Lincoln Bulletin
April 3, 2020
Lincoln School
Email: michelle.woodring@d303.org
Website: Lincoln.d303.org
Location: 211 South 6th Ave, St. Charles
Phone: 331-228-2501
Facebook: facebook.com/LincolnElementary
Twitter: @Lincolnd303
Lincoln Bulletin-Remote learning on it's way
I hope this bulletin finds you well and that you are staying healthy and safe during your Spring Break. The events of the past few weeks and the weeks to come are unprecedented. I have never been more proud of our communities, everyone is pulling together to support one another during this time. Our school district has continued to plan for what is best to support our students' health, security, and learning.
Monday, I will begin our morning announcements again to greet our students and re-establish our morning routines. Monday afternoon, our teachers have a special treat. Ms. Harmon has organized a parade through Lincoln's neighborhoods. We will begin after 3:30, please keep a lookout for our cars to drive near your homes, wave through your windows observing physical distancing, you may hear the horns as we drive by Monday late afternoon.
In addition, please see below for specific information regarding device distribution for our K-2 students. It is very important for you to come and pick up a device to support the remote learning plan. If you decide you do not need another device within your home, please email me so I know that and I will not continue to reach out regarding pick up. My email is michelle.woodring@d303.org. If you need anything during this time please reach out to us, we are here and want to support all families during this very trying time. We are all in this together!
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 listed in the pdf along with the jpg. 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.
Pick-up Day by Last names
Last Name starts with
A - H-Monday, April 6 at the Lincoln front door from 1:00-3:00
I - P-Wednesday, April 8 at the Lincoln front door from 9:00-11:00
Q - Z-Thursday, April 9 at Lincoln front door from 9:00-11:00
Intra-district Transfer
Even though our schools are closed, we will still process elementary school transfer requests for the 2020-2021 school year beginning on April 7 at 8:00 a.m.
For the 2020-21 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 April 7, 2020 and no later than 4:00 p.m. on April 20. A link to the request form will be posted on the District 303 web page (district.d303.org) by 8:00 a.m. on April 7.
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.
Meals provided for any student or family
District 303 is providing meals for any student who needs it. The district is expanding the distribution, please see the attached information for the various locations and times for food distribution.
We have also heard from the USDA that there are SNAP scams happening. We are attaching a press release from them with a warning.
INSTRUCTIONAL DAY FOR STUDENTS
In keeping with Governor Pritzker’s announcement earlier in the week that the statewide closure for all school districts has been extended through April 30, District 303 will resume remote learning for students on Monday, April 6. 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.
The Illinois State Board of Education has created recommendations for school districts about instruction, grading, content selection and delivery, and social-emotional needs. District 303 has incorporated recommendations from the state into our remote learning plan that is included in this message. The following items summarize the components of the plan as it relates to student learning.
Remote Learning Plan
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.
Food Service and Meals
District 303 is expanding our meal service to include additional school and residential locations beginning on Monday, April 6, 2020. Any student in District 303 is eligible to pick up breakfast and lunch grab and go meals at any of the following locations throughout the week.
Thompson Middle School, 705 W. Main Street
9:00 - 11:00 a.m. - Monday through Friday
Anderson Elementary School, 35W071 Villa Marie Rd.
9:00 - 11:00 a.m. - Monday through Friday
Wasco Elementary School, 4N782 School Street, Wasco
10:00 - 10:45 a.m. - Monday through Friday
A District 303 bus will deliver meals to the front of the school
Cumberland Green Cooperative, 1798 Cumberland Green
11:15 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. - Monday through Friday
A District 303 bus will deliver meals to the office parking lot
Prairie Point Apartments, 1820 Wessel Court
10:00 - 10:30 a.m.- Monday through Friday
A District 303 bus will deliver meals to the park facing the road at the front entrance (Entrance nearest to Randall Road)
The Crossings, 1690 Covington
10:40 - 11:10 a.m. - Monday through Friday
A District 303 bus will deliver meals to the area near the clubhouse
St. Charles Place, 15th Street and Indiana
11:20 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. - Monday through Friday
A District 303 bus will deliver meals to an area in front of the apartment complex
Device pick up for students in Kindergarten through 2nd grades
To support remote learning, District 303 is making technology devices available to students in grades K-2 who need an additional device at home. Parents will receive information from your child’s school about the process to pick up a District 303 device if needed.
Please continue to check the district website at district.d303.org for the most up to date information related to our response to the COVID-19 pandemic and remote learning.
- Based on guidance from the state, K-2 educators will be planning 90 minutes of academics per day for students to complete through the remote learning format, while students in grades 3rd-5th should expect 120 minutes of education per day. These time frames do not include student engagement in specials, etc. Also, these times are flexible for students receiving ELL services, special education, and intervention.
- D303’s core value with remote learning is to focus on the learning, not the completion of work. A team of specialists, working in conjunction with our Learning and Teaching Department, will identify essential standards for the core content areas. Therefore, moving forward, new skills and new knowledge will be introduced to students based on the essential standards that are identified for each grade level.
- Lessons will be communicated to students by 9:00 a.m. Monday-Thursday.
- Each Friday in April, as well as the first two Fridays in May (should remote learning be extended beyond April 30), are designated for remote learning professional development/planning days. Therefore, on Fridays, new content/assignments will not be expected of students. We will provide “enhancement opportunities” that students can do on Fridays. Therefore, there will be activities that students can engage in on Fridays, although they won’t be specific to their grade level/class, and teachers will not be as available to offer feedback and answer questions based on their professional development responsibilities. Fridays can also be used as opportunities for students to complete work from earlier in the week.
GRADING AND ATTENDANCE
- At this point, it is recommended that teachers track ‘engagement’ in remote learning, as opposed to ‘attendance’. As remote learning becomes the method of instruction and new learning for the foreseeable future, it is important that we track the participation and engagement of our students in order to be responsive to those students and families who may need additional support.
- Students will have flexibility on when they complete the work. Students shouldn’t feel anxious or stressed about completing the assignment on the day it’s assigned. If they do complete the work daily, great. If not, remote learning offers students and flexibility on when assignments are completed and submitted. Students can also use Fridays to make-up any incomplete work for the week.
- Student grades can’t be adversely affected based on their lack of engagement in remote learning.
- Once the remote learning plan is shared, there will be competencies on the 3rd-trimester report card that will not be covered. Any competencies not covered in the remote learning plan will be identified as N/A on your child’s 3rd Trimester report card.
- Students will also receive an N/A on their 3rd Trimester report card for any competencies that were addressed in the remote learning plan, yet the student didn’t complete any of the work that was provided during remote learning.
COMMUNICATION
- Teachers are still encouraged to be responsive to students and parents via phone call. For most teachers, that will mean calling from their personal devices. If using a personal cell phone, I’m encouraging teachers to dial *67 for privacy. When receiving a call using the *67 feature, it will appear as “Private Caller”, so you may want to confirm a time with your child’s teacher so you know to expect the call.