109 News

February is here! Now Punxsutawney Phil didn't see his shadow, so spring should be arriving early. But he's only right about 40% of the time over the last decade or so. It's always fun to see our kindergarteners get in on the act as they watch the big ceremony and dress for the part! There's a busy month ahead as the school year churns on, so please reach out to communications@dps109.org if you have any questions and we will be happy to assist you!

Again this year, parents across Illinois have an opportunity to participate in the annual statewide Illinois 5Essentials Survey. This survey is designed to generate a detailed picture of the inner workings of your child’s school. As a parent, it allows you to share your thoughts on the important elements of school effectiveness. Your responses also help guide district improvement. To take the Parent Survey, please click the button below and select the appropriate survey to begin. Your identity and responses will be kept completely confidential and will not be connected to you or your child. The survey should take no more than 5 minutes to complete

Registration for our incoming 2024-2025 kindergarten class is now open! We had so much fun meeting some of the newest members of our fleet at our drop-in completion event last week. If you stop by district office at any point in February and finish registration, we've got some swag for your student and a chance for them to participate in our group art project! We really want to try and get as close to a fully accurate count of our incoming class as early as possible, because it helps us plan better for budgeting and staffing!

In the last issue, we put out a poll: when it comes to weather impacting school, do you ONLY want to hear from us if we are closed... or do you prefer hearing from us either way with a status update if the weather is dicey? Well, the people have spoken...we will continue our practice moving forward of reaching out on questionable days. Thank you for your input. Look for more ways coming up in future editions of 109 News to weigh in!

There are so many GOOD things going on in our buildings and around our district each day... we do our best to try and capture it and bring it to you! A few issues ago, we showed you how the Board of Education got a lesson on the Lu from Kipling 3rd graders. Well, the pictures didn't do it justice. Behold the video highlights below :)

Always a highlight... Shepard students got to throw a pie at the staff member of their choice for doing so well on the recent MAP testing! You can watch a video of all the fun on the Shepard Facebook page by clicking below.

Growing Up In Public: Coming of Age in a Digital World

TONIGHT @ 7 p.m.

Highland Park High School Auditorium

Click below to register.

Drawing on her extensive work with parents and schools as well as hundreds of interviews with kids, parents, educators, clinicians, and scholars, Devorah Heitner offers strategies for parenting our kids in an always-connected world. With relatable stories and research-backed advice, Growing Up in Public empowers parents to cut through the overwhelm to connect with their kids, recognize how to support them, and help them figure out who they are when everyone is watching

Through February 10th

The Art Center

1957 Sheridan Road, Highland Park

Our students have so many wonderful opportunities to express themselves creativity - in school, our park district and at home. In CTAD's February newsletter Tamara Jenkins, the Director of Arts Festivals for HPHS & DHS, shares the lifelong benefits exposure to the arts can have on our students.

The Deerfield Park Foundation is a nonprofit whose mission is to make Deerfield Park District Camps and programs accessible to all families, regardless of their financial position. If you would like your child to attend a Deerfield Park District Summer Camp or program, but you are experiencing financial hardship, please reach out to the Deerfield Park District, registration@deerfieldparks.org, and inquire about Deerfield Park Foundation assistance.