Although COVID-19 still continues to pose a serious and significant danger, local cases continue to decline. This week, the Illinois Department of Public Health moved Region 8, which houses DuPage and Kane counties, to the Tier 1 mitigation level. This shift will not change District 58's instructional learning plans (tier mitigations do not apply to in-person learning), but it does loosen some restrictions regarding in-person meetings and Board meetings.

 

Also this week, the State announced that it will begin offering vaccines to the 1B priority group. This group includes all District 58 staff employees, along with other essential workers and individuals over 65. The DuPage County Health Department estimates that it may take 12 weeks to vaccinate this group. 

 

To proactively prepare, on Monday the District 58 School Board held a special meeting to authorize District 58 to enter into an agreement with a third-party vendor to provide a COVID-19 vaccination program to District 58 staff for a total cost of less than $50,000. While the vaccine is free, the cost of administration will be borne by health insurance. Because the District is self-insured, these costs will come from the District’s insurance plan, as they would for any other vaccination. The DuPage County Health Department directed District 58 to partner with the District 99 Consortium to organize a vaccination program for employees, administered by a private wellness provider. To be prepared to enter into a contract as quickly as possible when the opportunity arises, the Board was asked to authorize the necessary funds in advance. View the vaccination services contract memo to learn more.

 

As always, the District encourages families to view the District 58 COVID-19 page for helpful information and resources.

The Education Foundation of Downers Grove District 58 invites parents and guardians to “How to Help Your Child During COVID-19,” on Monday, Feb. 1 from 6-7 p.m. This free webinar will take place via Zoom. Please click here to register for this event and to obtain a Zoom meeting link. Registration is open until the event begins.

This virtual event will feature renowned child and adolescent psychiatrist and speaker Dr. Elizabeth Levey. Dr. Levey will share tips to help families ease anxieties around their children’s social-emotional learning and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. After a short presentation, she will lead a live Q&A discussion with questions contributed by District 58 parents and guardians.

Have a question for Dr. Levey? Participants will have an opportunity to submit questions during registration, or you can email your question to 58foundation@gmail.com at any time. Dr. Levey will answer as many questions as possible during the webinar. Thank you for joining us! Click here to learn more.

Save the date: District 58 invites parents and guardians to “Talking to Children About Sexual Abuse” on Wednesday, Feb. 17 from 6:30-8 p.m. via Zoom. Please click here to register for this event by Friday, Feb. 11.

District 58 will co-host this webinar with Darkness to Light, an international organization that empowers adults to prevent, recognize and react responsibly to child sexual abuse through awareness, education and stigma reduction. The event will supplement the age-appropriate Erin’s Law sexual abuse lessons students receive and give parents tools to start these sensitive conversations with their children at home.

District 58 will email families more information about this event next week.

District 58 celebrates the 27 staff members who received Green Apple Awards from the Education Foundation of Downers Grove District 58 this holiday season! The Education Foundation invited the community to make a Green Apple donation to the Education Foundation in honor of a District 58 employee who has made a positive impact on their child or family. Each honored employee received a Green Apple Award card, with a personalized message from the gift giver. Learn more and view a photo gallery. Pictured above: Audrey Barc, Jennifer Conyac and Meghan Macdonald

District 58’s Special Services Department is building a summer Extended School Year option responsive to the needs of eligible students. While Extended School Year is typically offered in early summer, this year the program will instead take place on weekdays from Thursday, July 8 through Wednesday, Aug. 4 from 8:15-11:15 a.m. at Indian Trail School. The District hopes that offering this critical program later than usual will provide students with a much-needed break earlier in the summer. Additionally, the District hopes that this later start may allow us to lift some or even many of the safety protocols currently in place as the community will have had more time to complete the vaccination process and the IDPH may support a less restrictive model of protocol implementation.

Students with a qualifying IEP may participate in Extended School Year. Registration for Extended School Year, as well as District 58 Summer School, will take place later this school year. More information will be shared in the coming weeks!

If your family was financially affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and needs help buying groceries and other essentials, please contact your school's principal or social worker, and they can discreetly provide your family with a grocery store gift card.

These gift cards are primarily courtesy of the Education Foundation's COVID Family Support Fund, which continues to raise funds to support District 58 families in need. Additionally, local organizations, such as Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, have also donated gift cards to help.

District 58 thanks the Education Foundation, Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, and all other community members and organizations who have supported our families in need through this global health pandemic!

District 58 includes relevant e-flyers in Communicate 58 newsletter. Learn more.