10/30/20
In This Issue
2nd & 3rd Back
Update on In-Person Learning Factors
Follow Safety Guidance
Temp & Testing Notes
Halloween in CCSD93
Trick-or-Treating in Our Community
Pumpkin Composting 11/7
Safety Helpline
No School 11/3
Set Clocks Back 11/1
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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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It was wonderful to see our 2nd and 3rd grade students welcomed back to school this week. It was the first time in my career in education that I saw snow on a grade level’s first day in school. With the tiered return approach, our elementary schools have been getting their processes down, and it becomes more seamless each time a grade level returns. Check out some of our 2nd and 3rd graders!
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Update on In-Person Learning Factors
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As I’ve shared with you before, the four factors in the image below impact our ability to hold in-person learning. In addition to the health data that we continue to follow closely and connect with the DuPage County Health Department on, both the staffing and quarantine restriction factors are beginning to be pieces that we are now keeping an especially close eye on.
Just as families keep children home from school for a variety of reasons, including when there is a symptom or existing circumstance of potential close contact exposure, the same is true for staff members. While the vast majority of the time, a staff member’s absence is not due to a positive case of COVID-19, the absence still must be accounted for. In some situations, a substitute may be required. In other rarer situations, if the staff member interacts with in-person students, this may take the form of a teacher instructing class via video feed while a paraprofessional or other educator supervises students in person. So far it has been well within CCSD93’s capacity to provide adequate staffing for such circumstances, however, there is the potential for staffing to become unmanageable, especially if we as a county and as a state cannot reverse the current uptick in cases. You can always find an up-to-date version of the image below linked to our COVID-19 Dashboard.
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Please Continue to Follow Safety Guidance
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For the health and safety of all, and to contribute to an atmosphere conducive to in-person learning, I ask our entire community to please continue to take to heart the generally accepted guidance of washing your hands regularly, wearing a mask, and watching your distance in your personal lives. The DuPage County Health Department continues to share with DuPage superintendents that from contact tracing, they are seeing the vast majority of spread occurring in preventable scenarios where these protocols are not followed, including small gatherings of families and friends.
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Notes on Temperature Checking & COVID-19 Testing
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Two quick notes:
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For the health and safety of all, parents are reminded to be sure to check their child’s temperature with a thermometer to ensure they do not have a temperature higher than 100.3 as part of completing the Self-Screener before sending students to school.
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In addition, as you may know, two distinct COVID-19 tests are PCR tests and antigen tests. Guidance CCSD93 has received indicate that PCR tests offer greater reliability, therefore, these are the only tests CCSD93 will accept in circumstances where a test is required before an individual is allowed back to school. Please contact your child’s school nurse if you have questions related to this.
Please review the following information for more of the latest from CCSD93.
Sincerely,
David H. Hill, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools
CCSD93
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While it may have looked a little different than previous years, in-person learning students and staff members were still able to dress up for Halloween today! Here are a few of the fun looks of the day!
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Trick-or-Treating in Our Communities 10/31
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As of the timing of this communication being sent, Carol Stream (3-8 p.m.), Bloomingdale and Hanover Park (both 3-7 p.m.) plan to allow trick-or-treating.
All three villages have advised residents who do not want individuals visiting their home to print a sign indicating as such and leaving lights off.
For those providing candy, you may consider printing a sign indicating your participation, and it is advised that individually wrapped candy be spaced out on a table rather than handed out or placed out in a bowl.
For those participating, please be sure to follow the standard mitigation strategies of trick-or-treating in small groups, wearing standard COVID-19 masks over the mouth and nose, maintaining six feet of social distance at all time, and frequently washing hands or sanitizing. You may consider quarantining candy to be safe.
For even more tips and links to participation/no participation posters, visit your village’s Halloween website linked below.
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Got Pumpkins? Compost Them With SCARCE!
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A great way to sustainably discard pumpkins is through composting. Composting pumpkins not only reduces greenhouse gas emissions from landfills but it also returns valuable nutrients to our soil and helps soil to retain moisture and prevent erosion. On Saturday, November 7, a number of community facilities are partnering with CCSD93’s friends at SCARCE to host community pumpkin composting. Visit this website to find the location nearest you, including in Wheaton and West Chicago.
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Safety Helpline Available to D93 Community
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Safe School Helpline is a safety tip and line that enables students, parents or staff members to submit safety and bullying concerns anonymously via website, text, app or phone call. In addition, the helpline offers a counseling and crisis call center that features trained counselors available 24/7/365 for individuals seeking assistance in coping with harmful thoughts, depression, or feelings of loneliness and loss.
Students, parents and staff members can access the helpline through the methods described in the image above, and you can always find it linked on CCSD93's district and school websites. For even more information about Safe School Helpline, view this informational pamphlet.
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No School 11/3 for Election Day
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For the first time, Election Day is a state holiday, so there will be no school on Tuesday, November 3.
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Daylight Saving Time Ends 11/1:
Set Clocks Back
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Don't forget to set your clocks back an hour on Sunday, November 1, as Daylight Saving Time will come to an end.
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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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