Polaris Express
January 15, 2021
An Important Message from Principal Christenson
Dear North Star Families,
Next week we begin our improved high school schedule. Please note the time changes for the class periods. A summary is provided below in the Weekly Calendar section of the newsletter.
Lunches will continue to be available to all students at no cost, and buses will be available to take students home at 12:45 p.m. daily and 2:40 p.m. Tuesday through Friday.
Please remember that the COVID Self-Certification Form needs to be completed on any days a student will enter the building. A parent must complete the form. Students completing it will not get the “pass” status needed to enter the school. This guide has more information on the process.
Extended Learning Sessions
To provide additional instructional opportunities for students in response to their individual learning needs, we have adopted Extended Learning Sessions in lieu of the Office Hours we have been utilizing since the start of the school year. Extended Learning Sessions may include times where, like Office Hours, students can drop-in/schedule an appointment, and teachers can invite students in for extra help. The extended time should also be used for teachers to invite/require groups of students from the designated class to attend the session (in-person or virtually) for various learning opportunities.
When invited by their teacher, students are expected to attend their Extended Learning Session either in-person or remotely. Attendance will be taken for appointments scheduled. Students also have the ability to sign up for an appointment with their teacher. In-person appointments are capped at a maximum of what the room can accommodate while maintaining social distance, but students can also access these times remotely.
Students will have the ability to leave the campus during the break at the conclusion of 7th or 8th period and return to the Extended Learning Sessions while presenting their COVID Self-Certification form. Students who are not in attendance that day can also return to school for in-person learning opportunities with a valid COVID Self-Certification form. Students who choose to remain on campus during that time will need to use TeachMore to choose a location to eat lunch. Additionally, if a student is attending the second Extended Learning Session and needs a place to do work, they can use TeachMore to choose a location to sit and work while they wait. The same process will need to occur for students who want to stay on campus to work with a teacher who is not present on a particular day or working remotely.
Below is information about how to use the TeachMore program. Please take the time to create an account and learn how to schedule and view your appointments.
Finally, in the next two weeks, D303 high school students will be taking the second round of the ECRA SEL Screener. More information about the screener can be found on this page of our district website.
Sincerely,
Audra Christenson, Principal
TeachMore
Beginning next week, teachers will be offering extended learning sessions for students. Each session will target a specific class period, and teachers will be inviting students to participate, and students can also request to attend a session.
To help facilitate this process, a new software tool (TeachMore) will be used to schedule the learning opportunities, and students must sign up to use the software and make and/or receive appointments.
We are including two videos for you to watch that explain how to sign up for the software. You may use your Chromebook or phone to complete this process. If you haven't completed this process, we ask that you do so as soon as possible.
- Video on how to sign up for the software
- Video on how to make appointments with teachers
Written directions are also included for your use. If you haven't completed this process, we ask that you do so as soon as possible.
Students utilizing the extended learning sessions will need to sign up for a lunch location using the software. If you plan to stay in the building but not attend a session with a teacher, you will need to sign up for a study hall session within the software. We look forward to providing you more opportunities to meet with your teachers in-person.
Weekly Calendar
- Martin Luther King Jr Holiday - No School
Tuesday, January 19
- Odd Periods: Group A In-Person/Group B Remote/Group R Remote @ 7:20 AM-12:35 PM
- Extended Learning Sessions - 2nd Period (1:10), 4th Period (1:50)
- Learning & Teaching Committee Meeting @ 5:30 PM
Wednesday, January 20
Even Periods: Group A In-Person/Group B Remote/Group R Remote @ 7:20 AM-12:35 PM
Extended Learning Sessions - 5th Period (1:10), 1st Period (1:50)
Thursday, January 21
Odd Periods: Group A Remote/Group B In-Person/Group R Remote @ 7:20 AM-12:35 PM
Extended Learning Sessions - 2nd Period (1:10), 4th Period (1:50)
Friday, January 22
Even Class Periods: Group A Remote/Group B In-Person/Group R Remote @ 7:20 AM-12:35 PM
Extended Learning Sessions - 5th Period (1:10), 1st Period (1:50)
High School Attendance Calendars
Students of the Month
Please feel free to take a look at our January 2021 SCN Students of the Month. This link is updated with new students monthly, so make sure to visit again!
SCN School Store Online Sale!
Don't miss this opportunity to purchase some cool SCN gear! The SCN School Store Online Sale will run from January 14 - January 31. All orders are placed online and will take two weeks to process. Below is just a sample of what the SCN School Store has to offer. Customers will be notified when their orders are ready for pickup at North high school. Thank you for your support!
Ultimate Polaris Family Pack
BEAR Necessities Pack
Cozy North Star Pack
LRC News
The LRC Has DC Comic Books!
Check out our new DC Comic Books in the Graphic Novels section of the LRC. Go to Destiny Discover, and search under "Comic Books."
LRC Book Recommendation
“Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance is a passionate and personal analysis of a culture in crisis—that of white working-class Americans. The disintegration of this group, a process that has been slowly occurring now for more than forty years, has been reported with growing frequency and alarm but has never before been written about as searingly from the inside. J. D. Vance tells the true story of what a social, regional, and class decline feels like when you were born with it hung around your neck. A deeply moving memoir, with its share of humor and vividly colorful figures, Hillbilly Elegy is the story of how upward mobility really feels. And it is an urgent and troubling meditation on the loss of the American dream for a large segment of this country.” Goodreads
Available for check out in the LRC and by clicking here.
Yearbook Information
District 303 News
Technical Support Information and Resources
District 303 is committed to providing the most up to date information regarding classroom technology tools, services, and trends in an easily accessible area for our families. Please use this link to access the information and support you and your students need for a successful remote experience.
Remote Learning Resources
All students have the opportunity to engage in optional learning experiences by visiting the D303 Remote Learning Resources page. There are various learning experiences in math, digital citizenship, English Language Arts, college and career, virtual field trips, STEM, and social-emotional learning. Students may engage in these experiences at any time.
Social-Emotional Resources
In partnership with Riverview Counseling, District 303 has posted video resources that support families' social-emotional needs. The videos are found on the district website and cover topics such as supporting students with remote learning, strategies for structure and consistency, suicide prevention and awareness, and parent self-care.
Wake Up Call Presentation
Please join us for a live virtual presentation on Tuesday, February 2, at 6:30 PM. This presentation is for adults only (21 years of age and over), and attendees will remain anonymous while viewing the presentation. You can register for this free virtual event by clicking here.
District 303 Meal Distribution Information
Información de distribución de comidas del Distrito 303
St. Charles North High School
Email: beth.eckard@d303.org
Website: https://north.d303.org/
Location: 255 Red Gate Road, St. Charles, IL, USA
Phone: 331.228.4400