BG eNews -Home Edition
April 8, 2020
Notes from Mrs. Klueppel...
Please note the following items for your attention:
- Governor Pritzker announced that the closure of Illinois schools will extend through April 30. Remote learning will continue through April 30. Please take a few moments to watch a video message from Superintendent Dr. Jason Pearson about the District 303 response to COVID-19 and our remote learning plan.
- 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.
REMOTE LEARNING UPDATE:
Monday-Thursday Lessons:
Starting this week and through April 30, teachers will share/push out lessons to students Monday through Thursday. You can expect daily lessons to be shared by 9am. Throughout the month of April, on Fridays teachers will be participating in professional learning and planning days. They will not be sharing new lessons for the students.
Parent/Teacher Conferences:
Originally Spring Parent/Teacher Conferences were to be held Thursday April 9, in the afternoon. Please note that Thursday April 9, will be a regular remote learning day, we will not be holding conferences in the afternoon. In some cases your child's teacher may have reached out to you about scheduling a conference. You may work together to find a time that is convenient for both of you to host a virtual conference.
Change in terminology:
Starting this week you may have noted a change in our terminology. Moving forward we will be using the term Remote Learning instead of eLearning. This shift is to help signify that teaching & learning is still occurring, just in a remote manner.
Spring Testing:
Much to the dismay of our 3rd-5th grade students and staff (haha), we will NOT be administering the Illinois Assessment of Readiness. We were scheduled to administer that test throughout the month of April as all districts across our state do. Even if we return to in-person teaching & learning on May 1, we will NOT administer this assessment this year.
Where Do I Go If I Have Questions?:
With so much information and communication flooding your inbox daily you might not even know where to start if you have a question. Here is a little guidance... if you have a question about anything related to your child or their daily lessons please reach out directly to your child's teacher. If you have questions beyond the classroom please reach out to me (amy.klueppel@d303.org). I can't promise you that I have all the answers but I know where to go find them for you!
PTO:
The PTO Board, Kris Marbutt, and I had a meeting yesterday. I am beyond grateful for the focus they continue to have on supporting the BG Community. They are thinking creatively about ways to bring our BG Community together during this difficult time. I encourage you to follow them on Facebook to hear about current updates and ideas. In the meantime, please know together we are looking for resources to support our community, not just with fun activities but with resources to support everyone (students and parents) as we continue to navigate the unknown.
Stay Well, Stay Safe, Stay Sane, Stay Connected! I miss you all so very much.
K-2 Device Distribution
General Information:
To support remote learning, D303 is making devices available to students in grades K-2 who need an additional device at home. Devices will be available for pick-up at your child’s school according to the schedule attached. If you feel your family has sufficient personal devices available or your child can share a D303 device with a sibling, you do not need to pick up an additional device.
Kindergarten and first grade students will receive an iPad, while second grade students will receive Chromebooks. All devices distributed by D303 are equipped with internet filtering to help keep students safe. These filters do a good job blocking students from inappropriate content. If you have any concerns about improper content being accessed on any district device, please contact D303 IT support at https://helpdesk.d303.org/chat/ and we will address your concern.
iPads will be equipped with a selection of applications to assist with remote learning that should be familiar to many students. Chromebooks will allow students to access online services and applications similar to those used in their learning experiences at school.
All District 303 devices are password protected. Parents will receive the passwords during device pick-up. Our youngest students do not always know or remember their account passwords. Please know that help is immediately available for password resets, and other issues during business hours M-F at https://helpdesk.d303.org/chat/
Device Pickup Process:
Clean, disinfected devices will be distributed to families at the direction of D303 staff from a responsible socially distanced pickup point, directly inside your child’s school. The following procedures are being put into place to make device pickup available in the safest possible manner.
- Devices have not been physically touched by D303 staff after being cleaned and placed in the distribution carts.
- Distribution areas are deep cleaned every evening during this process.
- Please know your child’s teacher’s name, and if possible, student ID number, to speed up the pickup process.
- Please observe directions on posted signs and follow guidance from D303 staff to keep safe social distancing and allow for efficient device distribution.
- School entrances and exits where pick-up takes place will be propped open to avoid unnecessary contact with door handles.
- Tape lines will indicate proper line distancing from the sidewalk into the building. PLEASE observe the taped areas when lines form.
- If you observe a line entering the building, please remain in your vehicle or stay at a safe distance until there is room.
- Pickup times are for the distribution of devices only. No access to the rest of the building for personal belongings is available..
Device Pick-up Schedule:
We are asking families to pick up devices at their child’s school according to your last name and the schedule listed in the chart below. If your schedule does not allow this, you may pick up the device during any scheduled time at your child’s school. To accommodate the large number of families whose children attend Davis Primary, there is an extended pick up schedule for those families.
MEAL DISTRIBUTION SITES
Remote Learning Highlights
Student learning that aligns with District 303 curriculum will be delivered through a District supported Learning Management System (LMS) such as Google Classroom, Schoology, Seesaw, or email.
In an effort to respond to students and their academic needs, staff members will be available between 8:00 am and 3:30 pm.
Teachers will use a variety of methods to stay connected with students, including: Google Classroom, Schoology, videos, emails, and phone calls.
Teachers will collaborate with their course and grade-level teams to develop activities and tasks that are aligned with the curriculum and instructional units throughout the duration of remote learning.
Assessments will be based upon a student’s progression of skills and abilities.
Students who have not yet demonstrated proficiency will be provided with opportunities to continue learning and receive additional feedback to support their learning.
Remote learning activities can assist students with increasing their grade, but will not have an adverse effect on a student’s grade.
Competency-based grading and reporting will continue for grade K-5 during remote learning.
During remote learning days, District 303 will continue to use the letter grade structure for students in grades 6-12 throughout the remainder of the semester.
Remote learning days count as student attendance days. On Monday mornings, students in grades 6-12 will receive a brief survey they are expected to complete by noon that records their intended participation in learning for that week and their attendance. Elementary teachers will record attendance based on student participation in the remote learning assignments and activities.
Remote learning details are outlined in the remote learning plan. Specific information for your child's classes and courses will be shared by the school and teacher.
Elementary Intra-District Transfer Window
This message is a reminder to elementary school families that the Intra-District transfer window for the 2020-2021 school year opened on April 7.
For the 2020-2021 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 the first Tuesday following spring break (April 7, 2020) and no later than 4:00 p.m. on the third Monday following (April 20). A link to the request form can be found on the District 303 web page (district.d303.org).
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.
Placement Letter for Upcoming School Year - Deadline: 4/17
Request for Yearbook Photos
- E-Learning
- Barn Dance
- Boy Scouts
- Girl Scouts
- Band/Orchestra
- Clubs
Please send them to nessabgyearbook@gmail.com and they may be featured in this year's BG yearbook.
#SongsofComfort Initiative
Helpful Links
Bell Graham Elementary School
Website: bellgraham.d303.org
Location: 4N505 Fox Mill Blvd St. Charles, IL 60175
Phone: 331-228-2100
Facebook: facebook.com/BellGrahamElementary
Twitter: @BellGrahamD303