Panther Post

April 17, 2020
As you probably heard earlier today, Governor Pritzker extended the stay-at-home order through the remainder of the school year. While we are all frustrated with the current situation, we understand the necessity of the order to safeguard our community. To ensure the continued learning and wellbeing of our students, our current Distance Learning Plan and Student Meals will continue through the duration of the school closure.

More information regarding end of year plans will be shared with families next week.
Message From the Principal

Dear Sullivan Families,

I am sure we are all still processing the news delivered by Governor Pritzker this afternoon that school buildings will remain closed for the duration of the school year. While it is not a surprise, given the events of the past two weeks, knowing something is a reality is different than knowing it is a possibility. Rest assured our D23 team will be hard at work next week adjusting our plans and ensuring we finish out the year providing learning and engagement opportunities for students, as well as finding ways to celebrate the year and provide closure for staff, students, and families.

I wanted to remind families that for the remainder of the year, teachers will be engaged in professional development and planning on Fridays. They will not be available for live meets on these days, and responses to email may be delayed. It is essential that our staff have time to meet and collaborate virtually to provide quality activities for our students for the rest of the year.

I have a few exciting announcements for our families! First, our Ambassadors have still been meeting with our Ambassador Advisors, Mrs. Yager, Mrs. Espinos, Mrs. Paeth, and Mrs. Broms over the past few weeks. They have created an Acts of Kindness choice board for our students and families. These are great activities to do at home to bring some joy to our community during this challenging time. If you need sidewalk chalk to write positive messages on the sidewalk, we have a limited amount available for pickup in the foyer. Our foyer doors remain open on Monday and Wednesday from 6:30 AM-2:00 PM, Tuesday and Thursdays from 6:30 AM to 6:30 PM, and Friday from 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM.

We will also be starting a limited library book checkout for Battle Books only on Wednesdays from 11:30-2:30 and on Fridays from 9:00-11:00. The checkout will be in the Sullivan foyer. Only one parent or student per family should enter the foyer during this time. We will practice appropriate social distancing during the checkout process. Other library books can be returned at this time as well.

As always, do not hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns. Please remember to stay in, stay healthy, and stay connected!

Warmly,

Traci Meziere
Principal
Anne Sullivan School
Distance Learning Information

I am so proud of the ways that our teachers and staff have fully engaged and attacked this new challenge, and we will push forward with providing instructional activities and connecting with your child. To monitor and modify our current plan, we have convened a committee of dedicated staff, administrators, and parents to ensure the work is sustainable and has the greatest benefit for our students and families. Some of the issues that will be addressed in the committee include workload for students, grading practices, and eventually how we will transition back to in school instruction.    

I know this is not the school year any of us imagined, but I want to thank you for your patience and understanding as we have dealt with this unprecedented situation together. With students in high school myself, I share in the disappointment and sadness of the disruptions for our 8 th graders’ last year in D23 and all those who worked hard and looked forward to our fine arts and extra-curricular activities. It is our intention to hold and/or reschedule end of year event including the Commencement ceremony, 5 th Grade musical, and others if possible.

Our goals and priorities continue to be:
  • Feed and care for the extended safety, health, and welfare of students, families, staff, and community at large.

  • Communicate clearly; share coherent, organized and controlled messages with staff, students and community.

  • Provide for the continuity of learning.

  • Provide support and assistance to First Responders and Community as needed.

We ask all parents for the following assistance:
  • Please continue to submit attendance daily before 11:00am. If necessary, feel free to submit the form the night before.

  • Monitor stress level and work load. If you or your child become overwhelmed or stressed, PLEASE STOP. Students' grades will not be effected negatively during our Distance Learning Days.

  • Monitor Digital presence and privacy. We have disabled the ability for our students to generate Google Meets or Hangouts from their devices. They WILL be able to participate in and join sessions created by their teachers, just not student to student.

  • Let us know if you need anything: technology, meals, assistance.
 
Thank you for your continued partnership and flexibility as we navigate this unique situation. It’s important we continue to work together and support our students.
During Distance Learning for technical support email techsupport@d23.org .
COVID in our Community

New guidance from the CDC and IDPH has removed the requirement for providing notice to families and staff when COVID-19 cases are confirmed. It is safe to assume, however, that we have already been touched by this virus and that more of our community will be in the next few weeks. On behalf of the District 23 Board of Education, Administration and staff, I extend our heartfelt best wishes for all those effected by the virus and we wish you a speedy and full recovery. Our thoughts and prayers go out to those who may have family or friends who are facing critical health issues.
PLEASE STAY HOME

Unfortunately, I need to add my voice to the chorus of officials reminding our community to stay at home unless absolutely necessary. Especially with the warmer weather on its way, it is critically important that we resist the temptation to gather or play together outside. Over the past weeks, we have observed groups of kids playing basketball at Patriot Park and others on our playground. As a reminder, all playgrounds have been closed to avoid spread of COVID-19
It's Registration Time!

We are pleased to announce that all district registration for returning families will once again be conducted online this year. We encourage all district families to complete the registration process as soon as possible this year.
PAWSITIVE Panthers!
Andrew puts forth his best effort to complete his daily work. He participates in our Google Meets and is enthusiastic!
Each week, a student from each grade level is recognized for their PAWSITIVE Panther attitude and for making our Sullivan community a better place to learn.
Nathaniel has been a Pawsome Panther during distance learning! He has been working hard on his autobiography and showing up to all of our Google Meets with a smile! I am very proud of his hard work!
Kyle has done such a great job navigating distance learning. He has been responsible in turning in his work and being very independent in doing so. He works through trouble areas and reaches out when needed. I am proud of his hard work!
Riley has been working hard on her distance learning assignments. She asks questions, participates in class discussions, and has a positive attitude. Riley works to improve and grow each day! #PawsomePanther
Distance Learning Snapshots
Mrs. Pennell's students had some fun recreating scenes from famous works of art this week during distance learning.

In addition to academic work, our teachers are working to incorporate some creativity and fun into the days of virtual learning for our kids.
Dates to Remember
4/24: Staff Professional Development - no live meetings with teachers
Community Partner Resources
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