We wanted to remind you that early voting is currently taking place at 22 sites across DuPage County. The closest early voting sites to Downers Grove include: the Downers Grove Lincoln Center, Westmont Public Library, Yorktown Center - Former Brio Location, and the Woodridge Community Center. Please view DuPage County's website for more information on early voting: https://www.dupagecounty.gov/Election/Voting/37061/.

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) is federal legislation that requires each state to establish a system of compliance with accountability guidelines in order to access federal grant dollars that ultimately flow to individual school districts.You know that Belle Aire School and District 58 hold high expectations for all students; similarly, the state holds all schools to the same high standards. Through ESSA, the state’s support and accountability system now includes a summative designation, which is an overall description of a school’s service to students based on multiple factors and compared to other schools in the state.

All schools in Illinois will qualify for one of the following four summative designations:

• Exemplary School (Tier I) - No underperforming student groups, and performance in the top 10 percent of schools statewide

• Commendable School (Tier II) - No underperforming student groups

• Underperforming School (Tier III) - One or more student groups performing at or below the “all students” group in the lowest 5 percent of Title I eligible schools statewide

• Lowest Performing School (Tier IV) - In the lowest performing 5 percent of Title I eligible schools statewide.

A student group or “subgroup” is defined as 20 or more students in one school who share certain demographic or educational criteria. This designation from the state is intended to give us the highest priority for customized supports and additional resources to provide more opportunities and greater holistic support for our students.

We are proud and excited to share with you that Belle Aire School has been designated as a Commendable School for the 2022-23 school year!

This year, summative designations are comprised of Math and English/Language arts achievement (measured by the Illinois Assessment of Readiness, or IAR), climate survey proficiency, participation in the Illinois Science Assessment taken by 5th and 8th grade students, chronic absenteeism rate and student growth in Math and English/Language Arts, also measured by IAR. This growth component accounts for 50 percent of the overall summative rating; the inclusion of both achievement and growth aligns with District 58’s vision for measuring student success. You can view further information by visiting illinoisreportcard.com and searching for our school; this information will be linked to our district website as well at https://www.dg58.org/about/school-report-cards.

We are proud of the efforts that have yielded this ranking through ESSA, just as we remain committed to continuous improvement and to providing the supports for every child to succeed. We will continue to review all of our student achievement and growth data at the local and state level to explore new opportunities for students and to support our ongoing successes, such as small group instruction and extra support in reading and math, along with social emotional learning.

Recognizing the complexity of this new system, you may have questions as you read the information that has been shared. We would like to invite you to a parent forum held here at Belle Aire on Thursday, November 3, at 5:30pm to provide an opportunity to review our school-specific data, discuss the ways we support all of our students, our celebrations and opportunities for growth. We also will allow time for any questions you may have.

Thank you for your continued support and partnership in education.

The Reading Games will return for its ninth year on Saturday, Feb. 25, 2023 at O'Neill Middle School. The Reading Games is a fun and friendly reading competition open to District 58 students in grades 3-8.

Start forming teams now! Team and individual registration is open now through Nov. 2. Please click here for general Reading Games information, including team and individual registration links. Visit www.readinggamesdg58.com for detailed information.

The Reading Games also seeks question writer volunteers! Click here to learn more information and to sign up to volunteer.

StarNet is a great state agency that offers quality professional learning for staff and families, free of charge.

These events are being presented thanks to a generous grant from the TJ Maxx Foundation. Please feel free to join any of the following as your schedule and interest permit.

Understanding Exposures and Extinction Learning

in Selective Mutism

November 9, 2022 - 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM

When working with your child with selective mutism, it may help to understand the extinction learning process behind doing speaking exposures so that, as a parent, you can understand how to maximize extinction learning and keep the new learning accessible for your child’s continued growth and generalization of speaking across people, places, and activities.

Presenter: Dr Carmen Lynas

Transforming Aggressive Behaviors [Conscious Discipline]

December 5, 2022- 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM

In this workshop you will gain a toolbox of skills necessary to identify, meet, and manage your most difficult children

Presenter: Jill Molli