Schools Closed through April 7
Dear District 54 families,
This afternoon, Governor Pritzker issued a “stay at home” order for the entire state of Illinois through April 7, 2020, to help prevent the spread of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19). The Governor also extended the school closure order. At this time schools would reopen on April 8, but Governor Pritzker also announced that he may extend this date as well.
This week was our first week of V-Learning in District 54 and the engagement between our students and staff was simply amazing. Thank you for your part in making this a success. Next week is our spring break. We will take that week to recharge. Spend time as a family playing games, reading books and reconnecting.
On March 30, District 54 will continue to interact with students through the D54 V-Learning Website. If you’re struggling to connect or do not have Internet access at home, please email VLearning@nullsd54.org. Spanish-speaking families who need assistance can contact BarbaraVelez@nullsd54.org or call 847-357-5074.
In the meantime, if you or any member of your family is diagnosed with the 2019 Novel Coronavirus, please let your principal know. We will notify our families, should we have a confirmed case affiliated with our schools.
While we miss spending time in school with our students, we know it is the right decision to put the safety and well-being of our students and their families first. We thank you for your understanding and look forward to the day we can return to the classrooms.
Sincerely,
Superintendent Andy DuRoss
Update from Superintendent DuRoss – March 16, 2020
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.
Food Pantry Locations and Donation Opportunities
As the situation surrounding the 2019 Novel Coronavirus continues to change, District 54 is working with amazing community partners to provide food to families who are struggling financially.
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.
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
Families needing assistance may benefit from the following. These organizations ask that you please check their website before coming to ensure that they still have the food supplies.
- 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.
- Willow Creek Community Church will also be running a mobile food truck distribution from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Wednesday in the District 54 Rafferty Administration Center parking lot, 524 E. Schaumburg Road in Schaumburg.
- 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 9 a.m. to noon each Thursday at Hoffman Estates High School, 1100 W. Higgins Road in Hoffman Estates. This is a drive-through pickup. When you arrive at the school, please stay in your vehicle. We will load the bags into your trunk or back seat.
- 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.
Thank you once again, for all that you are doing as a community to support the children and families in District 54.
Sincerely,
Superintendent Andy DuRoss
Einstein Staying Connected
Hello Einstein Owls,
We want to continue to stay connected and I wanted to take a moment to share some of the different outlets you can use to stay on top of all the great things happening in School District 54 during this time.
The District 54 Website: www.sd54.org
District 54 V Learning Website: https://sites.google.com/sd54.org/vlearning54
Tech support for V-Learning: VLearning@nullsd54.org
You can also follow us on social media:
On Twitter
School District 54: @D54schools
Einstein School/Mrs. Tarasiuk: @Einstein_Owls
Mrs. Sosin, Assistant Principal: @SosinChristi
Ms. Miskowicz, Kinder: @AMiskowicz_Ein
Ms. Mescher, 1st grade: @MescherTherese
Second Grade Team: @2ndGradeOwls
Ms. Parrello, 3rd grade: @ParrelloPuzzle
Ms. DeFalco, 5th grade: @Team_DeFalco
Ms. Tibbs, 5th grade: @TeamTibbs203
Ms. Daubach, 6th grade: @missdaubachclass
Mr. Heilbronner PE: @HeilbronnerPE
Mrs. Piraino, GERT: @PirainoDana
Mrs. Roth, Behaivor Coach: @coachkindness
Take care,
Julie Tarasiuk
District 54 Schools Closed March 16
As the 2019 Novel Coronavirus continues to spread in our state, our country and worldwide, School District 54 wants to do everything in our power to protect our students, our staff and their families. The Centers for Disease Control continues to recommend social distancing as the best way to prevent the spread of this virus.
To that end, we are cancelling school the week of March 16-20. We are also closed the following week, as previously scheduled for spring break. After-school, evening and weekend activities are also cancelled, including the before- and after-school programs hosted in our schools by the Schaumburg and Hoffman Estates Park Districts and YMCA.
As this situation is constantly evolving, we are unsure at this time when schools will reopen. We will continue to evaluate the situation with guidance from the state and county health departments. Our schools will be open during regular hours on Monday, March 16, should you need to pick up anything your student may have left at school.
Staff will be at school on Monday, March 16, for training on the new District 54 virtual learning platform. Another email will be sent to District 54 families on Monday, with a link to access the platform. This email will also include more information about what to expect when students log in on the first day of virtual learning, which will be Wednesday, March 18. We will not have V-Learning classes during spring break (March 23-27).
All students in kindergarten through eighth grade will be reminded to bring home their iPads and Chromebooks today. For those families who do not have Internet access at home, please email VLearning@nullsd54.org. Early Learning Center students brought home bags yesterday, March 12, to compliment the Choose Your Own Adventure virtual learning platform designed for their age group.
We know this is an unprecedented decision, but these are unprecedented times and we are committed to doing our part to mitigate the impact of this pandemic. Thank you for your understanding and for working with us to keep our students, our staff, our families and our communities healthy.
Sincerely,
Superintendent Andy DuRoss
Update from Superintendent DuRoss
Dear District 54 Community,
I know this is the second email you have received from me this week, but I feel it’s important to keep our families and staff informed as the situation with the 2019 Novel Coronavirus, COVID-19, continues to evolve. The safety and well-being of our students and staff is my top priority.
At this point, School District 54 has no known cases of COVID-19 in our school community.
However, yesterday the World Health Organization declared this a pandemic. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is now advising that schools should consider adjusting or postponing large gatherings and activities that mix between classes and grades.
With that in mind effective today, March 12, District 54 schools are open. However, we will be cancelling field trips, before- and after-school clubs, sporting events, evening activities, assemblies that bring in outside people and other activities with outside visitors. This includes the use of our buildings by outside organizations who rent our facilities, as we work with CDC guidelines to prevent the spread of the virus. It also include the orchestra festival at Mead on Saturday, March 14.
If your child is in the before- and after-school care programs offered by the YMCA, or the Schaumburg or Hoffman Estates Park Districts at one of our schools – those programs are not cancelled.
As you know, our schools are closed next Tuesday on Election Day (March 17), a decision we made years ago for safety concerns. Only a small area of each school is open to voters and that area will be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected that evening after the polls close.
While it is my hope that we will be able to keep our schools open, we are following the guidelines of the federal, state and county health departments and we have a plan in place to respond if we have cases of COVID-19 in our schools. As part of that plan, we have created a virtual learning platform to keep students connected to their teachers and engaged academically should it be necessary to close schools.
We will be sending iPads home with all kindergarten through second-grade students effective today, March 12, so the students are comfortable using them at home. This also allows families to connect those devices to their home WiFi. If you do not have WiFi connectivity at home, please let your child’s school know. Our older students are already bringing home their Chromebooks daily.
Again District 54 schools are open at this time. However, this is an evolving situation. We urge our families to be prepared should schools need to be closed.
Thank you for your understanding and for working with us as we all do our part to prevent the spread of this virus in our community.
A Message From Mrs. Tarasiuk and Mrs. Sosin – March 2nd
| Dear Einstein community,
Over 50 boxes of food and necessities were collected during last week’s Food Drive at Einstein! We had a blast collecting donations while celebrating Spirit Week. The generosity of our families is incredible. March is Happiness Month! Each day, we will be participating in daily activities that engage us in long-term optimism. Week 1’s focus will be on individual goals. Week 2’s focus will be on impacting the lives of others. Week 3 will focus on future goals and how we can affect others’ long-term optimism. Weekend challenges will be sent home each week. We invite you to participate in these activities with your child. At the end of the month, we will be participating in a whole-school giving back project! Note from the Nurse Consider keeping your child at home for a day of rest and observation if he or she has any of the following symptoms:
Definitely keep your child at home for treatment and observation if he or she has any of these symptoms:
To help prevent the flu and other colds, teach your children good hygiene habits:
Colds are the most contagious during the first 48 hours. A child who has a fever should remain at home until “fever free”, without medicine, for a minimum of 24 hours. Often when a child awakens with vague complaints (the way colds and flu begin) it is wise to observe your child at home for an hour or two before deciding whether to bring to school. Keeping a sick child at home will minimize the spread of infections and viruses in the classroom. Each school’s custodians disinfect surfaces, doorknobs, and banisters on a daily basis. We are also ensuring that there is soap and hand sanitizer in all dispensers and encouraging everyone to remind students about the importance of hand washing. Thank you in advance for helping make this year at school as healthy as possible. Remember your school nurse is there to help contact with any questions. Schaumburg Parent University – March classes CANCELED – Increasing Happiness in a Busy World – March 12 La Universidad Schaumburg para Padres – Clases de marzo CANCELADO – Incrementando la felicidad en un mundo ocupado – 12 de marzo District 54 Education Foundation – 23rd Annual Golf Outing The golf outing at the Schaumburg Golf Club is the Foundation’s largest fundraising event. All proceeds support District 54 breakfast programs, STEM programs, and grants for students from financially struggling households. Please consider supporting District 54 children by becoming an event sponsor or golfing. The Foundation is also looking for raffle items and gift cards to award as prizes. This is an amazing opportunity to be a champion for District 54 students, so if you work for a business or corporation looking to make a difference locally – or you know someone who does – please share this information! Visit d54foundation.org/golf-outing for details or to register as a sponsor or golfer. Fundación Educativa del Distrito 54 – Evento Anual de Golf Esta actividad es el evento de recaudación de fondos más grande de la Fundación y se llevara a cabo en las facilidades del Schaumburg Golf Club. Todos los ingresos respaldaran los programas de desayuno del Distrito 54, los programas STEM y las becas para estudiantes de hogares con dificultades financieras. Por favor, considere apoyar a los niños del Distrito 54 al convertirse en un patrocinador del evento o jugando golf. También estamos buscando artículos para nuestra subasta silenciosa, así como también tarjetas de regalo de empresas locales para otorgar como premios. Esta es una oportunidad fantástica para convertirse en un Campeón para los estudiantes del Distrito 54, así que, si trabajas para un negocio o corporación que busca hacer una diferencia localmente, o conoces a alguien que desea hacer la diferencia en nuestra comunidad, ¡comparte esta información! Visite https://d54foundation.org/golf-outing/ para donar, convertirse en patrocinador, registrarse o para obtener más información. March Have a wonderful rest of the day! Julie Tarasiuk-Principal and Christina Sosin-Assistant Principal |
A Message From Mrs. Tarasiuk and Mrs. Sosin – February 19th
Dear Einstein community,
It was great to connect with our families at conferences. We love this time of year because our students have so much to be proud of and they love to share their progress and goals with you. Thank you for supporting our Kind Campaign by buying cookies during the conference event. These funds are going to be used to support our students!
News from the PTA
Flyers were sent home for a fundraiser at Chipotle for this evening. If you bring in the flyer between 5:00pm and 9:00pm, Einstein PTA will receive 33% of the proceeds. Thanks for your support!
Hot Lunch
Hot lunch forms for the month of March are going home. They are due back by February 26th. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to the main office.
Annual Food Drive
We are going to participate in a food drive for the Keller Food Pantry next week! Each day next week will also be a spirit day to promote participation in the drive. A flyer will be sent home this week. Below is a brief breakdown of the week.
Monday 2/24/20
Favorite Sports Team Day
Snack foods individually packaged for lunch boxes
Tuesday 2/25/20
Pajama Day
Baby Products
Wednesday 2/26/20
Inside Out Day
Household cleaners and laundry care products
Thursday 2/27/20
Crazy Hair Day
Personal hygiene items
Friday 2/28/20
School Spirit Day
Paper Goods
Upcoming Dates
February
28 – End of the second trimester
March
17 – Election Day – no school
20 – Spring Break begins at the end of the day
30 – School resumes
Have a wonderful rest of the day!
Julie Tarasiuk-Principal and Christina Sosin-Assistant Principal
A Message From Mrs. Tarasiuk and Mrs. Sosin – January 24th
| Dear Einstein community,
We look forward to connecting with our Einstein families at our student-led conferences on February 13th where we willl also be celebrating our students as readers and writers. Please join us for the book fair in the library. Just a reminder that dismissal on February 13th is at 11:40AM and there is no school on February 14th. If your child(ren) would like to pass out Valentine’s, they are more than welcome to do so. Just a reminder, no food or candy items and please have one for each child in the class. They will be passing them out the morning of February 13th. As a school, we will be sending our well wishes and Valentine’s to our Veterans and our service members.
From the PTA https://rockinjumpcarolstream.centeredgeonline.com/retail/items/03f992a8-8c85-44da-b36c-bcfbd3caa623 Kindergarten Registration Families new to District 54 should go to http://sd54.org/registration to begin your registration before February 5th. Print the confirmation you receive and bring it to your neighborhood school on February 5th. Current District 54 families, with new kindergarteners, need to register through their Parent Portal account. Along with the printed confirmation, you will need to bring your student’s original birth certificate (no copies) showing the student was born on or before September 1, 2015 (State of Illinois regulation). Families new to District 54 must provide proof of residency on February 5, 2020. All documents provided must be current, valid for 2020-2021, and reflect name and addresses within the school boundary. Below are items that are needed to prove residency:
From the Nurse Symptoms
Diagnosis
Transmission
Treatment
If your child develops symptoms similar to those of strep infection, please contact your physician. Inform the school nurse of a confirmed case. Remember that good hand washing is the number one way to prevent the spread of communicable disease. Causas del dolor de garganta incluyen virus, bacterias y alérgenos. Los virus son la causa más frecuente. La faringitis estreptocócica es una infección bacteriana causada por la bacteria A estreptocócica. Síntomas
Diagnóstico
Causas
Tratamiento
Si su hijo/a desarrolla síntomas similares a los de la infección por estreptococo(faringitis), por favor contacte a su doctor. Informe a la enfermera de la escuela de un caso confirmado. Recuerde que lavarse bien las manos es una de las mejores maneras para prevenir la transmisión de enfermedades contagiosas. Upcoming Dates February Have a wonderful weekend! Julie Tarasiuk-Principal and Christina Sosin-Assistant Principal
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A Message From Mrs. Tarasiuk and Mrs. Sosin – January 17th
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