Weekly Update
February 28, 2024
NO SCHOOL: February 29 & March 1
There will be no school on Thursday, February 29 for Parent/Teacher Conferences and Friday, March 1 for Institute Day.
Mental Health Symposium - Saturday, March 9
Time: 8:30 AM - 12:30 PM
Location: Metea Valley High School, 1801 N. Eola Road, Aurora
- FREE and open to the public
- Childcare available for children ages 3 - 10
- Available to adults and students in grades 8-12
- Raffle prizes for both adults and teens!
- Adult Breakout Sessions
- Teen Breakout Sessions
- Adults receive a free copy of Growing Up in Public
- Students receive a free t-shirt
The Mental Health Symposium will include a keynote session by Dr. Devorah Heitner, author of Growing Up in Public and Screenwise: Helping Kids Thrive (and Survive) in Their Digital World. The keynote will be followed by a panel discussion with local experts to discuss the relevance of Dr. Heitner’s presentation in our schools and local community. For more information and registration, visit the Mental Health Symposium webpage. REGISTER HERE.
Funding for keynote speaker provided by the Healing Illinois grant, a competitive grant that Indian Prairie received made possible by a partnership between the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) and the Field Foundation of Illinois.
STEM Summer Camp 2024 (Kindergarten – Grade 8)
Student Hours: 8:30 - 11:30 AM
Location: Granger Middle School
Cost: $175 per student
Grades K - 2
Week 1: June 4 - 6 (No camp June 3)
Week 2: June 10 - 13
Grades 3 - 8
Week 1: June 17 - 20 (No camp June 19)
Week 2: June 24 - 27
Camp Invention and Invention Project are nationally recognized K-8 summer enrichment programs that have brought authentic invention education to children across the country for more than 30 years. Each year, a brand-new curriculum is developed and tested to deliver hands-on experiences that encourage divergent thinking and are designed to spark imaginations through open-ended engagement in creative problem solving.
Registration opens March 15!
5Essentials Survey
Parents across Illinois once again have an opportunity to participate in the annual statewide Illinois 5Essentials Survey. This survey is designed to generate a detailed picture of your child’s school as it relates to the important elements of school effectiveness.
On behalf of the Illinois State Board of Education, the Illinois 5Essentials Survey is administered online by the University of Chicago. All survey responses will be kept confidential. The state will provide survey results for individual schools only if a school has at least 20 percent of parents take the survey. If you have children attending more than one school, we ask that you complete the survey for each school.
To take this short survey:
1. Visit 5Essentials Survey Link
2. Type and select “Dupage” as "County." (The county is the location of the school district's main office.)
3. Type your school's name into the "School" field and select your school.
Last Chance for Inspire Gala Tickets!
There are only 30 tickets remaining for the Indian Prairie Educational Foundation’s (IPEF’s) third annual Inspire Gala, taking place on Friday, March 8, at the beautiful White Eagle Golf Club. Don’t miss this amazing evening of live music, food, art, wine, and a silent auction, showcasing our talented IPSD 204 student musicians and artists. This event raises funds for IPEF’s district-wide enrichment programs, including the Fine Arts Festival, free cardiac screenings for high school students, Robotics, mental health services, and support for our homeless and low-income students. Get Your Tickets Here Today!
Free Dental Screenings - March 1
The DuPage County Health Department Dental Program is joining the American Dental Association in the observance of the annual “Give Kids a Smile Day” on March 1, 2024. Dental screenings will be done by DuPage County Health Department dentists. In addition, children will receive oral health education and a free oral healthcare kit.
Regular dental screenings are important to determine oral health problems. Dental care has been identified as one of the largest unmet health needs among children in the U.S. Pain and suffering
associated with untreated dental disease can lead to problems with eating, speaking, and learning. Children in the U.S. miss 51 million hours of school each year due to dental related illnesses.
February A+ Award Winner - Rachel Pinta
The Indian Prairie Educational Foundation (IPEF) and District 204 proudly honor Rachel Pinta, an ELL teacher at Gregory Middle School and Scullen Middle School, with the February A+ Award. You can watch the A+ Award team’s surprise visit to recognize Ms. Pinta for “Making a Difference” in the February A+ Award Video.
Ms. Pinta was nominated for the A+ Award this year by District 204 parent, Carolina Pinho. The Pinho family moved here last year from Brazil and in her essay, Mrs. Pinho stated that it was tough moving to a new country and having to learn not only a new language but also a new culture. She went on to say “Ms. Pinta helped Lucas to connect to teachers and kids. Every time he struggled, she was there to help him. I don’t have enough words to thank Ms. Pinta. She was great and we were really lucky to have her last year at Gregory. Lucas is a happy freshman at Neuqua thanks to her.”
This is Ms. Pinta’s second year working in District 204. “This is such an honor!” said Ms. Pinta. “I’m so lucky to be able to work with these students every day!”
IPEF is proud to sponsor the A+ Award in its tenth year. You can nominate a staff member by visiting A+ Award.
Resources for Parents
Webinar- Virtual
Wednesday, March 20 | 6:30 - 7:30 PM
Title: Managing Your Teen’s Anger While Keeping Your Cool
- Speaker: Maurice McCLain, LCPC, CADC
- Identify triggers and causes of anger.
- Understand that anger is more than an emotion.
- Learn skills for your teen and yourself to manage anger.
- Register » VIRTUAL WEBINAR
Dr. Lori Desautels
Virtual Event
https://glenbard.zoom.us/j/82264113507
Thursday, February 29 | 7 - 8 PM
The Eyes Are Never Quiet: Listening Behind the Behaviors of Kids
Donna Jackson Nakazawa
Virtual Event
https://glenbard.zoom.us/j/83300270170
Wednesday, March 6 | 12 – 1 PM
Girls and Boys On the Brink: Helping Our Teens Thrive in an Era of Increased Anxiety, Depression, and Social Media
Donna Jackson Nakazawa
Virtual Event
https://glenbard.zoom.us/j/89676819932
Wednesday, March 6 | 7 – 8 PM
Girls and Boys On the Brink: Helping Our Teens Thrive in an Era of Increased Anxiety, Depression, and Social Media
More information here.
Spring Operation Snowball Retreat 2024 - I Can See Clearly Now
High School Students - Registration is now open for the 3-day Snowball retreat weekend, April 26-28, at Lorado Taft Field Campus! This Teen-led/adult-guided retreat offers the opportunity to discover something about yourself, make friends, have fun, and learn ways you can positively impact your peers. Spend a weekend focusing on self-care, growing leadership skills and seeing beyond the rain to a bright, bright sun shiny day. Register here.
Visit KidsMatter at the Community Resource Fair during the Mental Health Symposium on Saturday, March 9 at Metea Valley High School. KidsMatter is sponsoring a free copy of Dr. Devorah Heitner's book, Growing Up in Public, for all adult attendees of the keynote session at the symposium.
Safety Information
Safe Firearm Storage: Actions to Take to Keep Our Communities Safe
Safe firearm storage can help prevent and minimize the risk of firearm-related deaths and injuries. Everyone, both firearm owners and non-owners, has a role to play in building awareness of safe, responsible firearm storage. Below are simple, highly effective practices that can help to reduce firearm-related incidents in our community and help protect our kids. In addition to these practices, it is important to also engage children and adolescents in conversations about the dangers associated with using firearms and what to do and not do in the event they access a firearm, to prevent fatal or non-fatal injuries.
Safely Store Firearms: Store firearms—always unloaded—in a tamper proof locked cabinet, box, safe, firearm vault, or storage case that children or other unauthorized adults cannot access.
Safely Store Ammunition: Store ammunition in a separate, tamper-proof locked cabinet, safe, firearm vault, or storage case that children or other unauthorized adults cannot access.
Secure Firearms: Use trigger locks or cable locks to prevent a firearm from firing. (More information can be found on the Safe Firearm Storage Fact Sheet, developed by the U.S. Department of Justice.)
- Trigger locks use a mechanism that clamps down around the trigger or trigger housing to prevent it from being pressed (Note: trigger locks should not be installed on loaded firearms).
- In a cable lock, a cable is threaded through the barrel or action of a firearm to prevent it from firing.
Next Board of Education Meeting: March 11, 2024
The next regular Board of Education meeting is at 7 PM on Monday, March 11, 2024 at the Crouse Education Center, 780 Shoreline Drive, Aurora. Meeting agendas and documents will be available online prior to the meeting. Video of the regular meeting can be streamed live or viewed the following day at the District’s YouTube channel.
Third-Party Educational Programs
The following companies have rented space in our schools to offer an after-school educational program for students. The distribution of this material is in no way an endorsement of programs, services, activities, or products by District 204. For more information, visit programs.
This Week's e-Folder
This week's e-Folder has been updated with information on community programs. For more information about the programs listed below, visit the 204 e-Folder.