Munhall Bulletin
March 20, 2020
Munhall Elementary School
Email: heather.miller@d303.org
Website: http://munhall.d303.org/
Location: 1400 South 13th Avenue
Phone: 331-228-2600
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Munhall-Elementary-1459358344296891/
Twitter: @MunhallD303
Principal Note
e-Learning
To say it has been an extraordinary week would be a gross understatement. The way our country, city, and school have changed since the last Munhall eNews is unprecedented. When I reviewed what I wrote to the parent community at this time last week, it made me feel as if it was a lifetime ago. So much has happened in one week’s time. Our teachers came together to create e-Learning experiences for our students. I can assure you there was no college preparatory class or master’s course that prepared teachers for this task. Monumental efforts by our staff, combined with creative collaboration, and the trusting partnerships we have established with parents are all factors that have gotten us to where we are with e-Learning. I continue to be so grateful to our parent community for the number of compliments and praise that has been shared with the Munhall staff.
Now, let’s talk about our students. Each student is reacting differently to this time away from school. Some may be excited, while others are bored. Some may be happy to be home, and others may be anxious. Some may love e-Learning, while others may find it difficult and lacking motivation. What we do know is our students miss their friends and their teachers. I have heard this message loud and clear. As we continue to grow in our vision of what e-Learning looks like at Munhall, we know the importance of trying to make it personalized for students. Parents have shared stories of how their child lights up when they see their teacher in a video, or when they get customized feedback from their teacher. Obviously, this is going to look different for our K-2 students vs. our 3rd-5th students due to Chromebook accessibility. Nonetheless, teachers and staff will continue to plan through a lens of trying to maintain a connection to their students.
Now, let’s talk about our parents. Please know we are still trying to find the “sweet” spot when it comes to e-Learning. Some parents want more work. Some parents think it’s just right. Some parents are sharing that it’s a bit overwhelming. For many of you, you are balancing the act of working from home, while also supporting your child with their academic tasks and classroom assignments. Yes, every family and circumstance is unique, and what is most important right now is that you are doing what you need to do to meet the basic needs of your family. With e-Learning, we are here as a school community to add learning and value to your time at home, not intentionally add stress to it. Again, thank you so much for all you have done this week. I know many of you have gotten thrust into the role of being teacher, while trying to spin several additional plates. Your partnership, feedback, and communication is paramount to this effort. With Gratitude…
A few other items specific to next week:
Unless I hear otherwise, I will still be in the office next week between 8:00-3:30. If you need anything, please call 331-228-6637.
As a district, we continue to provide food for students who need breakfast and lunch. These meals can be picked up in our drive-thru, grab and go pickup between 9:00 AM and 11:00 AM each weekday at Thompson Middle School, located at 705 W. Main Street.
I have been posting morning announcements to the Munhall Facebook page each morning, and I plan on continuing to do that next week. The Munhall Facebook page can be found here. I know Facebook is not reaching our entire Munhall community, so beginning next week I will begin pushing these announcements out via teacher Google Classrooms, SeeSaw, or a mass email distribution. The announcement from this morning can be found here.
All of us, including students and parents, have put in an inordinate number of hours over the last week. I am giving teachers the directive this weekend to completely power off and be present with their families. Therefore, they will not be responding to emails, etc. I hope you and your family do the same.
Please visit the District 303 website that is designed to answer your questions about e-Learning, assist you with finding community resources, and link you to information from reputable agencies about COVID-19.
Por favor, visite el sitio web del Distrito ya que está diseñado para responder sus preguntas sobre el aprendizaje electrónico (e-Learning), ayudarle a encontrar recursos, y enlazarlo con información de agencias confiables sobre el COVID-19
Lastly, we realize this is a stressful time for families. If you are looking for resources for talking with your children, the National Association of School Psychologists has parent resources online.
Intra-District Transfer Waivers
This message is a reminder to elementary school families that the Intra-District transfer window for the 2020-21 school year opens on April 7 at 8:00 a.m. For the 2020-21 school year ALL elementary students have been assigned to their attendance area school by the District. This includes elementary students currently attending a school on an intra-district transfer.
An Intra-District Transfer Request must be submitted online no sooner than 8:00 a.m. on April 7, 2020 and no later than 4:00 p.m. on April 20. A link to the request form will be posted on the District 303 web page (district.d303.org) by 8:00 a.m. on April 7.
If you are requesting a transfer for more than one child, a separate request must be submitted for each. Due to fluctuating class sizes at schools and each grade level, siblings are not guaranteed placement. If granted, transportation is the responsibility of the parents. If you have questions about the process, please call the District office at 331.228.2000.
Illinois Assessment of Readiness and Illinois Science Assessment
I’ve had a few parents inquire about the status of our state tests (IAR for 3rd-5th grade ad ISA for 5th grade only). We are still waiting on guidance from the state, but as you probably know this situation is fluid based on a date for returning to school. More information will follow once there is clarity about next steps.
Munhall Yearbooks
The yearbook committee is looking for photos, please see below for upcoming deadlines:
Today - deadline for parents and teachers to submit photos to munhallyearbook@gmail.com
April 4th - deadline for parents to order the yearbook and customize their 2 free custom pages.
Have a great weekend!
Jarrod Buxton, Principal
Expensify, a food assistance program
These are unprecedented times, and it's inspiring to see communities rising to the challenge. However, not everyone has the resources to "shelter in place" especially the millions of people in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Living paycheck to paycheck is hard when millions of businesses around the nation are closing down indefinitely, and hourly workers (including those dependent upon tips) are the hardest hit. In particular, families with kids whose primary meals happen at school are especially vulnerable when those schools shut down.
With this in mind, Expensify.org is going to temporarily redirect all of its charitable funds to Expensify.org/hunger. With its ability to reimburse volunteers directly in real-time, Expensify.org is uniquely positioned to help families in need immediately. Until today, this fund was focused on paying off kids' "lunch debts" , but with schools closed around the nation, that isn't the top priority. Instead, we're devoting everything to a new program: matching SNAP grocery purchases up to $50 per family. It works like this:
- Purchase food as normal with your SNAP card
- Download Expensify on iOS or Android, for free
- Join the Expensify.org/hunger policy
- SmartScan the receipt, which will tell us how much you paid and show that it was paid for with an Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card
- Submit it to volunteer@expensify.org
- Set up your bank account to receive the funds
- So long as we have funds available, we will reimburse up to $50 per family (one time), the very next day.
To be clear, we can't commit to reimbursing every single person in need — we have no idea how many people will do this, and unfortunately, we don't have unlimited funds. We also don't know how long this crisis will last and how far our brand new charity's resources will stretch. But we're going to do what we can with the funds donated on behalf of Expensify Cardholders via the Karma Points feature, as well as by the extremely generous donors who have signed up for our Corporate and Personal Karma programs.
This is a truly global crisis, and it is only beginning. We all need to work together to weather the storm, and on behalf of Expensify.org's many generous members, we're eager to help.
-david
President of Expensify.org
PS: While you may not personally be on SNAP, please forward this along to anyone based in the US (where the SNAP program operates) you know that may need food assistance — or to any other groups or organizations who might be able to spread the word that help is available. Helping our local communities is what Expensify.org is all about!
Nurse Notes
Dear Parents,
The peak of the cold and flu season is upon us! Recently, the Nurses at Munhall Elementary have been caring for a number of students experiencing fevers and other cold like symptoms. We are also aware that some students are absent from school because they have been diagnosed with the flu and other influenza-like symptoms. During the months of October through April, each school in District 303 tracks influenza activity in cooperation with the Kane County Health Department. We consult with their staff to determine whether influenza activity in a school warrants additional follow up, and at this time, there is no additional interventions needed. Preventative measures remain the most effective way to reduce the spread of influenza.
Students who present to the Health Office with a fever or are feeling poorly are sent home. To prevent widespread flu in the school, we recommend that your child stay home from school if experiencing flu or cold symptoms. To decide whether or not to send your child to school, please consider the following guidelines:
Consider keeping your child at home for an extra day of rest and observation if he or she has any of the following symptoms:
Very stuffy or runny nose and/or cough
Mild sore throat (no fever, no known exposure to strep)
Headache
Mild stomach ache
Definitely keep your child at home for treatment and observation if he or she has any of these symptoms:
Fever (greater than 100 degrees)
Vomiting
Diarrhea
Chills
General malaise or feelings of fatigue
Frequent congested (wet) or croupy cough
Lots of nasal congestion with frequent blowing of nose
To help prevent the flu and other illnesses, teach your children good hygiene habits:
Wash hands frequently
Do not touch eyes, nose or mouth
Cover mouth and nose when sneezing or coughing, use a paper tissue, throw it away and then wash hands
Avoid close contact with people who are ill
Colds are the most contagious during the first 48 hours. A child who has a fever should remain at home until "fever free" for a minimum of 24 hours without the aid of fever reducing medication. A child who has started antibiotics needs to be on the medication for 24 hours before considered non-contagious and able to return to school. Keeping your ill child at home will minimize the spread of infections and viruses in the classroom.
Thank you in advance for helping make this year at school as healthy as possible.