Return to Learning Plan

General Questions

Q. What do I have to do if my child is sick?

If your child is sick or unable to participate in remote learning, please call the attendance line at your child’s school.

Q. What happens if my child's teacher is sick?

Teachers who are sick for 2 or fewer days will provide fully asynchronous plans for their portion of instruction for each day. The remainder of your child's schedule (i.e., the time he or she works with other teachers) will not change. The teacher who is sick will email parents with information about the asynchronous work. Absences that are longer than 2 days will be covered by a substitute or alternate teacher.

Q. What will the District do with previously collected Return to School enrollment information?

Return to School enrollment information that was previously submitted will not impact placement decisions during full-remote learning for everyone. When in-person learning resumes, families will again be provided with an opportunity to select their child(ren)'s learning model based on the options that will be available at that time.

Q. Do I need to re-select a learning plan for my child?

No. We do not need any additional enrollment information for families at this time. Families who require self-paced, asynchronous remote learning should contact remotelearning@d45.org.

Q. Will school start August 19, 2020?

The first day of full-remote learning for students will be Monday, August 24, 2020. This will not impact the rest of the school calendar. The final scheduled day of student attendance is still Friday, May 28, 2021.

Q.Will there be other changes to the school calendar?

There are no additional calendar changes at this time that impact full-remote learning for all students. However, during full-remote learning, no synchronous learning will occur on the previously-scheduled early release days listed below for early childhood or elementary students. Middle School students will follow the schedule shared by their schools for synchronous PE and Fine & Practical Arts. Should we resume an AM/PM Blended in-person option, all Wednesdays designated as early dismissal will be full-remote learning days for all students. No students will attend in-person. Should we enter Phase 5 and return to full in-person learning, the status of early dismissal days will be revisited. Early dismissal dates are as follows:

• August 26, 2020

• September 16, 2020

• October 14, 2020

• November 11, 2020

• December 16, 2020

• January 20, 2021

• February 24, 2021

• March 24, 2021

• April 28, 2021

• May 19, 2021

Q. What is the plan to catch up on the lost achievement over the last few months?

Student needs will be assessed and addressed. Addressing learning loss or gaps in curriculum coverage is important. ISBE has issued guidance to districts to assess curriculum gaps and focus on a strong review of skills when returning to school.

Q. How often will District 45 reassess the chosen models?

We are constantly monitoring the situation. The district will discuss next steps at the September 21 board meeting. Transition time will be built into the process of moving to a new model. Ultimately, our primary goal is to return to in-person instruction when conditions allow, and unfortunately, we are unable to provide a precise date as to when that will occur. However, the District will continue to assess the situation and provide you with updates as planning unfolds. The extent to which we are able to implement our original plan will be evaluated over time.

Q. Will there be a common Learning Management System, or digital home base, for students?

Yes. Students in Early Childhood-Grade 2 will use Seesaw. Students in Grade 3- 8 will use Google Classroom.

Q. How can I learn more about Seesaw or Google Classroom in order to help my child at home?

Both written directions and video supports will be shared with parents. Virtual parent information nights will also be held for live, in-time support.

Q. Are there any changes regarding immunizations for this year because students won't start the year in-person?

There are no changes to grade level immunization requirements for this year. All students must meet immunization requirements, even as we implement the full-remote learning model.

Full-Remote Learning

Q. What will happen on what were previously called Early Dismissal days?

Students in early childhood and elementary school will participate in asynchronous learning. Middle school students will follow the "C Day" schedule.

Q. Will remote learning be graded?

Yes. Remote learning will be graded similarly to in-person grading.

Q. Who should I contact if my family requires self-paced remote learning?

Please email remotelearning@d45.org.

Q. How will my child know what to do as a full-time remote student?

Children will have a class meeting (elementary) or advisory (middle school) each day to start their day. A weekly schedule will also be posted on Seesaw (Early Childhood- Grade 2) or Google Classroom (Grade 3-8).

Q. What is the start and end time for Early Childhood?

Synchronous learning and/or related services will be delivered between the hours of 8:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. with asynchronous activities and breaks built in throughout the day. A finalized schedule for each student within the hours of 8:30 a.m. - 3 p.m. will be provided after the student’s Remote Learning Plan is developed with families by the IEP team.

Q. What is the start and end time for Elementary (K-5)?

Kindergarten AM: Synchronous learning will be delivered between the hours of 8:15 a.m. - 10:45 a.m. with asynchronous activities and breaks built in throughout the day.

Kindergarten PM: Synchronous learning will be delivered between the hours of 12:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. with asynchronous activities and breaks built in throughout the day.

Elementary grades 1-5 : Synchronous learning will be delivered between the hours of 8:15 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. with asynchronous activities and breaks built in throughout the day.

Q. What is the start and end time for Middle School?

Synchronous learning will be delivered between 8:45 a.m. - 12:45 p.m. with asynchronous activities and breaks built in throughout the day. Students may also engage in asynchronous activities between 12:45 - 2:30 p.m. Students will be able to access staff members between 2:30 - 3:15 p.m. on Mondays-Thursdays* during virtual office hours for asking questions or checking in.

*There will not be office hours on Wednesdays designated as Early Dismissal.

Q. What is the start and end time for STARS and Multi-needs Classrooms?

Elementary School: Synchronous learning and/or related services will be delivered between the hours of 8:15 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. with asynchronous activities and breaks built in throughout the day. A finalized schedule for each student within the hours of 8:15 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. will be provided after the student’s Remote Learning Plan is developed with families by the IEP team.

Middle School: Synchronous learning and/or related services will be delivered between the hours of 8:30 a.m. - 3:15 p.m. with asynchronous activities and breaks built in throughout the day. A finalized schedule for each student within the hours of 8:30 a.m. - 3:15 p.m. will be provided after the student’s Remote Learning Plan is developed with families by the IEP team.

Q. How much synchronous (live, scheduled) vs asynchronous (on-demand, not time bound) instruction/learning will be required?

The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) strongly recommends that districts should strive to provide all their students with at least 2½ hours of synchronous learning with real-time instruction and interaction between students and their teachers. District 45 aims to evenly balance synchronous and asynchronous learning across the week.

Q. Will teachers be held accountable for remote learning?

Yes. Teachers will be held accountable for remote learning instruction. Building administration will be included in every teacher’s Seesaw class (Early Childhood - Grade 2) and Google Classroom (Grade 3-8). Building administration will be monitoring schedules to ensure the required number of synchronous and asynchronous minutes are being met.

Q. What curriculum will be used?

A variety of curricular resources will be used to support student learning in the full-remote model, consistent with our typical face-to-face instruction. Specifically, some families have inquired about Eureka math. Eureka math will be used in full-remote learning. You may also see some new learning tools used within the curriculum.

Calvert Learning (Kindergarten through Grade 5) and Edmentum Courseware (Grades 6-8) are third-party online platforms that will be used for families who are not able to participate in synchronous learning during the regular day and need to enroll in a self-paced program.

Q. Can parents/guardians preview 3rd party options?

Yes. Parents/guardians can obtain more information about Calvert Learning (Kindergarten through Grade 5) by clicking here, and Edmentum Courseware (Grades 6-8) by clicking here.

Q. What school supplies are needed?

Families may need traditional school supplies such as paper and pencils; however, please use your discretion with quantity based on your needs. Supplies that are specifically required, but are not the traditional supplies found on school supply lists, will be made available for pick up by the District.

Q. At middle school, who attends office hours?

Office Hours at each middle school are scheduled times for students to seek additional help from teachers. If parents have questions or concerns we ask that they please contact the school directly or email teachers.

Q. At the town hall, it sounded like the E-Learning is not 100% ready to launch. That is concerning, if school is to start in just a few weeks. Will there be enough time to get it up and running, tested, and kinks worked out before 8/24?

Full-remote learning will be ready to launch for the start of school, even given this recent change to full-remote learning for all District 45 students. District and teacher teams are convening, and a full schedule for teacher learning and planning is in development for the week of August 17. The week of August 24 with students will be largely devoted to social-emotional learning, team building, learning the tools and skills for online learning, digital citizenship, mindset, and Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) expectations. We will continue to update our parent community regarding program specifics.

Special Education, Accelerated Programming, and Other Courses

Q. How will specials and PE be taught remotely at the elementary level?

We anticipate a blend of live and asynchronous (on-demand) opportunities. This answer will be updated following additional planning with staff.

Q. How will accelerated learning be handled? Will accelerated learning for 8th graders impact their preparation for high school?

Students in full-remote learning who previously participated in the Language-Arts Enrichment Program (LEAP) will have the opportunity to continue in the program.

In order to ensure all District 45 students are prepared for high school course offerings, 8th grade students who completed Pre-Algebra in 7th grade will be enrolled in Algebra. Incoming 7th grade students identified for Pre-Algebra will be enrolled in that course. Accelerated Reading and Language Arts (ARLA) is not being offered in our current programming due to the cohorting, or grouping, of students necessary for safe, in-person learning should we return to that during the year. Students will be challenged through classroom differentiation, and ongoing communication with District 88 English teachers will ensure students continue developing skills needed for advanced pathways in high school.

Q. Will Transitional Bilingual Education and ESL services be offered in both models?

Yes. Additional details will be communicated prior to the start of school.

Q. How will IEP requirements get fulfilled?

This question has a different answer for every student with an IEP, as each child’s circumstances and needs are unique. Teams will work with parents to create Remote Learning Plans for each student. We will provide interventions and services through a combination of digital resources that can be accessed at home and remote synchronous options when possible.

Q. Will IEP meetings continue like the spring where they are done virtually?

Yes, we will continue to offer parents remote meetings as the preferred choice of the District at this time.

Q. Will staff be able to conduct evaluations and qualify students for special education services?

Yes. We will still be required to conduct child find activities. We will pull from our experiences this spring and conduct evaluations as needed.

Q. What if the student isn't available to attend remote intervention due to child care issues? Will their intervention be through digital resources similar to spring?

We will provide interventions through a combination of digital resources that can be accessed at home and remote synchronous options when possible.

Activities & Extracurriculars

Q. Will extracurricular activities or sports be allowed to run in the fall?

Fall extracurricular activities and sports will not take place unless they can be conducted entirely remotely. Clubs and groups may also meet remotely.

Q. Will band/choir be offered this year?

Band and orchestra will be offered remotely. Confirmation and additional details will be forthcoming.