Pictured is District 88 Superintendent Dr. Scott Helton.
As we head into Spring Break, it’s difficult not to reflect on how our lives have changed in a matter of days.
Spring Break is typically a time when families enjoy vacations, when upperclassmen visit college campuses and when students can be seen playing outside with their friends. But this year we’re dealing with unprecedented impacts from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. There’s no doubt this is a challenging period in our history, but I know with our involved parents/guardians, engaged students and community members, knowledgeable Board of Education members and dedicated and passionate staff, we will come together and support each other through connecting and caring during this time.
We are committed to keeping you up to date with the latest COVID-19 information, and below are recent updates. We will continue to post current content at www.dupage88.net/Coronavirus.
Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) (https://www.isbe.net/Pages/covid19.aspx)
Waiver: The ISBE recently submitted a request to waive assessments, summative designations and reporting on accountability metrics for the 2019-20 school year. The U.S. Department of Education has informed the ISBE its request appears to meet all statutory requirements and has directed Illinois to implement the waivers while formal approval is processed.
SAT: We know the free SAT provided by the state is the only opportunity many students have to take a college entrance exam. The ISBE is working with The College Board to develop options to allow current eleventh-grade students to take the SAT in the fall. Details are being finalized, and we’ll share updates as soon as they’re available.
Remote learning: As we’ve previously shared, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker issued a “stay at home” Executive Order on March 20. That order extended the closure of schools in Illinois from March 30 (as previously mandated) to April 7, with an anticipated return to school on April 8. These days were declared as Act of God Days. However, the ISBE is looking to shift those days to remote learning after March 30 to ensure continuity of education. An advisory group is developing recommendations to implement that change.
E-learning opportunities
At District 88, we will continue to provide extended learning opportunities through our E-learning plan to help make sure students remain college and career ready. I enthusiastically recommend all students stay connected and take advantage of every learning opportunity our teachers provide, and I ask that students check in and engage with their teachers. Below are links with more details.
I would like to thank our staff, students and parents/guardians for their flexibility and partnership as we transitioned from a traditional school setting to providing online E-learning opportunities. We’ve had an average attendance rate of 93 percent (which is comparable to our attendance rate when school is in session), and that speaks volumes to the dedication and commitment of our teachers and pupils.
We continue to hear amazing stories of how teachers and staff are staying connected with and caring for students. Examples include:
Advanced Placement (AP)/college-level exams (https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/about-ap/news-changes/coronavirus-update)
Food service
As a reminder, District 88 is partnering with Addison School District 4, School District 45 and Salt Creek School District 48 to provide free meals to students (pictured above).
From March 17 to 20, the four school districts distributed 10,377 meals. From March 23 to 27 (today), we delivered 16,049 meals, along with 19,290 meals to cover Spring Break (the total number of meals delivered this week was 35,339). The grand total for meals distributed in three weeks is 45,716 and counting. District 45 will deliver Spring Break meals on Monday, March 30.
See details below.
We are fortunate to have community members who want to help. We truly appreciate your willingness to assist in these efforts. If you’re interested in volunteering with our food-service program, please CLICK HERE to complete the form, or contact District 88 Director of Community Relations Dani Brink at dbrink@dupage88.net or 630-530-3989. Please note volunteers must be 18 years old or older.
I also would like to thank Arbor Management, Chartwells and Cottage Hill Operating Company for their incredible partnership in this program. This is a tremendous collaboration and an excellent example of how we will continue to connect with and care for students.
District 88 leadership
To ensure the district continues to operate as normal as possible, we are hosting Board of Education meetings and district and building leadership meetings using alternative methods such as online video calls and phone conferences.
Addison Community Television (ACTV) segment
On March 25, Addison School District 4 Assistant Superintendent of Innovation and Information Dr. Kim Lohse and I joined Village of Addison Mayor Richard Veenstra during an Addison Community Television (ACTV) segment (pictured above). During the filming, we discussed COVID-19 updates, including details about our E-learning plan and our food-service distribution. You can watch the segment at https://youtu.be/jZsSejMF-yY.
I wish our staff, students, parents/guardians and community members a safe and happy Spring Break. It’s because of your partnership we’re able to accomplish our mission of working for the continuous improvement of student achievement, and it’s that partnership that will help us all make it through this unprecedented situation. Thank you for your continued support of District 88, and be sure to check www.dupage88.net/Coronavirus for updated information.
Respectfully,
Scott J. Helton, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools, DuPage High School District 88