January 6, 2022
CCSD 89 families:
 
I hope your family had a relaxing and refreshing break. We were so happy to have students in the buildings on Tuesday, and I’m sure your children were excited to see their teachers and friends. I want to share some information about the challenges we are facing right now.
 
First, you should know that at this time, CCSD 89 has no intention of moving to a district-wide remote or hybrid learning environment. The district is following the advice of health and education officials in keeping schools open for in-person learning. 
 
We continually monitor cases in our schools and have regular meetings with the DuPage County Health Department about best practices. Because the schools use multiple forms of overlapping mitigation (sanitizing, masks, ventilation, etc.), school continues to be a safe place to send students. At this time, we have not seen evidence of spread within our buildings.
 
As I’m sure you are aware, there are a significant number of COVID-19 cases in DuPage County right now. The positivity rates and the number of cases per 100,000 in this area are high and have been increasing. In CCSD 89, there were 123 students out of school on Tuesday because they were positive for COVID-19 or quarantining after a close contact.
 
The high number of cases, the 10-day exclusion period for positive cases, and the low number of substitutes available could create challenges for staffing classes. On Tuesday, the district had 28 staff members absent due to COVID-19, non-COVID-19 illnesses, assisting family members, or other reasons. 
 
During the first half of this school year, we have had to pull numerous aides and principals into classrooms to teach. With COVID-19 numbers much higher now, there is a possibility that at some point an individual class may not have an in-person teacher available. In that circumstance, students in that class would temporarily learn remotely until the teacher is able to return for in-person learning. 
 
We consider this scenario unlikely to happen but I want to be transparent with you about the situation. The district will exhaust all other possibilities before moving to remote learning. All of our certified administrative staff, including myself, would be pulled in to substitute in an effort to avoid remote learning.
 
(A class could also go to remote learning if the health department determines there was an outbreak in class. In that instance, we will follow the recommendations of the health officials.)
 
Remote learning would follow a typical school schedule including lunch and specials. Students would log on to their devices from home and a teacher would provide live instruction. The district will make every effort to give parents as much notice as possible but families must understand that these situations are fluid and may happen the morning of the change.
 
Families can help us in three ways:
  • You must keep your students home if they are COVID-19 positive, have been a close contact, or are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms. Students should be tested (DuPage County locations) before returning to school; home tests cannot be accepted. You can use this chart (https://bit.ly/3FRIGG4) as a starting point when determining whether your student needs to be quarantined or isolated.
  • Ensure that the district has the latest contact information for your family. It is critical the district has an accurate phone number and email address to reach you. (See item below for more information.)
  • Students should be in the habit of bringing devices (Chromebooks and iPads) home each day.
 
I want to thank my staff for the extraordinary effort they put in every day to make sure every student is cared for.
 
Thank you to our families for your partnership and patience. We are grateful to be part of this supportive community.
 
Emily Tammaru
Superintendent
CCSD 89
Make sure your contact info is up to date
As a reminder, when buildings cannot open due to severe weather, teachers will now provide live or recorded lessons that students will participate in through their Chromebook or iPad. The school day would follow regular school hours, including a break for lunch. When there is a forecast of severe weather, students should plan to bring their Chromebook or iPad home the day before. The district will make every effort to communicate a potential online learning day as early as possible.
 
Information about school closings will be released through a phone message and email, as well as the district’s website (www.ccsd89.org), Facebook page (facebook.com/CCSD89) and Twitter account (@ccsd89). The district’s phone and email messaging system uses contact information supplied by guardians so it is important that information is current. Contact your school’s main office if you need to update your contact information.
 
Even when school is open, students should dress for the cold. Students will continue to go outside for recess as long as the weather remains above 10 degrees.
Families can submit vaccination records to school nurse
If your child has completed their COVID-19 vaccination, families can submit a copy of the vaccination card to the school nurse. The COVID-19 vaccine is not required. Providing the vaccination record will help the nurse determine the next steps when your student has symptoms or has been a close contact. Students who do not show proof of vaccination will follow the isolation and quarantine rules for unvaccinated students. You can drop off or email a copy of the front and back of the card to your school nurse, or you can submit it here: https://forms.gle/tUubb7pFNVTxX7BM9