2022-23 School Year - District Updates

• Download D140's 2022-23 Response Plan - COVID-19 by clicking here.
   

We take a variety of actions every day to prevent the spread of infectious diseases, including the virus that causes COVID-19. The following operational strategies will be in place throughout the 2022-23 school year.

• Staying Up to Date on Vaccinations
  Staying up to date on routine vaccinations is essential to prevent illness from many different infections. COVID-19 vaccinations help protect eligible people from getting severely ill with COVID-19. For COVID-19, staying up to date with COVID-19 vaccinations is the leading public health strategy to prevent severe disease. Not only does it provide individual-level protection, but high vaccination coverage reduces the burden of COVID-19 on people, schools, healthcare systems, and communities. Please click the attached links for additional information regarding COVID-19 vaccines and other recommended vaccines.
   
• Staying Home When Sick
  People who have symptoms of respiratory or gastrointestinal infections, such as cough, fever, sore throat, vomiting, or diarrhea, should stay home. Testing is recommended for people with symptoms of COVID-19 as soon as possible after symptoms begin. Staying home when sick can lower the risk of spreading infectious diseases, including COVID-19, to other people. Students can make up all work missed during an absence due to illness. Due dates for classwork, quizzes, tests, projects, and papers will be reasonable and discussed between teachers and students. Students should access missed work through Seesaw/Google Classroom or by emailing their  teacher(s). Any necessary textbooks or workbooks can be picked up in the school office. Parents of special education students will be contacted by their students’ case manager to discuss services during their absence.
   
• Ventilation
  D140 will optimize ventilation and maintain improvements to indoor air quality to reduce the risk of germs and contaminants spreading through the air. All classrooms, offices, and common spaces are equipped with air purifiers and have increased air ventilation that recirculates fresh air.
   
• Hand Hygiene and Respiratory Etiquette
  Washing hands can prevent the spread of infectious diseases. D140 schools will teach and reinforce proper handwashing and covering coughs/sneezes to lower the risk of spreading viruses, including the virus that causes COVID-19. Hand sanitizer and disinfecting wipes will be available throughout D140 buildings, including hallways, lunchrooms, and classrooms.
   
• Cleaning
  D140 will continue to use enhanced cleaning protocols including the use of hospital-grade, EPA-registered disinfectants for all classroom and work surfaces. Cleaning of high-touch surfaces will occur after hours. Electrostatic cleaning will be used in areas where a COVID-19-positive individual was located or upon request from building administration for precautionary measures.

The provisions outlined below are rooted in maintaining uninterrupted school functions and limiting the impact COVID-19 has on individual health.

• Mask Protocol
  Masks are optional in D140 schools and on D140 transportation. Students, staff, and visitors to our buildings and on our buses are not required to wear masks unless subject to Illinois Department of Health (IDPH) quarantine/isolation protocols. Please note, school nurse offices are considered healthcare settings, and masks are required in the nurses’ offices at all times. If needed, masks will be provided to individuals visiting the nurse’s office.
   
• Testing and Quarantine/Isolation Guidelines
  • Symptoms of COVID-19, include fever, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, chills, fatigue, muscle and body aches, headache, sore throat, new loss of taste or smell, vomiting, or diarrhea. Fever is considered 100.4 degrees. Vaccinated or unvaccinated individuals with symptoms may not enter school buildings.
  • D140 will not be conducting close contact tracing. We will also no longer record numbers on the website due to inaccuracies in this data if we attempted to do so.
  • D140 will ask all individuals to follow IDPH/CCDPH guidelines as outlined by the IDPH Decision - Making Tree. Please see the summary below.
    • If an individual tests positive for COVID-19, they are required to isolate for 5 days, returning to school after day 5 with improving symptoms and being fever-free for 24 hours without fever-reducing medication. Students returning on Day 6 or after, would be required to mask for an additional 5 days.
      • Students who turn in two negative COVID-19 tests (home, antigen or PCR) taken 48 hours apart, after day 5, can return without a mask.
      • Students who have mask exemption forms or cannot consistently wear a well-fitted mask correctly can return after 10 days.
    • If an individual is symptomatic with a negative COVID-19 test (home, antigen or PCR), they should isolate for 24 hours and would be eligible to return after 24 hours, improving symptoms, and being fever-free for 24 hours without fever-reducing medication.
    • If an individual is symptomatic with no COVID-19 test, they should isolate for 5 days, returning to school after day 5 with improving symptoms and being fever-free for 24 hours without fever-reducing medication. Students returning on Day 6 or after, would be required to mask for an additional 5 days.
  • Outbreak testing - Three confirmed cases of COVID-19 occurring within 14 calendar days of each other in the same classroom would meet the case definition for an outbreak. If more than 10% of the school population, or another large group, (such as band or sports teams), are COVID-19 positive, it is considered an outbreak. This would prompt an investigation by the Cook County Department of Public Health that may result in recommendations for testing and quarantining all students/staff in the affected classroom/group.
    • If there are three in a classroom that are not epidemiologically linked (we know who they were exposed to outside of our system), we would contact CCDPH to determine the course of action.
  • If you have any questions regarding quarantine/isolation protocols, please call your school nurse.
    • Bannes: 708-532-6466
    • Fernway: 708-349-3810
    • Keller: 708-532-2144
    • McAuliffe: 708-429-4565
    • Millennium: 708-532-3150
    • Grissom: 708-429-3030
    • Prairie View: 708-532-8540
       
• Clubs / Activities / Sports
  • We are returning to normally scheduled clubs and activities, group work in classrooms and lab settings, in-person activities, and assemblies.
  • D140 will follow all Southwest Interscholastic Conference (SWIC) organizational expectations for performance and/or competition standards.
  • Spectators will be required to adhere to safety mitigation measures if they apply to the event per SWIC guidelines.
     
• Hallways / Classrooms / Lunchrooms
  • Student seating will return to resemble classrooms prior to the pandemic. Students may wear masks during class based on personal preference or comfort.
  • Students will be eating together in lunchrooms and classrooms.
  • Water fountains and water bottle filling stations are turned on and available for students and staff use.
  • Middle school students will use their assigned lockers to store their backpacks and belongings.
     
• Field Trips
  • Students must comply with the policies and mitigations required by field trip locations. If students cannot or choose not to comply, they will be provided with an alternative assignment or opportunity.

Communication between the District, families, and staff is vital. District 140 will continue to provide updates and important communications throughout the school year by phone, text, email, and/or the D140
website.

Please log in to your Infinite Campus Parent Portal and review your phone, email, and text messaging contact information.

If you need assistance with this process or have any questions regarding the information provided in this communication, please contact your school office.

• Bannes: 708-532-6466
• Fernway: 708-349-3810
• Keller: 708-532-2144
• McAuliffe: 708-429-4565
• Millennium: 708-532-3150
• Grissom: 708-429-3030
• Prairie View: 708-532-8540

Our shared ability to be flexible and adjust when needed is important. We will continue to update students, staff, and parents throughout the school year.