Weekly News from Kimball Hill
November 30, 2020
Weekly News from the Principal
I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving with your loved ones. As we continue our adaptive pause, we look forward to seeing all Kimball Hill students virtually. Please help remind your child to engage in all virtual classes every day, just as they would in person. We understand that learning remotely can sometimes be difficult for children, but we do expect all students in attendance; including specials area classes. We are always looking for fun ways to virtually engage students within the classroom and together as a school. Attached are some pictures of our school-wide celebration. It was so much fun to celebrate our students top notch behavior!
Material Pick Up for Virtual ONLY Students
MAP Testing
Holiday Shop Hosted by PTA (virtual)
Kimball Hill PTA is happy to announce that this year, instead of having our annual Holiday Store during school hours we will be offering something new! Our Holiday Store will now be virtual! Students will be able to go online to make their purchases for family and friends any time this week (11/30-12/6). If you and your child would like everything to stay a surprise there will be an option at Checkout to “hide” the items selected. All purchases will then be delivered to the school for free and we will have a special pick up day before the holidays. Students will still receive special gift bags to wrap each individual gift. To enter, visit https://funservicesil.schoolholidayshops.com/, type Holiday Gift Shop in the login, and finally enter code khs008hgs. Please see the attached flier for more details and easy step by step instructions on how to get into and use the site as well as a print out to help students organize and budget their lists. For any questions please email Khpta1@gmail.com. Stay safe and have fun! Happy Shopping
District-Wide Adaptive Pause November 18-January 5
In our last communication to you following our November 11 Board of Education meeting, we shared the District will be taking an Adaptive Pause beginning the week of November 30 to curb the spread of COVID-19 following the Thanksgiving holiday. This action was taken as we know members of our staff and community, as discussed at the meeting, may attend family gatherings resulting in more potential transmission within our schools. The pause, we felt, would allow time for people who may contract COVID during such celebrations to become symptomatic before returning to school and therefore continue to isolate. Since that decision was shared at the Board meeting on Wednesday evening, some important developments took place that have caused us to modify not only our thinking, but our plan regarding in-person learning during the month ahead.
On Friday, November 13, the Cook County Department of Public Health issued a stay at home advisory. This is not a mandate, but a recommendation based upon public health guidance. The advisory goes into effect Monday, November 16 and will last at least 30 days.
In light of this advisory going into effect, we have heard from many staff members and parents that do not feel safe remaining in school during this stay at home advisory period. Although we have worked hard on our ongoing mitigation efforts, sharply rising community numbers and the county’s attempt to slow the spread of COVID-19 are what prompted this advisory to be implemented and for us to reconsider our plan.
Over the weekend, we surveyed our staff to ask if they felt students should learn remotely in light of the advisory being issued. Nearly 80 percent of staff responded “yes.”
While I know there are varying opinions on this subject ranging from full support to stay open for in-person instruction to advocating for a return to remote learning, the thoughts and feelings of all stakeholders are something we must continue to take into consideration when proceeding with our plans through the remainder of the year. Our staff has worked hard during this trying time, and they are becoming increasingly concerned for their own safety due to the recent surge in positivity rates and health department advisory.
In light of the stay at home advisory, District 15 will implement an Adaptive Pause District-wide beginning Wednesday, November 18. According to the CCDPH, the Pause will last at least 30 days. District 15 will not resume in-person instruction until Winter Break concludes. We will reevaluate conditions during the break period and will inform everyone if we will be resuming school on Tuesday, January 5 as scheduled, or if the Adaptive Pause will need to be extended.
During the Adaptive Pause, students will all learn remotely, as we did to start the 2020-21 school year. Materials will be sent home with students on Monday and/or Tuesday to prepare for remote learning. Most staff will also be working from home during the Adaptive Pause period unless they choose to teach or work from their classroom or office spaces. More information will be provided to staff this week.
I know this decision will come with mixed feedback from our parents, staff and the larger community, with some in support of the plan and others against it. I certainly understand the challenges that working parents will face who rely on our schools for childcare and the overall stressors of fully remote learning. Navigating educational plans during the ups and downs of this pandemic has come with no “right” answers or perfect solutions. In the end, I have to make decisions based upon the health and safety of everyone in our buildings, both students and adults.
Thank you for your continued support and understanding.
en espanol
En nuestra última comunicación con usted después de nuestra reunión de la Junta de Educación del 11 de noviembre, compartimos que el Distrito tomará una Pausa Adaptativa a partir de la semana del 30 de noviembre para minimizar la propagación de COVID-19 después de las vacaciones del Día de Acción de Gracias. Esta acción se tomó porque sabemos que los miembros de nuestro personal y la comunidad, como compartió en la reunión, pueden asistir a reuniones familiares, lo que puede resultar en una mayor transmisión potencial dentro de nuestras escuelas. Sentimos que la pausa permitiría que las personas que contraigan COVID durante tales celebraciones se desarrollen síntomas antes de regresar a la escuela y, por lo tanto, continúen aisladas. Desde que se compartió esa decisión en la reunión de la Junta el miércoles por la noche, ocurrieron algunos desarrollos importantes que nos han llevado a modificar no solo nuestro pensamiento, sino nuestro plan con respecto al aprendizaje en persona durante el próximo mes.
El viernes, 13 de noviembre, el Departamento de Salud Pública del Condado de Cook emitió un aviso de permanencia en el hogar. Esto no es un mandato, sino una recomendación basada en guías de salud pública. El aviso entrará en vigor el lunes, 16 de noviembre y tendrá una duración de al menos 30 días.
A la luz de la entrada en vigor de este aviso, hemos escuchado a muchos miembros del personal y padres que no se sienten seguros al permanecer en la escuela durante este período de aviso para quedarse en casa. Aunque hemos trabajado mucho en nuestros esfuerzos de mitigación en curso, la subida repentina y acelerada del número de casos en la comunidad y el intento del condado de minimizar la propagación de COVID-19 son lo que impulsó la implementación de este aviso y lo que causó la reconsideración de nuestro plan.
Durante el fin de semana, encuestamos a nuestro personal para preguntarles si sentían que los estudiantes deberían aprender de forma remota a la luz del aviso que se emitía. Casi el 80 por ciento del personal respondió "sí."
Sé que hay diferentes opiniones sobre este tema que van desde el apoyo total hacia la apertura a la instrucción en persona hasta la defensa de un regreso al aprendizaje remoto, los pensamientos y sentimientos de nuestro personal son algo que debemos seguir teniendo en cuenta al proceder con nuestros planes durante el resto de 2020. Nuestro personal ha trabajado tanto durante este tiempo difícil, pero están sintiendo el estrés de una pandemia en curso y están cada vez más preocupados por su propia seguridad debido al reciente aumento en las tasas de positividad y los avisos del departamento de salud.
A la luz del aviso de permanecer en casa, el Distrito 15 implementará una Pausa Adaptativa en todo el Distrito a partir del miércoles, 18 de noviembre. Según el CCDPH, la pausa durará al menos 30 días. El Distrito 15 no reanudará la instrucción en persona hasta que concluyan las vacaciones de invierno. Reevaluaremos las condiciones durante las vacaciones e informaremos a todos si reanudaremos la escuela el martes, 5 de enero, según lo programado, o si será necesario extender la Pausa Adaptativa.
Durante la Pausa Adaptativa, todos los estudiantes aprenderán de forma remota, como lo hicimos al comenzar el año escolar 2020-21. Los materiales se enviarán a casa con los estudiantes el lunes y/o martes para prepararse para el aprendizaje remoto durante la pausa adaptativa. La mayoría del personal también trabajará desde casa durante el período de Pausa Adaptativa, a menos que decidan enseñar desde su salón de clases. Se proporcionará más información al personal esta semana.
Sé que esta decisión vendrá con comentarios mixtos de nuestros padres, el personal y la comunidad en general, algunos a favor del plan y otros en contra. Ciertamente comprendo los desafíos que enfrentarán los padres que trabajan y que dependen de nuestras escuelas para el cuidado de sus hijos y los factores estresantes generales del aprendizaje a distancia. Navegar por los planes educativos durante los altibajos de esta pandemia no ha tenido respuestas "correctas" ni soluciones perfectas. Al final, tengo que tomar decisiones basadas en la salud y seguridad de todos en nuestros edificios, tanto los estudiantes como el personal.
Gracias por su continuo apoyo y comprensión.
District 15 Helpline Available
Do you need help and are not sure who to contact? Do you have concerns or worries about yourself or others? The District 15 helpline is only a call or text away Monday-Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Our student services staff are available during these stressful times. Call or text:
English: 847-460-2099
Spanish: 847-460-2129
Calls or texts received outside of these hours will be answered the following workday. You can reach out about multiple topics, including but not limited to:
Social or emotional concerns;
Resources such as food, housing and transportation; or
Ideas on how to support your child
Important Dates to Remember
November 29th-December 4th: Adaptive Pause (In-Person Closure)- Remote Learning for ALL Students
TBD: KH Picture Day- tentative more information to follow
Contact the Principal
Michelle LaCamera
Kimball Hill School
2905 Meadows Dr.
Rolling Meadows, 60008
847-963-5200