​As we near the end of our second week of remote learning we know that our families are apprehensive about the future plans for in person learning at PORTA.    Currently, we have 7 staff members (teachers, aides and a driver) who are Covid positive and 10 others who are in quarantine due to being symptomatic or in close contact with Covid Positive cases.  We also have 4 students who are Covid Positive and 22 others who are quarantined due to being symptomatic.  At this point we expect the majority of staff to be released from Quarantine or recovered from the Virus by the 21st of September.  We will likely have two staff members who will not be eligible to return next week.  As such, we are planning to return to face to face learning on the 21st of September.  We will continue to monitor our students and staff for active cases and symptoms on a daily basis and if we see a change that would indicate a need to return to remote learning we will do so.  So, as of today, Group A students will be in session on Sept. 21 and Group B students will be remote learning until September 24th at which time they will begin in person learning. 
Please continue to self-certify on a daily basis so that we can monitor potential issues as we move closer to our return date. 
We look forward to our return to in person learning and hope to continue offering a more traditional educational opportunities as we move forward.
 
Have a quiet and safe weekend.

After our first week of full remote learning we hope that everyone at home is able to maintain connections with staff and the plan is working for everyone.  As you know we were forced to move to full remote because we had a sudden increase in staff members who were either Covid positive or were symptomatic and in need of quarantine.  Currently, we have 6 staff members (teachers, aides and a driver) who are Covid positive and 12 others who are in quarantine due to being symptomatic or in close contact with Covid Positive cases.  We also have 1 student who is Covid Positive and 16 others who are quarantined due to being symptomatic.  For daily information on our Covid rates please look to the PORTA Webpage, as we have added a widget in the upper right hand corner that will lead you to daily Covid information. 
I am sure many of you are wondering if we will extend the remote learning or will return to face to face learning on the 21st of September.  While it is our preference to return to face to face learning on the 21st we will not make a final decision until we have a better grasp on our local positivity and quarantine rates.  We will need to have a better understanding of our staffing needs for the 21st and if we make a decision too early we would likely be forced to change our decision at some later point.  We will try to have a decision for our families by midweek and we hope that decision is a positive one.
We will begin delivering meals on Monday.  Drivers will contact families tonight or this weekend to give approximate times for meal drop-offs and locations.  I would like to commend our Transportation team they have worked very hard this week to ensure we could successfully deliver meals on a daily basis for the remainder of the semester. 
In closing, please contact your principal’s office and/or your teacher if you are having difficulties with technology or your student is in need of other helpful services, such as our counselors and social workers.   All services are available and during times like these we need to be vigilant to protect our students. 
 
Have a quiet and safe weekend.

​Good Afternoon,
 
As we begin a two week full remote period we would like to offer some additional information.  To begin we will ask that families continue to self-certify on a daily basis so that we can monitor symptomatic students and staff over the next two weeks. 
Tomorrow, Wednesday September 9th will be a normal full remote Wednesday for our students and as such should be in contact with their teachers for expectations for the day and then Thursday, Sept 10th will be a full remote learning day for students, they should be checking in with their teacher at the beginning of the school day and moving through their schedules as normal.  If students are in need of supplies, technology or textbooks please contact your Principal’s office to make arrangements to pick up those needed items.  The district will continue to provide lunches on a daily basis.  We ask that lunches be picked up between the hours of 10 AM and Noon at your schools location, if your students attend multiple schools you may pick up your meals at one site.  We will begin delivery on Monday Sept 14, so if you would like to participate in the meal program please email lunch@porta202.org, or complete our meal survey at this Link “Meal Survey” if you haven’t done so already.
 
Throughout this two week remote learning period, Athletic activities will continue as planned unless individual members on those programs are affected by COVID and protocol dictates closure of the activity. 
 
As far as COVID activity in the District we currently have 7 staff members; two of which are positive and 5 of which are being tested or are symptomatic at this time.  Of those staff members 6 are housed at Central and one at the Elementary.   From student standpoint we have zero positive cases, but we do have 19 students  (4 Jr/Sr High, 9 Central, 6 Elementary) who are quarantined at this time because they have not passed the daily screening or have been in contact with a known/suspected COVID case.  We have only learned of our first positive case this past Friday evening and all subsequent cases positive or symptomatic have occurred since Friday Evening.  If we believe you child was in contact with a COVID Positive Staff member or Student we have and will contact families individually so that we can maintain some sort of privacy for those affected by the case. 
Daily, we clean buildings and sanitize each building using special equipment during the evening hours.  In cases where we know we have suspected or positive cases we focus our attention to the spaces that person has occupied at school to insure we have sanitized our grounds for everyone’s safety.
 
We would like to note that cases we are seeing locally have nothing to do with festivities associated with Menard County this past weekend.  Unfortunately, our cases came unexpectedly even though our staff and students have been very vigilant about facemask wearing and social distancing.

​The PORTA District has seen a rapid increase in Covid Positive and symptomatic cases in our staff in the past two days.  As a result the District will move to full remote teaching.  Tomorrow, September 8th 2020 will be a remote planning day for staff, as such students will not log on tomorrow for learning.  Remote Learning will begin on Wednesday Sept 9th.  If your student needs supplies, books or technology from the school please contact your building’s office tomorrow to make arrangements to pick those materials up.  This phase of remote learning will continue until Sept 18th with in-person resuming on Sept 21st for Group A Students and September 24th for Group B students. 
Meals may be picked up at your building between the hours of 10 am and 12 noon this week, with Meal delivery beginning on Monday September 14th.  If you are in need of a meal and are unable to pick those meals up between the state hours please call your principal’s office to arrange for another pick-up time.
 
We apologize for this closure, we had high hopes to continue our in-person learning plan that has been very successful to this point and look forward to Sept. 21, 2020 and the return to our face to face learning.  If you have questions please contact your Principal’s office.

​The Department of Agriculture notified districts that we were allowed a waiver to provide meals under the Summer Meal program free of charge to PORTA Families with children 18 or under.  As such, beginning Sept.1 2020 all meals served will be free for all students 18 or under.  These meals will be very similar to meals served from March through August of this past summer and follow a different set of nutritional guidelines.  Anyone who was charged for a meal on Sept 1, 2020 will have their accounts reimbursed.  As noted, last week we planned on beginning delivery for meals on September 8, 2020 but will now begin delivery for meals on September 14, 2020.  We expect to have a large influx of meals to provide and need to insure we have enough supplies to meet our orders.  Remote learners who are interested in meal delivery please complete the “Remote Learning Meals” survey so that we can create a route and deliver meals reliably.  Meals can also be pickup at any of the school locations, but again we would like to be notified of your choice so we can prepare for the meal service. Each meal will include breakfast and lunch for the day.  If interested in meal delivery or will pick up meals on a daily basis please contact your Principals office or email your families intentions and number of participants each day to lunch@porta202.org.
 
Who can participate?  Anybody in the household 18 or under and/or are a current student in the PORTA Schools.
 
When are Pick-ups?  Beginning Sept 8, 2020 multiple meals will be provided each day.  Delivery routes will be developed around current bus routes.  Drivers will call families in the coming days to give delivery information and ask if families will be participating. 
 
Do we have to qualify for Free/Reduced Lunch to participate?  No, all members in any house in the PORTA District who are current students or are 18 or under are qualified. 
 
Do we have to participate every day?  No, but it is much easier to maintain a meal count each delivery day if we have a fairly consistent usage by our participants.  We encourage families who utilize the service to continue each day.
 
Can I pick-up meals for multiple families?  Yes, you can pick-up meals for multiple families if that takes the stress off of families.  Just let those who are delivering the meals know that you are helping other families in our district and we will help you out.
 
 
How long will the program run?  The program is scheduled to run from September 1, 2020 to the end of the first semester (Dec 18, 2020).  If participation levels are reduced significantly the School District will reevaluate the program and make changes accordingly.

Good Afternoon, 
This is a reminder that students are eligible to receive meals on remote learning days.  Students who qualify for Free or Reduced meals may continue to receive those meals for free or low cost and those students who are paid may also request meals from the school on their remote days.  During the week of August 31, 2020 we will track the number of meals and those who have asked for them to determine the best form of distribution moving forward.  During the Week of August 31, meals may be picked up at the building your student attends or if you have multiple buildings your children attend please choose any one building to gather your daily meals.  We are working on a schedule to begin meal delivery following Labor Day weekend.  
If you would like your student to take part in the daily meals (breakfast and Lunch) we ask that you sign up on a weekly basis so that we can track meals for the National School lunch program and can plan for appropriate amount of supplies each week.  Pick up times for the week of August 31, 2020 will be from 10-12pm.  As we develop the delivery routes for following weeks we will attempt to have all meals delivered between 10:30 and Noon each day.  
What we need from you?
Please respond to this survey "PORTA Remote Lunch Service" or email lunch@porta202.org or call your schools office and express your desire to take part in the lunch/breakfast program. List the students in your household that will take part.  Tell us if they want Breakfast or Lunch or both for the week of August 31, 2020, the week of Sept 7, 2020 and Sept 14, 2020.  As we gather information we will report out on delivery times and schedules that should start after Labor Day.  Please remember meals during the week of August 31, 2020 will be for pick-up only.  If you cannot take advantage of the meals next week, but will participate when delivery service begins please let us know.

One final message prior to the start of the school year.  We are excited to start on Monday with our Group “A” Students who will also be in attendance on Tuesday, both days will be a full day of attendance.  Then we will gear up for our Group “B” students return to school on Thursday and Friday also for full days.  If you are in group “B” you will have no classroom expectations while Group “A” is in session on Monday and Tuesday and the same would hold true for Group “A” on Thursday and Friday while Group “B” is in session.  We are utilizing this first week to acclimate students to our plan and preparing them for remote learning as well.  Those students who are fully remote are being asked to attend an orientation on Wednesday August 26th from 9-10AM:  7-12 students will attend an orientation at the Jr/Sr High and 3-6 full remote students will attend orientation at PORTA Central.  We ask that 3rd-6th students be accompanied by one parent.
 
We have created a new link on the PORTA Website under “Forms and Documents” where you can find items that will help you understand our calendar, the first week of school, progression of events if students/staff are exposed to COVID, Return to Learn expectations, and how to access your Skyward Family page to complete the daily Covid screener. 
We will be asking each parent/guardian to complete the screener every day of the week, which includes those remote learning days, for all students.
 
Other items you may be wondering about:  What if I don’t have a computer?  Don’t worry, we will assign a computer to those who have no access at home.  We will make final determinations of your needs in the next week and assign a Chromebook to those students in need.
 
What if my internet is not adequate or I don’t have internet?  The district is collecting information on family’s connectivity and working to help them find solutions to their internet problems.  In some cases finding a provider that works well might be easily done, but in other cases we might need to be creative in how we find internet connectivity for your family.  Again, please contact your principal’s office if you have no internet or have concerns with your internet and we will help in some way to get you connected.
 
What will my Child’s Day Look Like? The truth is that at every grade level your child’s day might be somewhat different.  As students increase in age, we will have higher expectations of their abilities to work on line with our staff in real time.  The best way to determine what your child’s day will look like is to contact your teacher and/or principal.  Teachers, especially at the K-6, level have been making personal contacts with parents preparing them for the upcoming weeks and additional information will be sent through Classroom DOJO, Remind apps, district email and newsletters and website.  One consistent pattern across the district is that we are focused on keeping students socially distanced and wearing masks.
 
What about lunch? The school district is required to follow National School Lunch guidelines and as such students who qualify for free/reduced lunch may receive meals (Breakfast and Lunch) for free and reduced and those who are paid may also pay for those same meals.  We are required to track student usage daily and as such will provide meals to both in person learning students as well as remote students on a daily basis.  If your student is remotely learning and would like a meal we will ask that you contact your principal’s office and notify them of your choice or email lunch@porta202.org your preference and students names and grades.  During the first weeks of school we will ask parents of remote students who choose school meals to pick those meals up between 10 am and noon each day at their buildings.  As we move forward, we will investigate and develop a method of delivery for meals, especially if we are required to be fully remote.

Today we will share information from the IDPH on Covid-19 return and quarantine protocols, our beginning of the year school schedule, Lunch and Breakfast updates and daily self-certification routines. 
We are just a little over a week away from beginning the 2020-21 school term and as you can imagine this school year will not start off as normal and will likely see many changes throughout the school year.  Students will attend in split “A/B” groups beginning Monday August 24th.  During the first week of school Group “A” will meet on August 24 and 25th and Group “B” will meet on August 27th and 28th for orientation and preparation for the following weeks of instruction. All 7-12 students who have chosen to be fully remote will meet on Wednesday August 26th at 9AM at the High School for orientation, which will last approximately an hour.  The School year will begin with full days of attendance or 8:00pm to 3:15pm for Groups A and B.
We will ask parents to self-certify their students each day of the week, including those days when your student is remote learning.  If you look at your Skyward family access page you will see that on the front page each of your children will have a link to a very short two question self-certification page.  Please answer those questions and send.  Our administrative team and office staff will be tracking responses daily ensuring students have certified daily.  For those who have not self-certified, we will make arrangements to check those students as soon as they arrive at school and if any symptoms exist students will be quarantined and parents called to retrieve their child.  Again, we will ask parents to compete the self-certification each morning even if their student is learning remotely.
 
This was the final week of the summer meal program and we would like to thank all of you who participated.  We would also like to recognize our Cafeteria staff and Menard County Housing partners for all their hard work.  During the months of June, July and August we provided 23,026 meals, quite an accomplishment.  As the New Year nears we will start the school year under the normal National School Lunch Plan that everyone is accustom.  We will provide meals at a cost to those who do not qualify for Free/Reduce meals.  If you feel your family will be interested in meals during the school day for your remote education students please email lunch@porta202.org,  your students names, whether they will want breakfast and/or Lunch on those days they are learning remotely.  We will collect the information and determine the best means of providing those meals on a daily basis. 
 
We have provided links on the website, in the District Forms section, to the most recent IDPH question and answer document on returning from COVID exposure, our school Schedule and a return to learn flow chart to help with making determinations for returning to school after contact with Covid-19. 
 
As you have the opportunity to read through these documents you will see that the guidelines we are expected to work within are very stringent and will make it very difficult to manage as we have students and staff present with COVID-19 symptoms.  The fact that we will eventually have a case within the district that will affect numerous students and staff will force the district to consider full remote learning for lengths of time throughout this fall.  Let’s all hope a solution to this virus that will allow us to return to school as normal as possible.
We look forward to the return of our students and staff.  See you soon.

​The PORTA Board of Education met last evening to finalize a return to learn plan.  After careful consideration of the requirements placed on the district to insure social distancing, face-mask wearing, regular and thorough cleaning and minimizing of 50 or less people in a space, the district has decided to begin the school year utilizing an A/B Split schedule.  In short an A/B Split schedule will allow for half the class to learn in person on their scheduled days. For instance if a student is in group “A” they will attend on Monday and Tuesday and remote learn on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.  If your student is in Group “B” they will remote learn on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and be in-person on Thursday and Friday.  In some instances students will be invited to attend four days a week if they have special educational needs or programming and those will be determined on a student by student basis.  The process of determining who will be in Group “A” or “B” will begin by a simple split of student by alphabetical order by last name, beginning with Group “A” including last names beginning with A-K and Group “B” comprised of those with last names L-Z.  Obviously, there will be exceptions to this order which might include insuring families attend on the same day, a need to balance classroom sizes, as well as other exceptions.  Your building principal will contact families individually next week to notify you of exceptions that may affect your family.  If you are not contacted please take note of the group your child is initially assigned to by Alphabetical order.
 
Group “A” students will begin on August 24th and 25th and will utilize the first two days for orientation to our new plan. Group “B” Students will begin August 27th and 28th for their orientation.  Those students who are opting for the full remote learning option will be required to attend an in-person orientation on August 26th at 9AM. We anticipate this orientation will last approximately an hour.  Beginning August 31st, students will begin attending in their prospective groups and remote learning on those days they are not assigned to in-person learning.
 
All students, in-person or remote, will have access to daily lunch and breakfast.  Our lunch program will follow National Lunch program guidelines and will be very similar to the normal lunch program.  Students who qualify for Free or reduced meals will be able to receive those meals at their normal rate and those paid participants will continue to pay for meals if they choose.  Remote students may pick-up meals if they choose.
 
All parents, remote or in-person learners will be required to certify that children are symptom free prior to the school day start.  We are developing a system similar to our school reach call system that will text a daily self-certification form to each family to complete.  The form will consist two or three simple check off questions to be sent back to the district. 
 
Please stay in contact with our various social media, website and newsletter outreach opportunities so that we can continue to update you on daily schedules, expectations for students and any changes that may occur between now and the beginning of the school term.  Please have patience as we are sorting out issues and creating solutions as fast as we can.  If you have questions, concerns or solutions please feel free to seek out your building principal.  

Hello PORTA Families. Please take the time to read our short update on our fall return to learn plans.  After we have gathered information at registration on the number of students planning on beginning the school year utilizing remote learning, we will have a better understanding of our classroom and building spaces.  With this knowledge we will be able to determine if we can maintain social distancing guidelines in classrooms, lunch areas, etc.  We have surveyed parents and staff and will use that information in conjunction with registration data to make a final recommendation to the Board of Education in the upcoming week. Our “Return to Learn” plans remain the same at this point and I would expect that we will have a final decision very soon on whether to return to a full 5 day schedule or incorporate a split schedule at the beginning of the school term.  Again, that determination will be based on our ability to meet Illinois State Board of Education Mandates for social distancing, wearing of face masks and meeting a 50 person per space limit for large groups.  We have made a final decision for the PREK return to learn and at this point we will offer a split week schedule for our PREK Students, so that we can individualize manipulatives and play items to ensure a safer environment.   Our PREK families will also be offered an online curriculum for those who choose not to attend or are not in session as a result of the split schedule.  Information on the PREK format was made available during registration and you can expect your student’s teacher to offer more information in the near future.
 
As you know by now the Governor and IHSA have cancelled most sporting events for late summer and early fall.  At this point Cross Country, Golf and Swimming will continue to be offered at the High School level and we expect the IESA to reverse its decision from last week and allow Softball/Baseball, Golf and Cross Country as well.
 
As we move forward we want to reiterate that families need to be prepared for another lengthy shutdown of the schools this fall.  We have already seen the Governor’s warnings this week and increasing COVID-19 cases and so we can only believe that a shutdown will be imminent if these trends continue.  As such this is a great time to determine if your internet and technology access is adequate and if it is not please investigate options that may be available to you.  The district is currently working on acquiring hotspots and working on programs with local providers to ensure access for families.  If you are unable to garner access please contact your Principals office and let them know your situation.  We will ask you several questions to determine who/what companies might be able to offer access and then help you get the access needed to take part in an online distance learning scenario. 
 
There are many things that can change in the next few weeks, as we are constantly affected by decisions made at the National and State Executive levels.  We are also being affected by COVID-19 delays in materials and shipping for our current construction projects, technology acquisition and in many cases supplies we will need for sanitation and food preparation.  We will do our best to keep everyone up on the latest news so please hang in there and pray for better days and positive decisions.

​Good Morning PORTA Families, This is Matt Brue, PORTA Superintendent bringing you yet another weekly message on our “Return to Learn” plan.  Last week we explained that we will have a backup plan for our Phase four “Return to Learn” portion, that included split weeks for our students, but our first choice is to start the year 5 days a week, full days and we continue to move forward with this plan.  So, in essence if all things stay the same we will begin on August 24th with students 5 days a week, under normal school times schedules. We will ask parents to self-certify each morning that their children are not exhibiting signs of Covid-19, we will also ask those who are able to transport their children to school to reduce overcrowding on our buses.  Classrooms will be socially distances to the best of our ability, lunches will take place in new and expanded areas and large group classes such as PE, Band and Choir will see alterations to make them more social distancing friendly.  Students and staff will be asked to wear a mask that is comfortable for them during this stage four “Return to Learn” plan.  While mask wearing is a state requirement, we understand there is some controversy over this mandate, and we hope that we can overcome issues that result from mask wearing.  We would encourage families to practice and model face-mask wearing between now and the beginning of the school term.  We would also encourage having fun with the process by purchasing masks that fit your personality, novelty masks or variations of traditional masks that are more comfortable for you and your children.
For those families who decide not to return to face-to-face learning in Stage 4, we will be offering remote learning in real time for our grades 3-12 students.  Students will access the live classroom, through google classroom and participate as if they were physically present. 
Grades K-2 are particularly difficult to plan for and so we have decided to utilize an online curriculum that is a home-school platform, making it easier for parents to offer a good educational experience to their young children. Additionally, we will be offering supplemental small group activities with our teaching and ParaPro staff to help parents through the teaching and learning process.  As we solidify our online choices and practices for our “return to learn” plan we will be reporting back to families.  While this is a summary of our plan the full plan can be found on our website at www.porta202.org. 
We do ask that parents be prepared to return to Stage 3 full remote learning, we will do our very best to prepare students and families early in the school year if we are able to meet face to face.  We also understand that this plan does not meet everyone’s needs but it does meet the majority of family’s personal needs. We will continue to tune our plan and take into consideration changes that take place between now and the start of the school year.  As we begin school we will monitor our communities local health issues along with our county health officials and make informed choices on when and if we need to alter our plans.

Things are changing daily and information I shared today may be different next week so please begin to take steps for the return of your students to in person learning by purchasing masks and reinforcing social distancing and hand washing.


​Registration for K-6 will take place at “Roots” on July 30 from noon to 7PM and on July 31 7AM to 11 AM. Registration packets will be mailed or arranged for pickup at the end the July 13th week or early in the week of the July 20th.
Families may pickup registration packets at PORTA Central beginning on Monday, July 20th from 9:00-11:00, Tuesday, July 21st from 4:00-6:00p.m. and Wednesday, July 22 from 9:00-11:00.  Parents will take packets home to fill out and then return them with fee payment on July 30 from Noon-7:00p.m. at Roots and also Friday, July 31 from 7:00-11:00a.m. at Roots.
 
Jr/Sr High registration packets will be mailed between July 17th and 24th and registration will be held at the Jr/Sr high on July 30 (noon to 7pm) and 31st (7am-11AM) for new students.

Link to School Calendar


​In a continued effort to inform our families we would like to offer updates on our continue work towards completing our “Return to Learn” plan for the PORTA District.  This week we have heard from Public officials and physicians that they are advising districts to consider returning to school in smaller groups.  As such, we have added a new element to our “Return to Learn” Plan.  As you know from last week’s report our first plan is to offering in-person teaching as we have traditionally in our buildings at the start of the New Year, as long as we are in Stage 4.  As a backup to our 1st choice we have also developed a plan that will split grades/classrooms in half and those groups will attend in-person on separate days of the week.  Group 1 meeting on Monday and Tuesday as Group two commutes into the classroom via Google meets and then on Thursday and Friday Group two attends in person and Group 1 participates on line.  In this scenario, Wednesday will be a remote learning day, allowing for small group enrichment, scheduled group/office visits and deep cleaning of classrooms.  If we are forced to use this backup plan in August, we will solicit your personal choices for days of attendance to aid in child care needs and understand we will work diligently to ensure families are receiving in person learning on the same days.  We will do our best to meet everyone’s needs, but undoubtedly there will be some that will not receive their first choice.
Grades K-2 are particularly difficult to plan for, but at this point we are considering an online curriculum that is a home-school platform, making it easier for parents to offer a good educational experience to their young children. Additionally, we will be offering supplemental small group activities with our teaching and ParaPro staff to help parents through the teaching and learning process.  As we solidify our online choices and practices for our “return to learn” plan we will be reporting back to families.  We anticipate releasing our plan during the week of July 20th. 
We do ask that parents be prepared to return to Stage 3 full remote learning, we will do our very best to prepare students and families early in the school year if we are able to meet face to face.
 
In the Governor’s message on Wednesday he reiterated the wearing of face-masks, social distancing and enhanced disinfecting, during this stage.  We know the wearing of face-masks is a very controversial issue among residents across all school districts, but we also know that face-masks do make a difference and our goal is to delay or halt any and all closures due to a large outbreak of Covid in our district.  These three simple steps of wearing masks, washing hands and social distancing will be instrumental in staying in school this fall.  As such, we also understand that wearing masks will be difficult for some, so please know that we will do everything we can to give students breaks from the use of masks, through outside social distancing opportunities. 

Things are changing daily and information I shared today may be different next week so please begin to take steps for the return of your students to in person learning by purchasing masks and reinforcing social distancing and hand washing.


​Registration for K-6 will take place at “Roots” on July 30 from noon to 7PM and on July 31 7AM to 11 AM. Registration packets will be mailed or arranged for pickup at the end the July 13th week or early in the week of the July 20th.
Families may pickup registration packets at PORTA Central beginning on Monday, July 20th from 9:00-11:00, Tuesday, July 21st from 4:00-6:00p.m. and Wednesday, July 22 from 9:00-11:00.  Parents will take packets home to fill out and then return them with fee payment on July 30 from Noon-7:00p.m. at Roots and also Friday, July 31 from 7:00-11:00a.m. at Roots.
 
Jr/Sr High registration packets will be mailed between July 17th and 24th and registration will be held at the Jr/Sr high on July 30 (noon to 7pm) and 31st (7am-11AM) for new students.

Pk-6 Registration Info
Families may pickup registration packets at PORTA Central beginning on Monday, July 20th from 9:00-11:00, Tuesday, July 21st from 4:00-6:00p.m. and Wednesday, July 22 from 9:00-11:00.  Parents will take packets home to fill out and then return them with fee payment on July 30 from Noon-7:00p.m. at Roots and also Friday, July 31 from 7:00-11:00a.m. at Roots.Did you Know?  The American Academy of Pediatrics recently stated, "the academic, physical and mental upsides associated with returning children to schools outweigh the risks (of contracting the virus)!

We would like to take this opportunity to offer some information in regards to the beginning of the new school year as our planning continues.  We will be offering in-person teaching as we have traditionally in our buildings at the start of the New Year.  The State of Illinois requires the wearing of face-masks, social distancing and enhanced disinfecting.  We know the wearing of face-masks is a very controversial issue among residents across all school districts, but we also know that face-masks do make a difference and our goal is to delay or halt any and all closures due to a large outbreak of Covid in our district.  These three simple steps of wearing masks, washing hands and social distancing will be instrumental in staying in school this fall.  As such, we also understand that wearing masks will be difficult for some, so please know that we will do everything we can to give students breaks from the use of masks, through outside social distancing opportunities.
Our plan to return will include real time on-line learning opportunities using Google Classroom for Grades 3-12, and likely to some extent in grades K-2.  In Grades 3-12, we will ask parents to choose the learning style prior to the beginning of the school year and if a family chooses on-line learning they will be required to continue the practice until the end of the Quarter in grades 3-6 and Semester in grades 7-12. Students will telecommute into the classroom in real-time, attendance will be taken and those students will be held responsible for work as if they were in-person learning.  We understand some may not have access to computers and internet, as such we will assign a Chromebook to each student in the upcoming school year and help families with no access to find access points.  If students are ill or quarantined due to Covid they will be allowed to utilize on-line learning during the time of sickness/Quarantine and then return to face-to face learning.  In these instances, if students are in attendance via on-line they will be counted as present.
We are continuing to work on plans for self-certification of student health. We will require each family to self-certify students are fever free.  We are considering an app to help with reporting self-certification.  We have contemplated taking temps on buses but Health officials indicate that temperatures can be the least effective method of determining illness simply because a student could be hot from exercise prior to entering the bus and then would not be allowed to enter.  This creates an unacceptable situation of leaving a minor student at the stop without parents knowing the student was not on the way to school.
 
We will ask parents, at registration, to transport their students on a daily basis if they are capable to do so. This action will alleviate social distancing issues on our buses.
We will utilize additional spaces to provide for a safe space for lunch on a daily basis and may consider starting the school year with a box lunch plan to make the transition easier.
 
One note we would like to stress at this time.  When considering educating our K-2 students especially, we cannot express how important it is to have the opportunity to learn in the classroom.  These students are most vulnerable to issues related to distance learning and it will take vast amounts of effort on the part of parents to ensure they are receiving the educational opportunities we offer in our classrooms. As such, please think about importance of in person attendance for your young ones, if this is not an option for you I would contact your teacher to seek advice on manipulatives and materials you will need to offer a valuable experience to your children.
 
Things are changing daily and information I shared today may be different next week so please begin to take steps for the return of your students to in person learning by purchasing masks and reinforcing social distancing and hand washing.
 
Important information:
 
Registration for K-6 will take place at “Roots” on July 30 from noon to 7PM and on July 31 7AM to 11 AM. Registration packets will be mailed or arranged for pickup at the end the July 13th week or early in the week of the July 20th.   
Families may pickup registration packets at PORTA Central beginning on Monday, July 20th from 9:00-11:00, Tuesday, July 21st from 4:00-6:00p.m. and Wednesday, July 22 from 9:00-11:00.  Parents will take packets home to fill out and then return them with fee payment on July 30 from Noon-7:00p.m. at Roots and also Friday, July 31 from 7:00-11:00a.m. at Roots.
 
Jr/Sr High registration packets will be mailed between July 17th and 24th and registration will be held at the Jr/Sr high on July 30 (noon to 7pm) and 31st (7am-11AM) for new students.
 
Please Remember we will be continuing the Summer Lunch program with meal pickup on Monday and Wednesday from 9-11.

 The PORTA District is creating our "Return To Learning" Plan for the Fall of 2020 and need information from our families.  This information will help us gauge our families as we consider various options for returning to school this fall and will help us make decision for delivering the best possible educational opportunities for various groups within our community.  Please take the time to complete this survey within the next week to 10 days.  Your assistance is greatly appreciated.
 On June 23, we received guidance from the Illinois State Board of Education.

The mandates are as follows:

*Require use of appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE), including face coverings;
*Prohibit more than 50 individuals from gathering in one space;
*Require social distancing be observed, as much as possible;
*Require that schools conduct symptom screenings and temperature checks or require that individuals self-certify that they are free of symptoms before entering school buildings; and
*Require an increase in school wide cleaning and disinfection.

We fully expect plans to evolve over time, but your responses will help guide our planning to safely reopen schools this fall.  You may also look to our website, Supts Blog and FaceBook for our initial informational pieces on return to school and initial expectations.

This survey will be open from July 1 to July 10.  Please submit a form for each of your school-age children.  

PORTA's goal is to open school in-person and to communicate the Return To Learn Plan on or before July 30, 2020.

Thank you in advance for taking the survey.

​Dear PORTA Staff and Community,
 
I hope this message finds you and your families safe and well. The Illinois State Board of Education recently released guidance for schools on the 2020-21 school year. 
 
This 60-page document , found at this link, has been much anticipated and will go a long way toward answering critical questions all of us share about what the 2020-21 school year will look like in terms of in-person learning, scheduling, transportation, wearing masks, social distancing and other measures intended to keep everyone safe and healthy, while also re-engaging students in the learning process.  
 
Right now, we don’t have all the answers to those questions as this document was released to school districts at the same time it was released to the public. Therefore, we kindly ask for your patience as our staff thoroughly reviews this detailed guidance and implements the suggestions into our district’s own transition plan.
 
The PORTA District is keenly aware of the urgent need to communicate to families about what to expect next school year and anticipate releasing our own transition plan the week of July 27, 2020.  But as we formulate those plans we also understand that many of the requirements passed down to the district are not easily accomplished and are excellent and safe goals but in certain circumstances unlikely to be attainable. So, moving forward we want to express that we will create policies and procedures that support the requirements found in the transition document but we will rely on parents, staff and our community to understand common sense should rule.  We will not alienate students or staff who cannot or refuse to wear a mask in the school buildings, just as we will not alienate those who cannot attend due to health complications or fear of contracting the Covid virus.  As such, our final plan will include face to face learning with the expectation that the vast majority of families expect us to return to some semblance of normal.  Our plan will also include a blended version of online learning that could include students logging into their classroom live on a daily basis and finally in preparation for another school shutdown we will enhance and strengthen our remote learning options.
 
As we move forward we will rely on our community coming together to support our students, staff and families.  We may ask those parents who are capable to drive their students to school each day so that we can attempt to maintain social distancing on our transportation routes on a daily basis for those who cannot drop their students off at school.  We will be creative during our lunch periods, passing times and in those normally large courses like PE so that students are less at risk of spreading covid-19.  There is so much that we have to develop prior to the start of the school year and undoubtedly regardless of our plan we will have instances where our plan does not work for some families.  In these cases we will evaluate the options and determine the best course of action the district can offer.  As such please have patience, understand we develop plans for the majority and alternate plans for those who don’t fall in to the main set of plans.  We all will need to be flexible, understanding and act as a team so that we can provide a quality education to our students.
 
In closing, I am absolutely convinced, as is our Board of Education and PORTA Staff, the best option for our students to succeed is for those students to be in our professional education staff’s classrooms.  We hire the best staff, who love and care for our students, why would we not want to insure our students have the benefit of a quality face to face learning opportunity.
 
Our goals will remain to open our doors in August as we always do.  Yes there will be changes, there will be bumps in the road, but we will overcome BECAUSE WE ARE Bluejays………
 
I will be in touch soon. In the meantime, stay safe and enjoy your summer.
 
Sincerely, 
 
 
Matthew W Brue

Preschool Screenings
PORTA-Greenview Preschool programs have rescheduled the developmental screening for any preschool-aged children. The New screening dates are June 22nd and 23rd at Roots, located at 14305 St. Hwy Rt. 97 in Petersburg.   Areas to be checked include speech, language, movement skills, and basic concepts.  The screening takes approximately 1 hour to complete. 
 
If you previously had a date and time scheduled, you will keep your time, but come on the new date.  If you were scheduled for March 17th, you will now come on June 22nd, and if you were scheduled for March 18th, you will come on June 23rd at your time.

If you have any questions, please email Jill Hoke at jhoke@porta202.org or Matt Brue at mbrue@porta202.org 

Children turning 3 & 4 before September 1st, who are living in the PORTA or Greenview School District, are encouraged to attend.  If your child is not age-eligible at the time of screenings, but will be 3 in August, please bring them.  Please don’t wait to have your child screened!  Our program fills up quickly, and then students go on a waiting list.  Children must be screened in order to be considered for the 2020-2021 PORTA-Greenview Preschool programs.

​

The 8th grade recognition virtual event video will be available for viewing at 7:00pm tomorrow (Thursday, May 28th) at this link: 
https://youtu.be/r52KmEePeyQ  ​

​The PORTA School District, in conjunction with Menard County Housing and volunteers from Oakford and Tallula will be offering continued summer meals service.  The current service Program will be extended until May 29th, with pickup for meals continuing from 9-11 begin picked up at Central, Tallula, Oakford, NSPOA camp ground and Menard Electric.  Beginning June 1, 2020 the new summer meal program will begin.  Pick-up times will continue to be 9-11 AM on Monday and Wednesday of each week.  Monday two lunches and breakfast meals will be provided and on Wednesday, three of each meal will be provided.  We hope to reduce the number of trips to collect meals so that it will be less of a burden on our participants.  Central School will be the main pickup point and we will also be delivering meals to the Oakford town hall and to the Park Pavilion across from the Tallula School house on Monday’s and Wednesday’s as well. 
 
Who can participate?  Anybody in the household 18 or under and/or are a current student in the PORTA Schools.
 
When are Pick-ups?  Beginning June 1, 2020, Monday and Wednesday of each week.  Multiple meals will be provided each day.
 
Do we have to qualify for Free/Reduced Lunch to participate?  No, all members in any house in the PORTA District who are current students or are 18 or under are qualified. 
 
Do we have to participate every day?  No, but it is much easier to maintain a meal count each delivery day if we have a fairly consistent usage by our participants.  We encourage families who have utilized the service up to this point to continue.
 
Can I pick-up meals for multiple families?  Yes, you can pick-up meals for multiple families if that takes the stress off of families.  Just let those who are volunteering know that you are helping other families in our district and we will help you out.
 
Why only Three locations for pick-up?  Since this is a free program the District will receive reimbursement from the National School Lunch Program for meals provided.  In order to provide these meals and insure the district does not deficit spend running the program meal delivery as it has been done in the past had to be reduced.
 
How long with the program run?  The program is scheduled to run from June 28- August 14, 2020.  If participation levels are reduced significantly the School District will reevaluate the program and make changes accordingly.

Final Day, May 15th, Homework/material drop-off.
 
Petersburg Elementary
May 14th 5-7
May 15th 9-11
Drop-off will take place in the lower parking lot
 
PORTA Central 9:00-3:00.  Please turn in all Chromebooks, textbooks, library books and band instruments that have been loaned out.  Also this is the final turn in day for class assignments. Please make sure your name is on those assignments.  Staff will be on hand to check off all items that have been returned.
 
 
The Jr-Sr High will have a drive through drop off/pick up opportunity on Friday morning. Please bring all textbooks, loaned chromebooks, library books, etc. Staff will direct you upon arrival. Plan to stay in your cars in the bus lane and a staff member will come to you. If you can, please place all items to be returned in a bag labeled with your name that you can hand off to the staff member assisting you. If you have a high school locker or a PE locker that needs cleaned out, the student may enter the building but will be asked to wear a mask and keep socially distanced. "Drive through" time assignments are organized as follows: Seniors from 8:00-9:00, students grade 7-11 with last names A-H from 9:00-10:00, last names I-R from 10:00-11:00, and last names S-Z from 11:00 to noon. Please remember this is the last opportunity to drop off homework. Parents, if you have a student who has not engaged in sufficient work during this time of distance learning, you will be contacted later on Friday or Monday to set up a phone conference to explain remediation opportunities for your student. We look forward to seeing you Friday morning!  

​Good Afternoon Bluejay Families, This is a reminder you we have our final homework pickup on April 29th.  For Specific Work Packet information please look to the website, Facebook, Twitter or Supts Blog.  All homework should be returned by May 15th either at the daily drop-off at Central from 9-11 or on May 15, 2020 at individual buildings.  Principals and Teachers will be sending out more information on final homework drop-off, collection of personal items from the buildings and cap and gown pick-up for our graduating seniors. We are working on plans for Prom, Class night, scholarship interviews and Graduation.  Information in regards to all of these events will be forthcoming so please look to your emails and social media information sites.  Mrs. McMahan will be soliciting information from our seniors about their preferences for options for a graduation ceremony and timing of that Ceremony.
 
As for that homework, we understand we have students who are concerned about their GPA as a result of our distance learning program.  Please remember that your GPA will not be affected negatively as long as you are making effort to complete assigned work.  In fact, your GPA can be positively affected if you completed work at a high enough level.  Teachers will utilize May 14-20 to evaluate the work handed in and will adjust grades accordingly.  Please note this is an excellent opportunity for students who may have failing or near failing grades to engage in and complete work and increase their standing towards graduation.   Please complete the work, show effort and engagement in all of your courses and all will be well.
 
In closing, we hope everyone is thinking positive, we are on the home stretch of our school term and as things improve in the State of Illinois we are all hoping and praying that we are able to get out and enjoy our community, family and friends very soon. 
 
Work Packet pick-up
 
Jr/Sr High—9-11 AM—April 29-- High school Main Entrance—Students in grades 7-11 designated as "paper-only" are the only students who should pick up unless notified otherwise by a teacher.
Seniors, we will be doing a cap and gown "pick-up" on this day as well. Seniors are asked to come between the hours of 11:00 and 1:00, if possible, to pick up caps and gowns.  
Please check emails daily! 
Friday, May 15th will be the day for final retrieval of locker items and final drop-off of homework, return of books, technology etc. Watch for additional information regarding how this process will be handled. 
 
 
PORTA Central—9am-1pm—PORTA Central main entrance— Student belongings from their locker and desks will be bagged by staff and available for pickup as well.
 
Petersburg Elementary-9-11 AM and 5-7PM on April 29 at the AM/PM parent drop off and pickup doors on the south side of the gym. 
 
Completed work packet drop-off
 
Completed packets can be dropped off during the listed pick-up times or M-F 9-11AM at PORTA Central. 
 
Meal service will continue through May 27th.  We are currently evaluating a summer meal program and the overall costs of such a program and the service we can offer in relation to cost.

Announcement April 20, 2020
 
With the announcement of school closure through the end of the school term last week.   We have determined that our final student attendance day will be May 15, 2020.  Students will have one more homework pickup date on April 29, 2020 and all work must be completed by May 15, 2020.  Teachers will assign work through May 13, 2020, giving students a chance to complete the final days of work and handing that work in by May 15, 2020.  Our staff will collect all work, evaluate that work and assign final grades on May 18-20th with the expectation grade cards will be posted and/or mailed on May 29, 2020. 
 
We cannot impress upon students and families enough that it is vital that students engage in completing the work that has been and will be assigned through this distance learning.  It is our goal to ensure students are not harmed as a result of the distance learning but we do ask that students participate at a high level.  For those students who chose not to engage or participate in the learning opportunities offered we will be developing additional summer learning opportunities.
 
You will have more communication coming your way via your school principal and teachers so please look to your email, remind app, etc for that information.  Additionally, your building administrator will be developing and communicating plans to retrieve your student’s belongings and dropping off any school materials in your possession.   If you have any questions please contact your administrator or teacher at your earliest convenience. 

We are working on plans to proceed with a graduation, which at this point will not be a traditional ceremony but we will do our best to develop a plan that focuses on our graduates and their families. Please be patient as we have many obstacles to overcome before finalizing a graduation plan

​We learned today that our governor has extended the mandated school closure through the end of the school term.  As for our immediate response to this action we will remind students and their families that we will continue our current distance learning plan. At this time all students should have at least a full week of work to complete before a new round of homework is deployed on or around April 28th.  During the upcoming week we will deliver more information in regards to the next homework pick-up and will also remind everyone to please stay engaged and showing effort towards completing the assigned work.  Jr/Sr High students are reminded to check their school email accts throughout the day to updates and instructions. 
 
In the next week it will be our goal to set the final school calendar which will look significantly different as a result of our mandated school closure and subsequent student attendance rule changes by the State Board of Education.  We would expect that student attendance days will cease earlier than the planned May 27, 2020, but until we can confirm with the State Board we will not produce a final calendar. 
 
We realize this unsettled time has been very difficult on all of us and at this point all we can do is work together to help our students, families and staff successfully bring this school year to a close.  We will be developing schedules for Scholarship awards, Class night, Prom and Graduation as we learn how the State of Illinois will deal with mass gatherings.  Some of our solutions will undoubtedly be presented through online or live footage of traditional ceremonies such as our “Class Night” but in the case of other time honored events we prefer to develop a more traditional ceremony to honor our graduates.
 
Our daily meal program will continue with both breakfast and lunch begin available at many locations from 9-11, M-F.  If interested please email lunch@porta202.org
 
As always, if you have questions, concerns or just want to offer solutions please feel free to share with your teachers, administrators and other school personnel.  Working together we can make the best of this situation. Please be safe and healthy, we miss all of you and look forward to a time when we can all meet together to celebrate life.

Good Morning, We hope all are healthy and keeping busy.  As we finish our fourth week of mandated quarantine we have begun to formalize our Homework Processes.  If you are having any issues with technology, grasping concepts, etc, please contact your teacher and/or administrator​ and we will be more than happy to help out.  We are hoping for the best and planning for the worst at this point.  We will begin to focus on alternatives to time honored traditions like Prom and Graduation and experiment with other options to recognize our students during these unprecedented times. 
 Lets all hope and pray (if you are so inclined) that we will be back in school in a few weeks and we can put this stressful event behind us.

Don't forget that we are serving Breakfast/Lunch meals daily M-F from 9-11.

On April 14 the next round of paper pickup will be taking place at the times listed below.

Work Packet pick-up
 
Jr/Sr High—9-11 AM—April 14-- High school Main Entrance—1. If you have the internet access to be able to work online, you will continue to work online. Teachers will continue communicating with you and assigning work electronically. You only need to come to the school on Tuesday if a teacher specifically tells you they have something for you. 
2. IF you do not have access to work online effectively, your teachers are creating paper copies for you. Those copies should be picked up at the Jr-Sr High School on Tuesday, April 14 anytime between 9:00-11:00am.
 
PORTA Central—9am-1PM—Tuesday April 14 at PORTA Central main entrance—Again paper only packets will be picked up at this time. 
 
Petersburg Elementary-9-11 AM and 5-7PM on April 14 at the AM/PM parent drop off and pickup doors on the south side of the gym. 
 
Completed work packet drop-off
 
Completed packets can be dropped off during the listed pick-up times or M-F 9-11AM at PORTA Central.

​As the school closure has been extended through the month of April the State of Illinois has given revised guidelines on “Remote Learning” and has especially focused on grading of work and engagement by students.  The State Board of Education has made it clear that no educational harm should exist due to “Remote Learning” days and grading should focus on the continuation of learning and prioritize the connectedness and care for students and staff. All students should have the opportunity to redo, make up, or try again to complete and show progress.  As a district we are tasked to both show some sort of attendance data and to show students are making progress.  As such, you and your children will be notified in the coming days that student work will be collected, evaluated and grades and/or completion grades will be entered into the skyward grade book on a regular basis.  This will serve two purposes, 1st parents you will know if an assignment was not completed and secondly we will have some form of data to show student attendance and engagement.  While this completed work may not reduce a student’s grade regardless of the score, it will be evidence that a student is engaged in learning and will give teachers the opportunity to help students remediate issues they are having with work that is sent home. Teachers and administrators will reach out to students who are having difficulties or are not engaging in the work to help them get on track. 
 
Parents, I want to make one point clear, you might see grades that you are not accustom to being entered into skyward.  Please do not be alarmed, as long as your student is making an effort to complete assigned work their current grade as of the end of the 3rd quarter will not be diminished.  If work that is completed is of a quality that a student’s grades will improve then at the end of the quarter we will calculate those totals and insure your student reaps the benefits of their hard work.  Note, the focus on effort and engagement.  In rare cases, we have students who are not engaging at all and in these cases if individual contacts from teachers and administration do not improve the engagement process the district may open summer educational opportunities for those students who refuse to take part in the everyday lessons being offered. 
 
If in fact, we are not able to return to school by the end of the school term our students will have been out of school for 6 months when they return in August.  If a student has not been engaged in some learning prior to the summer months they will undoubtedly be negatively impacted and as such our only recourse will be to require summer work for those students so that they will have a better opportunity to succeed in the upcoming school year.
 
At this time, we believe that students should have acquired enough remote learning materials to suffice until April 14th.  On April 14, 2020 we will once again have another Homework Pick-up day.  Enough Work will be provided on the 14th to last until the end of the current closure period, April 30, 2020.
 
As always if you have questions contact your teacher, your administrator or the district administration and we will be happy to help in anyway.  We will gather work M-F at PORTA Central from 9-11 and all meal delivery buses will also collect completed work during meal deliver time.  If these options are not helpful contact us and we will make arrangements to collect completed work.
 
Homework Collection and grading information by grade level
 
K-6 Grading Guidelines

• It is our top priority that our students are engaged in the activities provided. 
  • Teachers will monitor students' engagement levels, and contact families if student participation is low.
  • If student participation remains low the districts main concern is students will be lacking necessary skills to succeed at next levels.
  • In these rare cases, students who lacked engagement during this closure could be identified for summer school, or alternative educational opportunities.
• Remote learning for students will be deemed by their classroom teacher as complete or incomplete.

• Any completed work received will not negatively impact students' grades, but can positively impact their overall grade.
• For students not taking advantage of Remote learning.  Their final grade calculations will be an average of quarters 1-3, if we do not return to school this year. 
• Students at risk of retention will be contacted by school representatives.

 
7-12 Grading Guidelines
 
A lot of information (including some conflicting information) has been released regarding expectations for completion of work and how student work will be graded. We'd like to clarify that for you now. 
1. We expect you to complete all work assigned. 
2.  The Governor is requiring that grading during this time will not hurt students' overall grades. So long as you are engaging in the course and regularly completing work, your overall grade will not fall below what it was prior to the closure. You may see it fluctuate throughout the quarter, but we will address final grades at the end of the semester. 
3. If you complete less than 60% of assigned work, summer school or other educational remediation will be the necessary next step required to earn credit for the course. Keep in mind that this is a great opportunity to work at raising your grades beyond where they were at the end of 3rd quarter. Similarly, if you ended 3rd quarter in jeopardy of failing a course, your performance during 4th quarter (including this time of distance learning) will determine your pass/fail status for the course. 
4. If you require paper copies for your work, the next pickup day will be Tuesday, April 14 from 9:00-11:00am. At this time, students requiring paper copies of work will receive work for April 14-30.