Senator Snapshot
A Look At The Week Ahead: February 6 - February 10
Ukelele practice in 7th grade Music
February is Black History Month
Choose Happiness
Principal's Message
Dear Parents/Guardians,
"You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take." - Wayne Gretzky (Michael Scott)
This week’s quote is brought to us by one of our PE teachers, Mr. Donnelly. Did our PE teacher give us a sports quote? Yes, yes he did. However, by now we all know that a quote like this can apply to much more than just sports. The quote relates so well to education and the middle school learning experience.
We ask our students and our staff to take risks with their education. Try a new activity when teaching a lesson, raise your hand to a question you might not be 100% sure of the answer, or try the science lab when you don't know the outcome. Mistakes happen in middle school. Whether behaviorally or academically, we stress the importance of making those mistakes in order to learn. It is why we love this quote! Our Senators have to put themselves out there in order to be the best versions of themselves.
Take the shot, maybe you make it, maybe you miss. The lessons you learn from the misses are often more important than the lessons we learn from making the shot. This is education. This is why middle school is the best age group to teach. We get to see all the shots our students take and we get to see them rebound from the misses. They might take another shot and miss, but what an accomplishment when that shot goes in!
As always, if you have any additional questions you are welcome to call the main office (630) 719-5815 between 8 AM and 4 PM Monday - Friday.
Have a great weekend!
Mr. Durbala & Mr. Cobo
Winter Expectation Review
On February 7th our students will be participating in a presentation by the Downers Grove Police Department and O'Neill building administration. The purpose of this joint presentation is to educate our students on how we partner with Downers Grove Police Department as a school and as a district to maintain student safety. Some of the topics we will cover include social media, bullying/cyberbullying, and threats to schools. As we enter the 2nd half of the year, we are continuing to focus on school safety. As you recall from Dr. Russell’s district message in September as well as other ongoing communications from both the district and our school, our number one priority is ensuring that all of our students are safe and understand how they can best contribute to maintaining a safe environment. We take any threat to the safety of our students and staff seriously and we hope this collaboration with the Downers Grove Police Department can serve as a preventative measure and educational opportunity for our students to understand how our choices can have both intended and unintended consequences.
It is important to the district that families also have the opportunity to preview the material that will be discussed with students. Please find a copy of the talking points below.
Downers Grove Police Department
District 58 Middle School Juvenile Law Presentation
A police department detective trained as a juvenile officer will present on the following topics:
What is a juvenile as compared with being an adult when it comes to the criminal justice system.
Typical juvenile-related crimes and punishments.
Laws protecting juveniles.
Cyberbullying and bullying awareness, including sexting and other online harassment.
Online privacy related to images and pictures.
How police handle school-related threats, especially those involving firearms.
PARENT/GUARDIAN SURVEY INFORMATION
To help us ensure a nurturing, supportive and child-centered learning environment for every student, we ask you to please participate in District 58’s annual Parent/Guardian School Environment Survey. This survey should take just a few minutes, yet the valuable input you provide will help guide the work of our principals, teachers and district administrators as they plan school improvement efforts. All responses are anonymous.
Parents may take the Parent/Guardian School Environment Survey at www.surveymonkey.com/r/2023District58Survey (en Español: www.surveymonkey.com/r/2023Distrito58Encuesta) now through Friday, Feb. 17. The survey is also linked online at www.dg58.org/surveys. If you do not have access to the Internet, please contact your child’s school for a paper copy. If you have a child attending more than one District 58 school, please complete a separate survey for each building. We value your responses and thank you for your time and effort!
We also invite parents/guardians to take the Illinois State Board of Education’s 5Essentials Parent Survey at https://survey.5-essentials.org/illinois/ now through Friday, March 31. District 58 will receive 5Essentials Parent Survey data if 20% or more of a school’s parents/guardians participate in this survey. This survey gathers data related to five indicators that can predict important student outcomes, including improved attendance and larger test score gains. Your participation in this survey will help us understand the conditions at your child’s school and guide improvement. Your identity and survey responses will be kept confidential and will not be connected to you or your child.
The Week Ahead: February 6 - February 10
Monday, February 6 - 2:10 PM dismissal - BELL SCHEDULE
4:30 PM: Boys Volleyball vs Westlake (HOME)
4:30 PM: Girls Basketball @ Westlake (AWAY)
Tuesday, February 7
4:50 PM - 8:00 PM: Parent-Teacher Conferences
Wednesday, February 8
3:20 PM - 4:00 PM: Newspaper Club - library
4:30 PM: Boys Volleyball vs. Glencrest (HOME)
4:30 PM: Girls Basketball @ Glencrest (AWAY)
Thursday, February 9
3:20 PM - 4:00 PM: Scholastic Bowl Practice - Room 206
4:50 PM - 8:00 PM: Parent-Teacher Conferences
Friday, February 10
6:45 PM: PTA Dance Class - Cafeteria - bring a water bottle
Saturday, February 11
8:30 AM - 3:00 PM: District 58 Band and Orchestra Solo Fest - Herrick Middle School
"Souper" Bowl Food Drive
The “Souper” Bowl is right around the corner! As a school, we would like to invite you to join us in giving back to our community. O’Neill is initiating a food drive to help support the Downers Grove Area FISH Food Pantry. This pantry helps local DG families. Students are encouraged to donate non-perishable and personal hygiene items and supplies during the week of February 6-10. Students should bring their items to their Advisory classroom teacher. Some of the items most requested, per FISH, are as follows...
No-salt canned white potatoes
Cookies
Crackers
Baking supplies
Cake mix
Frosting
Baking powder
Baking soda
Evaporated milk
All-purpose spray cleaners
Sponges
Fabric softener sheets
Hand soap (individual pumps)
Personal care items
Toothbrushes
Toothpaste
Bar soap
Deodorant
Shampoo
Conditioner
Lotion
Disposable razors
Feminine hygiene pads
Bladder control pads
All other non-perishable food items are welcome!
Thank you for helping us give back to our community!
Parent/Teacher Conferences sign-up is open
- Tuesday, Feb. 7 from 4:45-8 p.m.
- Thursday, Feb. 9 from 4:45-8 p.m.
School Lunch
Students and families are reminded that ALL students must use their student ID when buying anything from the cafeteria. Students were given a temporary ID at the beginning of the year and a 2nd ID during our recent picture day.
Any student without their ID will be sent to the main office to get another copy. After 3 times students will be charged $1 for a new ID.
Important Parent Reminders
District 58 Calendar: View the 2022-23 school year calendar.
Upcoming Dates to Note:
Spring Break: March 27-31, 2023
Last Day of School: Wednesday, June 7, 2023 (if no emergency days are used)
- View the 2023-2024 School Year Calendar
Is your child not feeling well? Please be diligent with reporting if your child is not feeling well. 1) Keep students home from school if they do not feel well. 2) Students with covid related symptoms should be kept home. Please call the office to report your student's absence.
Unexcused: After the break, students will be marked unexcused if O'Neill does not hear from a parent regarding a student's absence.
Coats: The weather is unpredictable. Students that wear a coat to school should be putting their coats in their lockers and not wearing in classrooms
Morning Announcements: Did you know you can read our daily announcements? The announcements read to students each morning are also available on the OMS website so families can also stay informed. Click here to see a sample
Face Coverings: Face masks are optional for students and staff
Activity bus: Students that stay after school for clubs, sports, extra help, or detentions can take the activity bus home at 4:00 PM on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
Live stream of athletic events and concerts
Meet the Senator Staff
Mental Health Resources
O'Neill Middle School
Email: mdurbala@dg58.org
Website: https://dg58.org/on/
Location: 635 59th Street, Downers Grove, IL, USA
Phone: 630-719-5815
Twitter: @ONeillPrincipal