Parents-
If you choose remote learning to begin the school year, we ask that your child continue with remote learning through the end of the first quarter. If remote learning doesn't work for your child, he/she may start face to face learning here at the school at the beginning of the second quarter.
If you choose face to face learning at the school we ask that you continue with this choice through the end of the first quarter. Under special circumstances, your child may switch to remote learning with the approval of the administration. Be aware if this situation happens, your child will be ahead of the remote learning process and will have a week off before remote learning would start.
Dear Parents & Guardians,
The following information is intended to help you with your decisions as you decide whether your student will do face-to-face, remote, or home-school learning this fall. The following procedures were drawn up and board approved in accordance with regulations given to us by ISBE. When you enroll there will be a form to indicate whether you prefer remote learning or face-to-face learning. Please enroll your students in a timely fashion so we can finalize plans for busing and allocation of supplies. If you are homeschooling, of course you would not register, but we would ask that you simply let us know so we can finalize plans.
Face coverings will be required for all students any time they are in the school or on a bus. The exceptions for this will be if the student has a doctor’s note stating why that student should not wear a mask, when the student is eating, playing a band instrument, or is outside and can maintain social distance. We encourage parents to provide masks for their students, but the school will have masks available if needed. If a student refuses to wear a mask, then they may be moved to a remote learning situation.
Students must be screened each morning before boarding the bus. Parents are permitted to self-certify their student. This will need to be done every morning. We will provide the forms to parents. If a student does not have a completed form, then the bus driver will take the student’s temperature and complete the form. If the student shows symptoms of Covid they will not be permitted to board the bus. If the student shows symptoms while at school, they will be separated from the other students and parents will be called. Students who are symptomatic may not return to school until the student has been fever-free for 72 hours without fever-reducing medication and 10 days have passed since symptoms first appeared.
Bus routes will be rearranged or added to in order to keep the number of riders under 50. Students who ride the bus will enter through the gym door. Bus unloading times will be staggered so that the first group of students can reach their rooms before the next bus unloads. Students who are brought to school by car will enter through the office door and will either show Betsy their self-certification form, or will have their temperature taken and a form completed in the office. When dismissing at the end of the day. Students will be dismissed by bus route or by car riders, so that we limit the number of students in the hall. Parents generally will not be allowed in the building (unless permission is given beforehand), but we will have staff members to meet Pre-K and kindergarten students at the door until the students learn the routine. We will also have staff to meet 7th graders to help them find their rooms. Parents are encouraged to transport their students.
Lunches have been rearranged to limit the number in the cafeteria at a given time. 2nd grade will eat with 3rd-6th grade and the Junior High will be split into two groups, with one eating in the cafeteria and the other in the new gym. Breakfast will be served as usual unless numbers exceed 50.
Teachers (especially those in the younger grades) will be encouraged to hold classes outside when weather permits. With social distancing, this will provide a break from the masks. PE classes will be encouraged to do the same and to modify curriculum when inside to something less strenuous. The music curriculum will also have some modifications to limit singing. Junior high students will have staggered passing times to limit numbers in the hallway.
Students are encouraged to bring their own water bottles. They may be filled at the water fountains without sanitizing between fills. If students drink from a water fountain it will need to be sanitized before the next person uses it.
The school will provide a chrome book for each student in grades 1-8. Kindergarteners will be provided IPads. These will also be provided to those students who are remote learners along with whatever other materials are needed for the class. Students who are participating in remote learning will run on a schedule a week behind their classmates who are attending school in-person. This will allow students participating in remote learning to receive close to identical instructional opportunities as those students who are participating in in-person instruction. To provide instructional opportunities to students participating in remote learning, the District will record in-person lessons. The recordings as well as class materials will be made available to students participating in remote learning each week. Students are to return completed school work and class materials, including recordings, as applicable each week, when the next week’s school work is picked up.
The school day will be from 8am until 2pm this year.
I am sure there are some details that we will need to work out, but this is the basic plan. Thank you for being patient as we work through this trying time.
Dan Ayer
Attention Nauvoo-Colusa Alumni and Friends!
Our esteemed Viking, Erik, (Did you know he had a name?) who has watched over our school since he was donated many years ago, is badly in need of some attention. Standing guard, in the elements, watching over our school and its children has taken its toll on him. He needs some repairs and paint. Erik will also be getting a new view, as he will need to be moved to accommodate some new construction. We received an estimate for repairs, which is in the neighborhood of $7000. Erik will also need a new concrete pad to stand on.
A few years ago, we put out some feelers to see if anyone would be interested in donating to these repairs, and received a very positive response. Due to unforeseen circumstances, we had to put things in a holding pattern. Erik was recently mentioned in an article in the March 2019 issue of Illinois Country Living magazine. This, along with the construction project, has brought the idea of getting him repaired back up to the forefront. We are now ready to move forward on getting Erik the Viking back to his proud glory.
We have an account at the State Bank of Nauvoo called, Nauvoo-Colusa Boosters Account. Anyone willing to donate can send donations, made out to that account, to State Bank of Nauvoo at P.O. Box 218, Nauvoo, IL 62354.
