Dear Palos 118 Families,

That's a wrap! The 2020-2021 school year has official come to end and what a school year it has been. Thank you for all your understanding, support, cooperation and flexibility as we worked together to provide our Palos 118 students a safe and productive school year. I am so proud of our entire school community and what we have accomplished. Palos 118 has been a model school district for responding to this pandemic and we all have a great deal to be proud of regarding this challenging year. Best wishes to our Palos South Class of 2020-2021 who overcame so much adversity this year. I hope all of you have a safe and enjoyable summer. See you next year!

Update on 2021-2022 School Year
The administration presented an update on the 2021-2022 School Year Plan at Tuesday's Board of Education Meeting. You can view the presentation and a list of FAQ's by clicking here. While there are still several unknowns regarding public health mandates, parents can plan for full days of instruction with a return to normal school hours. If you haven't registered for next school year, please do so as soon as possible. You can register here.

Summer Meals
We are pleased to announce the National School Lunch Program has extended its expanded meal benefits. This means that all under-18 children are eligible to receive free meals through the summer. To meet this guidance Palos 118 will be distributing "pantry boxes" which hold the components for a week of meals. Pantry boxes will be available from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Wednesdays near the Palos East main entrance. These boxes are available to all under-18 individuals; however, the under-18 individual does not need to be present to receive the box (an adult can pick up the box alone), and no identification is required. These boxes are 100% reimbursable through the federal lunch program and provided at no cost to Palos 118. Please help spread the word to anyone who may be interested that these pantry boxes will be available. If you have questions regarding the program, please contact Justin Veihman at jveihman@palos118.org.

And for the last time this school year, this week's metrics.

• A return to Phase 3 of the Governor's Restore Illinois Plan
Illinois has moved to Phase 5 of the Governor's Restore Illinois Plan. 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 "moderate." 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.

Please continue to check your email over the summer for updates regarding next school year.

Sincerely,

Dr. Anthony M. Scarsella
Superintendent of Schools