PRINT ARTICLE

We would like to again thank everyone for celebrating Teacher Appreciation Week with us! We have enjoyed seeing parents, students, and colleagues showing their appreciation to teachers and all staff through videos, posters, and many other kind gestures. These acts are heartening reminders of the support, kindness and generosity of our Geneva 304 community. This week, the District also recognized National School Nurse Day. Our school nurses work hard to ensure our students and learning community are safe, healthy, and ready to learn, and we truly appreciate them. I would like to echo the sentiment in the celebratory video that the District posted on social media (which you can also view at this link): Thank you to all Geneva 304 staff for your continuous hard work and dedication to our students! 

This week, Gov. Pritzker rolled out a plan called “Restore Illinois,” which includes a phased approach to reopening our state, including public school buildings, under the guidance of the Illinois Department of Public Health. In light of this information, we acknowledge that until further guidance is provided, much uncertainty remains regarding what learning may look like for our students when school resumes in the fall. While I understand the ambiguity that this plan presents, I want to assure you that the District is considering a wide variety of approaches and developing potential plans that could be implemented based on forthcoming guidance. As we explore possible scenarios for the beginning of our 2020-21 school year, we will remain focused on providing our students with the very best education, and we will continue to communicate new developments with you. Please continue to find answers to Frequently Asked Questions, which are available on our website at this link.  

I would also like to provide you with the update that we are making final preparations for end-of-year pickup and/or drop-off of student belongings and school materials. These plans will look a bit different at each building and level, due to the nature of the student needs being so different at each grade, but one consistency remains: our attention to the safety and security of our students and staff. In these plans, which you can expect to hear more about from your building principal in the coming days, procedures will be outlined regarding social distancing and safety measures. Our administrators and Operations & Maintenance staff have been working hard on these plans, and we thank our families for their patience.  

In the spirit of #LearningTogether304, I hope your students have enjoyed the readings that I have been sharing each week. I would like to dedicate this week’s reading to our Geneva High School Graduating Class of 2020, which you can view at this link. I have chosen this classic book by Dr. Seuss to share, because of its message of perseverance, hope, and success. I also hope that children of all grades can enjoy it and find meaning and enjoyment in the text. It is so important to continue quality learning in our remote educational process to best prepare our students for next year and their futures! 

Thank you again for your partnership, and for your continued grace and patience during this unique pandemic situation. We will continue to communicate updates with you as we navigate this situation together.  

Dr. Kent Mutchler?