Friday September 17 school will dismiss at 11:35 for a School Improvement Day. Lunch will not be served!
There has been a change in the lunch menu. Thursday Sept. 16 it will be Cheese Pizza , Broccoli w/ Ranch Cup, Peaches, Cookie and Milk
and Monday Sept. 20 Beef and Bean Burrito, Spanish rice, Carrots w/ Ranch cup, Applesauce, Teddy Grahams and Milk
Serena CUSD Families,
This past week was a short, four day week, but an eventful one! We return on Monday and look forward to seeing everyone at school.
Monday, September 13, 2021 NWEA Map testing begins. This is a benchmark measure to learn where our students fall within National normative averages for their grade level. This data is used to provide more internal instructional support your student(s) and to ensure that all students are being provided the materials, resources, and supports needed to foster their individual success and growth. We encourage everyone to just try their best. More infromation about NWEA Map testing can be found here.
Breakfast and lunch are free for all students this year. This includes the standard menu options only. Any specialty item, extra items or ala carte items would still be an additional charge to lunch accounts. Serena CUSD follows the school nutrition programs which can be found on the ISBE website. The MyPlate Guide to School Lunch and MyPlate Guide to School Breakfast highlights how a variety of healthy foods are part of the meals.
Remember to stay home if you are feeling sick or showing any signs of illness. If staying home, please call your school office in the morning to report your student absent. If you have not completed the semester symptom screening for your student(s), please do so here. If you need to submit or update vaccine verification for your student(s) please do so here.
Friday, September 17 is a School Improvement Day which means an early dismissal for students. Serena Middle School and High School will dismiss at 11:15 a.m. and Harding and Sheridan will dismiss at 11:35 a.m.
Enjoy the beautiful weather this weekend and be safe.
Thank you,
Lisa Gifford
Superintendent
REMINDER
PTO MEETING WILL BE ON MONDAY SEPTEMBER 13 AT 5:30 at SHERIDAN GRADE SCHOOL.
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What a great first week of school!
A few reminders to keep next week just as excellent if not better:
1. Breakfast and lunch are free everyday for all students.
2. Masks are required for everyone inside our buildings to make sure that our students are here every day for a full school day.
3. Complete the Semester Symptom Screening form here if needed. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSefR2_E943HXDzqXT7ODrcYCI5O6vJJZ3_YObYvugN1r_tdWA/viewform
4. Complete the Vaccine Verification form here if needed.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdswHnR_oJZ3jiXE9DkqTqDECjG5icUONJ6xoLXeEaC2MvfMQ/viewform
We look forward to seeing everyone Monday morning!
Community Unit School District #2
2283 N. 3812th Road - P.O. Box 107 - Serena, IL 60549 (815) 496-6630
Dear Serena CUSD #2 Families, Staff & Community:
Welcome back! We are eager to welcome all our teachers and support staff back into the buildings on Monday, August 16, 2021. We are excited to welcome back all of our students on Wednesday, August 18, 2021. Our first student attendance day will be a full school day for grades K-12. We look forward to
August 12, 2021
return full-time in-person learning.
While the start of this year seems in many ways to be taking several steps backwards from how we ended last school year, please know that the health and safety of every person in our school system is the number one priority. I want to outline the events that have transpired over the past few days to be as transparent as possible regarding the mitigations and mandates that will be followed in all buildings as we approach the start of the school year.
On August 4, 2021, the Board of Education was presented with an overview of the Return to Learn Plan. This plan established the procedures and conditions under which we will open schools for the 2021-2022 school year. Our plan was approved under the known condition that it will be a continuously updated plan to meet the local and state changes related to the pandemic.
On August 4, 2021, the Governor released Executive Order Number 18 (COVID-19 Executive Order No. 85) in which Universal Indoor Masking was mandated in all PreK-12 environments. This mandate was released shortly before the start of the board meeting where our Return to Learn Plan was approved. There was no opportunity to review the mandated order and alter the Return to Learn Plan prior to the board meeting. Therefore, the Return to Learn Plan was approved knowing that it would need to be updated.
On August 5, 2021, the approved Return to Learn Plan and other COVID related guidance was posted to our district website for public knowledge and access. These documents are updated regularly to ensure that the most current information is accessible to our students, staff, and community.
On August 9, 2021, Revised Public Health Guidance for Schools was released by ISBE and IDPH. This document outlined specific changes that are a requirement of the Executive Order from August 4, 2021. In short, the Return to Learn Plan that was approved is no longer able to be followed due to mandates
from the Executive Order. The Revised Public Health Guidance for Schools was posted to the district website on August 9, 2021 for public knowledge and access.
The administrative team was sent the same Revised Public Health Guidance for Schools on August 9, 2021 to review for clear understanding of the new mandate and how it would change our ability to reopen our schools per our Return to Learn Plan. This document was reviewed and compared to our current Return to Learn Plan. It was determined after review and consultation with our attorneys that our original Return to Learn Plan that was approved on August 4, 2021 cannot be followed with the new mandated order in place. We are subject to following the mandates from Executive Order Number 18.
Serena Community Unit School District #2 www.unit2.net
Serena Community Unit School District #2
2283 N. 3812th Road - P.O. Box 107 - Serena, IL 60549 (815) 496-6630
On August 10, 2021 our district attorneys confirmed through a webinar session that all school handbooks and school board policies for discipline practices will be followed if any students show failure to follow the regulations of the Executive Order mandates. Senate Bill 100 will continue to be followed to ensure the use of progressive discipline and if a student’s behavior progresses throughout the discipline process in which the next step is an out of school action; suspension and expulsion can be exercised for insubordination of the Executive Order mandates.
On August 11, 2021 a letter from Dr. Carmen Ayala, Illinois State Superintendent, stated specifically:
...As you know, Executive Order 2021-18, which went into effect last Wednesday,
requires that all students, staff, and visitors wear masks indoors in all P-12 schools in Illinois. Governor Pritzker took this action after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended it. ...The executive order has the force of law...However, noncompliance is not an option. I will not compromise the health and safety of students or staff, nor will I risk even one child’s
life. Local boards of education, schools, and school districts do not have the authority to deny the Governor’s Executive Order requiring universal indoor masking in schools. Doing so not only puts students’ health and safety at risk but also opens the district to extraordinary legal liability – potentially without any insurance to cover damages. I strongly recommend that each district consult with its legal counsel and insurer to fully understand the repercussions. Further, ISBE has and will use its regulatory authority, pursuant to 23 Ill Admin. Code 1.20, to ensure school districts protect students and staff; if school districts fail to do so, this risks State recognition.
School districts have a moral and legal obligation to follow public health requirements and guidance to keep their students and staff safe. Therefore, in order to start our year successfully, please remember that your student will be expected to wear a mask at all times (with the exceptions noted in Revised Public Health Guidance for Schools) and to keep your student home if they are feeling ill or presenting any of the symptoms related to COVID.
Thank you for your continued patience as we work to provide the best learning opportunities possible for all students this school year. I ask that you respect that there is a mask requirement per the mandate, but celebrate our return to in-person learning for a full school day and week.
Sincerely,
Lisa A. Gifford
Superintendent
Join us at one of the four different Townhall meetings that will be held between 7/26/2021-8/2/2021 to capture community input on our Return to Learn plan. These meetings will be a round table discussion where anyone can come and ask questions and seek clarification about the progress on our return to learn plan.
The meetings will be held in the MS cafeteria and via Zoom.
Townhall meeting dates are:
7/27: 4-5 p.m.
7/27: 5:30-6:30 p.m.
7/29: 1-2 p.m.
8/2: 6-7 p.m.
Join Zoom Meeting:
https://zoom.us/j/96123599617?pwd=RVNkMkkxQk9IT0lVZG81ZUppbkUzUT09
Meeting ID: 961 2359 9617
Passcode: E80ZCs
If unable to attend, please send any questions to lgifford@unit2.net and they will be answered during the meeting.
Join us at one of the four different Townhall meetings that will be held between 7/26/2021-8/2/2021 to capture community input on our Return to Learn plan. These meetings will be a round table discussion where anyone can come and ask questions and seek clarification about the progress on our return to learn plan.
The meetings will be held in the MS cafeteria and via Zoom.
Townhall meeting dates are:
7/27: 4-5 p.m.
7/27: 5:30-6:30 p.m.
7/29: 1-2 p.m.
8/2: 6-7 p.m.
Join Zoom Meeting:
https://zoom.us/j/96123599617?pwd=RVNkMkkxQk9IT0lVZG81ZUppbkUzUT09
Meeting ID: 961 2359 9617
Passcode: E80ZCs
If unable to attend, please send any questions to lgifford@unit2.net and they will be answered during the meeting.
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NOTICE!!!!!
Serena CUSD #2 high school cafeteria is looking for a part time/full time employee. Duties would include serving food, working on computer, putting away orders, cleaning, ect. Must be energetic, enjoy working with students, be able to lift approx 20 lbs, standing for long periods of time, And must be willing to obtain or already have your food service sanitation license. Hours would be 10-2 Monday -Friday no holidays, or weekends and off in the summer. Perfect job for a parent with students. Please apply at the Serena high school office, 100 Quincy St., Serena for more information you can pm me or call 815-792-5410 ask for Debbie
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