November 23, 2021
Dear CUSD 201 Families,
I hope you and your family are healthy and looking forward to celebrating the Thanksgiving Holiday. Illinois and DuPage County are experiencing an increase in COVID-19 cases. As you celebrate the holiday, please continue to practice the mitigation strategies, especially if you or a family member is not vaccinated.
As of November 23, the seven-day positivity rate for Westmont is 4.76%, Hinsdale is 5.43%, Downers Grove is 4.44%, and Clarendon Hills is 4.10%. The average positivity rate for our community is 4.68%. The county is still exceeding 211 new cases per 100,000.
CUSD 201 will be hosting a vaccination clinic on December 11 and January 8. The clinic will be at Westmont Junior High School from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Vaccines will be available for children ages 5 to 11, as well as older students and adults. Booster shots will also be available. Parents need to be present for their children to be vaccinated. Once the registration link is available, it will be shared with school families.
Please read the entire communication for additional information.
Weekly COVID-19 Testing:
CUSD 201 is offering optional weekly COVID-19 testing through Northshore Labs. There is no cost for the test. If you want your child to participate in weekly testing, use this link CUSD 201 COVID Testing. Testing is tentatively scheduled to start the week of November 29, 2021.
Vaccination Cards:
CUSD 201 is finalizing a process for parents to upload the vaccination cards of fully vaccinated children. The information will be kept in a database and will assist the District when we need to exclude students due to close contact.
Quarantine and Exclusion:
Parents should keep children with COVID-19 symptoms at home. Parents should keep unvaccinated siblings of symptomatic students home as well. Students who report COVID-like symptoms while in school will be sent home. If the ill student is not cleared to return to school, their unvaccinated siblings will need to stay home the following day.
Symptomatic students are to be COVID tested within 48 hours of symptom onset.
To return to school, symptomatic students must show proof of a negative COVID PCR Test.
If a family decides not to do the COVID testing, the symptomatic student and their unvaccinated siblings may be excluded for ten days.
Contact your school’s nurse with any questions and verify the return to school clearance.
The District follows the IDPH Exclusion Guidance for Schools Decision Tree Please remember that this is a very fluid situation. The CDC may update its guidelines throughout the year. As the CDC changes its guidance, the District will adapt ours.(IDPH School Decision Tree).
National School Lunch Program:
The National School Lunch Program is still operating under an emergency order. All students are eligible for a free breakfast and lunch regardless of income level.
Vaccine:
If you are not vaccinated already, please consider receiving the vaccine. You can find information regarding the Covid-19 Vaccine on the DCHD website.
Thank you for your continued support of our school district.
Take care,
Kevin Carey
Superintendent
CUSD 201