Henry Puffer Post

Below are the topics in this week's Newsletter.

• Principal's Corner
• Celebrating Students & Staff
• Weekly Preview
• Looking Ahead
• Student Council - Thanksgiving Fundraiser
• Community votes to support District 58 facility referendum
  
• School Safety Message from Dr. Russell
  
• Updated Bus Routes
• Grove Express
• WatchDOGS
• PTA Posts
• Below the Line

Dear Henry Puffer Families,

On Friday, we had the opportunity to learn about and honor the veterans who have served our country and protected the freedoms we enjoy. We truly appreciate the veterans that are part of our Puffer community and beyond!

The Downers Grove community also voted to approve District 58's bond referendum on Tuesday. You can find more details below about the referendum & district 58's next steps below.

As always, please reach out to me at mleipart@dg58.org with any questions or feedback.

Mark Leipart

Principal

Be sure to follow us on Twitter @HenryPufferDG58.

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11/17: Picture Retakes 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.

11/17: PTA Meeting 7:00 p.m.

11/18: Fun Lunch

11/23: No School

11/24: No School - Happy Thanksgiving!

11/25: No School

11/30: Magic of Science Assemblies (3rd-6th 9:00-9:50 kdg-2nd 10:00-10:50)

2022-2023 School Calendar

The community approved District 58’s $179 million bond referendum to improve District 58’s 13 school facilities in the Nov. 8, 2022 election. With 100% of precincts reporting, unofficial results posted on the DuPage Election Commission website show 67.13% of voters in favor and 32.87% against the measure. The results will be certified by Tuesday, Nov. 29.

“On behalf of District 58, I want to thank the families, staff, Board members and community members who participated in the five-year community engagement process leading up to this vote. While the community has discussed District 58’s facilities for decades, the current Strategic Plan, which began development in fall 2017, created a clear plan toward addressing our facility needs,” said Superintendent Dr. Kevin Russell. “For those community members who did not support the referendum, please know that we hear you and appreciate your voice. District 58 will continue to expend funds in a fiscally-responsible manner while respecting taxpayers. We are very grateful to our community for their continued support of our schools and for recognizing the needs across our facilities.”

As a next step, District 58 will finalize the bond issuance with the Board of Education and will work with a construction management at-risk firm and the District’s architects to design final plans for school building maintenance projects, secured entrances, air conditioning installation, air quality/ventilation improvements and the middle school expansion.

Dear Staff and Families,

District 58’s number one priority is ensuring that all our students and staff are safe. Last December, I sent this letter to all families outlining how seriously we take threats to our schools. The purpose of this letter is to be proactive in terms of safety and ask for your assistance. Preventing school violence is the responsibility of the entire community and we need your help.

Last school year, the United States once again experienced senseless acts of school violence. School shootings in Oxford, Michigan, and Uvalde, Texas, underscore the urgent need for all of us to be vigilant. I am asking all families to once again speak with their child (ren) in an age-appropriate manner regarding school safety. Please emphasize with your child(ren) the following:

1. If you see something, say something.

2. Making any kind of joke about violence toward someone else or the school is not permitted.

3. Making a threat against someone else or a school (in-person or online) is not permitted.

4. Possessing a weapon or a look-alike weapon is not permitted.

5. Talking about a weapon or a look-alike weapon is not permitted.

Please remind your child(ren) that if he/she makes a threatening statement or brings a weapon or lookalike weapon to school, they will immediately be referred to the Downers Grove Police Department. Police consequences may include arrest, referral to the State’s Attorney, and the Juvenile Court System. Further, your child(ren) will receive significant consequences at school, which may include expulsion (see Board Policy 7:190). We will not take any chances when it comes to the safety of our students and staff. District 58 is also here to help any student or family that is struggling with mental health issues. If we can be of any assistance, please do not hesitate to reach out to us right away.

I am once again asking for your assistance to help ensure the safety of our students and staff. Please speak with your children about the importance of being safe at school. As I shared last year, I view every student and staff member in our District as a part of my family. Let’s continue to be proactive and collaborate with one another, as the safety of our students and staff is the highest priority. If you see something, say something. District 58 staff are ready to assist anyone in need and we are grateful for your partnership.

Sincerely,

Dr. Kevin Russell

District 58 Superintendent of Schools

Dear Families,

District 58 has updated some of its bus routes. Please click here to visit District 58’s bus route webpage to view your child’s bus stop and to see if the pickup/dropoff times and bus route number may have changed.

Please note: you must view the bus route webpage to access updated routes.

District 58 has been working with First Student, its general education transportation provider, to evaluate bus routes and make corrections and improvements as needed. A national bus driver shortage has made scheduling more difficult and caused some routes to be longer than ideal. First Student has reviewed its District 58 public and private school routes and noted bus stops where there consistently have been no students. First Student will eliminate these stops. First Student has also realigned some routes to address travel/route times and student ridership.This should help shorten the routes and ensure students consistently arrive at school on time.

If you believe your child’s bus stop may be missing or incorrect, please contact your school office during regular hours (8 a.m. to 4 p.m.).

We appreciate your patience and flexibility as we work with our transportation providers to improve our bus routes.

Sincerely,

District 58

The Education Foundation of Downers Grove District 58 invites the community to participate in the Grove Express 5K on Thanksgiving Day. A portion of the proceeds will benefit District 58 students! Early bird registration has been extended through Nov. 6. Learn more here. Sign up here.

Thank you to all of the Fathers/Father Figures who attended our WatchDOGS kickoff event on November 2nd. We cannot wait to have WatchDOGS roaming our halls once again at Henry Puffer!

If you would like to volunteer to be a WatchDOG in your child's classroom, please click on the Google Form below & we will contact you to schedule a date for you to volunteer.

WatchDOGS Signup Form

If you have already signed up & would like to purchase a shirt for yourself and/or your child, simply click the link below.

WatchDOGS Store

Below is a short video describing the WatchDOGS program

Linked below are the minutes from our most recent PTA meeting.

Meeting Minutes: 10/19/22

Our next meeting: Thursday, November 17th 7:00 p.m., Puffer Library

Meeting ID

meet.google.com/pmj-iuds-uoe

Phone Numbers

(‪US‬)‪+1 601-751-2193‬

PIN: ‪603 591 280#‬

PTA Recommendations

Thank you to all of the students who created a piece of art for the Reflections contest this year! They did a great job expressing the theme "Show Your Voice" in their artwork which included paintings, drawings, short stories, poems, photography, film, and even an original song!

On Thursday morning we celebrated this year’s participants with Mr. Leipart:

Madiynah Abbas, "Sometimes" - music entry
Lissette Arriaga-Perez, "Friends in the Forest" - visual arts entry
Archie Bey, "Making New Friends" - visual arts entry
Graham Bey, "Color of Dragons" - visual arts entry
Annabelle Broomhead, "Equality" - film entry
Maggie Broomhead, "The Leopard and the Tiger" - visual arts entry
Cole Cates, "All In" - literature entry
Oliver Fritts, "The Underwater Dragon Hunt" - visual arts entry
Emma Fuller, "Set Nature Free" - photography entry
Lily Geise, "The Singing Swan" - visual arts entry
Olivia Geise, "Bow Masters" - literature entry
Helen Hansen, "Feeling Better" - visual arts entry
Giana Keefe, "Colorful Words" - visual arts entry
Rohan Patel, "Be a Rainbow in Someone's Cloud" - visual arts entry

Please join us in congratulating these artists, and stay tuned to find out which entries move up to the state and national levels! We'll be displaying their entries in the halls later in the year. And remember, this is an annual program, so we’ll be looking for even more artists next year!

Please note that information BELOW this point is repeated information that has been shared in a previous newsletter(s), but is still made available here for your reference.

Mark Leipart, Principal mleipart@dg58.org

Jennifer Srabian, Secretary jsrabian@dg58.org

Cynthia Burcham, Secretary cburcham@dg58.org

Email: mleipart@dg58.org
Website: www.dg58.org/hp/
Location: 2220 Haddow Avenue, Downers Grove, IL, USA
Phone: 630.968.0294
Twitter: @HenryPufferDG58

The Board of Education approved the 2022-23 school year calendar. Calendar highlights include:

• First Day of School: Thursday, Aug. 25, 2022
• Thanksgiving Break: Nov. 23-25, 2022
• Winter Break: Dec. 19, 2022 -Jan. 2, 2023
• Spring Break: March 27-31, 2023
• Last Day of School: Wednesday, June 7, 2023 (if no emergency days are used)

If your child is going to be absent or late to school, please call the Henry Puffer Office at 630-968-0294 or email our secretary, Cynthia Burcham, responsible for attendance at cburcham@dg58.org to report his/her absence. If you call before or after office hours, you are welcome to leave attendance information on the school's voicemail. We kindly ask that you do not email attendance information to the teacher or principal.

We are looking to fill 5 Lunch & Recess Supervisor positions and identify potential substitutes to fill in from time to time. Our lunch & recess block goes from 11:30-12:10 each day. Please fill out this form if you would be interested in helping out in any of those roles this year.

Thank you!

Mr. Leipart

We recognize that there may be times throughout the day that your child may forget a needed item (water bottle, lunch, instrument, etc.). We ask anyone dropping off materials to leave these on the table in the vestibule. Please use the available post-its and pens to label anything you are dropping off with the student's name and teacher.

Important Note: Please know that students cannot return to the school after hours to pick up forgotten materials. Even though Champions (after care program) or park district leagues may be in the building, these groups are not able to let students in to access classrooms or cubbies. Additionally, if you are picking up your child from Champions or park district leagues, classrooms and other areas of the buildings should not be accessed after school hours.

Thank you for your cooperation in keeping our school building safe!

Fall is here and cold and flu season is upon us and we are seeing students with cold and flu symptoms. To prevent the spread of these common viruses in the close confines of the classroom, we are cleaning daily and encouraging hand washing in the class. To decide whether or not to send your child to school, please consider the following guidelines.

Consider keeping your child at home for an extra day of rest and observation if he or she has any of the following symptoms:

· Very stuffy or runny nose and/or a cough

· Mild sore throat (no fever, no known exposure to strep)

· Headache

Definitely keep your child at home and consider seeking medical attention if he or she has any of these symptoms:

· Fever (greater than 100 degrees by mouth. Your child may return to school only after his or her temperature has been consistently below 100 degrees, by mouth, for a minimum of 24 hours without medication)

· Vomiting (even once)

· Diarrhea

· Chills

· General malaise or feelings of fatigue, discomfort, weakness or muscle aches

· Frequent congested (wet) or croupy cough

· Shortness of breath

· Lots of nasal congestion with frequent blowing of nose

To help prevent the flu and other colds, encourage good hygiene habits:

· Wash hands frequently

· Do not touch eyes, nose or mouth

· Cover mouth and nose when sneezing or coughing, use a paper tissue, throw it away and then wash hands

· Avoid close contact with people who are sick

The flu shot is one of the best ways to prevent illness from the seasonal influenza virus. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends adults and children receive the flu vaccine each year. Yearly flu vaccination is needed because immunity against the flu wears off over time. In addition, the flu virus strains often change, so the vaccine also changes from year-to-year in order to match the flu viruses expected to be circulating in the community.

District 58 has published the 2022-23 Schools of 58: A Handbook for Families. Please take time to review this important handbook with your child, as it offers an overview of the District’s policies, procedures, resources and student expectations. During the first full week of school, all families will receive a handbook receipt to sign, acknowledging that they and their child reviewed and understood the handbook. Please sign and return the handbook receipt at Curriculum Night or sooner. Here are the links to this year’s family handbook. If you need a print copy, please contact the school office at 630-968-0294, and we can print you a copy.

• English: 2022-23 District 58 Family Handbook

• Español: 2022-23 Manual Familias del Distrito 58

Arrival

Students may arrive at Henry Puffer School beginning at 8:05 a.m. each day when adult supervision begins. In order to assist with a timely and safe arrival process, the school playground will be closed before school. Upon arrival, students should line up by their assigned door. Students will be directed to enter the building beginning at 8:15 am. Anyone arriving after 8:20 a.m. should enter through Door One for an office pass.

Dismissal/After School

Following daily dismissal at Henry Puffer School (2:00 p.m. on Monday and 3:00 p.m. Tuesday through Friday), all students who are not scheduled to remain in the building must leave the school grounds and check in at their destination as there is no supervision on school grounds. We want to ensure the safety of all students.

Students may return to the playground after school hours and/or on the weekends. This will be done at family discretion, as our district playgrounds also function as community parks outside of school hours.

*Please note that entrance times may change as students build routines. We have not used our normal entrance procedures in several years, and we recognize that it may take students longer at the start of the school year to be ready to start the school day. The District also recognizes that bus arrival times vary during the first few weeks of school as drivers learn new routes. As students build routines and bus arrival times become more consistent, student entry times may get pushed back. This will allow our teachers the necessary time to prepare for the day. Supervision times will remain the same and any changes will be communicated in advance.

Please make sure your child has a snack each day. Snack breaks should consist of nutritious food choices such as fruits, vegetables, and other portable snacks. This aligns with Policy 6:50. The health and safety of our students are our highest priorities. Therefore certain snacks or foods may be prohibited in your child’s classroom due to food allergies. A daily snack can be provided for students who qualify for free/ reduced lunch.

We wanted to remind everyone that while a student may bring their electronic device (including cell phones and AirPods) to school, all non-district-issued technologies are to be silenced and out of sight throughout the school day. Students may wear smartwatches, but they are to be silenced during the entire school day, including lunch & recess. The district-provided technology will be utilized for students to participate in lessons and complete assignments. Please be sure to go over the expectations with your student as the policy was recently amended by our school board.

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.