Pierce Downer this Week

Pierce Downer this Week

Week of October 18, 2024

Pierce Downer Families,


We are so close to earning our PD Promise reward of a GLOW LUNCH party! Continue to reinforce the importance of keeping the PD Promise to BE RESPECTFUL, BE RESPONSIBLE and BE SAFE. Students can see how close we are with the tickets almost reaching the top of our prize tube. If your child comes home with a PD Promise ticket, I encourage you to ask them how they earned it!


Parent Teacher Conference Survey

Please click HERE for a short survey about Parent-Teacher Conferences


Arrival and Dismissal Safety

Please be sure that you are following traffic signage around the school as well as our drop-off/pick-up procedures. This includes all rules of the road and guidance from our crossing guards. We will always prioritize student safety!


Red Ribbon Week

Every year at Pierce Downer we celebrate Red Ribbon Week to remind us to STAY DRUG FREE. This year is no different. This school year the PD Student Council has scheduled Red Ribbon Week for Monday, October 21 - Friday, October 25.


Monday, October 21 - Too Bright for Drugs Day

Wear NEON, TIE DYE, BRIGHT or ORANGE clothing to show that you shine too bright to use drugs!


Tuesday, October 22 - Too Cool for Drugs Day

Wear SUNGLASSES to show that you TOO COOL for drugs!


Wednesday, October 23 - Stay Healthy Day

Wear EXERCISE clothing to show that you choose a healthy lifestyle by staying drug free!


Thursday, October 24 - Our Dreams are too Big for Drugs

Wear your coziest pajamas, bring a SMALL stuffed animal, and cozy up to the idea of saying NO to drugs!


Friday, October 25 - We are REaDy to Say No to Drugs Day

Wear RED from head to toe to show that you are REaDy to say no to drugs!


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

ISBE 2024 Illinois Teacher of the Year

On Wednesday, October 16th, Illinois Teacher of the Year Dr. Rachael Mahmood made a special visit to Pierce Downer School. As a DG58 Alum, she shared inspirational stories about her time in District 58 and how she earned the honorable award.


During her time here, she also recognized two of the amazing staff members at Pierce Downer School for making a difference. Congratulatons to Mrs. Breault and Mrs. Conboy!

Sign up for The Reading Games!

It’s time to form your teams and start reading, because The Reading Games competition is returning! The Reading Games is an annual trivia-style reading competition for District 58 and District 61 students in grades 3-8. It will take place Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025 at O'Neill Middle School. Registration is open now through Friday, Nov. 15.


To participate, complete the following:

1. Form a team and complete the team registration OR complete an individual registration and The Reading Games will do their best to find a team for your child. Teams must have between five and eight students. They can represent a mix of grade levels and schools, but must attend District 58 or District 61.


2. Collaborate with your team to read nine books from one of two book lists. List 1 is geared for readers in third and fourth grade. List 2 is geared for readers in fifth and sixth grade. To prepare, students can meet to discuss the books and quiz each other.


3. Participate in The Reading Games on Feb. 22, 2025! During The Reading Games, students will face other teams to answer questions about the books they've read. Teams are encouraged to dress up and have fun, and prizes are awarded.


The Reading Games is sponsored by the Education Foundation of Downers Grove District 58 and the Grove Express Foundation.


Learn more about The Reading Games registration process. Visit The Reading Games website.

Halloween Guidance

District 58 Provides Free Developmental Screenings for Ages 0-5

Do you have young children at home? Do you have friends or neighbors with little ones? Please share this information!


District 58 offers free preschool and developmental screenings designed to identify young children, ages 0-5, who might have developmental delays and who would benefit from special education prior to beginning kindergarten.

PTA Reflections: Accepting Imperfection

All Pierce Downer students are invited to participate in the PTA Reflections program! This nationally sponsored art contest provides opportunities for recognition and access to the arts, which boost student confidence and align with our Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) goals. Entries will have the chance to advance to the Council, Region, State and National Levels!


Here’s how you can help support your student’s participation:


  • Read more about the Reflections program and this year's theme, "Accepting Imperfection".

  • Learn about the categories for entries here and look over the contest rules. Do not put names on the front of artworks!

  • Download and Print an entry form here to fill out with your student (a paper copy was sent home last week).

  • Encourage your student to start creating! They can make a drawing, painting, dance routine, poem, short story, song, film … how they interpret this year’s theme is up to them.

  • Entries are due Friday, Nov. 1

  • Drop off visual art and written projects with Ms. O'Donnell in the front office. Digital entries (music, dance, film, photography) can be uploaded to a free hosting service (Vimeo, YouTube) and emailed to karamorrissey6@gmail.com or turned into the office on a flash drive, CD or DVD.


Questions? Email Kara Morrissey at karamorrissey6@gmail.com

Snacks at Pierce Downer

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.

Cell Phones and Wearable Technology

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.

Pierce Downer Office Staff

Angela Suggs

Heather O'Donnell

Save the Date

October 23

PTA Assembly


November 5

No School: Election Day

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:



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.

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.

Dr. Leland Wagner
Principal of Pierce Downer School