Dear D39 Families,
We are excited to welcome 3rd through 8th grade students back for in-person schooling next week! This past Monday, the District 39 Board of Education approved the following plan for in-person instruction:
- Resume in-person instruction for all in-person students during the week of December 14th.
- Implement an adaptive pause with fully remote instruction for all students during the week of January 4th. This week of fully remote instruction will allow the district to implement a COVID-19 surveillance testing program in the first week of January and provide for a smooth, safe transition back to in-person instruction following winter break.
- Resume in-person instruction for all in-person students during the week of January 11th.
All in-person students should plan to attend school in-person next week (the week of December 14th) following their regular schedule, unless they or their classroom are on quarantine. A 14-day quarantine continues to be required of individuals who have traveled outside of the State or who have been in close contact with a COVID-positive individual. Individuals experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, or who have household members who are, should isolate at home pending medical evaluation. Certification tickets for in-person attendance are available here. Please notify your school nurse if your in-person student is unable to attend school in-person next week for any reason. We thank everyone for their thoughtful adherence to these restrictions and the procedures provided in our Family Response to Illness Booklet.
Metrics Team Update:
Our District 39 Metrics Reopening Advisory Team conducts a weekly meeting to study important school-relevant metrics of COVID-19 and the District’s Reopening Plan in order to guide adjustments to reopening efforts and improvements in health and safety protocol. This morning, the Metrics Team reviewed the most recent D39 Metrics Dashboard and full report. The Metrics Team discussed COVID-19 testing for students and staff, reviewed internal metrics for staffing and operations, considered metrics of COVID-19 community spread, and discussed future adjustments to our ongoing review of metrics. The Metrics Advisory Team will next meet on Friday, January 8th at 7:15 am. Until then, members of the community are encouraged to:
- Monitor school-relevant metrics of COVID-19 via the D39 Metrics Dashboard, which will be updated twice weekly, as well as via the live links provided on the page.
- Continue to be vigilant in practicing healthy habits, including the 3 Ws: Watch your distance, Wear a mask, and Wash your hands
COVID-19 Testing Update:
District 39 is preparing to launch a COVID-19 screening program in January through Safeguard Surveillance, the testing program implemented at New Trier High School. This program will provide free weekly saliva-based screening for COVID-19 and will be available to students and staff as an additional layer of mitigation protection. Participation in this program will be optional but strongly encouraged for all in-person students and staff. Please look for additional information on Monday regarding registration for this new COVID-19 screening program.
Ambry PCR testing for COVID-19 continues to be available through the school nurse office to students and staff who are symptomatic or have known exposure to COVID-19. The district is also preparing to host another Ambry PCR bulk testing event on January 6, 2021 for students and staff who are concerned about exposure, experiencing symptoms, or have traveled. Registration for participation in this event will open on Monday.
Board of Education Update:
The Board of Education is scheduled to host its regular business meeting on Monday, December 14th at 7:00 p.m. Topics on the agenda include: Board Committee Updates; Administrative Announcements related to 2nd Semester Enrollments, COVID-19 testing, and the Metrics Advisory Team; Five-Year Financial Projections; Board Policy Review; and the Consent Agenda related to Personnel and Bills. The Meeting Agenda and supporting documents will be posted to the district website and available here later today. The meeting will be held in-person and livestreamed, as well.
The Board welcomes and encourages public participation at its meetings. To facilitate this engagement, the Board has modified the process for providing public comment at Board Meetings, effective at the December meeting. There are now more ways for the public to participate in the Board Meeting. You may:
- Attend the meeting virtually. Board Meetings are livestreamed to our D39 YouTube Channel.
- Attend the meeting in-person. Please reserve a spot for in-person attendance here. Public comment may be provided in person.
- Address the Board remotely in real-time during public comment. Please register here to provide real-time public comment virtually during the meeting. This is a new opportunity beginning at the December 14th Board Meeting. Please note that your microphone and camera will need to be enabled in order to address the Board.
- Submit written communication to the Board. Please email the Board of Education here. Written communication will be provided to the Board of Education and linked to the meeting agenda, but will no longer be read out loud during the meeting.
Thank you for your ongoing support of District 39!
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