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River Bend Families,

Thank you for your patience and hard work during the Thanksgiving holiday, your efforts to minimize the spread of Covid have paid off. 

 I wanted to provide a quick update as we get ready to start rapid testing.  I also wanted to share the District plans for the week following the Christmas break.  Attached to this email is an update letter, rapid testing plans, and a rapid testing permission form.

Stay safe and enjoy the upcoming holidays,

Darryl Hogue

River Bend Post Holiday Return to Learn Planning

Process for Rapid COVID Test - Testing Procedures

INFORMED CONSENT FOR COVID

River Bend Families,

After very careful consideration and planning, the attached document outlines the District's slight change of plans for the week following the Thanksgiving Break.  

We wish you all a safe and enjoyable break,

Darryl Hogue

Post Thanksgiving Return to Learn Update

Many have asked what the District’s plan is in response to the increased number of positive COVID-19 cases in our region.  As of today, Thursday, November 19, Whiteside County currently has a 25% positivity rate.  Fulton and Albany have a 13% positivity rate.  Thankfully, our district positive student rate remains low around .5 to 1%.  The District has tracked student and staff positive and quarantine rates since the beginning of the school year and that information is provided in the spreadsheet below. The spreadsheet is also viewable through this link: River Bend CUSD #2 Weekly Covid Data

River Bend Families,

As we get ready to celebrate Thanksgiving, I hope you can safely enjoy your time with family.  I am attaching a short return to learn update, as well as a Mercy One survey document, a Schmaling Library informational letter and the IDPH holiday guidance document.  

Thank you for your support and continued perseverance as we all do our best to safely navigate through the Covid waters.

Darryl Hogue

Return to Learn Update: 11/16/20

Schmaling Library: Fall 2020 Quarantine Letter to Parents

IPDH: COVID 19 Holiday Guidance

Mercy One Flyer

The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Board of Directors held a virtual update session on November 11, 2020, to review recent developments related to the IHSA basketball season ahead of the Board’s regularly scheduled meeting on November 19, 2020.
The Board announced that they are formally inviting representatives from Governor Pritzker’s Office and the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) to attend the IHSA Board meeting on November 19. Additionally, the IHSA will also seek representation at the meeting from the Illinois Principals Association (IPA), the Illinois Association of School Administrators (IASA), and a coalition of nearly 200 school superintendents who recently contacted the Governor regarding school sports during the 2020-21 school year.

The Board also announced that schools who plan to begin basketball practice on November 16 should adhere to the Level 1 mitigations from the IDPH All Sports Policy until at least November 19. The Board cited rising COVID-19 cases in the state and a recent membership survey for this recommendation. The Board plans to provide more direction on basketball practice and games following the meeting on November 19.

Fulton High School will allow boys and girls basketball to begin practice on November 16th, following Level 1 mitigations from the IDPH. We will wait until after the IHSA’s board meeting on November 19th to make any further decisions on boys and girls basketball. 

River Bend Families,

With the recent downgrade in Covid Region 1, I wanted to provide an update. Schools are exempt from the additional restrictions. However, we will continue to work very diligently, to keep our spaces clean, continue wearing our masks, socially distance, and wash hands frequently.

Overall, River Bend Schools have had a great first quarter. Our PK-5 buildings have had zero positive student cases. River Bend Middle School has only had 3 positive cases. Fulton High School has averaged about 2 positive student cases per week. We have also only had 2 positive staff cases. On a daily basis we average about 8-12 student quarantines due to family exposure, positive family cases, or symptoms. Staff have needed to quarantine at times as well. Thank you all for informing us as early as possible when your children have symptoms or you have a positive case in your household. Please keep up the great work! As I monitor the 61252 and 61230 zip codes and compare the data to the rest of Whiteside County, we have seen a smaller number of increasing COVID cases compared to the surrounding communities. I am grateful that Fulton and Albany areas remain vigilant with COVID precautions.

Updates:

1. Return to Five Days a week - Starting Monday, November 23rd, all our buildings will bring back students on Mondays. Because we continue to serve about 90 families in the remote setting, our school day will continue to end around 1:00 PM. A decision to extend the school day is being evaluated and considered.
2. All students will be on-site by Wednesday, November 4th - We appreciate your patience as we have scaled to full capacity. Having all students on-site and maintaining COVID precautions is challenging, but doable. The teachers and support staff have worked diligently to manage the many new practices that follow adding students safely. We are excited to see the students each day. Today a bus was added to the Albany routes. Specific students on buses 10 and 2 will be shifted to newly added bus 4. Students/families needing to change buses will be notified by mid-week.
3. Parent/Teacher Conferences are Monday, November 2nd - Each of the schools have sent out emails or made phone calls to schedule a conference. Conferences will take place virtually, by phone, or in-person. A virtual conference is preferred to maintain COVID precautions. Please contact your child’s teacher if a conference has not been scheduled and you would like to meet with the teacher.
4. Flu Shots being offered at FHS and RBMS- Both schools have sent out information that provides details about a $20 flat fee flu shot to be given by CGH staff on-site at each school. Flu shots will be given on October 29th and 30th in the morning.
5. Athletic Activities- We are closely monitoring what athletic activities the Governor, IHSA, and IESA will allow. As soon as a determination is made River Bend will be ready to offer athletic activities that meet the COVID safety standards.

Gratefully- Darryl Hogue