Good Friday from the Hilltop!
We had a great start to registration with just fewer than 200 students (out of 525) have being registered on our first night. Registration is being conducted differently this year as we have offered a one stop registration for grade school and high school students in the grade school gym. Registration continues tonight 3-8PM and tomorrow (Saturday) 9AM-1PM at the same location.
During registration, the district is recording important information which is needed to start the school year, such as remote or blended instruction and students eating lunch. This information will allow staff to make more detailed plans for the start of this unique school year! Families are encouraged to register during the next two days if they haven’t already done so. Families are also reminded not to bring your children to registration so we can reduce the number of bodies in the facilities and keep everyone safe.
The Illinois Department of Public Health also released COVID-19 Exclusion Guidance which provides a decision tree for public schools on when staff and students must isolate, quarantine and return to school. This document is being distributed today as well. Families are reminded to keep your students at home from school if they exhibit any of the following symptoms: fever, cough, shortness of breath/difficulty breathing, chills, repeated shaking with chills, muscle pain, sore throat or loss of taste or smell.
Further guidance has been handed down from the CDC which states that neck gaiters and bandanas are subpar face coverings, but were still be permitted.
As we have stated before, it is our number one goal to have students present and in the classroom as we know this is their best way to learn. If we are to maintain in-person learning we need the help to abide by all expectations; social distancing, wearing masks, washing hands and coming to school symptom-free. We realize that these changes in your student’s instruction create hardships on families. Please know that Mount Pulaski Schools believe in student-centered decision making as our top priority.
Please feel free to contact the schools with questions. Thank you for all of your support and cooperation!
Fred Lamkey, Mount Pulaski Superintendent