Welcome to the District Digest for Glen Ellyn School District 41.  This email will be sent to you periodically and will include district happenings and updates.


Superintendent Holds First Town Hall Meeting

Last week, on Wednesday, December 3, Superintendent Gordon hosted a Town Hall meeting with a focus on full-day kindergarten. Approximately 25 community members attended the meeting. Dr. Gordon presented information about the possibility of offering full-day kindergarten followed by an hour question and answer session about full-day kindergarten and any other topics of interest to the community. Some topics presented by the community included full-day kindergarten timeline, district finances, facilities and space at our elementary schools, enrollment trends, and assessment.

Dr. Gordon will be presenting three space options to support full-day kindergarten to the Board of Education in the near future. Community listening sessions about full-day kindergarten and space at our schools will be scheduled after the first of the year.

See link below for news coverage about the Town Hall meeting.
My Suburban Life

The next Town Hall meeting will be held on March 4, 2015. Save the date!


Board of Education Meeting Info

The Board of Education met on Monday, December 8. Please see the link for the Board meeting agenda, packet and audio recording.


Minutes from previous meetings can also be found at the link above.

D41's Spanish Liaison Featured in the Daily Herald


Gabriela Escobar, Spanish Liaison, District 41, was featured today in the Daily Herald article, "Glen Ellyn District 41 liaison reaches out to Spanish-speaking families."
 

Click to Daily Herald story with video


Thank you for your support of our district community, Gaby! 

Video helps refugee share his story with Glen Ellyn classmates - DailyHerald.com 


"Fourth-grader Soe Ka Maw may not always have the words to express himself in the language of his classmates at Glen Ellyn's Churchill Elementary School, but with a computer and a few drawings he has been able to show his classmates his past, present and future as a refugee."




Construction Update


Construction has been moving forward at all elementary schools. We are pleased to announce that classrooms will be complete and open at Abraham Lincoln and Ben Franklin for the start of school after the holiday break! Stay tuned for information about community open house events. Classroom additions at Forest Glen and Churchill are scheduled to be open in the fall of 2015.

Teacher Blogs about 21st Century Learning and PBLs 

Ben Franklin Level 2 STEAM teacher Suzi Smith wrote a blog for The Partnership for 21st Century Skills, the nation's leader advocating for 21st century readiness for every student, based in Washington D.C. Her blog post "Problem-Based Learning and Technology: Traveling Outside the Classroom Walls" was published on November 25, 2014.

Ben Franklin Elementary School is recognized as an Exemplar School by The Partnership for 21st Century Skills.




Lyons School District 103 Visit 


From time to time, District 41 hosts staff from other districts as a way to collaborate and learn from one another. Last week, District 41 welcomed Lyons School District 103 administrators and teachers during a visit to learn about how District 41 successfully teaches math. The group of eight from District 103 toured our four elementary schools and spoke with teachers to better understand math workshop and small group instruction within the math block. These visits benefit everyone and encourages important connections with other area districts. 

Flu Season is Here

Schools across DuPage County are seeing an increase in Influenza and Influenza like illnesses, this includes District 41. All schools are cleaned and disinfected every day, however it is impossible to completely stop the spread of viruses. This time of year, school custodians take extra special care when disinfecting common area surfaces such as door knobs, water fountains, sinks, toilets, etc.

Please remember that students with fever, vomiting, or diarrhea should not return to school until they are symptom free for a minimum of 24 hours. Also, the student should feel well enough to return to the classroom and be able to resume normal activities.

About the flu:
Influenza by definition is an acute viral disease of the respiratory tract, which usually lasts from 2 - 7 days. Influenza is spread from person to person by direct contact with infected droplets from the nose or throat. Airborne spread among crowded populations in enclosed spaces is quite common. The time between exposure to the infection and development of symptoms (incubation period) is usually 1 - 5 days.

What are the symptoms of influenza?
  • Fever (usually above 100 degrees)
  • Headache and bodyache
  • Runny nose
  • Mild sore throat
  • Weakness
  • Dry hacking cough
  • Vomiting / diarrhea

  • Try to avoid close contact with sick people.
  • If you are sick with flu-like illness, CDC recommends that you stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone except to get medical care or for other necessities. (Your fever should be gone without the use of a fever-reducing medicine.)
  • While sick, limit contact with others as much as possible to keep from infecting them.
  • Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
  • Wash your hands often with soap and water. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub.
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth to limit the spread of germs.
  • Clean and disinfect surfaces and objects that may be contaminated with germs like the flu.
If you have any concerns or questions about the flu related to our schools, please contact your school nurse.


 
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