Huntley 158 families,
We’ve completed our first full week of remote learning, and I am encouraged by the growth we continue to see in both our students and staff members as we all learn in this new instructional environment.
It also was great to welcome small groups of students back into our buildings at the Early Childhood and 6th Grade levels for Welcome Week activities. Not only did these students benefit from connecting in-person with their teachers, but our entire staff was bolstered by these positive developments.
In addition, we are gaining valuable insights from these experiences as we continue to develop potential opportunities for expanded in-person learning.
If you have not yet, please fill out the Opt-in for Potential Small Group Opportunities form by Wednesday, September 2. This opt-in is to indicate whether you would like your student to participate in small-group opportunities, should they become available.
We’ve received a lot of feedback over the past week, much of it good, and some pointing out areas for improvement. We appreciate all of it. We thank you for your engagement and partnership in helping us improve throughout this time. Please also be on the lookout for more formal opportunities to share your feedback in the near future.
Please see the brief updates below:
Opt-in For Potential Small Group Opportunities
As communicated in our update last week and above, we are working to identify opportunities for small groups of students to participate in limited in-person experiences in our buildings. If you have not yet, please fill out the form to indicate whether you would like your student to participate in small-group opportunities, should they become available.
Food Services Survey
If you are using or plan to use the District’s Food Services pickup line during the Remote Learning period, please indicate your preferences below to help us best meet your needs. Meal service is available to all families. Free and reduced-price meal service is available to eligible families, and meals are available for purchase at the regular price by all families. A limited curbside menu is being offered.
Click here to complete the Food Services survey
Virtual Calming Room and SEL Hub
I encourage everyone to stop by our Virtual Calming Room and SEL Hub to explore resources to benefit your mental and social-emotional wellbeing. From yoga for kids to crisis hotlines and everyday social-emotional learning activities, our staff has compiled a deep and diverse set of beneficial resources. Find it any time at www.district158.org/calm-room.
Propane Buses and Solar Energy
Another positive note to end the week: As we enter a new landscape of remote learning, we are also entering a new era in how we power our operations and transportation.
Our new propane buses are hitting the road for the first time as we begin to welcome small groups of students into our buildings, and when students arrive, they’re entering environments powered in large part by solar energy.
Propane buses traditionally have lower emissions, fuel and operational costs than diesel buses. In addition, in recent days, we have been “flipping the switches” on our solar energy installations at each of our three campuses. On an annual basis, we anticipate that solar will account for 80+% of our energy usage.
These efforts are part of our ongoing commitment to reducing our environmental impact and increasing our financial efficiency.
Thank you, and we’ll see you next week!
Sincerely,
Scott Rowe, Ed.D.
Superintendent
