wait until the old buildings are demolished and new parking lots are built. Below is a video the village produced that shares the progress being made on the new facility.

Civic Center Video

While there are always bumps in the road and sacrifices to be made during construction, I wanted to thank you for your support during this burdensome period and for your continued partnership in ensuring the best environment for our students.

New Athletic Conference Middle School Soccer

As many of you are aware, District 58 joined a new athletic conference earlier this year and we will officially start competing against new schools in the fall. The new conference is called the Southeast DuPage Elementary Athletic Association (SDEAA). There are two reasons we joined the conference. First and foremost, the District has been looking for a new home for athletics that offers more opportunities for our middle school students. Second, our current conference, the DuPage Metro Valley Association (DMVA), is disbanding at the end of this school year. The new conference will provide our students not only with more athletic opportunities, but it will also allow them to pursue other academic and social opportunities. When we joined the conference, the administration recommended to the Board that the following activities be added next school year (we hope to add more down the road).

• Cross Country
• Volleyball
• Basketball
• Wrestling
• Cheerleading
• Scholastic Bowl
• Chess
• Track and Field 

The administration also wanted to recommend soccer but was not able to because we were uncertain about field availability at our middle schools due to construction. Herrick’s field will not be available until the fall of 2025 (at the earliest). O’Neill’s field will be available, but not in its entirety. School districts must commit to the SDEAA in November for the following year for the activities they want to join. Since the final construction plans were still pending approval from the Village of Downers Grove at that time, we were not able to move forward with soccer. However, since then we have been able to partner with the Downers Grove Park District and will be able to use their fields when needed next spring. Therefore, we are moving forward with soccer at our two middle schools next year (SY 24-25).

Personal Note

As many of you are aware, my wife has been battling terminal pancreatic cancer since last April. Unfortunately, her cancer continues to grow despite extensive chemotherapy and other treatments. We recently had to make the difficult choice to end her treatment and transition to hospice care. During this difficult time, I will be taking a step back to care for my wife. If I am unable to be at the office, the team of administrators will fill in for me as needed. When I am out of the office, I will put an auto-response on my email directing individuals where to go for help if they need anything from me (I will not be able to keep up with my email while I am away). Thank you in advance for your understanding. While no family should ever have to battle cancer, I am beyond grateful for all of the support we continue to receive from the District 58 community. We are truly honored and grateful for all of the well-wishes and messages of support. I always tell people how lucky I am to get the opportunity to lead such a wonderful school district. 

Sincerely,

Dr. Kevin B. Russell

Superintendent of Schools

Photo Gallery: Wizard of Oz at O'Neill •••

O’Neill Middle School students performed The Wizard of Oz in honor of the classic’s 85th anniversary. With 55 members in the cast and crew, the beloved tale came to life during two consecutive shows last week. “We were very happy with the performances and very proud of the students for working so hard,” said the directors Janet Hecht and Stephanie Potter. The late-night dress rehearsals are always a challenge with the finishing touches, but the cast and crew came together to make two standing ovation performances.” New this year, the school’s Craft Club joined the effort by helping make props and costumes after school. “The cast really bonded and formed great friendships throughout the rehearsal process,” said Potter. Here is a link to the photo galleries.

Peter Pan at Herrick •••

We featured Herrick's performance of Peter Pan Jr. in the last issue of Communicate 58. Read it here. More photos are now published in our Photo Galleries on our website.

Click here to view.

Herrick students take on Math Madness ••

Herrick seventh grade students in advanced math classes placed 2nd in the state’s math contest and eighth grade students placed 6th. 

It was the second ICTM (Illinois Council of Teachers of Mathematics) Contest that students from Julie Remus’, Dan Dvoracek’s and Andrew Schmidt’s Advanced math class participated in. The students placed 2nd out of 48 middle schools.

Herrick’s seventh grade top two teams consisted of:

• Team 1 (19 out of 20 points): Sam G., Parker S., Calder T.,  Alex S., Rylan R.
• Team 2 (19 out of 20 points): Finley J. and Jake J.

On the individual side of the competition, the following seventh grade students were recognized for having perfect scores:  Joey S., Penny O., Sam G., Roshan R., Daniel J., Julianna R., Alex S., Liam O., Charlie W., Colin M., Ryan J.

At the eighth grade level, Herrick Middle School placed 6th among 48 middle schools.Herrick’s top two teams consisted of:

• Team 1 (16 out of 20 points): Rian P., Owen H., Johnny V., Brendan B. 
• Team 2: (Tied 14 out of 20 points): Adde A., Samantha H., Parker M., Alexa L., Brendan E., Saara R., Charlie G., Lucas Z., Tala N., Evie R., Evan L., Muhammad R., Sarvesh G., Mike H.

On the individual side of the competition, the following students were recognized for having perfect scores: Carter L., Gavin K., Isla H., Jack H., Jocelyn N., Lilah P., Luke M., Sarvesh G., Zachary W., Lucas Z., Charlie G., Lily Z., Grayson P., Jacqueline W., Hadley R., Dylan S., Oscar S.

The ICTM contest spans from November through April and each competition consists of three two-part timed rounds. Each round has an individual as well as a team component. Congratulations, Herrick Mathematicians!

Students honored in DG Junior Women’s Art Contest •••

The Downers Grove Junior Woman’s Club recently recognized three District 53 students during its annual Junior High Art Contest. The students are Maahi S. and Sullivan S. (pictured at right) from Herrick and Camryn T. from O'Neill, pictured at left.

The contest is open to 7th and 8th Grade students who attend school in District 58, District 66, and other Downers Grove Junior High schools. Winning artwork will be displayed at the Community Bank of Downers Grove. For more information about the Downers Grove Junior Woman’s Club and its awards programs, please visit www.dgjwc.org/awards.

Solar Eclipse on Monday, April 8 ••

On Monday, April 8, 2024, District 58 will be along the path of a solar eclipse. Locally, this will be experienced as a partial eclipse, occurring during our Monday regular school dismissal time, 2:00 p.m. for elementary schools and 2:10 p.m. for middle schools. There will be no changes to the regularly scheduled instructional day.

While this is a rare and exciting phenomenon, it presents a risk of eye injury to everyone, including children who may not understand the dangers of looking directly in the direction of the sun. The timing of the eclipse, when children are transitioning home, requires coordination in explaining to students they should not at any time be looking at the sun without appropriate eye protection. As students are dismissed, staff will be reminding students about the importance of not looking directly into the sun. 

If you choose to send properly certified protective eyewear to school with your child(ren), we will allow them to put on the glasses when they exit the building. Due to the timing of the partial eclipse occurring at dismissal, there will be no viewing events at any of the schools. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us. Here is some information on the eclipse from the American Astrological Society.

Select 58 8th grade recognition award nominations deadline extended to today •••

The deadline to apply for the Select 58 Recognition Award, organized by the Education Foundation of District 58, has been extended to today, Wednesday, March 20.

Select 58 honors eighth graders who demonstrate exceptional service and citizenship within their school and community. We encourage eighth-grade students to consider applying for this prestigious recognition.

Students can fill out a Select 58 Award Application here. The 2024 Select 58 Award Ceremony will take place on Monday, April 29, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at Herrick Middle School. Learn more.

Spots still open in summer school classes •••

Registration for Summer School is open to District 58 students as well as students who are in private or parochial schools who live within the District 58 attendance area. Please register for the grade level your child will enter in fall 2024. Classes are grouped under four different sessions. Two are invitation only. The following are open to any student.

Summer School Session II: General Education and Enrichment

• Schedule: Weekdays, Monday, June 24-Thursday, July 12 (excluding July 3 and 4), 
• Location: El Sierra School 6835 Fairmount Ave., Downers Grove, IL 60516
• Cost: $105
• Bus Transportation: Not provided - Families are responsible for their student’s transportation.
• Registration: Click here to register. A confirmation email with payment directions will be sent within three school days of your registration.
• Description: This session will offer math and reading grade-level readiness courses, Leap into Kindergarten. Click here for classes.  

Summer School Session III: Band and Orchestra

• Schedule: Various days and times from July 29 to August 9.
• Location: Kingsley School 6509 Powell St., Downers Grove, IL 60516
• Cost: Band and Orchestra classes are $95; Beginning Orchestra Jumpstart and Beginning Band Jumpstart are free.
• Bus Transportation: Not provided - Families are responsible for their student’s transportation.
• Registration: Click here for more information and to register.

For questions or assistance in registering, please contact Summer School Secretary Alissa Drake at adrake@dg58.org or 630-719-5869. 

How you can support your child with assessments •

In March and April, students in grades 3-8 will complete the Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) and additionally, students in grades 5 and 8 will complete the Illinois Science Assessment (ISA). Both are state-mandated assessments. As we have mentioned, your child will have seen sample test items and will have reviewed the structure and format of the test. We also ask students to give their genuine best efforts as we know they are strong, persistent and capable. We continue to ask for your support in encouraging your children to approach these tests with the same rigor and investment as they would with any other test. Please read this letter from Assistant Superintendent Liz Ehrhart about these tests and ways to help support your student. 

Parent workshops by Glenbard Parent Series ••

7 p.m. Thursday, March 21

"La relación padre-hijo: Equilibrar el amor y la autoridad/The Parent Child Relationship: Balancing Love and Authority" by Dr. Mario Guzman. In-person at Glenbard West High School.

Noon and 7 p.m. Thursday, April 4

"Understanding Social Anxiety and the Complexity of Teen Relationships." by Lynn Lyons. It will be presented in two Zoom sessions, noon and 7 p.m. Links at GlenbardGPS.org

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

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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