Believe it or not, Parent/Teacher Conferences are around the corner. The district will be sending out information in order to help you get registered for those, but mark your calendars for the following options:

October 18: 5:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

October 20: 5:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

October 21: a.m. time slots to be published

*October 21, is a non-attendance day for students. The morning is secured for parent/teacher conferences, and the afternoon is set up for school improvement/professional development.

We are looking forward to partnering with you to celebrate the growth that's been captured, to share what's to come, and to work together on growth opportunities!

Mr. McDermott has been focusing on the character trait of responsibility since the start of the school year. There has been a lot of time spent on describing what responsibility is, how it can be shown, and how it can be recognized, and the students also have taken time to share ideas on how a character in a story showed responsibility (or perhaps could have done a better job showing it), and it has been focused on in the other curricular areas as well as opportunities allowed.

The class is about to shift focus to a new character trait, and the class recognized two students who have done a fantastic job of showing responsibility so far this year. Please help me congratulate Liam and Frankie!

Great job, you two, on being responsible and for continuing to make Belle Aire a great place!

Dear Belle Aire School Community,

Belle Aire School is designated as a Title 1 School. As a Title 1 School we receive additional funds to remediate/enrich our students’ instruction. The purpose of Title 1 is to help ensure that all children have a fair, equal and significant opportunity to obtain a high quality education.

Parents of children in Title I Programs have the right to know about the qualifications of their child’s teachers or paraprofessionals. All staff members working with children in District 58 have met the requirements for certification for their role and are identified as Highly Qualified within the State of Illinois.

We are pleased to announce a Title 1 Parent Meeting on Tuesday, October 25th at 6:00 p.m. at Kingsley School, 6509 Powell Street, Downers Grove. This meeting is to inform parents of the programs and activities provided with Title 1 funds.

The agenda for the meeting is as follows:

• Information on the design and implementation of the Title 1 Program.

• Information about the Title 1 regulations and instructional programs.

• Solicit parent input about the instructional programs and related activities.

• Provide an opportunity to establish and maintain an ongoing communication for parents, staff, and the school board.

Research supports the correlation between parent involvement and student success. You play an integral role in assisting your child’s learning. We encourage you to be actively involved in your child’s education at school.

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 safe, nurturing, and child-centered environments in order to prepare all students to be lifelong learners and contributing members of a global society.

We look forward to sharing information regarding our Title I programming on Tuesday, October 25th at 6:00 pm at Kingsley School.

Sincerely,

Brent Borchelt, Principal

Justin Sisul, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction

Many of our students are already brainstorming costume ideas, and it's been fun hearing about so many options.

We are looking forward to hosting Halloween at Belle Aire School, and I have some very general and initial information to share today.

If they so choose, students will be able to wear a costume to school on Monday, October 31. The key to this is that the costumes need to allow the students to participate in classroom activities as they would on a typical day. While costume masks may be worn for the all-school parade, they won't be worn during the school day.

As an alternate option, students can wear part of their costume (sweatpants, shorts, leggings, shirt, etc.) and then slip the remaining pieces of the costume over that later in the day. There will be a very short amount of time to allow this to take place before our parade.

I'm excited to see the final costumes that each student chooses, and I ask for your help in making sure that the choices remain free from references to violence, drugs, and alcohol.

Any desired make-up, hair color, hair spray all need to be applied at home prior to the start of the school day. Any accessory or play weapons (axe, arrows, swords, etc.) that go along with some really great costumes need to stay at home.

The costume parade will be held outside of the school and really makes for some great photo opportunities. Classroom parties are scheduled to take place after the parade, and Mrs. Yoho (THANK YOU) is looking to identify up to four parents to facilitate a party in each classroom. Be on the lookout for information from her, and check the PTA website to volunteer!

As of now, we are planning the parade to start at 1:00 p.m. with classroom parties concluding at 1:45 p.m.

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.

The School-Home Connection: Tips and Tricks to Support Your Child's Learning in School and at Homes

October 3, 2022 - 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM

This webinar will support family members in understanding the role of authentic assessment in the early childhood classroom. We will discuss what your students will be learning at school, how teachers track and monitor progress, and most importantly what the teaching team and caregivers can do to partner together to support each child’s unique learning and development.

Presenter: Barb Golik & Danielle Merkel

Anatomy of a Meltdown

October 18, 2022- 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM

By understanding the anatomy of a meltdown everyone who cares for children of varying abilities with these types of challenges will be better equipped to offer help and support during these difficult times.

Presenter: Jennifer Rosinia

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