Alden-Hebron School District 19

Preschool Screening and Prenatal to Three Recruitment Event: April 14, 2022! Please see attached flyers!

February is CTE Month and we would like to highlight some of our students in Career Technical Education! "I like attending Lake County Tech Campus because it gives you the experience to be in a different environment. I also get to do hands-on activities that I’ve always wanted to do since I was little. Meeting new people and seeing things from other perspectives is another advantage of going to the Tech Campus. I joined the Law Enforcement, CSI, and Criminal Justice programs to change the way society thinks of Police Officers and other first responders." ---Criminal Justice student, AJ Medina

Please come out on Saturday, Feb. 19th and support your Middle School Wrestlers as we Honor one of our past wrestlers and wrestle in the “Tyler Henken Memorial Invitational Tournament”. Wrestling begins at 9:30am and we have a total of 7 teams coming to wrestle. We will also be Honoring Tyler by giving out two “Tyler’s Way Awards” just prior to the Championship round at approximately 2:00pm. This will be a great day of wrestling and a great day for Tyler’s Family.

Upcoming Events

The countdown is on . . . "2's Day" Spirit Day is on Tuesday, February 22, 2022.

BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETING TONIGHT: FEB. 16TH, 7PM The AH19 School Board and the Facilities Planning Team Members would like to invite you to attend the February 16th Board of Education meeting at 7 PM in the Elem. School gym. The AH19 School Board prepares to hear Facilities Assessment & Preliminary Options Report from Wold Architects & Engineers and Gilbane Construction Co. ---Stay Informed! To join the BOE meeting via ZOOM: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/8964...

Summer 2022 Rotational Internship Opportunity! The Summer 2022 Rotational Internship program has just opened the application process. With support of an American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) grant through the Advance McHenry County project, 100 students 16-18 years of age will have the opportunity to complete a 10-week paid internship in manufacturing. Here are the highlights of the program: · Rotational work experience – each student will work for two manufacturers, spending 5 weeks with each company · Paid work - $15 per hour · 29 hours per week · Students 16-18 years old are eligible, graduating Seniors are welcome · Students must reside in McHenry County · No resume required, no experience necessary · Pathway to employment and/or apprenticeship post-internship

INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITY! Thanks to financial support from American Rescue Plan Act fund distributed through Advance McHenry County, high school students have a new opportunity to complete a 10 week internship with local manufacturers. • Paid internship, $15 per hour • 29 hours a week • 10 Week Program: Select 2 McHenry County Manufacturers–Complete a 5 week internship at each company • Safety equipment provided Intern Eligibility: • 16–18 years old • Currently residing in McHenry County • No previous work experience necessary

*** Attention 7th grade game only tonight for Middle School Girls Basketball, Grass Lake does not have enough 5th/6th to play. ***

*** High School Girls Basketball Regional tonight at Indian Creek High School 506 S. Shabbona Rd. Shabbona, IL. 60550 6:00 start vs. Pecatonica. *** *** Middle School Girls Basketball tonight at Grass Lake 4:30 spectators are allowed and they are mask optional. ***

COMMUNITY INVITED! FEB. 16TH - 7PM - ELEM. GYM The AH19 School Board and the Facilities Planning Team Members would like to invite you to attend the February 16th Board of Education meeting at 7 PM in the Elem. School gym. The AH19 School Board prepares to hear Facilities Assessment & Preliminary Options Report from Wold Architects & Engineers and Gilbane Construction Co. ---Stay Informed! To join the BOE meeting via ZOOM: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/8964...

February is CTE Month and we would like to highlight some of our students in Career Technical Education! "The Culinary Arts program is about learning how to dice, cook, bake and serve. Our chef instructors, Chef Coffee and Chef Meyer, are very good at their job, teaching every single one of us. What I love about the program are the people in it, it's like a family, we cook and run our cafe together."--- Culinary Arts Student, Nikolas Rapa

Spirit Wear sale ends SUNDAY 2/13!! https://www.ontargetsalesspiritshop.com/shop/95

Very, very busy week in sports this week!! Tonight we have HS Girls and Boys Basketball traveling to Westlake Christian for 6:00 & 7:30 games. We also have MS Girls 7th & 8th grade basketball at home vs. Park starting at 4:30. Please click on the Athletics link to check out "This Week in Sports" for the full week schedule.

CTE News: Join us as we celebrate Career and Technical Education Month®! #ILCTEMonth #ahgiants

District 19 Update - 2.6.22 Dear District 19 Staff and Families: On the evening of Friday, February 4, 2022, a temporary restraining order (TRO) was issued that has a significant impact on Illinois schools. The court held that the governor and state agencies such as the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) and the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) do not have the authority to mandate masks at school, exclude students for having symptoms of COVID-19 or being close contacts, or require COVID-19 vaccinations or testing of school personnel. The court held that only the state legislature has the authority to mandate COVID-19 prevention strategies in schools. The Illinois attorney general has appealed the decision to the 4th district appellate court in Springfield. Either the trial or appellate court may enter a ‘stay’ (pause) of the decision pending a ruling from the appellate court; however, that had not occurred at the time of this communication. We will continue to monitor all of the various outcomes of the litigation and the appeal as the situation unfolds. Please note that future decisions regarding the TRO and the court case may direct us to change our mitigation measures again. We will continue to keep our community informed should that occur. So what does all of this mean? Effective immediately, face masks will be strongly recommended but not required at school and at all school-related events for staff and students, as well as visitors and volunteers. Students and staff are still required to wear face masks on school buses per federal regulation as the court ruling has no effect on federal requirements. Additionally, buildings may reduce or temporarily pause visitors and volunteers from being in the schools as an added mitigation measure. Students will no longer be excluded from school due to being a close contact of someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 nor will schools conduct contact tracing when there’s a positive case. Students will only be excluded from school due to illness at the discretion of the school nurse or other administrator. The 5-day school exclusions for exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms, testing positive without symptoms, or having ‘close contact’ status will cease. If your child is ill, please keep them at home until they are healthy. Students must be fever-free for a period of 24-hours, with no vomiting or diarrhea, before they can return to school. Students who have vomited need to remain home until they have gone 24 hours without vomiting. A main priority has always been to ensure the health and safety of our students, staff, and community. The recent court decision does not change that. The district will continue to meet with the health department and utilize all of our other mitigation strategies: staying home when sick, physical distancing to the greatest extent possible, and cleaning and sanitizing protocols. Our school community includes staff and students with medical conditions that put them at increased risk of illness as well as staff and students who live with family members with compromised health conditions. We recognize that some parents may be worried about sending their children to school when masks are not consistently worn and other COVID-19 prevention strategies are not required. If your child has, or may qualify for a medical certification, please contact Mrs. Beck, our Director of Special Services, via email (kbeck@ah19.org) to discuss the medical certification process. Please know that the ruling based on the litigation may cause school districts to remain in flux for some time, at least until the appellate court issues its ruling. Schools operate best when there is routine and consistency. We need your assistance in keeping students calm, focused on learning, and accepting of others' choices as we adjust our mitigation measures. We recognize there may be concerns about how this change could impact interactions among students when some may be wearing a mask and others may not. We will continue to teach the importance of kindness and respect for others in our schools and encourage families to do the same so we are able to maintain a positive teaching and learning environment. Throughout this pandemic, District 19 has followed school code, the governor’s executive orders, state and local health mandates, and now court rulings. Our goals have been two-fold: 1) to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in our schools so we can keep schools open and maintain in-person learning; and 2) to protect the health and safety of our students, staff and their families. Despite the challenges of the past two years, we have not wavered in our commitment to your children. We are not all the same nor do we all have the same life circumstances; however, we are in this together. Despite the challenges and differing views over the past two years regarding the pandemic, we share the common goal of advocating for the children and that will continue. We appreciate your support as we continue to navigate the pandemic and the ever-changing legal situation. Sincerely, Tiffany Elswick District 19 Superintendent

Dear District 19 Staff and Families, Yesterday, February 4 the judge granted a temporary restraining order (TRO) on lawsuit, Austin v. Pritzker that could impact our current COVID-19 mitigation efforts. Today we are reviewing the ruling document with our legal teams. We anticipate sending out another update tomorrow, Sunday, February 6 and Monday, February 7. Thank you for your patience as we work through what this ruling means for our school community. Sincerely, Tiffany Elswick District 19 Superintendent

Don't Miss Out! MIDDLE SCHOOL CAREER DISCOVERY SERIES The MCC Career Discovery Series for middle school students will be returning on February 22-24, 2022. This virtual event allows middle school students to explore career interests. The activity guides students in the exploration of career interests, future earning potential, and helps to narrow down the career clusters they will investigate at the Career Discovery Series event. Then, during February 22-24 from 6:00-7:15 pm, four career clusters will be highlighted each evening. Students will participate in breakout rooms and meet virtually with local business professionals and MCC instructors during a deep-dive exploration of each career area. Families can participate in as many evenings as they like, interacting with these professionals and beginning to think about the next steps in their educational journey.

Spirit Wear is HERE! Sale ends 2/13!! https://www.ontargetsalesspiritshop.com/shop/95

AH ELEM: The 4th grade class is working together as a team participating in the human version of “Hungry Hungry Hippos.”