Daniel Wright Chorus and Show Choir: The DW Chorus and Show Choir performed at the school board meeting in honor of Veterans Day.
Board Member Appreciation: On Board Member Appreciation Day, Tuesday, Nov. 10, Dr. Scott Warren, Superintendent, thanked the school board for all their volunteer work during their dedicated years on the board. “The service our members give our school district is among the best in the world. We have a strong guiding board who helps our children even during this pandemic.”
Board Recognition: The Illinois Association of School Boards has recognized two D103 Board Members for achieving Master Board Member status. Marissa Grossenbach and Michael Odongo have achieved Master Board Member awards in recognition of time and effort devoted to leadership activities and service to the public education community. Congratulations to both Mrs. Grossenbach and Mr. Odongo on this great achievement!
D103 Learning Update:
Parent Feedback: The administrative team reviewed and acted upon parent, student, and staff feedback from a fall survey, said Katie Reynolds, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction. From that survey, staff now stay on Zoom calls longer, students have more hands-on materials to use, the bookmobile visits students’ homes, more social time has been incorporated into lessons, and teachers have expanded differentiated instruction.
Metrics: Dr. Warren shared the COVID-19 rates for Lake County with the board stating that the positivity rate is high and until it comes down for the District 103 zip code area, students will continue to learn remotely. He said the district is guided by science and will continue to do so for the safety of our school community. Dr. Warren reiterated that families should pledge to:
- Watch their distance staying six feet apart from others
- Wash their hands often
- Wear a mask when around others
Parent Questionnaire: A questionnaire will go out to families on Friday, November 13 through their child’s Unified Classroom account. The questionnaire will ask families to select one of the three options for learning in January 2021:
- My child will attend school remotely through the remainder of the 2020-2021 school year. I realize this decision may require my child’s teacher to change.
- My child will attend school in-person through the remainder of the 2020-2021 school year. I realize this decision may require my child’s teacher to change.
I would like my K-5 child to remain with their teacher, to the greatest extent possible, regardless of the learning model for the remainder of the 2020-2021 school year.
(Families with children in grades 6-8 may have teacher and schedule changes regardless of the option they choose.)
Planning for January:
Mid-November: Survey parents regarding learning preferences with the hybrid and in-person models fully explained
Mid- to Late-November: District administrators determine the hybrid learning model to use
Mid-December: Re-assign staff to positions, if necessary
Mid-January: Finalize learning schedules for students
Mid-January: Finalize transportation routes
January 19, 2021: New learning schedules begin for all students
January 2021 Learning Models: The school district will send a notice to families this week explaining the learning models.
BinexNow Covid-19 Antigen Testing: The district has been approved to perform rapid tests that nurses can administer in the schools. The test would produce results in about 15 minutes. The district is working with the Lake County Health Department on a process for this testing in our schools for the near future.
Testing:
MAP Scores: Mrs. Reynolds shared that Measures Of Academic Progress (MAP) results are consistent with results during a non-pandemic year. MAP scores show student achievement levels in grades 1-8 are comparable to years past and at levels much higher than students who tested nationally.
Superintendent Goals:
Focusing on teaching and learning during this COVID pandemic.
Collecting feedback from stakeholders and communicating regularly with stakeholders.
Create and maintain remote and in-person learning models.
2020 Tax Levy: The Board made a resolution to adopt the 2020 tax levy, which was unanimously approved by all members. Patrick Palbicke, Assistant Superintendent for Business, informed the Board that the total estimated property tax levy for 2020 is $31.7 million. The estimated levy uses a 2.3% consumer price index increase along with estimates for new construction and properties being added to the tax rolls.
Transportation Hiring: The district continues to seek applicants for various positions.
