Superintendent's Corner 😎 🏫 😎
Avoca School District 37 - February 8, 2021
In this issue ...
- Black History Month
- Coming Soon: Separate Communications About New Travel Guidance
- Learning Schedule for Post Spring Break - How & When You Will Know
- Summer School Survey
- School Calendar for 2021-22 Approved by Board of Ed
- Student Voices - Orchestra Crushes Again & Amplify Avoca
Black History Month
This month particularly but not exclusively, our teachers are empowered and encouraged to take time to highlight important aspects of Black History that will resonate with our students, raise their awareness (aligned with important social emotional standards), and invite them to think critically about the world they inhabit and the society of which they are a part.
Certainly aspects of Black American history are about oppression. At least equal amounts are about liberation, justice, freedom, and the creation of rich culture - all of which speak to being an American. These are what teachers will address in various ways during the month.
If you would like to take another approach to Black History at home, consider previewing one of these short films (6 to 20 minutes) on different stories of Black American experiences (from quilting to astronauts to Black Panthers to The Green Book) then sharing it with your child (not all are appropriate for all ages). Click here to learn more.
Coming Soon: Communications About New Travel Guidance
I will send a separate email later this week which will make clear how the school district will follow this guidance going forward, particularly as it pertains to Spring Break.
Thank you for your patience as we look to communicate as clearly as possible on this topic.
Learning Schedules Post Spring Break - When You Will Know
- When will we know if we will move to a Modified Onsite Daily schedule? and
- Why can't we start sooner than Spring Break?
We know that we can continue our Hybrid Schedule but even this requires a lot of work when students change from remote to hybrid. Class sizes need to be as balanced as possible for both onsite classes and remote classes. This takes work and needs to be coordinated with our Special Education services and our EL services. Now that we have families selections, we will set about that work.
Students who moved from remote to the hybrid schedule will start their new schedules on February 22. We anticipate that shortly after February 22, we will know whether or not we will be able to move to a Modified Onsite Daily schedule after Spring Break. This is because we will again have to reallocate and train staff, reassign some students to new teachers, reallocate space, possibly reassign bus routes, and move substantial amounts of furniture out of storage. And it is not necessarily the case that both schools will be on the same schedule.
Please see my last two memos to the Board of Education for more details regarding what is informing our decision making.
January 14 Memo to Board of Education on Learning Schedules
2021-2022 Calendar Approved by Board
Please click here to see the calendar and note the following highlights:
- First Day of Student Attendance - August 25
- Thanksgiving Break for Students/Families Runs November 22 through November 26
- Winter Break Runs December 20 through December 31
- Spring Breaks for Students Runs March 25 through April 1
- The last day of student attendance is June 10
Summer (and Fall) 2021 Learning Survey
Please click on this survey to provide the District Administration feedback.
Avoca Orchestra Crushes It Again - Now with a Sea Shanty
Amplify Avoca for February 8, 2021
Contact us
Email: osburnk@avoca37.org
Website: www.avoca37.org
Location: 2921 Illinois Road
Phone: 847-728-4128
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/avoca.schools37
Twitter: @AvocaOsburn