Throughout this publication, you will see the following
color-coded dots
accompanying each article. They represent which
strategic goal
the article addresses.
• Focusing on Learning
• Connecting the Community
• Securing the Future
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Citizen Task Force considers District 58 facility planning next steps
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District 58's Citizen Task Force met Jan. 22 to discuss District 58's facility needs and whether the District should consider moving to a grade 6-8 middle school mode. During the productive 3.5-hour meeting, the task force toured Herrick Middle School and participated in large group and small group discussions.
This week, the School Board held a special meeting to review the Task Force feedback and prioritize next steps. Based on the feedback received, the School Board recommended that the Task Force wait to launch its facility planning community engagement effort and instead reconvene in early March to more fully develop viable facility plans and continue the prioritization effort.
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Young scientists share their discoveries at 39th Annual Science Fair
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The halls of O'Neill Middle School were filled with excitement on Saturday, Jan. 25, as 444 students arrived, eager to participate in the 39th Annual Science Fair! The students did a fantastic job presenting their scientific learning through
written reports and verbal presentations.
District 58 thanks everyone who gave their time to make the Science Fair a success, especially to the volunteer judges for sharing their expertise; the entire admin team and the O'Neill custodial team for setting up/tearing down; the students for their hard work; and parents for their support!
View photos.
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Reminder: Take the 5Essentials Survey!
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The State's 5Essentials Survey is open through Friday, Feb. 14. Parents, teachers and students (gr. 4-8) can take the survey. A school will only receive a parent survey report if 20% of the school's parents take it! Please consider taking this survey. Thank you!
5Essentials gathers data related to five indicators that can predict important student outcomes, including improved attendance and larger test score gains. Take the parent survey at
https://survey.5-essentials.org/Illinois/
. Please be sure to select the "Parent Survey" option!
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District 58's music program earns
state-wide accolades!
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The Illinois Music Education Association (ILMEA) has recently recognized District 58 student musicians and staff!
ILMEA recently elected
Theresa Steiner (pictured)
to serve on its Board. Ms. Steiner is the instrumental music/band teacher at Herrick, Belle Aire, Henry Puffer and Pierce Downer schools. She will be part of a team that plans ILMEA's student activities and professional development for students and teachers statewide. Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction Justin Sisul previously held this role at ILMEA. Congratulations, Ms. Steiner!
Ethan Weingust (pictured)
, a Herrick bassoon player, performed in the All-Illinois Junior Band on Jan. 24-25 at the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana. Ethan was one of only 80 students statewide selected for this honor! Congratulations!
ILMEA selected
37 District 58 fifth and sixth graders to perform in its All-State Elementary Chorus on Feb. 1. This annual event brings some of the state's most talented elementary choral students together. Congratulations!
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27 students will advance to the State PTA Reflections competition
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District 58 proudly announces that 27 students will advance to the state level of the PTA Reflections art competition!
Through Reflections, District 58 students in preschool through eighth grade are invited to submit works of art in six areas: dance choreography, film production, literature, music composition, photography and visual arts. The theme for the 2019-20 program is “Look Within.”
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58 Doing Good: Anonymous donor pays all District 58 lunch fee balances
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An anonymous donor recently wrote District 58 a check for nearly $500. The purpose: to pa off all outstanding lunch fee balances in District 58!
"Thank you to this kind person for reminding us that Downers Grove is filled with great people who make a difference!" said Superintendent Dr. Kevin Russell.
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Coronavirus: What you should know
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What is the novel coronavirus? How can you protect yourself and your family from it? Should you be concerned about it? Please read the below resources for answers to these questions.
As with any respiratory virus, please take simple precautions -- such as frequently washing your hands and covering your cough -- to keep you and your family healthy!
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School Board invites you to a Community Coffee on Feb. 10
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The District 58 School Board will host a Community Coffee on Monday, Feb. 10 at 6:30 p.m. at Downers Grove Village Hall. All community members may attend and enjoy an informal opportunity to speak with their Board members. Stay on: at 7 p.m., the Board will hold its regular monthly business meeting. The Feb. 10 meeting agenda will be posted this Friday on
BoardDocs.
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District 58 PTA welcomes families to Author Fest Book Sale & Signing Feb. 21
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The District 58 PTA Cou
ncil
invites students and families to the Author Fest Book Signing on Friday, Feb. 21 from 6:15-8 p.m. at the Downers Grove Public Library. The event will feature four prominent children’s authors –
Bibi Belford, Jacob Grant, Natalie Rompella and Suzanne Slade
. Bring a book to be signed and your camera to take a photo! If you purchase an Author Fest book at Anderson's Bookshop (DG) from Feb. 9-29, 20% of proceeds will be donated to the PTA Author Fest fund.
The book signing will conclude the 2020 District 58 Author Fest. The annual District 58 PTA-sponsored Author Fest event alternates each year among District 58 schools. This year, Belle Aire, Highland, Hillcrest, Lester and Pierce Downer schools will welcome the authors into their schools on Feb. 19-21. The authors will share fun, hands-on insights about the writing/illustration process with students.
Learn more.
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Learn critical cyber safety tips from child crime expert Det. Wistocki on Feb. 13
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The Education Foundation of Downers Grove District 58 is pleased to announce that child crime expert Detective Rich Wistocki will be back to provide another parent education seminar on cyber safety for children on
Thursday, Feb. 13 at 7 p.m. at Herrick Middle School.
This will help parents with important issues such as:
- Cyberbullying
- How to protect your family from cyberbullies
- Understanding what is on your child’s phone applications
- Internet predators having access to our children through their cell phone applications.
- The dangers of online gaming
- The dangers of posting photos to Twitter, Instagram and Snap Chat
- File sharing
- Sexting
- Video sharing online
In addition, for the first time in District 58, Detective Wistocki will conduct student assemblies for middle schoolers at O’Neill and Herrick. These presentations will cover much of the same content as the parent seminar, but in a middle school-friendly format.
More information will be emailed to parents later this week!
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75 realtors attend Realtor Breakfast
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District 58 thanks the 75 local realtors who attended this morning's Realtor Breakfast at Downers Grove North. This annual event connects realtors with District 99 and District 99's five elementary feeder districts, including District 58. The breakfast featured a Superintendents Panel, an Illinois Report Card presentation and a Q&A session. It offered an excellent opportunity for realtors to learn more about their area schools, and for school districts to hear (and answer) some of the most frequently asked questions by prospective homebuyers.
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Enroll at Grove Children's Preschool for 2020-21!
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Will your child be 3 or 4 years old next August? Please consider sending him or her to Grove Children's Preschool, District 58's high-quality gold-rated preschool program!
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Eighth graders: Apply for the Select 58 Award!
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The Education Foundation's Select 58 Award annually recognizes 58 eighth graders for outstanding service and citizenry. Applications are due Feb. 27.
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District 58 updates its lice communication practices
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District 58 will notify parents when there is one confirmed case of lice in their child’s grade. If there is more than one confirmed case in your school, across multiple grade levels, we will send a message home to the entire school.
Learn more.
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Highland PTA wins $1,000 KOHA prize
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Congrats to the Highland PTA for winning the $1,000 grand prize from the KOHA Twice As Nice competition! Thank you, District 58 parents, staff and supporters who participated in this holiday effort to raise money for our schools!
KOHA is an app created locally in Downers Grove. It partners with local businesses that commit to donating a portion of their KOHA proceeds back to District 58. When you download the app and use it at participating businesses, you will help raise money for your District 58 school!
Learn more.
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Learn about: New STEAM Studio class
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This fall, District 58 offered all eighth graders a new exploratory course option: STEAM Studio. This new course uses the Northwestern University-designed FUSE Studio Create curriculum, and students learn foundational engineering and technology skills.
In this photo,
O'Neill STEAM Studio students participate in a fun spaghetti challenge! Students used their engineering skills to thoughtfully construct the largest and sturdiest structure possible, made entirely from spaghetti and marshmallows. Applying critical thinking skills and teamwork, the students did a great job!
View more photos.
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Pierce Downer
students looked professional while they played hockey during P.E. on Tuesday. That's because Chicago Wolves' players Jonas Rondbjerg and Jimmy Schuldt played alongside them! It was a thrilling day!
Learn more.
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Herrick students read while relaxing on the pillows they sewed during Family and Consumer Science class!
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What's the difference between rhythm and beat? These
Fairmount
first graders can not only tell you, but they can show you, too! Great music lesson!
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Miss Macdonald and Mrs. Prosser's classes at
Hillcrest
collaborated to sharpen their creative writing skills and write their own winter-themed mad libs!
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Grove Children's Preschoolers
held robust conversations about kindness! Teacher Mrs. Haidle shared an action, and the students identified whether it was kind or unkind.
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Belle Aire
kindergarteners worked together to plan line sculptures and then each create his own masterpiece. Nice work!
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Indian Trail fourth graders applied their environment studies to real life by simulating a small oil spill and air pollution; repurposing water bottles; and creating reusable cloth bags.
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• Reading Specialist Mrs. DuPass taught this small group of
El Sierra fourth graders how to identify "aha moments" in stories and how to support that idea with text evidence.
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The
Kingsley
LIONS Club, a service group, gave back to the community by making a blanket for Project Linus, a nonprofit that serves children in need.
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Henry Puffer second graders worked on their math standards by playing a shape game!
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Lester
first graders visited Mrs. Beard's third grade classroom to perform Readers Theater. It gave the students a great opportunity to practice their public speaking!
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Whittier designed placemats for PADS. "My students were so excited to spend time together and create!" said Teacher Katie Porter.
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District 58 emails parents relevant e-flyers on the
first and third Monday of the month during the school year.
Learn more about e-flyers.
Here are the
Feb. 3 e-flyers.
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Thursday, Feb. 6
9-11 a.m.: DG Children's Choir Dress Rehearsal at Downers Grove North
7-8:30 p.m.: DG Children's Choir Winter Concert at Downers Grove North Auditorium
Friday, Feb. 7
7:30-9 a.m.: Legislative Breakfast at O'Neill
Saturday, Feb. 8
8:30 a.m.: District 58 Band and Orchestra Solo Day at Herrick
Monday, Feb. 10
6:30 p.m.: Community Coffee with the Board at Village Hall
7 p.m.: Regular Board Meeting at Village Hall
Tuesday, Feb. 11
5-8 p.m.: 4th and 5th Grade Gifted Parent-Teacher Conferences
Wednesday, Feb. 12
6-7 p.m.: Kindergarten Readiness Night at Henry Puffer
Thursday, Feb. 13
7-8 p.m.: Education Foundation Presents Child Crime Expert Detective Rich Wistocki at Herrick
5-8 p.m.: 4th and 5th Grade Gifted Parent-Teacher Conferences
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Monday, Feb. 17
Presidents Day - No School
Tuesday, Feb. 18
7 a.m.: Board Policy Committee Meeting at the ASC
6-7:30 p.m.: School Board - Tour and PTA Meeting at Fairmount
Feb. 19-21
Author Fest at Belle Aire, Highland, Hillcrest, Lester and Pierce Downer
Wednesday, Feb. 19
7-8:30 p.m.: Building Bridges - Parent Panel at Hillcrest
Thursday, Feb. 20
3:45-5 p.m.: Health and Wellness Committee at the ASC
Friday, Feb. 21
6:15-8 p.m.: Author Fest Book Signing and Sale at the DG Public Library
Saturday, Feb. 22
The Reading Games at O'Neill (List 1 should arrive before 8:45 a.m.; List 2 should arrive before 1 p.m.)
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Downers Grove Grade School District 58, 1860 63rd St., Downers Grove, IL 60516
Community Relations Office: 630-719-5805 I mhewitt@dg58.org | www.dg58.org
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