Pierce Downer this Week

Pierce Downer Families,

What a fantastic turnout we had for Walk or Bike to School Day! It was motivating to see so many students and families embracing this PTA event, promoting both health and community. (just look at the picture above!)

We also enjoyed a wonderful PD Promise Assembly on Friday, where our students were fantastic listeners as we focused on safety.

As we look ahead, I want to remind you about our upcoming Parent-Teacher Conferences. These conferences are a valuable opportunity to connect with your child’s teacher, discuss their progress, and collaborate on their educational journey.

We also have our active threat drill scheduled for Friday, October 11. This is announced to students, is not a surprise, and emphasizes conversations about how to stay safe in different emergency situations.

Additionally, please mark your calendars for Picture Retake Day on October 15! If your child needs a new photo or wasn’t able to participate in the first round, this is the perfect chance.

How is school going?

To foster meaningful conversations at home between, here are three tips:

1. Ask Open-Ended Questions: Instead of “How was school?” try “What was the best part of your day?” This encourages your child to share more than just one-word answers.

   
   

2. Share Stories: Share your own experiences from school or work. This helps create a two-way dialogue and makes your child feel comfortable sharing their thoughts.

   
   

3. Set Aside Quality Time: Designate a specific time each day to sit down together, whether during dinner or before bed, to talk without distractions.

As always, please do not hesitate to reach to me with any questions. You can email me at LWagner@DG58.org or call the school office at 630-719-5860.

WE are PD-

Dr. Leland Wagner

Do you have young children at home? Do you have friends or neighbors with little ones? Please share this information!

District 58 offers free preschool and developmental screenings designed to identify young children, ages 0-5, who might have developmental delays and who would benefit from special education prior to beginning kindergarten.

Please make sure your child has a snack each day. Snack breaks should consist of nutritious food choices such as fruits, vegetables, and other portable snacks. This aligns with Policy 6:50. The health and safety of our students are our highest priorities. Therefore, certain snacks or foods may be prohibited in your child's classroom due to food allergies. A daily snack can be provided for students who qualify for free/reduced lunch.

While a student can bring their electronic device to school, all non-district-issued technologies are to be silenced and out of sight throughout the school day. Students are allowed to wear smartwatches, but they are to be silenced during the school day. The district-approved technology will be utilized for students to participate in lessons and complete assignments. Please be sure to go over the expectations with your students.

Please visit these webpages as you prepare for the new school year!

* Back-to-school toolkit

* Family resources

* 2024-25 school supply lists

* 2024-25 calendar

* Immunization/health examination requirements

* Kindergarten resources

* Food services

October 8: Book Fair (3-4pm, 5-8pm), Parent/Teacher Conferences (5-8pm)

October 10: Parent Teacher Conferences (5-8pm)

October 11: Safety Drill

October 14: No School

October 15: Picture Retake Day

District 58 has partnered with Safe2Help to give students a safe and confidential way to report potential threats or crises. Safe2Help was launched by the State of Illinois in December 2020 and aims to help prevent suicide, bullying, school violence and other threats to school safety.

With Safe2Help, students can connect with a trained crisis professional during their own crisis, or to report a potential threat. Students can submit a Safe2Help alert via the following ways:

• Website: https://app.safe22helpil.com
• Text: SAFE2 (72332)
• Phone: 844-4-SAFEIL (844-472-3345)
• App: "Safe2Help Illinois" app available in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store
• Email: HELP@Safe2HelpIL.com

All alerts are responded to by a trained Safe2Help crisis professional. Safe2Help is available 24 hours per day, 7 days per week.

District 58 staff are not the initial responders to the alert and will receive each alert after the Safe2Help professional provides support. District 58 staff will review alerts sent by Safe2Help during regular school hours, unless the nature of the alert necessitates immediate school action.

District 58 is pleased to continue using the Raptor Visitor Management System in all of our schools to strengthen our program of campus safety for students and faculty. Part of keeping students and faculty safe is knowing who is in our buildings at all times. The Raptor system will better allow us to screen visitors, contractors, and volunteers in our schools and provide us with a safer environment for our students and staff. Community High School District 99 currently utilizes the same platform on its campuses.

Upon entering a district building, visitors will be asked to present photo identification, such as a Driver’s License, which can either be scanned or manually entered into the system. If a parent or guardian for any reason does not have a US government-issued ID, the school staff member can use any form of identification and manually enter the person’s name into the Raptor system. The Raptor system will check to ensure that registered sexual offenders are not entering our school campuses without our knowledge. The Raptor system checks the visitor's name and date of birth for comparison with a national database of registered sex offenders. The registered sex offender database is the only official database checked by the Raptor system. No other data from the ID is gathered or recorded and the information is not shared with any outside agency. Once entry is approved, Raptor will issue a badge that identifies the visitor, the date, and the purpose of his/her visit. A visitor’s badge will not be necessary for those who visit our schools simply to drop off an item in the office or pick up paperwork.

The safety of our students is our highest priority and the Raptor visitor management system allows us to quickly identify those that may present a danger to our students. Thank you in advance for your understanding and your support in enhancing the school safety protocols in our district.