Coronavirus Update: Impact on Unit 5 and NCHS [3/16 11:35 a.m.]

Mantra Dave, Staff Writer • Mar 16, 2020

Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker has ordered all schools throughout the state closed from Tuesday, March 17 until Monday, March 30 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Due to the unprecedented nature of this situation, Unit 5 has released important information for students and families, which is laid out below.

Information as of 3/16 – 11:35 a.m.

School Calendar and E-Learning

Unit 5 students will not be attending school on Monday, March 16 – which will be a Teacher Institute day in preparation for E-Learning, should the need arise. March 16 will not be considered an Emergency day, thus will not need to be made up at the end of the year.

Unit 5 originally communicated that March 17 – 20 and March 30 would be E-learning days. Due to the statewide closure of schools and the ISBE, those days will now be considered Act of God days. This means that Unit 5 will not be implementing E-learning at this time. The Act of God days will not impact the school calendar, they will not be made up at the end of the school year.

Student work during this time is not to be graded, as they are not instructional days. Although teachers may provide learning opportunities for students, they should not feel any obligation to complete/turn-in any assignments or assessments during this time. The ISBE recommends

Currently, Unit 5 is slated to reopen schools on Tuesday, March 31; however, this is subject to change due to the fluid nature of the COVID-19 situation and E-learning may be implemented at that time.

Building Access

School buildings will be open Monday, March 16 for students to retrieve any items that they have may need: elementary school buildings will be open from 2:00 – 4:00 p.m.; middle and high schools will be open from 3:00 – 5:00 p.m.

All Unit 5 buildings will be closed to students, parents, teachers, and staff from March 17-30.

Meal Availability

Students that receive free breakfast and/or lunch will still receive those during the shutdown. Breakfast and lunch will be provided as ‘grab and go’ meals from 9-11 AM at Sugar Creek Elementary, Cedar Ridge Elementary, Kingsley Junior High, Pepper Ridge Elementary, and Fairview Elementary on March 17-20 and 30.

IEP Meetings

Any IEP meetings that were scheduled for 3/17-3/20 or on 3/30 have been canceled. Special Education Case Managers will be in contact at a later date to reschedule.

Athletics/Extracurriculars

All practices – athletic or otherwise – have been canceled until further notice.

The IHSA has canceled all winter sport/extracurricular State competitions including: Boys Basketball, Scholastic Bowl, Drama & Group Interpretation, Music Organization, Debate and Journalism.

Testing

ISBE is currently working with the U.S. Department of Education. ISBE has been told there will be flexibility related to ISA/IAR testing. Unit 5 does not know at this time if that means an extended window or cancelation of the test completely.

The April 4 ACT scheduled to be held at Normal Community has been canceled by the College Board.

The College Board will be making a decision on Advanced Placement exams in the coming weeks.

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About the Contributor

Mantra Dave, Staff Writer

Mantra Dave is a senior at Normal Community High School and the captain of the varsity speech and scholastic bowl teams, as well as a four-year member of the varsity Ironmen tennis program. This is his first year working as a staff reporter for the Inkspot. My guilty pleasures include The Bachelorette and The Good Place. A book that moved me was Dr. Paul Kalanithi’s When Breath Becomes Air. I love to watch Tottenham Hotspur FC and listen to Hozier.