Henry Puffer Teacher Andrew Kupisch and El Sierra Principal Jason Lynde won this year's Distinguished Service Awards.

El Sierra Principal Jason Lynde remembers his first year of teaching fondly. District 58 hired him to teach at Herrick Middle School. He enjoyed the camaraderie among the staff and the enthusiasm among his students.

One of his students really stood out. This eighth grader, Andrew Kupisch, had an incredible work ethic and sense of humor, Lynde remembered.

"Andrew was the type of student who wanted to include his teachers and friends in the things that interested him," Lynde recalled. "When he learned that I hadn't seen the movie 'Spaceballs,' he told me I'd like it and lent me his copy."

Kupisch, now a third grade teacher at Henry Puffer, continues to share his interests with teachers, friends and now his students, as well.

"During Earth Week, my students and I wondered how much food people throw away, so we sent a few tweets to notable chefs and did some independent research," Kupisch said. "We learned a lot!"

Kupisch likewise remembers his eighth grade teacher fondly. In fact, he said Lynde, along with his parents and his sister, all inspired him to become a teacher.

"Jason understands that to be an effective teacher you need to know the

The students who nominated Lynde react when they learned he won the Distinguished Service Award.

heart of the student, you need to understand what motivates them," Kupisch said. "That's something I've taken with me as I've developed into a teacher."

Lynde and Kupisch once again stood side-by-side last week, as the Education Foundation named them this year's Distinguished Service Award recipients. This award is annually presented to two District 58 employees who consistently exceed expectations.

Several students and parents in the District's new biliteracy program, which is housed at El Sierra, nominated Lynde. Kupisch was nominated by six of his current students and parents.

"When I learned I was nominated for a DSA, I was blown away," Lynde said. "It showed me how much the biliteracy program meant to the families. The biliteracy teacher, Maria, deserves the credit, but to know that the families appreciate how much I support the program means a lot too."

Likewise, Kupisch was surprised and excited to learn he received an award nomination.

"I had no idea. I was very honored and humbled," Kupisch said. "It's so humbling to know that someone even considered me as a DSA nominee. I appreciate it so much."

Congratulations to Andrew Kupisch, Jason Lynde and all of our 2014-15 DSA nominees! View a video honoring our nominees here!

Learn more about the new Building Bridges PTA Committee

Does your child have an individualized education plan (IEP) or 504 plan? Would you like to connect with other parents who have special needs children? Do you have questions about special services in District 58?

If you answered yes to any of the above questions, please consider attending an informational night for Building Bridges, a new group started through the Downers Grove Area PTA Council. The meeting will take place Wednesday, May 13 at 7 p.m. at Hillcrest School, 1435 Jefferson Ave.

Like its namesake, this new PTA group aims to build bridges between families with special needs children and the school community. Committee Chairpersons Mia Churma and Lisa Schue, as well as Assistant Superintendent for Special Services Jessica Stewart, will lead the meeting, seeking input about what a group like this could mean to your family and the community at large.

To attend, please sign up or just show up! Please consider liking the Building Bridges Facebook group. 

In honor of Teacher Appreciation Week, the Education Foundation of Downers Grove District 58 invites families to give thanks to a special teacher or staff member with a donation to its Green Apple Teacher/Staff Recognition Program.

With each donation you make, the Education Foundation will send a specially designed Green Apple Award card to the teacher or staff member you are honoring, with a custom message from you. Superintendent Dr. Kari Cremascoli and/or the school principal will hand-deliver all Green Apple Awards to their recipients. 

Your donation will directly support District 58's students and staff through the Foundation's annual teacher grant program, which funds innovative programs in the classroom. This school year, the District 58 Education Foundation awarded nearly $28,000 in grant funds to District 58 teachers! 

Donations may be sent by check or with PayPal online at www.58foundation.org/greenapplerecognition/. All donations are tax-deductible. Please send questions to [email protected]. If you would like your Green Apple Award to be hand-delivered, please submit your donation by Friday, May 29. 

The Education Foundation, in partnership with the Tivoli Theatre, hosted a tremendously successful evening with Poi Dog Pondering at the Tivoli April 23. The show netted about $25,000 for the Foundation and its programs that benefit District 58 schools.

"This is our biggest fundraiser of the year!" said Education Foundation President Amy Kovacevic. "It brings parents, friends and colleagues together to enjoy an excellent concert in a spectacular venue." 

The show also included a cameo by Herrick student Eva Bednard, who performed with the Poi Dog Pondering band. 

The Education Foundation offers a special thanks to Classic Cinemas, who has donated the Tivoli Theatre every year since the first event 12 years ago. In addition to Classic Cinemas, this year's event sponsors were Lemon Tree Grocer, Tobias Music and Rank Entertainment.

View more photos and information here.

Mesmerized. 

That's the best word to describe Hillcrest students on the morning of May 1. They attended a special assembly to kick off the Student Council's spring fundraiser, called "Funding for Fun." The fundraiser seeks to collect $10,000 for Hillcrest's future all-inclusive playground.

As the students watched a video describing what an inclusive playground looks like, their jaws dropped and they vocally marveled at it. "Wow!" they exclaimed.

Once built, the Hillcrest all-inclusive playground would be the first of its

Hillcrest parent Peg Chaidez and her son, Owen, lead Hillcrest's effort to build an inclusive playground.

kind in DuPage County. The playground would be accessible and fun for all children -- those with and without disabilities. 

Peg Chaidez, a Hillcrest parent, is leading a crowdfunding effort to make the Hillcrest all-inclusive playground a reality. She started a non-profit called The Dream Build Play Experience to coordinate the effort. All donations are tax-deductible.

Hillcrest students may bring donations to their classroom. Class totals will be recorded on a bulletin board outside the front office. When classrooms meet certain goals, they will receive prizes, such as popsicles, free time and a pizza party.

The general public may donate to "Funding for Fun" as well. Donate online at www.dbpexperience.com/donate. 

View more photos from the kickoff here.

More than 100 Fairmount community members came together to support families with autism at the recent Walk the Walk for Autism in Hinsdale. Organized by the Fairmount Student Council, the school raised more than $5,400 for the Charlie's Gift Autism Center! This organization provides therapy and services for children with autism and their families.

Fairmount gives a special thanks to Student Council moderators Bob Luciano and Jennifer Pope.

Eight District 58 schools have collaborated to raise awareness about rare diseases! The schools are encouraging families to participate in the Noah's Hope Cupcake Classic 5K, a race that donates proceeds to Batten Disease research. The race is May 17 and starts at McCollum Park in Downers Grove.

Participating schools include the Whittier and Kingsley student councils, as well as the Belle Aire, El Sierra, Henry Puffer, Pierce Downer, Herrick and O'Neill PTAs. Even if you do not attend these schools, you may still support this cause!

The race celebrates the birthdays of Noah and Laine, two Downers Grove children with Batten Disease. Every participant will receive a delicious birthday cupcake at the race's conclusion. The event includes a 5K race and a Kids 1-Mile Run.

Noah's Hope was developed by Noah and Laine's family to raise money to find treatments and a cure for Batten Disease, a terminal disease in which there currently is not a cure. Learn more about Batten Disease at http://bdsra.org/.

Learn more about the Cupcake Classic at http://www.noahshope.com/cupcake/index.htm.

The Whittier Student Council recently led the Whittier Cares-Hearts for Tornado Relief fundraiser to collect money for the victims of the April 9 tornadoes in Illinois.

Connor Podjasek, eighth grader at O'Neill

Connor received the Award of Merit in the Photography Category for his photo entry, called "Stop the Clock."  His winning photograph will be featured at several national art galleries in the coming year.

The PTA Reflections art competition annually invites students nationwide to reflect on a common theme and create

Connor's award-winning photos, "Stop the Clock."

original works of art in the categories of dance choreography, film production, literature, 

music composition, photography and visual arts. This year's theme was "The World Would Be A Better Place If..."

Two District 58 projects advanced from the state competition to nationals. In addition to Podjasek, Henry Puffer student Conor Schewe also advanced to the national competition for his photo, "The World Would be a Better Place If We Had More Trees."

"It was very exciting to see two of our District 58 student projects make their way to Nationals," said Hemaxi Mistry, District 58 PTA Reflections program coordinator. 

Learn more about the National PTA Reflections art competition here.