Rochelle school officials release statement about health precautions being taken

No school closures at this time

Posted 3/11/20

Rochelle schools superintendent Jason Harper released a statement this afternoon pertaining to the Coronavirus and the precautions the elementary and high school districts are taking at this time.

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Rochelle school officials release statement about health precautions being taken

No school closures at this time

Posted

Rochelle school superintendent Jason Harper released a statement this afternoon pertaining to the Coronavirus and the precautions the elementary and high school districts are taking at this time.

The following is the letter sent out to parents and guardians of Rochelle students.

Dear Rochelle Parents/Guardians,

The Rochelle Schools continue to monitor the spread of Coronavirus and its possible impact on our community
and schools. We remain in close contact with the Ogle County Health Department and are following the cleaning
guidelines set by the Illinois Department of Public Health (IPDH) and Center for Disease Control (CDC).

This letter is notification that the Rochelle Schools, based on recommendations from health authorities, may
enact temporary procedural changes, which could include restrictions on visitors to school buildings, possible
cancellation or rescheduling of large gatherings or events, and even temporarily closing school buildings.

Social distancing is an important step in reducing the potential for exposure of the virus. The decision to close
schools is made by the district, acting in accordance with guidance from IDPH and our local health department.

At this time, IDPH is not recommending closing schools as there are no positive results in our community, but
the situation remains fluid. The Illinois State Board of Education has made it clear that schools should have
policies in place that allow for students to continue to learn and practice their skills during the event of a
prolonged school shutdown. We are doing just that.

It is important to note that we understand that all students do not have access to the internet or tech devices. If
schools were to close due to circumstances related to COVID-19, the districts would implement alternative days
by sending school work home with students prior to closures. If schools were to close, we would communicate
using our all call/text system, social media, district websites, and local media outlets.

We understand that the possible closing of schools would create a disruption to our typical daily routines. We
encourage parents to begin thinking about how they will handle school closings. This includes considerations on

childcare and access to food and health care.

My intention is not to create hysteria for the community. Rather, I want you to know what has been
communicated to school districts and how we are responding as the situation evolves. Our hope is that this
advanced warning allows you and your family to plan for the possibility of temporary school closures during this
public health crisis.

Please do not hesitate to call your child’s school for more information.

Sincerely,
Jason Harper
Superintendent of Rochelle Schools

*************************

Las Escuelas Rochelle continúan monitoreando la propagación del Coronavirus y su posible impacto en nuestra
comunidad y escuelas. Mantenemos un contacto cercano con el Departamento de Salud del Condado de Ogle y
seguimos las pautas de limpieza establecidas por el Departamento de Salud Pública de Illinois (IPDH) y el Centro
para el Control de Enfermedades (CDC).

Esta carta es una notificación de que las Escuelas de Rochelle, con base en las recomendaciones de las
autoridades de salud, pueden promulgar cambios de procedimiento temporales, que podrían incluir
restricciones a los visitantes a los edificios escolares, la posible cancelación o reprogramación de grandes
reuniones o eventos, e incluso el cierre temporal de los edificios escolares.

El distanciamiento social es un paso importante para reducir el potencial de exposición del virus. La decisión de

cerrar las escuelas la toma el distrito, de acuerdo con la orientación del IDPH y nuestro departamento de salud
local.

En este momento, IDPH no recomienda cerrar las escuelas ya que no hay resultados positivos en nuestra
comunidad, pero la situación sigue siendo fluida. La Junta de Educación del Estado de Illinois ha dejado en claro
que las escuelas deben tener políticas establecidas que permitan a los estudiantes continuar aprendiendo y
practicando sus habilidades durante el cierre prolongado de la escuela. Estamos haciendo exactamente eso.

Es importante tener en cuenta que entendemos que todos los estudiantes no tienen acceso a Internet o
dispositivos tecnológicos. Si las escuelas cerraran debido a circunstancias relacionadas con COVID-19, los
distritos implementarían días alternativos enviando el trabajo escolar a casa con los estudiantes antes del cierre.
Si las escuelas cerrarán, nos comunicaremos utilizando nuestro sistema de llamadas / mensajes de texto, redes
sociales, sitios web del distrito y medios de comunicación locales.

Entendemos que el posible cierre de escuelas crearía una interrupción en nuestras rutinas diarias típicas.
Alentamos a los padres a comenzar a pensar en cómo manejan el cierre de escuelas. Esto incluye
consideraciones sobre cuidado infantil y acceso a alimentos y atención médica.

Mi intención no es crear histeria para la comunidad. Más bien, quiero que sepan qué se ha comunicado a los
distritos escolares y cómo estamos respondiendo a medida que la situación evoluciona. Esperamos que esta
advertencia avanzada le permite a usted y a su familia planificar la posibilidad de cierres temporales de escuelas
durante esta crisis de salud pública.

No dude en llamar a la escuela de su hijo para obtener más información.