Dear Panther Families,

What an incredible first week! Walking the hallways, visiting classrooms, and seeing our students’ bright faces has been an absolute joy. As your new principal, I could not have asked for a warmer or more energizing welcome into this wonderful school community.

I want to extend my heartfelt thank you to all of our parents and guardians. From helping your children adjust to morning routines and drop-off lines to showering our teachers and staff with encouragement, your support has made this transition smooth, safe, and positive for everyone.

This year, our journey is guided by our school theme: "Leaving Our Pawprints: Building a Legacy Together." Every interaction, encouragement, and lesson helps shape the kind of community we are creating.

How We Leave Our Pawprints Together:

• In the Classroom: Our staff is dedicated to creating a safe, engaging environment where every child feels empowered to learn, grow, and make their mark.

• At Home: Your daily support—reading together, asking about their day, and fostering curiosity—builds the strong foundation our students need to thrive.

• As a Community: Through partnership, clear communication, and mutual trust, we are leaving a legacy of kindness, resilience, and academic growth that will benefit our students for years to come.

Thank you for trusting us with your children and for partnering with us to make this school year extraordinary. Please feel free to reach out, say hello, or connect with our office whenever you need support.

Here’s to an amazing year of making our mark!

With Panther Pride,

Amber Nickel

Park View Principal

Families can check school menus by going to www.ccsd89.org/lunch and then choosing your student’s school from the buttons. By going to your school's site, you will see that week's daily menu items. You can also click ahead to upcoming weeks, or see the full month's calendar by selecting the "Download" button on the right side of the page.

Park View: https://www.myschoolquest.com/park-view-elementary/menus

How to pay for school lunches for students
Elementary and middle school students will continue to pay for lunches with their school ID, which is linked to a MySchoolBucks account. Funds will be automatically deducted when a lunch is purchased. Students' balances from the previous year have been rolled over. The cost for an elementary or middle school lunch is $4.15, including milk. Milk can be purchased separately for 55 cents.

Families can monitor their student’s purchases, check balances, add funds, and receive low-balance alerts by logging in to their MySchoolBucks account directly through myschoolbucks.com. To add funds, go to “Meal Accounts”, then “Make a Payment”.

More information can be found at www.ccsd89.org/lunch. If you need assistance with your account, you can find helpful how-to videos and answers to commonly asked questions by visiting myschoolbucks.com. You can contact MySchoolBucks directly by logging into your account and starting an online chat or calling 855-832-5226.

Our school uses the Verkada visitor management system for all individuals entering the building and for signing students in and out during the school day. It is an important process for keeping our students safe.

What you need to know:

• All adults must bring a valid photo ID (driver’s license, state ID, or passport).

• You will check in using an iPad in the school’s lobby.

• Please allow an extra 5 minutes before your scheduled start time for this check-in process.
  
  

Read more about the process or watch helpful how-to videos: Student Early Pick-Up | Visiting a CCSD 89 School

Families can track their student’s bus trips to and from school with a free busing app. The FirstView 1.0 app can track the bus, show an estimated number of minutes until the bus will arrive at a stop, and send a notification when buses arrive at school.

FirstView 1.0 requires a district code to set up tracking. The code for Community Consolidated School District 89 for the 2026-27 school year is: Z6S4N

The FirstView app is available for Apple and Android users and can be identified by its red icon. Families that had been using the previous FirstView app will need to download the new version called “FirstView 1.0”. The app tracks both regular-education and special-education busing.

More information, including instructions on downloading the app, is available at www.ccsd89.org/busapp.

Morning Drop Off: Please remember there is no supervision of students before 8:30am. Please do not drop off students any earlier than this. Parents/Guardians that decide to drop off in front, this is for quick student exit and a no parking zone. For student safety, we ask that students exit the car on the passenger side near the curb.

Students are admitted into the school at 8:40am. The tardy bell rings at 8:50am. Line-up locations are below. Signs will also be up to help with direction and indicate where each class lines up.

Kindergarten and 1st Grade: Blacktop outside south door (rear garage door at door 3)

2nd and 3rd Grade: South side of blacktop, in back of school

4th and 5th Grade: North side of blacktop (kickball field)

Pick-Up: Kindergarten and 1st grade students will only be released to an adult. Parents/Guardians of students in this grade level will need to park in the south lot and meet the class at door 3. We realize it sometimes gets crowded with parking. If there are no spots, please exit and circle back around. Spots do open quickly and no student will be left unattended or released until an adult arrives.

Parents/Guardians of students in 2nd - 5th grades may wait in the front drive where there are no cones. You MUST stay in the vehicle as this is a fire lane. Do not leave your vehicle unattended in the fire lane. Students must enter cars from the passenger's side onto the sidewalk. No student should walk between cars. If you prefer to meet your child at the doors, you will need to park in the south lot in a parking spot. We also ask that no siblings be on the playground until buses are cleared. Parents/Guardians are to wait off the sidewalk.

It is always helpful if you discuss with your student the pick-up plan so they know where you are going to meet them. This is especially important if you have students in multiple grade levels.

Changes to Pick-Up: If you have any changes in how your student will go home, you will need to send a handwritten note in with your student. Please do not email the teacher or only call the office.

Community invited to donate blood August 26 at Glen Crest

There are still open spots for the community blood drive that will be held from 2:00 to 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, August 26th at Glen Crest Middle School. Sign up to donate

After August 26, the next blood drive scheduled at Glen Crest is November 11th. More info on CCSD 89 blood drives

GPS Parent Series: ‘Parenting Anxiety’ Webinar on August 26th

At noon and 7 p.m. on Wednesday, August 26, Dr. Meredith Elkins and Lynn Lyons will present a webinar on “Parenting Anxiety: Breaking the Cycle of Worry and Raising Resilient Kids.” Learn how to foster genuine resilience and effectively support your child’s mental health without overprotecting them or exacerbating anxiety.

Details and information on the full GPS Parent Series 2026-27 program of virtual, hybrid, and in-person events, along with Zoom links to join each program, can be found at GPSParentSeries.org. This resource is free and open to all.

Reminder: District policy on cell phones and personal devices during school day.

Per CCSD 89 policy, cell phones and other personal electronic devices must remain out of sight and may not be used during the school day. While recent state legislation mandating this takes effect in 2027–28, our district policy is already active. Devices must be put away throughout the instructional day unless an approved exception is documented with the district. This policy helps to minimize distractions, disruptions and privacy concerns. Read full FAQs for parents and students

If your child uses their phone to manage a medical condition or for an approved academic reason, families should complete the CCSD 89 Student Use of Personal Technology Waiver on an annual basis to request an exemption. Completed forms should be returned to the Park View main office.

Now hiring Instructional Aides for 2026-27 school year

Do you love helping students learn, grow, and succeed? We’re looking for Instructional Aides to join the CCSD 89 team for the 2026-27 school year!

This role is an opportunity to make a difference every day, support students across our district classrooms, and be part of a team that believes every student can shine.

Apply today and join us: https://www.applitrack.com/GEC/onlineapp/jobpostings/view.asp?internaltransferform.Url=&choosedistrict=true&applitrackclient=337

No school on Monday, September 7 for Labor Day

All CCSD 89 schools will be closed Monday, September 7 for Labor Day. School will resume with a regular schedule for all students on Tuesday, September 8.

The district's administrative offices will also be closed September 7 in observance of the Labor Day holiday.

Butterfield Park District, YMCA before- and after-school programs

CCSD 89 partners with organizations to provide before- and after-school programs for elementary school students. The Butterfield Park District (RecKids) and the B.R. Ryall YMCA (Safe 'n Sound) will both run programs for CCSD 89 students in the 2025-26 school year. You can find more information on both programs here: www.ccsd89.org/beforeafter

Families should contact the Butterfield Park District and B.R. Ryall YMCA directly with questions about those programs.

Email: info@ccsd89.org

Website: www.ccsd89.org/parkview
Location: Park View Elementary School, South Park Boulevard, Glen Ellyn, IL, USA
Phone: (630) 858-1600

Stay connected with CCSD 89 and Park View

Stay connected with the latest news by following Community Consolidated School District 89 on Facebook (facebook.com/CCSD89), Instagram (www.instagram.com/ccsd_89/), X (@CCSD89), and YouTube (youtube.com/@CCSD89).

BACKPACK FLIERS

The CCSD 89 Backpack has been updated! Unpack the virtual backpack for updated fliers and information on key community resources and programs. New opportunities and information are added regularly as received.

Need tech support for your student’s school device?

Families who need support for iPad or Chromebook issues should use the district’s online help system. Enter your contact information and some details about the problem at: https://bit.ly/89techsupport

Remind your child to treat district technology devices with care. Families should have a conversation at home about the importance of appropriately using the district's technology devices. Appropriate use includes carrying the device carefully, keeping liquids away from devices, and not leaving a device in areas with extreme cold or heat.

Resources for helping your child through difficult times:

Our school has many resources, including a social worker and school psychologist, available to help students and families who are struggling, experiencing hardship or in crisis. Assistance can include coping strategies and handling transparent, age-appropriate conversations. The district has also posted additional resources at www.ccsd89.org/crisis.

Students, families can report crises and threats through Safe2Help

Students and families can confidentially call, email, or text the Safe2Help tip line to report bullying, threats, or classmates in crisis. Students or families can call 844-4-SAFE-IL, (which is 844-472-3345); text SAFE2 (which is 72332); email Help@Safe2HelpIL.com; or submit tips through the online form. Safe2Help submissions are monitored every hour of every day.