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DES Families, 

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed our world in ways that we could not have imagined over the past several months. We realize as parents and caregivers, you are facing pressures beyond compare – the struggling economy, job uncertainty, child-care concerns, and the responsibilities of keeping your family healthy and safe. As a faculty and staff, we are also juggling many of those same things.  Individually, we are worried, like you, about the health and well-being of loved ones. 

Even with all the uncertainty, our effort as a school community to reach out to you and our students to resume our work together highlighting our collective goal, the students of Du Quoin Elementary.  We are continually committed to building relationships and connections with our families, in the current context, that is even more critical.

Over the coming weeks you can expect the Wednesday family newsletter from my office with topics on the return to school plans to provide updates to families as we move along in this process. This information is listed in in a question and response format:

I have heard about the blended attendance approach. How do I know which days my student has in person instruction and remote learning days?

Students have been organized into two groups so that social distancing protocols are observed. Students with last names of A-L will be in the A Group and attend school on Monday and Wednesday with remote learning on the other three days. Students in the B Group have last names ending in M-Z and will attend in person on Tuesday and Thursday with remote learning on the other three days during the week. Group A students' first day of school is Monday, Aug. 17. Group B students' first day of school is Tuesday, Aug. 18.All students will have remote instruction on Friday which may include video conferencing with the classroom teacher and online or at-home activities to complete. We will work to connect siblings who may be arranged in different attendance day groups based on the last name within and across schools and will reach out to those families to make unique arrangements.

Does that blended approach include students entering Kindergarten? 

Kindergarten students will also follow the A/B schedule based on last name groups. However Group A will start on Wednesday, Aug. 19 with Group B on Thursday, Aug. 20. Kindergarten parents or guardians who desire to escort their student to class, will be allowed on Wed, Aug. 19 through Tues., Aug. 26.  We will ask Kindergarten parents who are escorting students to class on these few days to arrive after 8:30 so we can ensure the 1st - 4th grade students are in their homerooms and help with potential traffic issues. Please remember to bring a mask if you plan to walk your Kindergarten student to class on these days. Everyone is required to wear a face covering while in the school building. If you do not have one, we will have extra in the elementary office. After Tuesday, Aug. 26, parents will not be allowed to walk students down the hall to their class. This is a safety precaution we have in place every year and appreciate your help with the implementation for all our students' safety. 

On days when my student has remote learning, how will they do their work if I do not have a computer for them to use?

At the elementary we will use the remote learning days to encourage practicing of early literacy (sight words, name writing, vocabulary practice, etc.), reading, early numeracy (counting, number recognition, patterns, etc.) and math fact practice to help our students regain the instructional pace and demand of school. Do not expect paper packet worksheets with the focus on maintaining skills like we organized last spring. With the new year upon us, our goal is to move students forward with their learning. Also in an effort to reduce the digital divide, we will have a Chromebook loan program for students who do not have access to use a tablet or computer during remote learning days. Our teachers have worked hard and been involved in lots of new training opportunities to be prepared for the remote instructional days to move our students forward in their learning using online resources and programs. 

How will I know who my child's teacher is this year?

Your student will receive a letter from their classroom teacher by the end of next week. Because we will not be able to hold an open house (and because we need closure), we will begin this school year with a return to our homerooms from the previous school year. Students will meet with their 2019-2020 homeroom teacher on Aug. 17 for A Group and Aug. 18 for B Group for an hour to bring some much needed closure to the previous school year.  After the hour, we will conduct several promotion announcements by grade and class introducing students to their new grade level and teacher. 

How are you going to do lunch and will kids get recess?

We will have lunch and breakfast in the classroom. During the meal time, students will have their masks off, so being able to maintain social distance, which we can accomplish given the blended attendance approach, is even more important. We do have a creative schedule which will allow for two recesses during the day. During outdoor recess, students will have the opportunity to play without masks. The Phase 4 guidance states that outdoor activities such as small group recess and use of the outdoor classroom provides a unique window of time to remove masks.  If you desire for your student to wear their mask when at recess or during use of the outdoor classroom, simply send a note with this preference to your homeroom teacher. We are looking into creative avenues that include the use of playground equipment and daily sanitizing. We have more work in this area, and will keep you informed as ideas and plans are finalized. Getting recess (and the option to remove masks) twice a day is incredibly important for our Papooses and will help to provide a school environment where we can all work and learn together with a mindset on success!

The educational training, creativity and dedicated planning that has been occuring throughout the summer and continues with until the start of school for the upcoming school year has been time well spent to make sure that we do it well. As we move forward in our planning and decision-making, we are devoted to the following principles: 

1. Maintain a healthy and safe environment for our students and employees. 

2. Provide an educational environment and continuity of opportunities for all children of Du Quoin Elementary. 

3. Creative designs to support students who may need individualized plans for learning. 

DES will step up and embrace these goals with professionalism, compassion and commitment with our students, staff and community's safety at the center of our work.  

If you have questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at school. I wish our students, their families, our staff and our community safety, good health and wellness as we move into this unique school year to be together again!

With Papoose Pride,

Diana Rea, Principal