109 News

Thank you to everyone for your patience and understanding last week regarding the storm-related events that forced us to close school for a day. A huge thank you to our Buildings & Grounds Department, who worked around the clock to prepare our schools for learning. We also want to thank our partners at the Deerfield Police Department, Deerfield Bannockburn Fire Department, ComEd, and others who worked to restore order in our communities and get the lights back on!

As last week's events have shown us, we need to be able to reach you in case of unexpected news!

Some families still need to complete the quick process of verifying their information for this year. It's also an easy way to read and acknowledge our handbook and review district opt-out forms. Please head to Skyward to get started today!

It's a book in high demand in the area: over 1,500 people are on a waitlist of some sort at the Deerfield Public Library to get a copy of The Anxious Generation.

Mr. Simeck has spoken at length at Board of Education meetings and other events about important topics discussed in this book and how we, as a school district, would like to engage our community in a discussion about collective action.

South Park recently held a kickoff meeting with dozens in attendance, and all of our other schools are planning school-based meetings in the coming weeks. Please pay attention to your Friday principal newsletters for information on those.

You do not have to read the full book to join the conversation! Since many of us are short on time, the links below will provide you with enough information to participate in conversations.

Video Interview with the author (21 minutes)

Video Summary (9 minutes)

Written Summary (4 minutes)

Again, look for more opportunities to be engaged as the school year progresses.

We launched a new website over the summer! As part of the launch, we have a two-month trial with Scout, our new DPS 109 AI-powered search puppy. He can search the website for you in just seconds. Give him a try and use the provided tool to rate him. If not enough people use him between August and September, he may not stick around! Just go to dps109.org and click on the little circle with him tucked into the bottom left corner.

Throughout the year, we will share photos and videos from our schools and community capturing the magic of learning! Below, inquisitive kindergarteners at Wilmot had a LOT of questions for their principal, Dr. Brett, and Superintendent Simeck!

Below: a local artist was hired by the Deerfield Area Historical Society to paint all of the buildings in their historic village and we got to see some of his work on arguably our favorite building during the lunch hour!

The Deerfield Parent Network has an upcoming talk at Caruso intended for parents of 6th & 7th graders. Among the topics covered: lunch, clubs, & activities at the middle school; technology, texting & apps; fostering independence & setting boundaries, and more. No RSVP is required. The discussion is on Tuesday, September 17th from 7:30-8:30 p.m. For more information, visit deerfieldparentnetwork.org.

Our friends at Community: The Anti-Drug share their newsletter with our families every other month. This issue includes advice on how to navigate tricky subjects on a playdate, a new drug-free campaign at DHS, and some spotlights on the amazing volunteers that are a part of CTAD.

If you're looking for something to do with little ones, the Deerfield Public Library has a lot of great programming coming up! Sign up today for next week's "Storytime Under The Stars," intended for grades K-2. The event takes place on Monday, September 9th from 7-7:30 p.m. Get more information here and check out future library programming!