Dear District 97 Staff and Families,
Out of an abundance of caution and continued uncertain travel conditions, all District 97 schools will utilize an additional E-Learning Day on Thursday, Feb. 3. The schools and the administration building will be closed, however, virtual family-teacher conferences will continue as scheduled. Further instructions for E-Learning are included below.
The decision to utilize another E-Learning Day was a difficult one. We have been monitoring the forecast throughout the day, as well as the conditions of roads in Oak Park and the surrounding communities. Unfortunately, there is still some uncertainty about what the next 24 hours will bring. We are anticipating delays to our transportation services due to the accumulation of snow, and we know that our staff may face challenges traveling to work, especially if they are coming from communities that were more severely impacted by the storm or that have already announced school closures tomorrow.
Our priority is always to do what is in the best interest of our students. Considering the uncertainty of the weather and travel conditions, and the fact that we have a half-day scheduled for tomorrow due to family-conferences, we ultimately decided that an E-Learning Day would be the safest, most reliable option for maximizing student learning on Thursday. We will reopen all of our buildings for in-person learning on Friday, Feb. 4.
As a reminder, all schools are scheduled for early dismissal on Thursday and Friday due to family-teacher conferences, which will be held virtually and will continue as planned. The elementary schools will dismiss at 11 a.m. and the middle schools will dismiss at noon.
We appreciate your patience and understanding during these challenging weather situations. Please continue to be safe, and we look forward to positive and engaging family-conferences over the next two days.
Dr. Griff Powell and Dr. Patricia Wernet
Co-Interim Superintendents
E-Learning/Remote Work Expectations (District 97 E-Learning Plan)
- STUDENTS/FAMILIES: All students will follow their regular schedule of classes and participate in synchronous (live) and asynchronous instruction using their district-issued device. Information and instructions for accessing classes and assignments will be shared via email, teacher web pages or the learning management system (Canvas for the middle schools, Seesaw or Google Classroom for elementary schools). Attendance will be taken at 8 a.m. for the elementary schools and 9 a.m. for the middle schools. Schools will follow their early dismissal schedule.
Questions? Please email any questions about the E-Learning activities and schedule to your student’s principal or assistant principal. For questions about specific classroom assignments, please email your student’s teachers. Inquiries or issues about district devices or other technology concerns, please send a request to the Help Desk at [email protected].
- SCHOOL STAFF
- Teachers: Provide remote instruction and complete expectations, as outlined in the district’s E-Learning Plan.
- Support Staff: Complete work/expectations remotely, as outlined by your direct supervisor.
- Buildings and Grounds: Expectations will be communicated directly by Jeanne Keane.
- CENTRAL OFFICE STAFF: Complete work/expectations remotely, as outlined by your direct supervisor.