District 88 continues to connect with and care for students, staff and families

Pictured is District 88 Superintendent Dr. Scott Helton.

Earlier this week (on Sept. 2), Addison Trail, Willowbrook and our District 88 Transition Program hosted their annual Open House events for parents/guardians and students.

It was another indication this year is certainly different, as Open House took place online because of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. But it also showed how well our staff and families have adapted to the new school environment. I heard staff members share engaging lessons and applications/tools they’ve implemented to make Remote Learning resemble the classroom as much as possible, and I saw the personal bonds they’ve already formed with students – even through a computer.

We will continue to connect with and care for our pupils, and I truly appreciate the ongoing support of our stakeholders. Through those partnerships, we will accomplish our mission of working for the continuous improvement of student achievement.

IMPORTANT UPDATES

  • Food service: We are excited to announce we have received the necessary waivers from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to reactivate our community food-service program. From 1 to 3 p.m. each Wednesday, we will provide five days’ worth of free meals to all residents up to the age of 18. See details at https://www.dupage88.net/site/page/11979.

  • Assessments: To ensure our pupils have access to a college entrance exam, we will provide District 88 seniors with a free SAT (and essay) on Oct. 14. This assessment is optional, however, taking the SAT is currently a graduation requirement for members of the class of 2021. Students who plan to graduate in December are strongly encouraged to register for this exam. Details are listed below.

    • CLICK HERE to register for the SAT at Addison Trail (sign up by 3 p.m. on Sept. 28)
    • CLICK HERE to see a letter from Addison Trail with important details

    • CLICK HERE to register for the SAT at Willowbrook (sign up by 3 p.m. on Sept. 28)
    • CLICK HERE to see a letter from Willowbrook with important details

GUIDANCE FROM STATE AND LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS

  • New learning standards: The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) recently released new Illinois Priority Learning Standards. According to State Superintendent of Education Dr. Carmen I. Ayala, “(ISBE) collaborated with a diverse and skilled team of educators from across the state to identify the Illinois Priority Learning Standards. The group focused on identifying learning standards that depict the knowledge, skills and dispositions we want all students to have – the standards that are the most foundational competencies, the most critical for continued success at subsequent grade levels and best suited for interdisciplinary or project-based learning.” CLICK HERE for more information.

  • Return to School Framework: On Aug. 28, the DuPage County Health Department released a “Return to School Framework” with the DuPage Regional Office of Education. As COVID-19 cases continue to rise locally, the “Return to School Framework” recommends school officials review and consider the level of disease activity in their communities as they make decisions about shifting between learning models this school year. To view the document, go to www.dupagehealth.org/ReturnToSchool.

    See an important message regarding safely reopening schools from DuPage Regional Office of Education Regional Superintendent Dr. Darlene Ruscitti and DuPage County Health Department Executive Director Karen Ayala at https://www.dupage88.net/site/public/files/?item=5431.

  • Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) FAQs: The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) recently published on its webpage a new health-based Frequently Asked Questions document from the IDPH. The document addresses many health-related questions and can be viewed at https://www.isbe.net/Documents/IDPH-School-FAQs.pdf.

  • Updates from the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE): https://www.isbe.net/Pages/covid19.aspx and https://tinyurl.com/ISBEMessages 

PARENT AND STUDENT MEETINGS

  • We will continue to meet with parents/guardians as part of our Transition/Reopening Committee. The next parent meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. on Sept. 15. If you would like to join the committee, or if you have any questions/concerns, please feel free to contact me at shelton@dupage88.net or 630-530-3980.

  • We will continue to meet with students as part of our Return to School Student Advisory Committee. Students who would like to join the committee should fill out the form at http://www.dupage88.net/StudentAdvisoryCommittee.

OTHER AREAS OF FOCUS

  • Resources: District 88 will continue to support the social and emotional well-being of students, staff, families and community members. See a list of available resources (including resources in Spanish) at www.dupage88.net/Coronavirus.

  • Equity work: We have been committed to creating and sustaining an equitable and inclusive environment for all students through Deep Equity and Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Youth Equity Stewardship (YES!) series for more than half a decade, and we have put in place many programs to assist with these initiatives. We know equity is a journey and won’t be reached quickly or easily. However, we need to be relentless in our pursuit of equity, inclusion and the elimination of racism in District 88 and our communities. We are continuing our work with Deep Equity, YES!, Trauma-Informed Practices and Restorative Practices, and we also have implemented the District 88 C.A.R.E. Team (Committed to Academics, Resiliency and Equity) for students and staff to expand and deepen our work in these areas.

We know this year will be challenging as we continue to face this unprecedented situation, but we look forward to working together to build futures for our students. Thank you for your continued support of District 88.

Respectfully,
Scott J. Helton, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools, DuPage High School District 88