Dear Palos 118 Families,

We enjoyed another fantastic week at Palos 118! With warm weather returning, summer has never felt so close. In this week's message, you will find important information regarding our plans for the 2021-2022 School Year and reminders about vaccination opportunities for students ages 12 and up.

2021-2022 School Year Plan

Our 2021-2022 School Year Plan is based on all of the current guidance from ISBE and IDPH. The plan is subject to change based on an order from Governor Pritzker, an act of the General Assembly, and/or mandates from the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) or the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH). We anticipate receiving periodic updates from ISBE and IDPH and will revise our school year plan if necessary. Any changes in our plan will be communicated to families as soon as possible.

On Wednesday, ISBE passed a resolution supporting earlier guidance to local school districts to prioritize in-person learning for all students. ISBE has been clear that it wants all students to return to in-person instruction for the 2021-2022 school year. Our plan does prepare the District to welcome back all of our Palos 118 students in August. Our plan is designed to allow all students to return to in-person instruction while continuing to maintain three feet social distancing in classrooms and six feet social distancing in areas where masks are removed if required by IDPH next school year.

Parents can expect a return to a full-day schedule starting in August. Our elementary schools will operate on their normal 8:55 a.m. – 3:25 p.m. schedules. The Palos South schedule will return to 8:15 a.m. to 2:40 p.m. Zero Hour will also be reinstated. Our tuition based full-day kindergarten will be available to parents and run from 9:15 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. AM/PM half-day kindergarten will continue to be an option for families. Late start Wednesdays will return, with all schools starting 30 minutes later as we reinstate our weekly dedicated planning time for our PLC teacher teams.

Next year, we will resume serving lunch in all three schools. If we are required to continue social distancing during lunch, we will provide box lunches in lieu of hot lunches. If capacity limits on school buses remain, we will work with our Transportation Department to continue to distance riders on school buses to the greatest extent possible. We do anticipate a full complement of SWIC athletics in the fall, following whatever IHSA guidance is in place. Our band program will be reinstated per any IDPH safety requirements. In a nutshell, our in-person school day will begin to look very much like it did pre-pandemic. School districts have been told to anticipate additional safety guidance from IDPH in early June regarding safety precautions for next school year. It is our understanding that guidance will include updates on masking, social distancing, and quarantines.

Guidance regarding remote learning requirements is literally changing by the day. On Wednesday, ISBE adopted a resolution directing local school districts to provide in-person learning for all students with very limited, if any, exceptions. As a result, we are anticipating very few students qualifying for remote learning next school year. The school district will provide appropriate supports for remote students transitioning back to in-person learning. We are focusing extra attention on students with diagnosed anxiety and/or with a history of school refusal. School districts are awaiting updated guidance from ISBE on remote learning and we will share new information with the school community once received.

As we plan to slowly but surely return to some semblance of normalcy next school year, I want to thank our entire school community for the tremendous success we've had this school year. It certainly hasn't been easy, but our shared commitment to working together to implement our safety plan has made Palos 118 a shining example of how school districts can safely offer in-person learning during a public health crisis. Our close partnership with the PEA and our teachers was instrumental in providing the very best learning opportunities for both our in-person and remote learners. The Board of Education's unwavering commitment to providing the necessary resources for our teachers and staff to deliver high-quality services made all the difference this school year. Without question, Palos 118 delivered when our students needed us most and it took everyone in the community to make it happen. I thank everyone for their cooperation, collaboration, flexibility, patience, and support.

If you have questions regarding our plan for next school year, simply reply to this message and the appropriate administrator will respond.

This week's metrics:

A return to Phase 3 of the Governor's Restore Illinois Plan
Suburban Cook County remains in Phase 4, which allows schools to conduct in-person instruction. The Governor has announced his intent to move to Phase 5 on or around June 11. Source: Governor's Office
Outbreaks of confirmed COVID-19 cases in schools
We are unaware of any reported outbreaks in area schools. Source: ISC-4 and media reports.
Confirmed Community Spread
Test Positivity is "minimal." New Cases per 100,000 is "substantial." New Cases are "minimal." Youth Case Increase is "minimal." The 7-day rolling positivity rate is <=8%. The 14-day rolling positivity rate is <=8%. Source: IDPH and Northwestern University
Directive from IDPH, CCDPH, ISBE, or the Governor's Office
No additional directives were issued this week.
District 118 Staffing
If you are interested in becoming a substitute teacher, visit the employment page of our website to see if you qualify and to fill out an online application.
COVID Dashboard Statistics
You can view our updated COVID Dashboard by visiting www.palos118.org.

The Cook County Department of Public Health has asked local school districts to forward information regarding vaccine opportunities. Please click here for more information. We encourage parents to talk to their pediatrician if they have questions about vaccinations.

Have a great weekend.

Sincerely,

Dr. Anthony M. Scarsella
Superintendent of Schools