Pierce Downer this Week

Pierce Downer Families,

It was a great week at Pierce Downer School! It was so nice to welcome our families on Curriculum Night, providing a glimpse into their student's classroom. I would also like to recognize and celebrate our students and staff, who through the higher temps, stayed committed to learning! While we may still have a few hotter days, I am hopeful the extreme heat is behind us. I am thankful that District 58 plans to install window air-conditioning units in every classroom here at Pierce Downer during summer 2025. District 58 will work with its construction partners to ensure the school's electrical systems can handle this load, and, if not, will make the necessary upgrades to ensure it can. Crews will install full central air-conditioning at Pierce Downer in summer 2026.

Health/Physical Examination & Immunization Record due October 15th

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.

Fall Assessment Reports

Be on the lookout for Fall Assessment Reports at the end of next week. The reports will be sent home via email.

Patriot Day, September 11th

September 11 is Patriot Day. On this day, the President requests that the American flag be flown at half-staff and that we observe a moment of silence.

Patriot Day is a day we remember the events of September 11, 2001 and we honor and celebrate the courageous service of our firefighters, police officers, paramedics and military. On this day in our nation’s history, in the face of tragedy, we saw courage: firefighters, police officers, and paramedics rushed to help. We saw selflessness: strangers helped strangers. We saw love: people from around the world sent cards, supplies, and comfort. In honor, respect and remembrance of this important event in our nation’s history, we will now observe a moment of silence.

This day is an opportunity to turn something negative into a positive activity by honoring the good work of others and by doing good works ourselves. A day to look for opportunities to be courageous, selfless, and loving, and if possible, say thank you to those who work so hard to keep us well and safe.

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 the community to Downers Grove Oktoberfest on Friday, Sept. 13 and Saturday, Sept. 14. The festival will feature live music, a Kids Zone and authentic Oktoberfest food and brew in a traditional German atmosphere. This event is the Education Foundation of Downers Grove District 58’s largest fundraiser, and all proceeds will support the foundation’s programs for District 58 students and staff. Purchase tickets here.

Oktoberfest will take place in downtown Downers Grove in the train commuter lot on Burlington Avenue between Main Street and Forest Avenue, on Friday, Sept. 13 from 3-11 p.m. and Saturday, Sept. 14 from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Oktoberfest will feature headliner G Love & Special Sauce on Friday at 9:30 p.m. Other festival performers include Reckless, Cadillac Groove, Anchors Away, Thrill Pill, Wurst Kase Scenario, Battle of the Bands, and Tina Messmer King from Angel Song Entertainment.

Beyond the live music, Oktoberfest will offer traditional German fare (provided by Al’s Pizza) and beverages (provided by Cadence Kitchen and The Foxtail). On Saturday, the event will feature a Kids Zone that includes a reptile show, Chuck E. Cheese, magic show, face-painting, dunk tank, trackless train, inflatables, caricatures, painting, photo booth, donut eating contest, high school brat eating contest and more. View the Kids Zone event schedule for specific times for the above activities.

General admission is $25 for adults and $5 for children on Friday. Three tiers of VIP tickets can also be purchased. General admission is $10 for adults on Saturday, and a suggested $5 donation to enter the Kids Zone. Children, active military and veterans with military ID can attend for free on Saturday.

Oktoberfest’s success relies on volunteers! Sign up to volunteer here. Volunteers will receive free admission to the event during their volunteer shift, as well as free admission on Saturday. Oktoberfest also seeks new corporate sponsorships! To learn more about corporate sponsorship opportunities, please click here.

Oktoberfest is sponsored by Cadence Kitchen and The Foxtail.

Please visit www.dgoktoberfest.org for more information, or contact the Education Foundation at oktoberfest@58foundation.org.

As the year begins, we’ve noticed an increase in students visiting our health offices for insect bites, particularly on the neck, face, and arms. These bites are often red and itchy, and while we can provide Calamine lotion or an ice pack to ease discomfort, other over-the-counter treatments like Benadryl cream or Hydrocortisone require a completed Medication Authorization Form.

Please ensure that these medications are not sent to school with your child unless proper authorization is in place. If you have any questions or need assistance, don’t hesitate to contact your school’s health office.

Thank you for your cooperation in keeping our students safe and healthy.

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.

Our arrival and dismissal procedures will look similar to previous years, with some added structure to ensure a safe and orderly process going into the building. Our RISE, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd-grade students will have assigned lines by their entrance doors. You will know by your class identifiers listed below:

Acevedo and Barc: AB

Boyce: 1B

Breault: 1Br

Contreras: 2C

Haushahn: 2H

deBuhr: 3d

Murphy: 3M

Kindergarten will continue to go in through the front entrance, but will now line up on the side pathway. Mrs. Coyne's class will line up on the C-line and Mrs. Grisamore's class on the G-line.

Our 4th through 6th grade students will enter through the main entrance.

We create lifelong artists by teaching realistic drawing and artistic methods using professional materials and then connecting, through an open art studio format, to the most powerful force on earth, a child’s imagination.

Teaching is centered around a custom printed ArtCard written by Maureen. 15 minutes of technical drawing skills + 45 minute open art studio with high quality art supplies. We end with circle talk, where the children learn to talk about their artistic process.

Session is 10 weeks and will meet on Thursdays from 3pm - 4pm starting September 19th.

Register here: https://www.hisawyer.com/maureen-claffy-art/schedules/activity-set/963133

Join us for a 4 week program and train to gain confidence, respect, and self-control! Kids learn important character and life skills, all while having fun, getting a sweat on, and raising money for the PTA!

Session is 4 weeks and will meet on Tuesdays from 3pm - 4pm beginning September 10th and will be held outside weather permitting (will move to the gym if needed).

Register here: https://member-site.net/?EV--bbXwMw

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

Monday, September 9: Board of Education Regular Meeting

Wednesday, September 11: Picture 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.