Dear District 30 Family,
Thank you for another great week! About a year ago, our school buildings closed as this global pandemic swept across the world. We worked collaboratively to put models in place that have safely educated our students in-person as we committed to our full-remote students. We started school this year on August 20 and continue to be proud of our teachers’ commitment, students’ engagement, and parents’ support. It is together that we will make it to the other side of this global pandemic.
Area COVID-19 rates rose in Northfield Township and remained relatively constant in Region 10 this week. We hope these rates will return to a downward trend. Please continue to respect the risks this virus poses by wearing masks and social distancing when you gather with anyone outside your household. As you consider your plans for Spring Break, please remain safe and committed to the safety of our entire community.
Included below are a few notes as we continue this journey together:
April 16 Full Staff Development Day: In support of increased planning needs, our April 16 half-day School Improvement Day will be converted to a full day of planning for our staff. Thank you for your support. When we return from Spring Break, we will share activity options from the Northbrook Park District, Northbrook YMCA, and other options.
Revised Public Health Guidance for Schools Support D30’s Targeted Full In-Person Learning in the Fall: On Tuesday, March 9, 2021, the Illinois State Board of Education and the Illinois Department of Public Health released the newly Revised Public Health Guidance for Schools. The guidance allows social distancing in the range of 3’ to 6’ in classrooms with vaccinated staff. Vaccinations have been challenging for our staff, but we are making progress. However, the guidance maintains the requirement to quarantine close contacts who have been within 6’ of a positive COVID-19 case for more than 15 minutes in a 24-hour period.
Our clear target for the start of school in the fall of 2021 is full in-person learning! As we contemplate school next year, vaccinations will be widely distributed to adults, including at-risk adults in our community. It is reasonable to expect COVID-19 rates and risks to drop in support of a full in-person return to school in the fall of 2021! The new guidance offers tremendous support for our defined direction. We will monitor the evolving remote guidance that currently references “families of students who are at increased risk of severe illness.” We have a lot of work ahead of us, but we look forward to all that the fall will offer!
We are continuing to analyze these new guidelines and more information will be forthcoming next Friday with a State of the District video from our administrative team.
Return to School Protocols After Spring Break: The CDC, IDPH, and CCDPH all discourage non-essential travel. If you are traveling over Spring Break, please look for our travel survey and return-to-school protocols in your school’s weekly flyer or the Travel Guidance email. Please review Travel Guidance contained within our Parent Phased Operations FAQs.
School Support: Please don’t hesitate to reach out for help through our teaching staff if and when the need arises. Remaining connected and accessing the many resources in our community is a strength.
I look forward to continuing our partnership as we care for our students and each other. Have a great weekend!
Warmly,
Dr. Brian K. Wegley
Superintendent
