April 27, 2020 – The following is a letter that was sent from Superintendent Paul Enderle to the District123 community regarding the cancellation of Mornings at the Middle School Summer Program
D123 Mornings at the Middle School Summer Program Cancelation
Good afternoon –
As we move closer toward the end of the year, we continue to make decisions regarding events and programs that now must be altered given the current public health crisis. We are committed to making these decisions along with our community through various opportunities for discussion and feedback with our students, families, and staff.
Over the past few weeks, we have been carefully collaborating around the topic of District 123 Summer School. At this point, we have decided that it is in the best interests for the health and safety of our community to officially cancel our enrichment-focused Mornings at the Middle School summer program. Families that have already signed up for Mornings at the Middle School summer programming will receive a refund during the coming weeks.
This change in programming does not include ESY (Extended School Year) for our students enrolled in our Special Education programs. Our ESY program is an annual requirement from the Federal government under IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act). We are in the process of developing remote learning ESY experiences for our special education students over the summer. Currently, our special education leadership team is reaching out to special education families to capture additional feedback regarding these offerings.
Our recent District 123 family survey has indicated that 90% of our families are interested in opportunities to educationally engage with District 123 over the summer months. To aid our families during this time, students will have the ability to keep their Chromebook/iPad during the upcoming summer break. We are currently working together with our teaching and learning team to develop family-focused and friendly opportunities for all District 123 students at no expense.
Please stay safe and remain vigilant in the guidance provided to us from local, state, and federal agencies. We continue to stand together with you during this time and remain committed to our students, staff, and families.
Sincerely,
Paul J. Enderle
Superintendent