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Weekly Update
February 5, 2025
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NO SCHOOL: Thursday, February 27 (Parent Teacher Conferences)
NO SCHOOL: Friday, February 28 (Institute Day)
Mental Health and Wellness Symposium - March 8, 2025
The keynote will be presented by Doug Bolton, author, Licensed Clinical Psychologist, and Director of School Consultation for Formative Psychological Services. The symposium will include breakout sessions for students and adults, a community resource fair, a book fair, and childcare for ages 3-10. Adult attendees will receive a free copy of Doug Bolton's book - Untethered: Creating Connected Families, Schools, and Communities to Raise a Resilient Generation. The first 500 adult attendees will receive a welcome bag and the first 200 student attendees will receive a free t-shirt. New this year - experience sessions for adults and students and a complimentary boxed lunch for all attendees.
For more information, visit ipsd.org/symposium or register here.
5Essentials Parent Survey
Parents across Illinois once again have an opportunity to participate in the annual statewide Illinois 5Essentials Survey. This survey is designed to generate a detailed picture of your child’s school as it relates to the important elements of school effectiveness.
On behalf of the Illinois State Board of Education, the Illinois 5Essentials Survey is administered online by the University of Chicago. All survey responses will be kept confidential. The state will provide survey results for individual schools only if a school has at least 20 percent of parents take the survey. If you have children attending more than one school, we ask that you complete the survey for each school.
To take this short survey:
1. Visit 5Essentials Survey Link
2. Type and select “Dupage” as "County." (The county is the location of the school district's main office.)
3. Type your school's name into the "School" field and select your school.
The survey will be open through March 28, 2025.
Parent Teacher Conferences
Parent/teacher conferences for early childhood, elementary, middle and high school will take place this Thursday, February 27, 2025 from 1:00 - 8:00 PM.
Families with early childhood and/or elementary students received communication from their building principal about the process. Conferences have been scheduled through classroom teachers and communicated to families.
Middle and high school parents can schedule conferences through ParentVUE. To schedule your conference for middle and high school students, log in to ParentVUE and select "Conference" from the menu on the left side to see the times available. Once you have scheduled your conference, you will receive a pop-up window with a confirmation message when selecting a timeslot. Please note: Parents will receive a pop-up window when changing time slots that confirms a new time slot was selected and the old one was removed. Parents will no longer receive a confirmation email when selecting a timeslot. Parents can request an email with their full itinerary of all their students.
Coffee & Conversation - TONIGHT
Join us tonight from 7 to 8 PM in the Spring Brook Elementary LMC for coffee, light snacks, and conversation with District 204 Superintendent Dr. Adrian Talley, Board Member Justin Karubas, and Board Member Catey Genc. This will be an informal conversation to learn what you feel the district is doing well and what you would like to see in the district in the future.
This session will not be recorded. Individual situations will not be discussed. Register and submit your questions or discussion topics here.
School Safety Contest - Winners Announced
Indian Prairie School District 204 is proud to announce the winners of its first annual School Safety Contest, themed “Safe Schools Start with Us.” The contest aimed to raise awareness about the importance of school safety by encouraging students to submit posters, digital designs, and public service announcements (PSAs) that highlight ways to prevent threats, report concerns, and foster a safe learning environment.
The winners of the School Safety Contest are:
Elementary/Early Childhood:
First Place: Aria Ortega – Grade 1, Cowlishaw Elementary (View Entry Here)
Second Place: Arnav Kathuria – Grade 5, Owen Elementary (View Entry Here)
Third Place: Rajat Thakur – Grade 2, Brookdale Elementary (View Entry Here)
Middle School:
First Place: Dillan Wind and Caden Siears – Grade 8, Hill Middle School (View Entry Here)
Second Place: Evalynn Colin – Grade 7, Fischer Middle School (View Entry Here)
Third Place: Isabella Boynton – Grade 6, Hill Middle School (View Entry Here)
High School/STEPS:
First Place: Michelle Cano, Jackson Denius, William Bannon – Grade 11, Waubonsie Valley High School (View Entry Here)
Second Place: Aleeza Fawad – Grade 9, Neuqua Valley High School (View Entry Here)
Third Place: Sam Stecklein – Grade 12, Neuqua Valley High School (View Entry Here)
A special thank you to our judges and Rival5 for their generous sponsorship of our safety contest.
Communications Survey - Deadline February 28, 2025
To improve our communication with district families, IPSD 204 is conducting a communications survey to better understand how district stakeholders currently receive information from their child’s school and the district, and to understand their preferences on receiving information going forward. Please take a moment to share your perspective on communications you receive from your child's school and the district by completing this survey. The survey will be open through Friday, February 28.
2025 STEM Summer Camp
Kindergarten through Eighth-grade students are invited to participate in one OR two weeks of STEM Camp. This fun, hands-on STEM experience will provide students with activities from two different modules from either Camp Invention or Invention Project depending upon students' grade. Just as before, our STEM Camp will be taught by Indian Prairie certified teachers.
We anticipate that each camp will sell out, so register early to ensure your student has a spot to participate in STEM Camp 2025!
Questions? If you have any questions about this program or experience, please contact the STEM Camp program coordinator, Elizabeth Kaleta, at elizabeth_kaleta@ipsd.org.
Congratulations Jason Stipp - Illinois PTA Outstanding Administrator of the Year
Watch the video of Mayor Irvin's surprise visit to Waubonsie Valley to recognize Mr. Stipp.
February A+ Award: Pat Brusveen, Metea Valley
The Indian Prairie Educational Foundation (IPEF) and District 204 proudly honor Pat Brusveen, a Business teacher and men’s golf coach at Metea Valley School, with the February A+ Award. Watch the A+ Award video to see the team’s visit to recognize Mr. Brusveen for “Making a Difference in District 204”.
Mr. Brusveen was nominated for the A+ Award by former Metea Valley student, Kyra Henkle. In her essay, Kyra describes the profound impact he had on her as both a teacher and a mentor, instilling in her a passion for learning and a drive to succeed.
Kyra nominated Mr. Brusveen for this award citing the effectiveness of his engaging lessons and unmatched energy. Kyra states that, “I found myself eagerly looking forward to each class, excited about the new challenges and knowledge that awaited. These hands-on experiences within Mr. Brusveen’s classes were the catalyst for my passion for business, solidifying my decision to pursue it as a career.” She went on to describe how grateful she is for his exceptional service and the lasting legacy his passion for teaching continues to build at Metea Valley.
A+ Award sponsor Western Governors University is partnering with IPEF and District 204 to help recognize one staff member each month for making a difference for students. To celebrate these outstanding staff members, Western Governors University is generously donating $1,000 for each month’s winner to use in his or her school.
You can nominate a staff member by visiting A+ Award.
WVHS Planetarium Family Night March 7, 2025
Explore eclipses with the WVHS Planetarium on Friday March 7th. Last year we put on eclipse glasses to observe a solar eclipse as the moon’s shadow swept across the US. In a few days, we will observe a total lunar eclipse on March 13-14. Eclipse glasses are not required for a lunar eclipse. Programs start at 6:00 pm and 7:00 pm on Friday March 7th. Tickets are available online at store.ipsd.org .Sold-out programs will disappear from the webstore. Visit ipsd.org/planetarium for more information about Family Nights. Email questions to stephanie_rybka@ipsd.org Follow the WVHS Planetarium on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram for upcoming programs and local celestial events such as the total lunar eclipse.
Next Board of Education Meeting: March 10, 2025
The next regular Board of Education meeting is at 7 PM on Monday, March 10, 2025 at the Crouse Education Center, 780 Shoreline Drive, Aurora. Meeting agendas and documents will be available online prior to the meeting. Video of the regular meeting can be streamed live or viewed the following day at the District’s YouTube channel.
IPEF’s Inspire: Explore IPEF Breakfast Tickets Are On Sale Now!
Tickets are selling fast for IPEF’s Inspire: Explore IPEF Breakfast! Don’t miss your chance to attend this exciting community event.
When: Tuesday, March 18 from 7-9 AM
Where: White Eagle Golf Club at 3400 Club Drive Naperville, IL 60564
Get Tickets: Inspire Breakfast Information & Ticket Site
Sponsorship sales end March 3rd, and tickets are available through March 9th or until sold out. Secure yours today!
Resources for Parents
Thursday, February 27, 2025 | 7 – 9 PM
Sarah Ward and Dr. Jessica Minahan
HYBRID EVENT -- Practical Strategies for Reducing Anxiety and Increasing Executive Function Skills (Organization, Time Management & Task Completion)
Details
Thursday, March 6, 2025 | Noon and 7 PM
Sarah Vinson MD
Better Days: Supporting Kids' Mental Wellness When Things Aren’t OK
Details
Wednesday, March 12, 2025 | Noon and 7 PM
Dr. Alexandra Solomon
HYBRID EVENT -- Cultivating Healthy Relationships For Joy, Peace and a Meaningful Life
Details
Operation Snowball 3-Day Retreat
Registration is now open for the Spring Snowball retreat, March 21-23 at Camp Henry Horner! This teen-led/adult-guided retreat offers the opportunity to discover something about yourself, make friends, have fun, and learn ways you can impact your peers. Spend a weekend focusing on self-care, connecting with others and creating a community that you can count on! Register Here.
Third-Party Educational Programs
The following companies have rented space in our schools to offer an after-school educational program for students. The distribution of this material is in no way an endorsement of programs, services, activities, or products by District 204. For more information, visit programs.
This Week's e-Folder
This week's e-Folder has been updated with information on community programs. For more information about the programs listed below, visit the 204 e-Folder.
LWV League of Women's Voters of Naperville
International Night Feb 28 with University of Illinois Extension
Wildcat Theatre Summer Camp 2025
Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana
Scout Me in: Find a Cub Scout Pack Near You
Cub Scouts Pack 643. Three Fires Council
2025 OPUS 23rd Chamber Music Camp
Calendar
February 26: Coffee & Conversation (Spring Brook Elementary LMC)
February 27: No School (Parent/Teacher Conferences 1 - 8 PM)
February 28: No School (Institute Day)
March 8: 3rd Annual Mental Health and Wellness Symposium
March 10: Board of Education Meeting
March 18: IPEF Inspire Breakfast
March 24: Board of Education Meeting