BALL-CHATHAM COMMUNITY UNIT SCHOOL DISTRICT 5: Return to Learn Plan Approved for Fall 2020

By Press release submission

Jul 26, 2020

Ball-Chatham Community Unit School District 5 issued the following announcement on July 23.

On Wednesday, July 22, the Ball-Chatham School Board approved the District’s Return to Learn plan - a plan designed with the health and safety of our students and our employees as the top priority.

The District’s Return to Learn plan is based on public health information available at this time. The plan will most likely be adjusted as new guidance from the Illinois State Board of Education, Illinois Department of Public Health, Centers for Disease Control and other public health officials is received or as necessary to best support the health and safety of our students and employees.

Please keep in mind, that should Illinois move from Phase 4 back to Phase 1, 2, or 3 due to a resurgence of the virus, it is possible that the governor will direct all Illinois schools to move to remote learning for all students for a period of time. As a district, we are preparing for a variety of scenarios and, as always, we are committed to keeping you informed every step of the way.

At this time, Ball-Chatham is offering the following two K-12 options for the 2020-21 school year. (Pre-K will be largely remote learning, with restricted in-person learning as needs arise. More details on this to come.) Parents/guardians, please log into your Skyward Family Access account by July 28 to select one of the two options listed below. Please note that this is separate from online registration, and that online registration must be completed by August 7.

Option 1: Blended Learning: Half-Day In-Person & Remote Instruction - With this option, students will be assigned morning or afternoon in-person sessions, Mondays through Thursdays, and learn remotely the other half of the day, and on Fridays. This Return to Learn plan outlines the protocols we are putting in place to resume in-person instruction based on guidance from the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Illinois Department of Public Health and Board of Education, and the Centers for Disease Control.
Option 2: Virtual Learning - We know that in-person instruction is not an option for some of our students or their family members with elevated health risks, and for those who are not comfortable sending kids to in-person school. Their students will be provided online instruction through Edgenuity (https://www.edgenuity.com), which is aligned to Illinois State Learning Standards and provides uniform and consistent experiences across the curriculum. Please note that the curriculum is not taught by BCSD teachers; however students in virtual learning are still considered Ball-Chatham students and will be provided academic and social/emotional supports from BCSD staff.

I ask that you take the time to review Ball-Chatham’s reopening plan presented in the guide (links below) to help you make the choice that is best for your children.

Supt. Dr. Douglas Wood

Original source can be found here.