E-News

🏈Dear Davis Families,

We're excited to announce that the Chicago Bears Mini Monsters Clinic, brought to us by Advocate Health Care, is coming to Davis Elementary on Monday, September 21st!

This free 90-minute program is open to our 2nd–5th graders and teaches healthy eating, physical activity, and proper hydration through fun, non-contact football drills and skills — just like the Bears! Every participating student will also receive a free t-shirt.

Clinic Times:

• 4th & 5th Grade: 10:00 – 11:30 AM
• 2nd & 3rd Grade: 12:00 – 1:30 PM

Please check the weather forecast for Monday and make sure your child has PE shoes and is dressed comfortably for 90 minutes of activity outdoors. In case of rain, a modified program will be held inside. To learn more about the program you can visit the Chicago Bears website HERE. Thank you, parents, for completing the waivers for your students to participate, and for those who are volunteering. We appreciate your support!

Go Bears! 🐻

Gina Shaw

Principal, Davis Elementary School

• Families, it is not too late to pre-order your child’s photos at https://inter-state.com/order with order code 0496ZTF.

• Retakes will be taken on Friday, Nov. 6th if your child was absent; or if you are not pleased with the pictures.

• Photo proofs, as well as photo packages that you have ordered, will be sent to the school in 4-6 weeks.

• Please note, each student will receive a free class picture later in the school year (after retakes). (The order form does not indicate this; you only need to order a class photo if you want a 2nd copy)

• Please refer to inter-state.com/support for further questions.

Hi Parents and Guardians of Davis Elementary,

It was an absolute pleasure to meet all of your kids this week at my author visit. It sounds like they all had a blast and hopefully came home excited.

If you did not have a chance to order books or would like to order more, all books purchased from ronkeres.com/shop are personally signed and shipped by me. Alternatively, all of my books are available at the Geneva Barnes & Noble, or on Amazon (unsigned).

You can also enter your email on the website and get free Finn the frog coloring and activity sheets emailed to you. If you have any questions, you could email me directly at author@ronkeres.com

Thanks!

Ron Keres

Do you want to help kick cancer? Davis students are helping St Charles East and St Charles North High Schools to raise money to help people who are affected by cancer and other difficulties in the crosstown Kick-a-thon! Bring in coins or bills starting Thursday, September 17th, to drop in your class container. Ask your parents how you can help make money to make a difference. (Families are also welcome to donate online HERE.) Let’s help Davis bring change to make change. Every penny counts!

Davis Staff were treated to a Sunny Display of Orange-themed treats this week by the PTO's Sunshine Committee!! The thoughtfulness, creativity and snack appeal was a Ray of Sunshine on a Rainy Week!! We appreciate all of our Davis Community and are so touched by the support we receive. In fact, due to the orange overload, Davis staff are now ready to concentrate!

Please click HERE to enjoy a beautiful video of one of our Monarch Butterflies emerging from its cocoon.

Dear Davis Families,

As we proceed in the 2026-27 school year, we want to make sure every student's safety information is accurate and up to date. One of the most important things you can do is add or review your emergency contacts in ParentVUE. Having current emergency contacts on file is essential in case we're unable to reach a parent or guardian directly — especially if your child becomes ill or needs to be picked up from school. Please take a few minutes to complete this important step.

How to Add Emergency Contacts in ParentVUE:

1. Log in through the D303 ParentVUE portal using a web browser (some mobile app versions limit direct edits).

2. Click on Online Registration or Student Information in the top right corner.

3. If prompted, choose the Annual Student Verification or Student Information Update packet.

4. Navigate to the Emergency tab or Contact section.

5. Click Add New Emergency Contact.

6. Enter the contact's First and Last Name.

7. Add at least one valid phone number and select the appropriate permissions, such as Release To or Contact Allowed.

8. Click Save, then Continue, and be sure to click Submit or Update Account on the final screen to send your changes to the school.

If you run into any trouble along the way, please don't hesitate to reach out to our office (331-228-2200) — we're happy to help. Thank you for taking the time to keep this information current. It truly makes a difference in helping us keep your child safe.

• Conferences are scheduled for Thursday, October 8th from 8 a.m. - 8 p.m. and Friday, October 9th from 8 a.m .- Noon. There is no school for students on these dates.
• Beginning on September 21st through October 2nd, Parents/Guardians may log into ParentVUE to schedule an in-person or a virtual conference.

Parent/Teacher Conferences are an opportunity for students, parents/guardians, and teachers to focus on setting meaningful goals. Teachers will be working with students to review their strengths and areas of improvement prior to the conference. Students will then set goals and brainstorm ideas to reach those goals which will be shared at his or her conference or before.

In order to prepare for these conferences, please reflect on this school year so far.

• What has been a success for your child?
• What has been a challenge?
• How can you support your child with reaching his or her goals?

The conferences will conclude with time for questions that you may have for your child or the teacher.

If you would like to schedule a conference with a special area teacher, please contact the teacher directly via email to set up. Contact info is below.

Click HERE for Davis Google Calendar

September:

National Walk, Bike, and Roll to School Day is Wednesday, October 7, 2026. Davis Elementary welcomes you to participate in this morning's event. These events are important opportunities to bring our school community together. Our goal is to encourage physical activity and promote safety in your neighborhoods. On the sidewalk at Horne and 7th Street (by the crossing guard), the Davis Wellness Club student representatives, staff, and PTO will welcome our students as they walk, bike, and roll to school.

Dear Families,

We are excited to share that Davis Elementary will be using a program called PurposeFull People this year to help our students develop skills that will support them in school and in life.

PurposeFull People centers around three goals:

BE WELL — understanding and managing emotions and caring for ourselves
BE KIND — building positive relationships and treating others with kindness and empathy
BE STRONG — developing skills like focus, perseverance, responsibility, and goal setting

One of our goals is to create a shared language between school and home. When students hear the same words and ideas from the adults around them, they have more opportunities to recognize, practice, and apply these skills in everyday life.

You might ask your child:

• What did you learn about BEING KIND today? How were you KIND today?
• What did you learn about BEING STRONG today? What helped you BE STRONG when something was challenging?
• What did you learn about BEING WELL today? What helps you to BE WELL?

We hope this shared language will help us partner with all of you in supporting your whole child!

At Davis, we are growing together!

Dear Davis Families,

During the week of Sept 8-11, your child was assessed using a new universal screener for reading and math skills, part of a district-wide (D303) initiative. This gives us a baseline for where your student is performing and helps us identify the right next instructional step — and whether any additional assessment is needed. It's a snapshot, not a full picture of your child as a learner.

Why this tool? Acadience is a well-researched, state-approved screener that meets Illinois' K-3 literacy assessment requirements. It's a one-on-one, interview-style assessment, reflecting feedback we've heard from our community about limiting screen time for our youngest learners.

Who, when, and what:

• K-3 students are assessed in reading (2–8 minutes)

• K-1 students are also assessed in math (1–3 minutes)

• Grades 2-5 continue to use i-Ready, a brief screener in reading and math

• Screening happens three times a year — fall, winter, and spring — so we can catch needs early and monitor growth over time.

Getting ahead of any gaps now, especially by the end of kindergarten, sets the stage for stronger learning trajectories in both reading and math down the road.

Warmly,
Gina Shaw
Principal, Davis Elementary School

The St. Charles Community Unit School District 303 Board of Education voted on August 10, 2026, to place a ballot initiative on the November 3 ballot asking the community whether the District should issue bonds to fund maintenance needs and educational facility improvements. Read the full press release here.

La Junta Educativa del Distrito Escolar de la Unidad Comunitaria 303 de St. Charles votó el 10 de agosto de 2026 a favor de incluir una iniciativa en la papeleta electoral del 3 de noviembre en la que se pregunta a la comunidad si el distrito debería emitir bonos para financiar las necesidades de mantenimiento y las mejoras de las instalaciones educativas. Lee aquí el comunicado de prensa completo.

Organic Life is looking for Lunchroom Supervisors to join our team!

If you enjoy working with students in a positive school environment, we'd love to hear from you.

Interested? Contact:

Patricia Burton
331-228-5242
patricia.burton@d303.org

Join the Organic Life team and make a difference in our schools!

If you believe your household qualifies for free or reduced meals based on the current USDA Income Eligibility Guidelines, please complete the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) application. To obtain a form in another language, please visit the USDA Free and Reduced application site.

Email: linda.jezek@d303.org
Website: https://davis.d303.org/
Location: 1125 S 7th St, St. Charles, IL, 60174
Phone: 331-228-2200
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DavisElementaryD303
Twitter: @StCharlesD303

Have an idea by kids for kids? The St. Charles Youth Commission wants to hear it. Funding is awarded to youth-designed and youth-driven projects directed toward the promotion of healthy lifestyles among young people in the community. Any group or organization can apply for funds throughout the year.

The City of St. Charles Youth Commission now accepts funding applications all year long. Funding requests need to be submitted by the 15th of the month in order to be reviewed and considered for approval at the next meeting. Please keep in mind that the Youth Commission does not meet in July or August.

Please click HERE for more information. Please email your completed application to YC@stcharlesil.gov or drop it off at the St. Charles Police Department, attention: Youth Commission. A member of the Youth Commission will reach out to you once they receive it.