McHenry Times

McHenry Community High School District 156 Board of Education met July 20.

Here is the minutes provided by the board:

Well Prepared for Health Crisis

Innovation Plan Passed - January 2017

● Schoology as universal LMS for all students

● Digital Literacy Coaching Program

● 1:1 Chromebook initiative since 18-19

● Three years of PD and Schoology course development

Emergency School Closure - March 13, 2020

All Illinois Schools Closed at the end of the Day on March 13 due to COVID-19

● MCHS immediately deployed the Digital Learning Plan

● Modified Monday, March 16 to Inservice Day to train Teachers

● Began Digital Learning on four Act of God Days March 17-20

● Tracked attendance

● Initiated District Calling teams for disengaged students

Data From ECRA Stakeholder Survey

May 2020

Many Strengths of MCHS Learning Plan

● Communication

● Tech and WIFI Accessibility = 100%

● Accountability in Expectations for Students

● Structure

● Engaged and Supportive Teachers

● Daily Attendance and Calling Teams

● Robust Intervention Efforts

Stakeholder Survey - Key Takeaways

Stakeholder Survey - Key Takeaways

Major Points for Improvement

Feedback for Improvement - All Stakeholders

● Enhanced Structure - time periods

● 8 remote periods a day - too much for students and teachers

● Synchronous Video Connection Daily essential

● Grading - Return to District Grading Policy

Digital Learning Plan 2.0 - Fall 2020

(In event of School Closure - Full Remote Learning)

Fully Digital A/B Day Schedule

● 4 periods a day - A/B day schedule

● Each class begins with video meeting (at least 20 mins)

● Teachers take attendance

● Continue with Intervention Teams

● Normal District Grading Policy/Procedures

Restore Illinois - Phase 4 Reopen Plan

● At the end of June, the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) released Guidance on Reopening Schools for the 2020-2021 School Year.

● The Governor and ISBE “strongly encouraged” school districts to return to some form of in-person instruction in the fall.

● Our goal: to balance the importance of in-person instruction and our student’s connection with our schools, their teachers, and each other with our responsibility to ensure we could comply with the Illinois Department of Public Health guidelines to keep our students and staff safe during this ongoing pandemic.

Hybrid Learning Plan - Orange/Black Days

● Based on guidance - MCHS unable to function at 100% capacity

● Hybrid Plan - alternating face-to-face and remote learning

● Divide students 50/50 by alpha

● Alternate daily

● Run modified 1:15pm / 1:25pm schedule for virtual office hours

Revised Calendar - Hybrid Scenario

● Final exams for Sem 1 will be eliminated and Semester 1 will conclude on Friday, January 15, 2021.

● Sem 1 will be 88 days of instruction (including state testing days in October). Students will have 44 days of each face-to-face and digital class days.

● Calendar changes do not impact the first day or last day of the school year.

● Semester Two will be 92 instructional days including state testing and two days of final exams.

Modified Daily 1:15pm/1:25pm Dismissal

Benefits of Shortened School Day

● Shorter Day will result in less time for students to have to wear masks.

● Shorter Day will allow for additional sanitation of spaces by MCHS Facilities department personnel

● Teachers will have additional time in the afternoon to conduct virtual office hours

● Additional time for digital planning

Grading During Fall Term 2020

● Traditional final exams worth 20% of the course grade will be eliminated for the Fall 2021 term.

● Teachers may still give culminating course assessments or projects

● Semester grades shall be based upon a weighting of 100% for the semester (90% academic and no more than 10% for behavior grade categories)

● Teachers will Identify deadlines and due dates for all assessments and assignments and enter the “missing” flag or lowest mark in the grade book for all items that are not completed.

● All specific grading and retake procedures will be determined by individual course teams.

Alternative Education Experiences

Modified Learning Opportunities

Students who are medically fragile, have an immunocompromised family member(s) in the household, or who are unable to attend in-person instructional days in the fall can apply for a Digital Learning Waiver.

● Primary - Digital Learning through Schoology - The student is still a member of the scheduled class and associated with the assigned teacher. The student learns asynchronously through Schoology and connects with the teacher as needed during office hours. (If students are struggling they may be assigned a tutor several hours a week as an academic intervention).

● Online Program - Gradpoint - The student is removed from the traditional classroom and schedule and participates in virtual online courses. The student works independently on course completion and pacing, with a teacher monitoring their progress.

● Medical Certification for Homebound Instruction - The student is removed from the traditional classroom and schedule due to a medical condition.

Options for WIFI Access Outside of School

● Goal is 100% Connectivity

● MCHS can supply free WIFI Hotspot through Sprint for F/R families

● Interactive Map of Academic Partners free WIFI on Website

● Comcast Internet Essentials - $9.95/month

Link to WIFI Page on Website

Wifi Partners Map

Food Service and Busing

Food Service and Dining Areas

● Lunch Space - 50 persons per space

● Students encouraged to bring their lunch to avoid lines

● Social Distance in the Designated Lunch Areas / Space

● Lunch Service - Plated / No Self Service

● Cleaning Between / Sanitization Between Lunch Periods

● Free and Reduced - Meals will be provided on alternate days

● Open Campus / Resource Area During Lunch will be available Transportation

● IDPH requirement of no more than 50 students per bus.

● Buses will continue to pick-up in the morning and drop-off in the evening using the same routes as last year.

● We will operate shuttles for traveling students throughout the day

● We will operate activity buses for athletics and activities after school

MCHS HEALTH AND SAFETY GUIDELINES TO RETURN TO SCHOOL

MEDICAL SELF-SCREENING Parents must self-certify daily that their student(s) are coming to school without a temperature over 100.4 degrees or COVID-like symptoms. When a student is sick, they should STAY HOME from school.

HAND SANITATION / HYGIENE

Hand sanitizer will be available in every classroom and mounted on walls in hallways and common areas throughout both campuses. Students will be encouraged to wash their hands or use hand sanitizer throughout the day.

SOCIAL AND PHYSICAL DISTANCING

Classrooms and other common areas will be configured to maximize the physical space between individuals.

HALLWAYS / LOCKER ACCESS

Students will not have access to hallway lockers during the day and should move from class to class to avoid unnecessary social contact, and stopping only for restroom use.

MCHS HEALTH AND SAFETY GUIDELINES TO RETURN TO SCHOOL MASKS

All students, staff, and visitors are required to wear masks to cover their faces at all times while indoors. Masks will not need to be worn outside, when eating, or during band. The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) has issued guidance in conjunction with the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) on facemasks.

MCHS FACILITIES CLEANING AND SANITATION

● CDC-recommended cleaning practices and use certified EPA sanitation products.

● All classrooms and common areas will be regularly sanitized using Electrostatic Disinfectant machines.

● Additional PPE, sanitation, and hygiene supplies have been ordered and stockpiled

● Common areas, restrooms, hallways, cafeteria and other high traffic areas will be cleaned throughout the day.

● Use of materials and objects that are not easily cleaned or make it difficult to observe social distancing guidance will be restricted or removed from the building.

● Newly installed HVAC unit ventilators, air handlers, and optimized HVAC Building Automation Systems will increase our intake of fresh air and promote better air circulation in the buildings.

● Hand sanitizer will be available in every classroom and touchless stations have been installed in hallways and common areas throughout the buildings.

● Acrylic shields or guards will be installed in reception areas and other high traffic areas in the buildings and district office.

School Closure

● We will follow recommendations from MCDH, IDPH and the CDC regarding potential closures of our school buildings for confirmed cases, cleaning, disinfection, and/or contact tracing.

● If our state or county experiences an uptick in Covid-19 cases, hospitalizations, or deaths the governor may decide to close schools or move our entire state or just our newly designated North Suburban Region (Includes Lake and McHenry County) back to Phase 3 of the Restore Illinois Plan.

In the event we must close our schools, the district will notify families and staff members immediately. Based on the length of the closure, the district will activate our newly revamped

MCHS Digital Remote Learning Plan

DISTRICT ONGOING COMMUNICATION

● The District will send out regular communications and updates to families

● Principals will be sending students and families building-specific East and West Campus - Return to School information in the coming weeks that will focus on student expectations, operational logistics, health and wellness procedures, school events, student activities and department or course-specific information in greater detail.

● If you have any comments or questions we would invite you to please use our Community Feedback Form. We will also develop an FAQ page for families in the coming weeks based on your feedback.

Please see our full Return to School Plan on our Website dist156.org “Focus on the Future”!

● MCHS is capable of safely observing IDPH and ISBE Guidelines under the Hybrid model of instruction

● Important for students to connect with their schools, teachers and each other.

● Engage in Hands on Learning, Lab Experiences, Elective Offerings that cannot be replicated outside the classroom.

https://core-docs.s3.amazonaws.com/documents/asset/uploaded_file/807644/BOE_Presentation_July_2020_-_Digital_Learning_Plan.pdf