Child Abuse Prevention Month

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Pictured above: Patricia Dal Santo - Regional Superintendent, Deanna Oliver - Assistant Regional Superintendent, Phil Morris - Director of Operations & Technology, Katie Algrim - Director of Innovative Professional Learning, Angie - Administrative Assistant to the Regional Superintendent, Eleanor - Administrator, Josh - Coordinator of Alternative Programs, Kari - Youth Outreach, Erin - Youth Outreach, Belvin - Youth Outreach, Alejandra - Youth Outreach, Angela - Youth Outreach, Deb - Youth Outreach, Mishelle - Licensure, Ivars - JJC School Principal, CJ - Network Specialist, Martin - GIS/Fingerprinting, Alyssa - Administrative Assistant, Matt - Communications Coordinator, Kathy - Licensure.

This week we will be featuring photos of our staff dressed in blue to recognize "Child Abuse Prevention Month.” The Kane County Regional Office of Education has partnered with the Kane County State’s Attorney Office and CASA Kane County to bring awareness to reporting child abuse.

National Child Abuse Prevention Month recognizes the importance of families and communities working together to prevent child abuse and neglect and promotes the social and emotional well-being of children and families. During the month of April and throughout the year, communities are encouraged to increase awareness and provide education and support to families through resources and strategies to prevent child abuse and neglect. Each year, the White House and many states issue proclamations to raise awareness and to encourage communities to take steps to improve the well-being of children.

#ChildAbusePreventionMonth

Joint Press Release From Kane County State's Attorney's Office, CASA & Kane County Regional Office of Education

With the implementation of remote learning for K-12 students because of the novel coronavirus COVID-19, educators are not meeting personally with students each day. Although this indefinite quarantine is a public safety necessity, it is not without risks.

This pandemic presents significant challenges for those children that are in abusive situations at home. The majority of mandated child abuse/neglect reports to DCFS are made by educators. As we kick off Child Abuse Prevention Month, we ask those in the community – parents, friends and classmates – to be vigilant in ensuring that all children are safe.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s stay-at-home order makes this difficult, but there still are things we can do:

Be a supportive community member who recognizes that COVID-19 is stressful for families, and offer support while observing social distancing and other safety measures.
Share the Illinois DCFS hotline number – 1-800-25-ABUSE – with friends and family through text, phone calls and social media.
Parents can ask their children if they have checked in with friends and classmates. Allow children to express if they have concerns about their friends. Be responsive to those remarks without overreacting.
Parents should be watchful while children are participating in online educational platforms to see if any of the children online have cuts or bruises, or appear disheveled.
Neighborhood children outside may seem disengaged, lonely or present physical evidence of abuse.

If you note these red flags, safely engage in a conversation, ask if the child needs anything, if they are hungry, if they feel OK and safe, and how school is going.

Mandated reporters are required by law to report suspected child abuse, but anyone can make a good faith report. If you see something, say something. Simply call 1-800-25-ABUSE. You do not have to be absolutely certain of abuse or neglect. You need only have reasonable suspicion.

On behalf of Joe McMahon, Kane County State’s Attorney, Patricia Dal Santo, Kane County Regional Schools Superintendent and Gloria Kelley, CASA Kane County Executive Director, please remain aware of hidden dangers in our community and report suspected abuse.

Assistance Through The Kane County Health Department

The Kane County ROE's fingerprinting services have assisted the Kane County Health Department's Medical Reserve Core through proper PPE procedures.

They have supplied us with the necessary gloves and face-masks to protect our staff and those being fingerprinted! A big thank you to our staff who are following the proper guidelines and safety procedures and thank you to the Health Department for providing the needed equipment.

Online Administrator Academies - NEW FORMATS

Due to COVID-19 and the shelter-in-place, social gatherings have been haulted – including all in-person academies. Our Director of Innovative Professional Learning, Katie Algrim has been hard at work to provide these Administrator Academies all 100% online.

AA#1231

This course presents a cooperative and comprehensive approach to school safety and security.

It focuses on five areas of school security:

• Management (polices and procedures)

• Building Security

• Staff Training

• Violence Prevention

• Intervention and Crisis Management.

Participants will learn how to personally implement specific strategies, identify and involve stakeholders and access helpful security resources. There will be 3 hours of pre/post work. This course is 100% online and will award 6 hours of IAA Credit or 5.5 hours of PD credit.

View The Flyer

AA#1801

This course will allow participants to learn effective skills and strategies for using Charlotte Danielson’s Framework in a summative setting in order to more effectively:

Identify evidence at the component/element level during formal and informal observations;
Use evidence to effectively rate staff on levels of performance for each domain;
Acquire strategies to support effective collaborative conferencing around formal and informal observations; and
Learn techniques, strategies and protocols to use when conferencing with staff.

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Phishing Emails And How To Protect Yourself

In the wake of the COVID-19 crisis, many companies are being targeted through Phishing emails to gain access into your account and databases. As you can see, the education field is one of the largest risks in all industries. Here are some tips you can use to prevent a Phishing attack:

At a minimum, use this checklist to help mitigate the threat:

Always use strong passwords
Encrypt or lock sensitive data
Don’t bypass built-in security, use multi-factor authentication options like fingerprint or facial recognition
Enable remote tracking
Enable your device to erase remotely
Never leave your device in a public place or anywhere it can be easily stolen
Only use apps available in your device’s app store - NEVER download them from a browser

You can visit here for more information on Phishing emails through KnowBe4

The Happiness Advantage - 100% Online!

Join our professional learning network participating in a 4-week online book study of “The Happiness Advantage” by Shawn Achor. In this 4-week online book study, facilitated by Katie Algrim, participants will discuss, analyze, and apply the theory that happiness fuels success, not the other way around!

This online book study will be from April 20, 2020 until May 19, 2020.

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Where Can I Find Information Regarding COVID-19 In Illinois?

Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE)

ISBE is working in partnership with the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) to ensure we are providing the most current resources and guidance to support Illinois education communities regarding the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak.

Kane County Health Department

The Illinois Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Hotline and email address provides consistent information, answer questions, share facts about symptoms, and provides up-to-date information from the CDC. Call 1-800-889-3931 anytime or email [email protected]

Kane County Connects

News and information updates from all around Kane County.

Kane County Regional Office of Education

Census 2020

The results of the 2020 Census will help determine how hundreds of billions of dollars in federal funding flow into communities every year for the next decade. That funding shapes many different aspects of every community, no matter the size, no matter the location.

Think of our local schools: Census results help determine how money is allocated for the Head Start program and for grants that support teachers and special education.

Respond Now

National Assistant Principals Week

On behalf of our more than 1,250 members who serve as assistant or vice principals, NJPSA is proud to support the efforts of the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) in celebrating 2020’s National Assistant Principals Week, April 6 – 10. Assistant principals play such a vital role in scheduling, teacher observation, communication, personnel matters, student discipline, special events and programs, and so much more. A good assistant principal becomes a trusted ally to the principal, forming a partnership that ensures a positive culture and climate in which students can learn and thrive.

Illinois Agriculture in the Classroom

Illinois AITC continues to provide new daily distance learning resources

for teachers, parents and students. Lots of great topics to learn and share!

Celebrating Earth Day #earthday2020:

https://beyondthebarndoor.wordpress.com/

The very first Earth Day was observed in April 1970, and April 22, 2020 marks the 50th anniversary of Earth Day. Illinois Ag in the Classroom wants you to think

about the connections you, your family, and agriculture have with our

shared environment. If you participate in our Earth Day Challenge,

you'll have a chance to win some fun mail full of

Illinois Agriculture in the Classroom learning resources.

Week 2: Wednesday, April 8-Tuesday, April 14:

Week 3, Wednesday, April 15-Tuesday, April 21:

Week 4, Wednesday, April 22-Tuesday, April 28: Grand prize challenge .

Don't forget these Monday-Friday posts:

Everyday Ag: Agriculture is all around us. Recent posts include beef, pork and fiber.

Eggs in the Classroom: Lessons on Poultry and Embryology

10 a.m. M-F: Illinois Eggs in the Classroom – Poultry and Embryology Activity

Noon M-F: Everyday Agriculture – A thematic lesson for K-3; 4-8 and STEM with a twist of fun for teachers, parents and student learning from home