SVHS Newsletter January 2021

We hope you all had a wonderful holiday season and are looking forward to kicking off this semester! I for one am excited to get back to in-person learning, even if it is on a hybrid schedule. I miss connecting with students and teachers and am looking forward to hearing some noise in the hallways again!

I understand that living in the pandemic is difficult and the transition to fully remote learning has taken its toll on all of us. I recognize how hard it is to stay engaged and motivated, especially with the lack of human contact some of us have had to learn to deal with. This is not simply a problem for just students, or only teachers, it has provided all of us with new challenges and difficult decision to make, which can be exhausting at times. Aside from the pandemic, many of us have also had to deal with other challenges which have been amplified by the threat of an invisible enemy which we cannot always defend against.

The fatigue presented by all of these things can sometimes be overwhelming. It's easy to feel sorry for ourselves. It's easy to give up, or feel defeated and hopeless. It's easy to lose motivation, or ask "what's the point?" However, I want you to know that it will get better. We will get through this. And we will eventually overcome this obstacle stronger than we were before!

We have to work together. We have to communicate. We have to be understanding. We have to keep going! We have to be there for each other!

Return to School 2nd Semester-

We will be continuing with Remote Learning starting Tuesday, January 5th, which will run until Tuesday, January 19, when we will return to our A/B Hybrid schedule. Students will need to follow these steps:

Attendance-

• Log into TeacherEase by 8:10A.M. to complete the check in. This module will pop up for BOTH the student and/or parent.

• Attendance is important and communication with the office and teachers is required for excused absences. Unexcused students will be considered truant without a valid excuse for missing class. Contact the office if your student is absent, or plans on being absent for any reason. Doctor’s excuses can be faxed or emailed to us. Call 217-668-2392, or email rmoore@sangamonvalley.org to report absences.

• Remote Learning Schedule and Expectations: As before, students will continue to work in their Google Classrooms from 8:10A.M. - 11:25A.M. Please click on the link for details.

COVID Screening for in-person learners and Remote Attendance

• When we return to hybrid schedule on January 19th, it is important to remember that students who will be in-person need to be certified by a parent that they are symptom free using the COVID-19 Screener on TeacherEase daily. On days when students are remote, they can simply do check-in themselves on TeacherEase. This is important for our attendance records which we must submit to the State of Illinois.

Schedules-

• Schedules can be found on TeacherEase>Academics>Schedule>Q3. Please let the office know if you have any questions or help accessing this.

• Schedule changes must be done this week! The deadline for schedule changes is Friday January 8th. Please contact Mrs. Antonacci as soon as possible and let the instructor know you want to change your schedule.

Work Completion-

• Students and Parents please make sure that you are staying up to date with assignment completion and getting things turned in in a timely manner. We all understand that given the circumstance we are facing that things happen, but please don't take advantage of the grace granted by the teachers. They are working very hard and it is difficult to keep track of everyone's late work. Be mindful of assignment due dates on Google Classroom and also of any missing work or zeroes that are listed in Teacherease by checking early and often. Above all else, communicate when something is going on so that teachers can assist you in finding a solution. It's much easier on everyone to be proactive than it is to play catch-up later.

Heartland Tech Applications-

• Heartland Tech Academy Applications are now open for juniors and sophomores who are interested in attending the Tech Academy next year! For more information on programs, or applications, contact Mrs. Antonacci at jantonacci@sangamonvalley.org. Students can visit their website at http://www.tech-academy.org/ for descriptions of the programs. Spaces in the Tech program fill up quickly, so act now! Students/parents can also call the HTA office with any questions: 217-872-4051.

Important Dates:

January 18: No School MLK Day

January 19: First day of return to hybrid schedule, A students in person

January 26: PSAT/NMSQT

February 5: Progress Reports Sent Home

February 17: Heartland Tech Application Deadline