Dear Barrington 220 Community,
The start of the 2021-22 school year in Barrington 220 is almost here! As a reminder, all students in grades 1-12 will begin on Friday, August 20 and all kindergarten and early childhood students will begin on Tuesday, August 24. In addition, our Back to School Nights will be taking place over the next few weeks, all of which will be held virtually. Your school principals will be sending out more details soon.
If we reflect on where we are today compared to where we were one year ago, we have come a long way, and we should celebrate the fact that the vast majority of our students are able to return to our school buildings. As a parent and your new Superintendent of Schools, maintaining in-person learning is a top priority, which is why following mitigation efforts is critical.
A new mitigation effort we will be implementing this year is Shield Testing, which will help to reduce transmission and COVID-19 outbreaks in our schools. Each school will begin doing this in September on a weekly basis. Families who do not wish to participate in Shield Testing can opt out. Visit our Shield Testing FAQs for more information.
Another mitigation effort, universal masking, has received a great deal of attention in communities around our nation. I know there are many different opinions about masks and whether or not they should be worn in school. While these conversations are appropriate at the state and district level, inside our school buildings and our classrooms, our main focus needs to be on educating our students. Therefore, I respectfully ask you to please follow our expectations when inside our schools. Quality in public education is the result of a strong partnership between the school and parents. This partnership is what has set Barrington 220 apart. Although this has been tested with the challenges of the pandemic, it is critical that we continue to work collaboratively through these challenges.
The staff of Barrington 220 is committed to working each day to ensure a high quality student experience that addresses the academic, social and emotional needs of each of our students. We have much to look forward to this school year.
Have a great year!
