3/18/22
HATCH SPIRIT WEEK is NEXT WEEK!
Students will have a chance to participate in a MINUTE to WIN it Celebration next Friday afternoon in the gym. Please feel free to join in the fun all week as a family. The schedule is as follows:
- Monday- Rainbow Day/Fun socks- Respectful
- Tuesday- PJ Stuffy Day
- Wednesday- Wacky Wednesday
- Thursday- Hatch TIGER DAY (hatch wear)
- Friday- Sports Team Spirit Day (Celebration)
K-3rd grade students have an opportunity to do an author visit with Mac Barnett on Wednesday, March 23rd ! We can't wait to meet him. You may recognize him from his books Square, The Terrible Two series, Mac B Kid Spy, and Sam and Dave Dig a Hole. Order forms to buy a signed copy of his books will be going home with your student, but you can also buy the book here by March 30th and it will be delivered to school.
One Book, One School- Coming April 2022- We are so excited to announce that we will be participating in One Book, One School again this year. All Hatch students and teachers will be reading the same SURPRISE book! During this time, families will be reading the book together at home and at school. We are asking each family to pay 5$ for a book (1 book/family). The PTO has generously offered to pay the difference for each family, and donations are also accepted to help ensure that every family receives a book. You may pay online through Revtrak by clicking here or sending a check to the front office payable to District 97.
Our SHIELD results this week yielded 6 new cases of covid, and we had an additional case from outside testing. Please remember to keep your child home if they are sick. Luckily our current student vaccination rate is 84%. Thanks to this high number, many of our students who have been considered close contacts have been able to stay in school without disruption as they are fully vaccinated and symptom free. Please note that “window to the classroom” has been discontinued. In the event your child is placed in quarantine, please contact your child’s teacher for information on how to access materials and support them during that time. As we begin to roll back some of our mitigation strategies, please know we will continue to do all we can to keep our students and families safe. At the same time, we are looking forward to now being able to schedule field trips, mix students across cohorts and as of April 11, bringing back hot lunch! Please be on the lookout for further details on future plans that will be sent from D97 today. For more local COVID-19 vaccine information, visit www.oak-park.us/vaccine. If you have any questions, please contact Nurse Rossi. Thank you for your support and partnership in keeping our schools safe!
Reminder - Transition to Masks Recommended, Not Required
Beginning Thursday, March 17, the decision to wear a mask at school is at the discretion of each family. On that date, masks will become recommended, not required, in all District 97 schools. Details about this change, as well as supporting documents, are linked below.
- "Supporting the Transition to Masks Recommended, Not Required" (March 4 communication)
- FAQ - Masks Recommended, Not Required
- Resource document for families
- Summary of District 97's COVID-19 Mitigations
- "Families and COVID-19" (Centers for Disease Control)
Masks will continue to be required in two areas in school buildings:
- Nurses' offices: Masks will continue to be required in school nurses' offices, which are considered healthcare settings. Disposable masks will be available if needed.
SHIELD testing areas: SHIELD Illinois will continue to require masks in testing areas, since collection sites are technically considered healthcare facilities. This means that all students participating in weekly SHIELD testing will be required to wear masks in the collection area. The district will have disposable masks available, however, we encourage families to make sure that their students bring their own masks on their designated testing days.
Additional Reminders:
- Schools will not segregate or seat students based on mask or vaccination status.
- Beyond reminding students to follow their family’s wishes, teachers
- and staff will not track parent wishes or monitor mask use of students.
Submit Proof of COVID-19 Vaccination After Second Dose
According to the Centers for Disease Control and state/local health officials, fully vaccinated individuals do not have to quarantine due to potential COVID-19 exposure as long as they are asymptomatic. Additionally, achieving a high rate of vaccination will strengthen our overall safety plan and will put the district in the best possible position to reconsider other mitigations as conditions improve in our community.
To help us reduce any unnecessary quarantines and accurately track our student vaccination rate, District 97 requests that families submit proof of vaccination for their students as soon as they have received their second dose. There are two options:
IF YOU HAVE A GOOGLE ACCOUNT: Fill out a brief Google Form and upload a copy of the student’s vaccination card. CLICK HERE to access the Hatch vaccine form.
IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A GOOGLE ACCOUNT: Email a copy of your student’s vaccination card to Nurse Andrea Rossi. ([email protected]). Please include the child’s full name and grade.
Students Who Participated in Clinics at District 97 Schools
- If your student completed their vaccine series at one of the school-based clinics, a staff member should have taken a photo of their vaccination card following the second dose.
- If your child's card was documented, no further action is needed.
- If your child's card was not scanned or photographed, or if your child did not receive their second dose at a school clinic, please email a copy of the card to your school nurse.
All About IAR! Each Spring, all District 97 students in Grades 3 to 8 take federally-required assessments to help us understand how they are growing academically. Since 2019, the state has utilized the Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) to assess students’ knowledge and skills in English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics, as well as their progress toward the long-term goal of college and career readiness.
This year, the IAR will be administered to Hatch students between April 5 and 12th. Our 3rd-5th graders will be testing in ELA or Math each morning and our 5th graders will complete a Science assessment in the afternoon on April 8th, 11th and 12th. You can support your child by helping them get a good night’s sleep the night before an assessment and providing a healthy breakfast the morning of. Also PLEASE MAKE SURE YOUR CHILD HAS WORKING HEADPHONES. Thank you!
Check out our “5 Things to Know About IAR” document to learn more about this year’s assessment!
- Additional Resources for Families
- District 97 IAR Webpage
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Impact of Participation in State Assessments - IAR (ISBE)
- FAQ: 95% Participation in State Assessments (ISBE)
If your child is in need of breakfast in the morning, please let the teacher or the main office know.
Spring picture day will take place Friday, April 08, 2022. No payment is needed at that time. Please click here for more information.
Trimester 2 Report Cards will be emailed home today. Please be on the lookout!
D97 Updates
District 97 to Continue Nut-Free Lunches
All District 97 schools are currently operating as nut-safe facilities to ensure student safety. This has been a critical measure in protecting our students with severe nut allergies, particularly during a time in which our lunch procedures have an added layer of complexity due to COVID-19.
As the district eases mitigations in the coming weeks, and as we prepare for the return of hot lunch after spring break, we are mindful that schools may continue to utilize classrooms and/or modified lunch procedures. In order to maintain safe environments for all of our students, all of our schools will continue to be nut-safe. Please assist us in this endeavor by refraining from sending your child to school with nuts or nut-related products for lunch or snacks.
Please contact your child’s school nurse if you have questions about the safety of any food products that you may be considering sending to school with your child. Thank you for your support with this preventative measure!
Celebrating Women's History Month in District 97
Women’s History Month is a celebration of all that women bring to history, culture and society. In March, we'd love your help capturing how our classes, schools and families are centering and honoring women. We encourage you to share your Women's History Month stories, photos and videos with us by tweeting (@OakPark97, using the hashtags #MyD97 and #OakPark97) or emailing [email protected]. Thank you in advance for helping to shine a light on the incredible lives, histories and contributions of women.
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