The RISE Report

District 58 is recruiting new members for its District and School Board committees/councils. Please consider participating! Applications are due on Friday, Oct. 4. See the links below for more information:

• View Superintendent Dr. Kevin Russell’s letter regarding committee recruitment.

• View committee and council descriptions, goals, meeting dates and membership needs.

• Apply to join a District 58 committee/council.

Thank you for your interest!

Is your student interested in visual or performing arts? You'll want to know about Reflections, a national PTA program that District 58 schools participate in annually.

Each year through Reflections, more than 300,000 students around the country in preschool through high school create original works of art inspired by a student-selected theme. This year's theme is "Accepting Imperfection" and categories for entry include visual art (painting, drawing, sculpture, textile art), photography, film-making, music composition, dance choreography and literature. Visit our local Reflections website to learn more about the program, read the guidelines and download an entry form. All entries are due to your local school by Friday, Nov. 1.

Projects are judged and have the opportunity to advance through Council, Region, State and National levels of competition. Our Council level is called the Downers Grove Area Council and includes all District 58 schools as well as Darien School District 61. All District 58 students whose projects advance to the Council level are invited to attend a recognition ceremony on Dec. 3 at O’Neill Middle School, where they will receive a ribbon and see their work on display.

All students whose projects advance to the State level are invited to Spotlight, a state-wide Reflections celebration in May. Students with projects advancing to the National level are eligible for bronze, silver and gold medals and scholarships ranging from $200-$800.

Looking for inspiration? Browse the virtual gallery of projects that made it to Nationals in last year’s Reflections program inspired by the theme “I am Hopeful Because …”

In the United States, Heritage Months are periods within the year that are designated to celebrate and acknowledge various ethnic groups. These are times not only to celebrate, but also to educate ourselves on various groups’ histories and contributions to American History. These are important times that help us to understand some of our own cultures and identities, as well as others.

The month of September, and part of October, is a time to celebrate Hispanic culture. This time of year is significant because the Latin American countries of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua all received their independence on September 15th. Additionally, Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on September 16th and September 18th. At 55.6 million, people of Hispanic origin are the largest ethnic or racial minority in the U.S.

Park District Activities:

The Reckoning - Oct 18 & 19

Touch a Truck - Oct 26

Halloween Trick or Treat Trail - Oct 26

Blodgett House Boo Fest - Oct 31

Downtown Downers Grove:

Fall Scavenger Hunt - Oct 1 - Oct 25

Halloween Window Painting and DG Historical Society Living Cemetery - Oct 26

Downtown Trick-or-Treating - Oct 27

SEASPAR - schedules and brochures

Downers Grove Park District - 2024 Fall Rec Guide

Drury Lane Theatre Events

This is a great website that gives ideas for just about anything you want to do!

Pumpkin Farms!

Yep! Check out what's open!

- Bengston's Pumpkin Farm - Homer Glen

- Goebbert's Farm - Pingree Grove

- Konow's Corn Maze - Homer Glen

- Johansen Farms - Bolingbrook

- Sonny Acres - West Chicago

- Siegel's - Crest Hill

- Jonomac Orchard - Malta

- Kuipers Family Farm - Maple Park

- Woody's Orchard and Fun Farm - Plano

Haunted Houses!

Find Haunted Trails, Spooky Hayrides, and Scary Haunted Houses here!

Want to Check out Decorated Houses? Look here for routes!

Tuesday, October 8: Parent/Teacher Conferences- Evening Event

Thursday, October 10: Parent/Teacher Conferences- Evening Event

Monday, October 9 : No School

Wednesday, October 14: Board of Education Regular Meeting

Monday, October 28: Board of Education Curriculum Workshop

Tuesday, November 5: No School- Election Day

Monday, November 11: Board of Education Regular Meeting

Our 3rd-6th grade RISE has been working hard during Makerspace to learn about green energy by using snap circuits. They have used communication, collaboration, and team building skills to make their projects work!

Please join us for a Series of 3 Zoom Presentations:

Tuesday evenings this Fall from 6-7pm on Zoom

Meeting ID: 602 591 8375

Passcode: 860182

9/10/24: Government Benefits

10/8/24: ABLE Accounts and Special Needs Trusts

11/12/24: Planning for Adulthood & Continuity of Care

Presented by Oak Wealth Advisors:

With decades of personal and professional experience on the topics of special needs planning and financial planning, we can help your family sleep better at night, have more fun in your lives and increase the amount of money that you have available. (Spoiler alert - no insurance products have to be purchased in order to achieve a more successful special needs plan!)

Oak Wealth Advisors understands the challenges that your family is facing because we are also living with those same challenges. We have been educating and empowering families with special needs members by providing them with specific planning strategies that will make their lives, and the life of their loved one better.

ZOOM # 2 10/8/24 6-7pm Optimizing the Use of ABLE Accounts and Special Needs Trusts:

Please join us for an informational hour with Founder and President of Oak Wealth Advisors, Mike Walther. Parents and guardians will receive an introduction to ABLE Accounts and Special Needs Trusts. Learn about the benefits of an Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) account, how to apply for this tax-advantaged savings program, and how to evaluate the various account options. There will also be a discussion of Special Needs Trusts. Both account types allow individuals with disabilities to accumulate assets without reducing their eligibility for means-tested disability benefits such as Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Medicaid. This presentation is beneficial for families whose loved one has a diagnosis and who want to put the essential elements of a special needs plan in place to allow them to maximize their family’s financial resources.

ZOOM #3 11/12/24 6-7pm Planning for Adulthood and Continuity of Care:

Please join us for an informational hour with Founder and President of Oak Wealth Advisors, Mike Walther. This presentation will focus on planning and decision-making for individuals entering adulthood. Parents and guardians will learn about Guardianship, Powers of Attorney, & Supported Decision Making. Housing, employment, transportation, & other planning challenges will also be discussed. We will review the essential need for a care guide or letter of intent that will document your loved one’s wishes, routines, health care needs, strengths, and challenges so that future care givers can be effective at retaining their quality of life. This presentation is beneficial for families with a loved one who is in high school or has recently entered adulthood.

ABOUT THE PRESENTER:

Mike Walther received his BS degree in Economics and MBA with concentration in Accounting from Vanderbilt University. He holds all three of the most respected financial services professional designations: the CPA/PFS designation, the Certified Financial PlannerTM designation, and he is a CFA charter holder.

Mike has a brother on the Autism spectrum. After nearly two decades as a fiduciary financial advisor serving wealthy families, he founded Oak Wealth Advisors in 2008 to provide planning and wealth management services to families like his own. Mike’s passion is sharing his knowledge and experience to enhance the quality of life for families that include loved ones with special needs.

Mike has written articles for the Chicago Sun-Times and has been quoted in The Wall Street Journal, Business Week, New York Times, and other national publications. He has presented at conferences around the country and taught classes about special needs financial planning at multiple universities.

Mike was the first financial advisor in Illinois admitted into the Academy of Special Needs Planners (ASNP).

He founded and leads the Special Needs Planning subject matter study group for the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA). He is also a member of the NAPFA DEI Committee. In 2023, Oak Wealth Advisors was recognized by NAPFA as their Excellence in DEI Award Winner for mid-sized firms. In December 2023, Mike was recognized by Investment News as one of their inaugural Hot 100 whose contributions have helped shape the wealth industry.

The Find Food IL Community Food Map is an excellent tool for individuals to find places offering free food or meals; school and Summer Meal programs; and grocery stores and farmers markets accepting SNAP/Link, WIC, and senior vouchers. ISBE partnered with the University of Illinois Extension to help families identify what is available in their community more easily.

Many students rely on school for access to meals. Especially as we enter the summer months, you can help by sharing the Find Food IL Community Food Map with your students and families. Those interested in linking to this resource can download hosting guidelines on the Illinois Nutrition Education Programs website. Contact Caitlin Kownacki or read the press release for more information.

Building Bridges is a parent group under the Downers Grove D58 Area PTA Counil. Building Bridges works on building relationships between families with children who have special needs and our school community.

Whether you are a parent/guardian of a child with an IEP or 504, sibling, caregiver, teacher, librarian, or community member... Building Bridges would love to see your participation in our event for the 2023-2024 school year!

Please join our Facebook Page (Building Bridges Parent/Teacher Group)

https://www.facebook.com/pg/buildingbridgesDG58/

Email: jcadard@dg58.org
Website: www.dg58.org
Location: 1436 Grant St, Downers Grove, IL 60515
Phone: 630-719-9478