Thank You, Spring Break, and School Closure Extended

Thank You, Spring Break, and School Closure Extended

Dear District 30 Family,

I hope this email finds you well! Thank you for your patience, support and care during this evolving situation, and for supporting our e-Learning efforts as you manage your personal and professional lives in this new, temporary normal. I know that we all share a profound gratitude for the heroic effort our teachers have undertaken to launch this new learning vehicle to attempt to generate normalcy as they simultaneously manage their own families. 

As we continue to learn together, I am always inspired by the District 30 Family’s unity and care. My most recent blog reflected on this new frontier, on our community’s uplifting support and care, as we all reinforced ways to remain updated. I also remain grateful for the collaborative efforts that continue with our Glenview/Northbrook COVID-19 Task Force that generated this week’s update and continues to maintain our https://www.glenviewnorthbrookcoronavirus.info/ website.

Physical Distancing
Thank you to everyone who is doing their part to maintain what is called social distancing. We may benefit from calling it physical distancing, as it is more important than ever to support our social connections. Many of our teachers are using Google Hangout successfully to maintain face-to-face time with their class. Please refer to our Parent Closure and e-Learning FAQ to learn more about how we are structuring that tool, along with some other tools families are using to retain social connections with other families and students while maintaining physical distancing.

Spring Break
As we continue to assist one other in this unusual time, I wish you all a fantastic Spring Break next week. In our hurried world, we get precious few times to pause. I recognize that many of us have canceled our travel plans. My wish for all of us is that we unplug, leverage the week with shared meals, family games and puzzles, as we take some time to reflect on all of the gifts we have in our lives.

After our teachers and technology staff put forth a herculean effort to get remote learning up and running, while they managed their own families, I am asking them to do the same. My hope is that they also get the chance to unplug and enjoy the week with their families. Please know that it is my expectation for any contacts with our teachers to be answered when we return from Spring Break. Thank you for your understanding.

School Closure Extended - Teacher Planning Day on March 30
Today, Governor Pritzker announced that schools would continue to be closed at least until April 8. To reflect on lessons learned from our first week of e-Learning and to allow our curricular teams time to plan for continuing e-Learning, Monday, March 30, will be a Planning Day for teachers. We will plan on e-Learning ensuing with our teachers on Tuesday, March 31. 

As our teachers participate in March 30’s Planning Day to coordinate plans, students will be asked to complete a Superintendent’s Global District 30 Assignment for the day. My goal is to continue to engage our students.

Our first Superintendent’s Global District 30 Assignment for Monday, March 30:

  1. Life-Skills: Demonstrate that you have learned to do laundry (whites and colors), or clear the table, and do the dishes for your family after dinner.
  2. Gratitude: Complete this Gratitude Scavenger Hunt.
  3. Curiosity: Do you play an instrument? Are you developing your painting skills? Are you interested in learning more about programming to create Apps? Are you wondering what Dark Matter is (like one of our fourth-grade students with whom I recently had a conversation)? Spend at least two hours doing something that you absolutely love. 
  4. Activity: Time yourself running five laps around the perimeter of your house or post the maximum time that you can complete a wall sit.

These activities are encouraged but not required. Students will be asked to demonstrate what they complete during the day in a short, simple post. More information will come out on the morning of Monday, March 30. Also, over Spring Break, a few of our teachers have compiled some low-tech, high connection activities for our students and families to consider. 

If school closures extend, we will likely add additional Planning Days for our teachers. For each Planning Day, students will be asked to complete a Superintendent’s Global District 30 Assignment for the day. 

On behalf of our committed Board and staff, I wish you all a calm and rejuvenating Spring Break, knowing full-well that this will be a unique one. I encourage you and your children to pause, unplug as much as you can, and be fully present for each other. This will be a time we will share with future generations. We will continue to need to support one another as we navigate to the other side.

Sincerely,

Dr. Brian K. Wegley
Superintendent