Good afternoon and happy Friday!  We hope everyone can have a restful weekend.  Please read below for a few updates.

Have a wonderful day,
Katie and Derrick
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COVID-19 Testing - Based on a sample collection issue from our testing on Tuesday and number of students signed up to test, another team of testers was sent today.  All students who signed up were tested today.  Testing will be weekly.  Please note that they are still finalizing our schedule. The hope is for our testing day to remain the same next week but could change in the following weeks as they work though all the schools in the district.  If you haven't signed your student up yet, you can do so at: https://home.color.com/covid/sign-up/start?partner=tf-ski-610534-students

Principal's Report- Please see this link for this month's principal's report to the LSC.  

COVID Flow Charts - Based on recent guidance, a few items on the flow charts have been updated.  Please review.  ​

​Good morning and happy Monday!  I hope everyone was able to enjoy the weekend.  We are happy to be entering our third week of the school year.  Thank you to everyone for your flexibility, patience and understanding.  School during COVID times can be challenging, but as a community working together it makes it easier and safer for us all.  Please read below for a few updates and reminders.


Have a great day,
Katie

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COVID-19 Reminders - Please remember if your student is sick, they need to stay home.  If they have COVID like symptoms, get tested.  Please see this file for a few flow charts to further understand what occurs if a student: tests positive, travels to an orange state, stays home sick, is exposed to someone COVID-19 positive, or is sent home sick. 
 
*We also ask that you also review the importance and rationale for a silent lunch for students.  The expectation is students do not talk while their masks are off for eating.  (We reinforce this at school and appreciate you also reviewing with your students.)  

Local School Council Agenda – Please see this link for September’s LSC meeting agenda.  The meeting is at 3:45 on Wednesday, September 15.  This is will be virtual meeting.  You can access the meeting at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85887391357?pwd=NzlxTGlST1BCdE9MbjR3c1UwWGtzQT09.
LSC Candidate Statements – We have 2 open positions on our Local School Council.  Three individuals applied.  You can view candidate statements using the link.  For mid-term vacancies, the LSC votes on new members.

Curriculum Nights – This year’s Back to School Open House/Curriculum Night will be virtual to best enable social distancing and COVID safety.  That being said, we have staggered the nights of the events.  Teachers will share further details and see below for a listing of the dates by grade level.  Join us to learn more about your students grade level expectations and important things to note for the school year.
KDG – Thursday, Sept. 30 from 5:00PM-6:00PM
1st – Wednesday, Sept. 22 from 6:00-7:00PM
2nd - Wednesday, Sept. 29 from 5:30-6:30PM
3rd – Wednesday, Oct. 6 from 6:00-7:00PM
4th – Thursday, Sept. 30 at 7:00PM-8:00PM
5th – Tuesday, Sept. 14 from 6:00-6:30PM
6th – Tuesday, Sept. 14 from 6:30-7:00PM
7th – Thursday, Oct. 7 from 6:00-6:30PM
8th – Thursday, Oct. 7 from 6:30-7:00PM

Hearing and Vision Screening – Please use the link to read more about hearing and vision screening.  The Office of Student Health and Wellness offers a variety of direct services to meet the health needs and requirements of students and their families. In addition to helping families meet physical examinations and immunization requirements that enable children to attend school, health services provided through the dental examination, vision and hearing screening, vision examination programs help children and families address health related barriers to learning. Visit: 
http://www.cps.edu/OSHW/Pages/HealthyCPS.aspx VISION & HEARING SCREENING BEGINS this week.
 
Star 360 Assessment for Grades 3-8 - Skinner North has adopted a new universal screener to provide teachers with learning data. Students in grades 3-8 will be taking the new Star 360 assessment between September 13- September 24.  Learn more by reading the following letter.
 
Diversity Committee Meeting - Our Skinner North Diversity Committee meets twice a month to support the school with its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Plan. We aim to build an inclusive school culture by offering workshops for students and adults, sharing resources for families, and suggesting instructional tools for our teachers. We host the SN community-wide events International Festival and June Jamboree.
 
Join us on Wednesday, 9/15 @ 9:00am to discuss this September meeting agenda. We look forward to seeing you soon!
Meeting link: https://meet.google.com/jwv-dnvu-qjk
 
Meeting Schedule (starting in October):
9am on the 1st Wed of the month,
4pm on the 3rd Wed of the month
 
Click here to sign up to receive email updates and meeting invitations. Please reach out to sndiversity@gmail.com with questions or suggestions.
 
 
Diverse Needs Committee - We'll be discussing initiatives for the 2021-22 school year and brainstorming about our quarterly themes. Please join us if you can! If you have questions, comments, or things you'd like to discuss at the meeting, reply to this email or feel free to contact myself (andy@nadesignlab.com) or Danielle Ritchey (dsritchey@cps.edu) directly.  The meeting is on Wednesday September 22 at 9:00am.  You can access the meeting at:  meet.google.com/bdm-noyr-pov.
 
 
Volunteering Update - We are excited to begin a new school year with you! With schools back in person, five days a week, we want to provide you with key updates regarding volunteers. Following the August Board meeting, all-volunteer services have been fully reinstated at this time, and only approved volunteers will be allowed in your schools. Level 1 volunteers will be required to provide proof of vaccination before being allowed to volunteer. Volunteers must email a copy of their vaccination card or immunization records to our volunteer team. We will not approve any Level 1 volunteer applications until the required documents have been received. Level 1 volunteers should not be allowed in your building until their application status states “Approved.” For volunteers that are requesting a medical or religious vaccination exemption, they are required to submit a request via email to volunteer@cps.edu. Lastly, volunteers are required to follow the Standards of Conduct for Maintaining Professional Boundaries between Staff and Students. To support this transition, please refer to the following resources:     
 
·  Volunteer Policy
·  Acceptable Use Policy.
·  cpsvolunteers.org
·  Volunteer Program Summary 
 
Contact Volunteer Programs at volunteer@cps.edu or 773-553-1544 if you have any questions.

​Good afternoon,


I hope everyone is having a wonderful Labor Day.  Please see below for a few important reminders.


Have a great day,
Katie
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Updated Travel Guidance – CPS sent this to families Thursday evening, but wanted to make sure everyone had the update as it is different than what was sent by me earlier last week. 
 
In accordance with recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), CDPH announced earlier this week that every U.S. state except Vermont is now a part of the city’s travel advisory. Here’s what this means for your family:
 
·         The CDC recommends delaying travel until you are fully vaccinated; 
·         Unvaccinated persons who leave the state of Illinois (this includes all children 11-years-old and younger who are not yet eligible for the vaccine) should self-quarantine for 7 days after returning to Chicago, even if they have received a negative COVID test; AND
·         Unvaccinated students who leave the state should not come to school during their self-quarantine period, which is 7 days if they receive a negative COVID test or 10 days if they do not test
·         Vaccinated travelers are not required to self-quarantine or test unless they develop symptoms if traveling within the United States
 
If you have an unvaccinated student, please reconsider your travel plans given this guidance. If your student must travel, please follow the advice above and report the absence to your school so that it can be marked as excused. Then, after one 24-hour school day period, your student will be provided with access to take-home schoolwork that will help them keep pace with their learning during the 7-10 days they are home.
 
Per our original guidance, only those students who have been told to quarantine or isolate by CPS’s Office of Student Health and Wellness because they are a close contact, or who have been told to quarantine or isolate by a state or local public health department, will have access to synchronous remote instruction (i.e., the ability to join their classroom live via Google Meet) and be marked present (virtually) at school. If your student falls into this category, they will receive access to simultaneous instruction one 24-hour school day period after you notify your school of their quarantine or isolation. 
 
See a handout of the guidance at this link.  The site to access contact tracing via self report is https://chicagopsprod.service-now.com/health?id=cps_self_report.  You have to go through this process with a case deemed actionable to qualify for synchronous remote instruction.
 
Diversity Committee - 
Overview: The Skinner North Diversity Committee is a parent volunteer-led support organization. Members (parents/ caregivers, teachers, & staff) meet biweekly and work with our SN administration to help the school with its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Plan. We also share diversity-related resources and host the SN community events of International Festival and June Jamboree.
 
Mission: The Diversity Committee contributes to a vibrant school community that centers the growth, success, and well-being of our students.  We support programming that creates a more inclusive environment for our students, families, and staff.  We model curiosity and dialogue about our intersectional identities and the diverse communities in which we live.  We are committed to anti-racist learning and action to address the long-standing racial inequities in our education system.
SY 2021-22 Focus: Develop and apply actionable tools to model allyship

Join us on Wednesday, 9/15 @ 9:00am!  Access the meeting via https://meet.google.com/jwv-dnvu-qjk.
 
Meeting Schedule (starting in October):
9am on the 1st Wed of the month,
4pm on the 3rd Wed of the month
 
Click here to sign up to receive e-mail updates and meeting invitations. Reach out to sndiversity@gmail.com with questions or suggestions. Thank you!
 
FoSN Meeting – Consider joining Friends of Skinner North.  They are our parent-teacher organization that seeks to support students, families and teachers.  They have various committees and ways to volunteer.  The next meeting is Wednesday, Sept. 29 from 6pm-7pm.  Register in advance for this meeting at:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZElf-2trjguGd1o9fi1K7eB7BXFCZrU6O5w
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
 
Right At School Before and After Care – They recently reopened registration to get some of the parents on the waitlist registered but was forced to close it again yesterday. They are having staffing issues across the company and thought it would be a great idea to freeze registration for a week to get more candidates cleared. They plan to open registration very soon. The registration contact for Right at School is Jonathan Sims (jonathan.sims@rightatschool.com). 
 
Transportation Updates – I am still waiting on guidance.  I appreciate the patience of impacted families.  

Good afternoon!  Thank you to everyone for your assistance during drop off time.  Your patience and understanding have been appreciated.  Please read below for a few updates and reminders.
Have a great day,
Katie
​
AM Drop Off – Thank you to everyone for allowing students to line up independently.  This makes it much easier for us to keep students safe and see our surroundings. 

Crosswalks (Use these) – Thank you to some of our parents who helped set up our temporary cross walks on Scott St. (one near the east side of the circle drive and one by the staff lot).  We love the teamwork 😊. Please use these crosswalks and appreciate you modeling this for our students.   It is dangerous to cross the street at random spots.  In addition, do not let students get out of cars on the street side while waiting on Scott Street.  This is incredibly dangerous.

Traffic Flow – Remember you should be entering via Halsted.  Turning left into the parking lot makes for a more difficult traffic pattern.  (Remember you can use the Target lot.  You may be able to have an easier exit if you use that space.)

Dismissal - Please wait for classrooms to fully exit to their line up spots before getting your student. 
​
End of Day Plan for Next Week – This week will ask that you complete the end of day plan for your student to ensure we know where you would like them to go.  The survey will close on Monday at 9AM.  (We will not be doing this weekly after this point.  Typically after the second week schedules tend to normalize.)  Please make sure you are communicating with your student what their after school plan is as well.  Any updates to your weekly plan for younger students can go through their classroom teacher after this week.  Or for bus updates the day of change, please call the main office 773-534-8500.

Cancelled Transportation Connecting Parents - We would like to help connect families impacted by cancelled/delayed transportation.  Please complete this form if you would like to be connected.  The information shared will be shared among the people who complete this form (https://forms.gle/GzVi7KEEFh32n6W5A).  Please complete by end of day Friday.
*Please note we are still waiting on reimbursement procedures for impacted families.  I will email as soon as I hear.  Thank you for your patience on this.

Diversity Committee – Diversity Committee meetings will be held on the 1st Wednesday of the month from 8:30 am - 9:30 am and on the 3rd Wednesday of the month from 3:30 - 4:30. The former will start with discussion of building a vibrant community, the latter will start with a discussion of supporting the school in its Diversity Equity and Inclusion plan.  The next meeting is Wednesday, 9/15 @ 9am.  Access the meeting via https://meet.google.com/jwv-dnvu-qjk.

COVID Travel Reminders - All Domestic Travel must follow CDPH Guidance. Families must comply with this to keep our community safe.  Current CDPH guidance is outlined below:

• Anyone traveling from a state on the Orange list is directed to obtain a negative COVID-19 test result no more than 72 hours prior to arrival in Chicago or quarantine for a 10-day period (or the duration of their time in Chicago, whichever is shorter). The Order is subject to the limited exceptions outlined in the ‘Exceptions tab’
• This order applies to returning Chicago residents and all out-of-city and out-of-state visitors arriving in Chicago. 
  • Returning travelers who live or work in Chicago or visitors to Chicago who have traveled domestically are not required to quarantine if they are asymptomatic and fully vaccinated.
    • Fully vaccinated is defined as ≥2 weeks following receipt of the second dose in a two-dose COVID- 19 vaccine series or ≥2 weeks following receipt of 1 dose of a single-dose COVID-19 vaccine.
  • Adhere to masking rules: Masks are required on planes, buses, trains, and other forms of public transportation traveling into, within, or out of the United States and in U.S. transportation hubs such as airports and stations. 

• All International Travel must follow CDC Guidance. Current CDC guidance is outlined below:
  • Do not travel internationally until you are fully vaccinated. If you are not fully vaccinated and must travel, follow CDC’s international travel recommendations for unvaccinated people.
  • Fully vaccinated travelers are less likely to get and spread COVID-19. However, international travel poses additional risks, and even fully vaccinated travelers might be at increased risk for getting and possibly spreading some COVID-19 variants.
  • The COVID-19 situation, including the spread of new or concerning variants, differs from country to country. All travelers need to pay close attention to the conditions at their destination before traveling.
  • CDC will update these recommendations as more people get vaccinated, as rates of COVID-19 change, and as additional scientific evidence becomes available.
  • Recommendations for Fully Vaccinated People
    • Fully vaccinated is defined as ≥2 weeks following receipt of the second dose in a two-dose COVID- 19 vaccine series or ≥2 weeks following receipt of 1 dose of a single-dose COVID-19 vaccine
    • Before you arrive in the United States:
      • All air passengers coming to the United States, including U.S. citizens and fully vaccinated people, are required to have a negative COVID-19 test result no more than 3 days before travel or documentation of recovery from COVID-19 in the past 3 months before they board a flight to the United States.
    • After travel:
      • Get tested with a viral test 3-5 days after travel.
      • Self-monitor for COVID-19 symptoms; isolate and get tested if you develop symptoms.
      • Follow all state and local recommendations or requirements after travel.
  • Recommendations for Unvaccinated People
    • Before you arrive in the United States:
      • All air passengers coming to the United States, including U.S. citizens and fully vaccinated people, are required to have a negative COVID-19 viral test result no more than 3 days before travel or documentation of recovery from COVID-19 in the past 3 months before they board a flight to the United States.
    • After you travel:
      • Get tested with a viral test 3-5 days after travel AND stay home and self-quarantine for a full 7 days after travel.
      • Even if you test negative, stay home and self-quarantine for the full 7 days.
      • If your test is positive, isolate yourself to protect others from getting infected.
      • If you don’t get tested, stay home and self-quarantine for 10 days after travel.
      • Avoid being around people who are at increased risk for severe illness for 14 days, whether you get tested or not.
      • Self-monitor for COVID-19 symptoms; isolate and get tested if you develop symptoms.
      • Follow all state and local recommendations or requirements.

 
Thank you to FoSN! – FoSN funded a small gift for each of our students.  Students received a friendship bracelet and note welcoming them back as important members of our community.  Find out more about FoSN at fosn.net.

 
P-EBT Benefits - When will P-EBT Benefits be Issued?
Benefits will be issued for August 2020 through June 2021 for the days that schools have been closed during the 2020-2021 school year.
In March, P-EBT families will receive a distribution for the months of August 2020 through December 2020 for all schools that submitted the required information. Some families received August and September benefits in September. A determination will be made if additional benefits may be provided and all eligible days will be received by eligible students.
In April, families will receive a distribution for January 2021 through March 2021.
Beginning in May, families will receive a monthly benefit for the remainder of the school year.
Benefits will be issued between the 11th and 22nd of each month based on the first letter of the student's last name. Benefits will be issued on the same day on subsequent months so your family can plan their food budget. See the P-EBT Availability Date Chart at the end of this memo.
Find more information at https://www.dhs.state.il.us/page.aspx?item=131609