News

Greetings Margaret Mead Community,

We look forward to welcoming your student back to school in person in next week.  Because you selected the hybrid in-person instruction for your student this fall, I wanted to remind you that starting next week they will attend school on campus on either Mondays and Thursdays for Group A or Tuesdays and Fridays for Group B.  On the other three days of the week, your student will attend school remotely using Zoom to access their instruction.  The first day of on-campus attendance for your student is coming up soon.  In preparation for that day, I encourage you to do the following:

• Watch our “Mead Made Reminders for Hybrid In-Person” video here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1U2PxZlJLnwpTl-0FmQsA1ueee0gpVs-3/view
• Review the updated District 54 Reopening Plan
• Check out the D54 website at sd54.org/reopeningd54 and watch the D54 Back to School video with your student. 

Also, please take a moment to review the important information below.  Thank you for your support in keeping our students and staff healthy.

On Mornings of In-Person Attendance

When Someone is Sick:  Any individual who shows any signs or symptoms of illness must stay home. Anyone who begins to exhibit a fever or COVID-19 like symptoms while at school will be sent to the school nurse. Students will wait in quarantine rooms until they can be picked up from school. Students in quarantine at home who feel well may transition to remote learning.  Individuals may not return to school until they have met the criteria outlined in the District 54 Exclusion Chart.

Positive COVID-19 Cases:  Any individual who tests positive for COVID-19 or who shows any signs or symptoms of illness must stay home. Please report possible cases of COVID-19 to your school so that we can initiate contact tracing and notify others who have had close contact.  Before returning to school the student must:

• Complete the minimum quarantine time period of 10 days after their first test date if asymptomatic or 10 days since the onset of their symptoms;
• Be symptom free and fever free for at least 24 hours without fever-reducing medication; and
• Provide a Release from Isolation letter or other form of communication from the local health department releasing them from quarantine. If unable to obtain a letter, your child may return if they have been excluded from the minimum required quarantine period and they are symptom free. 

Close Contacts:  People who have had close contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19 must isolate at home and monitor their symptoms. Close contact is defined as “any individual who has been closer than 6 feet for more than 15 cumulative minutes with or without a face covering.”  Individuals who are asymptomatic during the 10 days of quarantine do not need to produce a Release from Isolation letter from the local health department before returning to school. For more details, please refer to the School District 54 Exclusion Chart.

Travel:  The Cook County Department of Public Health and CDC also require individuals to quarantine for 14 days after travel. Students in the in-person hybrid plan would need to attend school remotely during the quarantine period. Click on the links above for more details from those agencies.

Student Symptoms Screening Procedure:  ALL students are required to “self-certify” that they are safe to arrive on campus EVERYDAY.  If your student does not self-certify in the morning, we will be calling you to self-certify for them.  Please get back in the habit of self-certifying every morning before your student boards the bus and arrives on campus.  Every morning at 5:30 am, an email containing a link to our self-certification form will be sent for each student to the priority email on file each day your student is attending in person.  In addition, please remember to attach your green screener card and badge holder to your student’s backpack, signifying that your student has completed the symptoms screening that day.

Chromebook Reminders:  Please have your student plan to come to school with their District 54 issued Chromebook and charger and headsets.  This equipment will still be essential to learning and staying connected as a classroom community.  Students should come to school with their Chromebook power adapters for charging during the school day.  Charging stations will be set up for students to charge their devices throughout the day. 

School Supply List:  For Hybrid In-Person Learning, we are asking that students come to school every day with the following items:

• Backpack to store and carry all of their instructional materials.  Please remember that students will NOT be issued lockers to use, so their backpack will be where they keep their items. 
• Chromebook and charger
• Headsets (Earbud with microphone, Headphones with microphone)
• Mask
• Lunch
• Recommended: Highlighters and writing utensil (pen or pencil)
• Recommended: Calculator (TI-30XIIS suggested).     

School Hours:  Mead school hours for Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday are 7:40 am – 2:15 pm.  Please note that students who have mathematics first period will start their day at 7:30 am.

Student Absences:  We will continue tracking student attendance during hybrid in-person and virtual learning.  Please call our student absence line at 847-357-6002 by 7:00 am if your child will be absent from hybrid in-person and virtual learning for the day.  The student absence line is open 24 hours a day.     

Important upcoming dates:

• Monday, January 11:  Hybrid In-Person learning resumes for Group A students in the Instructional Classrooms (Ms. Licea and Mrs. Liang’s classrooms)

• Tuesday, January 12:  Hybrid In-Person learning continues for Group A students in the Instructional Classrooms (Ms. Licea and Mrs. Liang’s classrooms)

• Wednesday, January 13:  Virtual learning for ALL students

• Thursday, January 14:  Hybrid In-Person learning resumes for Group B students in the Instructional Classrooms (Ms. Licea and Mrs. Liang’s classrooms)

• Tuesday, January 15:  Hybrid In-Person learning continues for Group B students in the Instructional Classrooms (Ms. Licea and Mrs. Liang’s classrooms)

• Monday, January 18:  No school (Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday)

• Tuesday, January 19:
  • Virtual Learning (Full Remote Learners and Group A)
  • Hybrid In-Person (Group B):  When our Group B students arrive on campus, they will enter through the following doors:
    • Door 2: Walkers, parent drop-off, early start mathematics students
    • Door 5:  Bussers
    • Door 18:  Busser
    • On this day, our Group B Mustangs will only need to bring the following:
    • Mask
    • Lunch
    • Chromebook and charger
    • Earbud/headphones with microphone
    • Student in Band/Orchestra:  Remember your instruments!

• Wednesday, January 20:  Virtual learning for ALL students

• Thursday, January 21:
  • Virtual Learning (Full Remote Learners and Group B)
  • Hybrid In-Person (Group A):  When our Group A students arrive on campus, they will enter through the following doors:
    • Door 2: Walkers, parent drop-off, early start mathematics students
    • Door 5:  Bussers
    • Door 18:  Busser
    • On this day, our Group B Mustangs will only need to bring the following:
    • Mask
    • Lunch
    • Chromebook and charger
    • Earbud/headphones with microphone
    • Student in Band/Orchestra:  Remember your instruments!

• Friday, January 22:
  • Virtual Learning (Full Remote Learners and Group A)
  • Hybrid In-Person (Group B) 

The learning schedule for the remainder of the year for our Mustangs is listed below:

Hybrid In-Person Group A:

• Mondays—In-person at Mead
• Tuesdays—Virtual learning through Zoom
• Wednesdays—Virtual learning through Zoom
• Thursdays—In-person at Mead
• Fridays—Virtual learning through Zoom

Hybrid In-Person Group B:

• Mondays—Virtual learning through Zoom
• Tuesdays—In-person at Mead
• Wednesdays—Virtual learning through Zoom
• Thursdays—Virtual learning through Zoom
• Fridays—In-person at Mead

IC Hybrid In-Person Group A:

• Mondays—In person at Mead
• Tuesdays—In person at Mead
• Wednesdays—Virtual learning through Zoom
• Thursdays—Virtual learning through Zoom
• Fridays— Virtual learning through Zoom

IC Hybrid In-Person Group B:

• Mondays— Virtual learning through Zoom
• Tuesdays— Virtual learning through Zoom
• Wednesdays—Virtual learning through Zoom
• Thursdays— In person at Mead
• Fridays— In person at Mead

Full Remote Learning:

• Mondays—Virtual learning through Zoom
• Tuesdays— Virtual learning through Zoom
• Wednesdays—Virtual learning through Zoom
• Thursdays—Virtual learning through Zoom
• Fridays— Virtual learning through Zoom

Please visit our newly updated Mead website for the building calendar.  Don’t forget to “Like” us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and watch our Mead YouTube Channel to stay updated with the latest news and information about the great things happening at Mead.  As always, if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.  Thank you for your continued support and commitment to ensuring your child’s educational success.

Scott