Burnham Elementary School

No School on Monday in observance of Presidents' Day! See you on 2-22-22!!

Good Evening, Burnham School will be open tomorrow, Friday, February 18, 2022, for in-person instruction. We appreciate your cooperation as we always intend to do our best to keep our students, staff, and community safe and healthy.

Greetings Burnham Families, Due to the anticipation of severe inclement weather conditions, on Thursday, February 17, 2022, Burnham Elementary School will take an emergency day tomorrow. There will be no e-Learning or remote learning tomorrow, the school day will be made up at the end of the year. The expectation is to return to in-person instruction during our normal school hours on Friday, February 18, 2022. If there is a change due to the weather conditions, an update will be shared via district communication on the District’s website and robocalls.

Happy 100th Day of School! 2-16-22

Just a reminder: 11:30 am dismissal on Wednesday, February 9th.

Dear Burnham Families, I write to ask for your patience and understanding as our district navigates the latest changes to the COVID-19 guidance and rules for Illinois schools. On Friday, February 4, 2022, the Sangamon County Circuit Court ruled on a lawsuit filed by more than 700 parents across the state that challenged state-mandated COVID-19 mitigations. A Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) temporarily suspended enforcement of mask mandates for students and exclusion for asymptomatic close contacts. Burnham Elementary School was not a party to that case, and therefore the TRO does not apply to Burnham School. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Burnham School has been committed to maintaining a safe and healthy learning environment for our students and staff. Now, at this time, we are in the process of reviewing the judge’s decision and will communicate with you as soon as possible as to how this ruling impacts Burnham Elementary School students and staff members. Until then, we will continue to require masking for everyone while indoors at school and while on school transportation and follow our current practice for exclusion of individuals who are close contacts. I ask for your patience as we review this decision. Thank you for your continued support of our students, teachers, and staff. While it has been a difficult year, we will continue to push forward together. Sincerely, Stephen Geraci Superintendent Burnham District 154.5

Burnham School will be open tomorrow, Friday, February 4, 2022, for in-person instruction.

No School on 2-3-22! eLearning day!!

Good Evening Burnham Families, We hope that your child(ren) had a safe and productive session today during eLearning! We have been closely monitoring the weather forecast and the road conditions for our area and have decided that Burnham School will conduct an e-Learning Day tomorrow, Thursday, February 3, 2022. The expectation is to return to in-person instruction during our normal school hours on Friday, February 4, 2022. If there is a change due to the weather conditions, an update will be shared via communication on the District website, Parent Square, and our robo calls. Thank you for your time and attention to the e-Learning program as we continue to keep our students engaged. Stay safe and warm!

No School on 2-2-22! eLearning day!!

Greetings Burnham Parents, Due to the predicted extreme weather conditions on Wednesday, February 2, 2022, Burnham School will utilize the E-Learning Day Plan for the safety of students, staff, and the District 154.5 community. Families are encouraged to contact their child(ren)’s teacher with any questions they may have regarding the plan to be fully prepared for student and teacher engagement virtually. Information on our approved E-Learning Day Plan is available by visiting the District’s website at www.d1545.org. Students will be required to submit at least one assignment through Google Classroom by 3:30, to verify their attendance for the eLearning Day. Completed eLearning assignments will be used to determine attendance on an eLearning Day. Considerations will be made for students who may not be at home or have internet access. Burnham 154.5 will have to be notified of any technical problems. If a student does not complete at least one eLearning assignment the student's teacher will keep track of this. If upon return and the work is not submitted within three (3) school days the office will be notified and that student will be marked absent for the eLearning Day.

Dear Burnham Parents: Erin’s Law, House Bill 6193 was signed by Governor Pat Quinn on January 24, 2013. This law requires schools to implement an age-appropriate sexual assault and abuse awareness and prevention curriculum for grades pre-K through 12. Victor Pacini, a survivor of sexual abuse, author, and motivational speaker will be assisting our schools in implementing this mandate. Mr. Pacini’s program is developmentally appropriate, interactive, and aligned with learning standards. The focus of his presentation is to teach children basic skills to keep them safe from dangerous or abusive situations. The concepts that will be discussed are: • Distinguishing safe from unsafe touches • Safety rules at home and school • Saying “NO” • Safe/Unsafe Secrets • It’s not the child’s fault if someone touches him or her • Telling a trusted adult Mr. Pacini will be presenting at our school. The date for the student presentations at Burnham Elementary School is on Tuesday, January 25th, 2022. We will be hosting a parent informational evening with Mr. Pacini to preview the information that will be shared with the students and answer any questions. The parent event will be held on Monday, January 24th, 2022 at 7 pm. Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85029443127 Meeting ID: 850 2944 3127 Everyone begins in the WAITING ROOM.

Hello Suburban Cook County Resident, With the Omicron variant surging, finding a COVID test can be difficult. Starting today, you can order free COVID tests to be shipped to your home with no questions asked. You do not need insurance, a credit card, or any identification -- just a mailing address. The process takes about two minutes . Simply visit covidtests.gov Here are FAQs about the program and what to expect: When can I order a free COVID-19 test? Now. The program started today. How do I order a test? You can order a test at covidtests.gov How long will it take to receive my test? Initially, due to huge initial demand, it may take up to a week, or perhaps a few days more, to receive you test. How much does the test cost? The tests are absolutely free and you do not need health insurance or a credit card to order tests. How many tests can I order at once? Each household can order up to 4 tests. Thank you for getting tested, for masking up, and for getting your vaccination. For information about COVID, vaccines, and tests, please visit cookcountypublichealth.org -Cook County Department of Public Health

No School on Monday!! Burnham School will be hosting a vaccination clinic from 10:30 am to 1:30 pm on Monday, 1/17/22. Walk ins welcome!!

Village of Burnham vaccination clinic scheduled for 1-15-22. Please see the flyer for details.

Dear Burnham Parents, We have partnered with the Illinois Department of Public Health and are sponsoring a Vaccine Clinic for our Burnham Elementary School students and their immediate families. While it is natural to feel nervous about getting your child vaccinated, it is important to honestly and open-mindedly evaluate the risks and the benefits associated with either choice. Burnham Elementary School is not requiring vaccination for our students, we believe that it is ultimately the parent's conscious decision on the vaccination of their child for COVID-19 as they are responsible for their child's health and well-being. We have included the COVID-19 Vaccination for Young People Frequently Asked Questions to help in your decision. https://dph.illinois.gov/covid19/vaccine/vaccination-for-young-people-faqs.html

Good Evening Burnham Families, We hope you had a pleasant break and were able to enjoy the holidays! Burnham Elementary School will resume in-person instruction as scheduled on Tuesday, January 4, 2022. As you may know, Thornton Fractional 215 made the difficult decision to transition to remote learning through Friday, January 14th due to significant staffing shortages caused by COVID-19 cases in their school setting. However, Burnham School District 154.5 is not facing the same staffing shortages. We will continue to monitor COVID-related data in our school and community. Any changes to our current plan will be communicated to our families through outgoing phone blasts and Parent Square messages as well as notifications on our school website www.d1545.org. Burnham School District 154.5 seeks to maintain a safe environment for students, employees, and the school community as we make health-related decisions regarding COVID prevention. We are sending home voluntary parent consent forms to be signed and returned to school. This consent provides us with your permission to perform COVID-19 screening tests on your child and to release the results of that test to the Illinois Department of Public Health and the Cook County Department of Public Health. Test results will be available to Achieve Health Management and District employees who have a legitimate educational or administrative interest in the information, consistent with the Illinois School Student Records Act. We seek to administer the Test to students in three situations: (1) to students who present with symptoms of COVID-19, (2) to students who have been exposed to, or may have been exposed to COVID-19, and (3) when testing is requested. Self-certification of symptoms prior to school is still encouraged. Do not send your child to school if they are exhibiting any symptoms of COVID-19. Symptomatic students will be expected to quarantine consistent with the Illinois Department of Public Health and the Cook County Department of Public Health’s guidance. We thank you for your continued cooperation as we prioritize the well-being of our students, staff, and school community. Sincerely, Stephen Geraci

Happy New Year! School resumes for all students on Tuesday, January 4th!!

Good Evening Burnham Families, I am writing to inform you and not to alarm you. Burnham Elementary School has been made aware of a circulating TikTok post with a nationwide “school shooting and bomb threats for every school in the USA even elementary” that will supposedly take place on Friday, Dec. 17, 2021. The original post is general and not directed at a specific school. So far, the origins of this post are unknown and there is no indication this post is within our immediate area. This information has been shared with me, other District Superintendents, and local law enforcement. Please know that, in conjunction with local law enforcement, we will continue to monitor social media and provide a police presence in Burnham School tomorrow. There are no indications of known threats within Burnham Elementary School at this time. I am sharing this notice out of an abundance of caution and as a precautionary measure. The safety of our students and staff is our priority. All safety concerns to our school or students are taken seriously and investigated thoroughly. Since returning to in-person learning this school year, schools nationwide are dealing with school safety concerns that seem to be heightened and causing anxiety, fear, and nervousness among our staff and students. Here are some key points about making good decisions and easing these concerning feelings: Be sure to report any concerning message you hear or see in person or online to a trusted adult, school administration or staff member, or police. The Safe2Help Illinois is a 24/7 program for students to share school safety issues, find resources to get help and find encouragement to help others. Reports can be submitted here. Please do not promote social media rumors, instead, tell us. If you feel uncomfortable about something you read, something you hear, something you see please, report it so we can do something about it. Know who is connecting with your children online and set rules for social networking, instant messaging, e-mailing, online gaming and using webcams. Burnham Elementary School is committed to keeping our schools a safe place for learning, and we will work together to continue to keep it that way. Have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy & Healthy New Year! Sincerely, Stephen Geraci

Just a reminder: 11:30 am dismissal on Wednesday, December 15th.