Dear District 97 Families,
As you know, we are hosting a Virtual Parent University next Thursday, Aug. 13, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. to help families navigate remote learning this fall. The event will include a brief overview of remote learning, two technology sessions (parent choice) and a parent circle session facilitated by the E-Team of Oak Park and District 97 staff.
First, thank you for your overwhelming interest in this event, which has far exceeded anything we have experienced with past parent learning sessions. Because we are nearing our capacity for Zoom webinar participants (1,000), we wanted to provide an update on how we plan to handle these sessions.
- District 97 will send meeting access information directly to the first 1,000 individuals who registered using our Google form. These parents/guardians will have the opportunity to view the sessions live.
- The first hour and 20 minutes (Dr. Kelley’s welcome message, the remote learning overview and five technology sessions) will be presented as webinars. These sessions will all be recorded, posted to our website and shared with all families by the end of the week.
- The only part of the event that will require live participation is the parent circle session with the E-Team, which is meant to give families the opportunity to have open discussions with one another about remote learning. We are not planning to record these conversations. However, for those who are unable to participate Aug. 13, we are already working with the E-Team to identify additional opportunities to facilitate parent-to-parent connections in the near future.
We understand that there is a significant need for resources and support as your children begin another trimester of remote learning. We are planning to hold additional learning sessions, including another Parent University, throughout the school year. Our district and school leaders will keep you informed of these opportunities as they arise.
Thank you for your ongoing support and partnership as we work to provide our students high-quality, engaging remote learning experiences this fall.
Sincerely,
District 97 Teaching and Learning Department