We hope you are beginning to get excited for the beginning of the 2020-21 school year. While this year will most definitely be different from previous years, we are confident it will be another positive experience at Hatch. Our Hatch learning community is second to none!
As we prepare for the first day of school on September 1st, we would like to provide some opportunities to make connections and build relationships with classmates and teachers. Each teacher will be sending an invitation to a “Meet and Greet.” The purpose of Meet and Greet is to get to know your teacher and begin to build a relationship prior to the beginning of the school year. While we cannot assist in families forming specific pods or learning groups, this is an opportunity to build bonds and get to know your classmates as we build our new classroom communities. Below are the dates and times for each grade level Meet and Greet.
Grade Level Meet and Greet Date/Time
Kindergarten Thursday, August 27th- 6:30pm
1st Wednesday, August 26th- 6:30pm
2nd Thursday, August 27th- 5:30pm
3rd Friday, August 28th- 6:00pm
4th Friday, August 28th- 5:00pm
5th Wednesday, August 26th- 7:00pm
The next event we will be hosting is our annual Hatch Curriculum Night on September 9th, which will be the time to learn about instruction, standards, assessments, and the specific learning goals of the grade level.
We will also be hosting a virtual info night for Kindergarten and New Families on Monday, August 24th at 6pm. The zoom link is included below. If you are unable to attend, no worries! We will be posting that information on our website after the meeting.
Topic: New Family Info Night Zoom Meeting
Time: Aug 24, 2020 06:00 PM
Join Zoom Meeting
https://op97-org.zoom.us/j/85929591485?pwd=bTRUUWdPWSs1dlY4YnRhaWFLWkdGQT09
Meeting ID: 859 2959 1485
Passcode: Tigers
Next Wednesday, August 26th, will be our Printed Materials (All grades) & Device Distribution (K-3) as well as a time to pick up any remaining student items from spring. Please see the detailed times and procedures here.
For more information on Remote Learning and what to expect this school year, please visit our Parent University page, which includes links to all the recordings and slide decks from the district level event: https://www.op97.org/remotelearning/parent-university There is also a YouTube playlist, which is linked from that page: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEoq9YQjF_tcNlxUw0RkCCWgn-rK-GQV-
We look forward to meeting you all virtually next week!
Sarah Mendez
Hatch School Principal
1000 N. Ridgeland Ave.
Oak Park, IL 60302
(708) 524-3095
D97 Reminders:
Information from Community Child Care Providers for 2020-21 School Year
Summer Meal Distributions to Continue through Aug. 24
Pandemic EBT Benefit Deadline Extended to August 31
The Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) launched the Pandemic EBT to provide nutritional resources to families who have lost access to free or reduced-price school meals due to school closures. Families will receive money on a new or existing EBT card to help fill the school meals gap. If your child receives free or reduced-price school meals through the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), or your child attends a school that offers free school meals to all students, then you are eligible to receive P-EBT benefits. Families who have lost their job or wages may now be eligible.The deadline to apply for this benefit has been extended to Aug. 31, 2020. For more information about eligibility and how to apply, please visit https://bit.ly/2DJDEAd.
Free/Reduced Lunch Application
We know that a common experience for many families during this health crisis is the loss of jobs and income. This change in income may qualify your children for free or reduced-price meals. We encourage all families who currently qualify to take a few minutes to complete the National School Lunch application as soon as possible. If you have any questions, please email the district's food service coordinator, Carla Ellis, at [email protected].
School Physicals and Immunizations
Although District 97 is starting the 2020-2021 school year with remote learning, the State of Illinois is still requiring all students entering kindergarten, 6th grade, and any students new to District 97 to turn in a current school physical (Certificate of Child Health Examination and Immunization record) with up-to-date immunizations (requirements for the State of Illinois can be found here). If you have not already provided this information when you registered your child, please email your child's records directly to your school nurse.
D97 Survey: Social-Emotional and Mental Health Needs
District 97 is continuing to plan for the 2020-21 school year and is prioritizing the social-emotional and mental health needs of students, staff, and families to ensure the availability and quality of appropriate resources and supports. We have partnered with Hanover Research to design and analyze a survey to understand your needs and priorities related to social-emotional and mental health for this school year, and we would like to hear from you. You can access the survey here or by copying and pasting the following URL into your browser: https://hanover-research.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_39RQ56KYF6mBgwZ. The survey will close on Monday, Aug. 24.Please note that your responses to this survey will be completely anonymous and will only be shared with District 97 in aggregate form, so please be candid in your responses. We appreciate you taking the time to complete this survey!