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
In this issue:
- Superintendent's greeting
- Back to school toolkit
- What's new in District 58 this year?
- District news - Support staff contract, Annual Report, jobs
- Board of Education news
- Community news - Oktoberfest
- Calendar
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Greetings from Superintendent Dr. Kevin Russell
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Dear District 58 Community,
Welcome to the 2019-20 school year, and thank you for reading Communicate 58! District 58 publishes this Communicate 58 newsletter every two weeks during the school year. It will contain helpful reminders and calendar items, along with District, school and community partner news. I hope you spend some time reading it!
This week, I had the pleasure of meeting District 58's 28 new teachers during
New Teacher Week. Their enthusiasm impressed me so much, and I can't wait for their students and families to begin working with them.
Likewise, I am excited to greet our returning teachers and support staff early next week, as well as our students on the first day of school, which is
Thursday, Aug. 22. (It's a full day!)
Please continue reading this publication to access our back-to-school toolkit, to learn what's new this year in District 58, to review a summer School Board recap and more. As I mentioned in my
introductory community message, I am very proud to be the superintendent of District 58, and I am excited to partner with each of you throughout this school year and into the future! Have a wonderful school year!
Sincerely,
Dr. Kevin B. Russell
Superintendent of Schools
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BACK-TO-SCHOOL TOOLKIT
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Get your school year off to a great start! Check out these helpful back-to-school resources to prepare. Access more information on the District's
Back-to-School page.
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District 58 school day schedule
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AM Preschool: 8:50-11:30 a.m., Monday through Friday
PM Preschool: 12:30-3:10 p.m., Monday through Friday
Kindergarten: 8:15-11:20 a.m., Monday through Friday
Grades 1-6 and OKEEP*: 8:15 a.m.-2 p.m. on Monday and 8:15 a.m.-3 p.m. on Tuesday-Friday
Grades 7-8: 8:30 a.m.- 2 p.m. on Monday and 8:30 a.m.-3:17 p.m. on Tuesday-Friday. Early Bird classes (band, choir and orchestra) will take place from 7:45-8:25 a.m. Monday-Friday.
*OKEEP stands for the Optional Kindergarten Enrichment and Enhancement Program.
Note: Last spring, District 58 adjusted the 2019-20 school day schedule. These adjustments are reflected in the above schedule and include a Monday early dismissal (see next topic), as well as a slightly earlier start time and later end time.
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Early release Mondays
District 58 will dismiss grade K-8 students at
2 p.m. every Monday
to provide teachers with 1.5 hours of weekly professional development time.
Learn more.
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Curriculum Night
District 58 invites all parents to attend
Curriculum Night
. Parents can meet their child's teachers and learn more about the class's curriculum, technology and instructional practices.
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Schools of 58 Handbook
Families, please read the
2019-20 Schools of 58 Handbook.
It is important to annually review this handbook to understand District 58's procedures. Parents who requested a paper copy (during registration) will receive it at Curriculum Night.
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Parent resources
Throughout the school year, the
Parent Resources webpage
is updated with relevant information and handy links for parents. Bookmark it today!
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Health requirements
As required by law, all new students, as well as students entering grades K, 2 and 6, must receive health examinations and immunizations and submit completed health forms before school starts.
Learn more.
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Teacher assignments
District 58 will email preschool and elementary parents their child’s teacher assignment after 4 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 19. Middle schoolers will receive schedules during locker setup night Aug. 20.
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Bus routes
District 58 is working with the bus company to update bus routes for the 2019-20 school year. Bus routes will be posted on the District's
homepage
, as well as the
back-to-school webpage
, by early next week.
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Before/after school care
District 58 contracts with
Champions
to provide before- and after-school care at elementary schools. Several other childcare providers offer drop-off and pickup services as well. Please contact your child’s elementary school for details.
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Heat relief
Most District schools are not fully air conditioned. To ensure everyone keeps safe in the August and September heat, schools enact several heat relief measures and encourage students to bring a water bottle to school.
Learn more.
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WHAT'S NEW IN DISTRICT 58?
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In addition to the increased staff professional learning time and adjusted school hours referenced earlier in this publication, here are a few other updates District 58 is proud to share with the community!
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New science resources
District 58 will implement new science curriculum resources districtwide this year! The new resources are
TCI Bringing Science Alive
(grades K-5) and
Activate Learning IQWST
(grades 6-8). These new resources align with Next Generation Science Standards and were successfully piloted in select District 58 classrooms last spring.
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Math resource pilot
This year, teachers who serve on the Math Committee and some of their partner teachers will pilot these new math resources:
The Math Committee aims to recommend new math resources for districtwide implementation in the 2020-21 school year.
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New exploratory classes
District 58 consulted students, staff and District 99 staff to update its middle school exploratory classes. In addition, this fall District 58 will offer a new middle school art course and an eighth grade STEAM Studio course. STEAM Studio will teach engineering and technology skills using a Northwestern University-designed curriculum.
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Increased art and library instruction time
This year, elementary students will participate in weekly 30-minute art lessons. This schedule will amount to a six-hour increase in art instruction for students in grades 3-6 and kindergarten.
In addition, District 58 will increase library instruction from one weekly class to two weekly classes for grade 1-2 students.
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Small increases to
student support staff
To better allocate its student support staff, District 58 is making small increases to its nurse, psychologist and speech pathologist staffing this year.
Did you know:
District 58 more than doubled its nursing staff from 2016-2018!
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MAP testing to take place 2 times (instead of 3)
District 58 will eliminate the fall
Measures of Academic Progress
(MAP) testing period and administer the MAP assessment two times (winter and spring), instead of three times this year.
This change will recapture instructional time and allow teachers to create student learning groups & support plans earlier, with spring MAP data.
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Board approves new DGESP contract
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The Board approved a new contract with the Downers Grove Educational Support Personnel, a union that comprises District 58's instructional assistants and secretaries.
Learn more.
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District publishes 2019 Annual Report
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Read the 2019 District 58 Annual Report, which highlights District 58 news and achievements from the 2018-19 school year.
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Looking for a job? Work for District 58!
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District 58 is hiring instructional assistants, subs, lunchroom supervisors and more!
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July/August Board Briefs
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The Board's July business meeting included a spring data spotlight, a facility planning update, the DGESP contract approval and more.
The Board's August meeting included a facility planning update, the approval of a third party facility planning consultant, a staffing update and more. District 58 will publish the Board Briefs later this week at
www.dg58.org
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Upcoming Board meetings
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The Board of Education will hold a Budget Workshop on Monday, Aug. 26 from 5-6 p.m. at the Longfellow Center, 1435 Prairie Ave. The meeting agenda will be posted on
BoardDocs
on Friday, Aug. 23.
Learn more about the Board of Education, including meeting agendas, minutes, video and committee information, by visiting
www.dg58.org
and accessing the "School Board" tab.
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Oktoberfest returns Sept. 13-14
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The Education Foundation of Downers Grove District 58 will host Oktoberfest Sept. 13-14 in downtown Downers Grove. All proceeds from this family-friendly festival will support the
Education Foundation's programs, benefiting District 58 students!
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Monday, Aug. 19
After 4 p.m.: District 58 will email preschool and elementary parents their child's class schedules. (Middle school students will receive class schedules during Locker Setup Night on Aug. 20)
Thursday, Aug. 22
First Day of School (Full Day) for K-8
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Friday, Aug. 23
First Day of School for Preschool
Monday, Aug. 26
5 p.m. Board of Education Budget Workshop at the Longfellow Center
Monday, Sept. 2
Labor Day - No School
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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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