Message From 1/7/2022

1/7/22


 

We hope you enjoyed a lovely holiday break full of family and friends. It was wonderful to see so many smiling faces on Tuesday as we jumped back into our learning routines. You know you are in a truly special place when the children can’t wait to go back to school! Thank you also for the incredible amount of support and encouragement you have shown our staff during this difficult time. We know that an adaptive pause is an enormous adjustment for families, staff, and students. Please know that all decisions are made in collaboration with the health department and following state and federal guidelines. These guidelines change rapidly and we will continue to pivot as needed based on this guidance and communicate the changes as quickly as possible. So many of you have reached out to express gratitude or share a positive andictote. I can’t tell you what a difference the simple act of kind words can make to educators during this difficult time. The past two years have presented unprecedented challenges, and we are grateful to work in such a loving and supportive community!

 

Shield testing did not occur this week due to not having school on Monday. Our regular testing schedule will resume once we are back in person. Thank you to all of the families who have communicated the results of outside testing so that we can be preventative. This surge has brought an unprecedented number of COVID cases to our students. However many of the students have not been in the building and we have notified families if there was a case in your class and if your child was a close contact. Thankfully many of our students were able to remain in school as they are fully vaccinated and show no sign of symptoms. Please continue to alert Nurse Rossi of any positive result or exposure as we do need to track that data over time. We appreciate your support!

 

As you may know, the positivity rates for COVID are at 20% in Illinois. We are continuing to implement a layered mitigation approach including ventilation, masking, distancing and vaccination. With this extreme situation, I am sending a link for walk-in vaccine clinics below. Please consider getting your child vaccinated as soon as possible. We are very close to having our classes fully vaccinated and would love to breathe easier and interact more closely with one another in the future. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to Nurse Rossi at [email protected]. She is an extremely qualified resource for our community. She has access to current research and information from both hospitals and health departments and can speak to specific details that may be helpful to you. She can even help you through the process to secure an appointment. Please stay home if you have any symptoms and reach out to Nurse Rossi. Now is also a good time to check your child's masks to ensure they are in good condition and fit appropriately. Thank you!

 

https://vaccine.cookcountyil.gov/search
 

Once we return to our routines at school, we will also begin our winter assessment window where we take the temperature on student progress thus far. One of those assessments is NWEA MAP testing. If you'd like to better understand what this looks like we have included some resources below for your student. You and your child can look over the practice tests to gain some familiarity with the test and how to navigate the testing platform. I am sure that teachers will go over this in class, but it might be helpful to do at home as well. 

 

MAP Practice Tests: 
https://practice.mapnwea.org/#/practice-landing
username: grow 
password: grow 

 

The subjects that we test are Math K-12 and Reading 
 

Thank you!

 

Sarah Mendez
Hatch School Principal 
1000 N Ridgeland Ave
Oak Park, IL 60302
(708) 524-3095

 

 

We believe our Oak Park community is focused on supporting one another in various ways, especially in providing essential needs such as food. The D97 PTO Council is partnering with all of the D97 school PTOs and the Suburban Unity Alliance's Oak Park Community Fridge Program to organize a 5-week-long food drive to nourish the lives of those individuals who need assistance right now. We are pleased to introduce a collaborative initiative called Fill the Fridges.

 

During the first five weeks of 2022, each D97 school will be partnered with another school for one week to be responsible for Fill the Fridges.

  • Beye Elementary School and Julian Middle School: January 3-8
  • Hatch Elementary School and Brooks Middle School: January 9-15
  • Holmes Elementary School and Irving Elementary School: January 16-22
  • Lincoln Elementary School and Whittier Elementary School: January 23-29
  • Longfellow Elementary School and Mann Elementary School: January 30-February 5

Each school will have a collection box near it's entry to accept donations. Here are guidelines as to what can be donated and proper fridge etiquette: https://www.opfridge.com/guidelines

 

Let's Fill the Fridges!

 

D97 Updates

 

Parent Information Session - Early Admission to Kindergarten/First Grade

For families who are seeking early admission to kindergarten or first grade, the district will be hosting a Virtual Parent Information Session on Wednesday, Jan. 19, 2022, from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The session will include a presentation that outlines the process and requirements. Click here to view the event flyer >

 

For more information about the process for early admissions, please visit https://www.op97.org/teach-learn/acceleration/early-entrance.
 

Information about Acceleration Opportunities in District 97

Looking ahead to the spring, District 97 is preparing to implement the Single Subject and Whole Grade Level Acceleration process for students eligible for acceleration in the 2022-23 school year. 

District 97 believes that all students should be challenged and supported to develop to their maximum potential. For students who demonstrate they may benefit from accelerated placement, we provide opportunities to participate in an instructional setting that is usually reserved for students who are older or in higher grades than the child. This includes, but is not limited to:

  • Single subject acceleration
  • Whole grade acceleration

In accordance with the Illinois Accelerated Placement Act, District 97 has continued to refine procedures to ensure equitable access to acceleration opportunities for all students. New this year: all students who are grade eligible to take the Illinois Assessment for Readiness (IAR) must participate in the assessment in order to be deemed eligible for acceleration. The IAR is a critically important measure in determining the mastery of grade level standards and must be considered by the school team along with other sources of data.

Referrals for single-subject and whole-grade acceleration will be accepted from March 1 to May 15 of each school year. The general process is outlined HERE.

Information about the District 97 Accelerated Placement Program, including definitions and timelines, can be found at http://www.op97.org/acceleration. We will send additional communication to families as we near the opening of our referral and application windows next year. Additionally, Family Acceleration Night will be held Wednesday, February 7, 2022, 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. This information session will provide an avenue for families to share questions as well as receive information about the acceleration process. Please find additional information in the information session flyer.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us by visiting our Let’s Talk page (bit.ly/D97LetsTalk) and clicking the button labeled “Acceleration.”

 

COVID-19 Symptom Checklist and Instructions for Symptomatic Students

In October, the Illinois Department of Public Health and the Illinois State Board of Education released updated guidance and an updated exclusion decision tree. As a result, we have updated some of our protocols and required documents for symptomatic students. CLICK HERE for a one-page summary of the required steps and testing for students who are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19.

 

Reminder: Stay Home When Sick!

Staying home when sick is essential to keep COVID-19 infections out of schools and prevent spread to others—regardless of vaccination status. Symptoms that should be monitored daily by ALL District 97 staff, families and students are:

  • Fever (100.4 or higher)
  • New cough
  • Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
  • Fatigue from unknown cause
  • Muscle or body aches from unknown cause
  • Moderate/severe headache
  • New loss of taste or smell
  • Sore throat
  • Vomiting
  • Diarrhea