Plank Hybrid Learning Update
March 25
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Phase III Information
Phase III for Plank Junior High Begins April 7 and continues through the end of the school year
Hybrid In-person & Remote by Choice
(Video) (Slides)
(Phase 3 Summary Handout
Plank Junior High
In-person:
- Groups A and B will combine and attend on Mon/Tue/Thu/Fri (4 days per week)
- Self Contained Special Education students in ISP and LSP programs will be in person all 5 days
- Arrival and Dismissal times will not change
- First Hour starts at 8:05 AM
- Student dismissal is 1:05 PM
- Wednesday will remain remote learning day for all other students (Go Live! Sessions)
- Student Support Time will still occur on Mon/Tue/Thu/Fri from 2:15 to 3:00
Distancing at Plank
- Current classrooms at Plank can hold 15 students and a teacher with 6 foot distancing
- Class sizes in Phase III may exceed 15-20 students in many classes
- PLEASE NOTE: Six foot social distancing will not always be possible because of the combination of student cohort groups
- Lunch will remain a lunch study hall
- In order to adhere to group size recommendations, students may have their lunch locations change at the start of Phase III
Remote by Choice: There will be no changes from the current schedule
What to expect at Plank
Links to the presentations below are available for families to preview before students return to Plank for Phase III. Information about safety, signage, procedures, routines, and even maps are available to preview. All Plank families can view these presentations in English and in Spanish.
Please note that we will have almost 500 students returning to Plank in person starting in April and through the end of the school year. This will significantly impact the sizes of classrooms and the distancing that we are able to adhere to in the building. Please reach out to the Plank main office if you have questions.
Important Upcoming Dates
3/29/2021 through 4/5/2021 - SPRING BREAK - No School, no student attendance, no Go Live sessions
4/6/2021 - Teacher Institute Day - No School, no student attendance, no Go Live sessions
4/7/2021 - Students Attendance Day - GO LIVE sessions on Wednesday
4/8/2021 - First Day of In-Person School for Phase III - ALL A & B Students will attend
4/15/2021 - Make Up Picture Day - All In person learners before 1:05, Remote students after 1:30.
4/19/2021 - 4/23/2021 - IAR Testing for In-Person students (Information on IAR below)
5/26/2021 - Last Day of School
Updated Daily Health Screening (effective March 22, 2021)
Revised guidance from IDPH/ISBE: Districts and schools should require self-certification and verification for all staff, students, and visitors prior to entering school buildings. IDPH and the CDC no longer recommend screenings upon arrival on the school grounds.
Beginning March 22, based upon the revised guidance, symptom screening for students upon arrival at school will be discontinued. Any presentation or suspicion of symptoms in students will be directed for evaluation by the school nurse. The survey will still be sent in an effort to collect verification of self-certification from parents as outlined in the state guidance.
Updated Guidance on Symptoms
IDPH guidance has changed regarding exclusion for COVID-19 symptoms.
The current symptom list: Fever (100.4°F or higher), new onset of moderate to severe headache, shortness of breath, new cough, sore throat, vomiting, diarrhea, new loss of sense of taste or smell, fatigue from unknown cause, muscle or body aches from unknown cause.
Congestion/runny nose, nausea, and abdominal pain are no longer included.
Updated Close Contact Definition
Updated Quarantine Requirements for Students
In response to a decrease in community infection and spread, low instance of COVID-19 in the school setting, and a large majority of the SD 308 staff now fully vaccinated, SD 308 has implemented changes to the quarantine requirements for close contacts. These changes align with the IDPH guidance for schools revised 3.16.21.
For students who are identified as a close contact to a known case of COVID-19 (6 feet or closer for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more in a 24 hour period):
- 10 day Quarantine if the following two requirements are met:
- No presence of COVID-19 Symptoms
- PCR Negative Test (at least 5 days after exposure)
*For students who do not test, the full 14 day quarantine is required.
Updated Quarantine Requirements for Staff
For adult staff who are identified as a close contact to a known case of COVID-19 (6 feet or closer for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more in a 24 hour period):
7 day Quarantine if the following two requirements are met:
- No presence of COVID-19 Symptoms
- PCR Negative Test (at least 5 days after exposure)
*For staff who do not test, the full 14 day quarantine is required.
Adult staff who are fully vaccinated do not need to quarantine when identified as a close contact as long as they remain asymptomatic.
In order for the early release from quarantine to be met, the individual must provide proof of the negative PCR test results to the school nurse, verify the absence of symptoms, and then await the email release form prior to attending school/work.
Student Devices
New devices will necessitate some new expectations…we’ll all adjust and learn as we go. Please understand that we are all adjusting to the 1:1 devices, so new expectations may be developed in classes. We are excited to move to 1:1 devices. Remember that If we follow our ARR Core Values, (Always Safe, Respectful, Responsible) and we will be just fine!
Here are some general Chromebook reminders:
- The tech department will be sending general information and expectations regarding the chromebooks through TylerSIS
- Change your SD308 account password from the default.
- Students should bring their charged Chromebooks to school each day. They may or may not be used in each classroom each day, but it is considered a school supply now, so students should be prepared with the device
- Keep your SD308 account profile picture appropriate. If your camera is off, use a picture of yourself as the profile picture or your initials.
- Students should follow teacher expectations regarding CB use within the classroom.
- Students should use their CB only for school related content while at school.
- Students cannot "customize" their device with stickers, etc. As of right now, they will be turning in devices at the end of the school year, so treating the device with care is essential. Devices that have decorations or damage may incur replacement or repair charges.
Device Update
Pirate Families!
Having technology issues? Follow this link to complete the technology help form.
What if students do not return Chromebooks or chargers during the dates above?
Students will have two weeks from the distribution dates listed above to return the Chromebook and charger to the LRC at the building. If the equipment is not returned before the deadline, charges will be assessed as follows:
$320 - Device replacement
$50 - Power supply replacement
What if the Chromebook or charger is damaged?
Damage will be assessed and charged accordingly.
Special Education Instructional Classes and Life Skills Programs for Phase III
Wednesday During Phase III
Wednesday continue to be a GO LIVE day for students during Phase III. This means:
Wednesday Attendance: Students will have attendance taken in their GO LIVE classes on Wednesday.
Attendance: Students late to a LIVE Meet class will be marked tardy. Students not present in a LIVE Meet class will be marked absent. Students are expected to attend all LIVE Meet scheduled classes for the entire duration of the class every day.
ALSO: Our School Day is over at 3:00 during our Hybrid Phase III Schedule. 2:15 to 3:00 is Student Support Time Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. Encourage your child to check into a SST class to get extra help if they are struggling in a class, or if they have questions for the teacher. Support times are all found within your child's Google Classroom.
Supplies for In-Person Learners
All students coming to Plank will need to bring the following materials every day. These items were on the initial supply list sent out prior to the start of the school year and I hope you all still have them:
PHASE III
- A fully charged device
- Spiral Notebooks
- Folders for Classes
- Math Book
- Springboard Book
- Supply Pouch
- Writing tools
Breakfast/Lunch
Due to federal guidelines, all students who come to school for In-Person learning throughout Hybrid Learning will be presented with the option of taking breakfast and lunch home for 6 days of the week. Therefore, students who come in will have the option to take pre-bagged meals home each day they are here when leaving the building.
Students will be able to take three days worth of food home each day they are here. There is no requirement for them to do so.
As students are leaving Plank for the day, they will have the opportunity to "Grab and Go" their lunch and milks. We ask that students bring these items directly home, as many items will be frozen that will need to be reheated to eat.
Building Readiness, Safety, and Cleaning
At Plank, safety measures have been added to increase student safety include the following:
Signage is up around the building - both hanging from ceilings and taped on floors. We have one way and two way hallways that are notated. All students will be expected to walk to the right on hallways and maintain 3-6 feet of distance between students whenever possible. Guides for this are taped onto the floors.
Additional visual cues that we will use with students is
3 ceiling tiles = 6 feet
6 Cafe floor Tiles = 6 feet
5 Bricks on a wall = 6 feet
Drinking fountains - Drinking fountains continue to be turned off to prevent the spread of COVID. However, we have a water bottle filling station that students can use to refill their water during the day. Students are asked to bring their own filled water bottles from home to use while they are at school. Water bottles with straws are highly encouraged to help keep masks on as much as possible.
Bathrooms - Student restrooms will be regularly checked before school, during the time students are in the building and extensively cleaned each afternoon/evening. Bathrooms will be limited to one student at a time in our bathrooms. Cleaning and sanitation will follow IDPH guidelines, including frequent cleaning of high touch points. Thorough cleaning will occur each evening. Electrostatic sanitizing sprayers have been purchased to assist with sanitation. EPA approved disinfecting products will be used to disinfect hard surfaces throughout the day and during evening cleaning.
Safety Guidelines
You can test the viability of your mask at home using a candle or a match. If you can blow out the flame with the face covering on, it isn't allowed to be worn at school. We have disposable masks that we can give to students that come to school with an unapproved face covering.
Lockers - Students will continue to not have the ability to use lockers during our Phase III transition. At this time, we would be unable to safely distance students at lockers, even at a minimum of 3 feet of distance. Students will need to carry all belonging with them from class to class, including backpacks, coats, jackets, and sweatshirts. We do not have a place to store personal belongings, so items like scooters and skateboards must stay home.
Student ID - Students who still have the previous year's ID are encouraged to bring those to school. This will help our staff identify our students. Students received IDs when they had their school pictures taken in February.
Hand sanitizer - The district has supplied hand sanitizer and there are automatic dispensers found throughout the building. Pump dispensers are located in each classroom. Students may bring their own small, personal hand sanitizer container to school.
Medication - If your student requires medication at school either on a regular basis or just as needed, please have your physician complete the updated 2020-2021 Medication Authorization Form as well as Allergy Action Plans or Asthma Action Plans as appropriate for your student. ALL prescriptions or over the counter medication must have an Authorization form on file each school year. Please note the Medication form is now 3 pages in length and the last page has the areas that require parent initials and signatures. Links to these forms can be found below in this newsletter.
Nutrition - Eating breakfast will be more important than ever, since students will not be eating while they are at school. This includes snacks. Hunger can cause stomach pain or headaches which are Covid-19 symptoms. We would love to be able to keep your students in school and not have to send them home for quarantine.
Arrival Procedures UPDATED FOR PHASE III
Students Arriving by Bus: Busing will be provided as in previous years for students. Arrival is 7:50 students will be allowed to enter after 7:50 AM. Bus Routes are scheduled to arrive between 7:50 AM and 8:00 AM. Students will enter Door 19. Students will report to their first class for the day.
Students Arriving by Car / Neighborhood Walkers: Vehicles pull up to the Crosswalk (Door 1) prior to exiting the vehicle. Arrival is at 7:50. We ask that students stay in vehicles until 7:50 AM to maintain safe distancing as much as possible. Students will report to their first class for the day.
Please note entrances for In-Person learners. 7th and 8th grade students will note that these entrances are changes from previous year's entrances.
ALL students who are brought to school by car will enter Door 2.
ALL students who are bussed to school will enter Door 19.
IMPORTANT: Arrival and Dismissal Parking Lot Map
Starting on April 7th, the Entrance at Plank Junior High will be an EXIT ONLY from 7:45AM to 8:10 AM and again from 12:55 PM to 1:15 PM. The Entrance Lanes will be blocked for traffic entering Plank Junior High. All Plank Traffic must enter the Churchill entrance in order to help reduce the backup on Secretariat and Wolf's Crossing.
Below is the updated traffic map for drop off and pick up for Plank. Please adhere to the flow of traffic on the map so that we can expedite student arrival and dismissal for all families. Note that the traffic is one-way for this pick up for the safety of all of our students and staff.
Arrival - Enter through the Churchill entrance. Proceed from Churchill to Plank along the service road. Turn into the drop off area, and pull up to the Yellow Line, indicated by a stop sign on the map. Please do not block crosswalks so that we can safely move students. Once you have dropped off your child, please continue to exit out through the Churchill exit. The Plank exit needs to remain open for bus traffic.
Dismissal - Enter through the Churchill entrance. Proceed from Churchill to Plank along the service road. Turn into the pick up area, and pull up to the Yellow Line, indicated by a stop sign on the map. Please do not block crosswalks so that we can safely move students. Once you have picked up your child, please continue to exit out through the Churchill exit, or exit through the Plank exit. The Plank exit needs to remain open for bus traffic.
If you have specific questions, please contact the main office 630-551-9400.
Lunch Procedures
Students will not be eating lunch at school during Phase III. During their lunch time, they will attend a 30 minute supervised study hall. Students in these study hall classes will maintain their social distance and will be expected to complete school work during this time. Lunch/Study information can be found on their second semester schedules.
We are still providing food for students at the end of the school day. Students may choose a sack of lunch items at the end of each school day at dismissal. Each bag will contain 3 days worth of breakfast and lunch items. These are to go home with students each day. As a reminder, food is not to be eaten on the bus for safety concerns.
Before April 7th, students should check in Tyler Portal to view their updated lunch locations and supervisors. These may have changed due to the increase in the number of students attending school.
Dismissal Procedures
Busses must be starting their routes by 1:15 so they can complete the elementary routes. This means students must get directly on their busses once they are dismissed. Students cannot congregate outside the busses.
Students who are sick
If your child will not be attending class, you will need to continue to call your student into the Attendance line at: 630-551-9401. You must leave symptoms along with the information for your student. Please be patient with us. We will be doing follow-up calls for Covid-19 symptoms. If you will be out of town, please do not say your student has a headache, etc. We have been instructed to error on the side of caution and all siblings will be sent home if one sibling is symptomatic. If your student is remote and was out for the morning but later returns to class participation you will need to update the Attendance line.
Picking Students Up early during this time - Signing Out Students
If you must sign out your student, follow the instructions listed below.
Enter vestibule through Door #1
Have your driver license ready
Ring the doorbell in the vestibule
A Secretary will ask you who you are picking up
You will be instructed to hold your driver license up to the camera
Secretary will match your contact information to your student
Your student will be called out of class to meet you in the vestibule
Allow extra time to sign out your student. Secretaries will do the sign out
log from the office. They will also log the name of parent who is picking up
the student. Parents will remain in the vestibule until joined by their child.
Parents may not return to their car until their student arrives for student safety.
In order to maintain appropriate distances and due to lack of space to house students outside of classrooms, students cannot be pulled out of class before parents arrive.
As a notice for all parents; students must leave with a parent or guardian if they are being picked up for the day. Children may not walk home on their own prior to dismissal since there are no adults available to supervise as they exit the Plank/Churchill campus, and no crossing guards.
Families Who Need to have Medications at School
Please contact Kristen Jenkins, Plank Building Nurse to schedule a time to drop off medication , so we can plan appropriately for social distancing. You may call or email to set up a time and date that works for you (during school hours). Phone: 630-551-9402, email: kjenkins@sd308.org
Medication Authorization Form:
https://www.sd308.org/cms/lib/IL01906463/Centricity/Domain/172/MedicationAuthForm.pdf
Allergy Action Plan:
Asthma Action Plan:
https://www.sd308.org/cms/lib/IL01906463/Centricity/Domain/172/asthma-action-plan-aafa.pdf
Seizure Action Plan:
https://www.sd308.org/cms/lib/IL01906463/Centricity/Domain/172/seizure-action-plan.pdf
Diabetic Management Plan
https://www.sd308.org/cms/lib/IL01906463/Centricity/Domain/172/diabetes-medical-management.pdf
Please review contact information for both phone and email addresses to be sure we are able to contact you in a timely manner.
TECHNOLOGY INFORMATION
Trouble Logging Into Tyler?
Here are step by step instructions for students to log into Tyler.
Tyler SIS Student 360 APP Instructions
Tyler SIS Student 360 Desktop/Chromebook Instructions
Tyler Student Information System vs. Google Classroom
Tyler Student Information System is the best communication tool to check your child's progress in all classes. Teachers are finding that students are turning in work into Google Classroom that is incomplete. Tyler SIS holds the official information that will translate into grades at the end of the semester.
Through Hybrid Instruction feedback for remote students occurs electronically. Students remote and in person may submit work to the teacher and the teacher will comment on it and return it. Final grades will only be housed within Tyler SIS.
Google Resources
All things Google - There is a lot of resources here and they are organized into the various sections within Google.
Parent/Student Technology Troubleshooting Portal
All needs surrounding technology are handled at the district level and we apologize for some of the issues arising as we continue to set up Remote Learning. Please use this link to troubleshoot issues and ask for assistance if needed.
Device Request Form
Please complete this form if you need a device for your student or support with home connectivity. This form needs to be completed for each student you have within 308.
Parent Resources
Follow the links to access the parent resources that we have available.
- A Parent's Guide to Google Classroom - A step-by-step guide to help parents that are unfamiliar with accessing Google Classroom.
- Google Classroom Cheat Sheet for students - Shake Up Learning
- Google Meets Expectations - Many teachers use these expectations within their Google Hangout Live Meets.
- Google Suite Tutorials - A collection of Google tutorials that students will be using with their teachers during remote learning. There are dozens of resources here that cover almost anything you need to know about using Google Suite.
- Parent's Guide to Student Portal - Tyler 360 document that outlines Student Portal access and features.
- Parent's Guide to Google Suite Applications - From Google Docs to Google Meets, this is a guide for parents to use as a reference for all of the available Google Suite Applications.
Supporting Students and Families
The Student Services team at Plank has compiled a list of valuable resources for families to use. These resources are available to all of our families. There are two forms that can be completed to provide assistance if needed during the summer. We miss you, Pirates!.
This form is a short survey for families. Fill out the family form here.
To visit our Student Services resources Page, please click here.
Set up a time to meet with the Plank Counselors!
Our Plank counseling team is using a new scheduling tool this year. It allows students and parents to directly book a meeting with us. Follow the links below to access the editable schedule to meet with one of our counselors. They also created and released the Counselors Corner Newsletter. If you have questions, reach out to our counseling team below!
Mrs. Gannon (students with last names A-L) cgannon-sd308.youcanbook.me/
Mrs. Hlavacs (students with last names M-Z) khlavacs-sd308.youcanbook.me/
Mrs. Modaff (students with last names M-Z) jmodaff-sd308.youcanbook.me/
Attendance Guidelines
Plank Attendance Guidelines
630-551-9401
Please leave a message on the Attendance Line noting the reason for the absence. Include all symptoms or the reason for the absence if it is not illness related. Students need to be called in if they will miss a partial day. Please note the class/classes that will be missed in addition to the reason for the absences.
If you have questions, please reach out to the individual teachers about these procedures. If your child was experiencing technical issues with devices, please reach out to the main office to talk with our attendance secretary.
Study Hall and Study Dynamics are classes that do not meet during the remote portion of the Hybrid schedule, and there is no need for attendance to be taken. If students have questions during this time, they can reach out to that Study Hall teacher to have questions answered through email.
There is the 3:00 to 3:25 Student Support time at the end of the day. Teachers may be reaching out to students and families to encourage additional support as we get into the school year. This is a time when students will be able to access their classroom teachers for help.
Important People to Know
Administration:
Principal
Tyler Haymond 630-551-9410 thaymond@sd308.org
Assistant Principal
Dr. Marcus Lewis 630-551-9411 mlewis@sd308.org
Assistant Principal
Bailey Campbell 630-551-9412 bcampbell@sd308.org
Student Support Lead Teachers
Lead Special Education Teacher
Carrie Quinn 630-551-9497 cquinn@sd308.org
EL Coordinator
Guadalupe Gallardo Escobedo 630-551-9466 ggallardoescobedo@sd308.org
Secretaries:
Principal Secretary
Laurie Williams 630-551-9409 lwilliams@sd308.org
Registrar/Discipline Secretary
Camille Simmons 630-551-9418 csimmons@sd308.org
Attendance Secretary
Asusana (Susie) Montes-Mijarez 630-551-9408 amontesmijarez@sd308.org
Student Services:
Counselors:
Caitlin Gannon 630-551-9414 cgannon@sd308.org
Students with last names A-L
Kelly Hlavacs and Jen Modaff 630-551-9415 khlavacs@sd308.org, jmodaff@sd308.org
Students with last names L-Z
Dr. Tawanda Kitchen 630-551-9483 tkitchen@sd308.org
Restorative Practice Counselor
Social Workers:
Regena Alonzo 630-551-9405 ralonzo@sd308.org
Marguerite Slinger 630-551-9416 mslinger@sd308.org
Building Nurse:
Kristin Jenkins 630-551-9402 kjenkins@sd308.org
Important Resources
Transportation: 630-636-2999
Tyler Parent Portal login/access questions: tylerhelp@sd308.org
Waiver of Fee questions: Kaitlyn Dolenak 630-636-3662
Free/Reduced Lunch Application Status: Paola Lares Luna: 630-636-3663
Plank Junior High School
Email: thaymond@sd308.org
Website: https://www.sd308.org/plank
Location: Plank Jr. High, Secretariat Lane, Oswego, IL, USA
Phone: 6305519400
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/plank308/?scrlybrkr=2abf877d
Twitter: @Plank308