District Digest

Glen Ellyn School District 41

April 30, 2020

E-Learning Assignments

For the remainder of the 2019-2020 School Year students will be engaged in E-Learning. To find District 41 E-Learning Assignments for your student(s) every week please CLICK HERE
Big picture

Virtual Format for Hadley Graduation

The 8th Grade Hadley Junior High School Graduation will take place online on Thursday, June 4 at 7 p.m. A link will be provided closer to the date of graduation. Thank you to the Graduation Planning Steering Committee of staff and parents for working to make this a unique and special experience for the students. Special surprises will be revealed for the students throughout the rest of the school year. Thank you for your understanding about this change in format during these challenging times.

Check out this special musical video created by Abraham Lincoln Music teacher Ms. Wendee Passini!

Wendy Passini

Cards Brought Smiles to Seniors

Thank you to all of the students who took the time to make cards for senior citizens in our community. The card drop boxes at the schools were full! Volunteers picked up the boxes and worked with Illinois State Representative Terra Costa Howard’s office to deliver them.


"Even though these past weeks have been tough, every day brings another reminder that our communities are filled with kind, thoughtful people, of every age. I want to thank the children of District 41, and their families, for filling our "Senior Smiles" boxes with beautiful handmade cards for older residents who are living in long term care facilities or who are isolated at home,” said Representative Terra Costa Howard. “I know these good wishes were much appreciated, and they truly did bring smiles to the faces of the seniors who received them."

Safe School Helpline

District 41 launched a new tool to help provide additional mental health support to students and parents. The Safe School Helpline is active and provides a way for students/parents to receive mental health support 24/7. In addition, the system allows anyone to send a communication (confidentially and anonymously) to school officials related to a safety concern or threat.


The helpline number is 1-800-4-1-VOICE ext. 359 (1-800-418-6423 ext. 359)


How Does it Work?

First, the caller will be offered the option of leaving a confidential voice message that will be transcribed and sent to school administration. If the caller would prefer to speak with a live mental health counselor, they can do so by selecting option ‘3’. For those who prefer reporting a safety concern or threat to the school district via the Internet, reports can be made by logging onto www.safeschoolhelpline.com. You can also text 66746 then type TIPS and follow the prompt.


Voice messages left for District 41 will be shared with the district the following day. The principal of the school will then follow up and investigate, if needed. Should a crime be reported or if someone is in immediate danger, the superintendent will be notified immediately, day or night, and will partner with the Glen Ellyn Police Department.

For life threatening and urgent emergencies, call 911.

District 41 Foundation Supports Families in Need

District 41 families continue to need your help! The D41 Kids Foundation has partnered with the District 41 PTA Council’s Community Outreach program to support students most at-risk. The Foundation is working directly with the schools to make sure the needs are being met for all families. It takes all of us to support this effort. Gift cards to grocery stores have already been purchased and delivered to families. We are making a difference -- together!

To donate, CLICK HERE

Thank you for your support.

Tune in to our next Live Stream with Dr. Nancy Zarse

The DuPage Regional Office of Education and Glen Ellyn School District 41 invite everyone across our community to join us on Wednesday, May 6th at 6:30 p.m. for Part 4 in a series of live streams with Dr. Nancy Zarse of the Chicago School of Professional Psychology. Dr. Zarse is an expert in the field of crisis and resilience and has worked on very high profile cases both nationally and internationally.


In Part 4 of this series, Dr. Zarse will focus on our educators with a presentation titled "Self-Care for Teachers and Staff" and will discuss how our educators can manage crisis in a healthy and constructive way. Together, we will learn how to focus on those things in our life that are in our control and how to harness the power of community to help us all thrive.District 41 Superintendent Dr. Melissa Kaczkowski along with Dr. Darlene Ruscitti and Dr. Mike Robey of the DuPage ROE will join Dr. Zarse during this presentation.


Part 4 "Self-Care for Teachers and Staff" will live stream on May 6th, 6:30 - 7:30 p.m.

You can access the live stream HERE

Watch all previous Dr. Zarse live streams at www.d41.org/zarsestreams

Thank you to the firm of Franczek P.C. for sponsoring this series.

Tech at Home - Tech Help Desk

For tech support related to District technology and Chromebooks, click here for the District 41 Tech at Home Help Desk. If you are in need of a Chromebook please contact the Help Desk to set up an appointment.

District 41 Read Alouds

Don't miss District 41 Read Alouds. This week you can catch D41 Board Member Julie Hill (see below)! Watch all D41 Read Alouds HERE.
D41 Read Alouds "Ada Twist, Scientist"

Watch GPS Programs in a New Take 5 Format

The Glenbard Parent Series has established a GPS Take 5 video library highlighting presentations of their most recent speakers with bite-size videos for both students and families. A new thread to the video library is the Take 5 PREVIEW series videos from speakers to be hosted in the 2020-21 school year. The videos are filled with insights to assist families at this most challenging time. Of special interest to elementary school families is a video of Phyllis Flagel author of Middle School Matters (to be hosted at Hadley Junior High School), Dr Tina Payne Bryson the author of the YES Brain: How to Cultivate Courage, Curiosity and Resilience In Your Child., and a video preview with Dr Catherine Pealman, the author of Ignore It: How Selectively Looking the Other Way Can Decrease Behavioral Problems and Increase Parenting Satisfaction. New videos are added regularly.
NOTE: The next live GPS presentation is tentatively scheduled for Wednesday, Sep 16 with Dr. Lisa Damour. Get info here.

Everything District 41 in Your Pocket

Stay connected with District 41 by downloading our app! Download the app on Android or iPhone. Make sure to enable the notifications feature to receive the most up to date information.
Big picture