Pirate's Cove
Weekly Newsletter - January 6 - 11
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Principal's Message
Pirate parents and students,
I hope that the Pirate community had a safe, restful, and relaxing winter break. As a reminder, the second semester starts on Wednesday, January 6th. This is a remote day, similar to the ones that we have had all of first semester. Students will need to accept their updated Google Classroom requests from their teachers, and submit an attendance question to be marked present. All attendance questions will need to be submitted by 12:00 PM, in order to be counted towards attendance.
In order to be best prepared for the second semester, I ask that all students charge their devices and restart their device to clear cache and improve performance. Holding down the power button will turn the Chromebook off and on. Students should make sure that they can log in, check their email, and open Google Classroom prior to Wednesday so that they can start the second semester smoothly. Students will also need to log into Tyler SIS Portal to view their updated second semester schedule on Wednesday for any schedule changes.
Grades will be made available for families on January 19th at 4:00PM. Families will be able to access these grades through Tyler SIS portal. As a reminder to students and parents, the second semester is a fresh start. There are no grades in the second semester gradebook. I highly encourage parents to re-establish a schedule during the remote portions of the school week. Check Tyler SIS and Google Classroom regularly for completed and missing work, and preview work prior to your student submitting it, if possible during the day. These are three things that we have found fostered success with students during remote learning.
Additionally, we found that having cameras on during instruction helped our teachers and students during remote learning. It is our expectation to have students keep their Chromebook cameras on for the second semester, unless permission is given from the teacher. Be aware that Google now has filters that will blur backgrounds for added privacy for students.
Our return to school is currently scheduled for January 25th, starting with our 6th grade "A" schedule students. There will be a half day orientation. Our B schedule 6th grade students will have their orientation on January 26th. Our 7th and 8th grade A and B schedule students will have remote days on the 25th and 26th with no live meets. All 6th, 7th, and 8th grade B schedule students will start their Hybrid schedules on Thursday, January 28th. All 6th, 7th, and 8th grade A schedule students will start their Hybrid schedules on Monday, February 1st. A detailed schedule is found on our website, as well as on the district website.
Any student planning to return to in person instruction in January needs to have all health paperwork submitted prior to the January start date. If you have questions about paperwork, or received notice and need to submit documents to our nurse, please call Mr. Jenkins at 630-551-9402. Any paperwork can be dropped off in our main office during office hours.
If you have questions, please reach out to the Plank Main office at 630-551-9400. Please know that we are still working on the specifics for our return plans, and these plans are subject to change. Please be aware that information is changing regularly regarding our return to in-person instruction. Any changes to this will be communicated from our district office through email. We look forward to a great start to the second semester!
The staff at Plank Junior High is committed to serving the students and parents of the surrounding community. If you have questions, please do not hesitate to contact me, and we can work together to find solutions. I can be reached at 630-551-9400 and thaymond@sd308.org. We look forward to partnering with you and your child throughout the year.
Pirates Persevere!
Always in partnership,
Tyler Haymond
Principal
Plank Junior High School
Important Upcoming Dates
1/6/2021 - Second Semester Begins (Remote Learning Day - Accept Google Classroom Links and Answer Attendance Question)
1/7/2021 - First day students join Google Hangouts LIVE Meets
1/11/2021 - 7th and 8th grade elective course selection opens
1/18/2021 - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day - No Student Attendance
1/19/2021 - Remote Planning Day - No Student Attendance
1/19/2021 - Semester Grades Available to view
1/22/2021 - 7th and 8th grade elective course selection closes
1/25/2021 - All Student Medical paperwork needed on file prior to starting in person instruction
1/25/2021 - 6th Grade A Schedule Orientation - 6B, 7th, and 8th grade Remote Day
1/26/2021 - 6th Grade B Schedule Orientation - 6A, 7th, and 8th grade Remote Day
1/28/2021 - 6th, 7th, and 8th Grade B Hybrid Schedule starts
2/1/2021 - 6th, 7th, and 8th Grade A Hybrid Schedule starts
Self Certification Acknowledgement Form
The Self Certification Acknowledgement Form opened up in Tyler for families. All students who will be attending In-Person Learning will need to have this form completed prior to being able to attend school. This form is a precursor to the daily self certification form that will need to be completed once we start in person.
Although it is mandatory for all families who chose In-Person Learning, we would like for all families to complete the form, so that if there are any changes throughout the remainder of the year, we have the acknowledgement form completed for each family.
Self Certification Acknowledgement Form Directions in TylerSIS
Junior High Remote For All Schedule
Wednesday Attendance: Attendance for students is taken in each Google Classroom and needs to be completed by 12:00 Noon on Wednesday.
Attendance: Students late to a LIVE Meet class will be marked tardy. Students not present in a LIVE Meet class will be marked absent. Students are expected to attend all LIVE Meet scheduled classes for the entire duration of the class every day.
ALSO: Our School Day is over at 3:00 during Remote Learning. 2:10 to 3:00 is Student Support Time. Encourage your child to check into a SST class to get extra help if they are struggling in a class, or if they have questions for the teacher. Support times are all found within your child's Google Classroom.
Return To In Person Instruction
1/25/2021 - All Student Medical paperwork needed on file prior to starting in person instruction
1/25/2021 - 6th Grade A Schedule Orientation - 6B, 7th, and 8th grade Remote Day.
1/26/2021 - 6th Grade B Schedule Orientation - 6A, 7th, and 8th grade Remote Day
1/28/2021 - 6th, 7th, and 8th Grade B Hybrid Schedule starts
2/1/2021 - 6th, 7th, and 8th Grade A Hybrid Schedule starts
Additionally, the schedule on Tuesday/Friday afternoon: periods 1 & 2 are switched. This is to accommodate some scheduling needs of students district wide.
Viewing schedules in Tyler SIS - Opens January 6th
Parents - You can see your child's second semester schedule in the Tyler Parent Portal. The Semester opens on January 6th, and schedules will be live. Students will need to view their schedule in their Chrombook on the TylerSIS portal, and accept the Google Classroom Invites as part of Wednesday's attendance.
10 things to start a successful second semester
1. Students should find a spot in the house to keep their device charged. Dedicate an area to store their device and keep it plugged in to maintain the charge.
2. Students should restart their device to clear cache to improve performance during classes. Restarts will usually help with many of the technical problems that our devices encounter. Updates to hardware and software usually are prompted from a restart as well. Holding down the power button will turn the Chromebook off and on.
3. Students need to log in, check their email, and open Google Classroom prior to Wednesday so that they can start the second semester smoothly. Write down passwords and keep them close to the computer on a sticky note if the password is tough to remember.
4. Students need to log into Tyler SIS Portal to view their updated second semester schedule on Wednesday for any schedule changes.
5. Set alarms to help maintain prompt attendance to remote classes. If you have Amazon or Google Devices (Echo, Alexa, or Google devices can have verbal prompts to set alarms at certain times.)
6. Second semester is a fresh start. There are no grades in the second semester gradebook.
7. Re-establish a schedule during the remote portions of the school week. Check Tyler SIS and Google Classroom regularly for completed and missing work, and preview work prior to your student submitting it, if possible during the day.
8. Students need to utilize the provided support time with teachers. If they are having trouble with work, not understanding, or falling behind, Student Support Time is available with ALL teachers from 2:10 to 3:00 during Remote Learning, and continues with our Hybrid Schedule from 3:00 to 3:25.
9. Students are to keep cameras on during instruction. This helped our teachers and students during remote learning. The expectation to have students keep their Chromebook cameras on, unless permission is given from the teacher. Be aware that Google now has filters that will blur backgrounds for added privacy for students.
10. Contact teachers if there are questions about attendance. Our attendance secretary makes the calls, but often doesn't have the details about why attendance was recorded as it was.
Material Pick Up 2021
Student Support Time
During our Hybrid Schedule, Student Support Time will be from 3:00 to 3:25 every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday.
LRC Returns
SORA Overdrive - Plank Partnership with Oswego Public Library
Our district now subscribes to Sora from Overdrive! To get started, visit https://soraapp.com/library/oswegoil. On a device, download the Sora app through the Google Play or Apple App stores and use setup code oswegoil.
The app also appears in the Google waffle in the upper right corner of the Google site. Just sign in with your Google credentials. Our collection is called “Oswego Community School District 308” books can immediately be checked out from this collection.
Since we are in partnership with the Oswego Public Library, it is possible to add the public library to Sora. The Oswego Public Library collection is called “Online Media of Northern Illinois Libraries” You will no longer need to use your library card number to borrow books from the Sora public library collection, or OMNI. However, the library card allows students to access other digital materials from the Oswego Public Library. Here’s a one-minute video from Sora.
If your student does not have a library card number, fill out the attached Google Form. After you complete it, Dr. Meyer, will contact you with access instructions and the library card number. The library card number will be active as soon as you receive it, and will expire on June 1, 2021. Please be sure to complete the form for every child in your household who attends Plank JHS so that we may give each child her/his own library card number. Information on obtaining cards for elementary and junior high school students will come from the elementary and junior high school librarians. In addition to immediate access to the digital library, students will also have the option to visit either campus of the library to get “physical” access to books, movies, video games, etc. The form for obtaining physical resources is attached.
Oswego Public Library eCard Application For Digital Services Google Form
Plank Staff Shout Out
Staff Shout Out Form
Students and families can complete this form.
Yearbook Information
We are developing a plan with our yearbook vendor and sponsor, along with some assistance, to start the process of creating a yearbook for our unique 2020-2021 school year. More information will come out to all families on ordering and submitting pictures to get our yearbook up and running!
Submit school appropriate pictures with descriptions to be considered for this year's yearbook. Consider first day pictures, remote learning pictures, Spirit Week pictures, Plank Spirit Week pictures, etc. If you have any summer, school prep, fall, or winter pictures, start to collect them and send them our way once we have our submission link live!
6th and 7th Grade Plank JHS Course Selection
Current 6th and 7th grade students can start making their elective course selections in the Tyler Portal for the 21/22 school year starting 1/11/21. Course selections must be entered no later than 1/22/21. Counselors will be going into classrooms on Monday, January 11th and Tuesday, January 12th to explain the course selection process.
Core classes will be recommended by teachers. Students and parents are only selecting course electives at this time. You and your child will login through the website to complete the elective course selection process. Course selection can not take place on the Tyler App. To login, please use the following link.
Below are links for elective course descriptions and directions on how to select courses in the Tyler Portal in January 2021.
List of 7th and 8th grade elective courses and descriptions
Directions to enter course requests in Tyler Portal
Reach out to your child’s school counselor if you have any questions.
9th Grade Course Selection for Plank OEHS/OHS students
8th Grade Students and Families –
November kicked off our 3 month course selection process. Below, you will find a detailed timeline regarding this process, as well as how to support your student in completing their piece of the process.
Student Course Requests: Students selected their elective classes between 11/17-11/29 in their Tyler Portal using the following information.
Classroom Presentations: Plank counselors went into 8th grade science classes on Tuesday, November 17th to go over the course selection process and how to enter course requests in Tyler Portal.
8th Grade Course Verification Appointments (12/9-12/18) - Students can make a course verification appointment with their new high school counselor via YouCanBookMe to discuss core class placement, review the elective courses they have selected, and ask any questions they have. If your student missed their verification appointment, the counselor will set up a second google meet to verify their course selections during the week of 1/25-1/29.
*Click here if you are attending OEHS: YouCanBookMe (click here for counselor alpha assignments - OEHS)
*OHS counselors will reach out to students for course selection.
Course requests will be emailed home in mid February so parents can review what was selected. You will have a week to reach out to your student’s counselor if you have questions or concerns about the selections. All student course requests will be finalized by 2/19.
*8th grade students are encouraged to view this video prior to completing their course requests: Stepping Up to High School: Class of 2025.
Parent Resources
Follow the links to access the parent resources that we have available.
- A Parent's Guide to Google Classroom - A step-by-step guide to help parents that are unfamiliar with accessing Google Classroom.
- Google Classroom Cheat Sheet for students - Shake Up Learning
- Google Meets Expectations - Many teachers use these expectations within their Google Hangout Live Meets.
- Google Suite Tutorials - A collection of Google tutorials that students will be using with their teachers during remote learning. There are dozens of resources here that cover almost anything you need to know about using Google Suite.
- Parent's Guide to Student Portal - Tyler 360 document that outlines Student Portal access and features.
- Parent's Guide to Google Suite Applications - From Google Docs to Google Meets, this is a guide for parents to use as a reference for all of the available Google Suite Applications.
Kendall County Community Food Pantry
The Oswego Location of the Kendall County Community Food Pantry is the first Friday of every month from 6 - 7:30 pm at East View Academy, 4175 Route 71, Oswego. Bring your ID with your address. Please come out to receive a variety of food items, including fresh produce, bread, meat, boxed and canned goods. Food will be delivered directly to your car. We look forward to seeing you!
For more information please call 630.636.3667 or click HERE.
Supporting Students and Families
The Student Services team at Plank has compiled a list of valuable resources for families to use. These resources are available to all of our families. There are two forms that can be completed to provide assistance if needed during the summer. We miss you, Pirates!.
This form is a short survey for families. Fill out the family form here.
To visit our Student Services resources Page, please click here.
Set up a time to meet with the Plank Counselors!
Our Plank counseling team is using a new scheduling tool this year. It allows students and parents to directly book a meeting with us. Follow the links below to access the editable schedule to meet with one of our counselors. They also created and released the Counselors Corner Newsletter. If you have questions, reach out to our counseling team below!
Mrs. Gannon (students with last names A-L) cgannon-sd308.youcanbook.me/
Mrs. Hlavacs (students with last names M-Z) khlavacs-sd308.youcanbook.me/
Mrs. Modaff (students with last names M-Z) jmodaff-sd308.youcanbook.me/
Health Paperwork
6th graders:
A complete physical, immunization record ( including the required Meningococcal and Tdap vaccines on or after the 11th birthday) are being collected at this time. Please make sure to fill out and sign the health history on page 2 of the physical form.
A dental exam is also a requirement. The dental exam can be dated from November 15, 2019 to May 15, 2021.
**We are following the current exclusion date given to us by the state of IL of October 15, 2020. Failure to provide these required documents will result in exclusion from school.**
7th graders:
If you did not get in your dental exam required for last school year due to COVID, please do so at this time.
ALL Students:
- Action plans for Asthma, Severe Allergy, Seizure and Diabetes are being collected for the new school year along with medication authorization forms for emergency and daily medications that will be given during school hours. All forms are located under the Health Services tab on the district website.
- Please fill out an Annual health history for your child if you have not done so already. Log into the parent portal of Tyler to complete this portion.
- If your child sustains an injury during remote learning and requires modifications and accommodations for class, please provide a detailed doctor's note to the health office.
- If we are missing any documents required for your child's health file, an email or phone call will be given or sent to you.
All documents can be emailed to kjenkins@sd308.org or faxed to 630-551-9697.
Important - Absence Reporting
Parents- please remember to check your child’s attendance in Tyler Portal. If you notice one or two absences, call the Attendance Office to report the reason. This includes appointments and technology issues. Any student that misses up to two classes without a parent call will be marked “U” Unexcused for those classes. Any student that is marked absent for three or more classes, a call will go home to the parents. Also, please remember that students are expected to be present in class for the entire class period.
Have questions or need help? The Attendance Line number is 630-551-9401. You can also email Mrs. Montes-Mijarez at amontesmijarez@sd308.org.
Attendance Guidelines
Plank Attendance Guidelines
630-551-9401
Please leave a message on the Attendance Line noting the reason for the absence. Include all symptoms or the reason for the absence if it is not illness related. Students need to be called in if they will miss a partial day. Please note the class/classes that will be missed in addition to the reason for the absences.
Teachers are keeping attendance through their hangout meet times, as well as their Wednesday attendance forms. If you have questions, please reach out to the individual teachers about these procedures. If your child was experiencing technical issues with devices, please reach out to the main office to talk with our attendance secretary.
Study Hall and Study Dynamics are classes that do not meet, and there is no need for attendance to be taken. If students have questions during this time, they can reach out to that Study Hall teacher to have questions answered through email.
There is the 2:15 to 3:00 Student Support time at the end of the day. Teachers may be reaching out to students and families to encourage additional support as we get into the school year. This is a time when students will be able to access their classroom teachers for help.
Buried in emails?
Important People to Know
Administration:
Principal
Tyler Haymond 630-551-9410 thaymond@sd308.org
Assistant Principal
Dr. Marcus Lewis 630-551-9411 mlewis@sd308.org
Assistant Principal
Bailey Campbell 630-551-9412 bcampbell@sd308.org
Student Support Lead Teachers
Lead Special Education Teacher
Carrie Quinn 630-551-9497 cquinn@sd308.org
EL Coordinator
Guadalupe Gallardo Escobedo 630-551-9466 ggallardoescobedo@sd308.org
Secretaries:
Principal Secretary
Laurie Williams 630-551-9409 lwilliams@sd308.org
Registrar/Discipline Secretary
Camille Simmons 630-551-9418 csimmons@sd308.org
Attendance Secretary
Asusana (Susie) Montes-Mijarez 630-551-9408 amontesmijarez@sd308.org
Student Services:
Counselors:
Caitlin Gannon 630-551-9414 cgannon@sd308.org
Students with last names A-L
Kelly Hlavacs and Jen Modaff 630-551-9415 khlavacs@sd308.org, jmodaff@sd308.org
Students with last names L-Z
Dr. Tawanda Kitchen 630-551-9483 tkitchen@sd308.org
Restorative Practice Counselor
Social Workers:
Regena Alonzo 630-551-9405 ralonzo@sd308.org
Marguerite Slinger 630-551-9416 mslinger@sd308.org
Building Nurse:
Kristin Jenkins 630-551-9402 kjenkins@sd308.org
Important Resources
Transportation: 630-636-2999
Tyler Parent Portal login/access questions: tylerhelp@sd308.org
Waiver of Fee questions: Kaitlyn Dolenak 630-636-3662
Free/Reduced Lunch Application Status: Paola Lares Luna: 630-636-3663
Plank Junior High School
Email: thaymond@sd308.org
Website: https://www.sd308.org/plank
Location: Plank Jr. High, Secretariat Lane, Oswego, IL, USA
Phone: 6305519400
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/plank308/?scrlybrkr=2abf877d
Twitter: @Plank308