Frequently Asked Questions

The teachers will be teaching from the front of the room and moving from the computer to the whiteboard and the Smart Panel. Example videos were included in our parent webinars.

The PE teachers will provide activities for the students to complete independently. During the weekly or biweekly sessions, the Fully Remote Student Coordinator will check in with the students regarding the PE experiences and provide guidance as appropriate and needed.

All students will be in live synchronous teaching every day with the teacher. It will vary from teacher to teacher based on students’ needs and the nature of the subject, assignments, and the needs of the student.

Teachers have been actively involved in many training sessions on the use of Zoom and each of our instructional resources. They will continue the training throughout the school year.

Band and orchestra lessons will be provided remotely for all students, and will be conducted at times that are not interfering with their core academics. 

• Orchestra students will have some small ensembles because the students can play their instruments safely in a space that is adhering to 6 feet of physical distancing. 
• Band students will have an opportunity to gather together to build a culture of ensemble, but no wind instruments will be played so as to not cause any safety concern for the students and staff. The teachers will provide instruction on music concepts, rhythm, ensemble protocols, and a culture of performance community.

Chorus will be temporarily suspended and re-evaluated as new guidance is provided that would permit safe participation.

Kindergarten students will be learning how to access and use the Chromebooks during in person learning.

Students who have requested to be fully in virtual learning, as well as the days when in-person students will be on their remote day, will all have synchronous teaching with their teacher. Throughout the day students will have a break from the screen time and will work on assignments and have movement. Grading will be the same for all students.

Students at the Kindergarten Center and Hickory Point will have the same access to books. The librarian will be conducting lessons in the classroom. Students will be trained to use Destiny to request books. Additional books options for checkout will be brought into the classroom.

The Curriculum Link on the District 27 website outlines the curriculum. Go to Departments and select Curriculum and Instruction.

Students working remotely will interact and engage with the teacher via synchronous learning. The children will be able to ask questions and participate in the lessons as they occur.

PE is part of the student's schedule. For students in grades 1-8, they will have PE instruction each day they are at school in person. For kindergarten students, they have either PE or structured recess everyday. For remote students, the PE time is designated on the class schedule and students are directed to engage in physical activity on their own. We will have PE outside as much as the weather permits. When outside and physically distanced, students will be allowed to take off their masks. Wood Oaks students will not be changing into their PE uniforms. Thus, they will not use the locker rooms.

We are in the process of working through the curriculum to determine how to provide an engaging physical education program while adhering to safety guidelines. A key emphasis will be on student agency and building fitness habits of mind and routines, which students will need to apply during their remote days.

We are working on our plan for 100% remote students. This discipline does not lend itself to the synchronous learning model. We will have more information in mid-August.

All schools will be holding Curriculum Nights virtually beginning the week of September 7th. A calendar of school dates will be published for these nights.

The ability to have more in-person instruction is dependent upon the number of teachers and instructional spaces available. We are using all the spaces we can throughout the building to adhere to 6-foot distancing. We are hiring additional teachers at Wood Oaks as well as reassigning some teachers to core content classes so that we can implement the Wood Oaks A/B schedule. The District will also be hiring additional instructional assistants at various school locations.

We have been engaged in significant planning for employing synchronous instruction. Professional development was provided in May and has been occurring throughout the summer to prepare for any form of remote learning. Professional development and targeted training on tools will continue to be provided in August and throughout the school year. Our Technology Department will support the staff. With that being said, we all need to be patient as we launch the school year. It will take significant time and training for the students to become familiar with the their schedules and new way of doing school. Additionally, the teachers appreciate your patience and understanding as they work through challenges they encounter. Having realistic expectations, especially at the beginning of the year, will help greatly as we adjust to a very different teaching/learning experience. Even with in-person instruction, many adjustments are required due to physical distancing and management of classroom materials.

With the synchronous instruction model, remote students are considered active participants in the class. As appropriate, the teachers will enable features such as the microphone and hand-raising on the web conferencing platform to allow students to interact in real-time with their classmates and teacher. Depending on the subject and assignments, remote students may remain in the synchronous classroom while doing some independent work in order to ask questions and receive feedback/clarification from the teacher.

Yes, our ELP and math courses at Shabonee and Wood Oaks will be provided. The classes will be taught synchronously like other core content areas.

We are using a synchronous learning model which means that remote students will learn with students attending the same class in-person. In order to have a 100% virtual class, families would need to commit for an entire year to that model, and we need to have the volume of students by grade level to allow for a virtual academy.

If conditions allow, we will administer STAR and Terra Nova assessments. The Illinois State Board of Education will determine the status of the Illinois Assessment of Readiness.

Homework expectations will be similar to what happens in a normal school year. Students attending 100% remotely will have the same homework expectations as those attending in the hybrid model. The staff have been working on tools and strategies for ensuring that they can view the students' work and provide feedback as appropriate, regardless of whether a student is at home or in-person at school.

The teachers will be implementing the grade level curriculum, which contains well-articulated lessons. We believe that in general students should experience the same curriculum regardless of assigned teacher. With that being said, each teacher has autonomy regarding how a lesson may be executed, which includes instructional methods, pacing, etc.

We are in the process of reviewing all lessons within each content area in light of how physical distancing may impact the delivery of them. We will be making significant adjustments to lessons, including the elimination of some learning experiences that can't be executed while maintaining physical distancing. We continue to look for creative solutions to the extent possible.

The Kindergarten Center will have a cadre of Instructional Assistants to support learning in the classrooms.

This District has continued to follow state guidance from all agencies. The Governor’s “Restore Illinois” plan permits students to come back to school fully in person when the state reaches Phase 5 as defined in the plan. In this phase, the following is in place: “The economy fully reopens with safety precautions continuing. Conventions, festivals, and large events are permitted, and all businesses, schools, and places of recreation can open with new safety guidance and procedures.” It is the District’s intention to follow this guidance.

We would ask that you drop them each off at the appropriate door. Arrival/Dismissal Procedures are outlined on each school webpage.

If a student is sick, then we would ask that they stay home. A student who is not feeling well can participate in remote learning, if the parent chooses. A student who is home for quarantine can also participate in remote learning. When feeling well, students should always follow their original selection for either in-person or completely remote learning to help teachers account for every student. 

The school will be notifying parents/guardians, students, and staff of a positive case of COVID-19, via written correspondence.

If one of the household members is being evaluated for COVID-19, the rest of the household must be quarantined until an alternative diagnosis is made or a negative test result is received.

Each building will develop specific arrival and dismissal procedures that will be implemented for students and staff. These procedures are posted on each school website.

The new definition of "close contact," as released by the CDC on 10/21/2020, involves anyone who was within 6 feet of a confirmed case of COVID-19 (with or without a face covering), for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period. The period of close contact begins 2 calendar days before the onset of symptoms (for a symptomatic person) or 2 calendar days before the positive sample was obtained (for an asymptomatic person). If the case was symptomatic (e.g., coughing, sneezing), persons with briefer periods of exposure may also be considered contacts. Close contacts to a confirmed case of COVID-19 are required to remain in quarantine at home for 14 calendar days starting from the last day of contact with the confirmed case.

Close contact is determined by the length of time an interaction with another person occurred. An interaction with another person for less than 15 cumulative minutes is not considered close contact. 

Contact tracing will be performed by the Local Health Department (LHD), sometimes in partnership with CCDPH or a community-based organization. However, schools can assist the CCDPH by identifying all close contacts with a confirmed or probable case. Documentation of assigned seats and taking photos of assembled classes can be useful in helping schools determine who was within 6 feet of a given case. 

The District will be adhere to confidentiality laws pertaining to school student records, including exceptions for release of information in the event of an emergency and requirements to notify parents and create a record of emergency releases of information. (105 ILCS 10/6(a)(7); 23 Il. Admin.Code 375.60).

Contact tracing is performed for a confirmed case (laboratory confirmed positive) or a probable case (person with clinically compatible COVID-like symptoms and epidemiologically linked (known exposure) to a confirmed case or testing positive by an antigen test).

Exposure in a classroom should be limited to everyone with whom the confirmed or probable COVID-19 case had close contact, within 6 feet, for at least 15 cumulative minutes throughout the course of a day. Exposure on a bus must include everyone who sat within 6 feet of the confirmed or probable COVID-19 case for 15 cumulative minutes or longer. A possible approach to identifying close contacts on a bus would be to include persons who sat 3 rows in front and 3 rows behind the confirmed or probable COVID-19 case.

Yes. While there is strong evidence that face coverings significantly reduce the risk of infection, the likelihood for transmission cannot be ruled out.

Persons who remain asymptomatic throughout 14 calendar days of quarantine do not need a physician’s note to return to school. During the quarantine period, a contact tracer will be closely monitoring the contact to confirm they remain asymptomatic.

Two confirmed cases of COVID-19 infections occurring within 14 calendar days of each other in individuals in the same classroom would meet the case definition for an outbreak. This is because the cases would be epidemiologically linked (known exposure to) with respect to place (same classroom) and time (within 14 calendar days). This would prompt an investigation by the LHD that may result in recommendations for testing and quarantining all students/staff in the affected classroom.

We will limit any nonessential visitors, volunteers, and activities involving external groups or organizations, as possible. Visitor management procedures will be developed. This will include the recording or documentation of the individual's reason for visit, contact information, and all locations visited, in case contact tracing is needed. Hand sanitizer will be readily available for visitors to use upon entry.

Yes, the schools will be notifying parents/guardians, students, and staff of confirmed COVID-19 cases. In addition, the schools will work in partnership with the local health department to provide relevant information needed for mitigating the spread of COVID-19 infection for use in surveillance and contacting tracing public health activities.

The District strongly recommends that children bring a water bottle that includes a built-in straw so that children can sip water without removing their masks.

Our Math/Science/Social Studies rooms are equipped with SMART flat panels. Our Reading/LA classrooms do not have this technology. The delivery of lessons, especially in math, depend on the use of this technology, especially with synchronous learning. The flat panels are not designed to be moved between classrooms on a daily basis. We have designed cleaning processes to address the change in classrooms in the middle of the day.

Similar to core content areas, students will not be sharing materials from day to day or period to period. If any tools or equipment are used by students, such as paintbrushes, they will be assigned to a student and then placed in quarantine until ready to be used safely again. Students in band will not be playing their instruments at school. The only exception is percussion.

The District is implementing safety measures for everyone in the school. If a staff member has a particular risk or health condition, we are working with the staff member to explore the best option for their safety on a case by case basis.

Students may come to school by walking, riding the bus, or with their parent. All students will need to self-certify on an app we will make available. Once at school the child will be given a temperature check and screened before entering the building as an added safety measure.

All staff members will be expected to closely monitor their own symptoms and self-certify their health status prior to reporting to work. Staff members will also have their temperatures screened daily when they arrive at the school buildings.

Traveling individuals, including students, are expected to self-quarantine in the home they are traveling to in suburban Cook County and should avoid close interactions with non-traveling household members until the 14 days have passed. Other household members who did not travel from a designated "high-incidence" state are not required to self-quarantine. The CCDPH continually updates the guidance regarding travel.

Students will be expected to wear a cloth mask while in the school building and within their classroom. This requirement, combined with the 6 ft physical distancing, will help mitigate the risk of transmitting COVID. Students will be able to remove their mask when eating lunch and when they are outside of the building.

The District is closely monitoring the numbers of in-person students vs. remote learners for each class and comparing these numbers with the maximum room capacity based on the 6 ft distancing requirement. In accordance with the ISBE Guidance, a high priority is to be placed on providing in-person instruction for students with IEPs, 504 plans, and/or who receive English Language supports. Keeping the safety of students and staff as a priority, we continue to evaluate whether it would be possible to increase attendance for some of our in-person learners.

We based our reopening plan on adherence to the most recent public health information from the Illinois Department of Public Health, the Center for Disease Control, and on the guidance of the Illinois State Board of Education. (links to these supplemental resources are available on this web page) In order to provide the safest environment for our students and staff, a key objective of the plan was to provide as much in-person learning as possible while maintaining 6 ft physical distancing within all school areas across the entire day to aggressively mitigate the risk of exposure to COVID-19. The space capacity within all NB27's school buildings does not allow us to offer in-person learning for all students every day and still meet this key objective of maintaining 6 ft. physical distancing.

Face coverings must cover one’s mouth and nose, and fit snugly against the sides of the face with no gaps. Acceptable face coverings include: disposable face coverings, cloth face coverings that can be laundered, or KN95 masks. The CDC does not recommend the use of athletic face coverings or neck warmers. Face coverings with valves are not permitted. In conjunction with 6 feet of social distancing, face coverings will be worn at all times, by each individual, except during lunch, outdoor classes (including PE), and outdoor recess.

If a student or staff member is unable to wear a face covering safely, a medical certification is required, which will be reviewed on an individual basis by the District 27 Administration. However, a remote learning/working environment in all likelihood will be assigned for that individual.

The District requires a daily self-certification (health questionnaire) to be completed for both students and staff prior to entry into the school building. Student/staff ID cards will be scanned upon arrival to confirm that the self-certification has been completed. A “green” light will appear if that individual has already completed the daily health questionnaire, or “red” light will appear if they have not. Any individual who receives a “red” light must step aside for further assessment.

In addition to the daily health questionnaire, each individual will have their temperature read via a free-standing, non-contact temperature reader. A “green” or “red” light will appear after each scan. If an individual receives a “red” light, they must step aside for further assessment.

Cleaning and sanitation protocols include classrooms, restrooms, high-touch surfaces throughout the building, lunchrooms, and nightly cleaning. Hospital-grade/EP- registered disinfectant cleaning supplies will be used in all areas. Technology equipment will be cleaned and sanitized using specialized cleaners.

The District will document best practices with our HVAC systems, including filters, increased air flow, and preventive maintenance. In addition, windows will be opened if feasible to assist with fresh air flow. The District will periodically have the HVAC engineer inspect the equipment and make recommendations for improvements.

All restrooms in District 27 will be completely cleaned nightly with a hospital-grade/EPA-registered disinfectant. During the school day, the restrooms will be periodically monitored for supplies and cleaned with the same product. Additional custodial staff will be added to assist with cleaning and sanitation tasks. All restrooms will have signage on the walls and floors. Students and staff will be expected to adhere to 6 feet of distancing while in the restrooms. Students will be trained on restroom use and protocols.

Students will be divided into cohort groups for lunch. They will be separated by at least 6 feet. Per the IDPH guidance, students will be permitted to take off their masks to eat and then put them back on while inside the school building. There will be a recess time provided during the lunch hour and, whenever possible, students will go outside and can remove their masks while physically distancing by 6 feet. 

Recess times will be provided by teachers during the day, giving the students an opportunity for movement and also to take off their masks if it is possible to go outside. During the outside time, students can remove their masks while physically distancing by 6 feet. If recess is inside, students will need to wear their masks but will have an opportunity for movement.

Each school will have signage placed throughout the school building to remind students and staff of the safety guidelines that must be followed. Signage will address at least four areas and any other areas as determined to communicate safety measures:

• Proper use of face covering
• Adherence to 6 feet physical distancing
• Proper hand hygiene
• Directional signage in the hallways

We have a bee problem at our schools each Fall and cannot risk having the students get stung with so much food out in the open. There will be recess time provided immediately after lunch each day.

When students need to cough or sneeze, they should use the standard etiquette of coughing or sneezing into their bent arm with their face covering on. Students will be reminded of this etiquette by the staff.

Hand sanitizers will be provided in all the buildings. Free-standing and wall-mounted hand sanitizers will be placed through the buildings for student and staff use.

When in the school buildings, each student and staff member should remain 6 feet away from another individual whenever possible. All student desks will be spaced 6 feet apart and the teacher will have a space in front of the class that will maintain the 6 feet of distance. In addition, signage will be placed throughout the schools to direct the flow of traffic in the buildings/hallways. Wood Oaks Junior High will also have directional signage for stairwells - either going up or down, not both.

The Park District will adhere to the safety protocols as outlined by Northbrook School District 27. The Park District personnel are expected to know and adhere to District 27 safety protocols.

The District will implement a COVID-19 Exclusion Guidance entitled: Decision Tree for Symptomatic Individuals in Pre-K, K-12 Schools and Day Care Programs Opens in New Window Opens in New Window .* The District will follow this guidance. 

The flowchart includes direction to quarantine. Each building will have an identified isolation room for immediate quarantine if deemed necessary by the school nurse until parent/guardian pick-up. The child will be accompanied out of the building by a staff member. Staff members who are experiencing COVID-like symptoms will be asked to leave the school building for further medical evaluation.

If any of the household members is being evaluated for COVID-19, the rest of the household must be quarantined until an alternative diagnosis is made or a negative result received. If the sick student becomes a confirmed case or probable case, the CCDPH will conduct contact tracing and will provide guidance on how to safely quarantine and isolate within the household.

Supplies will not be shared in the classrooms. Students will be given many supplies and others will be acquired by parents. If any supplies are used in the classroom, they will be cleaned, sanitized, and quarantined in accordance with the IDPH guidelines before being used with another class of students.

Students at the Kindergarten Center, and at other District school locations, will not have access to the playground equipment due to safety protocols.

The arrival and dismissal processes have been communicated by the principals in the weekly newsletters. The procedures for each school are also posted on the school web pages.

Yes, replacements will be available if needed. Teachers will also have routines established to help students manage the wearing / safekeeping of their mask.

Since students will be expected to wear a properly fitted mask for extended periods of time while in school, it is important for parents to help their child practice wearing a mask. Students will not need to wear a mask while eating lunch or whenever they are outside (during PE / recess / other outdoor classes). Six foot distancing will be expected to be followed at all times.

Students will eat lunch following six feet social distancing. The total number of students present will be in accordance with the CDC / IDPH guidelines. The only other time students will be with other groupings is outside at recess. Two classes have structured recess together outside with six feet social distancing.

The District is providing a plexiglass "sneeze guard" for every classroom. The workstations for each child will not safely accommodate a plexiglass shield. However, we are adhering to the 6 foot physical distancing and expect all students to wear masks.

All students will be expected to wear a mask in the classroom. If a child has a mask exemption or refuses to wear a mask, the child will need to move to the fully remote learning environment.

Children will be encouraged to wash their hands throughout the day and hand sanitizer stations will be available throughout the school. We will educate children regarding these practices through our PBIS process and visuals will be displayed as reminders.

Disinfectant pump spray will be available in every classroom for use on the student desks prior to the next class. This task would be handled by the classroom teacher or the instructional assistant. In addition, students from one class to the other will be sitting in different desks that the student from the prior class so that the disinfectant will be able to fully dry from the cleaning.

Parents are expected to provide their child(ren) with cloth masks to wear on the in-person learning days. No additional PPE for students is expected or will be allowed in the schools.

All staff members will be required to complete a daily self certification (health questionnaire) prior to entry into the school building. In addition, once the staff member arrives at the school building a temperature scan is completed prior to entry.

Emergency drills are a requirement of the Illinois State Board of Education. Given the A/B student rotation, all drills will be scheduled with our First Responders as required to account for both schedules.

Lockers will not be used at any school location. Building principals are developing procedures for how students will manage their personal belongings and school materials.

The District will be renting one large (30x50) tent for each school location. These tents will allow some teachers (e.g. art, music, PE) to hold their class outdoors as weather permits, and when appropriate for the lesson. Teachers whose lesson is taught in conjunction with remote learners will not be able to teach outside. The tents will give us flexibility for other types of activities as needed.

Large spaces across the district are being used for lunch and instructional spaces in place of some of the small offices typically used for various services such as English Language support and Interventions.

Playground equipment will not be available for student use during the school day. During the first month of school we will be practicing routines with students and will demonstrate and reinforce the importance of 6 ft distancing; supervisors will continue to monitor and guide student behavior. Students will not be required to wear masks during recess and will maintain 6 ft distancing.

Although water fountains within all schools will be restricted from use, bottle filling water stations will still be available for students to use.

The Northbrook Park District will be developing all protocols in coordination with School District 27 in the coming weeks. During the day, evenings, and weekends, the Leisure Center will be open for registered program participants only and entry will be controlled. For a variety of reasons, many programs have been relocated to other Northbrook Park District facilities and with all of the large program spaces dedicated to the kindergarten classes, anticipated attendance is expected to be very low. During school hours, walk-in and public use of the facility will not be permitted unless they are escorted by a Park District employee.

The Northbrook School District 27 Emergency Preparedness Plan (EPP) will be implemented at the Leisure Center so that we have safety alignment. This includes the planning and scheduling of emergency drills; access control, visitor management, etc.

The Kindergarten Center will have an administrator and nurse on-site.

Safety of our students and staff is our top priority.  The following safety measures have been established and will be implemented at all Northbrook SD27 locations.

• Masks - Per Illinois State Board of Education guidance, we will require all people in the building to wear masks.                                 
• Symptom checks - Students will be screened daily with temperature checks, or parents will self-certify their children. We have not yet determined what our process will be for temperature and symptom checking prior to coming to school each day. We have the ability to use a self certification process but are still investigating options. More information will follow.  Students who feel sick should stay home, and the quality of our remote learning will allow students to keep learning if they are able.
• Cleaning - We have enhanced our cleaning procedures to meet or exceed CDC and IDPH guidelines.
• HVAC - Our heating and cooling engineer is adjusting the systems to include more fresh air in the buildings
• Physical Distance - We will begin the school year by implementing a six-foot social distance requirement in our classrooms, hallways, cafeterias, and offices. We also will be marking our floors with arrows and signage to guide traffic flow.
• Quarantining - We are developing procedures in collaboration with the Illinois Department of Public Health on how we will implement quarantining for students and staff who are diagnosed with COVID-19 or who have close contact with someone who is later diagnosed with COVID-19. Guidance is still being developed by the health agencies. At present, we will designate isolation rooms in each building.
• Visitors -- Per state guidance, we will severely restrict access to campus for anyone other than students and staff.
• Lockers - Will not be used.

August 24 will be in-person for A Schedule students. August 25 will be in-person for B Schedule students. An updated school calendar is posted on our website.

Students will be trained to request books through Destiny. We will be offering remote students library books. Parents may need to pick up the books and return the books to the school.

Parents who have children at multiple campuses will complete a google survey - which has been shared in the Kdg/HP principal newsletter - requesting extra time at pick up. The pick up window typically takes about 20 minutes. Students who are remaining after 3:20 pm are supervised in a designated area until the parent arrives at the main entrance Door A.

The class development process is incredibly elaborate and carefully planned each year in an effort to promote a nurturing culture for learning and a positive rapport between the children and the teacher. We have three primary goals when developing class sections:

1. Ensure that each child’s academic needs are met.
2. Pair each child with another student or groups of children for social-emotional success.
3. Consider teacher styles.

Student may bring their lunch in either a disposable bag or a reusable lunch container. Students will be grouped at lunch with the same cohort of students and will sit at six foot distances from each other. The principals will communicate with families if any allergies exist that would restrict what types of foods students may bring for lunch.

Yes, the schedule for specials is the same each day and each week. Classroom teachers, in grades K-5, will communicate the weekly schedules with parents early in the school year. Students in 6th - 8th grade will follow their assigned schedules.

Your child’s teacher will invite your child to a virtual meet and greet prior to the first day of school. The first day of school is August 24th.

Parents who wish to change their decision for their child's learning model to fully remote learning should contact the main office of their child(ren)'s school. Note: students that are fully remote may not change to in-person (for K-1 grade level) or hybrid (grades 2-8) until after Oct 31st.

We feel students need a break from the technology usage during the day. Art, Physical Education and Music will provide suggested activities for students learning remotely, and those activities will be asynchronous. The Fully Remote Student Coordinator will check in with the students regarding art, music, and PE work. Additionally, the teachers will provide opportunities for communicating them.

We are suspending our STEAM courses for the 2020-21 school year. Unfortunately, many of those STEAM courses simply were not feasible given the need for physical distancing and not sharing materials. Even more limiting was our need to use the teachers of those STEAM courses to teach more sections of their core content areas, enabling us to keep class sizes low enough to fit into our rooms on an every other day basis. It is our plan to bring those STEAM courses back next year as long as our current constraints have been removed.

Since we are implementing synchronous teaching in the classes as part of our hybrid model, the District is fully prepared to transition to full remote learning if necessary.

We will not be launching the school year with snacks, as we will be taking some time to establish routines.

Students will have a great amount of space around their desk space to be able to safely keep their backpack close to their desk. We will also work with teachers to minimize what students need to carry each day. Most of the books are online, so that will help to cut down on what is in bags.

The Wood Oaks schedule will provide cohort groups for unified arts, PE, lunch, study hall, and elective classes, thus reducing the number of students mixing between classes. Attempts were made to group students together through the core portions of the day, but the number of different course combinations and the availability of teachers at the correct times created an unmanageable arrangement. With the A/B arrangement and the cohorts for the non-core portions of the day, students will be exposed to a limited number of students throughout their day.

First grade students will be grouped in two groups of ten with a classroom teacher in one room and an instructional assistant in another room. The teacher will move between the rooms each day on a regular schedule. All specials classes will be in the classroom except physical education.

All Shabonee students will participate in a virtual meet and greet in the days preceding the start of school. To maintain physical distancing guidelines and make final preparations prior to the start of school, a meet and greet for third graders will not be possible. Teachers and staff are planning small group building tours during the first in-person days of school so that staff can address student questions and help our youngest Shabonee students get acclimated in a safe and nurturing manner.

In accordance with the Governor's Restore Illinois Phase IV, schools will reopen but must follow strict safety guidelines. The District is following all the IDPH and CDC guidelines along with a direct relationship with the CCDPH. One provision of this guidance is to maintain 6 foot physical distancing. With this guidance, the District's reopening plan maximizes space to have as many children return as possible. Once the District receives additional guidance that would permit more students in our current space, we will re-evaluate our plan to determine if more students can return to school.

Yes. All non-attendance days in the calendar are factored into building the A/B schedule for in-person learners in order to best provide equity among all students.

School day hours for students will be the same as they have been in the past:

Supervision of children is provided 15 minutes prior to the start of the school day at each location.

Due to the complexities of designing an A/B hybrid schedule in order to maximize learning opportunities and maintain 6 ft distancing, the district does not currently have any planned in-school activities for which a student will interact with his / her classmate on the opposite schedule.

Students will be changing classrooms to spend the second part of the day with their other teacher. Children will not be sharing desks with another child on the day they are present for in-person learning. Desks will be cleaned each evening.

In grades 2-5, we anticipate that classes will be divided approximately in half; all classrooms can accommodate 10-11 students while maintaining 6 ft distance between all students and staff. For grades 6-8, the classroom sizes vary; however, in every case we will only assign a maximum number of students into a classroom that allows us to adhere to the 6 ft distance requirement.

The kindergarten center will mirror Hickory Point School, 8:30 - 3:00. Fifteen minutes of before school supervision is provided.

The average class size at kindergarten is 17-23, which is within our normal guideline.

Kindergarten students will receive Art, Music, Physical Education, Structured Recess, Library, and Computer Class each week in the classroom. Hickory Point staff will travel to the Kindergarten Center to deliver this instruction.

Given the complexities of the schedules and classes, we will be assigning students to the most reasonable schedule possible. The District is doing everything possible to schedule siblings at the 2-5 level. In addition, at Wood Oaks, 6-8 grade siblings have been scheduled on the same A or B day. Students have been assigned to an A or B schedule dependent upon each level of Math, World Language, and Extended Learning Program (ELP). This method ensures equally sized classes that would fit into our Wood Oaks classrooms while observing the 6ft distancing requirement. Please know that every move has a ripple effect on multiple other sections; we need to be cognizant of class sizes so that we do not exceed the occupancy numbers allowed within each classroom. Requests for friends to be on the same schedule cannot be considered.

Parents who begin the year with their child attending school in-person, may change their mind at any time to have their child participate in school via the full remote option. However, a student that moves to the full remote option must remain in this at-home schedule until at least October 31. The option to switch to in-person learning for all students in the full remote schedule will be available after 10/31.

The school hours will remain the same as in prior years for each school. Our staff will modify instructional plans to reduce student contact, sharing of material or equipment and maintain the 6 foot distancing. Face masks will be required by all students and staff members. Additional details can be found in the reopening plan and parents can also expect to receive additional school specific information.

We have made arrangements in each building for students to eat lunch in a different location than the classroom. This provides an opportunity for students to be in a larger location and take their masks off. It also keeps the classrooms clean.

We will schedule siblings in grade K-5 on the same schedule whenever possible. Scheduling at Wood Oaks is a bit more complicated, but we will make every effort to coordinate schedules for siblings who both attend Wood Oaks.

The K-5 meet and greet sessions prior to the start of school will take place virtually. Children in grades K through 5 will be able to meet their teacher(s) and see the classroom via a virtual meeting. Sessions will take place between August 17 and 19. Details to join these sessions will be shared closer to the start of school when they are finalized.

In grades 6-8, we are finalizing plans to get incoming 6th grade students into the building prior to the first day of school. This would be a chance for them to find their first period classroom (homeroom), discuss some of the logistics of the first day of student attendance, and potentially take a brief walk around the building.  Students would attend this session based on their assigned A or B attendance day. More details will be communicated with 6th grade families about this opportunity in early August.

Yes. We will make a fully remote learning opportunity available to students who:

• Have a verified medical or mental health condition that prevents them from attending school in person.
• Are unable or unwilling to wear a mask during the bus ride and throughout any in person learning.
• Because of the fluid nature of the pandemic, there may be additional circumstances under which a parent would request a fully remote learning opportunity previously not identified.
• All students will have their own District device and will join their class daily for synchronous instruction throughout the day.
• Parents who opt for a fully remote option will need to maintain this preferred schedule for their child until Oct 31st.

A new kindergarten campus to be housed at the Leisure Center on Walters Ave. in our District has been created. This new location is available due to a partnership with the Northbrook Park District and will allow our kindergarteners to attend daily and to increase physical distancing space available at Hickory Point. The Leisure Center was a District 27 school years ago and is well-configured for classroom instruction. The size of the classrooms at the Leisure Center is large enough to allow a class of kindergarteners to learn within the same room while adhering to the 6 ft distancing requirement.

Adventure Campus will be offered before school and after school on in-person learning days. Additional information is available at the Northbrook Park District website.

We are currently working with service providers from NSSED and our technology staff to determine any specific auditory needs related to the use of a mic, masks, etc.

IEP services will be provided to students at the Leisure Center with our current staff.

Students with IEP's will receive the services indicated on their IEP. When they are in-person, those services will be provided during the in-person class. On their remote day, services will be provided while the student is logged into their special education or general education classroom. Social work and speech/language services will be provided as indicated in the IEP - we are currently determining whether those services will be remote or in-person. Evaluation and reevaluation will be conducted in a manner that is within the guidelines of safety protocols in the school. Consideration may be given to high need special education students for additional attendance days if deemed necessary, and if capacity limits allow.

Students with 504 plans will receive the accommodations listed during in-person learning and those that are applicable during remote learning. At this time, the plan is for students with 504 plans to attend on the designated A/B schedule.

504 meetings are reviewed annually. All 504 plans are reviewed with the educational team at the beginning of the school year. If a parent requests a 504 meeting, we will get that scheduled as soon after the school year begins as possible. For the start of the 2020-21 school year, 504 and IEP meetings will be held virtually. This may continue throughout the school year depending on conditions moving forward.

Remote students are assigned to a classroom with a designated teacher. We will be working on community building in the classroom with all of our students. In addition, the district has designated a teacher to serve as the District Coordinator for Remote Learners who will regularly check-in with students and provide additional support for remote learners.

The District has identified this as a key area of focus as school begins. Our social workers have been engaged in planning this summer to provide information, support and resources to staff on how to support students as they return to school. Staff at each building will participate in a professional development strand during opening institute days that will address trauma, classroom engagement, supporting student behavior, etc. In addition, emphasis has been placed on the importance of continuing our Second Step curriculum to help support the social/emotional needs of students.

Children take their cues from you. It’s important to be calm and proactive in your conversations with children; actively listen to your child and validate their feelings. Try to reassure your child that it is okay to feel overwhelmed, scared, sad, or angry about how school will be different this year. Wearing a mask may be a new challenge for your child. As much as you can, give your child time to practice wearing their mask before they need to wear one at school. Teach them how to put it on and take it off. Your child may also find it difficult being physically distanced from friends and teachers while at school, you can encourage them to think about other ways to bond and stay connected. Reassure your child that a lot of adults are working hard to keep families safe and remind your child that he/she also can help prevent germs spreading by washing their hands with soap, and by coughing or sneezing into their elbow.

Try to talk about the positives too; your child will be able to see his/her friends and teachers and continue learning new things.

Yes. You can connect the following accessories:

• Keyboards
• Mice
• Speakers
• Headphone
• Headsets (audio only)

Here are the instructions how to connect Bluetooth devices to your Chromebook.

August 24 is an A day and A Schedule students will receive their Chromebooks then. August 25 is a B day and B Schedule students will receive their Chromebooks then. Remote learners can pick up their Chromebooks on August 20.

The District Chromebooks have the District software and extensions automatically installed, so we strongly recommend using this device. If your child has a specific need to use another device, please reach out to your child’s teacher.

The District will be providing all students in grades K-8 a Chromebook. Students in grades 2-8 will bring these devices home with them each day and will be expected to charge them overnight. The kindergarten and 1st grade students will not be transporting these devices back and forth from home to school on a daily basis. If a Kindergarten or 1st grade student needs to learn at home for an extended period of time, arrangements will be made with the parent to pick up a District Chromebook for use at home, if needed.

The screen size is 11.6". Full specifications can be found at this link.

The District recommends having 5 mbps of upload bandwidth and 5mbps of download bandwidth available per student. Please check with your Internet Service Provider if you are unsure if you have these amounts.

Yes. Each child will receive a District issued Chromebook.

Technology support information is available on the 2020-2021 School Year webpage. Parents and students can refer to the troubleshooting tips that are available on this page or submit a Technology Support Request form.

The District will implement the following safety protocols for transportation service.

• Students must wear a face covering at all times on the bus.
• No more than 24 student riders will be allowed per bus to enhance 6-foot physical distancing.
• The following cleaning/disinfecting procedures will be implemented by North Shore Transit:
  • Each bus will be cleaned and disinfected prior to the first route of the day.
  • Drivers will wipe down and sanitize touchpoints, i.e. handrails, seatbacks, steering wheels/controls, etc., after every route.

Yes, you will have an opportunity to register for the bus at a later date. If you do make the decision to register, you can contact your school main office and they will assist you in the registration process.

This year our new bus company is North Shore Transit. We will send registration to you for the bus service. Buses will run their regular routes. Per the guidance from the transportation company, we will permit a maximum of 24 riders per bus to enhance the physical distancing. All passengers must wear face coverings on the bus. There will be no late bus or buses for extracurricular programming.

Bike riding as an individual is okay; we have not received any guidance that would discourage bicycling to and from school. Bike racks will be available for students use.

Non-essential travel is not recommended. Please see the latest CDC guidance here.

Students and staff traveling to a “Level 3” country, as indicated on the CDC website, are required to quarantine for 14 days prior to their return to our schools, according to the CCDPH.

A runny/stuffy nose is considered a symptom of COVID-19. Your child will need to do one of the following two things:

The District has an E-Learning plan posted on our Curriculum Department webpage that outlines the plans for the District to implement remote learning if schools need to be closed due to inclement weather or other emergency.

During the pandemic, no extra-curricular activities will be held at least for the beginning of the school year. These activities will be re-evaluated as the year progresses. There will be no sports activities as this would require travel to other districts, it would be difficult to ensure the safety of our students and staff.

Yes, students that have opted for remote learning will receive supplies.

Thirteen percent of students will be working remotely. Three percent of teachers and one percent of support staff will work remotely.

The Northbrook Park District, in partnership with District 27, is offering a new program to assist families who have children attending school in a hybrid learning model. The attached information is for the new Park District program Community TIES – Together in Educational Support Opens in New Window .. Please review the information posted on the Northbrook Park District website and register for the lottery before Friday, August 7, 2020. Families will be notified of enrollment status no later than August 12.

Register Online

In addition, the North Suburban YMCA (NSYMCA) will be offering Remote Learning Days for families that need supervision and care for their 2-5th grade students. This program will run weekdays from 8:15-3:15. To meet the varying schedules of our area schools, parents can register for 2, 3 or 5 day options.  Please click here for more information.

Opens in New Window Remote Learning Brochure

August Registration

September Registration

October Registration

Supply kits purchased from the Shabonee PTA will be waiting for students in the classroom upon their first day of in-person learning. If a supply kit was purchased from the PTA and the child attends full remote instruction, parents will be able to pick up these materials at a time designated by the school, along with other materials needed for instruction.

This past June, a student attendance survey was conducted by the District to get a sense of parents' thinking about returning to school at that moment in time. The results indicated that 90% of parents would send their children back to school, while the remaining responses indicated that more information was needed or that the parents would not send their children. We just completed our final confirmation of attendance now that we have announced our reopening plan. The link was active until Friday, July 24th. We are now following up with any parent who did not complete the form and will have more results by next week.

Due to the complexities of starting this school year, we will not be offering hot lunch for students at all locations as the school year begins. In addition, parents may not bring fast-food lunches to school for their children. All students should be prepared to bring their own lunch. Please know that decisions related to offering "hot lunch" to students will be revisited in October.

School supply lists, for students in grades 3-8, can be found on the District's website. The schools will provide supplies for students in grades K-2. Primary grade teachers may ask parents to supplement with a few necessary items this year.

Although we understand the need for childcare for some families, unfortunately, the size of our schools and our student enrollment do not afford us this possibility. We are leveraging every available space in our buildings in order to maintain 6 ft physical distance. Therefore the district cannot offer childcare services.