Many of our students and parents did not have a pleasant experience with remote learning when our school buildings abruptly closed on March 17.  This was a crisis situation and we had no time to prepare.  The remote learning you experienced at the end of the school year will not be the same as what we have planned for the fall.  JTHS has been planning since the 2019-2020 school year ended to make sure we can provide the very best remote instruction.  

Attendance will be recorded for each class period, and teachers will deliver instruction online with engaging assignments and projects.  There will be built-in office hours for tutoring and extra help.  We have purchased additional learning platforms and a new student management system that will allow parents to easily access grades, attendance data, assignment details, student schedules and more.  Teachers are participating in professional development so that they have the very best instructional practices to deliver content online.  JTHS has amazing staff and they will serve our students in the best way possible during this situation.

During Remote Learning Days, students will participate in a structured class schedule each day where teachers take attendance each class period.  Below is the Remote Learning schedule for a typical 5-day school week.  The schedule will be modified for weeks with holidays, teacher institute days, remote planning days for staff, and at the beginning and end of the semester.  

Classes take place from 8 a.m. to 12:50 p.m.  There are six 40 minute online classes with 10 minute breaks in between each class period.   Staff have access to ongoing professional development to support them in teaching within this new environment.  When teachers are not scheduled for professional development, they will be available through office hours and for tutoring students as needed.

View Remote Learning Schedule

JTHS has compiled a list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).  Answers will continue to be added to this document as questions arise.  As JTHS receives updated guidance from Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) and Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), answers may be revised.  
 
View FAQ

For IEP students

During Remote and Blended Learning, our special education staff (which includes special education teachers, speech and language pathologists, social workers, school psychologists, occupational therapists, physical therapists, and paraprofessionals) will provide special education services using a variety of different strategies and online platforms based on an individual student’s needs. 

Remote Learning will include tools such as instructional videos, online access to educational programs, virtual live sessions, parent consultation, and additional resources, which will be on district platforms and sites.  Special education staff (case managers) will collaborate with families to determine what services are needed during Remote Learning. In addition, special education staff will collaborate regularly with general education teachers in order for students to access the general education curriculum with the modifications and accommodations in their Individual Education Plan (IEP). 

All students that receive special services within the district will have a Remote Learning Plan.  The Remote Learning Plan will provide students, families, and staff with a general understanding of the variety of services the Special Education Department will be offering during this period.  

The Remote Learning Plan is not an IEP or an amendment to an IEP and does not constitute a change of the educational placement as set forth in the student’s current IEP.  When regular school attendance resumes and in-person instruction may be provided, the student’s most recent IEP will govern the student’s special education program and services.    

In determining the supports and services to be provided to the student during Remote Learning Days, case managers will review and consider information and data such as:

• Student’s current IEP, including review of student’s progress towards IEP goals and benchmarks  
• Student’s most recent evaluation and eligibility report
• Current educational data
• Grade Level Remote Learning Plans/Activities/Resources

JTHS has also taken into consideration the recommendations and guidance issued by the United States Department of Education and the Illinois State Board of Education regarding remote learning and delivery of special education and related services during the exceptional COVID-19 circumstances in identifying the following components of the student’s special education services and provision of FAPE during remote learning:

• Grade Level Remote Learning Plan/Activities/Resources
• Type of Special Education and/or Related Service
• Frequency of Special Education and/or Related Service
• Service Delivery Model
• Content of Special Education and/or Related Services Provided, including Targeted IEP Goals

JTHS offers free online tutoring provided by our very own teachers at convenient times such as nights & weekends.

Sign Up Here: http://bit.ly/3t1TXwI

Both the remote and hybrid learning schedules are designed to provide academic and social/emotional support services at the end of each school day.  Teachers and staff will be available remotely from 1:30 p.m. to 2:55 p.m. to provide support online and in-person by appointment.  
 
Hybrid learning students will attend four in-person days on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.  Remote learning students attend school completely online.  All hybrid students do not attend school in-person on Wednesdays because this is the day the school is deep cleaned and disinfected. 

Teachers are in front of their camera and the lesson is live streamed.  This allows remote students to receive the same instruction as hybrid students.  Students attending class in-person will use their earbuds or headphones to participate in the lesson with the remote students.   All students and staff wear masks and maintain six feet of distance.  There is no gathering in the hallways, working closely in groups, or sharing materials.  Students will not dress for Physical Education, use locker rooms or any school lockers.  Students receive a free bagged meal when leaving the school. There is no eating in the building or buses.

All students, including freshmen, have a six period day.  The reduction is class periods does not result in a loss of an elective class.  The advisory and lunch periods have been eliminated.  Freshman students will take physical education online and will be provided with technology to assess physical activity.

Revised Hybrid Learning Schedule At-a-Glance
View Revised 4 Day Hybrid Schedule -  Begins April 19 
View Remote Learning Schedule 

Food & Drinks  
Food is not allowed.  Drinks are not allowed unless they are in a sealed container.  For example, a drink from McDonalds is not allowed, but a water bottle is. Exceptions are made in certain situations if we are notified by the Health Office of Special Services. 

Adaptive Pause  
If necessary, the hybrid learning structure allows us to take an “Adaptive Pause” for reasons such as increased positivity rates, COVID transmission, and quarantines.  During an Adaptive Pause, students do not come to school.  Teachers deliver their lessons remotely.  An Adaptive Pause can take place for the entire school, or a specified class or area of the school.  Every situation is different. 

Flexibility 
This is new to all of us.  If something makes sense to change, we will change it.  We are flexible so we can improve hybrid learning. 

On days when students attend school in-person, a parent/guardian must complete a pre-certification survey using CrisisGo. 

There are two ways you can pre-certify your student.  Email is the easiest option. 

Pre-Certifying Through Email

1. At 5 a.m. the morning your student attends school in person, you receive an email from CrisisGo for each student in your household.  Complete pre-certification for each student by clicking the blue report button in the email and answering the questions.  If you need the survey in Spanish, click on the espanol link at the bottom of the email. 

Why this is the easiest option: You do not need to set up an account. Just click on the report button and answer the questions.  You do not need to do anything else. 

If you are not getting the pre-certification email, contact technology support at helpdesk@jths.org or call (815) 727-6860.  Check your junk or SPAM folder first. 

Pre-Certifying Through the App 

1. The advantage to pre-certifying through the app is that you can complete the process as early as 3 a.m. 
2. Parents must use the email on file with the school to set up their account.   

School Entry & Scanning the Student ID
After completing the survey, a bar code appears on your screen.  This is called a Safety iPass.  When students arrive at school, we scan their ID card to view the iPass so we know they are pre-certified and can enter the building.  IDs are issued to students the first week back to school.  We have a plan in place to view the iPass without the ID card if it is forgotten at home or was not issued to the student yet. 

Safety iPass Barcode Colors  
Your student can only enter the school if the iPass color is GREEN.   Based on the answers to the pre-certification questions, a barcode appears in one of four colors: Green means the student can enter the building. Red means the student cannot enter the school and the school calls you for more information.  Yellow means the student cannot enter the school because he/she is in quarantine.  Gray means the parent or guardian did not complete pre-certification.  Your student can learn at home remotely if the iPass is not green.  For more information about the Safety iPass, view this short video. 

What if I Don’t get the Email the Morning My Student Needs to Attend School? 
Please do not worry.  We will make it work.  Call the school.  As long as your student is symptom free and does not have a temperature, send him/her to school.  We will take care of it. 
 

JTHS has strict procedures in place for contact tracing, reporting, and preventing the spread of COVID-19 when a case is identified.

Contact Tracing
There is an identified staff member at all JTHS buildings that serves as the COVID-19 Contact Tracer.  When a case is confirmed, this individual works with the Will County Health Department to ensure that students and staff who came into close contact (within 6ft for 15 minutes or longer) of the positive person are notified.  Close contacts and the COVID positive individual must quarantine per IDPH guidelines to prevent the spread of COVID-19. 

Notifying Close Contacts
The school will notify close contacts.  For privacy reasons, we do not disclose the identity of the person who tested positive or the individuals who were in close contact.  

Notifying Staff & Students Who are Not Close Contacts
When there is an identified case of COVID-19 at a school building, we will notify staff and students who attend school in-person at the identified building.  This notification is sent through email and is for informational purpose only.  Your student can report to school as scheduled and there is no need for him/her to quarantine.

Preventing the Spread of COVID-19
JTHS takes following steps:

• Notifying all close contacts of the individual who tested positive. Close contacts will also receive notification from the Will County Health Department.
• Placing staff members and students who are identified as having prolonged close contact to the COVID-19 case in quarantine for 14 days.
• Deep clean and disinfection of the areas impacted by potential exposure to the COVID-19 virus.
• Sanitizing throughout the day and after school, including high-touch surfaces such as door handles, stair rails and sink.
• Pre-certification of all individuals entering the school to verify they do not have COVID or COVID symptoms.
• All individuals in the school maintain 6 feet of distance and wear masks at all times.
• All individuals riding the bus maintain 6 feet of distance at all times and wear masks.  Students sit one to a seat unless they reside in the same household.
• Students and staff who are ill with COVID-like symptoms promptly placed in a separate supervised area away from others until they can be sent home.
• No eating in the school or on the bus.  Students receive free bagged meals as they leave the school.
• No sharing materials or items in the school or on the bus.
• No dressing for physical education or using locker rooms or any school lockers.
• Staggered passing period of 10 minutes to limit the number of students in the hallway, and no congregating in the hall or in other areas of the school that are not designated as the student’s class.
   

Transportation is provided to hybrid students who live within school bus boundaries.  Students must wear masks on the bus, maintain 6 feet of distance, and sit one person to a bus seat, unless students reside in the same household.  
 
Entering School & the Bus 
On days when the student is attending school in person, a parent or guardian must pre-certify that his/her student does not have COVID or COVID like symptoms.  Parents/guardians pre-certify their student by completing a short survey accessible through a mobile app or electronic device.  When students enter the building they must show proof of pre-certification. 

Students may enter the building at 7:45 a.m. and classes start at 8 a.m. 

Food & Drinks in School 
Food is not allowed.  Drinks are not allowed unless they are in a sealed container.  For example, a drink from McDonalds is not allowed, but a water bottle is. Exceptions are made in certain situations if we are notified by the Health Office or Special Services. 

School Meals
Students receive a bagged meal when they leave school on days they attend in-person.

JTHS Curbside Food Distribution
Families can receive meals at no cost for children 18 years of age and younger at Joliet Central High School or Joliet West High School during the 2020-2021 school year. 

JTHS distributes curbside meals on Mondays (one breakfast and lunch per student), Tuesdays (two breakfasts and lunches per student), and Thursdays (two breakfasts and lunches per student) on days that JTHS schools are open.

Joliet Central High School
Hours: 1:00pm to 2:30pm
201 East Jefferson Street, Joliet, IL 60432
Enter on Herkimer Street from Cass and proceed towards the main entrance (Door D).
Cafeteria Menu webpage

Joliet West High School
Hours:  1:00pm to 2:30pm
401 N. Larkin Avenue, Joliet, IL 604335
Outside Door #6 on the north side of the building.
Cafeteria Menu webpage

JTHS is following Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) and Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) requirements for Phase 4 in-person instruction to keep students and staff safe while they are in the building.  Key safety measures are below. 

• Require the appropriate use of PPE, including face masks for all students and staff. 
• Prohibit more than 50 individuals gathering in one space. 
• Conduct symptom screening and temperature checks as directed to ensure that individuals are entering the buildings free of symptoms. 
• Practice social distancing at six feet apart within the school building.
• Students will not be assigned a locker for the 2020-2021 school year unless there is a specific need that is approved through building administration.  
• P.E. uniforms are not a requirement for the 2020-2021 school year.
• Increase schoolwide cleaning and disinfecting.  
• Serve lunch and breakfast in a grab and go fashion.  Student will not eat inside the school building. 

Sanitation & Cleaning  
The school building is cleaned throughout the day and at the end of each school day.  Students wipe down and sanitize their desk each period. Hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes are available in all classes. 

Entering School & the Bus 
On days when the student is attending school in person, a parent or guardian must pre-certify that his/her student does not have COVID or COVID like symptoms.  Parents/guardians pre-certify their student by completing a short survey accessible through a mobile app or electronic device.  When students enter the building they must show proof of pre-certification.  

For IEP Students  

During Remote and Hybrid Learning, our special education staff (which includes special education teachers, speech and language pathologists, social workers, school psychologists, occupational therapists, physical therapists, and paraprofessionals) will provide special education services using a variety of different strategies and online platforms based on an individual student’s needs. 

Remote Learning will include tools such as instructional videos, online access to educational programs, virtual live sessions, parent consultation, and additional resources, which will be on district platforms and sites.  Special education staff (case managers) will collaborate with families to determine what services are needed during Remote Learning. In addition, special education staff will collaborate regularly with general education teachers in order for students to access the general education curriculum with the modifications and accommodations in their Individual Education Plan (IEP). 

All students that receive special services within the district will have a Remote Learning Plan.  The Remote Learning Plan will provide students, families, and staff with a general understanding of the variety of services the Special Education Department will be offering during this period.  

The Remote Learning Plan is not an IEP or an amendment to an IEP and does not constitute a change of the educational placement as set forth in the student’s current IEP.  When regular school attendance resumes and in-person instruction may be provided, the student’s most recent IEP will govern the student’s special education program and services.    

In determining the supports and services to be provided to the student during Remote Learning Days, case managers will review and consider information and data such as:

• Student’s current IEP, including review of student’s progress towards IEP goals and benchmarks  
• Student’s most recent evaluation and eligibility report
• Current educational data
• Grade Level Remote Learning Plans/Activities/Resources

JTHS has also taken into consideration the recommendations and guidance issued by the United States Department of Education and the Illinois State Board of Education regarding remote learning and delivery of special education and related services during the exceptional COVID-19 circumstances in identifying the following components of the student’s special education services and provision of FAPE during remote learning:

• Grade Level Remote Learning Plan/Activities/Resources
• Type of Special Education and/or Related Service
• Frequency of Special Education and/or Related Service
• Service Delivery Model
• Content of Special Education and/or Related Services Provided, including Targeted IEP Goals

We are committed to keeping the lines of communication open as we return to in-person learning.  If you have a question that is not listed in the Frequently Asked Questions, please fill out the Hybrid Learning Question Form and we will respond with an answer.

JTHS offers free online tutoring provided by our very own teachers at convenient times such as nights & weekends.

Sign Up Here: http://bit.ly/3t1TXwI