Dear Parents,
As a District, we welcomed back our Kindergarteners this past week. Willow Grove staff shared that students seemed elated to see their teachers and classmates. Procedures ran smoothly and kids were quick learners around our wellness parameters. We are just as excited about welcoming our in-person 1st and 2nd graders this week. Students will be learning new routines such as the “3Ws” - wearing a mask, watching their distance, and washing their hands. Please see below for important information to note regarding our transition back to school.
- Arrival takes place between 8:10 and 8:25 am. School promptly begins for all learners at 8:30 am.
- Dismissal will be staggered this week in order to promote social distancing and acclimate students to new dismissal procedures. This may mean that afternoon whole class Zooms will end slightly earlier than usual by just a few minutes.
- In-person transitions in between specials classes will occur. This means that a remote student may be in the waiting room for 1 to 2 extra minutes during transitions, but please be rest assured that their instructor is on the way.
- In-person instruction will look differently than it has traditionally. Teachers will be utilizing NEAT Bar technology to engage both in-person and remote students simultaneously in ways that we could have never imagined. We are so looking forward to seeing our incredible teachers deliver instruction in this new format.
We appreciate the patience of our school community as we navigate our first day of in-person learning! Enjoy the weekend and feel free to reach out to us with any questions.
Kindly,
Christine Pfaff
NEW *In-Person Learning Report Dates*
Please note that ONLY 1ST & 2ND graders who selected in-person learning will report to school next week. In-person learning for 3rd/4th/5th graders is scheduled to begin the week of 10/29.
ALL elementary students, 1st-5th grade, will begin following this schedule previously shared by Superintendent Julie Schmidt.
October 19th
ALL elementary students will follow this schedule previously shared by Superintendent Julie Schmidt.
1st/2nd Grade students with last names beginning with the letters A-L who selected the in-person hybrid learning option will report to school.
October 22nd
1st/2nd Grade student with last names beginning with the letters M-Z who selected the in-person hybrid learning option will report to school.
NEW *Early Release Schedule*
This is a friendly reminder that Tuesday, October 20th is an Early Release. This is the Early Release Schedule we will be using. All elementary students will be dismissed at 2:00 pm. If your child is a 1st/2nd grader reporting for in-person learning on Mondays and Tuesdays, please arrange for pick up at this time.
NEW *Lunch Preorder Info Emails Are Coming Soon for In-Person Learners*
An email with lunch pre-ordering information for in-person learners in grades 3–5 will be sent on Oct. 21 for students starting in person on Oct. 29 and on Nov. 4 for students starting in person on Nov. 9.
(Preordering information for in-person students in grades 1 and 2 starting next week was sent on Oct. 14.)
If your student is in grades 3–5 and will be learning in-person, please make a note to watch on the date listed above for the lunch preorder email.
NEW *Halloween Information*
Given the unique circumstances we are faced with this year, we will not have students wear Halloween costumes or partake in our annual Halloween parade. More information will be forthcoming regarding activities that will be done in classrooms on Wednesday, October 28th.
NEW *Halloween Participation Door Signs - News from BGPD*
School Resource Officer Essig and the Buffalo Grove Police Department have provided signs to download and print for display on your front door on Sat., Oct. 31. Choose according to the decision your family has made:
TRICK OR TREATERS ARE WELCOME HERE door sign
NOT PARTICIPATING IN TRICK OR TREAT door sign
If participating, please observe social distancing and wear a mask.
NEW *Online Book Fair Still Open!*
As the weather gets cooler, what’s better than snuggling up with a new book?! The Prairie Online book fair is still running until October 18th. Follow this link to visit the Online Book Fair.
REPEATING *Approved Snack List*
The District has not revised the APPROVED SNACK LIST from the 19-20 school year. The items the list includes are free of the Top 8 allergens: milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, soy, and wheat.
This list includes the foods that are approved for students' Daily Snacks eaten in the classroom.
IMPORTANT: All items for Daily Snacks– with the exception of fruits and vegetables– MUST be prepackaged to allow staff to easily check that snacks meet the approved requirements.
Materials Needed for Instruction
Students who are attending school in-person or utilizing pods need to know which materials they will need on a daily basis. Please visit the Classroom/Specials Classes Materials Needed document after 5pm each day for updates.
REPEATING *Commitment to Partnership*
As emphasized in Superintendent Schmidt's message sent on Tues., Sept. 29, implementing a hybrid in-person learning model is and must be a partnership.
We know that some surrounding districts or schools that began their in-person learning plan have had to revert to full remote for a period of time. In many situations, this has been due to positive cases about which families were not truthful with the school or with the health department regarding symptoms and the diagnosis or with those conducting the contact tracing process.
We are confident that the District 96 community will rise to the occasion and partner with us to ensure safety and success. Please think carefully about your commitment to our partnership before sending your kids to school.
REPEATING *Updated Student Schedules and In-Person Learning Protocols*
UPDATED SCHEDULES will take effect for ALL of our students (both remote and in-person) on the following schedule:
Kindergarten – schedule effective beginning Oct. 15
Elementary – schedule effective for Grades 1–5 beginning Oct. 19
(NOTE: Hybrid in-person learning begins for Grades 1 and 2 on Oct. 19. Hybrid in-person learning begins for Grades 3–5 on Oct. 29)
Middle – schedule effective beginning Oct. 29
For those returning to schools in the hybrid model, please review the IN-PERSON LEARNING PROTOCOLS thoroughly, so that you are prepared to complete and submit the required one-time annual self-certification and acknowledgment of protocols via a link in an email communication you will be sent after Oct. 5.
REPEATING *Updated COVID-19 Metrics*
This UPDATED COVID-19 METRICS is the information “dashboard” that maintains transparent and open communication around COVID-19 metrics. As a user of the dashboard, the District has access to COVID-19 data as recommended by the Illinois Department of Public Health and the Northern Illinois Public Health Consortium. We review this data daily, update the dashboard weekly, and consider this data in making many decisions.