Mill Street Parent Newsletter

Parents, Happy New Year! I hope you enjoyed winter break and the holiday season and that this newsletter finds you and your families well. As this first week of January unfolds, it is time to get back to school! As stated above, all students should be prepared to log on for eLearning beginning at 8:15 on Wednesday, January 6th as classes resume after winter break.

As we begin this new year, there are changes ahead that will increase the opportunity for in-person learning for our students moving forward. As of January 26, we shift from our current schedule, to the AM/PM schedule we implemented for a few short days in early October.

The basic elementary schedule is depicted below. We look forward to transitioning to this schedule for all students and to welcoming more students into the building. To support those students who are new to Mill Street and our Kindergarten students who plan to return to in-person learning, teachers will be providing invitations for in-person visits so that these two groups of students can become familiar with the building. More information on those opportunities are to follow.

As always, please reach out with questions you may have about our transition to the AM/PM schedule. More information is provided below regarding assignments and timelines for further communications to come.

May we all experience renewed energy, health and well-being in this new year!

Sue

January 12th- All staff return full time to working at Mill Street

January 14th- All parents will receive email(s) from district office with students' AM or PM assignments. Parents can expect one email per child.

January 15th- Parents can log into Infinite Campus to access bus number, bus stop and pick-up/drop off times for those students who qualify for bussing.

January 18th- Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday- No School for students or staff

January 20th, 21st and 22nd - Dates for modified Kinderarten preview/ building visit for those kindergarten students returning to inperson learning on January 26th. More information to follow shortly.

January 25th- "Normal" Monday eLearning schedule is followed

January 26th- New AM/PM schedule is followed by all students- Although in-person attendance is staggered throughout this week, all students, whether in-person or online only, at all grade levels, will follow the AM/PM schedule beginning on 1/26.

January 26th- Kindergarten students begin in-person learning

January 27th- 1st and 2nd Grade students begin in-person learning

January 28th- 3rd, 4th, and 5th Grade students begin in-person learning

Stage 3 of the district's Return to Learn Plan is a hybrid model that includes 2.5 hours of direct instruction (synchronous learning) and 2.5 hours of independent learning (asynchronous learning) Tuesday - Friday. Mondays will remain as eLearning days with instruction provided in the AM and teacher planning in the PM while students complete independent work activities.

Classroom teachers will focus their 2.5 hours of direct/synchronous instruction on English/Language Arts, Math and Social Emotional Learning.

Asynchronous work, which makes up the additional 2.5 hours of the instructional day, will be developed so as to require little support from the classroom teacher. Activities will be considered independent work but completion of the assigned work is required in order to demonstrate understanding of the learning targets and for students to receive a passing grade for the content covered. Asynchronous activities can be completed at any time of the instructional day. Classroom teachers will however, provide a suggested schedule for students to follow for the asynchronous portion of their day and the name and access information of support staff that students may access in order to receive support with independent work as needed.

All students will be expected to begin their day at 8:15. Students at home during that time will join their classroom teacher via Zoom for a morning meeting and directions for their morning asynchronous work. In person students will begin their work in the classroom.

Online only students have all been assigned to the PM timeslot and will complete asynchronous work each morning before joining their PM, in-person peers at 12:00 pm for learning via live streaming.

Specials classes ( Art, Music, PE and LC) will remain required curriculum and will be taught during students' asynchronous portion of their day. Mr. Hoff, Mr. Quaid, Ms. Lombardo, Mrs. Golz and Mrs. Kopf will deliver live, eLearning lessons and students are required to log in at their scheduled class time and engage in these classes in order to avoid receiving a failing grade.

Band and orchestra lessons will also be provided via live, eLearning experiences during students' asynchronous learning portions of the day.

Mill Street's AM/PM Instructional Schedule is provided below. Classroom teachers and support staff will provide specific student schedules that include Art, Music, PE, LC and specialized, small group instruction from our EL, Math Specialists, Reading Specialists and Special Education Staff.

As we welcome students back to the building, we will spend a great deal of time reviewing safety protocols that require mask wearing and social distancing. We ask that you review these protocols with your child(ren) prior to their return in order to support and provide a safe environment for all.

Please view the Mill Street Safety Video linked HERE with your child(ren) prior to their start to in-person learning, which includes reminders about arrival, dismissal and classroom protocols. The video is also available on the Mill Street website.

It is imperative that each student has a completed Self-Certification Form on file in our health office prior to their first day of in-person learning. Please access the link above to complete, sign and then return the form to our health office.

• Students will need to bring a mask and spare mask with them daily.
• Students may bring a water bottle to school but may not bring a daily snack.
• Students will have ample access to hand sanitizer and should not bring their own.
• Students may wear a face shield in addition to their mask, but not in place of a mask.
• Movement breaks will be provided, however outdoor recess will not be part of in-person learning, therefore snow gear will not be needed at school.

Please access the Symptom Monitoring Information linked HERE as a guide to support you in monitoring your children for Covid symptoms. This page, located on the district website, will provide you with protocols regarding students' ability to attend in-person learning. Our School Nurse, Joan Laxton, can provide any additional information or support you may need. She can be reached via email at jlaxton@naperville203.org, or by phone at (630) 420-6355.

Students will be screened as they enter the building each day. Students displaying any Covid related symptoms will be sent home, as will any siblings, and all will need to follow district guidelines related to quarantine protocols and timelines.

If students must quarantine, we will work with families to determine when live streaming will occur within the school day.

Students or staff who are considered close contact with a student who has tested positive, will be contacted by the school nurse and or administration with information regarding follow up procedures. It is our hope that as social distancing measures are followed by students and staff, the occurrence of "close contact" is very limited or mitigated altogether.

Email: ssalness@naperville203.org
Website: https://www.naperville203.org/Page/1979
Location: 1300 North Mill Street, Naperville, IL, USA
Phone: (630) 420-6354
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ssalness
Twitter: @millstreetmustangs