Please note Eagle Nation's Associate Principal and Athletic Director, Mrs. Hernandez, has created the following document to communicate all of the updates and information regarding middle school sports and clubs during the 2nd semester! Please continue to check this document, as it is updated regularly!

Furthermore, please note the following information:

• All decisions for IESA participation will be governed by the guidance they have provided schools.

• All non-IESA extra-curricular activities will be governed by the guidance provided by both ISBE and, as appropriate, by the guidance provided through district administration.

The focus of taking attendance.

During fully remote learning, our focus of documenting student attendance will continue to be to ensure the safety and well being of our students.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will attendance still be taken for students who are Fully Remote Learning?

Attendance will continue to be taken for these students.

How will attendance be taken for students participating in Fully Remote Learning?

Please note, as we have been doing this school year, students not present for live, virtual sessions will be marked "absent" from that day's class. Teachers will also be communicating with students regarding any other activities for which attendance with be taken.

Wednesday expectations and activities will be communicated to students directly from the teachers. Please see the "Expectations for Remote Learning" topic (below) for detailed information about this expectation.

Missing or incomplete work will also trigger communication with both students and families regarding our fully remote students' learning.

How often will attendance be taken for Fully Remote Learning?

Attendance will be taken for each live, virtual class, as well as for activities specified by your student's teachers.

Is there an expected "time frame" my student has for attendance?

A student needs to be present at the beginning of each class, on the aforementioned days (mentioned above). Students need to stay on the live, virtual class for as long as the class lasts, until dismissed by the staff member. Please note, any student who only shows up for attendance and then leaves for the remainder of the class or lesson without an excused absence, will be marked "Absent." Furthermore, patterns of this type of behavior by a student will be communicated to the student's family.

What if my student can't attend the live learning session?

Similar to in-person learning, it is your responsibility to please contact the school regarding the absence, at our attendance line (309) 557-4455.

What if my student has internet/technology issues and gets kicked out of a live session?

Similar to the above question, please have both your student contact his teacher and yourself contact the school to alert and explain the issue.

Will Evans be reaching out to students who are absent or disengaged from Remote Learning?

Yes, as we have been doing so far this school year, the office staff, Mrs. Diaz, our Bilingual Parent Liaison, Officer Wagehoft, our School Resource Officer, our Counseling department, and Administration will be working to reach out to students and families with repeated unexcused absences. Furthermore, if a student does not participate or engage in any activities during asynchronous, a.k.a. "offline" learning, we will document this situation, too.

Our goal will be to work with you to ensure your student has the supports necessary to actively engage and find success during this time.

Our young adolescents desperately need structure in their daily lives due to their developmental systems, at their age. Time management, prioritization of tasks, and general organization skills are either needed to be introduced or reinforced for our kiddos. This is why we continue to work to provide our students with as much structure as possible during the school year! However, this 2020-2021 school year is proving to be a difficult year to provide predictable, continuous structure!

One Document, Both Schedules

For ease of use, I have created a document outlining an entire week of Fully Remote Learning. Please download it here.

During this time, school nurses continue to work with families of our students who are COVID positive or are a close contact. This data is an important aspect of the metrics used by the district regarding the next steps for schooling.

What if my student has COVID-19 or is a close contact to a case?

If your student tests positive for COVID, is a close contact, or if any of your household members test positive, please reach out to Nurse McCaw.

How else can we help you?

Furthermore, we are still reaching out to families to help monitor and advise COVID-19 (+) and close contacts, provide quarantine and isolation instructions, and work with families regarding when to seek medical help with symptoms. As you can imagine, the health department is swamped and is not always able to reach people until about a week after getting results. School nurses are often the first and sometimes the only source of information about next steps for our Unit 5 families. Please feel free to reach out to Nurse McCaw (mccawj@unit5.org)if you have any questions or concerns.

Notification of a (+) COVID-19 Case

The district will be updating this website daily with a school-by-school breakdown of positive and newly quarantined cases for both students and staff members. Please note, instead of sending a letter home for each positive COVID case, every Friday night the district will send a letter to all families directing them to the District website to view both the daily and weekly numbers for their schools. Those who want the information sooner can go to the website each evening after 9:00 pm for that information.

Please note, Unit 5 will continue to personally notify anyone in the district who is determined to be a close contact of a positive individual.

Dates

Our "Pick-Up at the Nest" events are scheduled for the following dates for the beginning of the 2nd semester:

• Wednesday, April 7th starting at 4:00pm and ending at 6:00pm.

  • Wednesday, April 21st starting at 4:00pm and ending at 6:00pm.

Communication

• Please ensure you are checking for specific, direct communication from our staff to your student regarding what he or she specifically needs to pick up at the school.

• Once in our building, please ensure you are checking for the specifically labeled items for your student.

IMC Pick-Up

Mrs. Glatt, our IMC Specialist, and Mrs. Tracey, our IMC Administrative Assistant, continue to work tirelessly on the implementation of making our IMC books available for our remote students! Please note the following logistics:

• Students will reserve IMC books via the OPAC system.

• Students will need to have placed books on reserve in OPAC by noon on the Tuesday of pick-ups.

• Students will be emailed when the IMC book is available to the student.

• Mrs. Glatt and Mrs. Tracey will pull books, place them into plastic shopping bags, and label the bags with student names.

• A reminder of the pick-up day and time will be communicated with all Eagle Nation families.

• For book returns, we will provide a tub in which returned items will be quarantined for three days before check-in.

• Can't make it out to Evans to pick-up your student's book? I will work with our IMC staff regarding deliveries of checked-out books if families can't drive out to Evans.

Please find more information about this process on the Unit 5 IMC's website.

Expectations for All of Us

First and foremost, please understand we continue to hold as our first priority this semester taking care of our students first. Relationships will be prioritized before rigor. Grace will be given before grades. Patience will be provided before programs. Support will be offered before standards. Care will continue to happen before consequences.

Even if not physically present in our building, your family and your student is cared for, you and your student are thought of, and you and your student are celebrated because you are a part of this community.

Please understand I am asking you to please continue to show some grace, patience, respect, and understanding as the staff continues to work extremely hard to completely re-imagine how all learning will look this quarter, in a meaningful, engaging, equitable, and beneficial way for our students. We truly are stronger together!

Frequently Asked Questions

How often will my student need to attend virtual, live classes?

Your student's teachers will communicate about specific needs and activities during the week, but your student is responsible to attend all virtual, live session.

How does my student find links and information for classes?

No problem! Please refer to this helpful document to point your student in the right direction!

Is my student required to have his or her camera on during live learning?

Staying focused and engaged during live Google Meet sessions is tricky for all of us - adolescent and adults. Staff teaching to a void of silent, black boxes is extremely difficult for all involved, as it prevents the fostering of class culture, connections, or vibrant energy - which is critical to fostering the best possible environment for student engagement! Here are tips from both students and staff to help students stay engaged during these live sessions:

• Camera Usage: In a December student survey, our fully remote students communicated to us that "distractions" are the number one factor in making remote learning difficult. In the same survey, students communicated to us that having their cameras on helped them focus. That being said, I want to encourage students to keep their cameras on during Google Meet sessions. As noted, students report to us they find having their cameras turned on helps them interact more with their teachers and classmates. Furthermore, being able to see each other's faces makes for a more personal, comfortable, and engaging experience for all individuals on the call.

• Microphone and Chat Usage: If your student is uncomfortable having his or her camera turned on during a session, no problem! However, all students need to demonstrate they are present and engaged in class by at the very least using his or her microphone and utilizing the chat feature during classes.

What can I expect to happen for my student regarding live learning?

First, it is important to understand that there will not be a universal approach and practice by all teachers. Similar to the intricacies and sensitivities utilized in an in-person classroom, teachers will respond to students' and a class's needs appropriately. Furthermore, since this is such a shift in teaching, these practices will continue to evolve and develop based on lived experiences.

Possible live learning practices could include:

• Students participating in a live video session with the teacher. Please note these sessions could be less than 10 minute whole-group mini-lessons to longer class discussions, opportunities for the teacher to model skills, or guided practice for the students.

• Small groups of all-remote students collaborating with the teacher either through live video sessions or live audio sessions.

• An individual student conferencing with the teacher via live video or live audio sessions.

• Students watching a pre-recorded lesson and then working live with the teacher.

• Live question and answer sessions with the teacher via an online platform.

• Teacher and student interaction or discussions via an online platform or extension.

• Assessing students via various online platforms or live video sessions.

• Live student partner chats.

• Live explanation of directions for a class.

• "Check-ins" for reteaching to the whole-class, small groups of students, or an individual student.

• Student independent work through various online platforms with the teacher available to answer questions.

• And much more!

Please understand the goal of fully Remote Learning is to ensure all students have opportunities for continued learning that focuses on critical standards, keeps students, families and educators connected to schools and learning, as well as supports the overall well-being and health of our students.

It is important to not that live learning does not necessarily equate with whole-group activities every time.

Student Expectations

As mentioned previously, it is critical for your student to be present and be engaged for his or her class at the time the class is scheduled according to our bell schedule. If your student cannot attend a class, please reach out to our main office or, at least, his or her teacher!

Helpful Resources:

• Remote Learning Tips: Please refer to this infographic for helpful tips and tricks to finding success with Remote Learning!

• Behavior Expectations: Please refer to this document regarding our behavior expectations of our students during Remote Learning.

What else will we expect from our students?

• Students will need to check their email daily for communication from all of us within Eagle Nation! Furthermore, students will need to check Google Classroom/CMS daily.

• Whether it is live learning or student-driven learning during class, students are expected to participate in learning activities, as well as submit work on-time.

• Advocate! We love when our students take personal responsibility and reach out to staff for clarifications or support! Please note, teachers are not expected to be available 24 hours a day. Emails outside of our school day will be returned within a 24 hour period.

• Students will be held to our core values of respectful, responsible, and safe behavior. "Be The Good" for all!

Family Expectations

As noted above, please understand I am asking you to show some grace, patience, respect, and understanding as the staff continues to work extremely hard to completely re-imagine how all learning will look this quarter in a meaningful, engaging, equitable, and beneficial way for our students. We truly are stronger together!

Further expectations to help our students succeed include:

• Please ensure your student can log into Google Classroom/CMS.

• Please begin a routine of a weekly check of Google Classroom/CMS with your student to ensure he or she are engaged in the content and completing assignments.

• Please begin a routine with your student of regularly monitoring his or her grades by logging into Google Classroom/CMS and Infinite Campus.

• Please work with your student to identify a learning space where he or she can complete remote learning work.

• Please help ensure your student establishes and follows regular daily routines.

• Please remind your student how to effectively, respectfully, and efficiently communicate with his or her teachers.

• Please remind your student to check his or her school email daily.

• Please encourage your student as he or she works independently; don’t feel the need to correct all errors! Encourage the learning process and growth mindset to take place as your young adolescent continues his or her development during this time!

• If you reach out to student’s teachers with any questions regarding Google Classroom/CMS or your student’s progress, please understand I have not provided any expectation for the staff to be available 24 hours of the day. If you email a staff member, please expect a response within 24 hours on school days.

• Please continue to reach out to your student's Counselors with questions, concerns, or regarding supports your student may need during this time!

• Please stay connected with Eagle Nation! Messages will come from both myself and the staff during this time. Please ensure you are checking your email and Infinite Campus messages.

First and foremost, the expectation is for your student to be ready and connected on all of our school days! It is so critical, not just academically, but also social and emotionally for your student to be present and engaged with us at all times! At the same time, there will be moments when your student may be asked to work independently outside of live, virtual sessions. The activities provided to our students during student-centered work time are more than academic - they provide a sense of familiarity, stability, and community.

Expectations of Independent Work Time

Students will be expected to utilize these times to work on, complete, and engage in work. Students may be required to submit work during these times. Students may need to watch pre-recorded videos or lessons during this time. Students may be completing some form of assessment during this time. Students may be utilizing various online platforms to apply learning.

The important point of this time is for students to utilize the structured time to engage in the content-specific work!

What else will we expect from our students?

• Students will need to check their email daily for communication from all of us within Eagle Nation! Furthermore, students will need to check Google Classroom/CMS daily.

• Even on student-driven (asynchronous) learning days, students are expected to participate in learning activities, as well as submit work on-time.

• Advocate! We love when our students take personal responsibility and reach out to staff for clarifications or support! Please note, teachers are not expected to be available 24 hours a day. Emails outside of our school day will be returned within a 24 hour period.

• Students will be held to our core values of respectful, responsible, and safe behavior. A detailed matrix of our expected behaviors - whether online or in-person - can be found here. "Be The Good" for all!

Problem Solving and Resources

As the time we are utilizing hybrid learning continues to increase, students (and possibly you) may feel overwhelmed, confused, or unmotivated to participate! First, please understand these feelings are natural during this unprecedented time! Even with a hybrid of in-person learning...we still cannot and will not be able to provide an education or experience anywhere near what Eagle Nation's passionate, skilled, and caring adults typically do in a traditional school year.

So, how can you help your student (or you) in moments like these?

1. Lower your expectations. No, your student may not learn as much, at the same pace, or as easily during hybrid or remote learning. Our staff continues to find creative ways to connect with their students concerning not just academic concerns but their social and emotional well-being, too. Staff continue to adjust activities and opportunities for the students based on collected student feedback. This "ebb and flow" is critical during this time for the well-being of all involved in hybrid learning - including you! This is why grace and patience continue to be the most important "school supplies" this year!

2. Stay informed. All Eagle Nation teachers are utilizing either team/department websites located on our website, or Google Classroom, to keep your students attuned to up-to-the-date information regarding activities and remote learning opportunities. I will utilize this website, as well as email and Infinite Campus messages to keep you informed and up to date with information. Does your student know where the "central hubs" are for him or her to go to stay informed each day? You can find information here!

3. Support and Teach Self-Advocacy. If your student (or you) feel lost during this time - which is easy to do no matter how "on top" of everything you are - please seek out help! All Eagle Nation staff is available and ready to help you via email! Does your student utilize both in-person and virtual opportunities to connect with staff when he or she has a question or needs support? Does he or she email the teacher regarding their specific question? These are great first steps in "de-stressing" an already stressful time!

Social and Emotional Support

As we all continue to experience a different type of learning and support environment this upcoming quarter, Eagle Nation's Counseling Department wants all of you to know that they continue to be available to provide any support and assistance your student may need during this time. From simple e-conversations to monitor how our students are managing their personal and educational lives, to anyone who simply needs to find resources to continue navigating these unique times, our counselors are here for you! Just as you have been making adjustments to daily life, the Counseling Department is evolving in determining how to provide the best support possible until we are able to return to school life as normal.

Social and Emotional Resources

The Counseling Department has created a website full of Social & Emotional resources and activities for students and parents! Please click here to check out the site! Furthermore, the department has a "virtual office" for our students!

Contact Information

Additionally, please utilize Mr. Duggins and Mrs. Harden's contact information should you need to reach out for support as time moves forward:

• Mrs. Hardent: Students with last names A-K; hardenl@unit5.org

• Mr. Duggins: Students with last names L-Z; dugginsb@unit5.org

Not knowing how many students and families may be reaching out to them, I ask for your patience and understanding as Mr. Duggins and Mrs. Harden seek to address and respond to all requests in as timely a fashion as possible.

COVID-19 Information and Concerns

Eagle Nation's school nurse, Nurse McCaw, is also available if any of the students need reassurance about COVID-19 and the information they are hearing regarding the virus. This is especially true if what they are hearing and seeing is proving to be scary for them. You can have your student reach out to Nurse McCaw at mccawj@unit5.org

Students are encouraged to regularly check the IMC's Google Classroom for announcements and reading-related links and activities. Students also continue to have access to ebooks and audiobooks through multiple online platforms, and they are encouraged to email Mrs. Glatt if they would like assistance accessing or using these resources.

Finally, please note the following logistics for students reserving books:

• Students reserve IMC books via the OPAC system.

• Students need to have placed books on reserve in OPAC by noon on the Tuesday of our pick-up events.

• Students will be emailed when the IMC book is available to the student.

• Mrs. Glatt and Mrs. Tracey will pull books, place them into plastic shopping bags, and label the bags with student names.

• A reminder of the specific pick-up day and time will be communicated with all Eagle Nation families.

• For book returns, we will provide a tub in which returned items will be quarantined for three days before check-in.

• Can't make it out to Evans to pick-up your student's book? I will work with our IMC staff regarding deliveries of checked-out books if families can't drive out to Evans.

Please refer to detailed device information and FAQs on our Technology 101 page.

My student's device is not working. What do I do?

First, please look at the Technology 101 page on this site as it contains troubleshooting tips and guides. Please bring your student's Chromebook to Evans, any day of the week between 9:00am-3:00pm. We will work with you on completing a Help Desk ticket and swap out your student's device for a new one! Please note we sometimes run out of devices to switch with students. Please feel free to call ahead of driving out to Evans to ensure we have a device for your student!

My goal from the start of this pandemic has been to continue to connect with YOU. Whether in-person or virtual, we are Eagle Nation! To this end, I am continually working on ways to still be engaged, present, and connected to our students and families this Fall.

Currently, we continue to work towards the implementation of the following plans:

• Virtual "Bird Bin" School Store: Although the specifics are still being developed, I plan on having an opportunity in November for students to virtually order items from our school store for either a "curbside pick-up" or delivery!

• Eagle Nation Lunch Trivia: As we have done for many years, we will continue to hold Late-Start, lunch time trivia for our students! More information about this virtual event will be coming in March! Winning students will be eligible for prizes!

• Eagle Nation "Spirit Days:" Who doesn't love to dress up!? Wait...just me?

• Eagle Nation "Challenges:" From grade level attendance data, to team challenges, there is nothing we love more than spoiling some student winners!

• Eagle Nation "Live!" From morning announcements to lunches you never know when I will go live on our social media platforms to bring us all together!

Of course, this is not an exhaustive list. However, it is a glimpse of what makes Eagle Nation a thriving community!

Please note we will be adjusting student schedules if we deem such adjustments would benefit the instruction and opportunity for academic learning of students. This is especially true if this movement helps the staff to maximize the learning time with students.

If your student's schedule is adjusted for any reason, you will receive an Infinite Campus message from me prior to March 30th. Please note we will not be changing any student's team placement with these changes.

As always, your partnership with us is vital to the social and emotional and academic well-being of your student! For any questions, please reach out to your student's teacher, school counselor, the school, or myself!

WE ARE STRONGER BECAUSE WE FLY TOGETHER!