Greetings to the NSD2 and RB Communities,
As we start another week, I am excited to have all our students back in the halls and classrooms of our schools this fall. Although Covid-19 is still a very real part of our everyday lives, our students are once again enjoying many of the wonderful fall traditions that mark the start of a new school year.
As the new school year continues to progress forward, I want to provide an update on some important items happening in our Districts. I have received many calls and emails from parents with questions about Covid-19 mitigations, quarantine rules, and how we report that data each week.
We currently are following the mitigation strategies required by the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH). These include most of the mitigations the Districts had in place at the end of the last school year.
In addition, on August 04, 2021, Governor Pritzker issued an Executive Order requiring all students and staff to wear a mask while inside a school. To give students a break from wearing masks all day, we provide time for students during lunch and PE, when outside, where they can socialize with friends and classmates without the wearing of masks.
In determining who must quarantine and for how long, the Districts are required to follow the IDPH guidelines. Our school nurses have done an outstanding job under difficult circumstances to adhere to the ever-changing requirements, while working to ensure our students in quarantine are out of school for the minimum length of time. One of our main objectives is to provide a safe and healthy school environment, while maintaining the delicate balance between science-based mitigations and the importance of keeping our students in person for their learning.
We have also made a change to improve transparency regarding how we will be reporting current Covid-19 numbers. Starting Friday, September 10, the number of weekly positive cases and quarantines will be reported for each school separately. This will allow you to see the specific student and staff numbers in each of the Districts’ schools. We hope this will better help you stay informed on this important issue. You may click on this link to go directly to the latest Covid-19 numbers.
Most recently, Governor Pritzker issued another Executive Order requiring all staff and volunteers in schools to be vaccinated or be tested at a minimum of once a week. This Executive Order is set to start the week of September 19, 2021.
Finally, I want to thank all the students, parents, and community members for the continued support of our mission to ensure each student’s academic and social needs continue to be met. We are off to a wonderful start, and I look forward to all the positive things yet to come this year.
Please do not hesitate to reach out to me or your student’s principal if you have any questions.
Best Regards,
Dr. Tom Lind, Superintendent