Happy New Year Knights! I hope that you all had a wonderful holiday season filled with all the things that make you smile. I wanted to send an update regarding the start of second semester and the newly released COVID protocols for the general public. While the CDC has issued new guidance regarding isolation and quarantine for positive cases, as of right now none of those apply to schools. IDPH and ISBE have expressed that the same guidelines that were previously set forth for schools are the guidelines that must be followed. This has also been confirmed by the local health department. There has already been a significant amount of discussion and dialogue regarding the disconnect between the new guidelines from the CDC and what IDPH and ISBE have expressed. I anticipate this discussion will continue to intensify throughout the week, and any possible changes will be implemented and communicated.
We are already seeing the impacts of the intense spread of the virus that all of our counties as well as the entire state are experiencing. We have started this week with a significant amount of staff out due to positivity or close contact and we are hopeful this will be a temporary trend. We will be meeting regularly as an administrative staff to stay updated and plan accordingly moving forward. This is not how any of us wanted to start the second semester of the school year, but we will tackle this challenge like many of the other challenges we have been faced with over the past year and a half.
We are asking for your continued patience, grace and support as we begin the second semester. We are all doing the best we can and we all want to return to a somewhat sense of normalcy, but as you are aware the rising cases in the area are once again creating hurdles that we have to overcome. With your help, we will do everything possible to forge ahead and provide the in-person learning experience for all of our students. We can’t stress enough that if your child has symptoms, do not send them to school, and please consider testing.
Everyone is tired and frustrated so I ask once again that we please extend grace and patience to our teachers, nurses, support personnel, and administrators as they try and navigate these ever-changing and challenging times. As we move forward into 2022, I am confident that we will continue to tackle the challenges that are set in front of us. My hope is that this current wave of cases will pass and that we can catch our breath and forge ahead. I am confident and grateful for the entire staff as they work tirelessly to provide the best possible experience for our kids. I will do my best to keep you all informed moving forward. Thanks again for your support and Happy New Year. Go Knights!
Sincerely,
Mr. Shannon Cheek
Superintendent