Dear Hatch Families,
Thank you to those of you who attended our February PTO meeting this week! It was great to see your faces virtually. Thank you to our very own Bri Kellogg for her informative presentation and resources on healthy eating!
Conferences are next week! Our amazing teachers will be providing virtual appointments, Thursday the 25th, from 12:30-7pm. If you have not yet signed up for a conference time, please reach out to your child’s teacher. Students will be dismissed from both in-person and remote learning at 11:00am both Thursday the 25th and Friday the 26th.
Thank you for completing the selection form for Trimester 3. As soon as we are able to clean up the data and finalize a plan for what the model will look like, we will communicate that information to our families. It is possible that we will need to make adjustments to the existing schedules due to an increased number of in-person selections, as outlined in the revised hybrid schedules that were shared in our schools (D97 Framework for Reopening Schools). We will make every effort to provide consistency for our students and families and maximize the number of instructional hours on site, just as we did with Trimester 2. However, we are still following public health guidance and the requirements outlined by the Illinois State Board of Education to keep our students and staff safe. We will be looking at a number of factors (e.g., enrollment, building capacity, the latest COVID-19 guidelines, stakeholder feedback, etc.) as we make decisions about Trimester 3. Thank you for your patience as we work through this process once more. As always, we will do our best to provide high quality experience for all students while adhering to the safety recommendations needed to protect our community!
Join Hatch in Celebrating Black History Month: February is Black History Month, and Hatch DivCo is excited to partner with Mr. Jacobson to have Oak Park's very own Kuumba Kids join us for a special school-wide presentation on Monday, February 22nd from 2-3pm. Students will have a chance to watch and learn traditional dance steps, learn about dance attire and explore drumming instruments. And to kick it off, students will hear a special song presentation from the Hatch Chorus! Feel free to join your student on zoom on Monday, February 22nd from 2-3pm.
https://op97-org.zoom.us/j/750752899
For additional reading materials for your student or family, check out some great Black History Month reading recommendations from Mrs. Howe.
Hatch Black History Month Reading Recommendations
In-person families - we need your help! Getting into the habit of observing all of the new safety protocols will take time and practice. Please support our efforts by not only following these rules yourself, but reminding others that we must model for our students the social distancing behaviors we are asking them to exhibit. Here are some reminders:
Please refrain from entering the school property during drop off and pick up. Only students and staff should be on the blacktop, parking lots and line up areas.
Everyone, including caregivers, MUST be wearing a mask when escorting children to school.
Please be on time.
Social distancing rules are in effect. Please do not gather and socialize.
NO DOGS are allowed on school property.
Please certify your child every morning by 7:15, even if staying home, to prevent them being flagged in our system.
If using the drop off lane on Harvey, please wait until you reach the end of the cones to let your child out and only use the curb side for your child to exit the vehicle.
We thank you in advance for your cooperation. Mitigating the spread of Covid-19 will help our schools stay open. Working together toward this goal is the best way to support our students and staff!
It is once again time for our administration of the 5Essentials survey. Students in grades 4-5 will complete the survey when shared with their teacher unless otherwise notified by you. Please see this letter describing the survey. Parents can complete the survey by clicking here.
Library Book Checkout will continue to run during hybrid learning! Please make sure to fill out this new Google Form for all book requests. Click here to learn all about when and how students will receive their books and how students can return their Hatch library books.
Sarah Mendez
Hatch School Principal
1000 N Ridgeland Ave
Oak Park, IL 60302
(708) 524-3095
D97 Updates:
~Keep D97 Safe: Please Avoid Non-Essential Travel: Travel increases the risk of exposure to the coronavirus for our students, staff and community. Postponing travel and staying home is the best way to protect yourself and others from COVID-19. The Cook County Department of Public Health recommends that residents avoid all non-essential activities, including school and work, for 14 days upon their return to suburban Cook County. If staff, students or families travel out of state for more than 24 hours, they should not report to school. The district's quarantine requirements are outlined in our Framework for Reopening Schools.
FLYER: COVID-19 and Travel Guidance for District 97 Students and Staff >
~We are planning to offer another new series of sessions through Parent University with Reesheda Graham Washington on how parents can advocate for their students while respecting the professional expertise of educators. Prior to announcing the dates, we wanted to vet these dates with schools to try to minimize potential conflicts. Principals, please take a look at the dates below and email Emily ([email protected]) by February 19 if you have any conflicts with school-based events on these dates:
- Saturday, March 13, 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. - Elementary only
- Saturday, March 20, 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. - Middle only
- Saturday, April 17, 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. - Both elementary and middle
~"Mindful Middle-Schoolers" Program: The Community Mental Health Board of Oak Park Township, Oak Park Elementary School District 97, and DePaul University’s Community Counseling Center have partnered to deliver a vast array of educational and therapeutic services to staff, families, and youth through the “Mindful Middle-Schoolers Program.” Below is a list of upcoming VIRTUAL talks, which will be held via Zoom. Registration via the Eventbrite links below is requested. Once you register, a link will be emailed to you four hours prior to the start of each event.
"Mindful Middle-Schoolers" Community Talk Flyer
Monday, February 22 (1 p.m.): Understanding anxiety in youth and strategies for treatment and support https://www.eventbrite.com/e/understanding-anxiety-in-youth-andstrategies-for-treatment-and-support-tickets-141697997525
Thursday, February 25 (6 p.m.): Strategies to support executive functioning and self-regulation https://www.eventbrite.com/e/strategies-to-support-executive-functioningand-self-regulation-in-youth-tickets-141700384665
Wednesday, March 3 (6 p.m.): Technology and mental health: strategies to promote mindful digital citizenship https://www.eventbrite.com/e/technology-and-mental-healthstrategies-to-promote-mindful-tech-use-tickets-141699038639
Thursday, March 11 (6 p.m.): Mindfulness-based strategies and their applications in academic and home environments https://www.eventbrite.com/e/understandingmindfulness-tickets-141700721673
Wednesday, March 17 (6 p.m.): Understanding and supporting the emotional health of Black children https://www.eventbrite.com/e/understanding-and-supporting-theemotional-health-of-black-children-tickets-141702515037
Wednesday, March 24 (6 p.m.): Understanding depression in youth and strategies for treatment and support https://www.eventbrite.com/e/understanding-depression-inyouth-and-strategies-for-treatment-and-support-tickets-141698771841
~Next Meal D97 Meal Distribution: Tuesday, Feb. 23: Meals will be provided free of cost this fall to any District 97 student in need. Each bag of food will contain five breakfasts and five lunches. Meal distributions will be held every Tuesday, from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Longfellow Elementary School (for Julian and feeder schools), 715 S. Highland Ave., and Brooks Middle School (for Brooks and feeder schools), 325 S. Kenilworth Ave.
D97 Breakfast/Lunch Menus - February 2021