WHAT'S UP AT LINCOLN
Weekly Newsletter and Announcements
A Message from Principal Gordon
Dear Lincoln Families,
I must say it feels good to see the sun and feel the temperatures rise. I hope you continue to get some sun rays and are enjoying the clear walkways after all that snow!
Please note a few things that I would like to share:
- Our online Book Fair has started (please use the link below to visit and purchase books)
- 5Essentials survey is still open, but we don't yet have enough parent participation to garner results for our school (please use the link below to complete the survey)
- Trimester 3 begins in two weeks
As always, please continue to help us by completing your child's self-certification using CrisisGo. I look forward to another great week!
Take care,
Ms. Gordon
Illinois 5Essentials Parent Survey
The parent survey will take approximately 10 minutes to complete. You may skip questions you do not wish to answer, but the survey must be completed in one sitting and cannot be retrieved once it is submitted. If you have more than one child enrolled in a building (i.e., two students who attend the same school), you have the option of completing multiple surveys for that building. In addition, if you have children enrolled in multiple schools (i.e., a District 97 elementary school and middle school), you may participate in the survey for each school.
However, only one parent/guardian per household may fill out the survey.
As with the student and teacher surveys, your identity will be kept completely confidential and your responses will not be linked to you. In addition, school-level reports will only be generated if at least 20 percent of our parents/guardians complete the survey, which can be accessed until April 2, 2021, by visiting http://survey.5-essentials.org/illinois/survey/parent/. This percentage will be based on the total number of students enrolled at each school. If we successfully meet this requirement, we will receive our reports in Spring/Summer 2021.
You can access general information about the Illinois 5Essentials Survey by visiting https://www.uchicagoimpact.org/our-offerings/5essentials.
Thank you for participating in this important endeavor, and for your continued support of our schools and the children we serve.
Dates to Remember:
3/9 - School Board Meeting
3/12 - Trimester 2 Ends
3/15 - Trimester 3 Begins (Students who elected hybrid for T3 will return)
A Note from Nurse Donovan
District 97 pandemic protocols represent the latest guidance from IDPH. These protocols have also been reinforced by the Oak Park Director of Public Health. The CrisisGo self-certification system is intended to identify students, or students' households, who may be experiencing symptoms that present a potential risk for Covid-19 transmission to the school community.
Parents and Guardians of students attending in-person hybrid instruction are asked to complete the CrisisGo self-certification by 7:10 am on each school day. Please read all questions carefully before submitting your replies, and note that Question #1, which asks about the presentation of noted symptoms, applies to your child as well as anyone within your child's household.
If your response triggers a RED At Risk alert, your child/children must remain at home, and we ask that you contact the Lincoln School Nurse, Georgia Donovan gdonovan@op97.org (708-524-3108) for further guidance regarding your child's return to school.
A Message from MTSS:
Updated COVID-19 Travel Guidance from the Oak Park Department of Public Health
On Feb. 25, the Oak Park Department of Public Health updated its travel guidelines to align with the new guidance from the Cook County Department of Public Health, which follows the travel order issued by the City of Chicago.
District 97 has been following the guidance of the Oak Park Department of Public Health throughout the school year, and will be adjusting travel expectations for staff and students accordingly. A summary of the new travel guidelines is included below.
Please note that travel guidance during the pandemic is fluid and highly dependent on the level of COVID-19 transmission at local, state and national levels. Any plans made under this guidance could be subject to different restrictions when the planned travel takes place.
Although we will no longer require a full 14-day quarantine for those who travel out of state (see below), there continues to be a consistent message from health officials to avoid non-essential travel to reduce the risk of getting and spreading COVID-19. We ask that all staff and families carefully review this information and continue following all public health guidance to keep our community safe.
Updated Travel Guidance
As of Feb. 25, 2021, the Village of Oak Park and suburban Cook County are following the emergency travel order issued by the City of Chicago. Under the new system, states are categorized as Yellow or Orange based on the level of community-wide spread.
- If you travel to a YELLOW state, no COVID test or quarantine is required upon return. You must maintain strict masking and social distancing and monitor your health for COVID-19 symptoms, both during and after travel.
- If you travel to an ORANGE state, you must follow the quarantine guidelines, even if you visit the state for less than 24 hours:
- 10-day quarantine OR
- Pre-arrival negative test result (no longer than 72 hours prior to arrival) with strict masking, social distancing and avoidance of in-person gatherings. OR
- (NEW) Be fully vaccinated, defined as two weeks after the second dose of a two-dose COVID-19 vaccine or two weeks after one dose of a single-dose vaccine, without symptoms and maintaining strict masking and distancing.
If you have tested positive for COVID-19 within the past 90 days, you are exempt from the travel order as long as you have completed your 10-day isolation (from start of symptoms and/or positive test), have a documented positive test, and remain asymptomatic during your travel.
If a District 97 student or staff member travels out of state, they should check Chicago’s travel web page for the current status of the state and follow all recommendations before returning to school/work.
Click here to view the list of states, travel requirements and frequently asked questions.
International Travel
Effective January 26, the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will require all air passengers entering the United States (including U.S. citizens and Legal Permanent Residents) to present a negative COVID-19 test, taken within three calendar days of departure or proof of recovery from the virus within the last 90 days. Airlines must confirm the negative test result or proof of recovery for all passengers two years of age and over prior to boarding. Airlines must deny boarding of passengers who do not provide documentation of a negative test or recovery. Please see CDC’s FAQ for answers to questions about the new requirement for proof of negative COVID-19 test or recovery from COVID-19 for all air passengers arriving in the United States.
Responding to a Positive COVID-19 Case
When to Stay Home from School/Work
We ask that our entire District 97 community help keep our schools safe by adhering to our COVID-19 guidelines. This includes students/staff staying home if they:
- Are feeling sick
- Have tested positive for COVID-19
- Are waiting for a COVID-19 test result
- Are a close contact of a positive/probable COVID-19 case
- Have traveled for more than 24 hours out of state.
Staff Shout Out
Please click here to let us know and we will feature them in the next newsletter.
INFORMATION FROM DISTRICT 97
Next Meal D97 Meal Distribution: Tuesday, March 2
February Breakfast/Lunch Menus
Meals will be provided free of cost this fall to any District 97 student in need. Each bag of food will contain five breakfasts and five lunches.
Meal distributions will be held every Tuesday, from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Longfellow Elementary School (for Julian and feeder schools), 715 S. Highland Ave., and Brooks Middle School (for Brooks and feeder schools), 325 S. Kenilworth Ave.
D97 Breakfast/Lunch Menus - March 2021
D97 to Host Virtual Parent-to-Parent Circle Series
District 97 families are invited to join our upcoming Virtual Parent-to-Parent Series, which will be facilitated in partnership with the E-Team of Oak Park. Events will be held:
- Wednesday, March 18, from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
- Wednesday, April 29, from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
The sessions are designed to build community among District 97 parents and guardians and provide support as we navigate hybrid learning. The intention is for parents/guardians to attend all three sessions to help build a consistent community, but if you cannot make the first session you may still attend the others. Please let us know your availability in the registration form so that we can plan accordingly.
The deadline to register is Tuesday, Feb. 16. To sign up, please visit https://bit.ly/D97ParentCircles.
"Mindful Middle-Schoolers" Program
The Community Mental Health Board of Oak Park Township, Oak Park Elementary School District 97, and DePaul University’s Community Counseling Center have partnered to deliver a vast array of educational and therapeutic services to staff, families, and youth through the “Mindful Middle-Schoolers Program.” Below is a list of upcoming VIRTUAL talks, which will be held via Zoom. Registration via the Eventbrite links below is requested. Once you register, a link will be emailed to you four hours prior to the start of each event.
"Mindful Middle-Schoolers" Community Talk Flyer
- Wednesday, March 3 (6 p.m.): Technology and mental health: strategies to promote mindful digital citizenship https://www.eventbrite.com/e/technology-and-mental-healthstrategies-to-promote-mindful-tech-use-tickets-141699038639
- Thursday, March 11 (6 p.m.): Mindfulness-based strategies and their applications in academic and home environments https://www.eventbrite.com/e/understandingmindfulness-tickets-141700721673
- Wednesday, March 17 (6 p.m.): Understanding and supporting the emotional health of Black children https://www.eventbrite.com/e/understanding-and-supporting-theemotional-health-of-black-children-tickets-141702515037
- Wednesday, March 24 (6 p.m.): Understanding depression in youth and strategies for treatment and support https://www.eventbrite.com/e/understanding-depression-inyouth-and-strategies-for-treatment-and-support-tickets-141698771841
PTO INFORMATION
Lincoln School Spirit Wear
How Do I Access Technology Support During Remote Learning?
Technical support will be available from school and district technology staff by accessing the Help Desk through email, helpdesk@op97.org. When an email is submitted, a Help Desk ticket is created and assigned to technology staff, who will be working throughout the day to address technology concerns. Our technology team can support District 97 devices and student online programs.
About Us
Email: lincolnoffice@op97.org
Website: op97.org/lincoln
Location: 1111 South Grove Avenue, Oak Park, IL, USA
Phone: 708-524-3110
Twitter: @UpAtLincolnOP