Communicate 58 for Dec. 8, 2009: Latest news from District 58

Latest news from Downers Grove District 58

December 9, 2009

District 58 Life Safety bond sale postponed

District 58's planned $10 million Life Safety bond issue, which was to pay for roof repairs and other Life Safety projects throughout the district, has been postponed. The sale was set for Nov. 23. On Nov. 19, Chapman and Cutler, the district's bond counsel, indicated they no longer planned to issue the qualifying opinion required to sell the bonds.

Their decision was due to board member Scott O'Connell expressing a second threat of litigation in a letter he sent Nov. 19 to the Regional Office of Education and the Illinois State Board of Education questioning the cost estimates the district's architecture firm had provided.

For the full story, please click here.

D58 notification procedures for weather-related closings

With the onset of the winter weather season, we wanted to remind parents and community members about the many ways we provide notification should it become necessary to close school for the safety of our students.

In the event of hazardous weather, the Superintenden Snowman

t of Schools may deem it necessary to close school. District 58 utilizes an automated calling system to alert parents of school closings. Should a ConnectED subscriber miss a message, they can call 1-877-737-5291 (1-877-REPLAY-1) to hear it.

To continue reading, please click here.

District 58 now on Twitter

As part of ongoing efforts to communicate with parents and community members in a variety of ways, District 58 has joined the world of Twitter!
Keep up with the latest happenings in District 58, its schools and the District 58 Education Foundation by clicking on the "Follow Us" box below to visit www.twitter.com/DGDistrict58, or by signing up for your own account and requesting to follow DGDistrict58. Questions, comments and feedback are always welcome; please e-mail Jennifer Waldorf at jwaldorf@dg58.org, or call (630) 719-5805.

District 58 sets date for 2010 Science Fair

First through eighth Science Fair 2009 photo

graders in District 58, as well as students whose parents are involved with Downers Grove Friends of the Gifted (FRoG), are invited to submit projects for judging by a team in the 29th annual District 58 Science Fair, set for Saturday, Jan. 23, at O'Neill Middle School. Registration forms are due by Wednesday, Dec. 16.

The fair is non-competitive for students in first and second grade, and children in third through eighth grade can choose to enter competitively or non-competitively. The fair is open to the public from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Community members are invited to attend and view the many creative, well-researched projects completed by District 58 students.

For more information on the 2010 Science Fair, please click here.

Bacon Brothers set to rock Tivoli for Entertainment for Education fundraiser

The Bacon Brothers, a popular folk and blues duo featuring actor Kevin Bacon and his brother Michael, a professional musician, will take the stage at the Tivoli Theater in downtown Downers Grove on Saturday, March 27, 2010, for the District 58 Education Foundation's annual Entertainment for Education fundraiser.

Tickets will be on sale Friday, Dec. 18, and are anticipated to sell out very quickly. Two levels of VIP seating are available; tickets for the first six rows in the center section are $100, and tickets for the next 10 rows in the center section are $75. Remaining seats are $50, and all seats are general admission.

For more information, click here to visit the Foundation's Web site, www.dg58ef.com.

Education Foundation gives away nearly $20,000 in grants to District 58 schools

The District 58 Education Foundation is giving away nearly $20,000 in grants this school year. Staff were encouraged to apply for mini-grants of $500 or less and maxi grants of $500 or more to enhance curriculum or technology innovations, including staff development. The committee received 17 requests from nine schools, including 12 maxi grant requests and five mini grant requests.

For information about the projects and materials being funded this year, please click here.

District 58 sets preschool registration dates for 2010-11

District 58 has set registration dates for Grove Children's Preschool for the 2010-11 school year. Applications will be accepted from returning students Feb. 2-6, 2010, and from siblings of students Feb. 9-13. Open enrollment begins Feb. 16, 2010.

Click here for more information and/or to watch an Education Foundation-sponsored video on Grove Children's Preschool.

Around the district

Fairmount teacher, class help pilot Fossil Finders unit

Sixth-graders in Deanna Bloom's classroom at Fairmount School got some very hands-on science lessons earlier this month.

Bloom, along with

about 20 other educators from around the country, participated in a week-long professional development workshop this past summer at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y., in preparation for piloting a Fossil Finders Investigation and Curriculum Unit. This marks the second year of Cornell's three-year pilot of the Fossil Finders project with selected teachers from across the U.S.

For the rest of the story, click here.

For some photos of the class working with the fossils, click here.

Puffer pairs with village to produce landmarks calendar

The student council at Henry Puffer School paired this fall with the Village of Downers Grove to produce a calendar of Downers Grove landmarks, which commemorates the Calendar cover

community as it is in 2009. Each month features a different Downers Grove landmark-including the library and the Tivoli--as drawn by a Puffer student or pair of students.

As a result of the school's involvement in the village's Total Community Development (TCDIII) process this past spring, Puffer students were invited to participate in National Planning Month in October, and they decided to create and sell a landmark calendar. The net proceeds will be used to fund community improvements as designated by the Henry Puffer Student Council.

To purchase a calendar for $5, e-mail khurckes@dg58.org, or look for copies at local businesses, including Anderson's Bookshop.

O'Neill student council visits Ronald McDonald House

Each year, the O'Neill Middle School student council collects pop tabs to donate to the Ronald McDonald House near Loyola Medical Center. This year, the group got to see exactly where their donation goes--in more ways than one.

On Nov. 6, the group took a trip to the Ronald McDonald House to drop off more than 60 pounds of pop tabs, take a tour of the facilities, and make lunch and dessert for the families living there.

For the rest of the story, click here.

For more photos from the day, click here.

Lester students get 'Movin' in the Morning'

The school day hasn't yet begun at Lester, but about a dozen first-, second- and third-graders are already hard at work. Not poring over books or learning the nuances of good writing--that will come later. Right now, they're in the gym--stretching, jogging, skipping, even playing a game of tag on platform scooters. It's all part of a new program called Movin' in the Mornings.

The group meets for about 20 minutes of physical activity before the start of each school day. Four days a week, gym teacher Pat Brown leads the
sessions; one day a week, it's Maurice McBryde, a group fitness instructor and personal trainer from the Indian Boundary YMCA. The idea is to get students' brains activated so by the time their first class starts, they're ready to learn.

The school is piloting the program right now, and if pre- and post-tests show that it boosts participants' reading fluency, they may open it up to more students.

Puffer sixth-grader spearheads Patriots Park clean-up

Henry Puffer sixth-grader Kelsey G. was fishing at Patriot's Park on 55th Street this Puffer park clean-up

past summer when she became concerned about the litter there, and the potential hazard it poses to the wildlife that lives in the park.

So, she contacted the Downers Grove Park District and began working with them towards a solution. Together she and park district staff set a date and time for a large-scale cleanup, and Kelsey organized a crew of about a dozen people to gather at the park on Oct. 17.

For the rest of the story, click here.

For more photos from the day, click here.

Excavation brings ancient Egypt to life at Belle Aire

Who was the female mummy? Why was she buried with jewelry, a pet lion, and what looked to be some kind of early electronic device? Nick P., Brian M. and Matthew M. thought she might have been the daughter of a government official.
Belle Aire mummies

"I could see her being buried with this stuff, definitely," Nick said thoughtfully, a book about ancient Egypt open in front of him for consultation.

All of the sixth-graders in Debra Krygeris' class at Belle Aire School chatted animatedly with their groups as they tried to uncover the mystery of the mummies they had been given.

Click here for the rest of the story.

Click here for photos from the excavation.

Communicate 58 is a periodic, subscriber-based e-newsletter published by the Downers Grove Grade School District 58 Office of Community Relations. It is designed to offer our district community a convenient way to stay informed about what's happening in the district.

Please send questions, comments and feedback to Jennifer Waldorf, Coordinator of Communications, at jwaldorf@dg58.org.

Do you know someone who would like to receive Communicate 58? Please encourage them to visit www.dg58.org to sign up--and please pass this e-mail along to anyone who might be interested in the information.

In this issue

Life Safety bond issue postponed

Weather closing notification procedures

Bacon Brothers concert to benefit Foundation

Foundation gives away grants

Preschool registration dates set

Fossil Finders at Fairmount

Egyptian excavations at Belle Aire

Holiday concerts in District 58

E-flyer postings

Dates to remember

Upcoming holiday music