May 20, 2020

COVID-19 Parent Messengers

May 20, 2020 Message to Families and Staff

Thursday, May 14, 2020 Message to Parents:

Hello BPS101 Community-

In recent weeks, we have received many, many requests and ideas to creatively celebrate student accomplishments as we close an unusual school year. We are proud of all of our students and we share a desire to recognize their success together as a community. This is, after all, one of the reasons Batavia is such a special place.

Until conditions change, the District’s official position is and must remain, that all celebrations are to be held virtually to protect the health and safety of our community. In fact, Batavia has one of the lowest per capita infection rates in Kane County — a sign that our community’s efforts to stay at home are working and that we must continue our vigilance.

The City of Batavia, the Batavia Police Department, and the Batavia Public School District stand united on this front: we all agree that we abide by the Governor’s order to limit gatherings and avoid travel that is not essential.

Although the Illinois State Board of Education and the Illinois Department of Public Health published guidelines regarding options for graduation ceremonies on May 2, 2020, they specified that “Districts should consult with local public health departments, law enforcement, and legal counsel in planning any in-person events.” The current level of new COVID-19 cases being identified in Kane County and related hospitalizations and deaths indicate we are not at a point where we can safely bring groups of people together. Considering these circumstances and the official position of the Kane County Regional Office of Education and the Kane County Health Department, the Class of 2020 commencement ceremony on August 4th will be held virtually unless the region meets the Phase 5 requirements of the Governor’s plan.

While this approach is not consistent with Batavia’s tradition, it is temporary. In the meantime, we encourage all parents and teachers to seek creative ways to celebrate virtually. Our students need our support and encouragement now, more than ever. If you have student celebrations that you would like to share, tag us (@BPS101) and we will highlight some in the weeks to come.

We all agree that we want to celebrate the accomplishments of our students, but it needs to be safe (and legal) to do so, and we want to do our best to make sure we are healthy for many celebrations to come.

Be well,
BPS101

Monday, May 11, 2020 Message to Parents:

BPS101 Families,

Please watch this important message from our Superintendent, Dr. Lisa Hichens.

As she says in the video, this is not the year we expected, but are so proud of what we have been able to accomplish together. Thank you for all of your help and understanding throughout this process. She also refers to a survey and year-end tasks for students and families. These important items have been organized in one document so you can keep track of what needs to be accomplished. The priority tasks are also included below.

Your principal will send a separate communication with the plan for picking up any items the students have left behind. Thank you in advance for your assistance.

As always, you can email help@bps101.net with any questions.

Be well.

Priority Tasks for Families:

  • Update your registration information in PowerSchool. Using the parent log-in, please click on the registration icon and update and complete any needed information. Fees for the next school year are not collected at this time.
  • Give us your feedback. Complete the feedback survey.
  • Check the Health Services webpage for required immunizations and medical/medication forms. Please note that appointments may be delayed/suspended due to the ongoing health crisis. Check with your doctor for more information on appointments.
  • Learning does not stop over the summer. We encourage all families to have a learning plan over the summer to prevent additional learning loss. Suggestions include:
  • Reading (15-30 minutes per day depending on the age of your child)
  • Continue to access and practice using quality software subscriptions (e.g., IXL, Happy Numbers, Khan Academy). Most District accounts are active throughout the summer.
  • Engage in community and school summer reading programs
  • Engage in authentic learning when possible: cooking, design & building, art & music

Thursday, April 23, 2020 Message to Parents:

We continue to strive to keep the lines of communication open with you, our valued partners in remote learning.  The purpose of this email is to share the plan to close out the current school year and start the preparations for the next school year. We also have some reminders given the extended stay-at-home order through May 30th.

School Year Update

Between now and May 8th, students will continue to learn remotely with teachers following the guidelines in the Remote Learning Plan

The week of May 11th will be a wrap-up and catch-up week. Elementary students will receive final feedback from teachers by May 15th. Students in grades 6 through 12 will receive preliminary grades from their teachers on May 11th. If students are satisfied with their progress and don’t need to catch-up, end-of-year activities will be provided by their teachers to wrap-up the school year. These enrichment activities will not negatively impact the preliminary grade. 

Students who receive an incomplete on May 11th or students who would like to improve their grades will continue to work with their teachers throughout the week.  School for most students will end on May 15th.  

Teachers will spend the final week, May 18th through 21st, preparing for the closing of school, transitioning some students into the summer, and planning for next year.  

Before the end of the school year, you will receive more information from us about

  • Item retrieval from the schools

  • Key registration tasks and dates for the 2020-21 school year

  • Remote learning feedback opportunities for parents and students

  • Extended School Year (ESY) for special education students 

Stay-at-Home Update

Today, the Governor extended the stay-at-home order for the State of Illinois through May 30th. This affects the School District and our community greatly. We trust the experts and, as difficult as this may be, we encourage everyone to follow their guidance. The stay-at-home order is evolving and we will learn more in the upcoming days, but for now, here are a few reminders: 

  1. School district property is not open to the public. The School District and Police Department have received numerous complaints about people using our athletic facilities, playgrounds, and parking lots. We appreciate the efforts of the staff members and police officers who are dispatched to address these issues, and we respectfully ask that the community do their part by staying home. 

  2. The District appreciates the efforts of parents to provide creative ways to help the students through this crisis. Many parents have been reaching out to us with their ideas to provide celebrations, to raise funds, or to connect students. To follow the guidance of the Governor and the Batavia Police Department during the extended stay-at-home order, BPS101 is unable to endorse any plans that involve people leaving their homes for non-essential reasons. 

We wish this message was different, but the situation we are in causes us to be direct. These are extraordinary times that called for these changes in our policies. The bottom line, when all of this is over, is we hope that you remember that we put you first and that we value you and miss you. We cannot wait to welcome our students and families back to our facilities.

Tuesday, April 21, 2020 Message to Parents:

With over 4,000 Chromebooks in the homes of District families, requests for repairs are at a high point these days. For the safety of our staff and the avoidance of downtime for your students, here are a few things to try before you contact the District’s help desk for resolutions.

Tech Tips from BPS101

Top 4 Chromebook Care Tips for Families 

  1. Charge your Chromebook overnight, and don’t let it fall below a 10% charge.

If the Chromebook is not powering on

    1. Plug in the Chromebook for 5 minutes
    2. Hold down the Power + the Refresh button simultaneously for 10 seconds & release
    3. Wait 2 seconds, press the power button once & allow the Chromebook a minute to power on
  1. If you need to print student files at home from their Google Drive Account
    1. Students can sign into a personal device if available to print to their home printer. 
    2. Students should remember to sign out when they’re done printing from their personal devices.
  2. If your camera is not working, websites are not coming up, but other devices in your home are able to reach the internet, you may need to reset your WiFi connection.

    How to reset your wifi using the “Forget network” option

    1. At the bottom right, select the time.
    2. Select Settings (the gear icon top/right).
    3. In the “Network” section, select Wi-Fi.
    4. Select Known networks.
    5. Find the network you want to forget, then select “Forget” & close the window.
    6. At the bottom right, select the time, click “Not connected” & choose your WiFi name/ (SSID) and enter your WiFi password
    7. If the following does not resolve the issue, you may need to contact your ISP (Internet Service Provider)
  3. If pictures are missing on shared Google Drive files, you may have the “High contrast” extension installed and enabled. 

How to disable an extension

  1. Open Chrome
  2. Select the 3 dotted icon (top/right corner of the browser), click “More tools” and then hover over to the left and click “Extensions”.
  3. Look for “High contrast” & disable by clicking the toggle radio button.

If all else fails, reach out to the District’s Tech Team at (630) 937-8838 or help@bps101.net

Planning for Batavia High School Class of 2020

To the families of BPS101, we miss you. The finish to the school year was not as we had hoped; no prom, no final season, no final performance. But know that our community is celebrating you and wishing you the best in your next adventure.

There has been an enormous outpouring of offers to assist with celebrations and we appreciate the support and the concern for the student’s final experiences with BPS101. BHS Principal, Dr. JoAnne Smith has formed a student committee to determine the events that will be arranged, and they will reach out to parents if assistance is needed with the planning. All of our planning for the seniors, as well as other ideas to celebrate students throughout the District, will need to be planned with considerations for stay-at-home orders and guidance from local authorities. There is a lot going on to make this time special for our students. Thank you so much for your support and patience as we develop new plans for Class of 2020 celebrations.

Message sent to BPS101 Community on April 17

En español

It is with a heavy heart that we share that Governor Pritzker announced today that students will not be returning to traditional school during the 2019-2020 school year. This is being done to help stop the spread of COVID-19 and to protect students, faculty, and staff. Safety continues to be our top priority.

While the decision prevents us from continuing traditional, on-campus instruction, it allows us to continue educating our students in an online format. As a result, BPS101 will carry on with our Remote Learning Plan. The District is working on end-of-year timelines such as the reporting of grades for middle school and high school. You can expect additional communications in the upcoming weeks. All other service updates will continue to be shared as they are received.

When we are able to allow students to return to school to pick up any remaining materials that they have left behind, we will share the plan. Until then, we cannot accommodate individual requests to retrieve items from the schools. We are expecting additional guidance from the Illinois State Board of Education, and we will communicate any updates after we receive that information.
Please continue to observe social distancing guidelines and do everything possible to keep your family safe. To this end, we will be canceling all events and co-curricular activities through May. If State and Federal guidelines allow, Batavia High School’s graduation ceremony will take place on July 26th at 2:00 pm at Northern Illinois University.
Thank you for the patience and flexibility you have demonstrated as we continue to adjust to this new way of learning and teaching. We hope you and your family have rested and stayed well. We will be in touch soon with additional guidance.

Message sent to BPS101 Community on April 10

The BPS101 remote learning plan is now available for parents on the BPS101 website. You might notice very little that changes from when your students were receiving instruction under the e-learning plan in prior weeks, but this revised plan incorporates new guidance from the Illinois State Board of Education. These are some items that may be of interest in this revised plan:  

  • Attendance: We will be asking teachers to take attendance 2 times per week.  The purpose is to determine if a student is engaging in remote learning and, if they are not engaged, determine the support needed to help them continue their learning. If you notice that your student has been marked absent or tardy, that is a sign that they may be disengaged from the class. You may want to have a conversation with your child and encourage them to tell you more about their participation. If there is anything that we can assist with, we want to partner with you to ensure students continue to learn and grow during remote learning. 
  • Grading: Based on the guidance from the State, grades will be assigned as follows. More details are included in the plan. 
    • High school students will earn one of four grades for each course: A, B, Pass or Incomplete. 
    • Middle school students will receive a Pass or Incomplete for each course.
    • Elementary students will receive feedback, not grades. 

Middle and High School students who receive a grade of incomplete will not receive credit for the course, but they WILL be given a period of time to remediate and earn credit if they show mastery of the essential learning standards. Details about the remediation period will be shared with families as needed. 

  • You will find sample student and teacher weekly schedules in the plan. Some teachers are using a combination of live instruction (synchronous) and general remote instruction that can happen at a time of the students choosing (asynchronous). In order to coordinate the live events, there are sample schedules that include some time for live instruction on Mondays through Thursdays. Lessons will continue to be posted 5 days per week, but Fridays may look a bit different with time for students to do extra practice, to receive interventions, or to work on larger assignments.

As always, we are here to assist.

General Questions  help@bps101.net
Questions about Remote Learning Content Communicate with the classroom teacher
Questions about Special Education Services Communicate with your child’s case manager
Technical Support (630) 937-8838 or help@bps101.net
General Assistance Anyone in Kane County can call 2-1-1 and get connected with a live specialist to assist with social services such as food, shelter, and counseling.
COVID-19 Related Information National Center for Disease Control (CDC)

Illinois Department of Public Health

Message sent to BPS101 Community on March 31

Today, March 31st, Governor Pritzker announced an extension of the stay-at-home order through April 30th. During this time, all public schools will use remote learning to continue educating the students of Illinois.

Prior to spring break, BPS101 students received instruction through our e-learning plan. When students return to school after spring break on April 6th, they will continue to learn remotely until it is safe to return to the school buildings. You can expect the daily lessons from teachers by 9:00 am each day, just as it was before spring break. 

District staff members are revising and reviewing our remote learning plan to bring more clarity about what to expect during these days. You can expect the plan to be posted to our website sometime during the week of April 6th, and we will let you know when it is posted so that you can find answers to many of the questions that you may have.  In the meantime, please continue to use our other communication tools to stay connected:

General questions  help@bps101.net
General questions about remote learning Once finalized, general information about our remote learning plan will be posted on www.bps101.net.
Questions about remote learning content Communicate with the classroom teacher when remote learning continues on April 6th.
Questions about special education services Communicate with your child’s case manager when remote learning continues on April 6th.
Technical support (630) 937-8838 or help@bps101.net
General household assistance Anyone in Kane County can call 2-1-1 and get connected with a live specialist to assist with social services such as food, shelter, and counseling.

Message sent to BPS101 Community on March 25

Morning Update (Grades k-3rd) Parent Messenger Sent March 24 at 8:45 AM

Today is Tuesday, March 24, day #5 of e-learning. Two more days to go this week then Spring Break starts Friday! Your lessons may begin to look different starting tomorrow. So don’t be surprised if you start to receive messages directly from your teacher. As promised, we are keeping the lessons posted, so if you missed anything in the previous days, you can still work on it today. We are taking this day by day and will make adjustments as we learn through this process.

If you are having difficulty accessing your work, please reach out to your student’s teacher. They are available to assist you. You may also submit questions through our website or by calling (630) 937-8800.

Your lesson for Day 5 has been posted, Day 5 of E-learning.

Morning Update (Grades k-3rd) Parent Messenger Sent March 23 at 8:45 AM

Today is Monday, March 23, day #4 of e-learning. We have heard a lot of stories about fun sidewalk chalk art and paw print scavenger hunts going on in the community. Maybe a snowman contest is in order for today! As promised, we are keeping the lessons posted, so if you missed anything in the previous days, you can still work on it today. We are taking this day by day and will make adjustments as we learn through this process.

If you are having difficulty accessing your work, please reach out to your student’s teacher. They are available to assist you. You may also submit questions through our website or by calling (630) 937-8800.

Your lesson for Day 4 has been posted, Day 4 of E-learning.

Extended Closure Message March 20th

On March 20, 2020, Governor Pritzker announced all schools will remain closed through Tuesday, April 7th. The earliest we will return to school is Wednesday, April 8th. This will require additional flexibility and patience from everyone, and we will continue to serve our community in whatever way we can. We have been working on contingency plans for a variety of scenarios.

We absolutely recognize this may place additional hardship on our families and staff. We are committed to timely communication as well as these priorities: 

  • Continuing the education of our students
  • Food service for qualified students
  • Minimizing any social-emotional impact of the closures to the best of our ability and connecting families to district and community resources

Continuing the education of our students

  • Today through March 26th: e-learning days
  • March 27th through April 3rd: spring break
  • April 6th through April 7th: e-learning days
  • April 8th: earliest schools will reopen

Food Service

BPS101 will continue to provide food service for all students as previously noted.  Please click here for information and how to request breakfast and lunch during regular school days.

Minimizing impact and connecting families to resources

Our Social Workers, School Psychologists, and School Counselors are reaching out to students who are on their caseloads to provide support during this time.  These staff members are a tremendous resource and will meet the large majority of our students’ needs. They are also knowledgeable about the community resources that are available,  if additional support is needed. Any family can email help@bps101.net with questions or concerns. 

Additional resources during extended e-learning days include:

  • General questions for BPS101 families:  help@bps101.net
  • Questions about the e-learning content: communicate with your teacher
  • Technical support related to e-learning: (630) 937-8838 or help@bps101.net.
  • General assistance: anyone in Kane County can call 2-1-1 and get connected with a live specialist to assist with social services such as food, shelter, and counseling.
  • COVID-19 related information: National Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the Illinois Department of Public Health
  • Volunteer opportunities: the list will be updated as new information is shared

As a community, we will work together and support one another throughout these unprecedented times. The District is committed to keeping the lines of communication open. We will continue to post information on our social media platforms, regularly update the District website, and send Messengers with updates and changes. 

As a reminder, this school closure is in response to the current public health crisis. The focus should remain on preventing the spread of COVID-19. The Illinois Department of Public Health is recommending everyone take these social distancing measures:

  • Staying home as much as possible
  • If gatherings are necessary, limiting the number of people to 10
  • Calling to check on family, neighbors, and older adults instead of visiting
  • Checking with your provider about telehealth options

Morning Update (Grades k-3rd) Parent Messenger Sent March 20 at 8:45 AM

Today is Friday, March 20, day #3 of e-learning. We have seen so many creative ways that teachers and students have been interacting with each other. This new way of learning has had a lot of silver lining moments. As promised, we are keeping the lessons posted, so if you missed anything in the previous days, you can still work on it today. We are taking this day by day and will make adjustments as we learn through this process.

If you are having difficulty accessing your work, please reach out to your student’s teacher. They are available to assist you. You may also submit questions through our website or by calling (630) 937-8800.

Your lesson for Day 3 has been posted, Day 3 of E-learning.

Morning Update (Grades k-3rd) Parent Messenger Sent March 19 at 8:45 AM

Today is Thursday, March 19, day #2 of e-learning. We hope that you found the lessons fun and challenging yesterday. As promised, we are keeping the lessons posted, so if you missed anything yesterday, you can still work on it today. We are taking this day by day and will make adjustments as we learn through this process.

Here are a couple of things we heard from other families yesterday:

  • It is important to keep up with some of your usual school day routines, like fueling your brain and body with a healthy meal before you begin your schoolwork and dressing for comfort and success.
  • If you do not have your Chromebook yet, please call or email your school principal to make arrangements for pickup. Here is the link to the staff directory.
  • We know it is hard to be away from your friends, but we ask that you honor the request for social distancing. One of the reasons the Governor asked us to close schools was to avoid close contact with others.

If you are having difficulty accessing your work, please reach out to your student’s teacher. They are available to assist you. You may also submit questions through our website or by calling (630) 937-8800.

Your lesson for Day 2 has been posted, Day 2 of e-learning.

Morning Update (Grades k-3rd) Parent Messenger Sent March 18 at 9:00 AM

Today is your first day of e-learning. Teams of teachers have come together to prepare these lesson plans for you with the goal of continuity of learning during this extended break. We ask for your patience and understanding in this process. We are going to take this day by day and will make adjustments as we learn through this process. If you are having difficulty accessing your work, please reach out to your student’s teacher. They are available to assist you. You may also submit questions through our website or by calling (630) 937-8800.

Here is your lesson for today, e-learning lessons.

Afternoon Update Parent Messenger Sent March 17 at 2:35 PM

Thank you for your patience as we continue to learn and grow through this process. Today was our day to check-and-connect with students prior to our first day of e-learning tomorrow. Your child should have had some contact from staff today, and we hope they are excited to continue their learning in this new way.

Our communications with you from this point may look a little different. We will send periodic District Messengers, especially if anything changes, but most of your contact will be through the teachers over the next few days.

Parent and student questions may be submitted through our website or via phone at (630) 937-8800. You can also email your student’s principal with questions.

Afternoon Update Parent Messenger Sent March 16 at 3:15 PM

Thank you for your patience and understanding during this significant change in how we learn and grow. Our goal is to provide continuity of learning, but we realize that what we can do online cannot replace the classroom experience. 

Tomorrow, we have asked all of our staff to check and connect with their students. This is a quick connection to make sure that all students are able to and know how to be engaged in e-learning. Students in grades 4 through 12 should check in to their teacher’s Google Classroom for the check and connect activity. Parents of students in grades PreK through 3 should expect their teacher to reach out through email, a short video in SeeSaw or with a phone call. 

On Wednesday we will start with e-learning, and implement this until further notice. This will look different across grade levels and classes. We ask for your patience and understanding in this process. We are going to take this day by day and will make adjustments as we learn through this process.

Grade level Plan
PreK to Grade 3 General learning activities will be sent via Messenger to parent emails with daily learning activities. Parents can look for an email from the District around 9:00 am each day. 
Grades 4-12 Teachers will be posting activities and assignments in their Google Classrooms by 9:00 am each e-learning day. Teachers will be available to students each day. 

Below you will find some frequently asked questions about e-learning:

Question Answer
How long should I expect my child to be working on schoolwork?  Elementary: About one hour per day for school work is appropriate with additional time for free reading.

Middle: Each class should have about 20 minutes of activities prepared per class

High: Each class should have about 30 minutes of activities prepared per class

 

What if my child has technology issues logging on to IXL, etc?   Tech staff will be available to support staff and students during the e-learning day through the HelpDesk. This can be accessed:

  1. By Calling 630-937-8838
  2. Emailing helpdesk@bps101.net
Will students receive special education services on e-learning? Yes, these services may look different for every child.  Case Managers and related service providers will reach out to families to connect, discuss ideas, and share a communication plan with all related services.  
Can my grade 1 through 3 students get their District Chromebook?  Yes, communication about the pick-up process can be found here

Left Something at School?: From 9:00 am -12:00 pm on Tuesday, a student, along with a guardian, may pick up items left at school. There is no appointment necessary for these pickups. Items may include a forgotten coat, glasses, etc. If the item is not essential for the next few weeks, please leave it for your child’s eventual return. If this time does not work for you, please contact your building principal.

Food Service: Beginning tomorrow, the District is providing breakfast and lunch meal boxes to families who regularly receive free or reduced-cost meals in school.  Eligible families have been sent details on this program, but if your family needs assistance with food at any time during the school closure, please contact us.

Volunteers: We live in a generous community. Many people and organizations have reached out to offer support; we sincerely appreciate your offers. Thank you for the amazing Bulldog spirit. For now, we have the staff capacity to manage our immediate needs. If you are looking for ways to assist, here are some options in our community at this time.

If you know of someone who needs any extra assistance, please have them call 2-1-1.

We are trying to answer all of your questions as quickly as possible. Visit bps101.net/covid-19 for the most timely updates. Parent and student questions may be submitted through our website or via phone at (630) 937-8800.

Mid-day Update Parent Messenger Sent March 16 at 12:05 PM

Thank you again for your patience as we iron out the details on how our District continues to educate our families.

As you know, schools are closed from now until after Spring Break, with the possibility of returning on April 6. That is what we are basing our decisions on at this time. This is a brief update, with more details coming later today. This is what we have determined.

Today, Monday, March 16: An emergency closing date, like a snow day, that will be made up on April 17 (was initially scheduled as an Institute Day). Please adjust your schedules to reflect a normal school day on April 17.

Tuesday, March 17: An Institute Day, replacing the originally scheduled Institute Day on April 17. For students, this will look like an emergency closing day. Please encourage your students to check their emails during the day so that teachers can connect with them.

Wednesday, March 18: District-wide e-learning for all students. Lesson plans and expectations will start to be communicated to families on Tuesday, March 17, with more updates coming throughout the delayed time off.

Thursday, May 21:  Last Day of School for Students (No Change)

More details to come, including access to food and school buildings. We are trying to answer all of your questions as quickly as possible. Visit bps101.net/covid-19 for the most timely updates about our status and e-learning. Parent and student questions may be submitted through our website or call (630) 937-8800.

Contact Us Parent Messenger Sent March 15 at 8:30 PM

We are thankful for the patience and understanding the community has had while we have been navigating this uncharted territory. One element of the equation is the challenge of continuing to provide the critical services our community needs, while protecting the health of the general public and the health of our employees. For this reason, we are taking steps to reduce the number of face-to-face interactions. We are asking that you reach out to the District via phone at (630) 937-8800 or electronic communications here prior to visiting a District building. Questions and requests will then be filtered to the appropriate staff person to respond. We regret that this request may be an inconvenience to you, but trust that you see the necessity in it. Please continue to check our website for updates here. For health related updates and guidance, look to the CDC.

Additional communications will be coming rapidly over the next few days as we continue to finalize and react to direction from Kane County and State officials. Please read all messages thoroughly for instructions on next steps to help keep our community moving forward as efficiently as possible.

School Closing Update Parent Messenger Sent March 14 at 2:45pm

Good afternoon BPS101 Community, 

First of all, I would like to thank everyone for their flexibility and patience during these unprecedented times. We appreciate those of you who have reached out to help the District and help families in our community during the upcoming weeks. 

As everyone is aware, schools are closed for the next 3 weeks. There are many questions that need to be answered, and we will keep you informed as soon as decisions are made. You can expect regular email messages and updates to the website. 

  • Families: Messengers are all archived, and you can visit www.bps101.net/COVID-19 for updates and relevant links. Submit any questions here
  • Staff: All of the information related to this closure, including the FAQ document for staff, is organized for you on the homepage of the staff intranet. Submit any questions to your principal or supervisor. 
  • Students: You will receive communications from your school and your teachers on e-learning days. 

The most frequently asked question at this time is about the different classifications of the days because student and staff engagement will change depending on how we classify the day. We made the decision in BPS101 that Monday, March 16th is an emergency closing day; think of it like a snow day. Under current regulations, any day that is classified as an emergency closing day must be made up. The status of the rest of the days and our requirements to make them up is fluid at this time because the State Board of Education will be providing further guidance. We will communicate with you on Monday and share all of the decisions that have been made. 

I would also like to advocate for everyone to play their part in reducing the spread of illness and reducing the anxiety this may be causing. Some recommended steps are included below. 

Sincerely,

Dr. Lisa Hichens

Superintendent

Steps you can take:

  • Avoid gathering in public places – especially in close proximity to others. 
  • Avoid close contact with those that are sick.
  • Try to keep 6-10 feet between yourself and others – give yourself space.
  • Be at home as much as possible.
  • Try to limit who you and your children interact with to the same people you typically are around. 
  • Kids and families should not:
    • Be gathering in large groups.
    • Be visiting each other’s homes or having sleepovers.
    • Sharing food or drink.
    • Competing in team sporting activities 
  • Kids and families should:
    • Avoid excessive media coverage of COVID-19
    • Take care of their body. Try to eat healthy, well-balanced meals, exercise regularly, and get plenty of sleep.
    • Make time to unwind and remind yourself that strong feelings will fade. Try to do some other activities you enjoy to return to your normal life.
    • Connect with others. Share your concerns and how you are feeling with friends or family members. Maintain healthy relationships. 
    • Use your technology and social media for good purposes – support one another and show that you care for one another.
    • Maintain a sense of hope and positive thinking.

Keep following the practice of washing your hands regularly and covering your cough or sneeze.

*The advice has been adapted, with permission, from Community High School District 99. 

School Closing Parent Messenger Sent March 13 at 3:45pm

In accordance with Governor Pritzker’s directive to close all schools in Illinois, Batavia Public School District 101 will be closed Monday, March 16th through spring break, tentatively returning on April 6th.  All trips, contests, practices, activities, and events are also canceled during that period. 

During a prolonged closure, up to five days will be considered emergency days and will be made up at a date to be determined later. The remaining days will be e-learning days; we will communicate with all students and families when we are prepared to begin e-learning.  

Communications from the District:

  • Regular updates will be sent by email through Messenger 
  • Visit bps101.net/covid-19 for the most timely updates about our status and e-learning
  • All parent and student questions may be submitted through our website.

As you know, our schools are highly complex organizations that provide a wide range of services to over 5,800 students and their families every day. Additional information will be coming regarding the impact of closures upon:

  • Students who receive special education services 
  • English Language Learners
  • Meals for students who qualify for free or reduced lunch

For all other needs that you may have, please call 211, the Kane County Human Services Hotline.  Calls to 211 are free and confidential and available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

For COVID-19 related questions, use the resource on the Kane County Health Department website.

Event Updates Parent Messenger Sent March 12 at 2:45pm

With the number of COVID-19 cases across the state and region increasing, the Kane County School District Superintendents have determined that we will take proactive measures to help to reduce the spread of illness throughout our community.

Although individual schools or districts may close as COVID-19 impacts their buildings, we are not closing all schools at this time. Rather, Kane County School Districts are implementing some additional steps to prevent the spread of illness.  

For now, the Kane County School Districts have determined that limiting large gatherings and outside guests in our schools are prudent. BPS101 has decided:

  • Any gatherings that include visitors from outside the school, or non-students, are canceled until further notice. Events will be rescheduled, if possible. 

  • After-school activities and athletics can proceed as long as they do not include spectators. 

  • *Check the website for current list of canceled events*

Should there be a confirmed case of COVID-19 in one of our schools, the KCHD would help us assess the situation and make decisions about school closings. Until then, schools will remain open and we will continue our cleaning and disinfection practices to prevent the spread of any illness.

We will update you frequently; this situation and the recommendations are changing rapidly. Thank you for your patience and know that we are committed to being as responsive as we can to new information that is shared with us. All decisions are being made with the safety and well-being of our students in mind.

COVID-19 Parent Messenger sent March 12 at 10:30am

As questions continue to arise about the potential spread of COVID-19 (coronavirus) in Illinois, we want to share information with you about how BPS101 is responding.

Staff members are participating in meetings and briefings with the Kane County Health Department in conjunction with the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Kane County Regional Office of Education. They are providing frequent updates to our school nurses, school leadership, and others across the District.

We have shared resources with school staff, our food service company, and our cleaning company regarding steps to preventing illness. As with any illness, it is vitally important that students and staff stay home when they are sick. For preventative tips and resources, please visit the CDC website

Under the recommendation of the State Board of Education, the District is working on an e-learning plan which is nearing completion. If we are required to close all school buildings for more than a week, we would utilize a combination of emergency days and e-learning days to minimize the impact of school closings and maximize learning for all of our students. 

In the event that the decision is made to close school buildings, you will be notified using the same channels that we use for notice of other emergency closures (i.e., closures due to inclement weather). We will inform our community immediately via School Messenger, our District website, and our official social media channels: Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

We encourage everyone to be mindful of accurate sources of information. The CDC and the Kane County Health Department continue to be the most accurate sources of information in our region. They are providing timely updates on their websites.

We are deeply appreciative of our families and staff and of their efforts to support our students every day, and we appreciate your continued patience and flexibility during this time. The health and safety of our students and staff are of utmost importance to all of us at BPS101. We will continue to work at the District to ensure we are planning appropriate precautionary steps while we work through this rapidly changing health and safety challenge.

You can expect frequent updates. In the meantime, questions can be submitted here.