Healthy Kids, Safe Schools

As appropriate for your needs, please reach out to any of these individuals with any concerns, or if there is any way that we can help your child or family. When it comes to child and school safety, anyone can contact the principals, assistant principals or the superintendent at any time. We also have a safety tip email address which is staysafe@cassd63.org.

Concord Nurse - Katie Beringer (kberinger@cassd63.org)
Cass Nurse - Amy Lesnicki (alesnicki@cassd63.org)
Cass Guidance Counselor - Lia Lamb (llamb@cassd63.org)
Concord Social Worker - Dana Flutman (dflutman@cassd63.org)
Cass Social Worker - Rozie Hornig (rhornig@cassd63.org) 
District School Psychologist - Sara Zimmerman (szimmerman@cassd63.org)
District Director of Student Services - Cathy Fisher (cfisher@cassd63.org)
Concord Principal - Katie Doyle (kdoyle@cassd63.org)
Concord Assistant Principal - Megan Conlin (mconlin@cassd63.org)
Cass Principal - Christine Marcinkewicz (cmarcinkewicz@cassd63.org) 
Cass Assistant Principal - Michelle Roberts (mroberts@cassd63.org)
District Superintendent - Mark R. Cross (mcross@cassd63.org)

School Physical (State of Illinois Department of Human Services Certificate of Child Health Examination)

Vision Examination Report

Dental Examination Form

Medication Dispensing Authorization Form

Medication Dispensing Authorization for Inhalers Form

Asthma Action Plan

IHSA/IESA Preparticipation Form (all students who play physical sports must have this form on file that is dated not more than one year from the start date for participation)

There are no words to describe the sadness so many of us feel when senseless tragedies strike in schools and innocent lives are taken. Nothing matters more to us than your child's safety. The very first of our Core Beliefs and Values is that the health, safety and welfare of our students and staff must never be compromised and will always come first. Also, one of the three pillars of our Vision 2025 Strategic Plan is the critical area of student health and safety. These are not just words, but the core of who we are and what we believe.

Having said that, it is clear that these tragic events can happen anywhere. We ask both our parents and students to remain vigilant and report any safety concerns or threats immediately to either the police or appropriate school personnel. Please don't wait or hesitate, just let us know. In other words, listen, watch, pay attention and tell us if anything needs to be shared, or something in your gut doesn't feel right about a situation. We also have a safety tip email address which is staysafe@cassd63.org. 

When tragic events happen, it is also important to have conversations with children that are appropriate for their individual ages and development. We provide the following resources that have been compiled by our staff for you as parents as you talk with children.

Talking to Children About Violence (National Association of School Psychologists)

Talking to Children About the Shooting (National Child Traumatic Stress Network)

Talking to Children When Scary Things Happen (National Child Traumatic Stress Network)

Talking to Teens When Violence Happens (National Child Traumatic Stress Network)

What to Say to Kids When the News is Scary (National Public Radio)

Explaining the News to Our Kids (Common Sense Media)

Never hesitate to reach out if you have any questions concerns or if we can be of any assistance to you.

While we do whatever we can to help our students here at school, sometimes parents and families need access to outside resources and services. Following are some sites where more information is available, including how to connect with various professionals.

Child Mind Institute

Child Mind Institute provides a virtually unlimited list of resources for so many issues a child may face. Some of our parents have provided very positive feedback after they have utilized this site. Included is information related to ADHD, anxiety, autism, behavior, depression and mood disorders, drugs and alcohol abuse, gender and sexuality, sleep issues and trauma and grief.

SunCloud Health for Adolescents and Adults

Community House Counseling Center

Metropolitan Family Services

Wellness House (For Families with Cancer)

Illinois Opioid and Substance Abuse Helpline

Bullying is unwanted, aggressive behavior among school aged children that involves a real or perceived power imbalance. The behavior is repeated, or has the potential to be repeated, over time. Both kids who are bullied and who bully others may have serious, lasting problems. Please visit here to learn more and we will continue to provide additional resources.

Common Sense Media
Common Sense Media is a go-to site for a wide range of resources for keeping our kids cyber safe and cyber smart. From managing your child's screen time to providing safe and helpful sites on YouTube to providing mental health resources and bullying prevention, we highly recommend that all parents review the resources available to help their children and families.

The Wait Until 8th Pledge
Do young kids really need a smartphone? The more we learn and experience, smartphones are distracting and potentially dangerous for children, and every major carrier has phones that simply call and text without a data plan. The Wait Until 8th Pledge empowers parents to rally together to delay giving children a smartphone until at least 8th grade. By banding together, this will decrease the pressure felt by kids and parents alike over the kids having a smartphone.

Safe2Help
When a trusted adult is not available, Safe2Help Illinois offers students a safe, confidential way in which to share information that might help prevent suicide, bullying, school violence or other threats to child or school safety. This site is an incredible resource that also includes an anonymous tip line in the event children, parents or community members become aware of potential threats to safety.

Additional Cyber Safety Resources

Bark is a comprehensive parental control tool to monitor content, manage screen time, filter website and set location alerts.

S.M.A.R.T. Parents Tips for Online Safety includes not only cyber safety tips and ideas but also a comprehensive list of resources to help parents. 

Safewise is a detailed website which includes many resources, articles, and tips not only for online safety, but also home security.

Parenting in a Tech World is a large Facebook group where many ideas and questions are shared with other parents.

Common Sense Media is a leading and independent source for media recommendations and advice for families.

Be Internet Awesome is a resource from Google that teaches kids the fundamentals of digital citizenship and safety.

Ted Talk: Why You Should be Spying on Your Kids is given by Naperville internet crime investigator Richard Wistocki who speaks of the importance of knowing what your children are doing online.

Homeless Students and Families

211 DuPage

DuPage Community Resource Information System (CRIS)

Hinsdale Community Services

People's Resource Center

Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Food Pantry in Darien

DuPage Housing Assistance

DuPage County Housing Authority

In this day and age, preventing sexual abuse, grooming and offenses from repeat offenders through community and parental awareness is a major concern, and as a school district we want to communicate with and support our parents in this type of prevention. Following is detailed information about important laws, as well as an updated link to the current sex offender registry.

DuPage County Sheriff Sex Offender Search

Megan’s Law – Stopping Sex Offenders

Erin’s Law – Teaching Children to Protect Themselves from Sexual Abuse

Faith’s Law – Preventing Child Grooming 

Please contact your child’s school or the appropriate staff member immediately if you have any concerns or if we can provide any support to our students.

The individuals listed at the top of the Healthy Kids, Safe Schools section can be contacted at any time to provide assistance or direction for students or families in a crisis situation.

DuPage County 24/7 Urgent Crisis Resources

Crisis Text Line - Text HOME to 741741

School and Family Mental Health Resources

School and Family Suicide Prevention

Mental Health America of Illinois

988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline

Additionally, the new 988 three-digit dialing code for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is now live. Formerly the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, the 988 Lifeline provides free and confidential emotional support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, across the United States. The Lifeline is comprised of a national network of over 200 local crisis centers, combining custom local care and resources with national standards and best practices. In addition, the 988 Lifeline website includes information and resources on getting help and getting involved, resources for learning and for providers and professionals, and promotional resources to help spread awareness and promote prevention.

Erika's Lighthouse

Erika's Lighthouse is the Depression Awareness and Suicide Prevention curriculum we utilize at Cass Junior High School, which also aligns with the program at Hinsdale South High School. This includes a number of resources for parents, as well as resources for our teenage students.

Safe2Help

When a trusted adult is not available, Safe2Help Illinois offers students a safe, confidential way in which to share information that might help prevent suicide, bullying, school violence or other threats to child or school safety. This site is an incredible resource that also includes an anonymous tip line in the event children, parents or community members become aware of potential threats to safety.

Mental Health Resources

If you are looking for a mental health professional, some great resources are Psychology Today or National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Local Providers where you are able to search for a mental health professional in your area.

As a school district, we support all of our students, regardless of their background, sexual identity or preference. Following are some important resources that may be helpful and our staff is ready and prepared to assist any of our students or families who need support.

Youth Outlook of Illinois

The Family Institute at Northwestern

Misconceptions and Myths About the LGBTQ+ Community

Following is additional information and links that may be helpful to parents:

IDPH Influenza (Flu) Information

IDPH Meningococcal Disease Information

Signs and Symptoms of Concussions

IDPH School Health Listing of Communicable Diseases

Head Lice
Head lice are a common occurrence in many communities and are not a reflection of poor hygiene or social status. To help prevent the spread of this communicable condition, we encourage you to check your child’s hair regularly over the next few weeks. Early detection makes treatment much easier and more effective. If you do discover a case of head lice, please notify the school nurse so that we can take appropriate steps to support your family and protect the school community.

Head Lice Identification
Lice eggs (nits) are very small, about the size of a knot in thread. Nits are laid and firmly attached to the hair shaft near the scalp. They are oval and tan to white in color. Nits take about 1 week to hatch. An adult louse is about the size of a sesame seed, and is tan to white in color. Adult lice can live up to 30 days on a person’s head. If the louse falls off the person’s head, it will die within 2 days. Head lice are most commonly found on the scalp, behind the ears, and near the neckline at the back of the neck.

Signs of a Head Lice Infestation

A tickling feeling of something moving in the hair
Itching, caused by an allergic reaction to the bites
Scratch marks, particularly at the base of the neck and behind the ears

Methods of Transmission of Head Lice
The most common way to get head lice is through close, prolonged head-to-head contact with an already infested person. Other means of transmission include sharing clothing, such as hats, scarves, coats, etc. recently worn by an infested person. Using infested combs, brushes, or towels, as well as, lying on a bed, couch, pillow, carpet, or stuffed animal that has recently been in contact with an infested person may also lead to the transmission of lice.

How to Examine for Head Lice
Here are some tips from the CDC on how to examine a person for the presence of head lice.

Treating Head Lice
Treatment requires using an over-the-counter product or prescription medication, such as Permethrin Lotion 1%, Ivermectin Lotion 0.5%, etc. Please follow medication instructions regarding follow-up treatment, as this may be required to prevent reinfestation. Professional lice and nit removal services are also available locally and can provide added assistance if needed. You can refer to the CDC or American Academy of Pediatrics websites, www.cdc.gov or www.aap.org, for further information and instruction.