Welcome to the District Digest for Glen Ellyn School District 41. District Digest will continue periodically throughout Summer 2015.

Fees Reminder 

All required fees are to be paid by August 7, 2015. If you are unable to pay your fees at this time you can make payment arrangements or apply for a fee waiver. Fees, payment arrangements or waiver applications must be completed in order to receive your student's class assignments or schedule in August.



Emergency Text Notifications 

Text messaging is one of the most popular and fast forms of communication available. District 41 would like to use text messaging as an additional form of emergency communication. If you would like to receive emergency messages on your cell phone via text (in addition to email and voicemail), please follow the below steps before the first day of school, August 24, if possible:
  1. Log on to Family Access - Click Here
  2. Click the Skylert button on the left.
  3. The Skyward contacts screen will appear for the different types of notifications. Scroll to the bottom of the screen and enter your cell phone number(s) in the "Text Message" section.
  4. Click Save.
Text messaging will not be used to communicate news items or event reminders. It will strictly be used for emergency school closings, emergency notifications about specific schools, bus delays, etc. Thank you for signing up for these important text notifications.



Lincoln School Literacy Teachers Host Writing Camp in Galena

The 2nd annual writing summer camp made its appearance again this year thanks to some dedicated District 41 literacy teachers. Set deep in the Galena woods at the Belden School, budding authors came from near and far to attend the popular camp prepared to write, illustrate, and produce their own hard covered book!

The camp, led by Pat HarteNaus and team of literacy teachers from Abraham Lincoln School including Kathleen Brennan, Kelley Vail, and Kim Mason, greeted the children on the first day of the writing camp with a bit of history of the 1859 Belden School. HarteNause, educator and author of The Belden Boy Series, is thrilled that this camp has been so popular. "I think the fact that there are no distractions in the woods is a major part of our success with this camp. It is not only an unusual concept to write in a one-room schoolhouse, but to produce a book that is written and illustrated by our authors under the close guidance of teachers really does help the self-esteem of each child along with instilling the joy of writing!" said HarteNaus. "Children came from all areas of the Tri-State area. We also had District 41 students from Lincoln and Forest Glen attend. There were many new faces this year."

This has been an incredible experience for children that encouraged the young authors to develop their writing and social skills. As stated by two young authors:

"This was a great experience to attend the Belden Boy Writing Camp in a one-room schoolhouse so I could learn how to write a children's book. I feel like a real author!" -Bella

"My experience at the Belden Boy Writing Camp allowed me to feel what it must have been like going to school in a one-room schoolhouse!" -Patrick

Next summer the camp hopes to return for its third year. HarteNaus says to keep a watchful eye for the April 1st sign up as it will be announced on the www.Beldenboy.com website.