Pierce Downer this Week

Pierce Downer Families,

We are officially ONE WEEK away from welcoming our Pierce Downer Panthers back to PD. Our Meet and Greet will be held on Tuesday, August 13th from 2:45-3:30pm. This is a great opportunity for students to meet their teacher and drop off school supplies.

I recognize the trust our families put in our school. Our building is full of dedicated educators and staff that work tirelessly to provide a safe and nurturing learning environment that supports all of our students each day. We are here to serve our students and families so that each child can reach their full potential.

Our families' partnership and involvement in their child's education are vital components to the success of the student. The support at home, engagement with the school, and open lines of communication contribute to the growth, achievement, and success of our students and the school as a whole. Thank you for trusting us with your children each day.

Reminder, the first day for student attendance is Friday, August 16th.

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

Student teacher assignments went live at 1:30 pm on Friday, August 2nd. Any information that you viewed prior to that time and date is not official, and may have been changed. Families can navigate the portal by visiting dg58.powerschool.com, and signing in with their username and password. Information about creating a portal account can be found here. If you need assistance, please contact our school office at 630-719-5860 for assistance with your PowerSchool account.

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.

With the return of school quickly approaching, I am sure many of you are out shopping for supplies to get ready. HERE is the link to the school supply lists for reference. If your family is in need of support regarding school supplies, please do not hesitate to reach out directly to me.

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.

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.

Looking for a job? Here are 10 reasons why you should consider applying to be an instructional assistant in District 58!

1. Convenient work schedule -- work the same hours your children are at school!

2. Earn $17.47/hour, plus a $2,000 stipend for some positions.

3. Work close to home.

4. Paid holidays, and no weekend or summer work

5. Paid sick and personal days

6. Medical, dental and vision benefits

7. Generous IMRF retirement benefits

8. Training and professional development

9. Supportive and positive work culture

10. Fulfilling work - make a difference in the lives of children!

Instructional assistants work alongside teachers to help students realize their full potential. Work can include small group instruction, 1-on-1 support, classroom organization and more. Learn more and apply at www.dg58.org/employment.

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

Tuesday, August 13: Meet the Teacher 2:45- 3:30pm & Back-to-School Bash 3:00-5:00pm

Friday, August 16: 1st Day of Student Attendance

Tuesday, August 27: Curriculum Night

Monday, September 2: No School, Labor Day

Monday, September 9: Board of Education Regular Meeting

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.