Weekly Update - May 21, 2021
State Board of Ed Information on 2021-22
As the school year is coming to a close, District 181 wants to keep you updated on the changes from the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) and the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE). On Thursday, ISBE passed a resolution that reinforces our efforts to open the 2021-22 school year with full in-person learning. According to ISBE, in 2020-21, all schools must fully resume in-person learning and remote instruction be made available for students who are not eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine and are under a quarantine order. This information is very helpful as we continue to plan for the start of the school year. We are also waiting for guidance from the CDC and IDPH regarding COVID-19 mitigation strategies for the coming school year. The District will present updates to the Board of Education and the community in June when this information becomes available. We will update you via our Board Summaries, released following Board meetings, and our Weekly Updates. 
School Celebrations
Garden Gives Life Lessons

Monroe students are finding that gardens are great teachers. Students and families joined together last Sunday to plant flowers and vegetables in the school’s Living Classroom. The Living Classroom serves as an outdoor laboratory to foster a connection with nature, and helps children understand why that connection is important.

“Our goal is to capitalize on this understanding to help children further realize the importance of our responsibility to nature,” said Principal Kristin Reingruber. Students and family volunteers planted the seedlings in both the school’s Butterfly Garden and George Washington Vegetable Garden. “We look forward to enjoying the "fruits" of their labor when we return to school in the fall,” she said.
Smashing Records

Clarendon Hills Middle School students smashed records in the annual SOAR (Stop Open And Read) challenge, reading 200,000 more pages than 2019. Together, each person read an average of 3,754 pages, beating last year's record of 2,848 pages per person! Congratulations students!
Thank you D181 families and staff

The final tally is in and families and staff contributed a whopping 3,684 pounds of food in the annual "Stuff the Squad" food drive benefiting HCS Family Services. Thank you families and staff for your generous contributions to help those in need, and to Hinsdale, Clarendon Hill and Burr Ridge Police Departments for your partnership!
Celebrating Cultural Curiosity and Connectedness

Prospect School’s One World Night 2021 was held again this year, but remotely. The school family celebrated culture and diversity by offering three online cooking classes, each highlighting a different world cuisine with a chef talking about the cultural significance of the food. Students and families were invited to join and sign up for the classes. May 6 featured a class on homemade fettuccine with a chef broadcasting from Italy. The May 13 class featured Alamelu Vairavan, chef, cookbook author, host of PBS television series “Healthful Indian Flavors with Alamelu” and grandmother to two Prospect students. She demonstrated how to make roasted potato medley and mango lassi. The May 20 class featured chefs from the Kids’ Table cooking school, teaching students how to make mole burritos. The One World Night event is focused on encouraging cultural curiosity and offering students opportunities to deepen their global connectedness.
COVID Updates
As the school year is coming to a close, District 181 wants to provide you with COVID-related reminders. We previously shared some of this information but thought it would be helpful to compile the most recent updates in one place.

Mitigation Strategies
According to the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) and local health department, the current safety protocols (e.g. masks, quarantine period, close contact distance, etc.) will remain in place for the remainder of the year as well as for summer school. 

Surveillance Testing
District 181 is continuing to encourage staff and students to participate in the free Surveillance Testing program and encourage those who signed up to complete the testing. Our goal is to avoid any potential school closures by identifying COVID asymptomatic individuals who can still spread the virus to others. This program adds another layer of protection and reassurance for our school community. Families sign up by logging in to Skyward and clicking on "Forms" to access the sign-up form. The form is best filled out on your desktop or laptop. Learn more. 

COVID vaccine for children 12+
Recently the FDA expanded the emergency use authorization for the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine to include adolescents 12 through 15 years of age. Here are some resources if you are interested in scheduling the vaccine for your child.

COVID Positive Cases
As of May 21, one positive COVID Case was reported this past week. In addition, 16 students District-wide are in quarantine as a result of being identified as a close contact while at school. The D181 Positive Case Report Spreadsheet is updated daily on student attendance days at 4 p.m. To view the latest dashboard, click here.
Refunds for Milk Fees
Parents who paid milk fees during their 2020-21 registration will receive a refund via a paper check in the U.S. mail. The amount of the refund depends on the amount charged to the student's Skyward account and how much was paid. The check will be sent to the address on file in Skyward for the primary guardian. If you have multiple children, and the guardian name is the same for each child, the refunds for each child will be combined into one check. Checks will be sent May 25 pending D181 Board of Education approval the night before.
Deadline Extended on Parent/Staff Survey
We have extended the deadline in order to allow more parents and staff to take a survey regarding the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). All parents are asked to take the survey, which is less than five minutes, as part of the requirements for the grant. The results will help us refine our programs as well as provide topics for future professional development and training. All responses are anonymous. The survey will close on Monday, May 24, 2021. 
 
To take the parent survey, click here.
To take the staff survey, click here.
Summer Learning Sign-Up Approaching
We are closing in on the June 4 deadline to sign up for the Summer Learning Program. Here is the catalog and registration information for the 2021 D181 Summer Learning Program. Here are Skyward directions on how to sign up for summer school. 
Applications Sought for Board Committees
Are you interested in learning more about District 181 and getting more involved? The District 181 Board of Education is seeking parent and community representatives to join its Finance and Facilities Committee or Academic Success Committees (ASC). Completed applications are due no later than 4 p.m. on Wednesday, May 26. To learn more or to apply, click here.
Meal Pickup - Wednesdays at HMS
D181 meal pickup for all families in the community (with children ages 0-18) will continue through the rest of the school year on Wednesdays at Hinsdale Middle School, from 4-6 p.m. The free meal packages include 7 days' worth of breakfast, lunch, and a snack.
COMMUNITY CONSOLIDATED SCHOOL DISTRICT 181
115 West 55th St. Clarendon Hills, IL 60514
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PH:630.861.4900
FAX:630.887.1079