Pierce Downer this Week

Pierce Downer Families,

This week, Pierce Downer had its first evacuation drill of the year. The students did a phenomenal job safely exiting the building! We will have our Fire Department supervise our next drill on Wednesday, September 25th.

The PTA also hosted its first general meeting for the year on Thursday (9/19) evening. This meeting had a special guest, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction Elizabeth Ehrhart. We also spent some time reviewing an update on current achievement and growth data at Pierce Downer School. I am so proud of the hard work of our staff, students, and families.

Milk at Lunch

Pierce Downer continues to offer milk at lunch time for any interested Pierce Downer students. In order for students to recieve a milk, families must sign-up and pay for milk using this LINK. If you have any questions, please call the Pierce Downer School Office.

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

District 58 invites parents and guardians to sign up for fall 2024 parent-teacher conferences using the online PowerPTC conference signup system starting Tuesday, Sept. 24 at 11 a.m. via www.PowerPTC.net.

The sign-up window will close Friday, Oct. 4 at 11 a.m.

Parent-teacher conferences will be held in person. However, families who require a remote option should schedule their conference in PowerPTC and then change the meeting type from “in person” to “video conference.”

Conferences will take place on the evenings of Tuesday, Oct. 8 and Thursday, Oct. 10.

Please view the parent-teacher conference signup guide (para Español: Registro para las reuniones de padres y maestros) to learn how to sign up for a conference using the system, along with other helpful information.

As required by law, all new students, as well as students entering grades K, 2, and 6, must receive health examinations and immunizations and submit completed health forms by October 15th. To learn more check out the Health Services page on the District 58 website.

Thank you to many of the families who have already completed and submitted these forms. In accordance with Illinois law, failure to comply with these requirements by Oct 15 of the current school year, or 30 days following registration for first-time registrants, will result in the student's exclusion from school until such requirements have been met. All sections of the child examination form must be completed including the health history, which must be filled out by the parent.

District 58 communicates frequently regarding these requirements as it is our hope to avoid school exclusion for all of our students. If you are in need of additional assistance, our school nurse, (insert name here phone number, and email), would be happy to assist you in answering questions or connecting you with resources to complete this requirement.

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

Tuesday, September 24: Parent Teacher Conference Sign-Ups (11am)

Wednesday, September 25: Fire Department supported evacuation drill

Thursday 9/26 & Friday 9/27: District Office Closed

October 11: 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.