On Friday, July 10, 2020, District 54 Superintendent Andy DuRoss shared the Reopening District 54 Plan (Spanish version available here) with all families and staff: a plan designed with the health and safety of our students and our employees as the top priority.

The District 54 Reopening Plan is based public health information available at this time. The plan will most likely be adjusted as new guidance from the Illinois State Board of Education, Illinois Department of Public Health, Centers for Disease Control and other public health officials is received or as necessary to best support the health and safety of our students and employees. All updates will be posted online at sd54.org/COVID19 and shared with our families and employees.

Please keep in mind, that should Illinois move from Phase 4 back to Phase 1, 2 or 3 due to a resurgence of the virus, it is possible that the governor will direct all Illinois schools to move to remote learning for all students for a period of time. It is also possible that new restrictions could be instituted on classroom capacity limits, which could require a combination of on-campus and remote attendance days. Some states have delayed the start of the school year, due to the number of COVID-19 cases in their state. As a district, we are preparing for a variety of scenarios and, as always, we are committed to keeping you informed every step of the way.

At this time, District 54 is offering the following two options for the 2020-21 school year. Parents/guardians please log in to the District 54 Families Website using your portal log-in information by Friday, July 17, and select one of the two options listed below (see page 9 of the booklet for more information). To set up a portal account, email portalsupport@nullsd54.org. If you are unable to create an account, please contact your school principal with your selection.

Option 1: In-Person Instruction

Governor Pritzker announced on June 23 that Illinois schools can return to on-campus learning with enhanced safety protocols. In addition, the American Academy of Pediatrics is recommending students physically return to school. The Reopening District 54 plan outlines the protocols we are putting in place to resume instruction at school based on guidance from the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Illinois Department of Public Health and Board of Education and the Centers for Disease Control.

Option 2: District 54 Virtual Learning Academy

We know that in-person instruction is not an option for some of our students with elevated health risks, or who have family members with elevated health risks. Any families who do not feel comfortable having their children attend school in person are not required to do so. Your children will be provided online instruction.

Please review the Reopening District 54 plan to help you make the choice that is best for your children. We have also prepared a short video explaining the two options – District 54 Student Learning Options (the Spanish version is available at this link). We greatly appreciate your understanding and collaboration as we work together to keep our students, employees and community healthy and safe.

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

There have been a few changes to our technology collection plan this week – please read the following changes carefully.

2nd Grade Student iPad Collection – UPDATED

We will no longer be collecting iPads from 2nd graders this week. We hope this change will enable students to utilize the devices over the summer months. The District will be scheduling a 2nd grade iPad collection Chromebook exchange in early August. Additional details regarding this will be communicated later in the summer

Student Google Accounts – UPDATED

The District has decided to keep ALL current K-7th grade student accounts active so devices will be functional during the summer months. With community libraries still closed, the devices can be utilized for students to continue reading over the summer. We are asking parents to be diligent in monitoring student device usage to ensure they are being utilized for appropriate purposes.

Device Collection on Friday – UPDATED

We will still have our device collection drive-thru this Friday, May 29th from 9-10 am for all non-returning students to return iPads, Chromebooks, and chargers. If you are the parent of a 2nd grade student, and you still want to turn in your child’s iPad on Friday instead of keeping it for the summer, you can utilize the drive-thru device drop-off between 9-10 am. Your child will be issued a Chromebook in early August.

Additional Student Materials Pick Up – Final Date: 5/29 12:30-2:00pm

We still have a few families that have NOT picked up their children(s) school supplies. If you would like to pick-up the school supplies, we will be open on Friday, May 29th from 12:30-2:00 PM. When coming to pick up, please place a sign in your passenger side window with your last name. Parents will drive through the bus loop in the front of the building and a staff member will place the bag of belongings in your trunk. Please remain in your car at all times. If you have anything to return, please place item(s) in a labeled bag in your trunk.

Due to the shutdown, we have not been able to connect with Lifetouch. They have been out of production since March. When we connect with them, we will communicate a plan to distribute the yearbooks and spring pictures.  We will work to ensure that everyone who has placed an order receives their books and/or pictures.

Report Cards will be available online within the District 54 Parent Portal starting June 2^nd. An email will be sent to you once your child’s report card is available.

In accordance with the Illinois State Board of Education guidelines, report card grades for the third trimester will be designated as Pass or Incomplete. Final year end grades for students in fourth through eighth grade will reflect second trimester grades or higher as evaluated by student work across the third trimester.

We hope that all families will check the report cards and use the information to celebrate with their children their academic successes. We are all very proud of our students.

Are you searching for an innovative way to empower your children over the summer? Are you looking for a comprehensive approach to summer learning that combats boredom and keeps everyone engaged? Look no further! Visit the School District 54 Virtual Learning University to tackle challenges for literacy, math, science, social science, social-emotional learning, language and culture too!  Each area has multiple challenges or a toolkit to keep your children’s minds focused and active throughout the summer weeks! Within each category you will find family activities, individual activities and possible places to visit in our community and surrounding areas.  We hope you’ll encourage your children to visit our Virtual Learning University often throughout the summer to challenge themselves and to keep your family learning together. Click here to access the Virtual Learning University or find the link under Popular Links on the District 54 website.

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.  District 54 teachers will be issuing either a “Pass” or “Incomplete” for third trimester grades.

We are so excited to see our incoming Kinders! Linked here is a video welcoming our newest Campi students and some information we hope you will find helpful.

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.

As many of you know, students traditionally enroll in the District 54 Instrumental Music Program in the spring of fourth grade and begin lessons in fifth grade. Due to our unique circumstances in the spring of 2020, instrumental music enrollment will be held once school resumes in the fall. In the meantime, we encourage fourth grade students and their parents to visit the District 54 website (https://sd54.org/resources/instrumental-music-enrollment-spring2020) to view information about band and orchestra enrollment so that they are prepared to choose an instrument and join the fun!