4/16/2021
We have been busy preparing for the change of schedule to the full day beginning April 26th for students currently in person. Please know we are working around the clock to prepare for yet another transition and will do our best to communicate details as plans are developed. Here is what we know so far:
- The daily schedule will change for both remote and in person learners, and teachers will share your child’s new schedule some time next week.
- Students will eat lunch in their classrooms and have recess outside (We do not have the physical space to have both simultaneously outside but will continue to explore options.) Students will remain with their classroom “pods” for lunch and recess as much as possible. The pods will be assigned recess zones which will rotate. Students will be asked to social distance (3-6 feet for recess and 6 feet for lunch) and masks will be worn when not eating. We are working on an option for families that would like to take their child home for lunch each day, but will require this to be a consistent commitment communicated in advance. A sign up for this option will follow.
- Specials teachers will be traveling to each homeroom to deliver instruction with PE outside (weather permitting.)
- All safety protocols will continue to be implemented.
We will continue to share as plans develop. As always, thank you for your patience!
As always at this time of year, we begin to plan for the coming school year. Here is the Student Profile Form for students in K-4th grade. This form is not mandatory, but can be helpful as we try to best meet the needs of all students at Hatch. If you have specific input about how your child learns best that you feel would be helpful as we prepare for the multistep process of classroom assignments, please feel free to complete the form. All parent input is due by April 26th.
We WON the “Can Do Challenge” in 2019! Let's have a REPEAT! Each April our Hatch community comes together to participate in the month-long CAN DO Community Challenge to benefit the 40,000 individuals Beyond Hunger serves each year. If Beyond Hunger collects $100,000 by April 30th, they will receive a $25,000 match from the Challenge Corp - a group of local philanthropists!
We know the impact of COVID-19 will continue well past 2021. Your gift will keep your neighbors safe, healthy, and nourished.
You can donate money by using this link or you can donate the following items-
- rice
- dried beans
- canned fruit
- cooking oil
- jelly
We will collect the food items from your child's classroom and deliver them to Beyond Hunger.
Hatch Has Talent 2021 is happening! Open to all 3rd, 4th and 5th graders who would like to show off their talent! All acts will record their performance and submit their videos by May 4th! We will have a school assembly on zoom to share everyone's talent. If your child is interested and has a plan for participating in the Talent Show, then you must fill out this Google Form by April 25th to sign them up! Please look at the Google Form for more information about the Talent Show. If you have any questions please reach out to Mrs. Howe and Mr. Jacobson.
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.
The Hatch PTO is happy to once again offer the Kids Kreations Art Fundraising Activity - A fun way to treasure your child’s artwork. This is an entirely optional fundraiser. This year we are going virtual. Since we were unable to send in physical art for Kids Kreations to scan, you and your child get to choose from any old or new pieces of their art that you have at home. They may, alternatively, choose to create something special for this occasion. You may also choose to use a favorite photograph, photo collage, or special logo. You still have the opportunity to order a wide array of 50+ products with your child's art on it. Hatch PTO will still earn up to 35% profit on anything that you choose to order. The simple uploading of art, photo, or logo will be done by you and the ordering will be online (https://www.kidskreations.us) only. Shipping will be directly to your home, with a flat $8 shipping rate, regardless of the monetary amount ordered. Please see the attached flyers for easy step-by-step directions on how to complete this process. Thank you for supporting Hatch School! Any questions? Please contact Sharon Morgan [email protected] or Kids Kreations directly at 866-652-3770.
Save The Date Career Day 2021! The DivCo team is currently planning on holding career day virtually this year! We’d like to have 2 speakers from each class speak for about 20 minutes followed by a 10 minute Q&A. Being virtual will have its benefits as guest speakers can be remote and login to students zooms, opening up opportunities for parents who might not have been able to participate otherwise. Right now the tentative date is June 8, 2021 at 8:30-9:30 a.m. More info to come.
Sarah Mendez Hatch School Principal 1000 N Ridgeland Ave Oak Park, IL 60302 (708) 524-3095
D97 Updates:
Remote Learning Planning Day on May 7: District 97 will utilize its last Remote Learning Planning Day on Friday, May 7. There will be no student learning on that date. The Illinois State Board of Education has permitted each school district to utilize up to five Remote Learning Planning Days during the 2020-21 school year. These days provide staff with additional professional learning and collaboration time in support of hybrid learning.
Now Hiring School Lunch Supervisors: In order to increase on-site instruction, we will need to hire a large number of lunchroom supervisors. This is truly a community effort; if you are able to support District 97 as a lunchroom supervisor, it will have a direct impact on our ability to lengthen the school day. Click here to learn more and apply.
District 97 to Host Three Additional Parent University Sessions in April 2021: District 97 will host three new Virtual Parent University sessions in April to help families learn strategies for collaborating with school administrators, teachers and staff to support equity and student success.
The sessions will be facilitated by Reesheda Graham Washington, principal consultant of RGW Consulting and CEO of L!VE 2.0. The events will be held April 10, April 17 and April 24. CLICK HERE to learn more and register.
Keep D97 Schools Allergy Safe - No Nuts Allowed: District 97 will continue its nut-safe expectation this school year when we transition to full-day in-person learning. The exclusion of nuts will be adhered to throughout the school day, which includes lunchtime and snacks. This is an important measure to protect our students with life-threatening allergies, as the lunchroom may not be the only space used for meals while we are adhering to COVID-19 safety measures.
Please check with your child's teacher for other allergy considerations in the classroom. We appreciate your help in adhering to this preventative measure.
SAVE THE DATE: D97 Virtual Summer Step Up Program: District 97 is holding a Virtual Step Up Summer Program for students in Grades 1-8 (students who are in kindergarten through seventh grade during the 2020-21 school year). The program will run July 26 through Aug. 5, 2021 (8:30 a.m. - 11 a.m. OR 12 pm. - 2:30 p.m.). Summer Step Up is designed to support any District 97 student that could benefit from revisiting grade level standards from the previous year. Additional information and sign up forms will be shared by schools in May 2021.
Next Meal D97 Meal Distribution: Tuesday, April 20 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 - April 2021
SAVE THE DATE: Registration for 2021-22 School Year in D97: Online registration for the 2021-22 school year in District 97 will officially launch on Monday, April 26. Please be on the lookout for an email with complete details next week. Information will also be available on the district website at https://www.op97.org/hr/student-registration.
Returning Students - Registration will be entirely online April 26 through May 31 for returning students who are currently in kindergarten through seventh grade. The parent/guardian listed as PG1 in PowerSchool will receive an email from [email protected] with their student’s snapcode and instructions to register. Emails will be sent in waves beginning April 26.
Note: In order to register, Oak Park renters must have a lease that covers August 31, 2021, or the student’s first day of school.
New Students and Kindergarteners - Families who wish to enroll new students or kindergarteners must first gather all required documents and make an appointment to have them reviewed. At your appointment, the registrar will explain the online process, verify your documentation and child's grade level, and enter the student into the online registration system. After your appointment you will receive an email for each student with a unique link to submit that student’s registration information.
Appointments are currently available for the week of April 26 using this link:
https://registration.powerschool.com/family/gosnap.aspx?event=3548&culture=en
Additional slots will be added each week.