Dear District 58 Community,

 

Welcome to the 2021-22 school year, and thank you for reading Communicate 58. District 58 publishes Communicate 58 every two weeks during the school year. It contains helpful reminders and calendar items, along with District, school and community partner news. I encourage you to read it!

 

This summer was once again dominated by issues related to COVID-19. While there are many strong views regarding the pandemic and the mitigation measures, I truly appreciate how everyone comes together for the sake of our students. From the beginning I have shared that we are in this together and your support is truly appreciated.

 

The District 58 Citizen Task Force reconvened this summer to address the urgent capital needs throughout the District. In total, the District has identified approximately $244.8 million in work throughout our facilities. This week’s heat spell demonstrates the need for not only air conditioning in our schools, but upgrades to our electric and mechanical systems. While only a referendum will address our major facility needs, the District continues to take steps to ensure that tax dollars are being used in the most efficient manner possible. This includes restructuring debt and selling assets that are no longer needed. Additionally, the District continues to take steps to build up our fund balances to ensure financial stability. 

 

I am very excited to begin a new school year tomorrow, especially since our students will attend in-person school full-time! Last month, District leaders participated in a two-day Orange Frog workshop, and earlier this week, our entire staff completed an abbreviated version of the same training. The Orange Frog teaches the power of positive psychology, and it has been transformative for our staff! The positive energy that has permeated our buildings and teams has been nothing short of amazing, and I am so excited for our staff to spread happiness and joy to our students throughout this school year. We can all use an extra dose of joy, especially as we persevere through the pandemic.

 

Please continue reading this publication to access our back-to-school toolkit, to learn what's new this year in District 58 and more. I am very proud to be the superintendent of District 58, and I am excited to partner with each of you throughout this school year. Have a wonderful first day of school!

 

Sincerely,

Dr. Kevin B. Russell

Superintendent of Schools

Visit our Back to School Toolkit to access the following:

Google. Clever. Seesaw. IXL. These are just a few of the many digital tools used by District 58 students. It can be overwhelming to keep track of your child's digital resources! District 58 is here to help. Please view the District 58 Digital Resource Guide for instructions on how to access the different types of digital resources and apps that students use.

All students and families are asked to please read the 2021-22 Schools of 58 Family Handbook. It is important to annually review this handbook to understand District 58's procedures. Families who requested a paper copy (during registration) will receive it at Curriculum Night.

Every Monday, students in grades K-6 will be dismissed at 2 p.m. and students in grades 7-8 at 2:10 p.m. to allow teachers time for professional learning.

Please note: In the past all students were dismissed at 2 p.m. We received parent feedback advocating for staggered dismissal times to help with school pickup, especially for families with kids at both elementary and middle schools. We hope this time adjustment will help!

This dedicated professional learning time helps teachers implement new curriculum resources, improve their instructional practice, and better provide students with high-quality learning experiences. Learn more.

Last week, the Board of Education approved the appointment of Bryant Cobo to the O'Neill Middle School assistant principal position. Welcome, Mr. Cobo!

“Throughout a very competitive interview process, Mr. Cobo stood out. The interview team was especially impressed by his variety of experiences; enthusiasm; strong relationships with students, staff and families; and his eagerness to expand his leadership abilities,” said O’Neill Principal Matt Durbala. “We look forward to welcoming Mr. Cobo to the O’Neill team!”

District 58 remains committed to sharing transparent and clear communications regarding COVID-19 with families and staff. This school year, you can count on District 58 to provide the following:

Superintendent updates: Dr. Russell will promptly email families and staff whenever state guidelines change, feedback is sought, or a key decision is made.

Contact tracing: Students and staff members who test positive for COVID-19 should promptly notify their school. District staff will provide them with quarantine instructions. Staff will also conduct contact tracing, identify close contacts, and quickly inform close contacts of safety protocols and next steps.

Notifications: District 58 will send a school-wide email when a student or staff member tests positive. In addition, if a student becomes symptomatic at school and a classroom is required to relocate in order to disinfect the student's area, an email will be sent to the classroom's families. (This should not happen often).

COVID-19 resource website: Please visit District 58's COVID-19 resource webpage for District 58 protocols, past case notifications and more.

District 58 invites families to voluntarily share an electronic image of their child’s vaccination card with their school's health office. Providing proof of vaccination is not required. However, current CDC guidance excuses fully vaccinated individuals from having to quarantine unless symptomatic.

If your child is a close contact, having the vaccination card on hand will expedite the school’s investigation process. Copies of proof of vaccination will be kept in each student’s individual health file and treated in the same way as all health records.

District 58 will offer an optional weekly COVID-19 testing program for unvaccinated students and staff. Many families completed our initial COVID-19 testing form -- thank you for your quick input! District 58 staff is working with Northshore Clinical Laboratories to develop the testing program's framework and will communicate an update when it's complete. As shared in the Board Briefs, District 58 continues to advocate for a "test to stay" option that will allow fully-masked students who were close contacts at school to get regularly tested in lieu of quarantining.

Thorndike Press featured O’Neill Middle School in a promotional video about the benefits of adding large print books to your school library! The filming took place in June, while school was not in session. It features an interview with O’Neill Teacher Librarian Tasha Squires, along with footage of student volunteers. Great work! View the video.