We thank you for your continued support of District 58 and its neighborhood schools, and welcome you to the 2011-12 school year!
As you have no doubt heard, we experienced major problems with our bus service during the first week of school. We continue to work closely with our new transportation provider, Westway Coach, to fully remedy the situation and ensure the company delivers the level of service our families deserve. You can view the following statements on our website for further information: Statement posted August 30; Update posted September 1
Despite these challenges, our students and staff had a wonderful start to the school year, and much was accomplished this summer.
Crews replaced the roof at Henry Puffer School and accomplished a variety of other tasks to ensure that our students returned to clean, safe buildings. Click here for the full list.
In July the Board of Education approved a new Strategic Plan for District 58, developed in partnership with the community during the 2010-11 school year. The high level of stakeholder involvement was gratifying, as was the high level of support indicated for District 58's current programs and services. Please click here to visit the Strategic Plan page on our website for further details, including our target areas for future focus.
Also in July the Board of Education approved the tentative 2011-12 spending plan, and are set to approve the balanced budget Sept. 12. Click here for more information.
As a result of the strategic planning process, on August 8 the District hired Wight and Co. to conduct a comprehensive facilities assessment. The consulting firm will study all 13 schools for their educational adequacy, and perform a physical assessment of each District building. Click here to view the full story on our website.
On Aug. 22, the board approved a new three-year contract with the Downers Grove Elementary Education Association, the result of a positive, highly collaborative process. You can get more information by clicking here.
We were pleased to learn last month that we received a $120,000 Preschool for All grant from the state to educate our at-risk early childhood students. Click here to learn more.
We welcomed 29 new certified staffers to District 58 during a comprehensive week-long orientation the week of August 15, and brought on board four administrative team members. Click here for more.
We also honored nearly 30 staffers for reaching milestones in their service to District 58. We appreciate the dedication and commitment to making our schools such a wonderful place for our students to learn and grow. To see the list of honored employees, please click here.
While District 58 students continue to be very successful academically, staff continues to work to improve the district's education program. The District has implemented its first bilingual education program this year; plans to bring a new math curriculum to the Board of Education for adoption next fall; and continues to focus on meeting the needs of all learners through Response to Intervention. For more information about the District 58 curriculum, please click here to visit the Curriculum Overview page on our website.
District 58 staff cares deeply not only about students' academic development, but also about the well-being of each child as a whole person. Staff continues to develop and implement strategies that support social-emotional learning (SEL) as a vital component of the educational program. Click here for more information on SEL in District 58.
District 58 utilizes a variety of channels to communicate with the community. In addition to the Communicate 58 e-newsletter and our printed publications, you can stay connected online by visiting our website. At www.dg58.org you'll find a variety of information, including board policies and agendas; District news; curriculum information; parent resources; financial information; and photo galleries/stories from school, District and Education Foundation events and activities. You can also find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/district58, and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/DGDistrict58.
We hope you find Communicate 58 to be informative and useful, and we welcome any feedback you might have. If you ever have a question or a comment about this publication, District 58 or any of our programs, policies or procedures, please don't hesitate to e-mail our Communications Coordinator, Jennifer Waldorf, at jwaldorf@dg58.org, or call (630) 719-5805.
Here's to another great year in District 58!
Paul C. Zaander
Superintendent of Schools
Downers Grove Grade School District 58
The mission of District 58, in partnership with parents and community, is to challenge and engage each child by providing quality educational programs and support services in a safe, nurturing, and child-centered environment in order to prepare all students to be lifelong learners and contributing members of a global society.
