109 Family News

• November 11: District Closed (Veterans Day)
• November 20: Regular Board of Education Meeting (517 Deerfield Rd.) at 7pm
• November 26-28: District Closed (Thanksgiving Break)

We are grateful for our school psychologists, Board of Education members and the guest teachers who are such an important part of our school community!

November 11-15: National School Psychology Week

November 15: School Board Appreciation Day

November 20: Substitute Educators Day

Each year, Caruso and Shepard students have the opportunity to audition to participate in the Illinois Music Education Association (ILMEA) Junior Honors Festival. It is a special event that brings together outstanding 7th and 8th grade band, choir and orchestra students from schools across our region. Those selected have the unique opportunity to spend a full day working with a guest Festival conductor, rehearsing challenging and exciting music alongside other talented musicians from around the suburbs. The day concludes with a grand concert performance that showcases the hard work, dedication and musical excellence of these young performers in each of their selected ensembles. Ten District 109 students participated this year; if you see them, please congratulate them!

CARUSO: Collin Chodoroff (band), Aunie Dasgupta (choir), Gemma Geuder (choir), Jordyn Reid (choir), Amelia Resnick (choir), Molly Schriftman (choir), Milly Xu (choir), and Olivia Zhang (orchestra)

SHEPARD: Tommy Heath (band) and Lior Rubinstein (orchestra)

(Note: It is District 109's practice not to share names of students in newsletters or on our website unless they earn significant honors – and this is a significant honor! No names or identifiable photos of students are ever shared on social media, and names/photos of those who opt out of publication permissions are not ever shared.)

If you weren’t able to attend a Redefine 109 Information Session this fall, you can still learn all about the District’s facility needs, proposed solutions and potential tax impact — as well as the years-long process that led to the current proposal to consider a referendum. Grab some popcorn and watch the recording of the virtual session to get the full overview! Visit our Redefine 109 page to learn more, explore answers to common questions and share your feedback.

What's Next?

In the coming weeks, public opinion polling will be conducted throughout the community. In December, the Referendum Task Force will reconvene to review polling data and other community feedback, and will make a recommendation to the superintendent to take to the Board of Education. The Board also will review all community feedback and, at the December 18, 2025 meeting, will make a decision on whether or not to place a referendum on the March 17, 2026 ballot.

This week, all buildings are collecting food, supplies and monetary donations for the West Deerfield Township Food Pantry, which supports a growing number of District 109 families. Look for collection boxes in each building's foyer.

Because of the Food Pantry's purchasing power, cash donations go further!

Each year, District 109 comes together to support our community with a holiday gift drive. This year it returns with a new name and renewed purpose: Together We Give.

We’re reimagining this beloved tradition to honor its history while empowering families with the gift of choice. Instead of collecting specific items, we’ll gather gift cards so parents can choose what their children want and need most, while keeping the spirit of giving alive and strong.

We’re also partnering with the Deerfield Park Foundation, where community generosity will go even further by helping D109 students access enrichment programs and summer fun that spark joy well beyond the holiday season.

For those who love the shopping aspect of the drive, we’ll continue to collect new coats and other winter outerwear to help families stay warm this winter. Keep an eye out for more information soon.

Together, we give. Together, we care. Because in Deerfield, we’re always stronger together.

Throughout this year, District 109 will roll out ParentSquare, a unified and flexible platform for school-home communication. We’ve had extensive feedback from families who want the flexibility to choose how they receive communication. ParentSquare allows you to select how you receive information – via email, text message, through the ParentSquare app (or all of the above). In addition, District 113 recently launched ParentSquare, so if you have children at Deerfield High School, you'll receive communication from both districts in one place!

Look for more information soon, including how to set up your account and customize your notification preferences.

On October 30, the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) released District 109's annual Illinois Report Card. This comprehensive report highlights school performance data from the 2024-2025 school year, including:

• School Designations: The 2025 Illinois Report Card recognizes Kipling Elementary School and South Park Elementary School with an "exemplary" designation, placing them in the top 10 percent statewide. Walden Elementary, Wilmot Elementary, Caruso Middle School and Shepard Middle School all earned a "commendable" designation, each landing just outside of the top 10 percentile. The designation factors used by ISBE for 2024-2025 include academic proficiency, student growth, attendance, and the school climate survey.
• IAR Results: The Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) is the state assessment and accountability measure for students in Illinois public schools. It assesses students' mastery of the Illinois Learning Standards (incorporating Common Core) in English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics. The state updated the proficiency benchmarks and performance levels this year; therefore, scores are not directly comparable to previous years. The consistent growth of District 109 students over time, however, is evident. In English Language-Arts, 83.8% of Deerfield 109 students achieved at or above proficiency. In math, 74.4% of students achieved at or above proficiency. This is compared to 52.4% and 38.4% of students across the state.

Next Steps

While we celebrate success, our work is ongoing. District 109 uses a variety of data to inform professional development and curriculum planning with the goal of sustaining growth for every student. All achievements are directly attributable to the hard work of students, the commitment of excellent teachers, and collaborative partnerships with families. We are stronger together!

You know that DPS 109 is a supportive school community for students and families. The District also cultivates a community where staff feel valued, and they can pursue their career interests, whether they are teachers, administrators, support and office staff or guest teachers – all of whom play an important role in the education of our students. The District is currently hiring:

• Long-term substitute nurse
• Substitute nurse
• Guest teachers

If you're looking for meaningful work in a supportive environment, close to home, visit dps109.org/DefineYourself – and share these jobs with friends and family!

TrueNorth is offering family programs this November as part of their Family University Series:

• November 13: Unlocking the Power of Play: Nurturing Independent Play
• November 19: Behind the Behaviors: The Power of Executive Functioning in Our Kids (and Us)

Find full program details and registration information.

District 109 is making it easier than ever to stay connected with businesses and organizations that serve the students and families in our community. Starting soon, you’ll begin receiving a weekly Peachjar email every Thursday around 1pm, featuring digital flyers from:

• Your child’s school

• The District

• Local community organizations

• Businesses offering child- and family-focused programs

The flyers will clearly indicate that the District does not endorse the programs offered by outside organizations. The email will come from "school@peachjar.com." Each email has the option to unsubscribe (at no risk of unsubscribing from District or school emails).