News You Can Use: Back to School
August 24, 2020
Principal's Message
Hello, Ravinia Families!
This newsletter is packed with important information about the start of the 2020-2021 school year! Please take time to read this carefully so you and your child can be prepared for some of our new procedures. I truly appreciate your partnership as we welcome our students back to a new school year. I cannot wait to see our students at Ravinia on September 3.
Warmly,
Courtney Nordstrom
Important Dates to Remember
8/25/20
School Board Meeting @ 7pm
8/26/20
Kindergarten Bus Trial Run
8/28/20
Student Material Pick-Up @ 9am-11am. See below for assigned time slot.
9/1/20
Virtual Meet and Greet with Classroom Teachers - more details to come!
9/3/20
First Day of Student Attendance9/10/20
Ravinia Open House - Virtual @ 6pm - 7pm
NSSD112 Reopening Updates
The most recent NSSD112 Reopening Presentation can be found HERE.
Student Material Pick Up: August 28
Due to construction in Millennium Hall, we need to have an on foot supply pick up spread out on school grounds on Friday, August 28.
Hybrid students attending in person this year, you will go to your assigned arrival spot (see arrival map below.) Staff will be there to give you your supply bag. You will also be able to see where to line up on the first day of school. Parents are not able to be on the property during the first drop-off, so this will give our students a chance to see where to go before the first day. If you cannot pick up your supplies, you may take them home on the first day, or arrange for an alternate pick up time with the office.
9:00-9:30: Families whose last names start with A-E
9:30-10:00 Families whose last names start with F-K
10:00-10:30 Families whose last names start with L-P
10:30-11:00 Families whose last names start with Q-Z
Virtual Students may pick up their supplies from 9:00-10:00 in Millennium Hall Circle. If you are not available during this time, please contact the office to arrange for an alternate supply pick up time.
In order to maintain social distancing guidelines, please only come during your window and then leave the property so that others can get their supplies. The playground is still closed, unfortunately, you may not stay and play. Masks are required for everyone on school grounds - this will give your child a chance to practice our expectations before the first day of school.
School Schedule
School Hours:
AM Session 8:40am - 10:55am
PM Session 12:55pm - 3:10pm
Student Hybrid/Virtual Schedule
Each grade level will follow a specific daily schedule communicated by the teachers.
Each grade level will include 5 hours of learning.
Students who receive specific services will be provided those services during the 5 hours of required learning.
In addition to reading, writing and math, each grade level will participate in science, social studies, art, library, music, and physical education.
Science and social studies will be delivered through asynchronous(pre-recorded) instruction.
ALL Ravinia students will participate in specials with Ravinia teachers. If you are participating in full remote learning, you will be joining your grade level Ravinia peers for virtual specials classes each day.
Specials classes will include synchronous(live) and asynchronous(pre-recorded) learning. Some days may include 2 synchronous special classes, while other days may include 1 synchronous specials class and 1 asynchronous specials class.
Visitor Policy
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, visitors are not permitted at the school. If you need to drop off your child's device or water bottle, you may enter the front door (A7) of the school with a face covering and leave the item with your child's name on it and someone will deliver it to your child. If your child is tardy, you may walk your child in the front door and sign them in. Ring the doorbell to the office, and the administrative assistant will lead your child in to the building.
At this time, volunteers or parent tours of any kind are also not permitted. We will continue to hold IEP meetings virtually to protect the health of our families and staff. Please do not linger in the parking lot. To maintain social distancing and ensure safety, only school staff and students are allowed on school grounds for arrival.
Snacks & Meals
In order to prevent the extended removal of masks, we cannot allow snacks or meals at school. We strongly encourage families to ensure that their child has a full breakfast or lunch before coming to school. In addition, we will have a “to go” option for families that need support with meals. We will continue to support families with food insecurity. Should your child have a medical condition that requires snacks, please collaborate with the building administrator and nurse for an accommodation. Every student should bring a clean and full water bottle to school each day. Please label the water bottle with your child’s name. We recommend that they have bottles that do not require the entire lid to be unscrewed to drink so that spills are limited.
Masks
Masks are one of our most important safety measures. All students and staff must wear a protective mask that is properly fitting and that covers both the mouth and nose. Please include an extra mask in your child’s extra set of clothes in case they need to change their mask during the day. Disposable masks should be replaced daily, and reusable masks must be washed after every use. Parents should wear a mask anytime that they exit their car on the property. If your family is struggling to provide masks for your child, please collaborate with your school principal or nurse for support.
What to Bring to School
Due to the social distancing and mitigation strategies being deployed in each building, we are asking students to limit what they bring to school. In the opening days of school, students will be provided supplies and instructional materials to keep at home. They will also have a similar set kept at school. As such, the only thing that needs to be brought to school is the school issued Ipad or Chromebook and a water bottle. Everything else should be part of their daily wardrobe, including a face mask.
School Safety Procedures
In addition to other safety measures in place, we are encouraging social distancing at all times. Students will be sitting six feet apart in classrooms facing the same direction, and there will be plexiglass dividers between students when that is not possible. Signage has been installed throughout the building to remind students about social distancing and arrows are in the halls for directionality. We have enhanced our arrival and dismissal procedures to limit the number of students at any one door. Hand sanitizer is available in every classroom for student and staff use, and additional handwashing stations have been provided at each building. Water fountains that do not have bottle filling stations have been turned off to discourage their use. All classrooms in use during the day will be cleaned between the morning and afternoon sessions, and overnight by sanitation specialists.
Arrival Procedures
Millennium Hall Drive will continue to be used for our car line pick up and drop off. You will only be able to enter by turning right from Roger WIlliams Avenue. Likewise, signage prohibits a left hand turn onto Roger Williams during pick up and drop off.
Cars and buses will drop children off in Millennium Hall Drive. Please pull all the way to the end of the drive before stopping. Adults may not exit their car in the drop off lane, and children are required to exit the car on the passenger side of the vehicle for the safety of everyone. If your child needs assistance exiting the car, please park in one of the two hour parking spaces on Dean Avenue and walk them to the playground.
In order to maintain social distancing and for safety reasons, only students and staff are allowed on school property during arrival. You may drop off your child in the drop off lane in Millennium Hall Drive, or on foot at the entrance to school property. Please see the included map for arrival line up, and consider walking through the property before the first day of school to show your child where they will be lining up. There will be a white painted Raccoon print to indicate the start of each line. The school playground is still not open at this time, so we appreciate you not gathering on grounds.
There will be no grounds supervision before 8:30am for morning classes and 12:40pm for afternoon classes.
Dismissal Procedures
Self-Certification
Administrators and staff will have access to a list of students who have not self certified. Students who do not complete the self certification process will not be admitted into the building. Thank you for your cooperation on this important safety matter.
Innovation Learning Information
2020-2021 SCHOOL SUPPLIES
Highland Park Library Event
Raising Antiracist Children: A Virtual Event
Wednesday, August 26th, 7pm-8:30pm.
Join racial healing facilitators, Sarah Dennis and Yvonnie DuBose, for a discussion on race, racism, and parenting. This session is for parents and caregivers eager to learn practical tools to go beyond "colorblindness" in talking to their children about race. This program will include a presentation and Q & A with the facilitators and book talks from Youth Services librarians. Registration required. Register at https://www.hplibrary.org/event/4502667.
Cub Scout Pack 34
For more information contact: Andy Plasz, 312-343-5537, andrewplasz@sbcglobal.net or visit www.beascout.org.
Optimistic Household
Ravinia School
Website: nssd112.org/ravinia
Location: 763 Dean Avenue, Highland Park, IL, USA
Phone: 2247653700
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/raviniaschool/?ref=bookmarks
Twitter: @RaviniaSchool