Dear District 54 Community,

Good afternoon District 54 families. As you have probably heard, Governor Pritzker has announced that schools will remain closed for the rest of this school year.

Let me acknowledge that this is not ideal. The ideal situation would be having children at school connecting in person with their peers, their teachers and other staff. I think we can all acknowledge that.

While we were really hoping we would be able to bring students back to school this year, we were also anticipating this announcement and planning for it. We are committed to helping students to grow academically and supporting their well-being. We will continue to offer remote learning as we have for the past four weeks.

I know with the governor’s announcement you have questions. You are probably wondering about eighth-grade graduations and other important end-of-the-year celebrations. We are currently working on plans to commemorate these moments.

Some of you may have items in the schools that you need to retrieve. We have a plan to safely provide you access to the schools and we will share those specifics with you soon.

To our students – we miss you. Thank you for staying connected to your teachers and each other through virtual learning. We are going to keep teaching you and caring about you. We are still here for you.

To the families of our students – thank you. We know you didn’t plan to spend the last two months of the school year helping your children with school work at home. Your support for your children, our teachers and each other has been amazing. You are an integral part of what we do.

While our school doors are closed, we are committed to doing whatever it takes to support our students this year. If there is anything we can do to support you, please reach out to your child’s teacher, social worker or any other trusted adult. I look forward to the day when we can all be together again.

Sincerely,

Superintendent Andy DuRoss

As the situation surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, continues to change, District 54 is working with amazing community partners to provide food to families who are struggling financially. Families needing assistance may benefit from the following.

• Wednesdays:  Willow Creek Community Church will host a mobile food truck distribution from 11 a.m. to noon every Wednesday in the District 54 Rafferty Administration Center parking lot, 524 E. Schaumburg Road in Schaumburg.
• Thursdays:  District 54 staff will be working with Township High School District 211 to distribute meal bags with five days of lunches, five days of breakfast and a half gallon of milk from 8 to 11 a.m. each Thursday through July 16 at Hoffman Estates High School, 1100 W. Higgins Road in Hoffman Estates. 
• Fridays:  Willow Creek Community Church will host a food distribution from 4 to 5 p.m. every Friday at Keller Junior High School, 820 Bode Road in Schaumburg.
• The Schaumburg Township Food Pantry is now running a drive-through pickup from 1 to 3 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays at the township office, One Illinois Blvd. in Hoffman Estates. For more information, please call (847) 732-7166.
• Church of the Holy Spirit Food Pantry, 1451 Bode Road in Schaumburg, is offering drive-through pickup on Thursdays from 2 to 5 p.m. near the garages.
• Living Hope Food Pantry, 777 Meacham Road in Elk Grove Village, is offering drive-through pickup on Thursdays from 11:30-noon.
• Trinity Charities Food Pantry, 927 Plum Grove in Schaumburg, is open from 4 to 6 p.m. Thursdays and 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays.

We would like to thank the number of individuals and organizations who have inquired about how to make donations to help those in our community who may be struggling. We feel the best practice is to work with organizations who are currently offering these services in our community and will therefore not be collecting food. Please do not bring food donations to the district office as previously mentioned.

The Schaumburg Township Food Pantry and many faith-based charities are providing food to families in our community. Click here to access a list of these pantries on the Schaumburg Township website. In order to encourage social distancing, these organizations are not collecting food at this time.

Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT)

The Illinois Department of Human Services has a new special benefit called the Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer to help families buy food for children who would normally receive free lunch when schools are in session. To apply online, families should visit https://abe.illinois.gov/abe/access and click on Apply for Benefits.

Families that currently receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits do not need to apply for P-EBT benefits. These additional P-EBT benefits will be loaded into Illinois LINK EBT accounts along with regular SNAP benefits. Families that do not currently receive SNAP benefits but do have children who receive free lunch, will need to apply on this website. A paper application in English and paper application in Spanish is also available and can be submitted as an attachment by email to DHS.FCS.PEBT@nullillinois.gov. IDHS created a flyer to help families with the application process. A Spanish version of the flyer is also available.

Crisis Fund

The District 54 Education Foundation has also created a new fund called the D54 Foundation Crisis Fund, which will be used to support our most at-risk families, including the 20% of students who qualify for free lunch. This emergency fund will help families impacted by this virus, and could be used in the future to provide immediate access to financial assistance for financially struggling families.

To donate, visit any of the following websites:

• District 54 Education Foundation – select Crisis Fund
• Greater Chicago Food Depository
• Schaumburg Township Food Pantry

Lugares de despensa de alimentos y oportunidades de donación

A medida que la situación en torno al nuevo coronavirus de 2019 continúa cambiando, el Distrito 54 está trabajando con increíbles socios de la comunidad para proporcionar alimentos a las familias que tienen dificultades financieras. Las familias que necesitan asistencia pueden beneficiarse de lo siguiente.

• Miércoles:  Willow Creek Community Church llevará a cabo una distribución móvil de camiones de comida de 11 a.m. a mediodía cada miércoles en el estacionamiento del Centro de Administración Rafferty del Distrito 54, 524 E. Schaumburg Road en Schaumburg.
• Jueves:  Distrito 211 de Township High School, cinco días de almuerzos, cinco días de desayuno y medio galón de leche de 9 am a mediodía cada jueves en la escuela secundaria Hoffman Estates, 1100 W. Higgins Road en Hoffman Estates. Esta es una camioneta drive-through. Cuando llegue a la escuela, quédese en su vehículo. Cargaremos las bolsas en su maletero o asiento trasero.
• Viernes:  Willow Creek Community Church también llevará a cabo una distribución móvil de camiones de comida de 4 a 5 p.m. cada viernes en la escuela Keller, 820 Bode Road en Schaumburg.
• Schaumburg Township – La despensa de alimentos del municipio de Schaumburg ahora está llevando a cabo una recolección de 1 a 3 p.m. los martes y jueves en la oficina del municipio,  One Illinois Blvd. en Hoffman Estates. Para obtener más información, llame al (847) 732-7166.
• Iglesia del Espíritu Santo Despensa, 1451 Bode Road en Schaumburg, ofrece servicio de recogida los jueves de 2 a 5 p.m. Cerca de los garajes.
• Living Hope Food Pantry, 777 Meacham Road en Elk Grove Village, ofrece servicio de recogida los jueves de 11:30 a mediodía.
• Trinity Charities Food Pantry, 927 Plum Grove en Schaumburg, está abierto de 4 a 6 p.m. Jueves y de 10 a.m. a 1 p.m. Sábados.

Nos gustaría agradecer a la cantidad de personas y organizaciones que han preguntado cómo hacer donaciones para ayudar a aquellos en nuestra comunidad que puedan estar luchando. Creemos que la mejor práctica es trabajar con organizaciones que actualmente ofrecen estos servicios en nuestra comunidad y, por lo tanto, no recolectarán alimentos. No traiga donaciones de alimentos a la oficina del distrito como se mencionó anteriormente.

La despensa de alimentos del municipio de Schaumburg y muchas organizaciones benéficas religiosas están proporcionando alimentos a las familias de nuestra comunidad. Haga clic aquí para acceder a una lista de estas despensas en el sitio web del municipio de Schaumburg. Para alentar el distanciamiento social, estas organizaciones no están recolectando alimentos en este momento.

Transferencia electrónica de beneficios pandémicos (P-EBT)

El Departamento de Servicios Humanos de Illinois tiene un nuevo beneficio especial llamado Transferencia electrónica de beneficios pandémicos para ayudar a las familias a comprar alimentos para niños que normalmente recibirían almuerzo gratis cuando las escuelas están en sesión. Para solicitar en línea, las familias deben visitar https://abe.illinois.gov/abe/access y hacer clic en Solicitar beneficios.

Las familias que actualmente reciben beneficios del Programa de Asistencia Nutricional Suplementaria (SNAP) no necesitan solicitar los beneficios P-EBT. Estos beneficios adicionales de P-EBT se cargarán en las cuentas de Illinois LINK EBT junto con los beneficios regulares de SNAP. Las familias que actualmente no reciben beneficios de SNAP pero tienen niños que reciben almuerzo gratis, deberán presentar una solicitud en este sitio web. Una solicitud en papel en en español también están disponibles y se pueden enviar como archivo adjunto por correo electrónico a DHS.FCS.PEBT@nullillinois.gov. IDHS creó un volante para ayudar a las familias con el proceso de solicitud. U

Crisis Fund

La Fundación Educativa del Distrito 54 también ha creado un nuevo fondo llamado D54 Foundation Crisis Fund, que se utilizará para apoyar a nuestras familias más expuestas, incluido el 20% de los estudiantes que califican para el almuerzo gratuito. Este fondo de emergencia ayudará a las familias afectadas por este virus y podría usarse en el futuro para proporcionar acceso inmediato a asistencia financiera para familias con dificultades financieras.

Para donar, visite cualquiera de los siguientes sitios web:

• District 54 Education Foundation – select Crisis Fund
• Greater Chicago Food Depository
• Schaumburg Township Food Pantry

Dear District 54 Community,

As you know, on Friday Illinois Governor Pritzker announced the mandatory closure of all public schools through March 30. While our staff would prefer to be at school, interacting in person with your children, we know this is the right decision to keep our community healthy and safe.

Please know that the closure may continue beyond March 30. The situation is incredibly fluid, and the state is waiting to announce what will happen after March 30 until we get closer to that date.

Because this statewide closure was mandated, all of the days are considered Act of God Days in Illinois, and therefore will not be made up at the end of the school year. However, school districts across the state are encouraged to provide virtual learning opportunities for students.

Today was an institute day in District 54 so that we could train our employees on the new District 54 Virtual Learning platform, which will allow us to provide continuous instruction to the more than 15,000 students we serve during these unique times. 

Timeline

• March 17:  closed for the elections as previously planned.
• March 18-20:  first week of virtual learning
• March 23-27:  spring break
• March 30:  virtual learning day

District 54 V-Learning Platform

On Wednesday morning, students will be able to visit the D54 V-Learning Website. Once you are on the site, click on the link that corresponds to your child’s age group and watch the welcome video. The website also contains a parent guide, a student guide and frequently asked questions.

• Junior high V-Learning classes will be held from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., and students will follow their current schedule (including a break for lunch). 
• Elementary school and Lincoln Prairie classes will be held from 9 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. with a one-hour lunch break from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. 
• Early Learning Center students can also visit the site with a trusted adult at any time. Students brought home bags last week to compliment the Choose Your Own Adventure virtual learning platform designed for their age group.

Since these classes are virtual and we understand that this schedule may not work for some families, students have the flexibility to complete tasks at any time. However, students participating during these V-Learning times will be able to interact in real time with their teachers. Student work during this time will not be graded. 

All students in kindergarten through eighth grade should have brought home their District 54 iPads and Chromebooks on Friday. For those families who do not have Internet access at home, please email VLearning@nullsd54.org.

Reporting 2019 Novel Coronavirus 

If your child is sick and cannot participate, please email your school principal. It is especially important for us to track illnesses while the COVID-19 virus is spreading in our state.

Students Receiving Free Lunch

Thank you to everyone inquiring about how we can continue to support our students receiving free lunch. We distributed food to families this week. Anyone wishing to donate can donate to the Schaumburg Township Food Pantry online. (Updated 3-19-20)

Thank you again for working with us, as we all do our part to prevent the spread of this virus in our community. As I’ve stated before, these are unprecedented times, but in District 54 we will continue doing what we do best – caring for our students and ensuring their academic success.

Tickets have been issued for all students that submitted six hours of reading to Six Flags.  If your parents submitted with an email address, the tickets should have been emailed to them.

Please email Mr. Doerpinghaus if your parents submitted your hours, but did not receive the email with your ticket.

Congratulations to all the students that completed the challenge.

Mr. Doerpinghaus
todddoerpinghaus@nullsd54.org

Muir Community-

I hope this email finds you well. It has been nice seeing students and their families at supply pick-up. I know this isn’t the way we wanted to end the year, but seeing your smiling faces has brought a smile to mine. One thing that I have learned during this time is to meet all new experiences with flexibility. With that being said, for the upcoming school year, Ms. Burke will be moving to another assistant principal assignment in the district. While change is never easy, this will be a great opportunity for her. We have much to celebrate with the contributions she has made to the Muir community over the past 4 years. We wish her luck on her new adventure in District 54 and will miss her at Muir!

In the spirit of opportunity, I am excited to share that for the 2020-2021 school year we will have Mrs. Julie Goolish join us as our assistant principal. She has worked in District 54 for twenty-two years as a special education teacher, behavior coach, and PBIS external behavior coach. She attended Illinois State University for her undergraduate degree in Special Education and Northern Illinois for her Masters in School Counseling. Throughout this past year as a behavior coach, she was able to collaborate and support staff across the district while also studying for her Masters in Educational Leadership. Her experiences will be an asset to Muir and we look forward to her joining our Falcon Family!

Have a great week,

Carolyn Allar – Principal

Registration for the 2020-21 school year is underway for kindergarten through eighth grade.

New District 54 families

Click here to begin online registration. After processing your registration, your child’s new school will contact you to request additional information, such as the Student Transfer Form (ISBE form 33-78) for students transferring from another Illinois school; proof of immunizations (list of required immunizations by grade level), birth verification and proof of residence (see details at sd54.org/registration).

For questions, please contact registrationdocuments@nullsd54.org. If you don’t know what school your child will attend, click here to access our School Search program and enter your address.

Current D54 families

Log in in to the parent portal, and update your information for next year by June 1, 2020. You must hit the SUBMIT button after reviewing the information, even if you don’t make any changes. If your children will not be attending District 54 schools next year, please contact your school office and let them know.

If you have previously created a portal account and cannot recall your username or password, you can reset them yourself from the parent portal website. If you have never created a portal account, please email portalsupport@nullsd54.org to create one.

All families are required to prove that they live within District 54 boundaries every year.  If we were unable to verify your residency electronically, you will have the ability to upload your residency electronically through your portal. If you do not have a portal account, you can also email the required documents to registrationdocuments@nullsd54.org.

Information about transportation and the consumable materials fee will be communicated at a later time.

Due to the move to remote learning in March, District 54 will be prorating prepaid fees (i.e. milk, field trips, pizza fundraisers, etc.) based on actual goods or services received. The amounts that have been paid by families for goods or services that have not been received have been credited to their student’s account on the District 54 Portal. Each item credited is identified separately for tracking purposes.  The consumable materials fee will not be prorated, as this fee is used immediately for student workbooks and other consumables. 

For those that paid for transportation, that fee reimbursement is being handled separately from this process. In addition, payments made to the PTA are being handled by the school PTA.

If your child is an eighth-grade student, the credit has been applied to a sibling’s account. Checks will be mailed before May 22 to families whose youngest child is graduating from District 54 this spring and to families who are moving out of District 54.

If you are experiencing a financial hardship and need these fees refunded by check, or if you have any other questions, please contact your school secretary.

Muir Community-

It is bittersweet that we are almost at the close of the school year.  Although these conditions have not been ideal, we are so fortunate to have had each other to lean on. We are incredibly proud of our students and the support you have provided to them not only during V-Learning, but throughout the school year. We are looking forward to the time that we can be together again.

We wanted to share with you how we are planning our pick up and drop off of materials and supplies. This week we are beginning to prepare any materials including medication that your student may have at school, that you may want returned to you.  Teachers will be reaching out regarding specific district items which need to be returned and which items are available for pick up. Due to social-distancing guidelines, we are adhering to a specific schedule for pick-up and drop-off procedures. We thank you for your flexibility and understanding at this time as our number one priority has always been the safety of our students and community.

Material drop off and pick up

Parents please bag any materials to return (not technology) and put in your trunk. Please label your bag with your child’s name and teacher. We are asking that families remain in their vehicles to adhere to social distancing guidelines. We will then take out materials out of your trunk and place any returning items in your vehicle. Please pull into our bus lanes in front of the school. Please note that only designated classroom materials will be available during the specific time slot. Please note that any items not picked up at specific allotted times, will be discarded. On the day of your drop off/pick up, your classroom teacher will not be available for V-Learning, however an enrichment activity will be pushed out by the Department of Teaching and Learning.

Virtual Field Day

District 54 Physical Educators are excited to invite you to the first ever V-Field Day on Wednesday May 6th. V-Field Day will allow you to complete Field Day experiences in your own living room or backyard. Click here to access all of the V-Field Day events. All stations can be simply created using household items and a little ingenuity. We have also teamed up with the District 54 Grizzlies, our Special Olympics team, to add adaptations for students who need them so we are sure everyone can participate!  Each school community will also be able to engage virtually through their own Field Day Padlet!

Schedule for V-Learning

*Teachers will not be available online to students or parents on the day where they are assigned to be at the building for materials collection.  The Department of Teaching and Learning will provide an enrichment activity on these days. Please refer to the dates below of when grade level teachers will not be available. 

District 54 Physical Educators are excited to invite you to the first ever V-Field Day on Wednesday May 6. V-Field Day will allow you to complete Field Day experiences in your own living room or backyard. Click here to access all of the V-Field Day events. All stations can be simply created using household items and a little ingenuity.

We have also teamed up with the District 54 Grizzlies, our Special Olympics team, to add adaptations for students who need them so we are sure everyone can participate!  Each school community will also be able to engage virtually through their own Field Day Padlet!

Dear District 54 Community,

Good morning District 54 families and welcome to our fourth week of virtual learning in District 54 schools. Thank you to everyone who completed the survey last week. We are reviewing all responses and I plan to address some of your questions and concerns in my weekly emails. 

Student Grades
The Illinois State Board of Education has said that student work completed during the statewide closure should not count negatively toward student grades or a student’s academic standing. However, District 54 will continue to design high quality lessons and activities for students; to assess student progress; and to provide feedback on student work.

Special Accommodations Website
The District 54 Special Education Department has created a special website with resources for the families of students who regularly receive accommodations at school. Click here to access the website, and find information about speech supports, behavior management, assistive technology, health and mental wellness, physical and occupational therapy, contact information and much more.

Food Distribution
Food distribution for our financially struggling families will also continue throughout the school closure. Please visit one of the following locations. No appointments are necessary. Please remain in your car, and we will load the food in your trunk or back seat.

• Wednesdays:  Willow Creek Community Church will host a food  distribution from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Wednesday at the D54 Rafferty Administration Center, 524 E. Schaumburg Road in Schaumburg.

• Thursdays:  D54 staff will be working with Township High School District 211 to distribute meal bags from 9 a.m. to noon every Thursday at Hoffman Estates High School, 1100 W. Higgins Road in Hoffman Estates.

• Fridays:  Willow Creek Community Church will host a food distribution from 4 to 5 p.m. Friday at Keller Junior High School, 820 Bode Road in Schaumburg.

Click here for more information about food distribution and how to support local food distribution.

Questions
If there is anything we can do to support you, please reach out to your child’s teacher, social worker or any other trusted adult. For all technology related problems, don’t forget you can also email vlearning@nullsd54.org. 

Once again, my thanks to you and to your amazing students who are showing up ready to learn. Our children are resilient and their excitement and eagerness continues to inspire me each day.

Sincerely,

Superintendent Andy DuRoss

Muir Community,

I hope this email finds you and your family well. The staff at Muir are definitely missing your child(ren) in person, but we look forward to V-Learning starting back up again tomorrow. Remember, please have your child login to either Google Classroom (3-6) or Seesaw (K-3) each day, take attendance and enjoy the activities the teachers have planned for each student.

Twitter

We use Twitter to share and celebrate the wonderful things happening at Muir. Please follow me @carolyn_allar and our Muir page @WeAreMuir54.

Muir Staff Parade

The Muir staff will be conducting a car parade through the Muir neighborhood to wave hello to our students from our cars. Please be on the lookout for Muir staff on Wednesday, April 1^st beginning at 2:45. Below is a map of our route. If you need to come outside to see us, please make sure you are following social distancing guidelines. We look forward to seeing you and your child(ren).

Parade Map

We Need Your Help Staying Connected
We are working on a special project for the students of Muir and we need your help. Please send a photo of your child V-Learning to Mrs. Allar at carolynallar@nullsd54.org by Friday, April 3^rd. These pictures can highlight any part of the learning day (reading, math, specials, and even recess). More to come with this surprise!

Support for Families in Need
Families needing assistance may benefit from the resources coordinated by our community and District 54.  These resources are being updated daily on the District Webpage here. We are grateful to have the support of a generous and caring community!

Carolyn Allar – Principal
Cory Burke – Assistant Principal