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District 58 board ends 2009-10 year with balanced budget, approves spending plan for 2010-11
Thanks to careful planning and approximately $500,000 in cost containment measures, District 58 ended the 2009-10 fiscal year with a balanced budget. District 58 also made approximately $2 million in operating budget reductions for the 2010-11 budget in response to a variety of challenges posed by the state's fiscal problems and the tough economy. The School Board approved the district's $59.7 million budget September 13.
Cuts were designed to have as little impact as possible on programs and services provided to students. For the previous year's budget, District 58 made cuts/found savings in the areas of supplies, equipment and purchased services. Cuts to the 2010-11 budget included reducing benefits premiums, reducing staff development and eliminating discretionary field trips.
The cuts in 2009-10 and 2010-11 were made in response to projected shortfalls in state funding, as well as sharp decreases in other revenue sources such as interest income on investments and a flat Consumer Price Index.
Please click here for the rest of the story.
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 District 58 enrollment increases for first time in years
Superintendent Paul Zaander reported at the Sept. 13 School Board meeting that overall enrollment in District 58 has increased by 53 students over last year, factoring in a drop of 59 students at the middle school level. Among the larger increases were 59 in first grade and 56 in third grade.
He said that the district is excited to see its population increase, as enrollment has held steady for years. Total sixth-day K-8 enrollment for 2010-11 was 4,828; including preschool it was 4,978. |
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District 58 hosts first ELL curriculum night
In light of the great success of the Navigating the American
Educational System seminars District 58 provided for Spanish-speaking families
in 2009-10, this year the district's English Language Learners department
offered the first-ever Curriculum Night designed specifically for parents of
students receiving ELL services. More than 50 parents from throughout District 58 attended
the event Sept. 29 at El Sierra. "This is the first time we've done a curriculum night
specifically for our Limited English Proficiency families. The event was
designed to address areas of concern that are of interest to our LEP parents,
and it was very well-run. Our parents had many questions for our staff, and the
feedback was extremely positive," said Terry Martin, District 58's assistant
superintendent for special services. For the full story, click here.
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School Board approves strategic goals for 2010-11
On Sept. 13, the School Board approved the District 58 strategic goals action plan for 2010-11. This year's goals include:
* Completing a stakeholder-driven Strategic Planning Process to aid the district in the development of long-range planning
* Continuing to support the district-wide implementation of Response to Intervention in 2010-11
* Providing support for the review and development of a service delivery model for English Language Learners (ELL)
* Reviewing and developing programs that address students' social and emotional learning
* Providing support for the development of the district's math curriculum
* Evaluating the district's current Web site and exploring opportunities to expand its impact as an interactive tool for parents, staff, students and the community
To view the full 2010-11 Strategic Goals action plan, please click here.
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District 58
earns statewide communications awards
Downers
Grove Grade School District 58 has earned four communications awards from the
Illinois chapter of the National School Public Relations Association for publications
and projects produced during the 2009-10 school year.
District
58's Communications Department earned an Award of Excellence, INSPRA's highest
honor, for its Communicate 58 e-newsletter, as well as Awards of
Merit for its 2009 Back to School Report, 2009-10 Bridges newsletters and 2009
Author Fest video.
The
INSPRA Communications Contest is an annual opportunity for school districts to
submit publications and projects for judging by a panel of experts. The judges
apply a rubric to evaluate each entry against the highest standards in
professional communications.
The
awards were presented during a ceremony in Oak Brook on Sept. 24. To view
District 58's Author Fest video, the 2009 Back to School Report, Bridges and
past issues of Communicate 58, please visit www.dg58.org/community_relations/index.htm. |
 Latest e-flyer postings in District 58
Parents and community members can view District 58's e-flyer postings at www.dg58.org/community_relations/flyer.htm. For
families without Internet access, copies of flyers are available at
the Administrative Service Center, 1860 63rd St., as well as at
individual schools.
Flyer postings for September 15 through October 15 include:
Girl Scout recruitment
Downers Grove Park District October Park AveNews
Yoga Kids at Yoga Among Friends
Sabre Hockey registration
SASED fundraiser at Downers Grove Culver's (event Oct. 6)
Downers Grove Holiday Tree Lighting
Friends of the Gifted Super Saturday registration
Downers Grove tree-lighting entry form
DuPage County candidates' fair (event Oct. 17)
Lester School PTA 5K (event Oct. 24)
Michael's gluten/allergen-free demonstration (Oct. 17)
Midwest Ballet Theater Nutcracker
Midwestern University Halloween Fest (event Oct. 29)
Night at the Firehouse (event Oct. 6)
Rotary Club Halloween window-painting (event Oct. 23)
Trunk or Treat (event Oct. 29)
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Shaping our future: District 58 seeks community input as first step of Strategic Plan process
Have you taken District 58's Strategic Plan survey yet?
As District 58 works to define its priorities and direction
for the next five years, the development of a revised Strategic Plan created
in partnership with our stakeholders is a key part of the process.The first step is a
community-wide survey, the results of which
will help to determine the focus points for a day-long community engagement
workshop.
The community survey, posted at www.dg58.org/StrategicPlan.htm, will be open until Oct. 15. In
addition to the link on our Web site, paper copies of the community
survey are available at our school buildings and at our
Administrative Service Center, 1860 63rd St.
The community input gained from the survey and the workshop
will assist District 58 in developing a stakeholder-driven Strategic Plan to
focus our mission going forward. The board's goal is to adopt the Strategic
Plan this spring, and communications regarding the various steps of the
Strategic Plan process will be ongoing throughout the school year.
Please call (630) 719-5800 with questions about the survey
or about District 58's Strategic Planning process.
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O'Neill student council donates playground equipment to Maywood's Washington School
Students at Washington School in Maywood will have more to do during recess now, thanks to the O'Neill Middle School student
council. When the student council heard that Washington didn't hav e enough recess equipment, they
decided to hold a fundraiser. They
chose a dodge ball tournament because it seemed like a natural way to raise
money for recess equipment, and because they knew they would get wide
participation, said student council vice president Emily Seiden. Sure
enough, more than 100 students paid to participate in the tournament, the
highest number ever for a single student council event, said the organization's
president, Abby Kargol. The
winning team played the staff, and that game took a while because everyone was
so good, Seiden said. The tournament brought in $350, which was used to purchase bins full
of recess equipment--including jump ropes, balls and hula hoops--for Washington
School, as well as school supplies such as pens and paper. Click here for the rest of the story.
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 Kingsley, Indian Trail students use app to ID birds at camp
Who says bird-watching can't be engaging for sixth-graders?
Throw an iPod Touch with a bird-identification app into the mix, and it makes
for a captive audience--just ask Kingsley teacher Gayle Gissy. Using iPod Touches purchased last year by Kingsley through a
grant and an application called iBird Explorer 15, Gissy led Kingsley and Indian Trail students through a bird
identification activity at Camp Edward, District 58's annual sixth-grade outdoor
education program. Click here for the rest of the story!
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Waste-free Wednesdays cut trash at Pierce Downer
Pierce Downer School is committed to "going green,"
and lunchtime has provided a perfect opportunity for students to get involved
in that process. Wednesdays at Pierce Downer have become known as
Waste-Free Wednesdays. Students are encouraged to use only reusable  containers
on those days and to bring home the leftover contents of their lunches. "When our students make conscious efforts to
recycle and reuse, not only are they helping Pierce Downer 'go green,' but they
are also learning to be good stewards of the earth," said Assistant
Principal Sabrina Breault. Click here for the full story.
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 Lester first-graders nurture seedlings in plant unit
First-graders at Lester School are learning all about plants by growing and caring for their own.
As part of the class's plant unit, students have planted a variety of seedlings, including fast-growing brasica. They planted grass seeds to create their own "lawns," which they "mowed" with scissors last week after checking out their root structure at the bottom of the clear cup.
First-grade teacher Pat Szczurek said the students water their plants and check on their progress regularly. Their study of plants will conclude with a trip to Lyman Woods at the end of the month to participate in the Little Sprouts program, in which all District 58 first-graders take part. |
Kinder Morgan Foundation awards grant to O'Neill
O'Neill
Middle School will be adding more tools to its scientific technology arsenal
this year, thanks to another grant from the Kinder Morgan Foundation. Meg
Van Dyke recently learned that she had received a $5,000 grant from the Kinder
Morgan Foundation for technology use in the classroom. This latest grant
supplements several others she has received for O'Neill over the past few
years, including a $5,000 grant from the same company in 2009-10. "During
these tough economic times, it is especially wonderful that Kinder Morgan
continues to commit to providing funds that make possible the purchase of
cutting-edge technology for the classroom," Van Dyke said.
Kinder
Morgan is an energy transportation, storage and distribution company with offices in Downers Grove. The
$5,000 grant will be used to purchase items such as an interactive whiteboard
and handheld computers for collecting data in the field.
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Lester School opens registration for first Fun Run
Do you think you can outrun a leopard?
Hopefully you'll never have to, but you can run with other Lester families and supporters at the first annual Running of the Leopards, sponsored by the Lester PTA. This event will include a 5K Run/Walk and a one-mile Kids' Dash for ages 10 and under.
The event will take place Sunday, Oct. 24, beginning and ending at Lester School, 236 Indianapolis Ave. Late registration and packet pickup will be from 7 to 7:30 a.m. The 5K run/walk will begin at 8 a.m., and the one-mile kids dash will begin at 9 a.m. Closing ceremonies, music and food are scheduled for 10 a.m.
The cost is $25 for adults 16 and older, $15 for children 15 and under, or $75 for a family of four or more. All proceeds benefit the Lester PTA.
For more details and to register, visit www.lesterpta.com.
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Super Saturday class registration now open
Registration is now open for the fall session of Super Saturday, which is sponsored by Friends of the Gifted and open to all K-8 students. These enrichment classes are held on Saturday mornings, October 23 through November 20 at O'Neill Middle School, 635 59th St., Downers Grove. Super Saturday class offerings cover more than 40 subjects, including math, science, chess, codes and ciphers, robotics, art and yoga. New subjects this session include the History of Rock and Roll and Environmental Science.
Click here for more information or to register.
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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.
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Dates to remember
| Wednesday, October 6--Board of Education Coffee with Staff, 7:30 a.m., O'Neill Middle School
Tuesday, October 12--Regular board meeting, 7 p.m., Longfellow
Monday, October 25--Curriculum Workshop (school report cards), 7 p.m., Longfellow
Tuesday, October 26--Policy Committee meeting, 7 a.m., ASC
Wednesday, October 27--Legislative Committee meeting, 3:45 p.m., ASC
Click here for the full 2010-11 District 58 calendar, including institute days and holidays.
Click here for the 2010-11 Board of Education calendar.
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