School News
News From Marion Jordan Elementary
NEWS FROM D15 - Moving from Virtual to In-Person Learning
This week we shared a survey for returning to in-person learning. If your child is currently learing in a virtual classroom, we ask that you please fill out this survey by the end of the day Friday, March 19, as we need as much time as possible to analyze the data and carefully examine if each grade-level classroom can safely distance between learners.
If you have already filled out the survey, thank you!
Information from Mrs. Grosch
- I hope everyone is healthy, well, and looking forward to spring break. In the event your family is planning to travel over spring break, a concurrent learning option is available for your student(s) upon return. Dr. Heinz recently sent out a communication with a link for in-person students' families to register for concurrent learning following spring break, with a submission deadline of Monday, March 15. If you did not have a chance to fill out the survey but intend for your child(ren) to learn concurrently, please email me directly with this information. It does require the classroom teacher to make preparations for concurrent learners and we appreciate your proactive communication so that we can provide the best learning opportunities for your student(s). It is important to note that post-travel quarantine is recommended and encouraged at this time, but not required or mandated.
- The MJ Talent Show was a huge success! Congratualtions to all of our A-List performers. Many families enjoyed grabbing some preferred snacks and cuddling under a blanket to watch the show. In the event you did not have a chance to see in yet, here is the MJ TALENT SHOW LINK.
- Each spring students in grades 3-6 take a statewide assessment-IAR (Illinois Assessment of Readiness). The assessments are to be administered in person. Our primary focus will be testing students who currently attend school in-person. We will have an option to test students attending virtual classrooms as well. An opt-out option is available for those students learning from home. We will begin testing in mid-April and hope to be complete with our assessments by the end of the month. If needed, we will continue into May. Each individual classroom teacher will communicate his/her specific testing schedule in the coming weeks. Below you will find information on the assessments students will take. School attendance on these days is critical as a make-up option is not available. The best way to help your child prepare for these assessments is by sleeping well, eating a healthy breakfast, and encouraging best effort!
Grade 3-6
3 units/test in Math
3 units/test in English Language Arts
Each unit about 60 minutes each. Student will take 1-2 units a day over the course of several days
- The IDPH released new guidance for schools in recent weeks. District 15 is working diligently to read, interpret, and plan for the new parameters.
Beyond Just Boundaries Community Engagement
Since its founding in 1946, District 15 has become a destination district, known for our academic and social emotional initiatives and for leading the way in literacy and culturally responsive practices. While we are incredibly proud of the work we have done academically, little attention or funding has been given to the operational foundation of the district over those 75 years—our 20 school buildings, and how to most effectively use them to support the academic needs of our uniquely diverse population.
Our decades-old boundary lines no longer meet our communities’ needs. Solving these challenges brings opportunity. By improving our boundary lines and modernizing our facilities, we can achieve many of the enhancements our community has requested for decades, which will support our students’ academic and social emotional needs.
Realigning school boundaries is never easy. But the outcome of this process will result in widespread improvements for everyone in District 15—not just for today’s students, but for generations to come.
That’s why our community has collaborated - for the past three years - in order to develop a solution. Thousands of community members have provided insight to our district leaders and elected Board of Education Members, and together we have identified nine high value priorities for our school district while maintaining our commitment to fiscal responsibility:
Focus on Near-Neighborhood Schools
Establish a Cohesive Educational Path for Students
Balance Enrollment
Offer Full-Day Kindergarten for All
Upgrade to a Middle School Model
Eliminate the Bilingual Overlay
Ensure Equitable Access to Programs and Services
Utilize Our Facilities More Efficiently
Repair and Restore Our School Buildings
This multi-year effort requires continuous planning, even in the midst of the pandemic. We are ready to take the next steps forward by inviting the community to learn more about where we are in the planning process and invite them to share feedback to help further inform our thinking.
Our goal throughout this process is to gather feedback from the community with opportunities for two-way communication. In an effort to keep a two-way dialogue, we will have a cap on the number of participants for our virtual sessions. We will follow state and local guidelines for the number of in-person participants we will host. If you are not able to attend or are not selected for one of the sessions, we will be recording and sharing a session to ensure the whole District 15 community will stay informed.
All of the sessions will cover the same information. To register for a session, please visit the website.
5Essentials - Parent Survey
This is a reminder that the 2021 5Essentials Illinois Parent Survey opened on Feb. 3, 2021. The survey window will close on April 2, 2021. This is an opportunity for you to provide feedback on our school. Thank you in advance for taking the time to complete the survey.
Here is the link to take the survey: http://survey.5-essentials.org/illinois/survey/parent/
What's happening at MJ?
PTA News
- Get a jump start on collecting books for summer reading! A Spring Book Fair is in the works for May 6th. Special features include online ordering as well as a drive thru option. More information to come.
- The Science Guys are scheduled to do a virtual assembly for our students on April 29th! The students are soooo excited about listening to and learning from an expert in the field of science. Many thanks to our PTA for providing this opportunity.
- In an effort to provide communications to ALL FAMILIES, the PTA will be including all emails and cell numbers to communicate with MJ Parents, regardless of membership in the PTA. Should you prefer to opt-out of this communication, please send an email to Mrs. Grosch @ groschj@ccsd15.net stating you would like to opt-out of the MJ PTA communication.
From the Health Office
Current IDPH guidance remains the same as of TODAY, 3/16:
For families who are choosing to voluntarily quarantine following domestic/international travel:
-Get tested 3-5 after travel AND stay home for 7 days after travel (even if the test comes back negative, you must stay home for 7 full days)
-If the test comes back positive, please let us know and isolate yourself in order to protect others
-If no testing is done 3-5 after travel, it's safest to stay home for 10 days after traveling
IMPORTANT: Post-travel quarantine is recommended and encouraged at this time, with concurrent learning available to those who have registered to do so, but not required or mandated.
Sincerely,
Sherin Thomas, RN BSN
847-963-5502
School Absences
When an absence is warranted due to COVID related illness or quarantine, please email BOTH the school nurse, thomass2@ccsd15.net, and the classroom teacher. Emailing both doubles the chances of us knowing about and preparing the necessary steps to provide the best concurrent learning opportunities. Adding a concurrent learner does take additional steps on the part of the teacher and we thank you in advance for giving us both time and your patience as we make the necessary preparations.
Family Resources
Should you speak up when you disagree with the approach other families are taking with their Covid rules? Reena discusses the latest news on the spread of the British mutation and Dr. Lisa describes the mental maneuvers we make when trying to rationalize behavior. How do we find peace when we feel uneasy with what other families are doing? And how do you talk with children about the fact that different families follow different rules?
- Anticipating some time together as a family over Spring Break? Check out the free Family Ties Workbook for ideas and activities to help build a strong, nurturing family environment. The workbook contains fun activities related to five areas of family functioning - Building Trust, Family Support, Kindness, Communication, and Working Together - to help foster connections.
MJ Social Work Website
About us
Email: MJAdmin@ccsd15.net
Website: ccsd15.net/MJ
Location: 100 North Harrison Avenue, Palatine, IL, USA
Phone: 847-963-5500