Herrick, O'Neill robotics teams achieve high scores at competition
Both Herrick and O'Neill's robotics teams excelled during the University of Illinois Extension's Fifth Annual 4-H Robotics Showcase on Saturday, March 18.
Twenty-six robotics teams from the area convened at O'Neill Middle School for the event. The teams designed robots that perform tasks related to healthy living and healthy choices. The teams were scored on the number of tasks their robot could complete, programming, design and teamwork.
 Herrick received three awards:
Programming Award: Jesse Wei, Sam Stein, Nolan Brezina and Max Dvorak
Engineering Design Award: Aiden Grisenthwaite, Teddy Dobrez, Eliot Michaels, Max Hoppensteadt and Matthew Spencer
Reserve Champion: Carissa Blumka, Kevin Palcynzski, Madeline Antonio, Saoirse Kerr and Aisling Kerr
O'Neill received three awards:
Team Spirit Award: Jason Richert, Dylan Phuah, Michael Lopez Larlucci, Carlos Quintana-Mejia, Qasim Simba and Gabe Gray
Most Creative Award: Jessica Sun, Jericho Gomez, Mathew Linert, Anthony Rosalia and Ben Rich
Teamwork Award: Mary Davenport, Rosie Yu, Eliza Peters, Domani Sharkey and Katie Casey
Herrick's robotics teams will compete at the state robotics meet in Springfield this May. Congratulations to all District 58 students who participated in the showcase!
|
DG Junior Woman's Club awards
7 Herrick students in art contest
 The Downers Grove Junior Woman's Club recently recognized seven Herrick Middle School students during its annual Junior High Art Contest award ceremony. This contest is open to all junior high students living within District 58 and District 66 boundaries, including students attending non-public schools. They awarded the following District 58 students:
Best in Show:
Gillian Piencak, Herrick seventh grader
First Place:
Akshi Mistry, Herrick seventh grader
Second Place:
Eliot Michaels, Herrick eighth grader, and Tao Harrison, Herrick seventh grader
Honorable Mentions:
Natalie Mall, Herrick seventh grader; Aine Schuh, Herrick eighth grader; and Angelica Kowara, Herrick eighth grader
Congratulations! The Community Bank of Downers Grove will display the art contest award recipients' work through spring break.
|
Whittier, Pierce Downer and Herrick advance in Destination Imagination
Imagination. Creativity. Teamwork. Innovation. These represent the pillars of the annual global Destination Imagination program, which encourages students to join teams and solve challenges related to STEM, fine arts and service learning. Several District 58 students teamed up to participate in the Destination Imagination regional tournament earlier this month. Six of these teams will advance to the state competition on April 8 in DeKalb.
Congratulations to the advancing teams!
First Place:
- LMD - Improvisation Challenge - Whittier fifth graders
Second Place:
- Hubbujubs - Scientific Challenge - Whittier fifth graders
- DI Donuts - Fine Arts Challenge - Whittier sixth graders
- Mystical Marshmallow Sky-DI-vers - Engineering Challenge - Pierce Downer sixth graders and Herrick seventh graders
Third Place:
- Imaginative Dragons - Project Outreach Challenge - Whittier third graders
- Magic Seven - Improvisation Challenge - Whittier sixth graders
Thank you, District 58 PTAs, for coordinating these programs.
|
Highland explores STEM at
Family Math and Science Night
The Highland PTA recently hosted a Family Math and Science Night. Students, parents and siblings enjoyed learning about robots, 3D printing, STEM, pre-algebra and other exciting scientific discoveries!
|
Fire Department celebrates winners of Home Fire Escape Plan contest
|
|
|
Hillcrest third grader Miah W., center, poses with Downers Grove fireman, Nick Gilbert, and her teacher, Dr. Sue Anderson.
|
Congratulations to the four District 58 third graders who won this year's Downers Grove Fire Department's Home Fire Escape Plan contest! The contest winners are Bryn from Fairmount, Calia from Whittier, Grace from Indian Trail and Miah from Hillcrest.
Each student wins the opportunity to dine with firefighters at the station, and to receive a ride to school (with one friend) in a firetruck!
|
Board approves construction of the new Whittier playground
Whittier donates funding needed for the playground
When Whittier students return to school in August, they will be greeted with a brand new playground! For the past four years, the Whittier PTA has worked hard to raise the $100,000 needed to construct a new playground. This winter, they finally achieved their goal and donated the funding to District 58!
The new playground will include playground equipment recommended by community members, District 58 staff and children.
District 58's Business Office hosted a bidding process for the playground's installation. At the March 13 Board of Education meeting, the Board awarded a bid for Whittier playground equipment removal and installation to The Kenneth Company. They also awarded a bid for playground excavation and concrete curb installation to Continental Construction. Finally, as part of the District's regular playground safety maintenance, the Board awarded a bid for playground mulch installation at eight schools, including Whittier, to Cedar Valley Express Blower.
Thank you for your generous donation, Whittier!
|
District 58 raises about $13,500 during St. Baldrick's fundraiser
|
|
|
O'Neill Science Teacher Dr. Meg Van Dyke shaves her head as part of the school's St. Baldrick's fundraiser effort.
|
District 58 schools united to raise money for the St. Baldrick Foundation, a non-profit that supports childhood cancer research. Together, District 58 raised about $13,500! Thank you for your efforts!
This community fundraiser was organized by the O'Neill Science Department's collaboration with cancer awareness.
Of that amount, $11,695.95 was raised solely by O'Neill Middle School. The school organized many fun opportunities for students, staff and families to donate. Thank you for your generosity!
|
Fairmount makes a difference at Feed My Starving Children
Fairmount families recently volunteered to pack meals at Feed My Starving Children, a non-profit that provides nutritionally-complete meals for malnourished children. Fairmount brought 169 children, parents and teachers to participate in the event! Thanks to their efforts, they packed 196 boxes and 42,336 meals - enough to feed 116 kids for a year! Way to go!
|
Area athletic trainers give back
Area athletic trainers from Athletico, Downers Grove North and Downers Grove South wanted to give back to the community this month, which is National Athletic Training Month. They teamed up with District 58's Blessings in a Backpack program to make it happen! Blessings in a Backpack provides low-income students with meals for the weekends.
"Through the efforts of many, including the athletic trainers at both North and South High School, as well as many community members that donated food, we were able to provide all of the students in the District 58 Blessings program with a spring break snack pack," said Tanya Marquez, Indian Trail PTA co-president and an Athletico athletic trainer.
About 250 spring break snack packs were delivered to District 58 schools this week.
"It was so awesome to see the outpouring of help from the community to support this project," Marquez said.
Thank you for your support, local athletic trainers and community members!
|
|
District 58 emailed new community e-flyers to all parents on
Wednesday, March 15. Please note, our next e-flyer email will be published late, on Monday, April 3, due to spring break. E-flyers are also posted on the
District 58 e-flyer page at dg58.org/e-flyers/ and listed below.
|
|
The mission of District 58, in partnership with parents and community, is to challenge and engage each child by providing quality educational programs and support services in a safe, nurturing, and child-centered environment in order to prepare all students to be lifelong learners and contributing members of a global society.
Communicate 58 shares timely, relevant information about District 58 with parents, community members and others who are interested in how we are living out our mission. If you have any questions/comments regarding Communicate 58, or have an article/photo idea for the publication, please contact Community Relations Coordinator Megan Hewitt at mhewitt@dg58.org or 630-719-5805.
|
|
|
District 58 on social media
|
|
|
|
Upcoming Board meetings
Financial Advisory Committee Meeting
Monday, April 3
7 a.m.
Admin Service Center
Election Day for Board of Education Positions
Tuesday, April 4
Regular Board Meeting
Tuesday, April 11
7 p.m.
Longfellow Center
Meet & Confer Strategic Plan Committee Meeting
Thursday, April 13
7 a.m.
Longfellow Center
Policy Committee Meeting
Tuesday, April 18
7 a.m.
Admin Service Center
BOE Coffee with the Staff
Thursday, April 20
7:30 a.m.
Lester School
Budget Workshop
Monday, April 24
7 p.m.
Longfellow Center
Building Tour and PTA Meeting
Tuesday, April 25
6:30 p.m.
Pierce Downer
Regular Board Meeting
Monday, May 8
7 p.m.
Longfellow Center
|
Sign up for Summer School by April 14
District 58 will offer a variety of reading, math, art, music, kindergarten prep classes and more during Summer School!
Don't delay! Registration closes April 14.
|
|
Upcoming District and community
events
End of Third Quarter
Friday, March 24
League of Women Voters - Candidate Open House
Saturday, March 25
3-5 p.m.
Lincoln Center (Park District)
935 Maple Ave.
Downers Grove
The League of Women Voters invited School Board candidates for District 58, District 68 and District 99 to talk at this public event.
Spring Break
Monday, March 27-Friday, March 31
Enjoy your time off, District 58!
Classes Resume
Monday, April 3
Belle Aire Kindergarten Roundup
Friday, April 7
1 p.m.
Belle Aire
Whittier Kindergarten Roundup
Friday, April 7
1:30 p.m.
Whittier
Highland Kindergarten Roundup
Monday, April 10
9 a.m.
Highland
Henry Puffer Kindergarten Roundup
Tuesday, April 11 at 9 a.m.
Wednesday, April 12 at 9 a.m.
Henry Puffer
Indian Trail Kindergarten Roundup
Wednesday, April 12
9:30 a.m.
Indian Trail
2017-18 Registration Opens
Wednesday, April 12
Parents will receive an email with more information.
South Side Fifth and Sixth Grade Orchestra Spring Concert
Wednesday, April 12
7-8 p.m.
O'Neill
District 58 Fit Fair
Thursday, April 13
6-8 p.m.
O'Neill
Enjoy free exercise demos and snacks at this annual community wellness event!
No School
Friday, April 14
Hillcrest Kindergarten Roundup
Monday, April 17
9 a.m.
Hillcrest
North Side Fifth and Sixth Grade Band Concert
Monday, April 17
7-8 p.m.
Herrick
PTA Author Fest
April 18-21
Southside schools
Author Fest rotates between south and north schools each year. Several notable authors will visit the schools and give talks to the students.
North Side Fifth and Sixth Grade Spring Orchestra Concert
Tuesday, April 18
7-8 p.m.
Herrick
South Side Elementary Band Spring Concert
Tuesday, April 18
7-8 p.m.
O'Neill
Fairmount
Kindergarten Roundup
Thursday, April 20
9 a.m.
Fairmount
North Side Fourth Grade Orchestra and Chamber Strings Concert
Thursday, April 20
7-8 p.m.
Herrick
Kingsley Kindergarten Roundup
Friday, April 21
9:30 a.m.
Kingsley
|
|
|
