District 58 reminds parents, community about inclement weather notification procedures

Should it become necessary to close school for the safety of our students, District 58 utilizes numerous tools to notify parents and community members.  

District 58 utilizes an automated calling system to alert parents of school closings. Parents are encouraged to make sure that their child's school has their most up-to-date contact information. New this year, District 58 is also offering parents the option to receive a text message, in addition to a phone call and e-mail, in the event of a school closure. To opt in, simply text YES to 68453.  

In addition to the automated calling system, District 58 posts information on its website, www.dg58.org, and places a message on the district's answering machine, which can be accessed by calling (630) 719-5800. The district also notifies the following radio/TV stations from which the official announcement is made: WBBM (780), WGN (720), CBS Ch 2, NBC Ch 5, ABC Ch 7, WGH Ch 9, FOX 32, and CLTV.

Parents may also check the status of the district or their school by going to www.emergencyclosings.com and searching for the school facility or school closings. Parents are asked not to call their child's individual school to check on whether classes will take place.  

Science Fair registration due Dec. 20 

All first through eighth grade students in District 58, as well as students whose parents are involved with Friends of the Gifted (FRoG) and live within the District 58 boundaries, are invited to submit projects for the annual science fair co-sponsored by Downers Grove Grade School District 58 and FRoG. The fair, which will take place Saturday, Feb. 1 at O'Neill Middle School, 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. Registration forms are due by Friday, Dec. 20. For more information, visit http://www.dg58.info/sciencefair. The fair will be open to the public from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Feb. 1, and everyone is encouraged to come and see the many creative, well-researched projects on display!

Grove Preschool to host open house for current, prospective families  

Last year El Sierra School earned a grant from the Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation to have a set of solar panels installed, making it the second District 58 school to make use of the alternate energy source. Hillcrest installed solar panels in 2010 with a grant from the same organization.  

The El Sierra PTA spearheaded the school's grant application, and on November 18, El Sierra Principal Lucille Carney and PTA Past President Laura Kamedulski shared information about the school's solar panels at a Village of Downers Grove workshop on residential solar panels. During the workshop, which was attended by more than 70 residents, Carney and Kamedulski talked about the benefits of the system from an energy-generating standpoint and from an educational standpoint. Students are using the data from the photovoltaic panels in various ways in lessons, ranging from tracking solar data as the seasons change to using sunrise and sunset times to measure the amount of daily daylight. The live solar panel data from El Sierra is available at www.IllinoisSolarSchools.org.  

Nearly 300 students, staff, families and retirees, as well as a dozen members of the Kingsley family and several local dignitaries, took part in a 50th anniversary celebration of Kingsley School on Nov. 24. The date was chosen because the original dedication of the school took place exactly 50 years ago to the day and date -- Sunday, Nov. 24, 1963.

 

Hundreds of well-wishers were treated to performances by the school's band, choir and orchestra. The student council presented information on the background of the school's namesake, James. W. Kingsley. Words of dedication and thanks were shared by School Board President Sallie Lupescu, Superintendent Kari Cremascoli, Principal Mark Stange, Assistant Principal Elynn Cunningham, PTA President Michelle Mungerson, reading specialist Cathy Seiden and U.S. Rep. Ron Sandack. All who spoke shared that Kingsley is truly a community and a family, where everyone supports and cares for one another.

Click here for the full story and photos!

Herrick celebrates 60th anniversary

November 21 marked the 60th day of Herrick's 60th year.  Students and staff played party games all week during lunch, including Duck Pond and Spartan Buckets. On November 21, eight brave staff members volunteered to be HMS celebrities and take a pie in the face. Each pie cost $1, and a total of $610.45 was raised for the Illinois Association for Junior High Student Councils State Service Project Camp Counts for Kids. 

Belle Aire students read to the dogs 

 

Therapy dogs recently returned to Belle Aire School as part of the PTA-sponsored LRC Family Night. Students read aloud to a trained volunteer therapy dog and the dog's faithful companion.  

Readers gain confidence and fluency, and have an opportunity to bond with a dog trained by the Delta Society or Therapy Dogs International.  

 

Click here for more photos! 

What's new on 58 Doing Good?

58 Doing Good was created to spotlight for our community the many wonderful service projects completed by District 58's students, staff and schools. Not only do these make a big difference for those who receive the items and donations, they also cultivate a spirit of giving, civic responsibility, generosity and compassion in the next generation of leaders.

Visit the 58 Doing Good page, www.dg58.org/58-doing-good, to read about these and other projects:

O'Neill Silver Cluster meets 179 percent of food drive goal for FISH pantry

Throughout the month of November, the seventh grade Silver Cluster students at O'Neill Middle School participated in a food drive to benefit families in District 58. Using the school report card, students calculated the exact number of cans they needed to collect so that every low-income household in the district would be the recipient of a food item. Once the math calculations were done, students set out to reach a goal of donating 465 cans of food.  

 

At first the task seemed a bit daunting, but not surprisingly, Silver Cluster students met the challenge put before them.  

 

They worked hard to advertise and collect items for the Downers Grove FISH food pantry. The day before Thanksgiving break, the students worked together to count the total number of items they collected. The final count was 833 donated food items. Using the figure for total number of items collected, the students calculated that they met 179 percent of their food drive goal.  

 

As a celebration for achieving their goal and for reflecting on all that they were thankful for, the students and Silver Cluster staff participated in a Thanksgiving Hobble Gobble. There was much enthusiasm and spirit as students and staff walked, jogged, and ran around the neighborhood surrounding O'Neill. The Hobble Gobble Tuesday was a perfect start to the holiday break!  

 

Herrick, Whittier students play 'Santa'  

for Toys for Tots 

 

Students from Herrick Middle School, along with several members of Whittier School's second-grade Brownie troop, played Secret Santa for a DuPage County Toys for Tots event November 22 at Toys R Us on Butterfield Road.  

Kids know what kids like, and the students made the gift-buying decisions for Toys for Tots. After Toys for Tots made the purchases, the students helped load the toys onto a trailer and bring them to the Toys for Tots warehouse in Lombard. Once they were unloaded, they were sorted and ready to be distributed to the neediest children in DuPage County. In 2012, DuPage County's Toys for Tots distributed 51,434 toys to the neediest children in DuPage and Kane County, and the goal this year is to exceed those numbers.

"On November 22, District 58 students helped add a few extra smiles. It just proves you are never too young to make a difference in someone's life!" wrote Matt and Sharon Passero, who helped to organize the students' participation in the activity. 

The next meeting of the District 58 Special Services Parent Group, scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 10 at 5:30 p.m., will feature a presentation by a panel of District 58 teachers and social workers about Social-Emotional Learning programs in District 58.

A District 58 education focuses on the whole child, and Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) is an important component. SEL, as defined by the not-for-profit Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL), is ''the process whereby children and adults develop essential social and emotional skills, knowledge and attitudes'' related to the core areas of social and emotional competency:

• Self-awareness
• Self-management
• Social awareness
• Relationship skills
• Responsible decision-making

Over the past few years, District 58, led by its Social-Emotional Learning committee, has focused on incorporating SEL at the district, building and classroom levels. District 58's goal is to create a learning environment where students show up eager to learn; feel a sense of connectedness to their school and teachers; feel safe from being treated poorly; perform to their fullest potential; treat all others with respect; and contribute to the well-being of the community.

The Special Services Parent Group meeting will take place from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. December 10, at Indian Trail School, 6235 Stonewall Ave., Downers Grove. Pizza and pop will be served at 5:15 p.m. Please RSVP to Cindy Gilbert at (630) 719-5824 or cgilbert@dg58.org.

District 58's Special Services Parent Group, facilitated by the District 58 Office of Special Services, offers an opportunity to meet in an informal setting and hear from speakers, share special education information and learn about new resources.