Flag Salute – Whittier School
Whittier School Student Council officers led the Board and audience in the flag salute. The Student Council includes President Eleanor Harris, Vice President Catherine Dobrez, Secretary Abbey Rosenberg, Service Chair Caroline Scott, Spirit Chair Katherine Mielke and Public Relations Chair Libby DeCaro. They were joined by their Student Council sponsor, Sixth Grade Teacher Debra Krygeris, and Principal Michael Krugman.
The students shared some of their recent charity events, fundraisers and student spirit day activities with the Board. Each Student Council officer selected a charity to support throughout the school year. Proceeds from the Student Council’s taffy apple sale, candy cane sale and other fundraisers support these charitable organizations. The Student Council also leads activities to raise awareness for different causes. They hosted a Wear Pink for Cancer Awareness Day, a Crenshaw-themed food drive and an Operation Christmas toy drive. They also lead two themed Spirit Days each month.
PTA Co-President Debbie Levinthal reported on the Whittier PTA’s many activities. This year’s Jaguar Jog brought the Whittier community together and raised enough money to fund not only the entire Whittier PTA budget, but also a Whittier teacher wish list, which included water bottle fillers for hot days, social-emotional learning materials and more.
The Whittier PTA also sponsors Young Rembrandts art lessons, the Lego Robotics Club and a Green Team that recently beautified Whittier’s landscaping. The PTA also leads a very successful fall Variety Show, a playground initiative, a Target teacher gift card program, a book fair with Anderson’s Bookshop and a mitten project that funded 90 holiday gifts for 26 children in 12 local families who needed a little extra help this past holiday season.
Spotlight on our Schools: Education Foundation Grants
Community Relations Coordinator Megan Hewitt introduced this year’s Education Foundation of Downers Grove District 58 teacher grant recipients and shared highlights of this school year’s 22 funded grant projects.
Since 2002, the Education Foundation has supported and enhanced education in District 58. Their annual fundraisers include Oktoberfest, Green Apple Teacher/Staff Recognition Program, the Spring Concert Series and others. They have donated more than $500,000 to District 58.
To inspire classroom ingenuity, the Foundation annually awards grants to teachers who have a good idea with a solid plan, but lack the funding. Applicants must complete a thorough application and provide research that supports why their project will benefit students. They complete a final cost sheet that itemizes every penny needed for the grant. Hewitt organizes each submitted application and removes any information that may identify the applicant and his/her school. This ensures a blind process with regard to both teacher and school for the Education Foundation grants committee.
New this year, District 58 launched a video/story series called “A Glance at our Grants” that highlights the grants in action. View the short videos and more information at www.dg58.org/community-engagement/teacher-grants-program.
During the Board meeting, Education Foundation Director and Grant Committee Chair David Olsen presented a check for more than $22,000 to District 58 to fund this year’s grants.
The 2015-16 teacher grants support:
- 11 varied classroom libraries
- Three innovative tools to improve literacy and research
- An Ollie and Sphero, two robotic tools that introduce students to coding
- Digital microscopes and scientific probeware
- Wireless microphone
- 3D printer
- Yoga equipment
- Baritone saxophone, a digital piano and a piano dolly
A complete list of all grants is linked at www.dg58.org/community-engagement/teacher-grants-program.
Superintendent’s Report
Superintendent Dr. Kari Cremascoli shared a draft letter from the District 58 Board of Education to the District 99 Board of Education sharing input regarding District 99’s potential plans to shift its 2016-17 school calendar to an earlier start date.
District 58 historically aligns its school calendar with District 99. However, since most District 58 schools lack air conditioning, the Board believes it is in District 58’s best interest to keep a traditional calendar, with school beginning near the end of August. The Board looks forward to contributing this feedback to the District 99 Board of Education.
Dr. Cremascoli also shared that Illinois Secretary of Education Dr. Beth Purvis met with DuPage County superintendents in December to discuss several issues, including unfunded mandate relief. Dr. Purvis is seeking collaborative opportunities to ease the burden of unfunded mandates on the education system. Her office’s Unfunded Mandates and Consolidation Task Force published a report regarding this issue and will seek public input on the recommendations.
Dr. Cremascoli noted that the District has prepared its mid-year financial reports, and students are completing their mid-year MAP and AIMSweb assessment. The District’s ELL (English Language Learners) participated in a new, online ACCESS assessment and kindergarteners completed a paper version of ACCESS. The District will share a mid-year update to its Strategic Goals Action Plan for 2015-16 during the February Board meeting.
The Education Foundation of Downers Grove District 58 has begun preparing for two of its popular springtime award ceremonies: Select 58 for eighth graders and the Distinguished Service Awards for staff. Select 58 applications opened this week, and Distinguished Service Award nominations will be available in early February.
Dr. Cremascoli shared that the District 58 Science Fair will take place Saturday, Jan. 23, and the Board of Education’s Legislative Breakfast will occur Friday, Jan. 29.
Business Report
Controller Dr. James Popernik reported that this past month marked the mid-year point in the budget. The 2015-16 District 58 budget is in decent shape and all financial reports are on schedule. The District is caught up on its reconciliations and fund balance reporting.
Dr. Popernik added that gathering W2s may be a challenge since the District launched a new financial system in July. District 58 employees will receive two separate W2s – one from the old system (January-June 2015) and one from the new system (July 2015-December 2015). This information has been communicated to staff.
Committee Reports
Board President John Cooper reported on the Jan. 5 Financial Advisory Committee meeting. The Financial Advisory Committee reviewed the CPI, which is currently running between 1.0 and 1.1 percent. They reviewed the Fiscal Year 2015 Annual Financial Report, related to revenues, expenditures and fund balances. The District maintained its “Recognition” status with ISBE and the complete report has been published on the District website.
The Legislative Committee and Policy Committee did not meet this past month.
Discussion: OKEEP Update
During the December 2015 Board meeting, District 58 leaders presented the Board of Education with several potential expansion options for the District’s Optional Kindergarten Enrichment and Enhancement Program, or OKEEP.
After careful consideration and review, along with Board input in support of expanding the program, the District has narrowed those expansion options to three finalists. In all three options, the District will expand OKEEP district-wide, with special considerations for Lester School, which currently lacks the space to fully implement OKEEP. The three possible solutions being investigated would allow Lester students to have access to the OKEEP program despite space constraints.
Three possible solutions:
- Lester School only offers traditional half-day kindergarten. Families interested in OKEEP may apply for an intra-district transfer. This transfer would allow their child participate in kindergarten and OKEEP at a different District 58 school, pending space availability.
- Lester School only offers traditional half-day kindergarten. However, interested families would be able to enroll their child with other Lester students in kindergarten and OKEEP at Belle Aire school. In this option, the District would provide transportation for Lester students to attend kindergarten and OKEEP at Belle Aire School.
- Lester School offers a traditional half-day kindergarten section and one kindergarten with OKEEP section. A selection process would be applied to determine which students would be able to participate in Lester’s OKEEP section. Students not selected in the lottery for OKEEP at Lester would attend kindergarten and OKEEP at Belle Aire or another school within the district.
The District has prepared a survey for Lester School families in order to gather additional input regarding these options and Lester community interest in OKEEP. The survey will be available within the next week.
Board members discussed the remaining three options and said they look forward to hearing what input the Lester community will provide.
The Board is expected to make a decision regarding OKEEP by the March 16 Board meeting.
During the meeting, the Board also:
- Recognized this year’s Student Council officers
- Approved minutes from the Dec. 14 Regular Board Meeting
- Approved all items on the Consent Agenda as presented in the packet materials
- Approved a resolution authorizing the transfer of $900,000 from the Working Cash Fund to the Transportation Fund.
- Adopted a resolution that permits District 58 to apply to receive qualified school construction bond designation from the Illinois State Board of Education
- Approved a motion to revise Policy #5100.2 regarding health, eye and dental examinations; immunizations and exclusion of students.
- Approved a motion to revise Policy #8022 regarding meetings
Upcoming events:
- Wednesday, Jan. 20 at 3:45 p.m.: Legislative Committee Meeting at the ASC
- Thursday, Jan. 21 at 7:30 a.m.: BOE Coffee with Staff at Henry Puffer School
- Wednesday, Jan. 27: Lester Building Tour and PTA Meeting – 6:10 p.m. Tour & 6:30 p.m. PTA Meeting
- Friday, Jan. 29 at 7:30 a.m.: Legislative Breakfast at O’Neill Middle School
- Monday, Feb. 8 at 7 p.m.: Regular Board Meeting at the Longfellow Center
District 58 Board of Education members include: John Cooper, president; Doug Purcell, vice president; Roberta Diehl; Christopher Heppner; Sallie Lupescu; John Miller; and Elizabeth Sigale, with Dr. Kari Cremascoli, superintendent; and Pam Osika, board secretary.