Below is an update on several key issues for the District 90 community. It details the most current information about the following matters:
- the impact on D90 of the Illinois State Board of Education's (ISBE) statement on summer school programming, talking to children/students about race and protests,
- a reminder about the District's Summer Learning Opportunities, and
- the alignment of District 90's return to school with Gov. Pritzker's Restore Illinois Plan.
ISBE and Summer School Programming
Late on June 4, ISBE released information that enables school districts across the state to offer limited in-person instruction for summer school programming. The guidance from ISBE comes with significant requirements that support social distancing, PPE requirements, and other related matters. At this late date, District 90 will not be altering its current plans for summer programming, which will be provided in a limited "remote learning" format. District 90 will continue to provide all of the Summer Learning Opportunities that were announced on May 27. These summer learning resources are free, offer learning activities for students in grades 1-8, available to all District students, and designed to be flexible in order to meet the scheduling needs of our D90 families. Additional information about our Summer Learning Opportunities can be accessed below or on the District's website (https://www.district90.org/updates).
Talking to Children about Race and Current Protests
District 90 has been striving to become a more equitable and inclusive learning community for years. But the stakes continue to rise as students and families of color in our midst continue to endure injustice and unfair circumstances in their lives. D90 invites all of our families to explain, define, and discuss the issues of race, injustice, and unfairness that our children continually see in the stories and images on TV and social media. To help with these discussions are two articles that provide insights and resources on how to hold those conversations with your children.
District 90 is sharing these resources to assist our families and staff in supporting our children during these turbulent times. Please click the links below to view these resources:
These Books Can Help Explain Racism and Protests to Your Kids (New York Times)
Parents face talks with kids on racism (Chicago Tribune)
Summer Learning Opportunities
District 90 will continue to move forward with offering all District 90 students free Summer Learning Opportunities. These resources are available for students in rising grades 1-8. In collaboration with the River Forest Public Library, District 90 will be conducting Summer Book Clubs. Registration for the book clubs has been extended to noon on Wednesday, June 10. To register for a D90 Summer Book Club, please follow this link and scroll down to the week of June 23: https://riverforestlibrary.librarymarket.com/events/month/2020/06.
Book clubs have been filling up, but there are still a few slots left. Also, for families of rising first-grade students, there is still plenty of space for students who will be in Grade 1 this fall. Participating students do not need to be independent readers to be a part of this book club. Sessions will consist of interactive read-aloud so all students can participate.
Led by D90 teachers, most elementary book titles can be accessed through students' District 90 Epic account on their iPads. River Forest Public Library will provide additional information related to book distribution for the Roosevelt Middle School book clubs if there is no online option (for example, a newly released titled that requires a hard copy).
To facilitate students' summer math explorations and to provide a bridge to new learning in the fall, District 90 is providing four weeks of optional math activities for students to investigate independently. Students will have the opportunity to engage in activities such as games, skill reinforcement, and “problems of the week.” In addition, these tasks focus on different aspects of mathematics and require few or no materials.
Also, students may continue to independently explore the world of coding and other STEM activities over the summer months. STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) engages students in an integrated approach to making sense of problems, gathering information, evaluating evidence, and testing ideas.
Additional information about the book clubs, math activities, and STEM explorations will be forthcoming. Please continue to monitor your email and the District's website for updates about the Summer Learning Opportunities.
Alignment of D90 Return to School with “Restore Illinois” Plan
As we continue to plan for the restart of school in the fall, District 90 has aligned the phases of returning to in-school instruction with Gov. Pritzker's “Restore Illinois” Plan. The Governor's five-phase plan presents guidance and requirements for moving from one phase to another as the state advances toward full reopening. The District 90 Proposed Operations Plan is a high-level overview that lays out how the District intends to operate in response to the phases in the Governor's plan. Currently, the state and District 90 are in phase 3 of both plans. Moving through the phases will continue to require directives about social distancing, face coverings, and other considerations. While this document is not intended to outline specific details, it is being used to guide the District’s development of three specific “return to school” scenarios that may occur, depending on phase movement and guidance from the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE). To view the chart that aligns the District 90 Proposed Operations Plan with the Governor's “Restore Illinois” Plan, please click this link: Public Health and D90 Planning.
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It is our intention to continue to provide information and updates as they become available so that families can make plans and schedules that accommodate their family's needs. Your patience and understanding during these evolving situations are much appreciated.