Elmhurst Community Unit School District 205: Welcome back from Spring Break! Have a wonderful week.

Press release from Elmhurst Community Unit School District 205:

Apr 6 2021 9:14 AM

Dear D205 Families,

Joining the District 205 administrative team as Interim Superintendent on March 26 has allowed me to see the extensive planning and hard work taking place to prepare for the return of all students-all day starting April 12. Please join me in thanking the principals, teachers, support staff and administrators who have been working diligently to open schools to full capacity while also following guidance about the safety and health of our students.

While many aspects of students’ return to a full day of school will be similar to pre-COVID years, some aspects of the day will still be affected by the procedures established to prevent further spread of COVID-19: face coverings, physical distancing (3 feet, 6 feet when eating/drinking), daily self-certification, saliva screening (for grades 6-12), and new lunch-time procedures at each level. Information about all of these topics is listed below, along with a reminder about the deadline to choose remote vs. in-person learning for your child.

If you have questions, please contact your child’s teacher or principal; if they cannot address your concern, central office administrators are happy to speak with you when you contact our main switchboard at (630) 834-4530.

As we comply with ever-changing guidance/regulations, we ask for your patience. Our goal is to provide every student at every level with the very best experience possible each day, and we seek to work collaboratively with our parents to accomplish that objective.

Welcome back from Spring Break! Have a wonderful week.

Dr. Linda Yonke
Interim Superintendent
Elmhurst Community Unit School District 205

Reminders:
District 205 adheres to guidance from the Illinois Department of Public Health and the DuPage County Health Department when establishing procedures and guidelines for staff and students.

Daily Self-Certification
Remember to complete the D205 Self-Certification process each day if you are working or learning in-person. Each staff member and family receive a daily reminder via text and/or email to complete this brief process.

As you returned from Spring Break, we rolled out a new set of questions on our COVID self-certification screener. For the first time, we have two different question sets: one for people who have been vaccinated or who have had COVID-19 in the last 90 days and another for everyone else.

We ask that students and staff complete the health certification each morning as early as possible and to please stay home if you are not feeling well.

D205 COVID-19 Saliva Screening Program for Students in Grades 6-12
Remember to bring your saliva screening sample to school this week, following the appropriate screening schedule that has been shared by your building principal.

Face Coverings and Physical Distancing While at School
Public schools like District 205 must continue to follow health and safety requirements from the Illinois Department of Public Health and DuPage County Health Department during in-person learning. Most of these safety requirements are contained in this document, and we have highlighted a few of them below:

Face Coverings
Students and staff are still required to wear a face covering while at school or participating in extracurricular activities unless a medical exemption has been granted.

Physical Distancing
The Illinois Department of Public Health and DuPage County Health Department now requires that three feet of social distancing be observed as much as possible in the school and classroom setting. However, six feet of distancing is required when eating and drinking. This means lunchtime will look a little different for the remainder of the school year. Here is what you can expect:

D205 Lunch Procedures
Students on campus for lunch will utilize multiple locations both inside and outside while seated six feet apart. Students must all face in the same direction while seated for lunch. Additional spaces other than the cafeteria are being used in most schools in order to provide adequate space for distancing.

• Grades K-5 - Similar to previous procedures prior to 2020-2021, students in grades K-5 are permitted to go home for lunch as long as a note from the parent is provided.
• Grades 6-8 - Similar to previous procedures prior to 2020-2021, students in grades 6-8 will remain on-campus for lunch.
• Grades 9-12 - Similar to previous procedures prior to 2020-2021, students in grades 9-11 will remain on-campus for lunch. All 12th-grade seniors will be eligible for off-campus lunch with parent permission. Additional details will be provided by Principal Bagdasarian in his Principal Newsletter.

Return to In-Person Deadline April 7, 2021
As a reminder, all families who are currently enrolled in remote learning have another opportunity to select in-person learning. This selection indicates your choice for the remainder of the school year. Here are the steps to follow to change your selection:

Elementary (Grades K-5)
Contact your child’s school by 5 p.m. Wednesday, April 7, 2021. If you do not wish to change your child's learning status, no additional action is needed.

Secondary (Grades 6-12)
Complete the form in PowerSchool by 5 p.m. on Wednesday, April 7, 2021. Please click here to see instructions from the District’s previous communication on filling out the form.

Election Day - April 6, 2021
Bryan Middle School as well as Edison and Emerson Elementary Schools have been declared as polling places for the April 6 election. Therefore, all three schools will have a remote learning day tomorrow, Tuesday, April 6, for health and safety purposes. The schools will be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected after the polls close in order to be ready for the next school day as scheduled.

Lunchroom Supervisors and Volunteers Needed
Lunch supervisors and lunch volunteers are still needed to properly supervise our students as we return to full, in-person learning on April 12. If you are interested in either an opportunity to be employed as a lunchroom supervisor or to serve as a volunteer in your child’s building, please see the following information:

• Link to apply for paid supervisor opportunities
• Link to volunteer for lunch supervision (non paid opportunities)

Times needed: Elementary Schools - 10:00 a.m. -1:45 p.m.; Middle Schools - 11:00 a.m. -1:00 p.m.; YCHS - 10:30 a.m. -1:15 p.m.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Helen Romios, Director for HR at hromios@elmhurst205.org or 630-993-6649 or Luke Pavone, Asst. Supt. for HR at lpavone@elmhurst205.org.

This press release was produced by Elmhurst Community Unit School District 205. The views expressed here are the author’s own.