Being Prepared for the Possibility of E-Learning
Dear District 41 Community,
Since returning to school after winter break, District 41 is seeing a much higher number of student and staff absences. If the district cannot staff classrooms, we would need to make the difficult decision to move to E-Learning until enough staff are available to return to the buildings. This is not a unique issue to District 41. There are a number of districts that have already had to cancel in-person learning this week due to staffing absences related to the surge of COVID-19 cases and quarantines. A couple of very important pieces of information to be aware of:
- It is my hope that we can continue in-person learning for all; however, please be prepared and plan for E-Learning in the event we are not able to staff our schools.
- If the district cannot open a school or schools due to staffing, we will let families/staff know as soon as possible. We are monitoring our staff absences on a day to day basis. Due to the nature of the situation, a decision to move to E-Learning could be made on very short notice. We will make every effort to make this decision in the evening but there may be a need to make the call early in the morning based on staff absences that are not reported to us until the morning. There is no way for us to prevent this, knowing that staff can wake up symptomatic and have to call in sick.
- We will do everything possible to minimize the impact of an E-Learning decision. For example, we may need to implement E-Learning at a specific grade level or specific building due to staffing shortages.
Please remind your children to bring home chromebooks every day as they should be doing already. If a move to E-Learning is necessary, they will need access to their computers and Google accounts.
Other Information Parents Need To Know
- District 41 will continue to provide meal distribution for families who meet the criteria for Free/Reduced lunch. You will receive information directly regarding this.
- District 41 will continue to work with families who need assistance with internet access. Please work through your school social worker, teacher or principal.
- District 41 nurses are available to assist with health related issues. They can point you in the right direction if you have questions about COVID-19 or COVID-19 related resources that are available in the community. They have a wealth of information and experience so please do not hesitate to reach out to your school nurse. You can find their information on the school’s website.
- District 41 preschool families have been given an alternative emergency plan since prek students do not have chromebooks. Please make sure you keep that plan in a safe place in the event we need to take an emergency day or E-Learning day.
We know that an E-Learning Day causes challenges for families. We will do everything that we can to avoid having to make this call. However, we hope that by providing you with this information, you can establish a plan for your family that will make E-Learning less stressful. The next couple of weeks will likely be a day-by-day, hour-by-hour challenge with all of the new positive cases. We know that families are doing their very best to navigate this and we want families to know that we are as well.
Dr. Melissa Kaczkowski, Superintendent
Glen Ellyn School District 41
Alerts Sign-up