Volume 15, Issue 9 | Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2022

About the cover photos: Left: Grove Children's Preschoolers enjoy sharing their learning with loved ones during VIP Day last week. Right: Fairmount fourth graders wrote about what/who they're grateful for and decorated turkeys to celebrate Thanksgiving!


Throughout this publication, you will see the following color-coded dots beside each article. The dots represent which strategic goal the article addresses:


• Focusing on Learning • Connecting the Community • Securing the Future


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District 58 calendar

Wednesday, Nov. 30

7 p.m.: Southside Orchestra and Chamber String Winter Concert at O'Neill


Monday, Dec. 5

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


Tuesday, Dec. 6

6:30-8 p.m.: PTA Reflections Award Ceremony at O'Neill


Wednesday, Dec. 7

3:45 p.m.: Board Legislative Committee Meeting at O'Neill

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


Thursday, Dec. 8

7 p.m.: Northside 4th and 5th Grade Orchestra Concert at Herrick

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


Friday, Dec. 9

Report cards come home (elementary) and are posted online (middle school)

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

Dec. 12-16

AIMSWeb testing


Monday, Dec. 12

7 p.m.: Board of Education Business Meeting at Downers Grove Village Hall


Tuesday, Dec. 13

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


Wednesday, Dec. 14

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


Thursday, Dec. 15

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


Friday, Dec. 16

Last Day of School Before Break (Full Day)


Dec. 19, 2022-Jan. 2, 2023

Winter Break- No school; school offices are closed

In addition, the District Office is closed on Dec. 23, Dec. 26, Dec. 30 and Jan. 2.


Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2023

School resumes


Click here to view the 2022-23 calendar.

Report cards will be available Dec. 9

The first trimester of the school year concluded on Nov. 18. Each trimester, student achievement information is shared with students and families. Report cards for students in grades K-6 will be sent home with students on Friday, Dec. 9. Middle school students will not receive paper report cards unless a family specifically requests one through the main office. Final grades for middle school students will be available to view through the parent portal on Friday, Dec. 9. 


Please know, just as our instructional practices recognize the need to meet students where they are and ensure that foundational skills are solidified to address current grade level standards, a child’s report card is a reflection of their learning at a moment in time.

Congratulations Dr. Leland Wagner!

Congratulations to Pierce Downer Principal Dr. Leland Wagner for defending his dissertation and earning his doctoral (Ed.D.) degree from the University of St. Francis this month! District 58 is very proud of your hard work and accomplishments!

Reminder: Science Fair registration will open Dec. 2 

District 58 looks forward to bringing back the Science Fair on Saturday, Jan. 21 at O'Neill Middle School. This event showcases the science projects of District 58 students in grades 1-6. Science Fair registration will open on Friday, Dec. 2. The registration link will be emailed to families and posted to the District 58 Science Fair webpage on Dec. 2.


If you have a science background and would like to be a Science Fair judge, please fill out this form.


Click here to learn more about the Science Fair.

Winter weather series part 2: How does District 58 prepare the grounds for inclement weather?

This cold-weather season, Communicate 58 will highlight different FAQs from its winter weather procedures guide. Today's FAQ: How does District 58 prepare the grounds for inclement weather?


District 58’s Buildings and Grounds team proactively monitors the weather along with our snow removal contractor. Plowing and salting begins as soon as conditions warrant. The goal is to remove all snow/ice from roads, parking lots and walkways within four hours after the conclusion of a snowfall. The timing and amount of precipitation always requires adjustments to the plans. The use of winter de-icing products helps prevent and/or break the bond between snow/ice and the pavement in order to provide safer conditions. Unfortunately, de-icing chemicals lose effectiveness in extremely cold temperatures and some pavement areas may still be slick. Please use extra caution when traveling on any pavement surface, such as roads, parking lots and sidewalks, during extremely cold weather events.

SCHOOL BOARD 

Nov. 21 Curriculum Workshop: Equity in District 58


The Board of Education's Nov. 21 Curriculum Workshop provided an overview of District 58's educational equity work, including results from the State's Equity Journey Continuum and its draft Equity Audit Report, as well as next steps. Please read the Board Briefs to learn more.

Nov. 21 Curriculum Workshop: Proactive Safety Measures


The Curriculum Workshop also reviewed District 58's current and proposed student/staff safety structures and practices.


Please read the second part of the Board Briefs to learn more.

Looking ahead


The Board will hold a Regular Business Meeting on Monday, Dec. 12 at 7 p.m. at Downers Grove Village Hall. The Board agenda will be posted on BoardDocs on Friday, Dec. 9.

IN THE COMMUNITY

Grove Express 5K gives back to the community 

District 58 thanks everyone who participated in this year's Grove Express 5K event on Thanksgiving! Not only is this an incredible community event, the race also aims to raise funds to invest in education, youth programs and scholarships in our community, and directly benefits the Education Foundation of Downers Grove District 58, the Roadrunners Soccer Club and the Downers Grove Rotary Club. Through these organizations, a portion of the race proceeds will benefit District 58. We appreciate your support!

Immanuel Lutheran feeds 350 District 58 community members  

Immanuel Lutheran Church in Downers Grove provided 41 full Thanksgiving meals to District 58 families in need last week! Each meal pack fed a full family. In addition, the church will provide an additional 44 meals to families in need over the December holidays. In total, they are feeding approximately 350 people this holiday season. They even provided home deliveries for families without access to reliable transportation.


District 58 thanks Immanuel Lutheran for their kindness, generosity and support, and especially to Connor and Whitney Cavanagh for leading this effort!

Downers Grove Moose Lodge donates winter accessories 

Thank you, Loyal Order of Moose, Downers Grove Lodge, for donating three large bags filled with new hats, gloves and scarves for District 58 students in need. We appreciate your support and kindness, and these items will go to good use!


Save the date: the Harlem Wizards are coming Jan. 15 

The world-famous Harlem Wizards will return for a family-friendly District 58 event on Sunday, Jan. 15 at 6 p.m. at Downers Grove South High School. This Education Foundation event brings together the District 58 community, as District 58 teachers and staff compete against the Harlem Wizards in a fun and high-energy basketball game!


Event proceeds will benefit the Education Foundation of Downers Grove District 58. The Harlem Wizards are no stranger to District 58, most recently visiting in 2019.


Learn more and buy tickets at www.58foundation.org. Additional details will be emailed to families and staff in the next week.

The Reading Games seeks question writers - sign up now! 

The Reading Games is coming in February! The Reading Games is seeking volunteers to write questions for this year's program. If you are interested, please sign up here. If you have questions, please email rgquestionwriters@gmail.com. Thank you for your consideration!

Community e-flyers

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


Downers Grove Grade School District 58
2300 Warrenville Road, Suite 200NE, Downers Grove, IL 60515
Community Relations Office: 630-719-5805 I mhewitt@dg58.org | www.dg58.org

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