We will be adjusting our bells slightly. We also know they haven't been consistently ringing.This may not be done by Tuesday but wanted to give you a head's up.

• Our first bell will ring at 7:55 am which will alert students that they should be in line shortly if not already.
• Remember there is no supervision before 7:50 am so we ask that students do not arrive before then.
• The second bell will be at 7:57 am. At this time the homeroom teachers will greet their students and walk them inside so the day can begin at 8:00 am.

Keeping our students, families and staff safe this year is our biggest priority. On that end, we want to truly minimize things being brought to the school. Only the following items can occasionally be dropped off in the main entrance vestibule: glasses, D97 iPad, or lunch by 10:30 am. The item should be labeled with the student's name as well as the homeroom teacher's name. We encourage students to bring a water bottle daily, but we do have some if needed. If a student forgets a lunch, they may order one at no cost from the school. All D97 lunches are nut safe. If we find that this is happening too frequently, and/or the Delta Variant affects our area more prevalently, we will return to our policy of no items being dropped off. Thank you for working hard to help your child(ren) come to school prepared.

As a reminder, District 97 continues to follow the direction of the Oak Park Department of Public Health, per IDPH guidelines, regarding travel restrictions and quarantine requirements. The Village of Oak Park adopted the travel advisory issued by the City of Chicago and the Cook County Department of Public Health. The advisory includes recommendations; there are no current mandates. Students who quarantine by choice due to travel will not qualify for remote learning, according to the current guidance from state and local health departments.

District 97 is currently hiring for key positions to support in-person learning during the 2021-22 school year!

Permanent Substitutes
District 97 has immediate openings for permanent substitute teachers. If you know anyone who is looking to work with children, earn competitive pay and give back to the community, please encourage them to apply today at: https://www.op97.org/hr/employment.

Lunch/Recess Supervisors
To support our students and staff during the school day, we are still seeking more parents and community members to serve as lunchroom/recess supervisors during the 2021-22 school year. It's easy to apply, and your time would have a direct impact on our schools. CLICK HERE to apply!

District 97 has created a 2021-22 FAQ page based on the top questions we have received over the past few weeks. Topics include ventilation, remote learning, vaccination and travel.

Our back-to-school plan is linked below and can also be found, along with other COVID-19 resources and information, by going to https://www.op97.org/back-to-school.

• District 97 Back-to-School Plan for 2021-22
• COVID-19 Safety Mitigation Highlights

Please visit https://bit.ly/3j0KGTB to access information about the district’s food allergy management program, as well as tips and options for identifying food that is safe for snacks and field trips.

Nuts and nut products are not allowed in any District 97 schools during the 2021-22 school year. This includes products that are labeled “processed in a facility that shares equipment with nut products.” The shift to include lunch was necessary as many students may be eating their lunch in spaces other than the lunchroom due to COVID-19 protocols.

Due to the ongoing pandemic, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has approved key waivers that allow school districts to continue serving free meals to all children. This means that all District 97 students are eligible to receive breakfast and lunch free of charge for the entire 2021-22 school year.

Although students will receive free meals, parents/guardians will need to submit the 2021-22 Free and Reduced Meal Application and be approved in order to be considered for a school fee waiver and other state programs. We encourage all families who currently qualify to take a few minutes to complete the application as soon as possible. Please visit https://www.op97.org/business-office/food-service for more information.