Return to School Plan for 2021-22
July 23, 2021
Dear Community Members,
Welcome back to a new school year! Please know that there will be a return to normalcy this school year. We understand your wishes for a return to normalcy and have reflected that in our return to school plan. We hope you understand that as much as we want a return to normalcy, there are also layers of protection that must be in place for reasons beyond our control. We are doing our best to balance both sides of the spectrum and hope that our plan reflects that balance.
Above all, we want your children to be in school and have a safe environment to learn in. Our faculty and staff are excited for the upcoming school year, and we look forward to working you all in a successful school year.
The full plan is located in pdf form here: Pleasant Hill 2021-22 Return to School Plan
The first thing we want you to know about this plan is that THIS PLAN COULD CHANGE. This plan is written with guidance for current trends as of July 23, 2021. As situations change, we may have to consider tighter restrictions or we may be given different/further guidance from the Center for Disease Control (CDC), the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), and/or the Pike County Health Department (PCHD).
Important Points:
- In-Person Learning is Required. Remote learning will be provided when a student is quarantined or if a student has a legitimate medical excuse.
- Masks are highly recommended for unvaccinated students, faculty, and staff while indoors.
- Masks are required on school buses.
- Masks are not required outdoors.
- Students should have masks with them each day for use in situations where social distancing is not possible (i.e. small group work, emergency drills, etc.)
- We are utilizing smaller class sizes and 3-foot spacing between student desks (particularly in the younger grades).
- We are utilizing enhanced cleaning procedures.
- All students and staff with COVID symptoms, as defined by the CDC and IDPH, must stay home and not attend school. If they are in attendance, they will be sent home and must present a doctor's note to return.
- We will work in conjunction with the PCHD to determine when a student or staff member needs to quarantine. Unvaccinated persons will be placed in quarantine if they are in close contact with a positive person and are not wearing a mask. Vaccinated individuals will quarantine if they present symptoms or as IDPH determines is necessary. The IDPH definition of a close contact is as follows: Classroom students who were within 3 to 6 feet of the infected student are NOT treated as close contacts as long as both students were engaged in consistent and correct use of well-fitting masks and physical distancing were in place in the K-12 setting. If they were not consistently masked, then close contacts are classroom students who were within 6 feet of the infected student for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period. If neither case or contacts were masked, and case symptomatic, close contacts may be assessed out farther than 6 feet. Unvaccinated adults are still at 6 feet. Local health departments are the final authority on identifying close contacts.
- School athletics will follow the rules provided by the IHSA and IESA in accordance with IDPH and ISBE guidelines.
Please read our full Return to School Plan for the most accurate information. We welcome questions through e-mail to ron.edwards@phwolves.com, kylee.orr@phwolves.com, or you can send a message through Facebook Messenger.