District Digest

March 17, 2021

In this issue…

• Commitment Form
• SIP Day March 26/Spring Break

• CDC Travel Guidelines
• Saliva Sample Collection Schedule
• UPDATED IDPH FAQ’s
  
• World Down Syndrome Day
• 5Essentials Survey
• Holocaust Survivor Presentation
• Forest Glen's One Book
• Serena Harnack

The Board of Education directed the district to plan for a full in-person traditional schedule starting in April (start date to be determined). Tomorrow, March 18, a Commitment Form will be made available in Skyward. The form will ask you to choose between Full In Person or Full Remote Learning for each of your children in District 41. If the form is not filled out, your student will be entered into the full remote model. Please complete this commitment form for each child in District 41 by Tuesday, March 23 at noon. For more details regarding the Full In-Person Model and the Full Remote Model CLICK HERE.

Friday, March 26 is a scheduled SIP Day in District 41. There is no Pre-K, Early Childhood or Kindergarten student attendance on this SIP Day. Blended and Remote students in grades 1-8 who attend the AM session will have morning classes from 8:30 - 11:00 a.m. on March 26. Blended and Remote students in grades 1-8 who attend the PM session will not have classes from 1:00-3:30 p.m. on March 26.

Spring Break Schedule

Spring break for District 41 is March 29 thru April 2 this year. All schools will be remote on the two days post spring break for saliva testing and Election day.

• Monday, March 29 thru Friday, April 2: Spring Break - No School

• Monday, April 5: Remote for all - Saliva screening drop off at all schools

• Tuesday, April 6: Remote for all - Election Day

• Wednesday, April 7: Schools reopen for blended model
  

As we approach spring break, please be advised that the current CDC guidelines advise travelers to get tested 3-5 days after returning from domestic or international travel and to remain home for a minimum of 7 days. Please note that these are recommendations per the CDC and are not required post-travel. District 41 also recommends families follow these guidelines, however, at this time it is not a requirement. As always, if your child has experienced any symptoms of COVID-19 while traveling or immediately after returning from travel, please keep your child home from school and inform the school nurse.

Monday, March 22

8th, 5th, Kindergarten

Tuesday, March 23

7th, 4th, 1st

Wednesday, March 24

6th, 3rd, 2nd, PreK/Early Childhood

The Illinois Department for Public Health has released an updated Frequently Asked Questions for Schools document as additional guidance. The information is subject to change based on new information and updates to existing guidance from the Centers for Disease Control. CLICK HERE for the updated FAQ document (as of March 16, 2021).

March 21 is Down Syndrome Awareness Day and SSPAC (Student Services Parent Advisory Committee) is participating in a Rock Your Socks drive in partnership with the People's Resource Center. All month they will be collecting new socks from size infant to adult to be donated in April. Donation boxes are located at all of the schools as well as the District 41 Central Services Office. Thank you for your participation. Don't forget to Rock YOUR Socks on March 21!

District 41 relies on parent feedback when planning for the future. Please share your thoughts about your school community through the annual Illinois 5Essentials survey! Taking this survey allows you to share your views on school effectiveness. The survey is administered by UChicago Impact and is based on the Five Essentials for School Success, an evidence-based framework developed by the University of Chicago.

The 5Essentials are:

• Effective Leaders

• Collaborative Teachers

• Involved Families

• Supportive Environment

• Ambitious Instruction

Each school needs a parent response rate of at least 20% to receive a results report. Thank you for your participation!

CLICK HERE to take the survey! The deadline is April 2.

Hadley 8th grade students, staff and families had the opportunity to hear the personal story of Holocaust survivior Danny Goldsmith. During the presentation, Mr. Goldsmith shared how as a child he was sent to several places to hide from the Nazis, and how he eventually escaped. His inspirational message of hope and eliminating hate struck a chord.

This event was made possible through the Holocaust Awareness Museum & Education Center. To watch Mr. Goldsmith’s presentation, CLICK HERE

One Book, Forest Glen is a PTA sponsored event created by Mrs. Callicoat from the Forest Glen Library Media Center. All Forest Glen families received a copy of either The Wild Robot (K-5) or The Curious Garden (PreK). Both books were written and illustrated by Peter Brown. All families received a new copy of the book, a family guide with activities and games to complete while you read, a blank map, and a bookmark. The family guide provided hands on opportunities to not only engage with the story, but to spend time as a family. Connections across the school were made using Flipgrid where K-5 students showed off their projects, maps, experiments, and "lodges" they created just like the main character, Roz. There has been much involvement from students, parents, grandparents, teachers, and staff!

Forest Glen is very excited to end this One Book program with a Virtual Author Visit from Peter Brown on March 24th. This event will take place in the evening so all families can participate together. We are so excited to welcome Peter Brown to the Forest Glen community!

In the month of March, professional violinist and singer-songwriter, Ms. Serena Harnack, will introduce a different side of music by featuring electric stringed instruments. Students will be instructed on how to play an electric instrument, along with properly using an amplifier and pedals to change the sound of the instrument. Ms. Harnack will demonstrate and speak about her experiences on how the electric violin and her song-writing compositions came together for her career path.

Ms. Harnack is a native of Glen Ellyn and now lives and records music in Nashville, Tennessee. As a child prodigy, she won her first local competition at the age of 5 and her first national competition at the age of 8. She is a former graduate of the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts and received the prestigious Berklee's Presidential Scholarship. Ms. Harnack has performed with and for many famous artists including John Legend, Rachel Barton Pine, Yo-Yo Ma, Brian Lewis, Mark Wood, André Previn, Ilya Kaler, and Mark O'Connor. Thank you to the Hadley PTA for sponsoring this exciting clinic to help educate and inspire our Hadley musicians.

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Email: ekrehbiel@d41.org
Website: www.d41.org
Location: 793 North Main Street, Glen Ellyn, IL, USA
Phone: 630.790.6400
Facebook: facebook.com/glenellynd41
Twitter: @glenellynd41