Pierce Downer This Week
October 20, 2023
Pierce Downer Families,
Parents should have received an email on Thursday, Oct. 19 inviting them to sign up to purchase lunch for their elementary-age student (K-6) if they choose. Parents can sign up and begin ordering lunch now but the program begins the week of Monday, Oct. 30.
The lunches can be ordered through MyMealOrder (www.MyMealOrder.com) and are made by District 58’s food service provider Quest. The online program gives you the ability to manage and pay for your student’s meal purchases and they will be delivered to your child’s school. To sign up, visit: https://MyMealOrder.com and click the login button, then click on “Register for a Free Account.”
You will need your student’s ID number, last name and school to complete registration. In the Oct. 19 email, you received your student’s ID number. This document shows detailed step-by-step directions to set up an account and to begin placing orders. Once you finish registration, you may log in to begin managing your student’s account instantly. Students who currently receive a lunch under the free/reduced lunch eligibility will continue to do so, and should not use the MyMealOrder system at this time.
Coming up next week, Pierce Downer will be celebrating Red Ribbon Week to remind us to stay drug free. This year, Student Council has planned fun days for Monday, October 23 - Friday, October 27. Those days can be found in our "Mark Your Calendar" section below!
Below you will find guidelines for the upcoming Halloween Parade and Parties. As a reminder for all party volunteers, please make sure to stop by the Pierce Downer office and have your drivers license or state ID processed through our visitor management system by Friday, October 27th. District 58 has a rich and diverse population in our learning community. District 58 staff members recognize that many families have different beliefs; and because of religious, cultural, or personal reasons, some families may choose to not be involved in Halloween activities. If you would not like your child(ren) to participate in Halloween activities, please communicate this with your classroom teacher and with me. We will then find an alternative location and activity for your child during the Halloween activities.
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
Pierce Downer 2023 Haunted House Competition
All students are invited to take part in the 2023 Pierce Downer Haunted House Competition. Students can work alone or with one other student to create a haunted house. Bring your finished house to the Library the week of October 23-27. Voting will take place the following week. Please note the following important guidelines:
Houses must be based on a SINGLE shoe-box or similar-sized box
You can buy decorations, but haunted house kits are not allowed
Battery-operated lights on your house are fine, but no sound effects
Haunted houses must be school-appropriate (no weapons, violence or blood)
Houses that do not meet the guidelines will not be allowed in the competition
BRIDGES Math Support for Families (click the picture to access the link)
PD Cup Recipient
Congratulations to Mrs. Lewis, Instructional Assistant at Pierce Downer School. Mrs. Lewis provides support for students throughout the entire building. She is always willing to be flexible and answer the call of duty!
Thank you Mrs. Lewis for everything you do!
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.
October 22
Son Plus One PTA Kickball Event 3-5pm
October 23-27 Red Ribbon Week
Monday: Too Bright for Drugs (wear neon, tie-dye, bright or orange!)
Tuesday: Too Smart for Drugs (SSR for 20 minutes to show that we are TOO SMART to START!)
Wednesday: Stay Healthy (Wear exercise clothes to show we choose a healthy lifestyle)
Thursday: Too Cool for Drugs (Wear sunglasses)
Friday: We are REaDy to say no to drugs! (wear red!)
October 31
Halloween Parade at 1:45
Class parties immediately following
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.