Superintendent News
Lake Zurich Community Unit School District 95
A Message from Dr. Kelley Gallt
November 30, 2020
Dear District 95 Families,
Welcome back; I hope you all found time for family and relaxation over last week's Thanksgiving break!
While the holiday season is typically a time of great celebration for many of us, this year, in particular, may come with new challenges due to the pandemic we continue to navigate both individually and collectively as a community. While I believe it is important for us to recognize that this year has been difficult for each of us in varying ways, I also truly believe that it is often through challenging experiences that we can better recognize and appreciate the goodness that also surrounds us.
The Thanksgiving break has especially given me the chance to reflect on this school year, as well as our opportunities to work together as a collective learning community to ultimately support our students. While certainly not perfect, we have been able to capture some in-person learning time for students who have selected this experience, and have also supported a great number of students remotely. As a district, we have also been able to grow the number of days we provide meals to families in need from 5 to 7 each week, while also beginning a community safe program to support school-aged students with supervision during remote learning experiences. Through the help of Joanie’s Closet and our incredible community, we have supported numerous families by providing coats, boots, and mittens as well as local restaurant gift cards to anyone in need. I was also overwhelmed with absolute pride and joy while reading the warm and heartfelt comments you continue to share through personal messages to staff posted on our Gratitude Message Boards. I cannot thank you enough for sharing such heartfelt and positive messages with our staff, as they deserve the accolades more than I can adequately express. These exceptional acts of caring and kindness truly set our community apart from others! I am so proud to be a part of such a thoughtful and caring family-focused community.
Finally, as it relates to COVID, health, and in-person learning opportunities, please know that we continue to monitor regional, local, and district COVID data on a daily basis and will keep you abreast of any shifts should the data indicate is appropriate.
Sincerely,
Dr. Kelley Gallt
Superintendent
Redistricting School Boundaries
An additional Advisory Boundary Committee meeting has been added to the calendar on December 10th at 6pm. At the last meeting (November 19th), the committee continued their work by considering two additional options based on the committee feedback and the community feedback after the Community Input sessions. The additional meeting will allow the committee to continue its work with RSP and Associated in developing recommendations for the Board of Education in January.
For more information please click here to visit the Redistricting School Boundaries webpage, including the presentation from the November 19th meeting.
May Whitney Construction
The majority of the exterior construction of the New May Whitney Elementary School is now complete. Interior work and furnishings have not yet been completed, and will continue into the new year. The school will open for students in the Fall of 2021.
To see the latest developments, including new drone footage of the building, please visit our webpage: https://www.lz95.org/district/referendum-update.
Forward 95 Update
Additionally, we are also focused on new action plans that include providing greater voice, choice, and flexibility for our students through the addition of blended learning courses, online classes, and other opportunities that we will be seeking input from staff, family, and students as part of our developmental process. The district administrative team is hard at work identifying additional tutoring supports for second semester as well as redesigning our typical summer learning experiences to be more of an extension of the school year, especially in light of the limited amount of in-person learning our students have experienced this fall and early winter.
In order to foster a more collaborative planning process, we will also be eliciting feedback, ideas, and input from each of our stakeholder groups to ensure the district understands the needs and expectations of our learning community.
COVID Positive Letters
Social Emotional Supports
In response to stakeholder feedback requesting additional social-emotional resources for students, the Student Services Department has developed a document outlining all supports offered by the District. New offerings such as virtual Lunch Bunch and in-person counseling appointments during remote learning will start this week.
Linked HERE is a comprehensive list of common supports available to all students. Within this document, you will find information on the following:
- Virtual Lunch Bunch (NEW at the elementary level)
- Virtual sensory regulation room (NEW support offered for elementary students)
- Self-directed virtual calming rooms (NEW offering for elementary and secondary levels)
- Virtual office hours
- In-person counseling supports during remote learning (NEW offering for elementary and secondary levels)
- Parent resources
The Student Services Department is committed to supporting our students and families during these challenging times; as we continue to assess our learning community’s needs and to refine social-emotional supports, you will receive updated communication from our Student Services Department.
Meal Assistance Continues through End of 2020-21 School Year
The Meal Assistance program offered by the district during the summer has been extended by the federal government due to the ongoing pandemic. All District 95 students are now eligible to receive free meals through the Federal Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), which has been extended through the last day of school. Any student receiving an eligible meal will not have their account charged. During in-person learning, a la carte food items (if offered) would still incur a charge.
Meal Assistance (SFSP) eligibility guidelines:
- Any child between the ages of 1 and 18 is eligible to receive a meal (or 21 if a special education student).
- Not required to be a District 95 student
- Student is not required to be present to receive meals
During the fully remote period all students will receive 5 breakfast and 5 lunches per week for at home consumption. Families may pick up their meals at Lake Zurich High School between 10 am and Noon on Mondays. An option for home delivery is available, please email businessoffice@lz95.org with the student’s name, school and grade (if applicable), address, parent’s name and phone number, eLearning, hybrid or daily full day in-person (if applicable). For families picking up meals at the High School, no notification is required in advance.
Please WEAR MASKS when receiving meals for the safety of our staff!
For additional information, please click here to visit our website and click on "Meal Assistance".