April 2, 2020
Beginning Monday, April 6, 2020, elementary students will receive a weekly eLearning Activity board, instead of daily activities. These new eLearning activities will have a suggested daily schedule but will allow the students to work at their own pace throughout the week. These activities will be continued to be posted to our eLearning webpage, as well as emailed and text messaged to families by 9:00 AM each week on Mondays.
STUDENT SCHEDULE - NEXT WEEK Monday through Wednesday, April 6-8, 2020 Elementary student activities will be posted to our eLearning webpage on Monday as described above.
Thursday, April 9, 2020 The Illinois State Board of Education has allowed and encourages remote learning planning and professional development days. No new learning activities will be pushed out to students on Thursday, April 9, 2020. The focus of this day for students will be time to work on projects, assignments, or optional activities that have been provided throughout the week. The focus of this time for our staff will be to ensure continued alignment of instruction and continuity of instructional experiences for learners. Teachers will be engaged in meetings and professional development opportunities to meet remote learning goals for our students.
Friday, April 10, 2020, is a planned vacation day for our students and staff.
As a reminder, the following updates were made to our eLearning Plan beginning Tuesday, March 31, 2020.
The new guidance from the Illinois State Board of Education provides assessment recommendations on the grading of student work during remote learning. The District will begin assessing student work for our middle school and high school students. Assessment of a student’s work during remote learning can improve a student’s grade, but will not negatively impact their overall grade or their academic standing. The goal at the elementary level is to maintain continuity of education for our students.
In order to maintain communication with our families and provide classroom connections, PK-5 classroom teachers have been asked to make weekly contact with families utilizing District approved communication methods. This will also enable us to reach out to families having difficulty accessing the learning activities.
UPCOMING LEARNING SCHEDULE
MEAL DISTRIBUTION We will continue to support our students needing meals during the closure. We ask that you please complete the following Breakfast and Lunch order form for the week of Monday, April 6, 2020. Meals will be available for pick-up at Sycamore High School on Monday, April 6, 2020 (3 days of meals will be provided), and Thursday, April 9, 2020 (2 days of meals will be provided). Please complete the form by 3:00 PM on Sunday, April 5, 2020.
I realize there are many questions regarding spring activities and the rest of the school year, I wish I had more information to share at this time. Our main priority is the safety of all of you and our community, as we continue to monitor information and follow the guidance provided by the Illinois State Board of Education, Illinois Department of Health and the Governor’s Office.
Thank you for supporting your students' learning and providing them with encouragement. I had a parent share with me this week that their student was excited to participate in a google hangout facilitated by their teacher, this allowed them to see and talk with some of their classmates. While we are excited for these opportunities, we can't wait to see all of our kids again in person.
Please continue to keep those facing health and/or financial challenges during this time in your thoughts.
I am proud of our Spartan Community! Sincerely,
Kathy Countryman Superintendent Sycamore Community School District 427
(815) 899-8100 | syc427.org |