Attea Flyers
School Newsletter for Parents
For the week of April 5
Hello, Attea families.
Since the transition to Adapted In Person is the dominant focus for all of us right now, this newsletter also focuses mainly on AIP details. Below you will find last week's section first, followed by some new and clarifying information. There's also a Google form for parents to submit questions that haven't been answered in these newsletters or by teachers.
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As always, if you have questions or concerns, please contact us: Contact Attea Middle School.
Have a safe and happy weekend.
Go Flyers!!
Help!! Today is the last day and we haven't made it yet.
Today is the deadline for parents to respond to the 5Essentials Survey. We need to get to 20% but we're only at 16%. We only need another 55 to be submitted to reach our threshold.
Here is a link for parents to take the survey: 5Essentials Parent Survey. It requires only 10 minutes or so to complete. How about taking it right now?
Adapted In Person Information (reprinted from last week)
Overture / Before School
The morning Overture period for Band, Orchestra and Choir (BOC) group rehearsals will begin on April 12.
Activity route information can be found here.
Students’ ID’s display their assigned AM and PM route, designated by a letter of the alphabet.
Early morning activity buses will be available for BOC students only.
The Overture period is from 7:10-8:05am.
BOC Directors will let students know what days they are assigned to group rehearsals.
The school opens to all other students at 8am. There is no supervision available to drop students off early.
Arrival
Three entrances and a total of six scan-in stations will be used to handle a higher number of in-person students each morning: the bus entrance, the main entrance, and the athletic entrance.
Classrooms
In the Adapted In Person phase, existing student cohorts will remain together. Any necessary change to a student’s schedule will be communicated by the student’s team.
Students will be given assigned seats in each classroom in order to assist with any contract tracing should it become necessary.
Cohorts will use passing periods to move to different classrooms for different classes.
Students will use wipes to clean their own desk upon entering a new classroom.
Desks have been added to classrooms to accommodate more in-person students at one time, and the spacing between desks ranges from 3-5 feet depending on cohort and room sizes.
Students’ schedules in PowerSchool will show the show their assigned classroom numbers.
Bathrooms
We will increase the number of students that can be in a bathroom at one time while still maintaining a limit.
Lunch
All students will be assigned a lunch location either in a classroom or the cafeteria.
Students will continue to be spaced 6 or more feet apart for lunch.
Barriers will continue to be used in all spaces while students are eating with their masks off.
Lunch periods will be divided into two parts, with half of students eating first and then having outdoor recess in the last ten minutes of lunch while the other half having recess first and then eating for the last twenty minutes. This arrangement provides students with regular outdoor recess (weather dependent) while still limiting the number of students gathered in one place at one time.
After-School Activities
A limited number of after-school activities will be in-person starting on April 7, including Track & Field, the Musical, and clubs (as determined by club sponsors).
Attendance will be taken for after-school activities.
Late activity bus service is available for students who participate in pre-approved activities.
Students taking the late bus will be assigned to a specific seat.
Adapted In Person - Additional Information and Clarifications
Attendance Expectations
Being able to provide students with remote (Zoom) access to classrooms has been an invaluable resource to maintaining daily instruction when being in person has not been possible. However, simultaneously teaching two groups of students – one in-person and one remote – is a complex endeavor for teachers (managing attendance, preparing materials, planning for group work, etc.). During Remote and Hybrid modes, Zoom access to class was a necessity. With the transition to daily in-person learning, our expectations for in-person student attendance are more like a regular school year. Specifically, students who are signed up for in-person learning are expected to report to school each day.
In-person students who need to isolate or quarantine will be able to Zoom into classes without restriction. Repeated absences by in-person students who do not show up to school and seek to access classrooms via Zoom may result in a meeting with school administration about a permanent switch to GOAL status. As a general reminder to parents, absences from school are excused only when approved by a parent due to illness, a medical appointment, or some other unavoidable reason.
Self-assessments
These are still required, and it will be very helpful if students make sure they are completed at home in order to get students into the building as efficiently as possible.
Entering the building in the morning
The school will continue to open to students at 8am (except for Band, Orchestra, and Choir students participating in Overture rehearsals). Because there will be more students in-person each day, we will be using all 3 entrances for students: the bus entrance, the main entrance, and the athletic entrance. Students will be able to enter at any spot. See the map below.
Google Chat, Hangout, and Meet to be turned off
Since in-person students will have access to their teachers every day, these Google features will be turned off for in-person students starting on April 7. GOAL students will still have access to these features in order to make communication with teachers as easy as possible.
Water Bottles
Additional water stations have been installed on the 2nd and 3rd floors. Be sure to bring a refillable water bottle to school each day.
Drop-off (and Pick-up) Pattern and Student Scan-in Locations
8th Grade End-of-Year Activities
We wanted to get information out to parents regarding end of the year plans for 8th grade. Like everything this year, this is a fluid plan that may change, however we wanted to share with you the information we have so far. Please see the information below:
Graduation: We are going to move forward with plans for graduation ceremonies at GBS. Here are the current details:
- The dates currently on the calendar are correct:
Springman - Wednesday, May 26
Attea - Thursday, May 27
There will be two ceremonies on each evening to facilitate distancing of the students on stage. Each ceremony will graduate approximately 140 students.
The students will likely be grouped for the ceremony according to their grade level team.
Tickets to families will be limited. The specific number, likely 2 or 3, will depend on the maximum capacity of the auditorium while maintaining acceptable distancing. We are working with GBS on this.
The specific times for the ceremonies have not been determined yet, although we anticipate two 90-minute windows. For example, the first ceremony could be from 5-6:30pm (5pm for staging and 5:30-6:30 for the ceremony) and the second ceremony from 7-8:30pm (7pm for staging and 7:30-8:30 for the ceremony).
The ceremony will be live streamed and recorded.
Gowns have already been distributed to 8th graders during picture day.
The last day of school for all 8th graders will be Wednesday, May 26.
8th Grade Celebration and Farewell: In addition to the graduation ceremony, we are considering some kind of celebration at the middle schools. Although we don’t know precisely what COVID restrictions will allow by the end of May, we want to provide some kind of on-site celebration. This might involve:
Students being given a designated time to come to school.
An area outside the school decorated for a photo opportunity.
Staff members present to participate in the celebration.
Other options might include a sound system or a photographer
Great America
We have been given the go ahead to explore the experience further with the following understandings:
Friday, May 21 is the target date for the trip.
Great America has announced its plans to re-open with specific COVID-related health and safety protocols.
The trip is optional for all students.
Students will pay for the cost of the trip, including tickets and transportation.
We will provide bus transportation to and from the theme park.
Students must take the bus to Great America.
Additional buses may be utilized to ensure acceptable distancing on the buses.
Staff will chaperone students on the bus and students will be on their own once inside the park with the expectation of periodic check-ins.
Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR)
Soon after we transition to Adapted In Person the middle schools will be administering the Illinois Assessment of Readiness, or IAR. According to federal law, students must take an achievement exam in reading/language arts and mathematics each year from third through eighth grade. Science testing is required for students in grades fifth and eighth. The Federal Government did not provide a testing waiver this year so all Illinois public schools are required to administer all standardized tests this spring. In Illinois, students take the Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) and the Illinois Science Assessment (ISA).
Students will be testing on the following days/times:
- Tuesday, April 13: 8:15 - 9:30
- Thursday, April 15: 8:15 - 9:30
- Friday, April 16: 8:15 - 9:30
- Monday, April 19: 8:15 - 10:00
- Tuesday, April 20: 8:15 - 10:25
Please note that there is no official "opt out" of testing. We are required to provide all students who are in attendance on testing days with the opportunity to test. Students who are absent will be recorded as "Absent for the test." Students who are at school but choose not to take the test must remain in testing rooms. They may read a book, doodle/draw, or wait silently. They cannot access school work or their device during the testing sessions.
Attea Middle School
Email: attea.website@glenview34.org
Website: https://at.glenview34.org/
Location: 2500 Chestnut Avenue, Glenview, IL, USA
Phone: 847-486-7700