Reach Parent Group

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WHO WE ARE

REACH Parent Group (a committee of the D205 PTA Council) is a parent group dedicated to supporting gifted and talented programs (grades 3-8) in District 205 and encouraging higher level educational opportunities for ALL District 205 students. 

Thank you from REACH Teacher

LATEST NEWS


NEXT REACH PARENT GROUP MEETING

In lieu of a specific REACH Parent Group meeting, please join Dave Beedy, Director of STEM Pathways for Elmhurst D205, for a virtual math webinar designed to give parents fun and engaging ways to practice math with their elementary-aged students at home. A large part of the session will focus on a variety of physical and digital games. Many are free or can be created for free at home! 

Please check with your school's REACH Parent Group representatives for information on your school's spring math enrichment activities supported by the REACH Parent Group. Many elementary and middle schools are hosting Family Math Nights and/or offering spring math competitions.  


 

LAST REACH PARENT GROUP MEETING

Thank you to the almost 80 parents and middle school students who attended our February meeting, where we had a panel of York freshmen and sophomores share their experiences on "Transitioning from Middle School to High School Academics": Alex Padgett, Anders Dochoff, Sophia Ehrich, Lily Reedy, Emily McNichols, and Zahra Masters. Special thanks to Mark Talbot, York Division Chair for Student Services, and Renee Pas, York PTSA Vice President of Connections for sharing their thoughts on this transition. Click here for a meeting Agenda and York PTSA presentation.


UPDATES ON REACH IDENTIFICATION PROCESS

Families were notified of REACH placement by Friday, February 16th. 

Appeals Process
Each school year, data from the CogAT, MAP assessments, and teacher recommendations are utilized to identify students in grades 2 and 5 for REACH ELA and/or math. Students mature and grow at different rates, and a change in placement may be warranted later in a student's academic career. If a student isn't identified in the initial identification process and is interested in being considered for REACH ELA and/or math, an appeals process is available for current 2nd-7th graders (for placement the following school year). 

A student earning a high grade in a particular course or wanting more challenge does not necessitate REACH placement; in most cases, a high grade is indicative of appropriate placement and strong success in the current course. Students who are identified for REACH consistently demonstrate above grade-level performance across multiple metrics. For students demonstrating a need for academic extension or acceleration that is beyond the regular classroom, parents, teachers, or administrators may submit an application for REACH appeal. The rubrics and timeline used to identify students through the appeals process for placement in the 2024-25 school year are available on the district's REACH website. All appeals decisions are final for the subsequent school year.

If you are interested in applying for an appeal for your student, please complete THIS FORM by Friday, March 1st.


REACH Parent Group Communications

Please see the REACH directory and/or the REACH School Representatives webpage to contact your school's REACH teacher, REACH Parent Group representative or REACH PG committee members. We are here to help you!

Watch this REACH Parent Group website for lots of valuable learning and information from prior speakers and meetings.

Please also sign up for our REACH Parent Group Communications and follow our D205 Facebook groups as outlined on the New to REACH Parent Group webpage.


23-24 RPG MEETINGS SCHEDULE

Our REACH Parent Group (RPG) meetings will take place on the second Thursday of every month.  We will do our best to ensure a mix of day and evening meetings and will record meetings wherever possible. Most meetings will occur via ZOOM to accommodate our large group's varying schedules; however, we do plan to host some in person (e.g., a movie night, a high school student discussion panel, etc.) The entire REACH Parent Group meeting schedule can be found on the RPG meetings page.


Summer 2023 "NEW TO REACH" PARENT MEETINGS

The REACH Parent Group hosted two Zoom sessions for families “NEW to REACH” math and/or ELA program(s) for the 2023-2024 school year. You can view the D205 REACH Overview slides presented at these meetings online. All of the information reviewed will also be posted on D205's REACH website