Bobcat Blog

• Friday, February 11: Virtual Chat with Cheryl 8:15am-9:00am (see details below)
• Monday, February 21: No School in observance of Presidents Day
• March 3: Trimester 2 Ends

***Please label your child's belongings (lunch box, sweatshirts, etc.) There are many items in the Lost and Found so encourage your child to look for any missing things in the Commons.

• Thank you all for dealing with the challenges that this week caused with the district switching to E-Learning.
• Thank you for attending your child's conference. We value your partnership. If you were not able to meet this week, please discuss with the teacher a time that would work. We want 100% conference completion rates.
  
• Thank you so much to the PTO for the conference lunch boxes. They were truly appreciated by the staff who signed up to receive them.

Vaccine/Booster Opportunity in Oak Park on Saturday, Feb. 5
The Oak Park Health Department is hosting a vaccine clinic for anyone age 5 and older from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. this Saturday, Feb. 5 at Oak Park and River Forest High School. Register at https://events.juvare.com/IL-IDPH/fpqdb/. Individuals can sign up for their primary vaccine series or for a booster dose. Anyone under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. If you are coming for a booster dose, please bring your vaccine card with you. For more local COVID-19 vaccine information, visit www.oak-park.us/vaccine.

CLICK HERE for the CDC guidance related to the COVID-19 vaccines and boosters.

Cheryl Sullivan is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: Virtual Chat with Cheryl

Time: Feb 11, 2022 08:15 AM Central Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting

https://op97-org.zoom.us/j/86511877108?pwd=U2llNVZNQnhpWFVVVjRKd1Z4Q2NvQT09

Meeting ID: 865 1187 7108

Passcode: 226500

One tap mobile

+13126266799,,86511877108# US (Chicago)

+13017158592,,86511877108# US (Washington DC)

Dial by your location

+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)

+1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC)

+1 646 558 8656 US (New York)

+1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)

+1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)

+1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)

Meeting ID: 865 1187 7108

Find your local number: https://op97-org.zoom.us/u/ktlTjUMr1

IMPORTANT: Calling Your Child In Sick from School
Please support our school nurse by LEAVING A REASON when you call your child in sick from school. Our nurse follows up on every absence call when a specific reason is not provided. If your child is staying home due to reasons unrelated to COVID-19, sharing that information in the message helps the nurse determine whether a call is necessary. When calling please slowly state:

1. Your Name
2. Your Child’s Name
3. Your Child’s Grade and Homeroom/Advisory Teacher
4. Reason for the Absence
5. Best phone number to reach you

We appreciate your assistance with this process!

In honor of Black History Month, the Beye PTO programs working group is co-sponsoring virtual workshops. This presenter facilitated programs at Beye last year and it was very thought-provoking and engaging. Please encourage signing your children up for these great workshops!

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1cobUIoKoHwJz44wQOhmB-zlS8_2MKS5Zvgr4nRbuusY/edit

Parents/guardians from all 10 of our schools are encouraged to take the Illinois 5 Essentials Survey between now and March 11, 2022. Please click here to learn how parents/guardians can participate in this important endeavor and click here to access the parent/guardian version of the survey.

***Beye is striving for a very high student, staff and parent completion rate. Thanks for helping us!!

A few years ago, Lurie Children's Hospital partnered with D97 to train the Social Work and Psychologist departments on Bounce Back & CBITS, which are 2 Cognitive Behavioral programs geared toward teaching resilience. These programs are for students who have experienced a trauma or significant stressful life event. Please click on the links to learn more about Bounce Back which is the program for elementary students. We will be launching this program at Beye School soon. Contact Lori Janu-Chossek: LJanu-Chossek@op97.org if you’d like to learn more or inquire about your child being potentially screened.

Looking ahead to the spring, District 97 is preparing to implement the Single Subject and Whole Grade Level Acceleration process for students eligible for acceleration in the 2022-23 school year.

District 97 believes that all students should be challenged and supported to develop to their maximum potential. For students who demonstrate they may benefit from accelerated placement, we provide opportunities to participate in an instructional setting that is usually reserved for students who are older or in higher grades than the child. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Single subject acceleration
• Whole grade acceleration

In accordance with the Illinois Accelerated Placement Act, District 97 has continued to refine procedures to ensure equitable access to acceleration opportunities for all students. New this year: all students who are grade eligible to take the Illinois Assessment for Readiness (IAR) must participate in the assessment in order to be deemed eligible for acceleration. The IAR is a critically important measure in determining the mastery of grade level standards and must be considered by the school team along with other sources of data.

Referrals for single-subject and whole-grade acceleration will be accepted from March 1 to May 15 of each school year. The general process is outlined HERE.

Information about the District 97 Accelerated Placement Program, including definitions and timelines, can be found at http://www.op97.org/acceleration. We will send additional communication to families as we near the opening of our referral and application windows next year. Additionally, Family Acceleration Night will be held Wednesday, February 9, 2022, 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. This information session will provide an avenue for families to share questions as well as receive information about the acceleration process. Please find additional information in the information session flyer.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us by visiting our Let’s Talk page (bit.ly/D97LetsTalk) and clicking the button labeled “Acceleration.”

COVID-19 Symptom Checklist and Instructions for Symptomatic Students
In October, the Illinois Department of Public Health and the Illinois State Board of Education released updated guidance and an updated exclusion decision tree. As a result, we have updated some of our protocols and required documents for symptomatic students. CLICK HERE for a one-page summary of the required steps and testing for students who are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19.

District 97 Now Hiring!
District 97 is currently hiring for key positions to support in-person learning during the 2021-22 school year!

Certified Nursing Assistants
District 97 is seeking part-time certified nursing assistants (CNAs) to support the nursing staff in our schools. Applicants must have completed or graduated from an Illinois approved accredited school of nursing, college, or CNA/Patient Care Tech program, and hold a current CNA or Patient Care Tech certification in Illinois. CLICK HERE to apply!

Permanent Substitutes
District 97 has immediate openings for permanent substitute teachers. If you know anyone who is looking to work with children, earn competitive pay and give back to the community, please encourage them to apply today at: https://www.op97.org/hr/employment.

Lunch/Recess Supervisors
To support our students and staff during the school day, we are still seeking more parents and community members to serve as lunchroom/recess supervisors during the 2021-22 school year. It's easy to apply, and your time would have a direct impact on our schools. CLICK HERE to apply!

Cheryl Sullivan and Sheila Carter

Co-Interim Beye Principals

csullivan@op97.org

scarter@op97.org

Location: 230 North Cuyler Avenue, Oak Park, IL, USA
Phone: 708- 524-3070
Twitter: @MrsSullivand97