Weekly Communique
February 19, 2021
Thoughts from Dr. Pacatte
Vaccinations
As noted in last week's communique, our teachers may begin receiving the second dose of the vaccination in the next few weeks. Staff began receiving the first shot as early as the end of January. The second dose is associated with possible fever, chills, aches, and malaise which, if present, could make it difficult for a teacher to teach. Not everyone has the same experience. We anticipate second doses will be given throughout March and possibly into early April. We have asked participating staff members to plan and have prepared at least two days of asynchronous learning for their students, for the two days following their second vaccination. (Asynchronous learning asks the student to log into their class and complete the work the teacher has already prepared without the teacher present.) With over 180 staff members participating and anywhere from 5-15 or more receiving the vaccination on the same day, it would be impossible for us to provide the necessary substitute teachers.
Teachers have been asked to consider notifying families of their possible absence in advance so parents can plan accordingly. If your child is participating in the Hybrid program you may choose to keep them home on those days. They could participate remotely if the teacher is able to teach or complete their asynchronous work, if the teacher is ill. If you send your child to school, and your teacher is not present, we will do our best to situate them in a socially distanced location to complete the work assigned by the teacher, but it may not be in their classroom as the schools will have to respond to a unique number of classrooms without a teacher during this time period. More information regarding these plans will be coming home from our schools as the building principals navigate this latest challenge.
It is important to recognize that while this vaccination process creates another set of undesirable circumstances and challenges, the end result moves us closer to our ultimate goal of putting the pandemic behind us.
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Information from CDC
Gurnee School District 56
Email: returningstudent@d56.org
Website: www.d56.org
Location: 3706 West Florida Avenue, Gurnee, IL, USA
Phone: 847-336-0800
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GurneeD56
Twitter: @GurneeD56