Pierce Downer This Week
September 1, 2023
Pierce Downer Families,
This week our students were introduced to the PD PROMISE where we ask students to promise to BE RESPECTFUL, BE RESPONSIBLE, and BE SAFE. These three promises are embedded in our common expectations that we review regularly for all of the spaces throughout the school. Ask your students about the PD PROMISE and ways they can keep it throughout their day at school and at home!
Coming up, the Pierce Downer Curriculum Night is scheduled for Tuesday, September 5th from 6-7:30. Keep in mind that parking will be limited in the Pierce Downer parking lot and families are encouraged to use the street parking available on both Grant and Oakwood. The times for grade level presentations will be:
6-6:25: Grades 4-6
6:30-6:55: All grade levels
7:00-7:25: Grades K-3
As a reminder, This evening is intended for parent(s)/guardian(s) only and is an opportunity to have a lens into your student's learning this school year. Please note, the evening is not intended for discussions about individual students, as that opportunity will take place in October during scheduled Parent-Teacher Conferences.
With that being said, please do not hesitate to reach out. You can email me at LWagner@DG58.org or call the Pierce Downer Main Office at 630-719-5860.
As always, WE are PD!
Dr. Leland (Lucky) Wagner
Mondays and Fridays
As a reminder, every MONDAY students are dismissed at 2pm. We also invite students to wear orange on Mondays to support our commitment to a positive mindset, and spirit wear or school colors (blue and white) every Friday!
Are you receiving the important messages from District 58?
If you have not yet opted into the District’s text messaging service, please text “Y” or “yes” to 67587 to ensure that you will receive text messages from District 58. You can also scan this QR code. Text messages will be sent rarely and only for critical information such as a school closing.
PD Cup Recipient
Congratulations to Mrs. Sanders, 4th grade teacher, on being this week's PD Cup recipient. Mrs. Sanders is bringing a positive, energetic and optimistic approach to her classroom. She participated in the Orange Frog training this year and has continued to keep that mindset going!
Changes to lunch & recess schedules
This year Pierce Downer has the exciting opportunity to pilot a schedule that includes three lunch and three recess periods. Our goal is to reduce the overall number of students within each lunch and recess period in order to maximize staff supervision and increase student safety. This is also a part of our continued efforts to support positive student behavior. It is important to note that as with any pilot, if we do not find success by implementing this model, we will revert to our typical lunch and recess schedule. The pilot schedule is as follows:
- Kindergarten and First Grade will eat lunch at 11:20 am
- Second, Third, and Fourth Grade will eat lunch at 11:40 am
- Fifth and Sixth Grade will eat lunch at 12:00 pm
Parent/Guardian Handbook
We hope your family is excited for a great start to the 2023-24 school year! Please sign and return the attached receipt indicating that you have reviewed the Schools of District 58 Handbook with your child(ren). The form is due on or before our school’s Curriculum Night, which is Tuesday, September 5th.
Thank you for taking the time to complete this form!
Raptor Visitor Management System
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.
September 4
No School: Labor Day
September 5
Curriculum Night
6-7:30pm
October 12
Parent/Teacher Conferences
October 18
Parent/Teacher Conferences
Safe2Help Illinois
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.