Dear Bateman Family,

It has been so exciting to kick off the 2021-22 School Year last week! Thank you for your partnership as we continue to navigate education during this global pandemic. Our students did a fantastic job and our staff’s significant efforts generated an inclusive, welcoming environment to begin the year.

Thank you for your understanding and ongoing cooperation with our COVID-19 prevention policies and procedures to help protect our children, our families, and our staff and their families. We will continue to enforce safe practices to prevent, promptly identify, and respond to potential COVID-19 cases. We have received several questions regarding individual circumstances and have categorized the concerns to address common questions below.
 

COVID-19 Protocol Reminders
Please be reminded that if you do receive a positive test result, it is imperative that you report the positive results to the Office of Student Health & Wellness or call 773-553-KIDS. Only self-reported cases will indicate the need for next steps in our district. Transparency is key to ensuring all of our students remain safe.

2021-22 Opening of School Plans: The CPS external guidance will continue to be updated on SY22 External Guidance: Parents, Educators, and Partners as this year unfolds. Please review the varying scenarios:

Children with Symptoms at Home

If….

• A child is sick with any COVID-19 symptoms (Fever 100.4 or higher, chills, cough, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, sore throat, new loss of taste or smell, new muscle or body aches, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, runny nose or congestion, fatigue)

Then…

• Call your child’s healthcare provider

• Get child tested for COVID-19 and stay home while awaiting results

• Inform your childs’ teachers of any absence and complete an absence note

• Negative COVID-19 results:  

  • Stay home until illness is over

  • Symptoms have steadily improved

  • Fever free for 24 hrs without medication

  • No uncontrollable cough

  • No vomiting or diarrhea for 24 hrs

  • Siblings should stay home until a negative test result or alternative diagnosis is received for the symptomatic child. 

• Positive COVID results:  

  • The student must isolate for 10 days from start of illness

  • Non fully vaccinated household members (siblings, etc.) must quarantine 14 days from the date of last contact or end of student’s isolation)

Child/Staff  Exhibits Symptoms During School
Please reference the Sick Student Guide for Families 

If…

• A child or staff member exhibits COVID-like symptoms at school, including a Fever (100.4°F or higher), New onset of moderate to severe headache, Shortness of breath, New cough, Sore throat, Vomiting, Diarrhea, New loss of sense of taste or smell, Fatigue from unknown cause, Muscle or body aches from unknown cause

Then…

• Students and staff MUST remain home from school for at least 10 days AND improvement of symptoms OR until they receive negative test results OR alternative diagnosis. Siblings should stay home until a negative test result or alternative diagnosis is received for the symptomatic child.

  • If negative, they can return to school following a negative test:

    • At a minimum, the individual must be fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication and have had no diarrhea or vomiting in the previous 24 hours. Other diseases have specific criteria for when a student or staff member can return to school.

    • A doctor’s note documenting the alternative diagnosis or a negative COVID-19 test result should accompany a student or staff member returning to school with an alternative diagnosis after experiencing COVID-like symptoms. 

  • If diagnosed with an alternative diagnosis, they must meet the criteria for returning to school for the illness with which they have been diagnosed. A doctor’s note must accompany the child to return to school.

  • If positive, please report their results to the Office of Student Health and Wellness cps.edu/COVIDresults.

  • If they do not test, they must stay home for 10 days from the onset of symptoms AND for 24 hours (without fever reducing medication) AND improvement of symptoms. 

• All students and staff sent home with COVID-like symptoms should be sent home and isolated until they are diagnostically tested.

• Vaccination status does not impact those experiencing COVID-like symptoms. Those experiencing COVID-like symptoms must stay home and get tested regardless of vaccination status. 

COVID-19 Close Contact at Home
COVID-19 Protocol for Families | Protocolo COVID-19 para familias

If…

• Someone (household member, friend, or visitor) that the student was in close contact with has tested positive.

Then…

• Entire household must quarantine for 14 days from the last date of exposure.

• Testing is encouraged between 3-5 days after the last date of exposure.

• COVID-19 positive person must isolate for 10 days from start of the illness (or 10 days from the date of test if no symptoms)

• Fully vaccinated household members who are not experiencing symptoms do not need to quarantine. It is recommended that they be tested 3-5 days after the last day of exposure

COVID-19 Positive Exposure in Classroom
CPS Protocol for Positive Case | CPS Protocolo para un Caso Positivo
How does contact tracing work? | ¿Cómo funciona el rastreo de contactos?

If…

• A child or staff member tests positive for COVID-19

Then…

• It is imperative that the parent report the positive case to CPS at cps.edu/covidresults so that the contact tracing can begin

• When a confirmed or probable case of COVID-19 is identified in school, the CPS contact tracing team will determine if the individual was in the building while contagious and establish who were close contacts

• After completing an interview with the individual who tested positive and reviewing entrance logs of the school, the contact tracing team will notify any individuals who were identified as close contact of the need to quarantine for 10 days and will be provided a return to school date 

• Quarantined students will be provided chromebooks for remote instruction 

• The school will send a notification informing the community when a confirmed case was present in the building

• Siblings of students in different classrooms are considered secondary exposure and will not be required to quarantine

Domestic Travel
CPS Travel Guidance

If…

• A family decides to travel and is returning from a high-risk (orange) state

Then…

• Get tested with a viral test 3-5 days after travel AND stay home and self-quarantine for a full 7 days.

• Even if you test negative, stay home and self-quarantine for the full 7 days.

• If you don’t get tested, stay home and self-quarantine for 10 days after travel.

• Fully vaccinated travelers are not required to quarantine if they are asymptomatic and fully vaccinated. They must monitor their health for 14 days after travel and if they experience symptoms potentially consistent with COVID-19, they must self-isolate until clinical evaluation and COVID testing.

Instructional Support for COVID-19 Quarantined Students: Students under a COVID-19 quarantine (not including for travel) will be provided a connection to their classes through a combination of live-streamed broadcasts of their classes and access to materials and lessons through our learning management systems (Seesaw and/or Google Classroom). As our teachers focus on the students within their classes, instructional support for COVID-19 Quarantined Students will differ from previous hybrid and remote learning and look different for various grade levels. Staff will need 24-hours’ notice to post Zoom links and organize materials/chromebooks that will be available for students at door #4. 

Important links to reference:

• How does contact tracing work?

• ¿Cómo funciona el rastreo de contactos?

As a reminder, you should have received a copy of the Health Screener Attestation Form yesterday in your child’s backpack. It is imperative that you sign and return the form by Friday, September 10th. All parents must complete a daily health screener prior to sending children to school. If they are exhibiting anyCOVID-19 symptoms they must stay home for the day.

Please don’t hesitate to reach out for help with any of this information. We are here to help navigate through all of this together.

Thank you for your continued support.

Warm regards,

Ms. Davos & Ms. Kloepper

Bateman Back-to-School Pledge Drive

Let’s kick-off the NEW school year with NEW technology for the kids. 

Please consider making a one-time or ongoing donation to reach our goal of outfitting Bateman Elementary with new Interactive White Boards in EVERY classroom.

The Back-to-School Pledge Drive goal is $3,000 - the cost to outfit one classroom with new, needed technology.

Donate Now!

DonorBox/PayPal: https://donorbox.org/bateman-boosters-pledge-drive

Zelle: FriendsofBateman@gmail.com

Check: Payable to Bateman Boosters

Dear Bateman family,

We hope everyone is excited as we are to have all of our students come back to school tomorrow!  Our teachers have been working hard to prepare their rooms and plan with their grade level teams for a great start of the school year.  So many of them are even working this weekend to make sure everything is perfect for their return.  That’s dedication! Hats off to all of our teachers and staff who have gone above and beyond to make the first day for students...the best ever! 

We would like to review a few procedures and protocols we had mentioned in previous communications that we feel are important before the start of school day. Please review the CPS Parent and Staff Fall Opening Guidance in detail, as well as the user-friendly version of Bateman Protocols & Procedures presentation.

The district communicated with families earlier this week directly about the health and safety protocols. Click here to review the full document. A few important highlights:

1.    Face Coverings: Cloth face coverings must be worn at all times when indoors, regardless of vaccination status.

2.    Reporting COVID Cases: The best way the school can efficiently and effectively respond to COVID cases is if they are reported to the CPS COVID Self Report site. Once a case is reported the CPS Contact Tracing team will notify the school if quarantine, beyond the student/staff member who has COVID, is required.

3.    Remote Learning: Remote learning is implemented for students in quarantine once the Contact Tracing department confirms the student has a COVID positive result. The department will communicate with the family and school the length of quarantine required. Remote learning is not for use in cases of sickness unless quarantine is due to a COVID positive test.

4.    Health Screening: Parents and guardians will be required to submit a quarterly attestation form in which they agree to perform a daily health check of their student before sending them to school. The first attestation form is due on Friday. It will be going home with your child Monday in their backpacks. Click here to review the form. The big theme: if your child is sick, please do not send them to school. Once at school if they have COVID-19 symptoms they will be required to isolate in the Care Room and then follow additional procedures for return to school.

5.    Care Room: We will have a Care Room where students can be safely isolated if they develop COVID-19 symptoms during the course of the school day. Parents/guardians will be notified if their child is in the Care Room to be picked up. The Care Room is the Field House - West.

6.    COVID Testing: Students may participate in COVID Testing on site. The logistics of how that will occur are still being developed by the district. Once we receive that guidance, we will be in touch. In the meantime, you should have received an email with a link to sign up to participate in COVID testing.  

Arrival and Dismissal

Similar to last year, we will have designated grade level entry. The school playground is closed for the gathering of parents and students before arrival and dismissal time. Please see below for arrival times and locations. Students are to have their mask on once they enter on the school grounds.

Arrival and Dismissal Doors: 

• PK: Door #4 on Richmond by Playground / Room 102: Door #2

• Kindergarten: Door 3 on Richmond

• 1st  Grade: Door 1 on Richmond 

• 2nd Grade: Door 22 by Parking Lot - North End

• 3rd - 5th: Door 5 by the Playground (Richmond Side)

• 6th - 8th: Door 6 by the Playground (Sacramento Side)

We look forward to seeing everyone tomorrow!  

All the best,

Georgia Davos & Kate Kloepper

Dear Bateman Family,

We are so excited to see our community tomorrow morning from 9am - 11am at our Back to School Bash! Parents and students can enter the building through Doors 1, 2, or 3 with a mask, quickly drop your supplies off at your classroom, and exit through Door 5 to the playground to enjoy the celebration and get involved! Spiritwear will be on sale for $10 per shirt! As a reminder, we ask that you refrain from conferring with your child’s teacher at this time. 

We ended last year reflecting on how every challenge holds gifts in its hands. Last year’s gifts included increased family time, growth of students’ independence, and all that this pandemic revealed about our community. We remained united and kept our students at the center of our committed work. 

As we begin this year, we continue to face challenges and receive gifts. Our educators are called into this profession and know that we will make a difference every day. Our students will commit to another year of engaging and growing. Our parents’ partnership will continue to be essential as we flexibly navigate this time together. 

We will continue to commit to each other’s safety and care for one another at Bateman at all times. This week, CPS shared the most recent guidelines for families. Please review the CPS Parent and Staff Fall Opening Guidance in detail as some updates have been changed. 

We also want to ensure you understand what this guidance means for our community. Please review this condensed, user-friendly version of Bateman Protocols & Procedures. We will frequently update this presentation for you to use a reference tool in the event you have lingering questions regarding the start of school.

Educators emailed all primary contacts this afternoon with exciting updates for the school year and a glimpse into our classrooms. If you have not done so already, please share these wonderful videos with your children to build excitement for Monday! Included below are a few notes, all according to the CPS Guidance, as we continue this journey together:

• School Supplies: Given very low risk of transmission from surfaces and shared objects, shared objects may be utilized. **Supplies do not need to be labeled when brought to school. If you have labeled your supplies already for your child, please do not worry. Your child's teacher will take care of everything!

• Health Screeners: Parents and guardians will be required to submit a quarterly attestation form in which they agree to perform daily health screening  of their student before sending them to school. 

• Arrival and Dismissal Doors: 

  • PK: Door #4 on Richmond by Playground / Room 102: Door #2

  • Kindergarten: Door 3 on Richmond

  • 1st  Grade: Door 1 on Richmond 

  • 2nd Grade: Door 22 by Parking Lot - North End

  • 3rd - 5th: Door 5 by the Playground (Richmond Side)

  • 6th - 8th: Door 6 by the Playground (Sacramento Side)

***See presentation for arrival and dismissal details***

If you have any questions regarding reopening, pleaseask us here! We look forward to making this 100th year of Bateman our best yet!

Warm regards,

Ms. Davos & Ms. Kloepper

Good afternoon Bateman Families,

We are excited to kick off the 2021-22 school year! Can you believe we will all be together for in person learning in just two weeks?  On behalf of the Bateman teachers and staff, we extend a warm welcome to all within our Bateman Family. Bateman exists to create a community that craves learning, fosters resiliency, and cares deeply for every child. We benefit from an invested Local School Council, parent organizations, talented staff, and outstanding students!

Our educators have been popping into the building throughout throughout the past few weeks to ensure their classrooms are welcoming and ready to inspire your child. All staff members are officially back to school next week and will participate in community building and professional learning around our CIWP goals of Curriculum, Instruction, MTSS, and Shared Leadership. As we welcome our entire student body back into the building, it is crucial that our goals for the year continue to focus on enhancing our social and emotional supports through tiered interventions, our standards aligned instruction remains rigorous yet individualized through small groups, and that our curriculum is adaptive, culturally relevant in both monolingual and dual language classrooms.

And now...the moment you have all been awaiting! Your child's homeroom will be  live in parent portal [Parent Portal FAQs] this week. The primary contact will be receiving a confirmation email with your child's homeroom and teacher for the upcoming school year this morning. Please refrain from reaching out to our educators directly as they are busy preparing for the beginning of the school year. They will be sharing all pertinent information with families throughout next week and are excited to partner with you all!

Although in person learning will look slightly different than in the past, we are excited for this new chapter. It is mandatory that everyone follows the guidelines below to keep everyone safe. We will be sharing a back to school presentation next week for you to utilize at your discretion as a tool for staying informed with protocols and procedures. For now, please see below for current updates.

1. Everyone will be wearing a mask except when eating breakfast and lunch.  When possible, mask breaks will occur during outside recess. CPS has provided 3 masks for every student.  We welcome you to send your child with their own chosen mask with an extra in their backpack.

2. All social distancing guidelines will be followed.  Students will maintain 3 feet of social distance.  

3. Every grade level will have a designated entry and exit location. Homeroom teachers will be communicating this information during the week of August 23rd.

4. It is imperative that parents complete the CPS HEALTH SCREENER before students enter school.  Any student that has not completed a health screener will be assigned to the Care Room for pickup within 60 minutes.  If your child fails the health screener, they are not allowed to attend in-person school. 

5. All students will have their temperature taken upon entry into their homerooms. If the student fails the temperature check, they will be sent to the Care Room for pickup within 60 minutes. 

6. If a student exhibits ANY of the following symptoms, they will be sent to the Care Room and parents will be expected to pick up within 60 minutes.  

• Chills
• Cough
• Shortness of breath
• Fatigue
• Muscle or body aches
• Headache
• New loss of taste or smell
• Sore throat
• Congestion or runny nose
• Nausea or vomiting
• Diarrhea

7. Visitors will not be allowed in the building.  If you need to pick up your child from school, please buzz the office at Door 1 for primary or Door 14 for the upper when you arrive and a staff member will escort the student to you at the door.

8. Students will not be allowed to enter the building prior to 8:05am.  Please plan for inclement weather and dress your child appropriately to ensure their safety.

9. Students will need to bring a filled water bottle on a daily basis. Water fountains are only utilized for re-fills.

10.  In order to maintain the safety protocols, it is imperative that all students come to school on time.  

11. Students are required to bring their own supplies for use in the classroom, due to safety guidelines. 

12. Students will be eating lunch in the cafeteria or auditorium 3 feet apart and will participate in outdoor recess, weather permitting.  Indoor recess will be held in classrooms to ensure continued following of CDC safety guidelines. Students may bring their own lunch but please practice opening containers/packages. We will follow all safety guidelines including social distancing and washing or sanitizing hands before and after meals. Tables will be cleaned between lunch periods. 
     

Our annual Back to School Bash will take place on the morning of Friday, August 27th. We hope to see you there to learn about important school events, drop off your child’s school supplies and to get involved in all things Bateman!  We ask that you quickly drop off your child's supplies as this is not a time to conference with your child's teacher.

If you have not done so already, please remind your neighbors and friends that we get to #BeBateman on Monday, August 30th!

Warm regards,

Ms. Davos & Ms. Kloepper