Parents

Nov. 19, 2020

Dear Parents/Guardians of Freshman Students,
 
The course selection process for the 21-22 school year will begin soon for our freshman students. Over the next several weeks, your child will have an individual meeting with their school counselor to discuss goals and interests and select courses that align with those goals and interests. These appointments are scheduled for students during Advisory or non-academic time between November 30 and December 11. Counselors will share a specific appointment time with each student and an invitation with a zoom link will be sent to each student’s email address.
 
Once your child has met with their counselor for the course selection appointment, the course selections will be visible in Infinite Campus. Students are able to make changes to their course selections for the next several months, if needed, by contacting their counselor. On February 1, after students in all grades have had their course selection appointments, a Course Verification Sheet will be emailed home. This will provide both you and your child with a final opportunity to review course selections and make any adjustments through February 8.

Our school counselors value the important role that parents play in the course selection process. Please have a discussion with your child about their course choices for the 2021-22 school year. For your reference, the SHS Coursebook, which provides a comprehensive listing of our course offerings, was mailed home to each student in mid-October and is also located on the Stevenson website in the Academics section. Should you have questions or concerns about your child's course choices or the course selection process in general, I encourage you to contact your child's counselor.

Kind regards,

Sarah Bowen
Director of Student Services

While we have committed to our Remote Learning+ model for the remainder of the semester, we continue to spend a considerable amount of time developing various frameworks for potential in-person teaching and learning during the second semester.

Parents, guardians and students were invited to attend a webinar to hear an update on this work.

Click here to view the webinar

Click here to view webinar FAQs

October 25, 2020

At Stevenson High School, we believe that Success for Every Student requires a holistic approach to supporting the social-emotional wellness and academic growth of our students. This is of particular importance as students experience a myriad of emotions as they navigate the challenges of remote learning in the midst of a pandemic. We wanted to take this opportunity to remind our parents, guardians, and students of the resources and supports that are available here at Stevenson to address the academic and social-emotional health needs of our students.

Supports Offered Through Our Student Services Division

Student Support Teams (SSTs)
Every student at SHS has a Student Support Team (SST) composed of a school counselor, social worker, psychologist, and dean. This multidisciplinary team meets on a weekly basis to discuss student concerns and develop plans to address the needs of their students. Should you have questions or concerns regarding your child, please reach out to a member of their SST. It is often helpful to begin by contacting your child’s counselor, who will be able to connect you to other SST members and resources throughout the school as needed. Members of a student’s SST are located in the student’s Infinite Campus portal.

Students have a number of options to connect with their SST members during remote learning. More information may be found on our website under Student Support Teams. Students may:
1. Schedule an individual Zoom appointment online using Calendly.
2. “Drop by” during weekly Zoom office hours to ask a quick question or say hello (Please note that this option is for students only.)
3. Send an email or leave a voicemail.

Weekly Support Groups
Our counselors, social workers, and psychologists facilitate several weekly support groups via Zoom to provide students the opportunity to connect with and learn from students who may share similar experiences. One of the groups we have added for this school year is Coping In the Age of Covid, which specifically focuses on processing the uncertainties and frustrations of life during a pandemic. If you would like more information regarding this or any support group, please contact a member of your child’s SST.

Destress Nest
To provide all students with a variety of healthy coping strategies and opportunities to enjoy a diversion from their classes, the Student Services Division has also developed a DeStress Nest, which may be accessed via the Student Services Division Instagram page. This space provides students with weekly wellness tips on Time-Out Tuesdays. It also shares information about school-wide mental health wellness activities. If you have additional questions after speaking with your student’s SST members, please feel free to contact Sarah Bowen, Director of Student Services.

Supports Offered Through Our Student Learning Programs Division

Every student experiences moments where they need a little extra help to master the expected learning in their classes. The first step for any student who is experiencing difficulty should be to contact the teacher. Each teacher should be able to provide additional support and advice that specifically targets an individual student’s needs. However, we also know that some students might need some extra time and support with their class work.

Tutoring Programs
At Stevenson, we offer our students an academic tutoring program to provide additional supports in their learning. Our tutoring program is staffed by certified teachers in most curricular areas. Students can find an introductory video and the hours for academic tutoring and make appointments on our website. In addition to our adult tutors, we have over 200 peer tutors who can also provide academic support for our students.

Guided Study
We know that sometimes, students might need additional supports beyond our academic tutoring programs. Guided Study may be added to a student's schedule during one of the periods of the school day. Guided Study provides students with the opportunity to work on class assignments with a tutor who is able to provide academic support and assist students with organizing and prioritizing their work. Guided Study typically is scheduled in place of a students study hall. We have a variety of Guided Study options for students, including Guided Study, Guided Study Math, Guided Study After School and Guided Study Lunch. If you are concerned about your student’s progress in keeping up with their work, managing Remote Learning + and / or setting priorities, please reach out to your student’s teacher(s) and counselor. They can review your student’s progress and engage in a conversation with you to decide if a Guided Study option might be right for your student.

If you have additional questions after speaking with your student’s teacher(s) and counselor, please feel free to contact Dr. Marla Israel, Director of Student Learning Programs.

Student Check-In Days with our Teachers

On Oct. 28, Nov. 11, and Dec. 2, teachers will be conducting Check-In Days with their students. This time will provide an in-school-day opportunity for teachers to conference with students about their current progress, identify areas of growth, offer opportunities for students to demonstrate learning, and make sure students are aware of supports available to help them.

All classes on Wednesday, Oct. 28, will be asynchronous, which means our teachers will provide assignments and activities for students to complete independently.

Please know that our top priority is to ensure that students have a quality learning experience and are offered comprehensive support. The faculty and staff of Stevenson High School are here to support you and are responsive to your needs. We would ask you to remember that our teachers and SSTs are your first contact to connect for support. We are all here to provide your students with the engaging curriculum that Stevenson is known for, while providing patience, flexibility and grace during these very difficult times in our country, the State of Illinois and our Stevenson community.

As a reminder, we will be hosting a SHS Parent and Student Webinar on Monday, Nov. 9 at 7:00 p.m. We will discuss the current state of COVID-19 in our communities and potential schedules for our return to in-person learning in the second semester.

Please feel free to contact the three of us for any questions you might have. Please take care of yourselves and each other. We are all in this together.

Sincerely,
Sarah Bowen
Director of Student Services

Dr. Marla Israel
Director of Student Learning Programs

Troy Gobble
Principal

Dear Parents/Guardians of Sophomore Students:

While it may seem as though the current school year just started, it is already time for our students to begin making their course choices for the 2021-22 school year!  

On Monday (10/26), all sophomores will attend a required webinar with our counselors to learn more information about selecting their courses for junior year.  Counselors will discuss the graduation requirements which must be taken during junior year and share information regarding new course offerings.  Students will also learn how to enter their course choices into Infinite Campus to prepare for their individual course selection appointment with their counselor.  Sophomores will attend this zoom webinar during their early bird PE, PE, Health, Driver Education, Dance, or Band class.  The link for this meeting will be shared with students by their teacher for this course as well as on their grade-level Canvas page.

Over the next several weeks, your child will also have an individual meeting with their school counselor to discuss their course selections.  These appointments will be held via zoom and will be scheduled for students during their English class.  Zoom links for course selection appointments will be shared with students by their English teachers and also posted to their Canvas pages.  To determine your child's appointment date, please find their English teacher in the chart below.                 

If your English teacher’s last name is:	Course Selection date (during English class) is:
Aguirre and Forde	Friday, October 30
Anker and Koulouris	Monday, November 2
De Leon and Baron	Wednesday, November 4
Lukens and Kim	Friday, November 6
Johnston and Patton	Monday, November 9
Galvan Alba	Tuesday, November 10
Tompson	Wednesday, November 11
Cullen and Flanagan	Thursday, November 12
Williams and Smith	Friday, November 13
Sorkin, Demarakis, Pike de Oliveira, and O’Reilly	Monday, November 16
Mack	Wednesday, November 18

Once your child has met with their counselor for the course selection appointment, the course selections will be visible in Infinite Campus.  Students are able to make changes to their course selections through the beginning of February, if needed, by contacting their counselor.  

Our school counselors value the important role that parents play in the course selection process.  Please have a discussion with your child about their course choices for the 2021-22 school year.  Please refer to the SHS Coursebook, which was recently mailed home and is also available on our website, for a comprehensive listing of our course offerings. Should you have questions or concerns about your child's course choices or the course selection process in general, please contact your child's counselor.

Kind regards,
Sarah Bowen
Director of Student Services

Oct. 21, 2020

Dear Parents, Guardians, and Students,

As we announced earlier this week, due to a concerning increase in COVID-19 cases in our community, we will implement an Adaptive Pause on our current version of in-person learning and resume these activities once we record seven consecutive 7-day rolling averages of new cases below 100 per 100,000 people. You can monitor this data, which is updated daily, on our website. 

While our Remote Learning + model will stay in place until the end of the semester, we continue to spend a considerable amount of time developing various frameworks for returning to in-person teaching and learning during the second semester. We would like to update you on this work in a SHS Parent and Student Webinar on Monday, Nov. 9 at 7:00 p.m., at which time we will also discuss the current state of COVID-19 in our communities and our plan to survey students on scheduling priorities and potential schedules for second semester.

We are hopeful and looking forward to welcoming our students back to campus, as soon as it is safe to do so. Yesterday, the Lake County Department of Health announced that Lake County has reached substantial community transmission of COVID-19 and issued a recommendation that all public and private K-12 schools in Lake County transition to virtual learning. We will continue to work with the LCDH to thoroughly understand the changing impact of the virus on our communities and take an informed approach with our learning model.

Until then, please be safe and remember the 3 W’s — wear your masks, watch your distance and wash your hands — for reducing the spread of COVID-19 in our communities. We’re all in this together.

Sincerely,

Eric Twadell, PhD
Superintendent

Troy Gobble
Principal

Dear Parents, Guardians and Students,

We hope this note finds you well and healthy. As you may have seen in the news, we are in the midst of a significant increase of COVID-19 cases across the country, in the State of Illinois, in Lake County and in our local Stevenson community. The fall and winter “surge” that has been predicted by public health officials and epidemiologists is upon us. Our local public health officials have told us that based on current data they expect COVID-19 transmission rates in the coming days and weeks to reach and potentially surpass the transmission rates we experienced in the spring.

As you would expect, we communicate regularly with officials from the Lake County Health Department (LCHD). At their recommendation, we closely monitor COVID-19 incidence rates for our District 125 communities and Lake County. This regional and local data helps us to understand where the virus is spreading and the potential impact of its transmission in our communities and on our Stevenson campus.

The data informs our decision-making on appropriate mitigation strategies and the potential for safely engaging in on-campus activities. A key metric we are tracking is the 7-day rolling average of 100 new cases per 100,000 people, which the LCHD and Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) have identified as the threshold for the state of “substantial community transmission.” When a community reaches this stage of a pandemic, significant mitigation strategies must be put in place to reduce the spread of the disease. The following chart includes data for our communities for the month of October:

If you are interested, you can review Lake County data on the LCDH website.

 As is evident, our local D125 communities and Lake County are experiencing substantial community transmission as new cases now exceed the threshold of 100 new cases per 100,000 people. In fact, transmission rates in our own D125 communities have doubled since Oct. 1. Based on this alarming upward trend, the Lake County Department of Health has strongly recommended that schools in Lake County cease in-person instruction and transition to a virtual learning model by Tuesday, Oct. 20th.

As a result, we will be implementing the LCDH and IDPH recommendation of an “Adaptive Pause” to reduce virus transmission in Lake County and our D125 communities. An “Adaptive Pause” is defined by the IDPH as “a strategy that allows for movement into virtual learning to prevent disease transmission during a pandemic.” We will be pausing our current version of hybrid in-person learning, including our lab-based and experiential classes that have been meeting on campus (special education, driver’s education, science labs, engineering classes, fine arts, etc.), and the Patriot Pods program.

The current surge in new cases has been predicted for months by public health experts and epidemiologists. This is why in August our faculty and staff worked tirelessly to build and implement an entirely new curriculum, instruction and assessment model for virtual learning so that we would be prepared for when COVID-19 cases surged in the fall and winter months. We do not want to create and implement a model in which students are shifting back and forth between virtual, hybrid and in-person learning based on the viral transmission rates.

As we plan for the return of on-campus instructional activities, we will continue to track and monitor the metrics and data. Before we can resume our on-campus, in-person instructional activities, the LCHD and IDPH strongly recommend that we record seven consecutive 7-day rolling averages of new cases below 100 per 100,000 people in the metrics we are tracking. If you are interested in tracking and monitoring this data as well, you can do so on our website (beginning Wednesday, Oct. 21st).

We continue to believe that the most responsible approach in navigating through the pandemic is to work with our public health officials who are making evidence-based decisions and recommendations that are in the best interests of the health of our regional and local communities. We will also continue to seek guidance from and collaborate with our public health officials to ensure that we are doing our part to promote health and safety measures and reduce COVID-19 transmission in our communities.

As parents of students in elementary school, middle school, high school, and college, all of whom have been in a “remote learning model” for the past six months, we know and understand how hard this experience has been for many students, parents and families. Please know that our administrative team, faculty and staff members are working extremely hard everyday to ensure that we are providing the very best teaching and learning experiences, given the difficult times in which we are living. At the same time, we are fully committed to bringing students back to campus for in-person teaching and learning experiences as soon as possible, but only when it is safe to do so.

Please do not hesitate to reach out to either one of us with any questions, comments and / or concerns that you might have. In the meantime, thank you for your patience, flexibility and grace as we navigate these challenging times.

Sincerely,

Dr. Eric Twadell
Superintendent

Troy Gobble
Principal

October 9, 2020

Dear Students, Parents and Guardians,

We know how incredibly difficult the past six months have been, and we thank you for your patience and understanding as we work diligently to provide our students with the very best teaching and learning experience possible, given the circumstances. Our apologies in advance for the length of this correspondence; however, we want to be as thorough as possible in our communication.

Where are we currently?
In our July 21 webinar and letter to students, parents and guardians, we explained our very difficult decision to implement a Remote Learning + model for the first semester of the 2020 - 2021 school year. At the same time, we indicated we would work to bring smaller groups of students and adults back to campus if we were able to do so.

As you may recall, we are working with a number of significant limitations and requirements imposed by the State of Illinois, the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) and the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH). Most notably, as a school we are required to:

● Maintain at least 6 feet of social distancing between students, faculty and staff while on campus
● Prohibit any gathering of more than 50 people in any room at one time
● Have all persons at school wear masks at all times
● Have all students, faculty and staff complete daily symptom screening and temperature taking before entering the school building

While we must satisfy many other requirements, these are the four that make bringing back a school of 4,300 students and 700 adults extremely difficult. Additionally, it is important to note that there has been no indication from the ISBE, the IDPH or the Governor’s office whether these requirements will apply for the entire 2020 - 2021 school year. In other words, it appears to us that anything that resembles a “normal” school experience is highly unlikely to happen this current school year.

As defined by the ISBE, our Remote Learning + model is technically considered a “hybrid model” of instruction as we already have some students on campus experiencing in-person learning as well as participating in clubs, activities, athletics and standardized testing. Students are also currently on campus in some of our Special Education programs, and we have students on campus who need extra time and support in their learning.

We also understand that some students are struggling with mental health issues and the social isolation of remote learning. We are committed to providing students with on-campus, in-person experiences that meet our many safety requirements as well as the academic and social-emotional needs of our students. Here is how we plan to do that.

How can we provide students with choice and on-campus experiences?
Over the last few weeks, we have had more than 2,000 of our students on campus for either academic or co-curricular experiences. We have learned quite a bit about how to structure safe interactions, and we are now preparing to invite more students back to campus in careful, targeted and purposeful ways for classroom-based experiences very soon. We have also learned from three area high schools that have returned to campus with a full “hybrid” model. Administrators at these schools have told us about the significant problems they are experiencing. In fact, a nearby school that implemented the full hybrid model made the decision to close after just four days.

Therefore, the steps we will take at Stevenson will include:

1. Rather than implementing the same hybrid model adopted by other schools, we will innovate and offer an optional on-campus opportunity that will allow students to come to campus, participate in Zoom classrooms, and socialize with friends through our new Patriot Pods program.

In Patriot Pods, we will provide students who sign up with a safe and supervised classroom space to work each day. Each classroom space will be configured to support social distancing for approximately 8 students (who will be required to wear masks). Students will Zoom into their scheduled classes each period wearing headphones, since they will likely participate in different classes. For instance, one student in the room might be Zooming into their US History class, while another student is Zooming into English class. Groups of students may sign up for Patriot Pods identifying other students with whom they would like to work. While coming to school in the Patriot Pods program will still be limited to two days a week, Patriot Pods will allow students to be on campus more than if we adopt the same full hybrid model adopted by other schools (as is explained below).

We believe the Patriot Pods program will provide students with a choice to come to campus, interact with other students, while at the same time allowing our Remote Learning + model to stay consistent for all learners. More complete information about the Patriot Pod program will be provided in the coming days.

2. Over the next few weeks we will also be implementing a pilot program and invite some students back to campus for targeted and purposeful learning experiences that cannot be facilitated in our Remote Learning + model. We are currently planning for limited experiences in our Science, Physical Welfare, Computer Science and Engineering, and Fine Arts Divisions. Students and families will be able to choose if they want to participate in these activities in-person or remotely. While this pilot program would not follow a full class schedule, we are excited to offer on-campus learning opportunities to students who are interested. Students will be hearing from their teachers if / when they will have in-person learning experiences.

3. We also understand that some students are struggling to keep up with their learning in a remote learning environment, and we are confident that we can provide assistance through our specialized Student Learning Programs. We are continuing to identify students who are in need of academic interventions and support and will be inviting them to campus for in-person academic interventions. Please let us know if your student needs this support and we have not otherwise contacted you.

We believe these three initiatives are a significant step forward in providing the sense of on-campus connection and community that many of our students desire without compromising our high-quality instruction.

Why aren’t we implementing a full “hybrid” model?
While we are confident that our three initiatives are the best way forward, we want to address the most common question we have received: Why can’t we return to in-person instruction in a full hybrid model now?

In answering this question, it is very important to keep in mind that all schools are different in terms of enrollment, physical building, size of classrooms and numbers of large spaces for lunch and study halls, so what might work at another school may not work here.

It is also important to note that simply because some schools are starting to implement a full hybrid model, it does not mean that it is the most effective way to provide students with an on-campus experience. As leaders, we have always tried to think differently about how to provide meaningful experiences for our students, and we believe that our three initiatives will more effectively keep our students, faculty, staff and community safe; provide on-campus experiences for students; allow students to connect socially with their friends; and maintain a consistent and effective remote learning experience for students.

Here are just a few of the many reasons that we believe that the full hybrid model implemented in other school districts does not meet the academic, social and emotional needs of our students:

● When we implement a full hybrid schedule, students may only be in school 25% of the time. As noted above, one of the more understandable yet significant challenges schools face when implementing a full hybrid model is the requirement for physical distancing of 6 feet or more in all spaces. Based on our typical classroom square footage, meeting this requirement means that we will be limited to approximately 8 students per class (approximately 25% of normal capacity). The remaining 17 - 20 students will be “Zooming” from home 75% of the time. Students will be assigned to four groups (25%) based on the alphabet A-K, etc. Thus, if we were to implement the full hybrid models being implemented in other area high schools, SHS students will only be in school, in-person an average of one full day per week (four days per month, 17 days per semester).

● The most important thing to keep in mind is that when schools implement a full hybrid model, ALL teaching and learning activities are still via Zoom. In the full hybrid model described above, curriculum, instruction and assessment would still be based on a remote learning framework as it is the only way to include in-person and remote students in activities and discussions at the same time. This means that the approximately 8 students attending in-person would still receive instruction through their iPad via Zoom (with masks and headphones) so that the teacher can simultaneously instruct the other 17 - 20 students who are at home. When we describe this aspect of a full hybrid model to students, their immediate reaction is typically, “Wait, what? Why would I go to school if all I am doing is remote learning via Zoom? I would rather be at home.” We know area schools adopting a full hybrid model are also experiencing this reaction.

● We know that a full hybrid model will cut curriculum and limit teaching and learning activities more than under our Remote Learning + model. The moment we switch to a full hybrid model, teachers will be forced to teach two groups of students simultaneously. Our feedback indicates that in schools implementing a full hybrid model, instructional and learning time is significantly reduced as teachers are trying to manage two groups of students at the same time. Managerial tasks such as taking attendance, managing discipline issues, troubleshooting technology, and having students disinfect desks, chairs and equipment at the beginning and end of class take time away from instruction. We are not eager to reduce the curriculum at SHS.

● There will be no socializing or opportunities for students to “hang out” in a full hybrid model. While we understand that many of our students and parents want an in-person experience that has some sense of normalcy, any on-campus experiences for students will be far from normal, and there will be no “social experience” that is familiar to students. Safety protocols, such as social distancing and masking, will continue throughout the school year. Given the limitations on the size of student gatherings, we will also replace all student “free periods” with study halls, and lunch will be held in classrooms with 8 - 10 students in assigned seats to enable social distancing and contact tracing, if necessary. Additionally, given that our classrooms will be limited to approximately 8 students, there will only be 500 - 700 students on campus at any one time. As these students spread out across our 1.1 million square foot building, there will be no hallway chats or meet ups, no free periods, and no lunch periods with friends. Students will rarely, if ever, see their friends.

There is no doubt that, from an instructional and teaching and learning perspective, switching during the first semester to a full hybrid model is significantly worse for students than the Remote Learning + model we adopted in July.

This past summer we took a careful and thoughtful approach in our decision to move to remote learning. As we plan for slowly bringing more students back to campus we are taking a similar careful and thoughtful approach. We are all well aware that some area high schools are moving to a full hybrid model. We believe that we can do better. We believe that our Patriot Pods program and other initiatives will provide students who choose to participate with on-campus experiences that will support their academic, social and emotional needs.

As we move forward, please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions, comments or concerns. As always, we thank you for your patience, flexibility and grace during this incredibly challenging time.

Sincerely,

Eric Twadell, PhD
Superintendent

Troy Gobble
Principal

Korean

"위 메시지는 Stevenson 웹사이트(www.d125.org)의 'Communication with Families'(가족과의 소통) 섹션에 게시되어 있습니다. (오른쪽 하단에 있는) 웹 사이트의 번역 기능을 사용하여 이 문서를 다른 언어로 볼 수 있습니다."

 Chinese Simplified

“以上消息张贴在Stevenson网站（www.d125.org）的“ 与家人沟通”板块。您可使用网站的翻译功能（位于右下角）浏览本文件的其他语言版。”

Japanese

上記のメッセージは、スティーブンソン高校のウェブサイト（www.d125.org）内にある保護者向けページ（Communication with Families）に記載されています。ウェブサイト上の翻訳機能（ページ右下にあります）を利用すると、他の言語で本書の内容を表示できます。

Hindi

"ऊपर दिया गया सन्देश Stevenson (स्टीवेंसन) की वेबसाइट (www.d125.org) पर ‘Communication with Families’ (‘परिवारों के साथ बातचीत’) खंड के अंतर्गत पोस्ट किया हुआ है। आप इस डॉक्यूमेंट को किसी अन्य भाषा में पढने के लिए वेबसाइट के अनुवाद फंक्शन (जो कि नीचे दाएं कोने में दिया हुआ है) का प्रयोग कर सकते हैं।” 

Russian

Находящееся выше сообщение помещено на вебсайте школы Stevenson (www.d125.org) в разделе «Communication with Families» (связь с семьями). Вы можете воспользоваться функцией перевода этого вебсайта, расположенной в правом нижнем углу, чтобы прочитать этот документ на другом языке.

Spanish

“El mensaje anterior se encuentra también en el sitio web de Stevenson (www.d125.org) en la sección de ‘Comunicación con las Familias’. Usted puede utilizar la función de traducción del sitio web (situada en la esquina inferior derecha) para ver este documento en otro idioma”.

Tagalog

"Ang mensahe sa itaas ay nakapaskil sa Stevenson website (www.d125.org) sa ilalim ng 'Communication with Families' section.  Maaari ninyong gamitin ang translate function ng website (na matatagpuan sa ibabang kanto sa kanan) upang mabasa ang  dokumentong ito sa ibang wika."

Dear Parents/Guardians of Freshman Students,

Stevenson High School counselors are committed to building strong relationships with students and parents/guardians as these relationships contribute to the well-being of students both inside and outside of classes.  As they work with students throughout their high school careers, counselors are uniquely positioned to develop an understanding of each student’s individual strengths and needs so as to ensure that students are provided with the support necessary to foster their success.  To that end, counselors would like to invite you and your freshman student to attend a Student Counselor Parent Engagement (SCoPE) meeting.  (See the attachment to find out more about these meetings). 

How do I schedule my family’s SCoPE Meeting?

The name of your student’s counselor is listed below. Then click on the link below to find your counselor’s Calendly link to schedule your meeting.  You will be able to schedule a SCoPE meeting starting mid September through the end of October. The following link will allow you the ability to schedule a meeting via Zoom or phone conference. These meetings will take place during school hours. Please make every attempt to schedule the meeting during a time when your student will not have to miss class.  Should your family require a translator, please contact your counselor as soon as possible and no later than a week prior to the meeting.  

Kind regards,

Sarah Bowen
Director of Student Services

 

Dear Students & Parents/Guardians of the Class of 2021:

As our seniors and their families know all too well, a post-secondary education can be quite expensive!  To that end, an important part of the post-secondary exploration process for many families is the consideration of financial aid, which may be provided through a variety of sources.  The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is an application used by colleges and other post-secondary institutions to determine a student’s eligibility for need-based federal financial aid such as grants, loans, and work-study programs. 

To ensure that families receive information regarding the FAFSA and resources to assist in completing this application, the Illinois General Assembly passed Public Act 101-0180 this summer.  This legislation amended the Illinois graduation requirements for any public high school student to include one of the following steps which must be completed to earn a high school diploma:

1.  File a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).  The FAFSA is used to apply for financial aid options available through the federal government as well as some state aid options such as the Illinois Monetary Award Program (MAP) grant.  Starting October 1st, the FAFSA may be completed by US citizens, permanent residents, and some VISA holders.  Click to learn more regarding eligibility requirements to complete the FAFSA.

2. File an Alternative Application for Illinois Financial Aid.  The alternative application allows qualifying undocumented and/or transgender students who are not otherwise eligible for federal financial aid to apply for aid through the state or specific college, university, or trade school.  The alternative application should only be completed by students not eligible to submit the FAFSA.  Click to learn more regarding eligibility requirements to complete the alternative application.

3. Parents/guardians who wish to opt their child out of this graduation requirement (or whose child does not meet the eligibility criteria to file the FAFSA or alternative application) must complete the FAFSA Non-participation Form and return this form to their school counselor.

While the 20-21 FAFSA and alternative application may not be accessed by families until after October 1st, we encourage families to consider completing one of these applications shortly after this date.  Sources of financial aid are limited and completing the FAFSA by the end of November does increase the likelihood of receiving the financial aid and state-based MAP grant aid for which your family may qualify.  In the spring, we will send each family a brief survey to verify completion of one of the three options described above.

On October 1st, our post-secondary counselors, Ms. English & Mr. Miller, will partner with Mr. Jerry Cebrzynski (Associate Vice President for Financial Aid at Lake Forest College) to facilitate a remote Financial Aid presentation for families.  The presentation begins at 7:00 pm and may be accessed through zoom via this link:  https://zoom.us/j/94141589940.  On October 22nd, our post-secondary counselors will be hosting a remote FAFSA Completion Workshop by appointment.  More information about this program will be emailed to families as the date nears.

In addition, the Illinois Student Assistance Commission provides SHS with a representative who is able to meet individually with students and families to provide assistance with the FAFSA completion process.  Families may book a remote appointment with our ISAC representative, Ms. Dariane Pedines, through this link https://dari-pedines.youcanbook.me/.  

Please know that we are here to support your family with the FAFSA completion process.  Please contact your school counselor or one of our post-secondary counselors with any questions you may have.

Kind regards,

Sarah Bowen, Director of Student Services

Thank you for all of your support in kicking off our school year.  The last two weeks have been a wonderful example of how our school community can come together to support our students. 

We will be holding our first ever virtual Family Open House Night on Thursday, September 3. We fully realize that the communication and support between home and school is an important part of the successes our students experience, and Family Open House is our chance to create these connections. Open House provides parents with an opportunity to meet your student’s teachers, learn about our curriculum, and showcase many of the resources we offer to improve your Stevenson experience. 

It is our hope that this year’s Family Open House will be a chance for parents and students to attend each session.  We believe this will foster conversations about the interesting curriculum and experiences that students will have in their classes this year.

Attending Open House

This year’s Open House will be held through Zoom. We will be using the same Zoom links we use for daily classes. Attached to this email is a blank schedule for the evening.  We are asking students to cut and paste their Zoom links into the Open House Schedule Template to help quickly sign into each class. 

EXAMPLE:

The Schedule Template can be downloaded here.

For security purposes, families will need to login to Zoom using your student’s d125 Google login and password. If your student is unable to participate in Family Open House Night, parents will need their student’s login and password information to get into the Zoom meetings. Only one device will be allowed to view the Zoom meetings per student. 

We are only offering one Open House evening session this year, which means that some parents may not be able to attend if they have more than one student (or have other commitments). Teachers will be recording their presentations and will send them to any family that would like to watch. Simply send an email to your student’s teacher and they will forward all information to you.

Freshmen and Transfer Students' families will have the opportunity to meet with their counselor from 6:15 p.m. – 6:45 p.m. During this discussion you will meet your child’s counselor, learn about the role of the counselor in your student’s experience at Stevenson, and ask questions that you may have.  The zoom links for each counselor's meeting may be found on a pop up message on our d125.org homepage by 5:00 p.m., Thursday.

Family Open House Night will follow the schedule below.

Period	Time
1	7:00 - 7:10
2	7:15 - 7:25
3	7:30 - 7:40
4	7:45 - 7:55
5	8:00 - 8:10
6	8:15 - 8:25
7	8:30 - 8:40
8	8:45 - 8:55

 

During your Lunch or Free periods, please go to the Virtual Open House webpage on our website to explore various ways to connect with Stevenson High School. You will find the link on a pop up message on our d125.org homepage by 5:00 p.m., Thursday.

We are thrilled to have the opportunity to share our classroom spaces with you. We know it is critical for students to be supported by their family, their teachers and their greater school community. We will continue to work together to ensure Success for Every Student.

Sincerely, 

Troy Gobble

What do I need to do to get ready for Family Open House?

1.  Have your student fill out the Family Open House Schedule with their classes, teacher name and Zoom link.

2. You will need your student’s Stevenson email account (ends in @students.d125.org) and their password to access the Zoom links.

   1. Either have your student attend the Open House meetings with you and they can sign in,

   2. Or, students must share their login and password with their parents

   3.  If you are unable to attend, email the teachers and they will send along all information that you need.

August 3, 2020

Dear Parents and Guardians,

We hope this email finds you well and that you are staying safe and healthy.

As Stevenson High School moves into Remote Learning + for the first semester, we recognize that some of the services we typically offer on campus will be suspended while we are in a remote learning environment (busing, food service, etc.). As you may remember, the total cost of student fees per student is $380.00. We have decided to refund $200.00 of our registration fees for the 2020 - 2021 school year (the balance of $180.00 represents costs associated with student iPad’s, app’s, textbooks, etc., not reduced by remote learning). We expect to be able to begin processing refunds during the week of August 24th.

We are also in the process of refunding the parking fee for our senior students who signed up for parking in the first semester. If we are in a remote learning environment for part of the second semester, we will prorate the parking fees accordingly.

We know that life has changed considerably for all of us since March 13, and we hope that these refunds will help ease some of the financial burden that the pandemic may be causing.

We appreciate your patience, flexibility and grace during this time.

Sincerely,

Eric Twadell, PhD, Superintendent

Sean Carney, Assistant Superintendent for Business Services

July 31, 2020
Dear Parents, Guardians, and Students,

As we prepare for the 2020–21 school year we want to provide you with information and guidance for our Remote Learning + plan.

We are confident that our Remote Learning + plan will serve as a viable teaching and learning framework during the current pandemic. For now, COVID-19 has changed the way we “do school.” Although it may be new and challenging, teaching and learning is not impossible in a remote learning environment, and we are confident that our faculty and staff will rise to this unprecedented challenge.

We have developed a Remote Learning + Plan that can be accessed here:
Remote Learning + Plan.

This document will be updated periodically to reflect important information related to how we will be “doing school” while in a remote learning environment. Please save and / or “bookmark” this document as it will be updated periodically to reflect changes throughout the first semester: This information will also be available on the parents section of our website.

In addition, we have created a Quick Info for Remote Learning + document that can be found here:
Quick Info for Remote Learning +.

The Quick Info tool was developed to answer some of the frequently asked questions that we have received.

We know firsthand how disruptive the current pandemic has been to our individual and collective lives. Please know that we will continue to do everything that we can to keep our students safe and healthy, support their social and emotional needs, and implement a rigorous teaching and learning environment.

As always, we are monitoring the COVID-19 situation and will continue to provide updated information via the Remote Learning + Plan document. If you have questions about the SHS Remote Learning + plan,  please reach out to any of us.

We continue to update our website with important information including the video of our community webinar and remote learning information and resources on the reopening section of our website.

Thank you for your patience and understanding as we are navigating these challenging times.

Sincerely,

Troy Gobble
Principal
tgobble@d125.org

Tony Reibel
Assistant Principal
areibel@d125.org

Sarah Bowen
Director of Student Services
sbowen@d125.org

July 30, 2020

Dear Parents, Guardians and Students,

At Stevenson High School, we are committed and determined to take bold action to support students that have been historically marginalized, muted, and mistreated; it is without equivocation that we must enhance our efforts to live by an anti-racist promise detailed in the Stevenson Vision and Values statement: Equity, Access and Inclusivity. Specifically, 

In order to ensure “Success for Every Student,” we will recognize every student as a valued individual. Students will learn in a safe, inclusive space, where they are taught to understand the value of their own experiences in relation to other, diverse perspectives. We will be relentless in removing barriers to full equity, access, and inclusivity in our curricular and co-curricular programming.

We are very proud of the way our students have recently come together to support the national Black Lives Matter movement. Their actions exemplify our Portrait of a Patriot who: celebrates, honors, and respects diverse people and perspectives; and develops a sense of empathy for those around them. Stevenson’s faculty, staff and administration join our students in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. Racism will not be tolerated and will be confronted at Stevenson High School.  We will work relentlessly to ensure that our school is a safe and inclusive environment for all students, families, faculty and staff. 

During these last few weeks we have heard from many of our students, parents and alumni who shared their thoughts on how to improve the Stevenson school experience for our students of color.  Some consistent themes emerged from these conversations, which can serve as starting points for systemic changes:  

1. Students of color want an effective way to communicate their feelings and experiences to the faculty, staff and administration.

2. It can be intimidating for our students of color to come forward and report to school officials when they experience discriminatory behavior or racial bias and harassment.

3. Parents and students want all of us to learn applicable life skills to support students of color and address negative interactions around race.

4. Students expressed a need to more fully represent the voices and stories of people of color and marginalized communities within our curriculum. 

While we continue to reflect on our school culture, procedures, and policies, we are grateful for the commitment of our community to engage in discussions about equity, race, diversity, and inclusion as these conversations affect changes within and outside the walls of Stevenson. 

What will be new for next year?

A new system to ensure that students of color can share their experiences to adults and other students in the building.  

Our students of color have made it clear they would like to establish a better system to have their voices heard by faculty, staff and administrators at Stevenson High School. Students want to be able to tell their stories and relate the challenges they find in navigating Stevenson. 

The Diversity Council will be expanding its role this year to create and facilitate conversations between student groups and adults in the building. Our goal is to build safe spaces that allow students to tell their stories to faculty, staff and administrators. To support these conversations, the Diversity Council will bring together students in both affinity and diverse groups.  These student conversations will foster collaboration between students and adults to ensure Stevenson will continue to grow and serve every single student.  Diversity Council will also partner with our clubs that represent different world cultures and affinity groups to create meaningful connections and conversations around the student experience at Stevenson.  

The Diversity Council will also create heterogeneous student groups to help foster broader discussions about race, diversity and inclusion. Diversity Council will partner with our current student groups, F.I.R.E., Peer Helpers and the newly formed Stevenson Clubs for Change, to establish opportunities for student-led courageous conversations, student professional development and student-administrator forums providing student input around equity and inclusion into the daily culture of Stevenson. 

A new protocol for reporting incidents of race-based offensive behavior.

In our conversations, students and parents have indicated that it can be intimidating and stressful to report incidents of racial bias or discriminiation to school faculty, staff and administrators. In an effort to remove any barriers from this process and ensure students feel safe in coming forward, we have redesigned the process for reporting and investigating incidents of racial bias, discrimination and hate speech.

When a student or parent wants to report racially motivated harassment or hate speech, they will be able to do so in one of two ways: they can speak directly to any adult they trust in the building or they can use our new online reporting system. The online reporting system will be available on our website and will be reviewed with freshmen during social worker visits to Advisory.  We will post QR codes around the building on our safety posters to allow students easy access from their iPad. Students will also be able create these reports anonymously if they prefer.

Once a student or family makes a report of racial discrimination, the student’s social worker will: 

1. Reach out, connect and listen to the student--first and foremost to provide care and support for the well-being of the student and family who has come forward; 

2. Report expressed concerns to the relevant school officials to ensure the offensive behavior is confronted and stops immediately; and

3. Continue to support the student and family by developing a plan of support for the student and appropriate ways to follow up with the student and family, over the weeks following the incident to confirm the offending behavior has stopped and to ensure the well-being of the student. 

Once a report has been made, school officials will investigate, meet with the offender and determine the appropriate consequences.  We believe discipline should not only include behavioral consequences and loss of privileges, but also a learning experience for a student. To that end, we have developed a set of lessons around issues of race and discrimination that students will be required to complete as one part of any discipline consequence related to racial discrimination.

A new tool for confronting race-based offensive behavior.

While we missed out on many opportunities in the spring because of the pandemic, we were especially saddened that we needed to cancel our  “Race, Equity and Diversity Day” for our Freshman students. Over 75 faculty and staff members developed a powerful educational experience for our students, one in which they could hear stories from around the building, but more importantly give students the tools they could use when confronted with offensive or insensitive comments or actions.  Using the Social Justice Standards as a framework for learning, we created a series of learning opportunities for our freshman students through the daily Freshman Advisory program, the Freshman Race, Equity and Diversity Day and beyond, around the learning targets of identity, diversity, justice and action.  

A critical takeaway from these lessons was to provide students with new and actionable skills for confronting offensive and inappropriate behaviors involving race. The planning committee identified “Speak up at School - How to Respond to Everyday Prejudice, Bias and Stereotypes” as a powerful tool for our students and teachers. This tool can be used by our students and staff so we can all speak up when we hear biased language or stereotypes in school. “Speak Up” provides students and teachers with 4 options for responding when confronted with offensive and/or biased encounters.

Interrupt: Speak up when you hear offensive language, every time you hear it. “I don’t like what you said. Your language is hurtful.”

Question: Ask the person a question to begin a discussion about their language. “Why did you say that? What did you mean?”

Educate: Explain why the term or statement is offensive. “Do you know where that word comes from? Do you know the history of that word?”

Echo: If someone else speaks up, back them up. “I agree that is offensive and unacceptable.”

The Freshman Race, Equity and Diversity lessons in the Freshman Advisory program and the Freshman Equity Day and beyond would have provided students with the opportunity to practice using the “Speak Up” protocol in various scenarios. It is our intention to present this tool to our students in the upcoming year through the Freshman Advisory Program and with their SSTs, providing students opportunities to apply these skills in scenarios in remote learning and when we eventually return to the school building. 

How do we continue to learn and educate our faculty, staff and school leaders?

In our recent conversations with students, parents and alumni, we have also recognized our failure to educate our community in the work we have already done to increase the cultural and racial responsiveness of our faculty, staff and administrators. Noted below is a short summary of the work that we have done the past few years to improve in the area of equity, race and diversity.  

We know it can be challenging to engage in conversations around race, bias and privilege.  For the past three years, our faculty, staff and administrators have engaged in professional development and training to understand themselves as racial and cultural human beings. They have also learned how to uncover and disrupt in themselves, and in others, racial assumptions and biases in their thinking and professional practice. By doing this work, and deeply investing in this personal and professional learning, it is the expectation that all faculty and staff are responsible and accountable for ensuring Stevenson is an inclusive learning environment where racial intolerance and  harassment are not tolerated.   This professional development has occurred through attending Beyond Diversity training, Stevenson adult learning cadres, division professional development, and the 2019 Consortium Institute Day. 

Equity, Race and Diversity (ERD) & Professional Learning:  Professional learning focused on equity, race, and diversity is a three year learning sequence designed for faculty, staff and administrators to understand and take action around issues of equity, race and diversity within themselves, their practice and the systems within which they live and work in order to create a more inclusive learning environment for all students at Stevenson. We have chosen the Courageous Conversations™ protocols and agreements (CCAR) as a framework for this learning.  Each learning year consists of 5 double period sessions per year.  (Total of 15 two-hour sessions over 3 years.)  The arc of this curriculum, along with learning targets that are evolving as our school community learns more, have been written and are continuously reviewed by the ERD Curriculum Advisory Committee and the ERD Steering Committee.  

Faculty Cadre One:  The focus in year one is Racial & Cultural Identity Formation:  Understanding Self as a Racial and Cultural Being. The learning focuses on understanding self and self-reflection to begin one’s racial autobiography learning to listen and lean into our colleagues’ and students' lived racial & cultural journeys.  Stevenson student outcome data is used as the foundation for the compelling “why” behind this work. The year 1 anchor text is: So You Want To Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo. 

Faculty Cadre Two:  The focus in year two is Racial & Cultural Acceptance and Application to Professional Practice: Creating Inclusive Learning Spaces through Culturally Relevant Practices. We introduce the Social Justice Standards and how these standards can be a framework for reexamining our teaching practices and curriculum. We connect the work to the SEL competency of belongingness unpacking the impact of microaggressions, implicit bias and racial harassment on student learning. The anchor texts for year 2 are: White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo and/or Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning by Cathy Park Hong. These texts challenge our faculty’s mindsets while making connections to ourselves, our work and our professional practices.

Faculty Cadre Three: The focus in year three is: Racial & Cultural Adaptation: Using the Lens of Equity, Race and Inclusion for Systems Analysis to Create an Inclusive School Climate for All Students. In each session we uncover the questions and assumptions that affect our professional practice with colleagues, students and parents.  Using Stevenson student data (academics, student voice surveys, college experiences, discipline, etc.), cadre members uncover issues of practice they want to explore. Then cadre members share their action research and collaborate with curricular team members to problem-solve and disrupt past discriminatory practices and create a more inclusive and welcoming environment for students and families.  The anchor texts for year 3 are: Despite the Best Intentions:  How Racial Inequality Thrives in Good Schools by Lewis and Diamond and/or How to be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi. 

Consortium Institute Day:  In the spring of 2019, Stevenson hosted a consortium-wide Equity, Race and Diversity professional institute day with our sender district partners from D102, D013, D96, and the Exceptional Learners Collaborative (ELC).  Over 1200 educators from across these districts came together to have an honest discussion around issues related to race and equity in our community. After a keynote address led by DeEtta Jones (Next Generation Leadership), sessions during the Institute focused on the following topics: 

• Moving from microaggressions to more inclusive language; 

• Why talking about race is so difficult; 

• Understanding bias and reducing its negative impact; and

• Creating cogenerative dialogues in the classroom - way to include the narratives of all students. 

Administrative Team Professional Development:  Over the past four years the administrative team has engaged in learning and then leading the learning within their respective divisions around topics of equity, race, diversity and inclusion. In particular the administrative team has undertaken opportunities which have focused on: using Stevenson student data to create a compelling “why” statement for our work focused on race; strategies for facilitating learning within different divisions and academic teams; preparing each division for the February 2019 consortium-wide institute day on equity, race, diversity and inclusion; and how to make actionable, responsive changes.

Equity, Race and Diversity Steering Committee: A group of parents, teachers, SST members, Board of Education members and administrators meets four times a year to listen and learn from each other around issues of equity, race and diversity. This group provides multiple perspectives in creating learning experiences for faculty and students at Stevenson.  

Division Specific Work: Supporting the ERD learning cadres, and leading up to and beyond the Consortium-Wide Institute Day, each of our curriculum divisions have dedicated time and resources to examine teaching, learning and curriculum. The goal of this work is to incorporate diverse narratives and viewpoints into the teaching fabric of Stevenson so that all students can see their learning as relevant to and for their lived experiences. Below are a few examples of this specific divisional work:

Communication Arts:

• Equity and Inclusivity have proven to be a large focus for this division as it takes  on the responsibility of normalizing diversity in the content (namely, texts) we study. The division has created a set of three learning targets around equity, race and diversity, set a division goal of seeing that a majority of major texts taught in the division feature diverse authors and stories by the end of 2021, and begun training teams on how to frame and integrate diversity-infused lessons. 

Social Studies: 

• Teachers conducted a Literature Review of the AP US History Textbook from an Asian Critical Race Theory lens and changed the text for the 20-21 school year to provide a full narrative of the contributions of Asian Americans in US history.  The Director and the AP US History Team prepared a presentation for the National Council of Social Studies on literary analysis and inquiry activities used to respond to the dearth of Asian American inclusion in many history texts. Additionally, race and diversity are explicit elements of the curriculum in History, Government/Civics, Sociology, Geography, and Constitutional Law courses.   

Who will support us in our work?

As we continue our focus and our commitment to equity, race, diversity and inclusion, we believe systemic, institutionalized change is the responsibility of every Stevenson administrator, faculty member and staff member. Moving forward with our work in these areas, we want to be more intentional in our commitments and more directed in the changes we need to make. To that end, we are excited to share that Dr. LeViis Haney will be joining our team as our new Director of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. 

Dr. Haney has over 19 years of experience in education, including 16 years as a school leader. He started his career as a classroom teacher and athletic coach at the middle and high school levels. Dr. Haney has also served as an athletic director, elementary school assistant principal and K-12 principal. He has most recently served as principal at The Joseph Sears School in Kenilworth, Illinois, and Rich Central High School in Olympia Fields, Illinois.

Dr. Haney will work alongside the Stevenson administrative team to: (1)  make important decisions related to revisions of school policy and procedures; (2) support the professional learning of faculty and staff; (3) guide insights into practices related to teaching and learning; (4) advocate for students from diverse backgrounds; (5) collaborate with administration to recruit, hire, and mentor additional faculty of color; and, (6) evaluate and advise needed changes to insure that Stevenson’s school culture promotes the values of diversity and inclusion.  Please join us in welcoming Dr. Haney to the Stevenson High School team!

How can you help?

As parents and guardians, you are essential partners in our work. Noted above are the books faculty, staff and administrators are reading in each adult learning cadre to acquire new racial and cultural knowledge, cultural awareness and racial competency skills. These books are available at your local library and in our school library. We invite you to read one or more of these selections and discuss your learning with your student and others in your neighborhood.  Likewise, we invite you to attend upcoming events Stevenson co-sponsors in partnership with the Family Action Network (F.A.N.). And always, we invite you to email or call us to engage in a critical conversation around the work we are doing to create a more inclusive environment for all students at Stevenson.  

In the last few months, our county, community, school and students have experienced illness, changes in the way we live and “do school,” and racial hurt and trauma. Due to Covid-19, we have not been able to walk down the hall and reach out and “be there for our students”. This makes our work difficult -  but not impossible. Our students look to us to teach them the skills necessary to engage in courageous conversations about race, equity and inclusion with their peers and the adults in their lives. Our students look to us to provide opportunities for meaningful discussions based on a fully told narrative of our country’s history and current events. Our students look to us, the adults at Stevenson, to lead them and our community in making Stevenson a more inclusive environment for each and everyone of them.  We are committed to anti-racist work at Stevenson High School.  

Thank you for your support as we continue the relentless pursuit of our mission of Success for Every Student.

Sincerely,

Eric Twadell, PhD
Superintendent

Troy Gobble
Principal

Sarah Bowen
Director of Student Services

Dear Parents, Guardians and Students,

This is a letter we never imagined we would have to write. 

After much deliberation and having determined that any form of in-person learning as we begin school in August will a) compromise the health and safety of our students, faculty and staff; b) fall significantly short of our high expectations for teaching and learning; and c) not provide any of the social experiences that we would want students to have, we have made the difficult decision to begin the 2020 - 2021 school year for Stevenson High School with a continuation of remote learning in an enhanced Remote Learning + model. 

What does Remote Learning + mean?:

• All students will start the school year on a remote learning schedule.
  • Families do not need to enroll in the previously announced Remote Learning Academy.
• Classes for all students will begin on Monday, August 17.
• We will facilitate a virtual Freshman Orientation the week of August 10.
• Student schedules will be available the week of August 10.
• Students will meet live online (synchronously) with their teachers and their classes every period, every school day through Canvas or Zoom.
• The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) removed restrictions on assessments and grades for students for the 2020 - 2021 school year. We will return to our “pre-March 13” standard assessment and grading practices.
• We will have a full offering of virtual small group and individual tutoring options available for students.
• If allowed by the ISBE and the Illinois High School Association (IHSA), activities and athletics will meet on campus after school.
• We will provide on-site meal service and safe work spaces on site for students in need.
• We will provide virtual student services and support for students.
• Our PediaTrust and Stevenson High School on-site medical team will provide students, faculty and staff with virtual medical appointments and in-person, on-site coronavirus testing in our SHS COVID Clinic.
• The Remote Learning + model will apply for the full first semester. 
  • However, if the health and safety conditions allow us to gradually bring additional students, faculty and staff back to campus in a blended learning model, we will be able to quickly do so.

We are currently finalizing the details of our Remote Learning + model, and we will provide you further information on or before Friday, July 31.

Rationale

As you might imagine, this was a difficult decision to make knowing the impact it will have on families, students and our faculty and staff. Because this decision is significant, it is important to share with you our rationale and why we believe starting the year in the Remote Learning + model is the best option at this time for our students, faculty and staff. 

Please excuse the length of the remainder of this correspondence, but we believe it is  important to be as thorough as possible in providing a rationale for our decision.

Student, Faculty, Staff Health and Safety

As you would expect, our first, and most important priority in making a decision about the start of the school year has been the health and safety of all members of our Stevenson community. We currently have students, faculty and staff members who have been infected with the coronavirus, and we have family members that have been infected and/or died of this virus. Our support and our sympathies go out to our community during these difficult times. 

We know that if we return to in-person instruction, students, faculty and / or staff members will become infected at school. Unlike our elementary and middle schools, we cannot implement guidance from the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) and Center for Disease Control (CDC) and isolate students into “pods” in one room throughout the school day. Even in a “hybrid” or blended model of teaching and learning with students on campus two days a week, we would still have more than 2,500 people on campus each day moving throughout the building in and out of various spaces.

Given these circumstances, we simply do not feel comfortable putting our students, faculty and staff in an environment that might compromise their health or the health of their family members at home. 

Beyond the obvious concerns about student, faculty or staff infection, the quarantine and contact tracing procedures we have received from the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) and the Lake County Department of Public Health (LCDPH) make it very clear that we could potentially have hundreds of students, faculty and staff members quarantined for up to 14 days at various points throughout the fall. 

More specifically, the most current guidance (July 2020) from the IDPH and LCDPH states that:

• Anyone that is infected with Coronavirus must be in quarantine for 10 days from the start of the illness including 1 day without fever.
• Additionally, anyone (regardless of whether they are infected) that was within 6 feet of an infected person for more than 15 cumulative minutes (over a 14 day period) will need to be quarantined and cannot return to campus for 14 days.

As local schools, including our own, have tried to open up sports camps, we have already seen the significant effect that contact tracing and quarantining will have. There will be constant interruption and shutdowns with potentially hundreds of students, faculty and staff members being quarantined at various points throughout the first semester. This constant and continual interruption will have a serious and negative impact on our ability to provide students with a consistent high-quality learning experience. Whatever benefit there may have been to having students in school for two days a week will be quickly negated when they and their teachers will need to be quarantined for 10-14 days at home one or more times as we start the year and when flu season starts in the fall.

Blended Learning Schedule vs. Remote Learning +

While the health and safety of our students, faculty and staff has been the first, most important priority in our planning, we also want to ensure that our students receive the highest quality learning experience we can offer while in a pandemic.

We have studied at considerable length ISBE and the CDC guidance. We have also reviewed this guidance with our legal counsel and liability insurance provider, and both teams have made it absolutely clear we cannot and should not take shortcuts or ignore the official school reopening guidelines.  In addition to requiring face masks and limiting gatherings to 50 people or fewer, ISBE guidance makes it clear that schools should implement social distancing (6 feet or greater) to protect students and adults from viral transmission. In a school of over 4300 students and 700 adults on campus each day, the only way we could come close to adhering to these social distancing guidelines is to reduce the number of students on campus at any one time to approximately 1500 - 1700 students per day. 

As we began our planning, we quickly realized that the most effective way to adhere to social distancing requirements was to create a “hybrid” or blended learning model.  For the past three months, we have developed a blended learning model in which students would be on campus two days per week, learning remotely one day per week, and doing independent work the other two days per week. While we ran simulations and potential schedules on similar blended learning models, e.g., one week in, one week out, in-person instruction every other day, some students in-person and others online for the same class, etc., they all had one thing in common, students would be out of school more than they would be in school.  

Although the blended learning model we developed would have provided students with 2 days of in-person instruction, this model has significant limitations:

• A blended learning schedule would only enable students to be on campus 2 days per week given the ISBE social distancing guidelines.
• Students would be doing asynchronous work (projects, essays, tests, quizzes, etc.) two days per week at home without any contact with their classmates or classroom teachers.
• In a blended learning schedule, we would only be able to cover 50 - 60% of the course curriculum, thus putting our students at significant disadvantage compared to what more we can accomplish in a fully remote learning model.

While certainly not ideal, beginning the year in a Remote Learning + model provides several benefits:

• A remote learning model allows students to connect every class period, every day with their classroom teacher and classmates.
• Students schedules will more closely resemble our eight-period day with classes during the day and homework assignments, readings, etc., in the evening.
• Remote learning classes will meet every day and will cover 100% of the course curriculum. Daily instruction will provide us with a stronger opportunity to prepare students for subsequent studies, not to mention their ACT, SAT and Advanced Placement exams.

Obviously, everyone would prefer returning to a pre-March 13 Stevenson High School. Unfortunately, this is not possible at this time. Of the remaining options, we strongly believe that our Remote Learning + model is the best option for keeping students on track academically.

The Daily Student Experience

As educators and parents of school age children ourselves, we understand schools provide students with important social interactions and experiences throughout a normal school day. The most compelling rationale for having some form of in-person learning is the need for students to regain a sense of normalcy and have positive social experiences during this uncertain time. However, given the significant health and safety guidelines we must follow, there will be absolutely nothing normal about the daily experience for students if we try to bring students back on campus two days per week. In fact, we will be required to do everything we can to limit students' social interactions with other students and adults.

For the two days students would be on campus in the blended learning model:

• Deans, faculty, staff and our security team would enforce the 6-foot social distancing rule and mask requirement throughout the day.
  • This will be particularly important (and difficult) as we have had numerous parents tell us they will refuse to have their children wear a mask while in school.
• Teachers would teach behind plexiglass barriers on their classroom desks to minimize viral transmission.
• There will be no unstructured student time during the day. 
• We would need to eliminate all student “free periods.”
  • All students will be assigned to silent study halls (and assigned seats) when not in class. 
• Students would be assigned to specific lunch rooms:
  • Senior students will not be allowed to leave campus during lunch periods.
  • Students would be assigned to lunch rooms of less than 50 students with tables of 3 students or fewer seated six to seven feet apart.
  • Students would need to eat their lunch behind plexiglass barriers as this would be the only time during the day that they could remove their required masks.
• All soft seating has been removed from hallways and common areas to eliminate impromptu student gatherings.
• All meetings between students and teachers and / or counselors would be held virtually. 
• Students arriving in the school building prior to 8:20 a.m. would be assigned to supervised silent study halls.
• Students would not be allowed in the school building after school unless assigned to rooms for specific athletic or co-curricular activities.

If we were to begin with any variation of in-person instruction with the health and safety procedures we must follow, including contact tracing and quarantines, and the constant interruptions and shut downs that will follow, we are convinced that we will not be able to create the social experience we want for our students. In fact, we have become convinced that Stevenson will quickly become a place where students don’t want to be. 

Many of our current and alumni students tell us that some of their most memorable experiences at Stevenson occur in our athletic and / or co-curricular programs. We are committed to providing students with on-site and / or virtual co-curricular activities that will provide pro-social experiences and connect students with one another and caring adults at Stevenson.

We will have a virtual co-curricular fair in the near future during which students will have the opportunity to learn more about Stevenson’s co-curricular offerings. Students will  find new opportunities to explore personal interests.  In addition to participating in our co-curricular programs, we will continue providing innovative activities to engage students in a remote learning environment. Activities will include community service opportunities, lunch-time and after school recreational activities, and whole-school events that showcase our diverse student talent.   

Moving Forward

As you would hope and expect, we, together with members of our faculty, staff and administrative team, have spent thousands of hours over the past three months trying to find a way to provide some form of in-person learning experience for our students. Ultimately, we feel that beginning in August in our Remote Learning + model will give us the best chance to create an instructional model that will provide students with a consistent high quality learning experience and the best social experience under the circumstances, all while providing in the best way possible for the health and safety of students and adults in our extended Stevenson family.

When we moved Stevenson High School to an online environment this past March, our teachers did an amazing job of developing and implementing a plan for remote learning with only one weekend to prepare. By making the decision now to begin the year in our Remote Learning + model, we are confident our teachers will have the time and resources to do even better work in creating remote teaching and learning opportunities for our students. 

As you may have read previously, we will be hosting a webinar this evening to personally share this information and respond to questions, comments and concerns  that you may have. You can access the webinar here: https://zoom.us/j/99026014518.

We will provide more information and FAQs on our Remote Learning + plan for the fall semester on or before Friday, July 31. In the meantime, if you have specific questions that you would like to discuss with a counselor or member of our Student Services Team, please feel free to call us at 847-415-4500. 

Most Sincerely,

Eric Twadell, PhD                Troy Gobble 
Superintendent                    Principal

Stevenson High School 
Reopening Planning Update
Community Webinar

Tuesday, July 21 - 7 p.m.

Dear Parents, Guardians, and Students,

We sincerely hope that you have been able to find some time this summer to find some rest and relaxation. We are well aware of how stressful the last few months have been.  

We are looking forward to providing you with a virtual update on our current planning for the fall semester of the 2020-2021 school year. It is our goal to create the safest possible learning environment for the students and the adults as they return to school in August. We have spent the last few months re-designing our school practices, procedures and the physical building to implement the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) and Center for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines for reopening schools. 

As the progression and current reality of the Coronavirus disease seems to change day by day, to be perfectly honest, we are not yet ready to make a final decision on how we plan to start school next month. During these unprecedented times, four weeks seems like an eternity and a lot can change between now and the start of the school year. 

With that said, we would like to start a conversation with the community about how our students will learn in the fall. The presentation will include:

• Our new health and safety protocols
• Changes to building operations and services
• Options for students: Remote Learning Academy and Flexible Learning Schedule
• Instructional expectations of both remote learning and blended learning

By July 24, families will need to choose between our Flexible Learning Schedule option and our Remote Learning Academy. It is our goal to provide you enough context and explanation that you will be able to make an informed decision for your family and student(s).

We will be hosting a community Zoom webinar at 7 p.m. Tuesday, July 21 (details below) to share the work that we have done thus far to prepare for the start of the school year. Participants will have the ability to ask questions through the Q&A function on Zoom and before the event via Google Form (see below for details).

Joining us for the webinar will be:  
    
- Mr. Sean Carney, Assistant Superintendent for Business Services and Operations
- Dr. Susan Sirota, PediaTrust Board Chair and Medical Director for Stevenson High School 
- Ms. Sarah Bowen, Director of Student Services

You will be able to access the Zoom Webinar here: https://zoom.us/j/99026014518

While we will have the Q & A function enabled on our Zoom Webinar, we also wanted to provide you with the opportunity to submit questions in advance. If you have any questions that you would like to send to us ahead of time so that we can incorporate them into our presentation, please do so here: https://forms.gle/cLqanGCDBMDk8eGH7

We cannot thank you enough for your patience, flexibility and grace during this time.

Sincerely,

Eric Twadell                Troy Gobble
Superintendent             Principal
 

Dear Stevenson Students, Parents and Guardians,

We sincerely hope that you have been able to find some time this summer for rest and relaxation. We know how stressful life has been for students and families during the current pandemic. We also appreciate your patience as we have worked to develop our plans for the 2020-21 school year. 

We will be presenting our Reopening Plan for Stevenson High School to the Board of Education in mid-July. In the meantime, we are anticipating that we will have two pathways for students to consider as we begin the first semester of the 2020-21 school year: (1) Flexible Scheduling Model;   (2) Remote Learning Academy.  The intent of this letter is to explain the Remote Learning Academy. More information will be forthcoming on the Flexible Scheduling Model and our Reopening Plan for Stevenson High School on Tuesday, July 21. 

Within the Flexible Scheduling Model, we are hopeful that health and safety conditions will allow us to start the school year in August in a blended learning model. The blended learning model will give us the opportunity to start the school year at 50% student density and maintain social distancing (and follow all other health required safety measures including wearing a mask) in our classrooms and throughout the school day. Starting the school year in the blended learning model would include students following a Green/Gold schedule and would attend in-person instruction on an alternating schedule of two days the first week, three days the next, two days the third, etc. On the two to three days per week that students are not on-campus they would complete asynchronous work from home (projects, assignments, assessments, etc.). More information will be forthcoming on the Flexible Scheduling Model and our Reopening Plan for Stevenson High School on Tuesday, July 21. 

Remote Learning Academy

Based on our recent survey of families, we understand and recognize that many students may not feel comfortable returning to in-person instruction in August but still would prefer to have daily instruction and contact with their teacher. As a result, we will be building a full Remote Learning Academy for our students for the 2020-21 school year.

In choosing the Stevenson High School Remote Learning Academy, your student would commit to an online learning experience for the first semester of the 2020-21 school year. If there is no widely available vaccine or treatment for the coronavirus by the end of the 2020 calendar year, we will offer the Remote Learning Academy for the second semester as well (registration beginning in November).

How will students learn in the Stevenson High School Remote Learning Academy?

The Remote Learning Academy will be a completely online learning experience through Zoom and / or Canvas (Stevenson’s learning management system). This remote learning experience will be both synchronous (webinar-style instruction, presentations, discussions, critiques, and conferences) as well as asynchronous (independent tasks, assignments or projects). Students attending Stevenson in the Remote Learning Academy will have a synchronous learning experience each day of the week in all of their classes.

What classes can my student take in the Remote Learning Academy?

Given the significant number of families that have indicated an interest in a fully remote learning experience during the first semester, we anticipate being able to schedule most courses (especially core classes such as English, mathematics, science, and social studies) in the Remote Learning Academy. While we anticipate that most courses will be available in the Remote Learning Academy, there may be some courses that we are unable to offer due to insufficient enrollment. In those cases, counselors will work with students about possible options which may include alternate elective courses, or credit for elective courses via our partnerships with online education providers.

What is the daily schedule for the Remote Learning Academy?

The Remote Learning Academy daily schedule will be aligned to the regular SHS daily schedule.  The Remote Learning Academy periods will be slightly shorter to ensure that students have a break from their screens between class periods and include free periods and a lunch period.  

Period	Remote Learning Academy Daily Schedule
1	8:35 - 9:16
2	9:31 - 10:08
3	10:23 - 11:00
4	11:15 - 11:52
5	12:07 - 12:44
6	12:59 - 1:36
7	1:51 - 2:28
8	2:43 - 3:20

What will instruction look like in the Remote Learning Academy?

Students will experience daily synchronous instruction in the Remote Learning Academy. At the beginning of each period, teachers will meet with students in a synchronous fashion (live, face-to-face learning). After the class begins, our teachers may choose to continue with either a synchronous experience (live, face-to-face learning or task) or continue with an asynchronous experience (learning or tasks where students can work independently). All classes in our remote environment will begin and end with a synchronous segment. 
 
What will assessment and grading look like in the Remote Learning Academy?

There will be no substantive difference in assessment and grading between the Remote Learning Academy and in-person instruction in the Flexible Scheduling Model. Unlike the State of Illinois mandated remote learning experience in the spring, assessments and a student’s grades, scores or marks can rise and fall while attending the Remote Learning Academy. 

Can my student participate in athletics and co-curricular activities while attending the Remote Learning Academy?

Yes. We believe that athletics and co-curricular activities are an important part of a student’s high school experience. Participation in athletics and co-curricular activities will be especially important for students who are attending the Remote Learning Academy. 

If we are interested in the Remote Learning Academy, what should we do next?

We are providing this information to SHS families at this time so parents, guardians and students can begin to think about their own unique situation and whether their student feels comfortable attending in-person instruction starting in August, or if they would prefer the Stevenson High School Remote Learning Academy option. We will be sending registration information for the Remote Learning Academy on Tuesday, July 21. For scheduling purposes, it is critical that the form is completed for each student no later than July 24. In the meantime, if you have any questions please feel free to contact our Student Services Division at 847-415-4500 and we will have a counselor reach out to you as soon as possible.

We are currently finalizing our Reopening Plan for Stevenson High School and we will be sharing more information on Tuesday, July 21. We will also be hosting a webinar on our Stevenson High School Reopening Plan on Tuesday, July 21 at 7 p.m. - more information will be forthcoming.

Thank you for your patience, flexibility and grace as we have been working through these challenging issues.

Most sincerely,

Dr. Eric Twadell            Mr. Troy Gobble
Superintendent            Principal

Dear Parents and Guardians,

We hope that you have been able to relax with your families during these early days of summer. 

As we look forward to the start of the 2020-21 school year, we know that many of you may have questions and concerns about reopening Stevenson High School. You are not alone. We also have many questions that need to be answered, as significant decisions must be made before reopening Stevenson in August.

As you may have heard in the news yesterday, the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) and the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) released Joint Guidance for the 2020-2021 school year that includes numerous health and safety measures including: 

• Masks or face shields will be required to be worn by all faculty, staff and students.
• Social distancing protocols must be followed. A Blended Learning model will likely be followed with 50% of our students on campus each day.
• Extensive building cleaning will occur throughout the day and in the evening.
• Large group gatherings or activities with more than 50 people will not be allowed.

We believe it is important to hear from you as we make plans to reopen Stevenson. We are conducting a brief survey of parents and guardians to determine their current comfort levels with having your student(s) return to campus. We realize that for some, their responses to this survey may change between now and the start of the 2020-21 school year. However, we would greatly appreciate your current thoughts to help guide our decision-making process.

Please complete the survey linked below by 4 p.m. Monday, June 29. Please complete one survey per Stevenson student in your household. If you have more than one student at SHS, please fill out a separate survey for each. Here is a link to the survey:

https://forms.gle/u6GXR8hL9FcuCpSq6

In mid July, we will be providing detailed information about our reopening plans. Your feedback will play a valuable role in developing these plans. Thank you for your assistance as we work together to ensure the health and safety of SHS students and staff. 

Sincerely,

Troy Gobble    Sarah Bowen
Principal          Director of Student Services

---

“以上消息张贴在Stevenson网站（www.d125.org）的“ 与家人沟通”板块。您可使用网站的翻译功能（位于右下角）浏览本文件的其他语言版。”

"위 메시지는 Stevenson 웹사이트(www.d125.org)의 'Communication with Families'(가족과의 소통) 섹션에 게시되어 있습니다. (오른쪽 하단에 있는) 웹 사이트의 번역 기능을 사용하여 이 문서를 다른 언어로 볼 수 있습니다."

上記のメッセージは、スティーブンソン高校のウェブサイト（www.d125.org）内にある保護者向けページ（Communication with Families）に記載されています。ウェブサイト上の翻訳機能（ページ右下にあります）を利用すると、他の言語で本書の内容を表示できます。

"ऊपर दिया गया सन्देश Stevenson (स्टीवेंसन) की वेबसाइट (www.d125.org) पर ‘Communication with Families’ (‘परिवारों के साथ बातचीत’) खंड के अंतर्गत पोस्ट किया हुआ है। आप इस डॉक्यूमेंट को किसी अन्य भाषा में पढने के लिए वेबसाइट के अनुवाद फंक्शन (जो कि नीचे दाएं कोने में दिया हुआ है) का प्रयोग कर सकते हैं।”  

Находящееся выше сообщение помещено на вебсайте школы Stevenson (www.d125.org) в разделе «Communication with Families» (связь с семьями). Вы можете воспользоваться функцией перевода этого вебсайта, расположенной в правом нижнем углу, чтобы прочитать этот документ на другом языке. 

“El mensaje anterior se encuentra también en el sitio web de Stevenson (www.d125.org) en la sección de ‘Comunicación con las Familias’. Usted puede utilizar la función de traducción del sitio web (situada en la esquina inferior derecha) para ver este documento en otro idioma”.

"Ang mensahe sa itaas ay nakapaskil sa Stevenson website (www.d125.org) sa ilalim ng 'Communication with Families' section.  Maaari ninyong gamitin ang translate function ng website (na matatagpuan sa ibabang kanto sa kanan) upang mabasa ang  dokumentong ito sa ibang wika."

Dear Parents/Guardians of the Class of 2024,                                                                 
 
Congratulations on your child’s recent graduation from eighth grade and welcome to the SHS Patriot Family! While we continue to await guidance from the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) and Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) to inform our plans for the opening of the 2020-21 school year, we are writing to share information regarding two processes which occur prior to the start of next school year.

1. Registration/fee payment

Stevenson High School will utilize online registration for the 2020-21 school year. For complete information, you may access the online registration link available beginning Thursday, June 18 on the school website. Please note that registration is required in order for your child to begin classes for the 2020-21 school year. The following are some key points to assist with the registration process:

• The annual residency verification process must be completed before you will be able to register online. If you have not yet proven residency for the 2020-21 school year, please use the parent Infinite Campus portal to upload the necessary documents. Please note that the length of time required to review and approve documents submitted is approximately 2-3 days. Detailed instructions for completing the residency verification process may be found here. Additional information and resources are also available through the Annual Residency Verification Procedures section of the SHS website. Should you have questions regarding residency, please contact our residency team members by emailing residency@d125.org.
• Registration will be finalized by paying school fees online with a Visa, MasterCard, or Discover credit/debit card, or an electronic check.
• If you are unable to pay school fees online, please call 847-415-4090 and leave a message. A staff member will contact you to provide support with the registration and fee payment process. Please know that our office staff is working remotely during this time to address questions/concerns. Please do not email registration documents, as we are unable to accept these documents via mail.

The registration deadline is Sunday, July 26. We encourage you to register online as soon as possible so that we are able to begin the school year with accurate student enrollment information. 

 2. Orientation

The SHS Freshman Mentor Program, which consists of over 200 junior and senior students, is working hard to plan a welcoming and exciting orientation experience for the Class of 2024! At this point in the summer, we are uncertain about the format for orientation as we continue to monitor our state’s progress through the Restore Illinois plan and review forthcoming guidance from the ISBE and IDPH. What we do know at this point is that all students will participate in some type of orientation session (whether remotely or at SHS) that will occur some time during August. We will provide more information regarding orientation in mid-July.

Orientation includes a number of important steps which students must complete before the first day of school including: acknowledging and signing the guidebook, picking up textbooks and ID, and receiving a course schedule. Please know that we are working to plan for some type of orientation session that will include these steps (whether remotely or at SHS) and will occur some time in August. We will provide more information regarding orientation in mid-July. Here is some information our FMPs would like to share with freshmen.
  
We appreciate your patience and flexibility as we continue to work to ensure the health and safety of our students, families, and staff.  We hope you and your family enjoy the rest of your summer.
 
Kind regards,
 
Sarah Bowen
Director of Student Services

Dear Parents/Guardians,                                                           
 
We hope this email finds you and your family healthy and safe. While we continue to await guidance from the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) and Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) to inform our plans for the opening of the 2020-21 school year, we are writing to share information regarding two processes which occur prior to the start of next school year.

1. Registration/fee payment

Stevenson High School will utilize online registration for the 2020-21 school year. For complete information, you may access the online registration link available beginning Thursday, June 18 on the school website. Please note that registration is required in order for your child to begin classes for the 2020-21 school year. The following are some key points to assist with the registration process:

• The annual residency verification process must be completed before you will be able to register online. If you have not yet proven residency for the 2020-21 school year, please use the parent Infinite Campus portal to upload the necessary documents. Please note that the length of time required to review and approve documents submitted is approximately 2-3 days. Detailed instructions for completing the residency verification process may be found here. Additional information and resources are also available through the Annual Residency Verification Procedures section of the SHS website. Should you have questions regarding residency, please contact our residency team members by emailing residency@d125.org.
• Registration will be finalized by paying school fees online with a Visa, MasterCard, or Discover credit/debit card, or an electronic check.
• If you are unable to pay school fees online, please call 847-415-4090 and leave a message. A staff member will contact you to provide support with the registration and fee payment process. Please know that our office staff is working remotely during this time to address questions/concerns. Please do not email registration documents, as we are unable to accept these documents via mail.

The registration deadline is Sunday, July 26. We encourage you to register online as soon as possible so that we are able to begin the school year with accurate student enrollment information. 

 2. Orientation

Prior to the beginning of each school year, all Stevenson students must participate in orientation. Orientation includes a number of important steps which students must complete before the first day of school including: acknowledging and signing the Student Guidebook, picking up textbooks and ID, receiving a course schedule, and taking a yearbook picture*. At this point in the summer, we are uncertain about the format for orientation as we continue to monitor our state’s progress through the Restore Illinois plan and review forthcoming guidance from the ISBE and IDPH. What we do know at this point is that all students will participate in some type of orientation session (whether remotely or at SHS) that will occur some time during August. We will provide more information regarding orientation in mid-July.
  
We appreciate your patience and flexibility as we continue to work to ensure the health and safety of our students, families, and staff.  We hope you and your family enjoy the rest of your summer.
 
Kind regards,
 
Sarah Bowen
Director of Student Services
 
* Please note that yearbook pictures are typically only taken during orientation for sophomores and juniors. Seniors will receive more information about yearbook photos directly from Visual Image Photography.

 

Dear Parents, Guardians and Students, I hope you have been able to find a few moments of rest, reflection and relaxation as we move into summer! I know that we have sent quite a few (long) emails to you in recent weeks related to the pandemic, but we believe it’s important to keep you informed about our planning process. Today, I want to address two specific areas: Our plans to reopen school, and the updated guidance on activities that are allowed on campus this summer. Reopening Plans - Here’s The Latest As you know, Governor Pritzker’s Restore Illinois plan outlines specific phases for reopening schools. Within each phase are certain guidelines that must be followed in schools. We are currently in Phase 3, which among other limitations only allows gatherings of 10 or fewer people. This limitation is the primary reason we could not hold in-person classes for summer school. By the first day of school for the 2020-21 academic year, which is August 13, we anticipate the state will have moved into Phase 4. Please note: Moving into Phase 4 does not mean schools will operate as they were before the pandemic hit. In Phase 4, among other significant restrictions we will be: Limited to gatherings of 50 people or less Restricted on the number of students that we can have in a single classroom Limited to 10 students per bus Social distancing will be required, and mask wearing and other health and safety measures will be the norm.  On any given day at Stevenson, we have almost 5,000 people in the building - including students and adults. While the majority of those inside the school are students, we also have more than 600 faculty and staff who we now know are far more likely than students to become symptomatic and ill when exposed to the coronavirus. Our current planning involves doing everything that we can to reduce the transmission risk to both students and our faculty and staff. As noted in our June 2 message, we expect the Northeast Region of Illinois will still be in Phase 4 when school resumes in August. If this is the case, the most likely scenario for the fall will be one of the following: We continue in our Remote Learning environment with small groups of students on campus for special education services, interventions, student services, and after-school activities (including athletics, co-curricular activities, etc.) We are in a hybrid schedule with one-half or one-third of our students on campus on a daily basis to ensure the required social distancing and health and safety guidelines required of schools in ISBE guidance. While the updated guidance provides clear parameters for schools during Phase 3, we still have not received any guidance from the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) or Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) for Phase 4 or the start of the school year.  As we wait for guidance from the state, we are already at work making plans to bring small groups of students and our faculty and staff back safely to campus. This summer, we have several working groups, consisting of administrative team members, faculty and staff, who are using guidance from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to develop plans in these areas: Health and Safety Special Education Hybrid and Remote Teaching and Learning Nursing Practices School Operations Athletics and Co-Curriculars Classroom / Lab Procedures Transportation Food Service Cleaning, Sanitization and HVAC Once we receive more information from the ISBE and the IDPH, we will be able to move forward with our decision-making for the reopening of Stevenson in the fall. Summer Activities on Campus As you may have heard in the news, the ISBE and the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) have released updated guidance providing parameters within which schools may begin to bring students back on to campus this summer for very specific activities under Phase 3 of the Restore Illinois plan. The updated guidance has more than 60 various restrictions and parameters that schools must follow and is only providing direction in the following three areas for the month of June:  Driver Education - Behind the Wheel (2019-20 second semester make-up only)  Athlete Summer Conditioning (SHS Fall Sports) Swimming Pool Use As you would expect, we will be following the guidance rigorously as we begin the slow process of bringing students back on to campus this summer (symptom screening, temperature taking, mask wearing, etc.). Only a relatively small number of students and student-athletes will be able to participate in these summer activities under Phase 3 guidelines. Within the next few days, members of our Administrative Team, coaches and teachers will contact those who are eligible for participation, and will share with them specific health and safety procedures that we will be following. We anticipate that our Northeast Region and the rest of the state will enter Phase 4 during the month of July. You can check the status of our Northeast Region at the State of Illinois website. If we do move into Phase 4 in July, we hope to expand our offerings and bring back larger groups of students within the Restore Illinois plan, which allows for groups of 50 students or less under strict safety and health guidelines. We know that our students (and parents for that matter) are anxious to get back to some sense of normalcy. Please know that we are doing everything we can to bring students back to campus as safely as possible. As guidance in the areas of school reopening and summer activities becomes more clear, we will provide updates for you. In the meantime, we are looking forward to seeing our students soon! Sincerely, Dr. Eric Twadell Superintendent

Thursday, June 4, 2020

Dear Parents, Guardians and Students,
 
Yesterday we were made aware of a video showing an incident between a group of students and a Stevenson High School dean. The Stevenson dean is currently on administrative leave pending an investigation into the incident. At Stevenson High School we expect all of our professional educators to be respectful, appropriate and professional in their interactions with students.  
 
Our work around equity, race, and diversity continues to be focused on building awareness and how to confront acts of racism personally, immediately and locally. Stevenson is not indifferent when we see the dignity of individuals and communities threatened--whether it is through a violent conflict, subtle discrimination, overt neglect of rights, or through words of hate and actions. Our Board of Education, leadership team, faculty, and staff work together in solidarity against racism and hate.
 
Our school’s mission is Success for Every Student. When we fall short of this ideal, we disappoint our students, our parents and ourselves. Thank you to those who have reached out over the past few days. It is clear we have not lived up to our high standards. Our school should be a safe space for every student, at all times. 
 
Racial discrimination causes grief, sadness, anger and frustration over what feels like an inability to conquer racism and protect our loved ones and our communities. These conversations can be difficult for students and adults. On Tuesday, June 2, Mr. Gobble, Principal and Ms. Bowen, Director of Student Services, sent an email to all families and students acknowledging the incredibly challenging week our nation has undergone, and encouraging students who were seeking an outlet for their anger, grief and confusion to reach out to our counseling staff for help. Their letter, entitled “Help for Students During Troubled Times,” can be found in the “Communication With Parents” section at https://www.d125.org/parents.
 
We are here to listen, to learn, and to get better. We remain committed to our role in continuing the conversation on equity, race, and diversity. Please know that we are available to talk to you at any time now or in the future. Please do not hesitate to contact either one or both of us to set up an appointment by phone or by Zoom.
 
Sincerely,
 
Eric Twadell                            Troy Gobble
Superintendent                      Principal
etwadell@d125.org         tgobble@d125.org
(847) 415-4101                      (847) 415-4106