Update Center

District 99 Students and Families,

As approved by the Board of Education on Monday evening, there will be No School for Students on Monday, February 1 or Monday, March 22. Both of these days will be a Remote Learning Planning Day (Institute Day) for teachers.

You can find a revised district calendar here.

On Friday, January 29, check your email and website at www.csd99.org/2020-21 after 3 p.m. for information about the learning schedule for next week beginning on Tuesday, February 2.

Superintendent Dr. Thiele will be sharing district updates during his Lunchtime Live Webinar tomorrow, Thursday, January 28 at noon. Join the webinar here with passcode 967635. Following the webinar, a recording will be available on our website here.

Thank you!

District 99

Remote Only: Tuesday, January 26

Follow the Fully Remote Schedule

Hello everyone,

Due to the winter storm warning that has been issued for our area, District 99 will not be holding in-person classes tomorrow, Tuesday, January 26. Instead, all students will be remote learning and will follow the 2021 Fully Remote Schedule tomorrow. All classes will be held synchronously, online. Coaches and activity sponsors will follow up later tomorrow on the status of athletic practices and activities that were to be held on-campus.

NOTE: The PSAT/NMSQT exam scheduled for tomorrow is canceled. Those who are registered to take this exam will receive a separate email with instructions. 

We plan to resume our Hybrid Schedule and in-person learning on Wednesday, January 27.

Thank you,

District 99

Note: Modified Times for 3rd and 4th Periods on Monday

Dear District 99 Students and Families:

The most recent 14-day positivity rate as of 3 p.m. on January 22 is 7.05%; therefore, we will be following the 2021 hybrid schedule for the week of January 25.  NOTE: On Monday, January 25, third period will be from 10:15-11 a.m. and fourth period will be from 11:05 to 11:30 a.m. to allow for special lessons and activities. 

For those students attending school in person, please review these guidelines and expectations. Please remember that all parents/guardians must initial a self-certification slip (Spanish) each day that the student is symptom-free and can report to school for in-person learning. 

For those students who ride the bus, please see the schedules here:

• North High Bus Schedule
• South High Bus Schedule 

Please check your email or the www.csd99.org/2020-21 website for updates. The 14-day positivity rate will continue to be posted to this dashboard.

Thank you,

District 99

January 16, 2021

Board of Education Approves New Metrics Today

Dear District 99 Students and Families:

At its special meeting today, the District 99 Board of Education approved raising the community transmission threshold to 10% positivity rate from 9% previously. In addition to other factors, the combined 14-day positivity rate in our community must be 10% or below in order for students to attend school in person and follow the 2021 hybrid schedule. The positivity rate will be based on the most recent metrics available at 3 p.m. each Friday. 

The most recent 14-day positivity rate as of 3 p.m. on Friday, January 15 is 9.62%; therefore, we will be following the 2021 hybrid schedule for the week of January 19-22. NOTE: Monday is Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday and there is no school.

Moving forward, we will view the most recent 14-day positivity rate available as of 3 p.m. every Friday; it must be 10% or lower in order for us to return to in-person learning.

For those students attending school in person, please review these guidelines and expectations. Please remember that all parents/guardians must initial a self-certification slip (Spanish) each day that the student is symptom-free and can report to school for in-person learning. 

For those students who ride the bus, please see the schedules here:

• North High Bus Schedule
• South High Bus Schedule 

Please check your email or the www.csd99.org/2020-21 website for updates. The 14-day positivity rate will continue to be posted to this dashboard.

Thank you,

District 99

Dear District 99 Students and Families:

The District 99 Board of Education will hold a special meeting this Saturday, January 16 at 9 a.m. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss the metrics District 99 uses to determine when students may attend school in person and follow the 2021 hybrid schedule. Currently, in addition to other factors, the combined 14-day positivity rate in our community must be 9% or below; the recommendation is to increase the rate to 10% or below. The Board of Education members will vote on whether or not to raise the community transmission threshold to 10%, which is the top of the range set forth by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Metrics for cohorts to meet in person will remain at 12%.)

District 99 reviewed its performance of having students attend school in person last week, when the positivity rates were higher than 9%. We experienced no outbreaks at school, we had adequate staff, and we were able to follow all the safety protocols and illness tracking procedures. Moving forward we are also adding additional contact tracers, with the availability to add more if needed, and have streamlined our protocols as well. As a result, we are confident that we can run school safely in person when raising the positivity rate threshold from 9% to 10%.

If the Board approves the recommendation, we will confirm by 3:30 p.m. on Monday, January 18 the schedule for January 19-22. The 14-day positivity rate as of 3 p.m. on Monday, January 18--and every Monday moving forward--must be 10% or lower in order for us to return to in-person learning. Please check your email or the www.csd99.org/2020-21 website for updates. The 14-day positivity rate will continue to be posted to this dashboard.

At the meeting, District 99 will also share an update about creating an internal testing program. When in place, the district will consider monitoring internal metrics instead of community metrics to determine safe levels to return to school. In addition, District 99 is working closely with its elementary partner districts, the Village of Downers Grove and DuPage County on building a vaccination program for those community members in “Group 1B” (which includes school staff) to receive a vaccination. 

The meeting on Saturday will be virtual and streamed live at www.youtube.com/csd99media. Please visit this page for information on how to comment for the meeting’s public record; visit this page for other ways to contact the Board. 

Thank you,

District 99

Good afternoon,

It was great seeing our in-person learners last week, and we look forward to your return in the near future. 

As we continue to review and revise our plans to ensure the safety and well-being of students and staff, I’d like to share some reminders and some new information. Please take a few minutes to read the information below carefully.

• We have many resources available for all students: 
  • Please review this flyer for information about the many opportunities for academic support. I know that some teachers have shared information about Paper with students and that some students have already used this new resource. However, to make sure that all students know how to access this 7 days a week / 24 hours a day tutoring service, information will be shared with the entire student body on Monday, January 25 during the 3rd period extended block. Students/families with questions about academic support should visit the Academic Resource Google Classroom or contact Associate Principal Doherty at rdoherty@csd99.org or 630-795-8402.
  • Each student has an Alpha Team who is ready to support DGN students. Linked here is the Alpha Team Breakdown for reference so that you can easily locate who your support team is. Students and family can reach out to members of their team via email with questions and concerns and can schedule an appointment with their counselor here. Also, here is a link to our SEL Resource Site that has great resources for students, parents and staff. Students/families with questions about support from the counseling department should contact Mr. King, Counseling & Student Support Services Department Chair at dking@csd99.org or 630-795-8438.
• Whether we are in a remote learning environment or in a hybrid model, it is likely that many students will take assessments remotely. Students are required to use the school-issued Chromebook for all assessments; this allows teachers to monitor students’ work and ensure that the testing environment is secure. If students have problems with their Chromebook, they can contact the tech department by emailing northcb@csd99.org or calling 630-795-2720.
• If needed, semester 2 instructional materials can be picked up at the Main St. entrance Monday-Friday between 7 a.m.-5 p.m. Also, please be sure to return any DGN-issued books or materials from semester 1 classes as directed by the teacher.   
• During a fully remote class period, if a teacher doesn’t report to class or if the teacher has a medical emergency during class and needs assistance, someone in the class should call our main office at 630-795-8400 as soon as possible. 

We have two virtual meetings this week for parents/guardians:

• Parents’ Club - Tonight - Wednesday 1/13 at 7 p.m. Click here for the link; the Meeting ID is 875 7743 2469 and the Passcode is 216098. Associate Principal Doherty will present on the SAT and ACT, and I will explain Paper, share school updates, and answer questions.
• Conquering College Costs - Thursday, 1/14 at 6:30 p.m. Click here for the link; the passcode is 780117. Click here for additional information.

Thank you for taking the time to read this information carefully. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact the people listed above or email me at jschwarze@csd99.org.

Take care,

Janice Schwarze
Principal

Greetings Mustangs,

It was great to have the in-person learners in the building last week and we are looking forward to your return in the near future. While the first semester grades have now been posted in HAC, we wanted to remind you about resources available to you that will help you get off to a good start in the second semester.

We have several academic resources available to you. In addition to getting help from teachers during office hours, there is peer tutoring available.  New this semester is an on-line tutoring service that functions 24 hours per day, seven days per week. Details of how to access Paper, the online tutoring program will be presented to students on Monday, January 25. However, the service is available now by logging into paper.co.

Teachers have had to adapt most of the assessments that they use to be meaningful in the remote world. For that reason, any time students are completing an assessment for a class, students must be using their school-issued Chromebook. As you know, we have taken many steps in making our virtual classrooms and the activities that occur within them, as safe and secure as we can. This is another step that will help in that cause.

Many of our students have chosen to remain Remote Only in their learning. While not physically in the building, there are some materials, equipment, and/or supplies that they will need at home. The teachers have organized things outside of the bookstore so that students can pick them up more easily.  

Please plan to stop by the building soon to pick up the materials. The building is open Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. You should try to pick things up before or after school, during the lunch break, or during the period that you do not have class (in which you would normally have lunch). Check in at the security desk and they will help you get the materials that have been left for you. Please bring your school ID and wear a mask at all times.

Finally, many of you have not yet turned in textbooks and equipment that was issued to you during the first semester. Those items can also be returned to the bookstore. In-person learners can turn those in at the bookstore at any time, while remote learners can turn them in when picking up the materials for the second semester. We appreciate your help in getting these materials back.

As always, updates can be found on the 2020-21 page on the website. 

Stay well,

Ed Schwartz
Principal

Dear District 99 Students and Families:

The 14-day COVID positivity rate for our community coming into today is 10.39%. Unfortunately, this number will end the day higher than our stated threshold of 9% to continue with full in-person learning next week. Cohorts (Transition 99, drivers education behind the wheel, specific special services programs, connections/access) will continue to meet as scheduled.

We will follow a Fully Remote Schedule the week of January 11. 

As the metrics are above the threshold, we are sharing this news with you so that you can prepare for remote learning next week.

As a reminder, in order to return to school in person, the combined positivity rate of zip codes 60515, 60516, 60517, 60559, 60561 must be below 9% OR there must be fewer than 125 cases per 100,000 based on the 14-day rolling average each Friday for the following week. Click here to see the metrics dashboard. This and other information may be found at www.csd99.org/2020-21. 

Thank you,

District 99

Happy New Year to our South High Students and Families! It has been great having students back in the building this week.

If you have a few minutes, I hope you’ll watch my short January video message here. 

Video message highlights:

• Just before the holiday break, we learned that seven South High student musicians earned All State Honors from the Illinois Music Educators Association. Congratulations to Zoe Boyd, Liudas Davies, Nathan Frewen, Diana Kwak, Philip Okunev, Derek Reynolds, and Olivia Roti. Details can be found on the Fine Arts blog.
• As teachers return to school, they are finalizing first semester grades. First semester report cards will be available in the Home Access Center no later than January 11.
• Students received information about the course selection process for the 2021-22 school year prior to the holiday break. If you haven’t already done so, be sure to have conversations with your students as to the courses they wish to take next year. Student selections are due soon for current freshmen, sophomores, and juniors (for which they are due January 8). We make a great deal of scheduling and hiring decisions based on the choices that are made, so it will be difficult to make changes later in the year and in the summer.  Students will receive follow-up communication about potential appointments with their counselors. To see the planning guide, click here.
• Post high school planning is also part of the high school years. To assist families with developing strategies for managing college costs without excessive debt, the District 99 Counseling & Student Support Services Departments are hosting “Conquering College Costs” on January 14. Details can be found here.
• DGS Drama recently released the production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and this Friday, January 8 at 7 p.m., will debut The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged). Please take a few minutes to enjoy the many talents of the South High students.
• The first steps towards becoming a Mustang will be taken this month by our incoming freshmen - the Class of 2025.  The Virtual Orientation Night for the Class of 2025 will occur on Wednesday, January 27th.  The Academic Planning Guide is a great resource.  Parents and Guardians of incoming freshmen received a link to select course electives for the freshman year. If you have not completed this step, please do so soon. Incoming freshmen families should be on the lookout for a detailed email about Orientation Night, including the appropriate links.

As always, please feel free to call or email me with any questions or concerns. I can be reached at 630-795-8511 or at eschwartz@csd99.org; students are welcome to email me, talk to me in the hallway, or stop by the main office.

Have a great month of January!

Ed Schwartz
Principal

Happy New Year!

Dear North High Students and Families,

Happy New Year! I hope you had a wonderful and well-deserved break.

Please click here to watch my video for January. You can also see a summary of highlights below.

I hope to see you soon!

Ms. Janice Schwarze
DGN Principal
Twitter @jschwarzeteach 

DGN Video for January - Video Summary

• Report cards will be available on Home Access Center by January 11.
• In order to return to school in person, the combined positivity rate of our community on the preceding Friday must be below 9% OR there must be fewer than 125 cases per 100,000 based on the 14-day rolling average. We will meet with the health department before we confirm our decision to return to in-person learning every Monday afternoon and will email everyone by 5 p.m. Click here to see the metrics we follow.
• Registration for the 2021-22 school year has begun. To review the Academic Planning Guide and other curriculum information, please click here. Parents/guardians are encouraged to have conversations with students about course selection. Selections are due by Friday, January 8. Students may schedule an appointment with their counselors if they need assistance; they will receive an email with information about how and when to schedule an appointment.
• Parents’ Club will meet virtually on Wednesday, January 13 at 7 p.m. Associate Principal Ryan Doherty will provide an overview of the ACT/SAT and share what we know about college testing requirements given the pandemic.
• To help families with college financial planning, North High will be hosting “Conquering College Costs” on Thursday, January 14. Click here for details!
• For the second year in a row, a record-number of 19 students earned ILMEA All-State Honors. Congratulations to Carissa Blumka, Bridget Callaghan, Cole Cook, Leah Costello, Jaclyn Duellman, Cameron Hejny, Isaac Hsu, Francesca Korbitz, Angelica Kowara, Cora Lingenfelter, MacKenzie McGuire,Nicole Moravec, Raegan Novak, Katelynn Ohk, Melissa Parkinson, Noah Purdue, Ian Stagaman,Caitlyn Stocki, and Jessica Wei. Please click here for more information!
• Dr. Hank Thiele, superintendent of District 99, congratulates Principal Janice Schwarze for being named  2020-21 DuPage Region High School Principal of the Year! She is now a candidate for the Illinois High School Principal of the Year. Click here for details! 
• Principal Schware is retiring at the end of this school year. Many thanks to those who served on the North High principal search committee; the next principal will be announced later this month.
• We welcome the Class of 2025 to a Virtual Open House on Monday, January 25. Details will be emailed soon. Please be sure to refer to the emails about our various elective courses that are available!

Dear District 99 Students and Families:

Based on the 14-day metrics as of Friday, January 1 that show a community positivity rate of 7.96%, District 99 will follow the 2021 Hybrid Schedule starting tomorrow, January 5. We will follow this schedule through the end of the week.

NOTE: As a reminder, in order to return to school in person each week, the community positivity rate must be below 9% OR there must be fewer than 125 cases per 100,000 based on the 14-day rolling average the preceding Friday. To see detailed metrics, please click here. We will meet with the health department before we confirm our decision to return to in-person learning every Monday afternoon. 

As a reminder, students should wear a face mask at all times and a face shield when within six feet of another person. In addition, students must present a self-certification slip to the bus driver if riding a bus or to security staff upon entering school if providing their own transportation. Please note that students will not be allowed to ride the bus if they don’t present a completed self-certification slip. Here is a link to a slip that can be printed. (Click here for slip in Spanish.) For this week only, those who do not have a self-certification slip and don’t have access to a printer can have a guardian write a note certifying that the student meets all requirements, and the student can pick up self-certification slips at the security desk when at school. 

We have established strict guidelines for participating in in-person learning.  We have done so to do our part in keeping all members of our community healthy and safe. It is imperative that everyone reviews, understands, and follows these guidelines at all times. Please review this district page and refer to these school-specific messages prior to returning to in-person learning:

North High Principal Message
South High Principal Message

We look forward to welcoming students back into school tomorrow!

Thank you,

District 99
 

Important Information for 2nd Semester 

North High Students and Families, 

Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a relaxing break and is ready to begin the 2nd semester. 

We will follow this Hybrid schedule through spring break and are excited to welcome many in-person learners to the building this week. As you take a look at this new schedule, please note that the groups also have been updated: at North High School, Group A is now A-K and Group B is now L-Z, which will allow us to better socially distance students in our classrooms.  

In order to ensure that we maintain the safety of all who are at school, it is important that everyone follows all of the procedures and rules outlined on this web page. Please review this information carefully. The district website is also very helpful for updated information about our schedule and community metrics.

Students who are attending school in person should review their schedules for room numbers on Home Access Center since we have completed construction of our new classrooms, and we needed to move some classes in order to maintain social distancing.

When we receive updated information regarding the Illinois Department of Public Health’s restrictions of Winter Activities/Sports, we will share that information. Also, know that students will soon receive an email from Paper, a tutoring organization that the district has hired. Students don’t need to do anything at this time; we’ll send additional information about this service next week. 

As always, if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to call the main office at 630-795-8400 or email me at jschwarze@csd99.org. 

Mrs. Schwarze

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Important Reminders About In-Person Learning 

What students should bring to school

• Students should wear their face shield when on a bus, in the hallway, and entering/leaving school.
• Students must wear masks at all times. Masks with valves are not allowed. Per the CDC, cloth masks must be multilayered and designed to fit around the face.
• A parent should complete the self-certification slip each morning, and the student should show it to the bus monitor if they ride a bus or to security if they walk or drive to school.  Students received booklets of self-certification slips when they picked up their materials in August; here is a link to a slip that can be printed. (Click here for slip in Spanish.) Please know that bus drivers will not allow students to ride on a bus if they do not present a completed self certification slip. Drivers will tell students to return home. In these situations, students should attend school remotely and a guardian should call the school’s attendance office if they have no other way to get to school.  
• Students should bring a fully charged chromebook, their charger, earbuds (preferably with microphone), and class materials.
• Students should wear their ID on the lanyard we provided or another school appropriate lanyard. Students who do not have an ID can get one in the cafeteria on January 7 or 8.
• Because we are bringing in additional outside air, students might want to dress in layers.
• Students should not bring snacks, but they might want to bring a refillable water bottle. Our water fountains are off but the bottle filler feature works.

Arrival to/from school

• Here is a link to bus routes. Students are asked to be at their stop 5 min early.
• Students who walk or get dropped off should enter at the Main Street or Forest Street entrances only.
• Students who park on campus need a parking pass.  All 1st semester parking passes will continue to be valid through Spring Break.  At this time, parking is extremely limited.  Please reach out to the Dean’s office with any questions. 
• Students should not arrive prior to 7:30 a.m. for morning classes and noon for afternoon classes. Students must go directly to class upon arrival to school and should leave immediately after school. There can be no congregating in the hallway.
• Students are not using lockers at this time.

Lunches and Study Hall

• Students who have their own transportation to/from school are allowed to arrive late/leave early when they have lunch or a study hall.  
  • Students should use the Main Street Entrance if they are arriving to school after the morning or afternoon session has begun.
• Students who have completed the form allowing them to stay in school should report to the cafeteria during that class period.  Students will be expected to work on school work during that time.
• Students may not leave campus and then return to school.  

Health Guidelines

• Students should not come to school if they are sick. Please review this document for specific guidelines related to illness and COVID-19.
• Students who must stay home due to illness or quarantine should attend class remotely if well enough to do so.  

Attendance

• It is important for in-person learning students to report to school when expected to do so unless they are sick or have been ordered to quarantine. Teachers plan their lessons around who they expect to see in person vs. who they expect to see remotely. When a student is an unexpected “no show,” that disrupts the teacher’s lesson and interrupts everyone’s learning. Deans will follow up with families of students who are a “no show;” repeated instances might result in the student being moved to fully remote learning.
• Fully Remote students should check in for attendance every class. Teachers will provide specific instructions on what the students should do during each class period.