Weekly Update

September 18, 2024

Town Hall Meetings

Indian Prairie School District 204 is holding a series of town hall meetings related to a no tax increase referendum being placed on the November 2024 ballot. Attendees will gain a better understanding of the district’s facility infrastructure needs, critical safety and security upgrades, and how a referendum would support these needs. The presentation will be followed by a Q&A session and tours of the building.

Thursday, September 19 | 7 – 8:30 PM

Hill Middle School (Cafeteria)
1836 Brookdale Road
Naperville, IL 60563

Wednesday, October 16 | 7 – 8:30 PM
Gregory Middle School (Cafeteria)
2621 Springdale Circle
Naperville, IL 60564

Tuesday, October 29 | 7 – 8:30 PM

Waubonsie Valley High School (LMC)
2590 Ogden Avenue
Aurora, IL 60504

Learn more at www.ipsd.org/SaferStronger204 or view the Town Hall Meetings flyer.

Scheduling Parent/Teacher Conferences

Parent/teacher conferences for preschool, elementary, middle and high school will take place on Thursday, November 21, 2024 from 4:30 - 8:00 PM and Monday, November 25, 2024 from 8:00 AM - 3:00 PM and 4:30 - 8:00 PM.

Elementary, middle, and high school parents can begin scheduling conferences through ParentVUE on November 13 starting at 6:00 AM. Preschool families will receive directions for how to register for conferences from the student’s classroom teacher.

To schedule your conference for elementary, middle, and high school students, log in to ParentVUE and select "Conference" from the menu on the left side to see the times available. Once you have scheduled your conference, you can click "Email Schedule" to have the details emailed to you. You can also go back to ParentVUE at any time to view the information. Conference scheduling will remain open through November 19 at 6:00 PM.

Mobile Dental Clinic

The DuPage County Health Department's Smile Squad will be visiting our district throughout the school year. Several schools will serve as host locations, and students from any school in the district are welcome to attend a clinic at any of these sites. The Smile Squad will provide dental examinations that fulfill the state-mandated requirement for students in Kindergarten, 2nd, 6th, and 9th grades. Eligible students will also receive a dental cleaning, fluoride treatment, and sealants as needed.

Upcoming Mobile Dental Clinics:

September 20, 2024: Owen Elementary School, 1560 Westglen Drive, Naperville

November 6, 2024: Longwood Elementary School, 30W240 Bruce Lane, Naperville

November 7, 2024: Cowlishaw Elementary School, 1212 Sanctuary Lane, Naperville

November 8, 2024: Cowlishaw Elementary School, 1212 Sanctuary Lane, Naperville

November 12, 2024: Gombert Elementary School, 2707 Ridge Road, Aurora

Please note that written parental consent is required and must be on file with the health office prior to your child’s appointment. Consent forms must be submitted to your child's health office at least one week before the scheduled clinic date. (Consent Form - English | Formulario de consentimiento - Español)

Health Services Reminder

District 204's Health Services Department reminds parents that the required State of Illinois Certificate of Child Health Examination and Immunization form can be found online at Health Services. Information about requirements was included in this year's registration packet. Students' immunization status and physicals will be reviewed by Registered Nurses and School Nurses. Parents will be notified of any deficiencies. Per State law, if requirements are not met for the 2024-25 school year, students will be excluded from school starting on Tuesday, October 15, 2024. If you have questions or need assistance, please contact your school's health office.

Young Hearts for Life

The Indian Prairie Educational Foundation, along with Endeavor Health, is is pleased to offer all District 204 high school students a free, potentially life-saving ECG screening through Young Hearts for Life. Parent/Guardian pre-authorization is necessary for a student to be screened.

District 204 screenings:

Waubonsie Valley – 9/24/24
Metea Valley – 2/4/25

You can sign up to volunteer for any (or all) of these opportunities here: Heart Screening Volunteer Signup. READ MORE HERE

Parent University: Restorative Practices Workshop

Join us on Saturday, September 21 from 9 to 11 a.m. for an engaging and informative Restorative Practices Workshop. Hear from district administrators who will share updates on District 204’s restorative practices initiative and provide practical strategies for integrating these principles into your home and parenting approach.

The event will be held in the LMC at Still Middle School located at 787 Meadowridge Drive in Aurora. Free childcare will be provided for children ages 3–10 by Right at School. READ MORE HERE

Restorative Practices Workshop Flyer

IPPC Coat Drive

The Indian Prairie Parents’ Council is once again hosting their annual winter coat drive to benefit District 204 students and families in need. This program gathers new and gently used clean winter coats and accessories (including boots, snow pants, hats, scarves and mittens) that will be offered at no cost to families in need. Students and parents are encouraged to bring their donated items to their school between September 9 and 20. Collection boxes will be available in the entrance of each school. If you have questions about the coat drive, please contact IPPC 1st Vice President and Unity Chair, Robin Schmidt at ippcpta@gmail.com.

Message from PDAC

Hello Families! I'd like to invite you to get involved in the Parent Diversity Advisory Council (PDAC) at your school. PDAC is a group of parent volunteers that are interested in supporting the District’s commitment to educational equity through a focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion. We aim to have at least one parent volunteer at each school who is our PDAC Liaison; co-liaisons are always welcome! The Liaison’s responsibility is to help bring the DEI lens to the school and PTA, however they can. There’s a lot of different ways to be a liaison. Below is a summary of the basic responsibilities of a Parent Liaison.

Attend (virtual or in person at the CEC) PDAC Community Meetings, generally Tuesday or Thursday evenings 7 PM - 9 PM.
Share information about PDAC with your school community.
Develop PDAC-related programming that meets the needs of your school community, in consultation with school leadership.
Provide an “equity lens” when volunteering in your school community.
Be willing to be an advocate for those with equity concerns.
Some PDAC Liaisons may choose to start a local PDAC group at their particular school.
PDAC liaisons will meet regularly with their principal or principal's delegate to be informed and/or participate in the work of their Building Equity Leadership Team (BELT).

If this work sounds interesting to you, please reach out to your Principal, PTA President, or email me at pdacinfo@gmail.com.

Thanks,

Robin Schmidt, Chair
IPSD 204 PDAC Leadership Team

Safety & Security Information

As part of District 204's ongoing commitment to ensuring the safety and security of our students, staff, and community, we want to share a resource that can help you better understand important safety protocols. Navigate360’s ALICE (Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate) is the safety response we use to train staff and students to prepare for an incident in our schools. The training link below is designed for families and communities to learn how to respond in case of an emergency. We encourage you to explore the information through the link below to stay informed and prepared:

ALICE for Family and Community - Navigate360

Next Board of Education Meeting: September 23, 2024

The next regular Board of Education meeting is at 7 PM on Monday, September 23, 2024 at the Crouse Education Center, 780 Shoreline Drive, Aurora. Meeting agendas and documents will be available online prior to the meeting. Video of the regular meeting can be streamed live or viewed the following day at the District’s YouTube channel.

View the September 9, 2024 Board Salutes Here

Support Team IPEF Runners From Your School

Help the Team IPEF Charity Runners from your school meet their individual charity fundraising goal of $204 before October 1! The Indian Prairie Educational Foundation (IPEF) thanks these Charity Heroes for making the commitment to raise funds for our student support programs and our schools! Half of all funds raised goes directly back into each school being represented by Team IPEF runners. See the Team IPEF members that are representing your school and support them by donating HERE.

Resources for Parents

Thursday, September 19 | 7 - 8:30 PM

Chris Herren, former NBA player
Prevention Starts With All: The Chris Herren Story

Chris Herren Event Details | Chris Herran Event Zoom Link

Tuesday, September 24 | Noon & 7 PM
Dr. Andrew Solomon

Far From the Tree: The Many Ways of Unconditional Love and Acceptance

Dr. Solomon Event Details | Dr. Solomon Event Zoom Link - Noon | Dr. Solomon Event Zoom Link - 7 PM

Monday, September 30 | Noon & 7 PM

Dr. Edward Hallowell

Driven to Distraction: The New Science to Shift from Deficits to Strengths - ADHD & More

Dr. Edward Hallowell Event Details | Dr. Edward Hallowell Zoom Link - Noon | Dr. Edward Hallowell Zoom Link - 7 PM

High School: October Snowball Unwritten registration Now Open

Registration is now open for the Fall Snowball retreat October 25-28 at Camp Henry Horner! This teen-led/adult-guided retreat offers students the opportunity to discover something about themselves, make friends across school districts, have fun, and learn ways to impact peers. Spend a weekend focusing on self-care and Write Your Own Story, with us!

https://360youthservices.org/snowball- registration/

Third-Party Educational Programs

The following companies have rented space in our schools to offer an after-school educational program for students. The distribution of this material is in no way an endorsement of programs, services, activities, or products by District 204. For more information, visit programs.

Back to School Bash by Right at School

Chess Club at May Watts

Chess Club at Fry

Chess Club at White Eagle

Chess Club at Patterson

Yong-In Aurora Martial Arts, Tae Kwon Do Class at Nancy Young Elementary

Yong-In Aurora Martial Arts, Tae Kwon Do Class at Brooks Elementary

Yong-In Aurora Martial Arts, Tae Kwon Do Class at White Eagle Elementary

This Week's e-Folder

This week's e-Folder has been updated with information on community programs. For more information about the programs listed below, visit the 204 e-Folder.

Our STEM Era

1st - 2nd Grade Co-Ed Basketball League

Our Voices, Our Minds: BiPOC Youth Navigating Mental Health

Naper Notify Promotional Flyer

Neuqua Valley High School Theatre - The Improv Show 2024

Naperville Neighbors United Youth World Cafe

DuPage Children's Museum

Dr. Rubin’s Mini Medical School

Greater Chicago Soap Box Derby

Wheatland Athletic Association

Naperville Public Library Fall 2024 Grade School Programs

YMCA School’s Out Camp