News

What a wonderful first week of school it has been!  We are overjoyed to be together as a school community.  Some of our highlights this week include:

• First day assemblies outside
• Creating a school wide kindness chain
• Reading and discussing the book The Circles All Around Us
• Writing #TogetherWeCan statements

We encourage you to take some time this week to talk with your child about their favorite memory from week one and what they are looking forward to next week and this year!  Consider having this conversation over a scoop or two of ice cream at Oberweis for our PTA sponsored night out.  What a delicious way to celebrate the start of a new school year.  Please show the attached flyer when ordering your treats.

Our classroom highlight for the week is Mrs. Abe’s sixth grade dual language class.  To celebrate a successful week, room 219 has created a highlight video. We hope you enjoy!  Room 219 Highlight

Our fundraiser is happening at Oberweis  right now until 10:00pm! 

Arrival and Dismissal

Thank you for your cooperation with our arrival and dismissal procedures. The only area we should cross the street is at the corner of Norwood and Lowell Lanes. This is to ensure the safety of our kids. Parents, we ask that you follow this procedure when crossing your child.  
If there are any changes to your arrival and dismissal procedures please call the school in advance.

Kindergarten  

Students will meet their teachers outside in front of door 10.  Teachers will be outside from 8:25 – 8:35.  These areas will be congested, so we kindly ask that families wear masks.  This is a great opportunity for families to take pictures!  Kindergarten bus riders will be escorted to this area with a friendly staff member.  

PTA

Membership

Join the PTA! For $10 per family, you can become a member of the PTA! Show your support for Dooley students and staff by joining! The deadline is September 30, 2021.
Go to https://dooleypta.memberhub.com/store

PTA Fun Lunch

Marlas lunch website is now open for you to order fresh and healthy foods for your students. The first Fun Lunch is August 30, 2021 and the order deadline is August 23, 2021.
Go to: https://marlaslunch.boonli.com/login

PTA Volunteers

Volunteers are the backbone of the PTA and all that they do! By volunteering to help with just one event or committee, you make opportunities happen! Together We Can!

PTA Committee: https://tinyurl.com/xdzfed2c

Class Representatives and Parties: https://tinyurl.com/y7yaxpe3

PTA Family Directory

Connect with your child’s new school friends, share homework questions, and plan birthday parties. All of these are easier when you are part of the Family Directory!

The directory will be given only to parents in our school and will not be released to the general public. Hurry, the deadline is August 30th!

Go to: https://forms.gle/JjTTohc3CtVw1yKEA

NEW LUNCH PROGRAM

Dooley PTA is very excited to share with you our new lunch program for this school year! We will partner up with MARLAS LUNCH, a school lunch and fundraising management company. Here is a link to PTA Fun Lunch flyer, Coming Soon Flyer. Additional information about new program will be included in a Take-Home folder that will be distributed on August 12th at Back-to-school night. We’ll have a chance to meet Ms. Marla Stone from MARLAS LUNCH in person at the event to hear more about it. If you have any questions, please reach out to us at [email protected]

Schaumburg Oyanokai Information

SO Lunch Orders: https://so.32x.net/lunch 

SO Lunch Volunteer Signup: https://signup.com/go/xxPeWDq 

SO Membership: https://so.32x.net/join 

COVID Testing Consent Forms

As a reminder, today (Friday, August 20) is the deadline to turn in a Consent Form if you would like to have your child participate in COVID testing at school.  Only students who have a signed permission form on file will be permitted to participate in the weekly screening testing.  You can email the form as an attachment to me or drop off a copy at our school office.

 Click here for the District 54 COVID Testing Consent Form.

District 54 Information

To keep students and staff in school, School District 54 will continue to implement many of the same prevention strategies this year that we implemented last year. In developing these strategies, we have always looked to the medical experts at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Illinois Department of Public Health, Cook County Department of Public Health and American Academy of Pediatrics. The mitigation strategies adopted by the School Board on August 4, 2021, align with the recommendations released by these organizations.

District 54 COVID Mitigation Strategies to Start the 2021-2022 School Year

• Masking: All students, staff and visitors will be required to wear masks while on District 54 provided transportation and in District 54 schools regardless of vaccination status in accordance with Illinois Governor JB Pritzker’s Executive Order issued yesterday, August 4, 2021. Students will be able to remove their masks during lunch/snack and while outside for PE, recess or other instructional activities.
• Social distancing: District 54 will continue to have staff and students maintain 3-6 feet of physical distance whenever possible.
• Symptom Screening: Parents/guardians should continue to monitor their children for symptoms of COVID-19, keep their children home if they are ill, and immediately share with their child’s school if your child or a member of your household tests positive for COVID-19. All individuals are required to stay at home while symptomatic and are encouraged to test for COVID-19. COVID-19 Symptoms include:
  • Fever or chills
  • Cough
  • Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
  • Fatigue
  • Muscle or body aches
  • Headache
  • New loss of taste or smell
  • Sore throat
  • Congestion or runny nose
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Diarrhea
• Screening Tests: District 54 will offer two optional tests to all unvaccinated staff and students.
  • The SHIELD Illinois saliva test will be administered weekly at school to students and staff who have not been fully vaccinated in order to identify infected individuals who are asymptomatic and prevent further transmission of the virus. Students will be asked to spit in a cup. The samples are sent to a lab for processing and results are usually available within 24 hours. Any positive results will be shared with parents/guardians, District 54 and the Illinois Department of Public Health. The tentative start date is the week of August 30. Principals will share school-specific, detailed information closer to that date.  More information is also available at sd54.org/shield-testing.
  • During periods of minimal virus transmission, the BinaxNOW nasal swab test may also be administered by the nurse at school to any student or employee with COVID-19 symptoms. This test involves a single swab being rolled inside both nostrils. Results are available in 15 minutes. The BinaxNOW test may also be administered to asymptomatic individuals who are close contacts to positive cases.  If an individual tests positive, a diagnostic test will be advised.
  • Parents/guardians will be contacted whenever their child is tested. If your child tests positive, you will be asked to pick them up for isolation at home. If your child has symptoms, but tests negative, we recommend that you contact your healthcare provider about the need to take a diagnostic test. 
  • You may opt your children out of one or both of these tests by completing the District 54 COVID-19 Testing Opt Out Form or submitting proof of vaccination. Note:  This form is due by August 11, 2021.
• Quarantining: The Cook County Department of Public Health has the sole authority for determining if an individual is required to quarantine and the length of quarantine. District 54 is required to report all positive cases and close contacts to the health department. In situations where students are quarantined, they will be allowed to make up all missed homework and tests.
• Vaccination: District 54 continues to recommend vaccination for all individuals ages 12 and above. If your child has been vaccinated, please send a copy of the vaccination record to your school nurse. Fully vaccinated individuals without symptoms do not need to quarantine if they are exposed to a positive case.  If you do not wish to share your children’s COVID-19 vaccination information with us, that is your choice. However, without proof of vaccination, we will consider your children unvaccinated.
• Visitors: All adults in our school buildings — staff members, parents, volunteers, visitors, etc. — will be required to wear face masks at school, regardless of their vaccination status. In this way, trusted adults will model and reinforce the importance of helping keep each other safe and healthy.
• Cleaning and Disinfecting: District 54 will maintain a continued emphasis on cleaning and disinfecting protocols, including hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette.

The prevention strategies outlined in this letter are subject to change based on updated guidance from the state, vaccination coverage levels in our community, or transmission levels within the school or community.
These COVID-19 mitigation strategies are designed to help keep your children healthy and in school, but will not work without your support. We realize that many of these issues have become politicized and polarizing. None of this matters to us. We are laser-focused on the health and safety of our students, our staff and their families.
With your support we can re-engage with the best instructional practices including small group instruction, sharing of materials, movement throughout the day and opportunities for personal connection. We can also return to activities and events that enrich students’ school experiences including clubs, extracurriculars, athletics as well as school and PTA hosted events.
Should you have any additional questions, please refer to our website at sd54.org/covidfaq or contact your child’s school principal.

Dates to Look Forward to:

August 20th:  PTA Night Out, Oberweis 9am – 10pm

August 23rd:  First Day of Kindergarten

August 25th:  2:30 p.m. dismissal (Wednesday dismissal time)

September 6th:  No School, Labor Day

September 13th:  Dooley PTA Meeting @ 6:00

September 13th:  Schaumburg Oyanokai Meeting @ 7:00 

September 15th:  Half-day attendance for students, 11:40 dismissal

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