ROCHELLE — Rochelle School Districts have received confirmation from the Ogle County Health Department that all Rochelle schools are able to return to the original hybrid learning model and in-person learning on Tuesday, Jan. 19.

Below are details from a letter written by Superintendent Jason Harper.

Friday, Jan. 15 will be a Remote Planning Day for pre-kindergarten through eighth-grade teachers with no instruction for pre-kindergarten through eighth-grade students. Remember that all Rochelle schools will not have school on Monday, Jan. 18 for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

We are excited to welcome your students back to school. Here are some general reminders about what school will look like when we return on Tuesday, Jan. 19:

Your child(ren) will return to in-person learning only if that is the choice you made in October/November for the second trimester (Grades PreK-8) or second semester (Grades 9-12). We will follow all the same start and end times for each school. Bus times and meal offerings will all be the same. 

All remote learners will transition back to their schedules before the adaptive pause. In the days to come, teachers and building principals will provide more information about returning to in-person learning. 

Keep in mind we will follow all the same COVID19 mitigation strategies and guidance mandates as we did before the adaptive pause along with any updated policies. Here are some reminders:

Everyone must wear a mask at all times while in school. We will continue to take temperatures prior to entrance.

Parents must keep all children at home if any household member shows any COVID19 symptoms, any household member has exposure to someone with COVID19, any household member is waiting on a COVID19 test, any household member is directed to quarantine by the OCHD or other health department and/or any household member is COVID19 positive.

We will temporarily move students or entire classes to remote learning if they display symptoms or otherwise have COVID19-related concerns. We will continue to follow OCHD and IDPH guidance on these situations. Please continue to have plans in place in the event your child temporarily moves to remote learning. 

Keep in mind that we need your help in limiting the exposure of COVID19 in our schools. We again ask parents and students to adhere to all the mitigation strategies to ensure our schools can stay open as long as possible.

We appreciate your support and look forward to students returning to our buildings. If you have any questions about the return to in-person learning, please contact me directly. If you have any questions about the logistics that will impact your specific student, please direct those questions to your building principal.