Students, staff, numerous donations transform O’Neill courtyard into outdoor classroom
The O’Neill Middle School courtyard has gained a vibrant new life as an outdoor classroom, thanks to numerous grants and donations and the creativity and dedication of students and staff.

Kingsley sixth-graders celebrate medieval times at annual feast
The lords and ladies were out in full force at Kingsley School June 3, when the sixth graders participated in the much-anticipated annual Medieval Feast.

Hillcrest concludes Middle Ages unit with Medieval Feast
Lords, ladies, jesters and knights were out in full force at Hillcrest School June 1 for the annual sixth-grade Medieval Feast. The event, which is the culmination of a social studies unit on the Middle Ages, included a tasty meal and entertainment such as mock radio broadcasts and a Maypole dance.

Pierce Downer fifth-graders use ‘solar ovens’ to bake S’Mores
Kelly DeMarco’s fifth-grade class at Pierce Downer got to enjoy a tasty treat recently—they baked S’Mores in solar ovens they created using pizza boxes generously donated by Skuddlebutts! The project was part of a unit on different sources of energy, including solar energy.

O’Neill students ‘visit’ the year 1968
Eighth-graders in O’Neill Middle School’s gray cluster had the opportunity to step back in time recently. As a culmination to their study of the 1960s and the conflict in Vietnam, the class walked over to the Downers Grove Museum to view the 1968 in America exhibit.

El Sierra students, staff tackle Wheel of Wisdom
Students and staff at El Sierra got to try their hand at the Wheel of Wisdom during an assembly at the school in May. Participants have a chance to test their knowledge in a variety of categories with a fun game-show format.

Herrick teams with Bears to raise funds for American Heart Association
Students at Herrick Middle School donned Chicago Bears gear and enjoyed a day of outdoor football May 20 to kick off an end-of-the-year fundraiser. The school teamed up with the NFL team for Football for Heart, raising several hundred dollars for the American Heart Association.

O’Neill students get hands-on experiences on Career Day
Eighth grade students from O’Neill Middle School got a taste of the real world this spring, when they fanned out to locations throughout the Chicago area for hands-on career day experiences.

Pierce Downer participates in TECH 2011 at Capitol
Pierce Downer was among approximately 80 schools statewide that participated in TECH 2011: Students for the Information Age May 5 in Springfield.

Puffer sixth-graders get medieval at feast
The sixth-grade classes at Henry Puffer School stepped back in time May 11 – by about 600 years.

El Sierra thanks volunteers
On April 18, students at El Sierra School got the chance to show their appreciation to the senior volunteers who worked with them this year.

O’Neill students raise nearly $4,300 for Sudanese Community Center
O’Neill Middle School’s Scarlet Cluster recently raised nearly $4,300 for the Chicagoland Sudanese Community Center through a variety of activities, including bracelet sales, partnerships with local restaurants – and throwing whipped cream pies.

Mother Goose pays a visit to preschool
Mother Goose had some help from her captive audience in telling stories and sharing a variety of nursery rhymes, including “This Little Piggy,” “Little Miss Muffet” and “Itsy Bitsy Spider” when she visited the Grove Children’s Preschool students at Henry Puffer School May 17.

Kindergarten project adds splash of color to Fairmount entrance
A bright, cheerful patch of orange and yellow marigolds now welcomes visitors to Fairmount School, thanks to Barbara Potocki’s kindergarten class.

Documentary filmmakers wow students with photos, footage from Antarctica
In Antarctica, the temperature can range from a relatively balmy 50-some degrees below zero to a frigid 150 degrees below zero. Whittier School students got to pay a visit the icy continent April 19 without having to don any protective gear, thanks to documentary filmakers Frida Waara and John Major.

El Sierra students share their talents during annual variety show
Dance routines, martial arts demonstrations, piano performances – and even a Chicago Blackhawks kick line -- took center stage April 14 at the annual El Sierra School variety show. A particularly moving presentation came when the sixth-graders performed a song they had learned in sign language, in honor of one of their classmate’s mothers, who is deaf.

Hillcrest marks solar panel installation with day-long Solar-bration
Hillcrest School spent April 15 shedding some light on the installation of solar panels on their roof, with pep rallies in the morning and a visit from O’Neill Middle School’s Energy Kids in the afternoon.

Downers Grove eighth graders honored at Select 58 banquet
April 13 marked a very special night for 58 eighth-graders in Downers Grove Grade School District 58, along with their proud families, as they were honored at the annual Select 58 banquet for their citizenship and contributions to school and community.

Puffer dodgeball tournament raises funds for earthquake relief
The battle was on at Henry Puffer April 14—and it was all for a good cause. The student council organized an after-school dodgeball tournament to raise funds for earthquake relief in Japan. Student council sponsor Katie Hurckes said about 125 students participated in the event, which raised $639 to donate to the American Red Cross.

Kingsley sixth-graders go Greek with Olympics
The competition was on at Kingsley School March 25. As the culmination of a unit in social studies and reading, sixth graders participated in the Greek Olympics all afternoon.

Distinguished Service Awards honor 17 District 58 staff members
Seventeen District 58 staff members with a variety of job titles and responsibilities were honored April 7 at the annual Distinguished Service Awards ceremony sponsored by the District 58 Education Foundation.

Lester students learn new moves on Hip Hop Day
Lester students got the chance to learn some slick new dance moves March 23, when Miss Patti from Bluestone Academy of Dance stopped by the school to teach them choreography. Miss Patti volunteers her time annually on what has become known as Hip Hop Day.

Pierce Downer's annual Artcot celebrates multi-cultural arts
Pierce Downer School hosted its annual multi-cultural art festival, Artcot, March 11. This year, said chairwoman Stephanie Johnson, the event showcased the art and culture from China, India, Egypt, Italy, France and the Netherlands, with a special lion dance performance by the Chicago Shaolin Temple.

Preschoolers pin down fun on field trip to Tivoli Bowl
Some spares, some strikes and a ton of fun were the order of the day March 24, when students from the Grove Children's Preschool program at Henry Puffer School took their annual field trip to the Tivoli Bowl. Grove Children's Preschool, which is open to all District 58 residents, also has a program at Indian Trail School.

International Fair brings the world to Indian Trail
More than 80 Indian Trail students and their families filled their passports March 24, “visiting” more than a dozen countries during the school’s second annual International Fair.

District 58 families focus on fitness at annual fair
With a variety of exhibits, demonstrations and classes offered by local organizations and businesses, as well as a variety of raffle prizes, families found plenty to keep them busy during the third annual District 58 Family Fit Fair March 24.

Pierce Downer School holds technology pep rally
Pierce Downer School is pumped up about technology. With support from the school’s staff and student council, the PTA has planned several fundraisers to purchase interactive whiteboards for the building. Pierce Downer also received two Education Foundation grants this year to purchase interactive whiteboards.

Lester Fun Fair draws a crowd
Several hundred Lester students and families enjoyed the annual PTA-sponsored Fun Fair March 18, which featured a bounce house, mini golf, a cake walk, a raffle to win lunch with a teacher, and of course plenty of refreshments. The lucky winner of the drawing for an iPod Touch was John Pitelka.

Chemistry comes alive for O'Neill seventh-graders
Seventh-grade students at O'Neill Middle School got up close and personal with chemistry concepts and experiments during their annual Chemistry Day in early March.

El Sierra Career Day gives students a peek at variety of vocations
Artist, pharmacist, disc jockey, architect and personal trainer were just a few of the careers students at El Sierra School had the chance to learn about recently. El Sierra welcomed a variety of professionals from the community to speak with students during its annual Career Day March 16; each class got to hear from four visitors.

Fairmount musical takes students back in time
Fairmount students and parents got to take a tour of ancient civilizations without ever leaving the gymnasium March 16.

One note at a time: Belle Aire buddies send cards to soldiers
Guest article by Carley Neary, sixth grade

Kingsley third-grader gets surprise visit from soldier brother
For the most part, March 4 was an ordinary day for Kingsley third-grader Carlos Mendez; it was near the end of the afternoon that he got an absolutely amazing surprise.

District 58 Topical Studies Program celebrates Chinese New Year with Panda Express
During a recent community outreach program, Jean Lee, manager of the Ogden Avenue Panda Express, and Chai Loo, manager of the Yorktown Mall Panda Express, visited the Topical Studies Program in Downers Grove District 58. 

Lester second-graders bring presidents and first ladies to life
From George and Martha Washington to Barack and Michelle Obama, second-graders at Lester School brought the nation's leaders, past and present, and their First Ladies to life last month.

Authors inspire students at annual District 58 Author Fest
District 58 students got the chance to hear about the art of storytelling from some of the best in their field during the 2010 Author Fest Feb. 16-18.

Belle Aire students take the stage for annual variety show
Dancing Divas shared the stage with the Private Eyes, The Fourth Grade Rock and Roll Boys, That 11's show and a plethora of other acts recently during Belle Aire School's annual variety show.

Whittier students wrap up nutrition unit with healthy breakfast extravaganza
Sixth-graders in Debbie Krygeris's sixth-grade class at Whittier School wrapped up their nutrition unit with a hearty, healthy breakfast at school Feb. 11. Some students even donned their pajamas for the occasion.

District 58 schools celebrate 100th day
It was certainly a conundrum. Friday, Feb. 4, was set to be the 100th day of school for the 2010-11 year, an event which is met annually with celebrations, parades and special activities throughout District 58. But then the blizzard hit, and two snow days pushed the actual 100th day of attendance ahead to Tuesday, Feb. 8. What to do?

Belle Aire Care and Share Club delivers joy to Meals on Wheels
Recipients of Meals on Wheels deliveries in Downers Grove will be getting more than just food in upcoming deliveries, thanks to the Care and Share Club at Belle Aire School.

O'Neill students experience Ellis Island through simulation
On Jan. 12, students in Sarah Brost's social studies classes at O'Neill Middle School experienced Ellis Island through the eyes of immigrants.

Guitarist makes beautiful music at Whittier
Guitarist Steve Accardo led Whittier students in song during his visit to the school Jan. 12, performing familiar tunes such as “Yellow Submarine.” In addition to the sing-along time, students also learned about making music and listened to Accardo play.

First Day back for 2010/2011
From the brand-new kindergarteners with their fresh new crayons, erasers and other supplies all the way up to the eighth-graders with their years of wonderful school memories, students returned to District 58's 13 school buildings Aug. 25 to begin the 2010-11 year.