Open D205 FAQ

We believe that all students can be in school safely and the current plan is to reopen all elementary schools for in-person instruction.  However, all parents and families should be aware of the following:

• Any parent/guardian of a child may choose to have their child educated remotely.  The District will provide information to all parents and families about how to make this choice.  This option will be given at the beginning of the year and, where feasible (given staffing levels, school safety, current recommendations from health departments) parents may opt-in or out on a semester basis (i.e. opting for remote learning at the beginning of the year would be a choice through January).

• All students must wear a mask or other face covering during the school day with the exception of when outside.  Information about how exceptions to this requirement will be handled are available in previous sections of this document.

For elementary students, they will experience two day a week of in-person instruction and three days a week of remote learning. For the month of January the following schedules will be used:

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Middle Schools and York High School
As a part of a middle school or high school experience, students typically move between classrooms and have several different teachers.  While some teachers could move from room to room during the day at the middle schools, the number of students mixing between teams is still significant.  We believe that the benefits of having a middle school or high school schedule are an integral part of the Elmhurst Community Unit School District 205 experience.  Therefore, with the present guidance on social distancing in mind, all students in 6th through 12th grade will experience a hybrid schedule with some instruction being provided in person and some instruction being provided remotely. 

At Bryan and Sandburg, we had such an outstanding response to our survey regarding the desire to return to hybrid learning. An A/B/C schedule was developed to balance social distancing and learning needs.

Unfortunately, we cannot predict how long IDPH restrictions, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, will be in place. Our ultimate goal is to have ALL students back to in-person learning when it is deemed safe to do so. We will continue to consult with public health officials for guidance.

A 78-member, cross-functional planning group of D205 administrators, principals, teachers, support staff employees, school board members, and parents is currently working on the development of the master plan to reopen school this fall. The committee teams are: Instructional Core/SEL; Operations; Resources; and Stakeholder Engagement and Communications. 

The work of the teams is guided by four foundational beliefs:

• Protecting the health and safety of all students and employees to the greatest extent possible is the top priority

• Ensuring appropriate rigor to promote student growth. Interventions will be strengthened to address skill deficiencies that may have emerged due to the disruption in the educational process

• Re-establishing relationships and ensuring that the social-emotional needs of students and basic wellness needs of families will be prominent in the learning, resource allocation and decision-making processes

• Creating a legally sound reopening plan that is in compliance with state and local directives while incorporating the agility and flexibility to adjust for the potential of rapidly changing environments and expectations.

The learning models we are using include: 

TRADITIONAL
Schools are opened for full, in-person instruction on a regular daily schedule without restrictions. While desirable, government and medical officials believe this scenario is an unlikely possibility until the the state reaches Phase 5 of Governor Pritzker’s Restore Illinois Plan.

BLENDED REMOTE
Schools are opened on a blended schedule of in-person and remote learning which will vary by grade level. Given the current guidance from government and medical officials, blended remote learning is the most likely to continue throughout the current school year. Our first priority is always safety, yet we cannot eliminate every risk. 

REMOTE
Schools opened in a  full remote learning environment only (similar to our experience from March 16 to the end of this past school year). We utilized remote learning from October 21, 2020 to Winter Break. 

In the second semester, D205 may need to use remote learning as an instructional model at the building and classroom level as needed.

As a part of a middle school or high school experience, students typically move between classrooms and have several different teachers.  While some teachers could move from room to room during the day at the middle schools, the number of students mixing between teams is still significant.  We believe that the benefits of having a middle school or high school schedule are an integral part of the Elmhurst Community Unit School District 205 experience.  Therefore, with the present guidance on social distancing in mind, all students in 6th through 12th grade will experience a hybrid schedule with some instruction being provided in person and some instruction being provided remotely.  The following key points should be kept in mind:

• Any parent/guardian of a child may choose to have their child educated remotely.  The District will provide information to all parents and families about how to make this choice.  This option will be given at the beginning of the year and, where feasible (given staffing levels, school safety, current recommendations from health departments) parents may opt-in or out on a semester basis (i.e. opting for remote learning at the beginning of the year would be a choice through January.).

• All students must wear a mask or other face covering during the school day with the exception of when eating lunch or when outside.  Information about how exceptions to this requirement will be handled are available in previous sections of this document.

• We are also prepared for the possibility that all students will require remote instruction (i.e. that in-person instruction might not be possible at some points during the year).

Additionally, as the scheduling team considered options, there was a need to have students attend school in smaller groups for the purpose of social distancing along with a need to have consistency in learning days each week.  Given these parameters, the scheduling option below was developed which attempts to accomplish the following:

• Offers in-person instruction each week for every student.

• Provides a combined block of interventions and remote learning on Wednesday rather than a full day of intensive interventions and a separate day of remote learning.

• Minimizes the days in between in-person instruction (maximum of three school days in between).

• Allows all students to have instruction on the same days every week.

• Makes every effort to keep siblings in the same groups. The preliminary plan is to construct those groupings alphabetically as a support to our families.

Students who attend the Transition Center will experience the same schedule as those students from the early grades as we believe that all students at the Transition Center can be in school safely.  However, all parents and families of students at the Transition Center should be aware of the following:

• Any parent/guardian of a student at the Transition Center may choose to have their child educated remotely.  The District will provide information to all parents and families about how to make this choice.  This option will be given at the beginning of the year and, where feasible (given staffing levels, school safety, current recommendations from health departments) parents may opt-in or out on a semester basis (i.e. opting for remote learning at the beginning of the year would be a choice through January).

• All students must wear a mask or other face covering during the school day with the exception of when snacking.  Information about how exceptions to this requirement will be handled are available in previous sections of this document.

• Students who are being educated at the Transition Center are often out in the community at work sites.  There may be additional requirements for students while they are at supported work sites and the District will work with all students and their families as appropriate.

If you choose the remote learning option for your student, your selection will be submitted.  No further information is required (subsequent questions have to do with busing and in-person attendance only).

 

The D205 Transportation Department supports students by providing safe and timely transport services for eligible riders attending on-site programs whether the education model is traditional or hybrid. The District will continue to meet special education student transportation needs. Transport service will follow public health guidelines:

• No more than 50 individuals may be on a vehicle at any one time during Phase 4.  No more than 10 individuals may be on a vehicle at any one time during Phase 3

• Sanitization will be completed daily or between use on all vehicles used for student transportation.

• Students must undergo symptom and temperature checks via self-certification before boarding a bus. 

• IEP or 504 teams will determine individual transportation needs for students who require special accommodations.

• The district will enact contact tracing if a child tested positive for COVID-19 who rides to or from school on a school bus.

• District will suspend the Paid Access to Transportation bus program for our middle school students.

More detailed transportation plans will be available once student schedules are in place, and the District will provide additional information to families using bus transportation regarding specific procedures and expectations.

Elmhurst School District 205 will continue to provide meal service to students. The meal service program will be a combination of in-school serving and a “grab & go” program similar to the one implemented in spring of 2020. The following health and safety guidelines apply to food service workers and services:

• All food service and support employees will wear the face coverings and gloves whenever cleaning or sanitizing an item or surface. 

• All cleaning and disinfecting of facilities will be in accordance with CDC guidance.

• All federal, state and local health and safety standard protocols will be followed by FNS staff and serving support.

• All meals served will be in compliance with federal nutrition requirements.

• All meals will be individually plated. The type of attendance day will dictate whether in-school or “grab & go” service will occur.

D205 Free Meal Pick Services During Winter Break
During this time of remote learning, District 205 Food Services is helping to bring a little bit of school home to you! Free meal kits are available for ALL children, ages 1-18! Seven days of meals (breakfast and lunch) is provided with each pickup. No pre-order or ID is required.

Pickup is Mondays and Wednesdays from 3:30-5:00 PM and Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7:00-8:00 AM at the following locations:

• York High School, Main Entrance Door #3

• Bryan Middle School, East Entrance Door #13

• Churchville Middle School, Main Entrance Door #1 

• Sandburg Middle School, Main Entrance Door #3

Winter Break & School Holiday Changes

• December 22- Last 7-day meal pick up before Winter Break begins
• December 30 - 7-day meal pick up at Churchville Middle School along with the Mobile Food Pantry from 1-2:30 p.m. Please do not block the neighboring driveways while waiting. Thank you.
• January 4 & 5 - NO PICK UP
• January 6 - Meal pick up resumes from 3:30-5 p.m. at all four locations: York High School and Bryan, Churchville and Sandburg Middle Schools.
• January 7 - Meal pick up resumes 7:00-8:30 a.m. at all four locations: York High School and Bryan, Churchville and Sandburg Middle Schools.

Please help everyone to stay safe by wearing your mask and staying inside your car (roll down back windows or open the trunk to receive the meal kits). Thank you! 

The District 205 Support Services Department works diligently to consider and plan to equitably meet the diverse needs of all students. Our team is committed to working with families to answer questions, resolve concerns, and problem-solve obstacles to a student’s success. Diverse learners require differentiated learning environments in order for learning needs to be met. The District will prioritize in-person learning for the below groups of students to the greatest extent possible.

The Elmhurst Community Unit School District 205 workforce is large and varied, delivering direct and indirect service to critical components of education. During planning and implementation of workforce management initiatives, attention will be given to two primary needs: 

• Delivering all services related to education and operations

• Supporting our staff with their personal needs related to their work and safety and personal health.  

District 205 will provide flexibility for educators in balance with the needs of delivering education to each of our students and their personal needs. This may look like a full-time schedule in the in-person/hybrid environment (in-person+remote/student rotational learning) or a full-time schedule in the remote-only environment. With school-level planning of schedules at the center, Human Resources will support the needs of the school and educator by creating categories of schedule styles including: hybrid (in-person/remote), full-remote, and others as needed. In addition, the District will be prepared, if necessary, to transition from a hybrid to a full-remote environment depending on public health conditions. Through all, the negotiated agreement and all laws will be followed to make certain educators understand the expectations of the new and fluid work environment.

Elmhurst District 205 Communications and Public Relations Department aims to inform, engage, and inspire all stakeholders and the community, no matter the environment. Whether functioning in a traditional school model, implementing remote learning or a blended remote learning plan, the district’s Communication and PR team will continue to keep D205’s staff, students and their families and the extended school community informed about work of the district and its plans to Open D205 for 2020-21 school as the state and nation reengage amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Regardless of the learning model, D205 will relay critical and necessary information for all audiences, support crisis situations, fortify the district’s brand, lead community relations and family engagement, respond to the media, and direct many other “business-as-usual” communications strategies. 

For recess, we may be able to allow students to take off their masks if they are outside and if they are safely social distancing. For specials, we are working on bringing these into the classroom so that students are more stationery during the day.

The COVID-19 pandemic has created new stressors for all of us. Some people handle stress remarkably well, while others need additional support.  As the pandemic continues, it is important that we work together as a community to support the mental health and well-being of students and others in our community. With this in mind, we wanted to remind you about several D205 resources and activities related to supporting student well-being.

Student Support Teams
All of our schools are equipped with a full-scale team of professionals, including school social workers, psychologists, and counselors who are trained to support the whole child. These professionals regularly meet with students in need of additional mental health supports, even during the current Remote Learning period.  Further, student support teams meet several times each week to discuss students who may need additional outreach and how to further support the social-emotional learning and development of our students.

Parent Reach Out
If you recognize that your child is struggling emotionally, we encourage you to let us know by completing this form.  This is a way for parents and families to self-identify that their child may need an extra check-in. 

School Culture Activities and Social-Emotional Supports
We have instituted school-focused, culture-building activities that will support a feeling of connectedness to each building and grade level. For example, when students come to a physical location each day, it is easy to feel like they are a part of something. When they are logging in remotely, it is imperative that our teams work harder to ensure student connections with our teachers and their fellow students on a non-academic level.  We will continue to expand our cadre of social-emotional learning support so every professional in our buildings can support our students. Activities include times where students share or celebrate something good that is happening in their world while other classrooms chose to host dress-up days on Zoom.

With all of this being said, it is important to remember that schools are only one piece of the mental health support network for our children and their families. For most of our students, the support that they receive from a school counselor or social worker or the connectedness that they get from being a part of a virtual community will be enough to support them. However, ther students not only may need these supports but also may benefit by working with community mental health providers. Our teams are always happy to collaborate and support students, no matter the educational setting.  While the impact of the pandemic on the mental health of our students and families is significant, the right supports exist within our schools and within our community to ensure that we come through this together.

We also want to remind you of several immediate mental health resources for families who may find themselves in crisis:

• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline  1-800-273-TALK (8255) for English, 1-888-628-9454 for Spanish, or Lifeline Crisis Chat
• SAMHSA’s National Helpline  1-800-662-HELP (4357) and TTY 1-800-487-4889
• COVID Coach App

 

A Plan for Continuity of Instruction was developed in the Spring of 2020 in response to COVID-19, in which Elmhurst Community Unit School District 205 defined “Continuity of Instruction” as a continuation of academic activities as much as possible while mitigating the effects of any significant academic disruption(s). 

In response to the evolving academic disruptions posed by COVID-19, and to continuously improve remote learning practices and procedures during the 2020-2021 school year, the following three elements emerged in planning as the major focus areas for consideration and development related to the future remote learning experiences of students.

• Engaging Learning Experiences for Students

• Professional Learning Experiences for Staff

• Organized Systems for Students and Parents

District 205 appreciates the hardworking, adaptive team of faculty and staff across the District committed to continuing to utilize remote learning procedures, to the extent necessary, to maintain the continuity of instruction and support the social emotional learning needs of students in the event of an emergency disruption that may result in a suspension of learning, including but not limited to in-school classes and/or campus activities.

The State Board of Education issued guidance requiring all school districts to offer Remote Learning whenever a parent/guardian of a child requests it.  With this in mind, should a parent/guardian choose in-person instruction and then change their mind and wish to utilize our Remote Learning options, they should send an email to their child's principal who will route it to the appropriate person and get them connected.

For more information on what learning will look like this fall for in-person, hybrid and remote learning, click here.

 

Kindergarten REMOTE Instruction
All Day Kinder	½ Day Kinder
5 hours of synchronous/asynchronous instruction daily Students will engage in kindergarten curricular subjects (reading, writing, math, science, social studies) Curricular extensions provided for science and social studies concepts (including but not limited to play-based ideas for home) Students will engage in specials (Music, Art, PE, Library) in both synchronous/asynchronous ways Opportunities for additional literacy support	2.5 hours of synchronous/asynchronous instruction daily  Students will engage in kindergarten curricular subjects (reading, writing, math, science, social studies)

 

Kindergarten IN-PERSON Instruction
All Day Kinder	½ Day Kinder
Typical elementary school day Students will engage in kindergarten curricular subjects (reading, writing, math, science, social studies) Play-based curricular extensions provided for science and social studies concepts (guidelines for material sharing and safe-play will be provided and followed) Students will engage in specials (Music, Art, PE, Library)  Opportunities for additional literacy support	½ Day timeframe (AM/PM) Students will engage in kindergarten curricular subjects (reading, writing, math, science, social studies)

 

Currently, in-person instruction five days/week is an option for students in grades EC-5. Remote Learning for kindergarten students will be consistent with the all-day curriculum. There will be no refunds for families at this time. If conditions change in which the District needs to modify its current model, it will re-examine if refunds are appropriate. Some families have asked about changing from full day to half day. If you are considering half day, please know that your deposit will not be refunded, and your child will need to remain at the school in which they are currently enrolled. Transfers back to the home school will not be allowed.

Yes. At this time, we are working hard to provide Dual Language Programming to students via Remote Learning.

To the extent possible, band and orchestra lessons and technique classes will be held in small groups with classrooms set up to allow for social distancing with no sharing of instruments. Instruments will need to be disinfected prior to and and after use by the musicians.  For Music classes, students will need to wear a mask or other face covering during this class.  However, weather permitting, students may be taken outdoors to sing in designated areas near the school building with safe social distancing.  Students will be asked to bring their own supplies and accessories and will not share them. Full group rehearsals (band and orchestra) before, during, and after school will not convene until further notice. 

Our first priority as a school district is the health and safety of our students, staff, and community. Throughout this pandemic, our team from District 205 has partnered with and been guided by local, state, and federal agencies including the DuPage County Department of Public Health, the Illinois Department of Public Health, the Illinois State Board of Education and the Centers for Disease Control.  

As the date for the start of the school year draws closer, we will always put the health and safety of our students, staff, and community at the forefront of our decision process.  D205 will follow all public health regulations and expectations including:

• Requiring face covering for all students, staff, and visitors

• Self-certifying temperatures of students and staff on a daily basis. Students with a temperature over 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit will be sent home. If students or staff are ill, they must stay at home.

• Maximizing airflow in places in classrooms and common gathering spaces. 

• Utilizing 6 feet of social-distancing as much as possible. 

• Maintaining consistent cohort groupings of individuals and limit the amount and size of gatherings as much as possible. 

• Limiting the duration of interaction between individuals outside of cohort groupings.

• Increasing the focus on handwashing and promoting the usage of hand sanitizer when soap and water is unavailable.

• Adhering to the highest regulations for cleaning. Custodial Services cleaning practices will be focused on cleaning for health, which includes an emphasis on disinfecting surfaces where bacteria or viruses are most likely to be transmitted.

At this time, there are not any exceptions being made to this state law.  If this changes, we will post it in this space.  Find more information about the required vaccinations by clicking here.

The face covering must be layered, fully cover the mouth and nose, and the covering must fit snugly against the sides of the face with no gaps. Language or pictures/depictions on face coverings may not interfere with the educational environment and therefore should not be offensive, provocative, or disruptive to instruction. Athletic face coverings and neck warmers/gaiters are not known to provide any benefits source control to protect others from the spray of respiratory particles. The CDC does not recommend use of athletic face coverings and neck warmers as a substitute for cloth face covering. The CDC does not recommend the use of face coverings with valves.  

The parent/guardian of a student for whom wearing a mask is medically inadvisable must provide a physician’s note identifying the specific medical reason the student is unable to wear a face covering/mask. The district will then consider alternative methods of keeping the student and staff around the student safe. 

Students and staff with disabilities who are unable to wear a face covering may be provided reasonable accommodations per the Americans with Disabilities Act and other applicable law.

We do not plan to randomly test our staff members for COVID-19. However, every staff member and every student will need to self-certify or be screened for symptoms of COVID-19 on a daily basis or each time they enter a building.

Students will move throughout the building during the day.  When they do, they will be required to wear a mask or face covering.

Please see this document for questions related to the district's filtration system: Elmhurst D205 Re-Opening Ventilation Procedures.

It is vitally important that every student and staff member not attend school/work if feeling unwell in any way. Please see the following link for District 205’s Stay at Home and Illness Procedure (en Español).Please call the school attendance line to report your child’s absence each day they will be out sick.

Refer to the Stay at Home and Illness Procedure (en Español). Please call the nurse to review your child’s symptoms prior to sending him/her back to school, to ensure the CDC and IDPH criteria for return to school has been met. Parents should check the temperature of returning students BEFORE leaving home on the day of return to school. Students are required to check in with the nurse immediately upon arrival to school. Students who arrive with a fever of 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit or higher, have taken fever reducing medication or have additional concerning symptoms will not be allowed into the classroom, and you will be notified to pick up your child immediately, within 30 minutes. 

For COVID-19 like symptoms or diagnosed as COVID-19 positive, isolation may be discontinued under the following conditions:

1. At least 10 days have passed since symptom onset and
2. at least 24 hours have passed since resolution of fever without the use of fever-reducing medications and other symptoms have improved.

For asymptomatic individuals who test positive for COVID-19:
The CDC now advises that such individuals may discontinue their isolation and other precautions a minimum of 10 days after their first positive COVID-19 test. If an asymptomatic individual becomes symptomatic, he or she is advised to follow the guidelines above for individuals with symptoms.

COVID-like Symptoms but diagnosed with non-COVID illness:
Students and staff returning to school after experiencing COVID-like symptoms but being diagnosed with a non-COVID illness must meet the criteria for returning to school for the illness with which they have been diagnosed. At a minimum, the individual must: 

1. Be fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication and
2. Have had no diarrhea or vomiting in the previous 24 hours, and
3. A doctor’s note documenting the alternative diagnosis and a negative COVID-19 test result should accompany a student or staff member returning to school with an alternative diagnosis after experiencing COVID-like symptoms.  

Students and staff with COVID-like symptoms who do not get tested for COVID-19 and who do not provide a doctor’s note documenting an alternative diagnosis, must: 

1. complete 10 calendar days of isolation from the date of first symptom onset and 

2. be fever-free for 24 hours without use of fever-reducing medications and

3. other symptoms have improved before returning to school. 

Medical evaluation and COVID-19 diagnostic testing is strongly recommended for all persons with COVID-like symptoms.

Please call the school attendance line to report your child’s absence every day they will be out sick. Please identify the symptoms your child is experiencing. For example, you can say, “my child is home today because he has a runny nose, but he does not have a fever or sore throat.”  Parents and families are encouraged to be more descriptive when calling the attendance lines rather than less.  To protect our school community as a whole, all staff, parents, and students are expected to report COVID-19 exposures, symptoms and diagnoses when reporting absences.

The Centers for Disease Control has recommended a decision making matrix and we have customized that decision tree for use in Elmhurst District 205. 

Step 1:  Cases or Symptoms of COVID-19 are reported

Screening for Symptoms

Each day, students and staff are required to self-certify that they do not have any of the following symptoms associated with COVID-19:

• Fever (100.4°F or higher), 

• New onset of moderate to severe headache 

• Shortness of breath 

• New cough

• Sore throat

• Vomiting

• Diarrhea

• Abdominal pain from unknown cause

• New congestion/runny nose 

• New loss of sense of taste or smell

• Nausea

• Fatigue from unknown cause

• Muscle or body aches

Exceptions apply for people who have allergies and other chronic medical conditions.  The key factor here is to understand which symptoms are new or unusual to you/your child.

If a student or staff member exhibits any one of the above listed symptoms, they should contact the school nurse, self-certify that they have symptoms of COVID, and contact their medical provider.  In all situations, people with any of the above listed symptoms should seek a test for COVID-19.

Returning to School/ Work

In order to return to school or work (following symptoms), one of the following must be true:

	A minimum of 10 days have passed since symptoms first appeared AND 24 hours have passed with no fever without the use of fever-reducing medications AND COVID-19 symptoms have subsided (for example, cough, shortness of breath)
OR
	A person is tested and they test negative and s/he provides that test result to the District (NOTE:  The test must have been completed up to 48-hours prior) AND S/he has been fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication AND  COVID-19 symptoms have subsided (for example, cough, shortness of breath)
OR
	A person is able to produce a note from a health care provider with an alternative diagnosis AND S/he has been fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication AND  S/he has met return-to-work symptom criteria for the alternative diagnosis.

For people who test positive for, or who have a clinical diagnosis of, COVID-19, return to school and work protocols are different:

At least 10 days have passed since symptoms first appeared AND 24 hours have passed with no fever without the use of fever-reducing medications AND COVID-19 symptoms have subsided (for example, cough, shortness of breath) AND You have received a letter or some other notification from your Local Health Department indicating that it is safe to return to work.

References

Illinois Department of Public Health Exclusion Document (9/10/2020)

What Happens if Someone Tests Positive?

If someone tests positive in your child’s school, we will work collaboratively with the DuPage County Department of Public Health to conduct contact tracing so that we can notify (via phone call and letter) close contacts of the person who has tested positive.  Close contacts are defined as:

• Anyone (with or without a face covering) who was within 6 feet of a confirmed case of COVID-19 (with or without a face covering), for a cumulative period of at least 15 minutes over the course of 48 hours.  Additionally, a close contact could be a person who had physical contact or had contact with the bodily fluids of a COVID-positive individual.

• The period of close contact begins 2 calendar days before the onset of symptoms (for a symptomatic person) or 2 calendar days before the positive sample was obtained (for an asymptomatic person).

• If the person was symptomatic (e.g., coughing, sneezing), people with briefer periods of exposure may also be considered close contacts.

For people who are close contacts to people who have tested positive for or who have a clinical diagnosis of COVID-19, current CDC Guidance requires individuals to quarantine.

When you quarantine, you are taking the following actions:

Stay home for at least 14 days from the date of your last exposure to the person with COVID. If possible, stay away from others who are at higher risk for COVID-19. Monitor for symptoms. Your return to work could be a later date IF: You have additional or ongoing exposure to COVID-19 You develop symptoms of or test positive for COVID-19.

People who are not close contacts, but who may have come into contact (i.e. passed the person in the hallway, been in the same room, etc.) with the infected individual will be notified.  However, those people (non-close contacts) are not required to quarantine.  In all situations, if you believe that you or your child are a close contact (using the definition above), please let us know so that we can assist you in quarantining.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

Will the entire class need to quarantine if one person in the class tests positive?

It depends on where the student or staff member is in the classroom and how many close contacts the student had.  This is where the contact tracing and notification of the close contacts is so crucial.  In all situations, as mentioned, if you have received a non-close contact letter and believe that you/ your child is a close contact, please contact your child’s principal so that we can assist you in quarantining.

Will the entire school need to close if a person tests positive?

It depends on the situation and where the person has been in the building.  We are working with the Illinois Department of Public Health and the DuPage County Department of Public Health in situations that may involve school closures.

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Step 2:  Assess Risk, Disinfect, and Minimize Impact

• The District will work with the Dupage County Health Department and all school staff members to provide contact tracing.

• The District will provide a thorough cleaning of the building, and all surfaces (floors, high touch surfaces, all desks, etc.).  

• The District will work with the Dupage County Health Department and the Illinois Department of Public Health to determine the length of time the students and any staff should be out of school.  At a minimum, students and staff in the students immediate class(es) will be out of school and provided with Remote Learning for a minimum of two days and a maximum of 14 days until in-person instruction may be resumed.

• The school will provide remote learning to the students who are self quarantining.  Teachers and staff who are self quarantining may continue to work remotely if they are well enough to do so. 

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  Step 3:  Change Practices

Based upon the recommendations of the DuPage County Health Department, we will review all practices and implement any additional recommendations to assist in preventing further spread of the virus.  These may include further social distancing, attempting to keep students stationery during the day, and if necessary, utilizing Remote Learning.

Many students have health and medication needs during the school day and prompt and ongoing attention to their health-related concerns is of vital importance. Parents should be prepared to discuss their student’s health needs with the school nurse in order to identify and develop the necessary health plan and/or medication regimen. All non-essential medications and treatments should be administered at home. Student needs and prescribed treatments for asthma and respiratory care at school will be reviewed for safety and effectiveness and discussed with the parent. Students with a prescribed asthma inhaler should also utilize a spacer for their inhaler use. Nebulizer treatments will not be administered in the school.

All required medication procedures will be enforced and medication forms must be completed by the student’s physician and parent to meet legal prescription and authorization requirements. Please contact the school nurse to make arrangements for medication drop-off. All medication forms may be emailed or faxed to the nurse. All non-essential medications should be administered at home.

We are working with our facilities team to remove all extra furniture in the classroom. Additionally, we will be working to teach all students about what physical distance between other children looks like in various different places throughout the school (i.e. in the classroom, on the playground, etc.). Guidance from the State Board of Education indicates that we will need to work on social distancing to the maximum extent possible and our plans address that.

Visitors will be required to complete the symptom screening and temperature check prior to entering the school building.

Yes. All household members/household contacts who live in the same house as a person who is positive for COVID-19 are to self quarantine for 10 days and monitor symptoms. The individual may return to school on day 11 if able to maintain strict social distancing and face mask guidelines.

Prior to students entering the building, they will need to practice appropriate social distancing measures outside. This means a minimum of six feet apart. Specifics about how students will enter the building will be determined at the building level. 

To enter the building, all students, faculty & staff will complete the health self-certification process identified in our D205_Health Self-Certification App / School Entry Procedure.

When a staff member is exposed to a COVID positive person in their household, the staff member is asked to report to their supervisor and stay home from work/school.  The 10-day self quarantine and monitoring for symptom development would apply.

To enter the building, all students, faculty & staff will complete the health self-certification process identified in our D205_Health Self-Certification App / School Entry Procedure_July, 2020.

Schools will verify “self-certification ”data each morning as students enter the building. As students attempt to enter the building, their information will be verified by designated personnel. This will be a situation where all staff members need to work together to get students safely into the building each day. Two people per door (one to scan cards and another to take students out of line who are not self-certified) will be necessary.  Think through the idea of having more staff members who are there to assist keeping students safely social distanced.  If it is raining and storming outside, then we will need to bring students inside to do this as quickly as possible in an isolated area of the building.

How do we handle when MANY people forget?
We expect this process to get quicker as the school year goes on. If a student arrives at school “un-certified”, they will be “certified” by a designated school staff member before they are permitted to officially enter the building.

While additional guidance from ISBE and the federal Office for Special Education Programs is forthcoming, we anticipate needing to work with parents and families to devise more permanent Individualized Remote Learning Plans that address the student needs while learning at home and on remote learning.  These decisions will be made individually by student IEP teams in consultation with the Student Services Leadership team.

This will be determined after we have more information about the number of teachers and related service providers who are requesting remote learning due to health related reasons. 

All students who receive services under IDEA are able to attend four days per week.

The District will be providing special education services to students with disabilities in a variety of formats including in-person and using remote learning tools.  

Yes.  However, parents/guardians of students with disabilities will have the option of choosing to send their children to school for four days per week (on the A and B schedule) or two days per week (on the A OR B schedule), or five days per week on an A/B/C schedule.

No. We can't prevent students from going to other places in the building if they have a medical exemption.

To the greatest extent possible, we will be having students at the elementary level in stationery settings.  For students in instructional classes, this might mean that they are a part of a class for a larger part of the day with support from a special education teacher or assistant.  In all situations, we will work with the parents and families of students impacted to make sure that we are providing FAPE consistent with their IEP.

We are currently having conversations with our school psychologists to develop testing protocols for remote testing. In some situations, this might not be possible and so we will work with the family to develop options that will allow the assessments to be valid and reliable and for the student and staff member to feel safe while completing the process.​

As much as possible, we will need to have services like speech and language, occupational therapy, physical therapy, and other related services delivered via remote learning tools for the purpose of social distancing. We would not want to have students in smaller office/classroom spaces with adults. In situations where related services are not able to be offered via remote, we will need to work as hard as possible to follow social distancing guidelines, use all appropriate PPE, and support student learning as much as possible. 

We anticipate the need to work with parents/guardians of students with disabilities to either develop an Individualized Remote Learning Plan (similar to what was provided during the Spring), amend the IEP that is in place, or meet to develop a new IEP altogether. In all situations, we will collaborate with parents and families to ensure that they are a part of the process and that students are provided with FAPE.

 

Our Remote Learning systems will look much different than they did in the spring with students engaging in online videos, synchronous instruction, live lessons, and interactive learning. There is an expectation put forth by the State Board of Education that all students are engaged in a minimum of five clock hours of instruction (to include synchronous, asynchronous, teleconferences, independent study, and other methods of learning.  Students with 504 Plans will have their accommodations implemented in these new environments so that all students can experience a high quality system of instruction.

No. Only students with services under IDEA can request the four days of in-person instruction. Section 504 is a separate law and may include a larger number of students (i.e. students with diabetes, food allergies, etc.) who may not require additional days of in-person instruction.

We will work together with our teachers to provide a comprehensive set of REACH programming for those who are eligible for those services.

D205 will provide interventions and acceleration opportunities as much as possible given constraints of staffing.

Students who need additional support will receive appropriate services to the best of our staffing abilities.

The District will work with the parents/guardians of students in the multi-needs/ ABC classrooms to continue to provide community based experiences during the pandemic.  Where community based experiences are not possible because it is unsafe for students or staff members, the team of teachers working with these students will work collaboratively to design experiences to ensure that students are provided with a free appropriate public education and that they are developing the skills they would have during the community based experiences.

No.  At this point, the only people who have the ability to choose the four days of in-person instruction will be students with special education services.