109 News

Next week, DPS 109 celebrates Staff Appreciation Week! We’re proud to have an incredible team of educators who go above and beyond for our students and families every day. Each school and PTO has special tributes planned, but we also want to hear from YOU about the positive impact our staff has made at your child’s school, on your family.

Please fill out the quick shout-out form to recognize or thank a DPS 109 employee. We’ll share your kind words!

Note: By submitting a message, you consent to DPS 109 using your comment — with or without attribution — on our website and social media.

Students new to District 109, as well as all early learners, kindergarten students and sixth grade students must submit a health examination form before the start of the school year. Note that if the form is not submitted as required, students will be excluded from school on October 15th.

See all health requirements below, and find detailed information and the forms you need on our health information page.

On April 22, a group of more than 30 parents, staff, community members and civic partners gathered for the first meeting of the District 109 Referendum Task Force. This volunteer group has been assembled to consider the District’s most pressing facility needs and explore solutions and financing options.

Held at Walden Elementary, the first meeting gave Task Force members a comprehensive overview of the district’s current capital facility priorities. Participants also toured the school to see firsthand the infrastructure issues and opportunities being considered. The evening sparked meaningful discussion and thoughtful questions, setting the stage for continued collaboration in the weeks ahead.

The goal of the Task Force is to gather information, provide feedback and help shape a responsible and community-informed proposal that will be shared more broadly this fall. Importantly, no decisions have been made. District 109 is committed to listening carefully to community input throughout this process.

This is a significant moment for District 109. The outcome of this process will influence our schools—and by extension, our community—for decades to come. We are grateful to the Task Force members for volunteering their time, voices and perspectives in service of a stronger future for all students and for the Deerfield community.

This fall, look for opportunities to learn about the status of the District's facilities and finances, and provide your input on the options to address our needs.

New this year, District 109 kindergarteners will attend a two-day orientation to help them get ready for that big milestone: the first day of kindergarten!

In May, students will get their first chance to meet new classmates and explore the kindergarten classrooms while parents and guardians attend a 30–40 minute presentation led by the principal.

Then, in August, students will practice for kindergarten! They will come to school and experience key routines, activities and moments of independence that are part of kindergarten life. Each child will receive their assigned time slot in July. This is a drop-off event.

📅 May 13 & August 12: Wilmot and South Park
📅 May 16 & August 12: Kipling and Walden

If you have a rising kindergartener and haven’t started the registration process yet, please click below to get started!

Please share this information with friends and neighbors with incoming kindergartener!

In the past few weeks, you may have received emails from a name you didn’t recognize (or, maybe you did, and you're wondering if you've time traveled). Cathy Kedjidjian, APR, started the District 109 Office of Communications in 2010 and left for other school communications roles in 2018. Now she’s returned to lead us into our next chapter. Cathy has three children who went through District 109 and Deerfield High School.

Make sure to say hello when you see her around town! She also welcomes your emails with ideas or feedback, or a friendly 👋🏼👋🏾👋 at ckedjidjian@dps109.org.

As always, our department can be reached at communications@dps109.org.

For the past five years, DPS 109 has partnered with the Village of Deerfield to celebrate Arbor Day. Each year, the Village donates a tree to one of our schools, and students take part in a special tree-planting ceremony. This year, following remarks from Superintendent Mike Simeck and Mayor Dan Shapiro, Kipling first graders shared poetry they had written. Then, one representative from each class helped place the ceremonial first scoop of dirt! We know the white oak tree – and our students – will grow and thrive!

Thank you to Mrs. Jakymiw from our Board of Education for attending, and to the Village of Deerfield for their partnership.

Each year, students from all of our schools are recognized for their leadership at the IPA Breakfast. Congratulations to this year's DPS 109 representatives!

Here's a blast from the past! In honor of National Telephone Day last week, the library at Shepard gave students the challenge of dialing the school office number using a rotary phone.

The CMS Philanthropy Club took a meaningful trip to Orphans of the Storm Animal Shelter last week, where they delivered more thabn $1,700 collected by the group and other CMS students through the CMS Pet Wall of Fame.

In previous editions, we shared a ton of great pictures from the annual Pack the Place charity basketball game between Shepard students and Deerfield first responders. The SMS News team has been busy compiling a highlight video of the night. Check out their hard work below!

You know that DPS 109 is a supportive school community for students and families. The District also cultivates a community where staff feel valued, and they can pursue their career interests, whether they are teachers, administrators, support and office staff or guest teachers – all of whom play an important role in the education of our students. The District is currently hiring the following roles:

• Administrator Assistant to Buildings & Grounds
• Cross Categorical Teacher
• PE Teacher
• Guest Teachers (substitutes), with flexible schedules
• ...and more!

Visit dps109.org/DefineYourself to learn more about working for District 109 and to view all job openings.

The Deerfield Park District offers Before- and After-School Club for students in grades K-5 at each of our elementary schools. Visit page 30 of the latest Park District Program Guide for information about these programs.

The Village of Deerfield Board of Trustees is reviewing a proposed ordinance to regulate the use of motor-driven vehicles, such as scooters and bicycles powered by an electric or gas motor (and not a pedal), on public streets, sidewalks, and other public spaces in Deerfield. The proposal is in response to resident complaints and reports of accidents involving these vehicles.

The ordinance is scheduled for its first reading and discussion on May 5, with final consideration expected on May 19. Village Board meetings are held on the first and third Mondays of each month at 7:30 p.m. at Village Hall. You can read more about it on the village website.

Throughout the year, students receive lessons on digital citizenship and online safety in DPS 109. We know it can be hard for families to keep up with the latest apps and platforms kids are using these days. Join the Deerfield Police Department for their upcoming Safe Screens Workshop series:

• May 1 – Snapchat Safety

• May 15 – TikTok & Instagram

• May 29 – Minecraft, Roblox, & Other Chat Applications

Find more information on the Deerfield Police Department's website.

It’s that time of year again — the DPL Tournament of Books is back! In this 12th annual tournament, you can vote for your favorite picture books, early readers, chapter books, series, comic books, manga, nonfiction, and teen fiction. It’s up to YOU to decide who our eight champions will be!