Pierce Downer Families-

Book It

I am excited to share that this year your child's classroom is participating in the BOOK IT! Program to encourage your child to find joy in reading. The mission of the program is to turn "have to read" into "want to read." A great way to get better at reading is to take the time to do it!

How the program works is the teacher will set a monthly reading goal for your child during the program. They will also provide you with a tracking verification sheet that you will return to the classroom teacher monthly, and Ms. Kamano will enter your child's progress in the digital teacher dashboard.

Once your child meets their monthly reading goal, they will be awarded with a Reading Award Certificate, good for a free, one-topping Personal Pan Pizza at Pizza Hut! The printed certificate will come home with your child in their folder.

As the parent, you will return each month's tracking slip BEFORE the teacher's designated due date and celebrate with them for achieving this reward.

Thanks for your support in encouraging your child to read! Please reach out directly to Ms. Kamano with any questions.

Next week, Pierce Downer students will be completing the NWEA MAP Winter Assessments. Please encourage your student(s) to try their best and be well-rested!

District 58 Facility Visioning Session

Please consider attending the District’s Facility Visioning Session on Monday, Jan. 30 from 6:30-8 p.m. at O’Neill. You will have an opportunity to learn more about District 58’s post-referendum draft facility plans and provide direct feedback, which the District will use to inform the final plans.

If you would like to attend, please complete this RSVP form by Tuesday, Jan. 17. Learn more here.

Pierce Downer Video

We are excited to share a fun and entertaining video that was created by our very own Mr. Garret Hammond. We had the privilege of welcoming Mr. Hammond to DG58 at the beginning of the school year. During this time, he served as a student teacher in Mrs. Patton's classrooms at both Pierce Downer and Lester. Mr. Hammond has a passion for music, creating, and building relationships, so it was no surprise when he came up with the idea of putting together a music video to showcase the great experiences he had at both buildings, along with some incredible vocals from Mrs. Patton. We wish Mr. Hammond the best of luck. Click on the link below to enjoy!

https://youtu.be/dkYUca2N1o0

Fun Lunch

Thank you to the PD PTA for organizing the great fun lunches we enjoy throughout the year. Ordering will open again starting this Saturday and be open until next Saturday.

Please do not hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or concerns via email at LWagner@DG58.org or call 630-719-5860.

We are PD!

L. Wagner, Principal

The Education Foundation of Downers Grove District 58 invites the community to its fifth Harlem Wizards fundraiser game on Sunday, Jan. 15 from 6-8 p.m. at Downers Grove South High School.

Online tickets start at $14 (plus a $1.50 service fee) and can be purchased at www.58foundation.org. If tickets are still available, tickets will cost $16 at the door. All event proceeds will be donated to the Education Foundation, a non-profit that raises money to support District 58 students.

The Harlem Wizards will take on District 58 teachers and staff during a thrilling and unpredictable basketball game. Spectators will applaud, laugh, cheer and gasp as they observe the Harlem Wizards perform their famous and remarkable basketball tricks while playing a timed game against several beloved teachers and staff. We will share a list of participating District 58 teachers and staff after winter break!

Souvenirs will be available for purchase. Students who purchase a Wiz Kid jersey before the game will be invited to warm up with the Wizards and take a special photo with the players. The Wizards will also sign autographs after the game.

The Downers Grove District 58 Education Foundation coordinates the Harlem Wizards game. Learn more about the Harlem Wizards at www.harlemwizards.com. Learn more about the Education Foundation at www.58foundation.org.

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.