In This Issue
Update to Factors Influencing Remote vs. In-Person
Kindergarteners Are Back!
EJ Community Moves With the Mayor
Schedule Student-Led Conferences Today!
Seeking School Board Candidates
Free Meals for Students
CS Public Library Remote Learning Supports
10/1 BOE Recap
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CCSD93 strives to maximize the academic, social & emotional potential of each student.
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Dear Friend of CCSD93,
Messages From
Superintendent Hill:
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As previously shared, CCSD93 must ensure health data, staffing, quarantine restrictions, and safety protocols and equipment remain at acceptable levels to be able to continue to offer in-person learning at this time.
The health data is currently the single most dynamic factor among these, as it consistently shifts based on the state of COVID-19 within our community. CCSD93 regularly reviews a number of data sources and has primarily utilized the DuPage County Health Department’s (DCHD) Return to School Framework to inform decisions since its introduction at the end of August. As I have shared, the Return to School Framework is updated weekly with key county health data from the prior week driving a designation for the entire county within a specific Community Transmission Level. Each Community Transmission Level comes with corresponding DCHD recommendations for in-person versus remote learning opportunities.
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Since the advent of the Return to School Framework, DuPage County has remained in the Moderate Community Transmission Level. I have received preliminary word from the DCHD today that this will continue to be our designation when it is officially announced on Monday.
We previously shared with families that a shift of DuPage County to the Substantial Community Transmission Level would likely cause CCSD93 to revert to fully remote learning for all grade levels, including those who have returned to in-person learning. In the weeks since we shared this with our families, CCSD93 has maintained regular dialogue with the DCHD and have determined through our conversations and correspondences that a more nuanced approach is necessary to make decisions on remote versus in-person learning.
As the DCHD and all public health organizations continue to improve contact tracing and other virus tracking methods, it has become more possible to reliably understand where pockets of cases within the county are arising and take appropriate measures accordingly. With DuPage County encompassing more than 330 square miles, a concentration of cases in one small portion of the county may push the entire county into the Substantial Community Transmission Level but may not actually present a heightened health threat to our local community. An example might be an isolated outbreak at a single facility many miles outside of CCSD93’s boundaries causing one of the Community Transmission Level health metrics to shift into the Substantial category, thereby moving the entire county into Substantial Community Transmission Level. It is our duty to ensure that any future shift in our method of delivering education results from health factors directly impacting our local community, and in some circumstances countywide metrics may simply be too broad.
For this reason, moving forward we will continue to closely monitor the DCHD Return to School Framework updates, which are officially announced and shared on the DCHD COVID-19: Information for Schools and Daycares website on Mondays. If there is a countywide shift to the Substantial Community Transmission Level, we will have direct dialogue with the DCHD and partner with them to understand whether the situation presents a heightened health threat to our community. If so, we will shift to fully remote learning, and if not, we will likely continue to welcome children to our schools. Conversely, if the Community Transmission Level remains Moderate but we come to understand that our community is at a particularly heightened risk through dialogue with the DCHD, we will likely shift to fully remote learning. As always, if in-person school is in session and a family does not feel comfortable sending their child in, they may always choose to inform the school and have the child stay home and connect remotely.
I know that you have received a lot of information from CCSD93, and I thank you for keeping up with what continues to be an inherently complex, evolving and nuanced situation. Our primary decision-making lens has been, and will continue to be, the health and safety of our students, staff and community. We will continue to communicate with you regularly, update you as appropriate, and work to educate our students as effectively and safely as possible.
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Kindergarten Students Returned to School This Week!
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This week, our elementary schools were buzzing with excitement as CCSD93 Hybrid Learning kindergarteners returned to in-person learning as part of our plan to bring back grade levels in phases, beginning with our least independent learners. It has been terrific to see them in person, and I have been impressed by how well such young students have adhered to the health and safety protocols of wearing a mask, maintaining distance and washing hands regularly. Here are a few photos of our kindergarteners’ first day!
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If you have elementary children, you’re invited to review the tentative return schedule for preschool through 5th grade here. We are hopeful to share our middle school plan with you very soon.
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Moving With the Mayor at EJ
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Last weekend, I was pleased to join Elsie Johnson School staff and families, along with Principal Rosanne Sikich and Hanover Park Mayor Rodney Craig for the village’s Move With the Mayor Challenge! Together with masks and socially distanced, we got out and got moving as part of an initiative to reduce heart disease and stroke through increased physical fitness. It was one event in a larger Hanover Park campaign where residents competed in a month-long step challenge with leaders receiving prizes. It was great to get together and share some camaraderie and exercise with the Elsie Johnson community!
Thank you for your continued support. Please review the articles below for more of the latest news from CCSD93.
Sincerely,
David H. Hill, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools
CCSD93
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Parents Invited to Schedule Student-Led Conferences Today!
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This year, Parent/Teacher Conferences across CCSD93 will continue to take the form of Student-Led Conferences, as students will once again participate in conferences with their parents and teachers.
New for this year:
- Conferences will be held about a month earlier than usual, on October 21 and 22, in order to help our students and families evaluate and make adjustments sooner into the school year than previously.
- The week of Conferences, students will attend class during the typical “Monday schedule” each day from Monday, October 19 through Thursday, October 22, and there will be no school Friday, October 23.
- Conferences will be held virtually.
- Conferences will take the form of a Student-Led Conference Circle. This format facilitates relationship building and allows each participant (student, parent and teacher) an equal voice, creating further opportunities to celebrate successes and collaboratively identify areas for growth.
Parents are once again asked to use PTC Wizard, an online scheduling tool, to set up conferences. You can schedule conferences with PTC Wizard from noon today until noon on Tuesday, October 20. If you created a PTC Wizard account for Meet the Teacher this year, you do not need to create a new one. To register and schedule your conferences, visit www.ccsd93.com/conferences. At the time of your scheduled conference, parents and students are asked to connect to their teacher’s recurring Zoom link, unless otherwise notified.
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Seeking Candidates for CCSD93 School Board
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The CCSD93 Board of Education will have four 4-year terms filled at the April 6, 2021 election. CCSD93 is seeking responsible community members who are willing to serve the community with a focus on education to run for the School Board.
School Board members play a key role in education. They formulate policy, employ staff, approve financial operations and curriculum, evaluate programs, and establish the school year. The Board also provides for and supervises school buildings and boundaries. Board members are expected to attend meetings regularly. They study, discuss and vote on school matters, placing the education of children above any partisan positions, group interest, or personal ambition. The Board’s powers and duties include the broad authority to adopt and enforce the necessary policies for the management of the schools in District 93.
Candidates must be a citizen of the United States, at least 18 years old, a resident of Illinois and the school district for at least one year immediately before the election, and a registered voter.
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Free Student Meals 11am-1pm Each School Day
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Carol Stream Public Library Offers Remote Learning Supports!
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The Carol Stream Public Library offers resources that remote learning students and families may find valuable, including access to 24/7 online homework help, free wi-fi, free printing (first 20 pages), and library book pickup. View the flyer below for more!
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10/1 Board of Education Meeting Recap
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CCSD93's most recent Board of Education meeting was held Thursday, October 1. The following occurred at the meeting.
- There was a presentation on procurement policies and practices by Assistant Superintendent for Business Services John Benedetti.
- There were two new and four revised Board Policies approved for first reading:
- New:
- 500.95 - Compliance with the Fair Labor Standards Act
- 500.96 - Personal Technology and Social Media Usage & Conduct
- Revised:
- 520.03 - Employment Year & Day
- 520.15 - Resignations & Retirements
- 605 - School Calendar
- 610 - School Day
- The Board performed its annual review of ethical policies.
- The Board appointed Board member Sonal Amin as its Illinois Association of School Boards (IASB) delegate.
- District administrators presented on the state and federal grants that CCSD93 receives annually.
- The Board reviewed Plus/Delta feedback from the start of the school year obtained from various parent and employee stakeholder groups.
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High-quality communication is one of CCSD93's goals. We welcome your feedback. Please call 630.539.3001 or email us with your comments or suggestions. Tell us what kind of news you'd like to read more about.
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