May 2021 Family Newsletter

The following message was sent to all CCSD21 families through ParentSquare, the district’s notification tool. Parents that did not receive this message should contact their school’s main office to ensure their contact information is up to date.

May 6, 2021

Dear CCSD21 families,

Though the end of the school year is quickly approaching, extensive planning for next school year is already well underway. Read more about the CCSD21 Learning Recovery Plan – and other important updates – below.

As a reminder:

• Thursday, May 20 — School Improvement Day.
  • This is a half day for students. In person students will attend school in person; DLA students will engage from home.
  • Pre-K students: No school
  • Grades K-5: 9 AM – Noon
  • Grades 6-8: 8 AM – 11 AM
• Thursday, May 20 — Board of Education meeting (virtually or in person at the Gill Administration Center).
• Friday, May 21 – Institute Day. No classes for students.
• Thursday, May 27 – Last Day of School. The last day of school is a full school day.

CCSD21 Learning Recovery Plan

As we look ahead to the 2021-2022 school year, CCSD21 is planning for full in-person learning for all students and a return to as normal of a daily learning environment as possible. The 2021-2022 school year will be a transition from management of the pandemic to learning recovery through intensive focus on identifying and addressing learning loss, providing social-emotional support to students and families, implementing significant changes and improvements to district curriculum and programming, and implementing effective learning interventions to support accelerated skill mastery, growth, and academic achievement.

The District 21 Learning Recovery Plan outlines year one of a three-year plan and should be viewed as an evolving document that will change and grow as the needs of CCSD21 students dictate. Plan details include an expenditure schedule for federal American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds; District 21’s allocation of ARP funds stands at $9.079 million and must be expended by September 30, 2024. The district is committed to using all available resources to equitably and sustainably support the needs of all students and to work tirelessly to support the resilience and advancement of all as we empower every student, every day.

View the plan: ccsd21.org/recovery

Register for the 2021-2022 school year today!

Please complete this important step as soon as possible so we can best plan and prepare for the fall: ccsd21.org/registration.

Snapcodes (unique codes matched to each student) were texted and emailed to parents on Monday, May 3. Using the student’s Snapcode during registration will help families save time by reviewing and verifying pre-populated information already on file. If you did not receive your child’s Snapcode, please contact your school.

Updates from the Board of Education

The CCSD21 Board of Education held its April meeting on Thursday, April 29. As a result of the election held on April 6, a number of procedural and reorganizational steps were taken to open the meeting. Four District 21 residents were sworn in to full four-year terms: Arlen S. Gould, Bill Harrison, Debra McAtee, and Phil Pritzker. The Board elected its President, Vice President, and Secretary:

• President Phil Pritzker
• Vice President Debbi McAtee
• Secretary Jessica Riddick

Additional actions taken at the Board meeting include:

Community Service & Administration Center
At prior Finance Committee meetings, members discussed a potential public-private partnership with Nicholas & Associates to bring a Community Service & Administration Center to the property adjacent to the current Gill Administration Center and London Middle School. The full Board engaged in detailed discussion around a new center and posed questions to the administration on topics ranging from facility use and financing to community need and alternatives to new construction. Additional information will be brought to the May or June meeting on a 42,000 square foot building that would house community services, like medical, dental, and mental health care, community partners like Omni Youth Services, YWCA, and Hands On Suburban Chicago, and administrative services.

Elementary school Assistant Principals
Seven Assistant Principals will be hired this spring to support our elementary schools, beginning with the 2021-2022 school year. The first two Assistant Principals were hired at the April Board meeting: Sara Rosheger who will support Longfellow Elementary School and Annette McBride who will support Kilmer Elementary School.

Learning Recovery Plan
Superintendent Dr. Connolly presented the District 21 Learning Recovery Plan. The plan outlines specific measures that will be taken this summer, next school year, and beyond in response to the impact COVID-19 has had on our students, staff, and community.

Last Day of School
The Board of Education approved the last day of school for the current school year as Thursday, May 27, 2021. The Board takes this formal action each year in the spring to set the last day of the year.

Middle school hours for 2021-2022
The Board of Education approved a letter of agreement with the District 21 Education Association regarding middle school start and end times. Like this year, middle school hours for next school year will remain 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM.

Sound system upgrades
The Board approved the replacement and upgrade of gymnasium sound systems for all schools in the district to replace existing antiquated systems.

Last chance: Send a staff appreciation certificate!

It’s Staff Appreciation Week and we’re celebrating all of the incredible contributions of our staff members.

As secretly as possible, District 21 collected notes of appreciation from our families for our staff. The first wave of these appreciation certificates were delivered electronically yesterday! We definitely pulled off some surprises!

Would you like to send a shout out to a CCSD21 staff member? Complete this form by the end of the week!