Lyons Township High SchoolBack-to-School Plan 2021-2022

Throughout the summer, Illinois schools have received a variety of updated guidance from the Centers for Disease Con-trol (CDC), Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), Cook County Department of Public Health (CCDPH), and Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE). The most recent guidance provided by the CDC (Tuesday, July 27, 2021) endorses a plan for a full in-person experience for our students and staff and supports the planning work we have been engaged in since the spring. This guidance, which was immediately adopted by IDPH, CCDPH, and ISBE, can be viewed by clicking here.

LTHS will return to a pre-pandemic, 8-period, full day of instruction for all students starting with the first day of student attendance, which will be on Thursday, August 19, 2021. We will be implementing our 7:45am - 3:05pm bell schedule. Every Wednesday will be a late start for all students, with the exception of the last week of each semester. First period will start at 8:45am on late start days and the school day will conclude at 3:05pm.

Athletics & Activities The fall athletic season starts Monday, August 9th. Specific information/details on each of our sports can be found on the athletics page on our website. We anticipate that all activities and events will also commence as usual. We will host our annual Co-Curricular Fair on August 24th at 7pm in the South Campus Fieldhouse. Details will be shared with families as we approach August 24th. In the meantime, our students and families can visit the activities page on our website to learn more about our many co-curricular offerings.

COVID-19 Mitigation PlanWe will also continue to put systems in place to minimize health risks related to COVID-19 for our community. The Lyons Township High School plan for mitigation efforts aligns with guidance from the CDC, IDPH, ISBE and CCDPH. Background - What is COVID-19?COVID-19 is a disease caused by a virus called SARS-CoV-2. Most people with COVID-19 have mild symptoms, but some people can become severely ill. Although most people with COVID-19 get better within weeks of illness, some people ex-perience post-COVID conditions. Post-COVID conditions are a wide range of new, returning, or ongoing health problems people can experience more than four weeks after first being infected with the virus that causes COVID-19. Older people and those who have certain underlying medical conditions are more likely to get severely ill from COVID-19. Vaccines against COVID-19 are safe and effective (CDC.gov).

Key Mitigation Efforts of the Plan

LTHS Health ServicesLTHS Health Services will continue to provide routine and specialized school health services during the COVID-19 pan-demic. These services include, but are not limited to: management of mandated school health examinations; immuni-zations and screenings; management of acute illness/injury during the school day; participation in the identification and evaluation of students with disabilities; and management of chronic health conditions during the school day. In addition, LTHS Health Services will actively support evidence-based COVID-19 mitigation strategies in coordination with school and local public health officials. The following are prevention strategies outlined within the CDC’s guidance for COVID-19 prevention in schools: 1. Promoting vaccination2. Consistent and correct mask use a. Universal Masking 3. Physical distancing4. Screening testing to promptly identify cases, clusters, and outbreaks5. Ventilation6. Handwashing and respiratory etiquette7. Staying home when sick and getting tested8. Contact tracing, in combination with isolation and quarantine9. Cleaning and disinfection

Based upon the guidance provided by the CDC, IDPH, CCDPH, and ISBE, Lyons Township High School will implement the following COVID-19 mitigation efforts at the beginning of the 2021-22 school year:

Promotion of COVID-19 Vaccine for Staff and StudentsPer the CDC, vaccination is the leading public health prevention strategy to end the COVID-19 pandemic. To that end, we encourage all eligible students to receive their COVID-19 vaccination. LTHS has hosted two previous vaccination clinics and will continue to provide these opportunities for our staff, students, and community.

Approximately 35% of students have already shared their vaccine card with us, and we encourage all students to share a copy of their vaccine card with the Health Office by emailing a picture or PDF to studentcovid@lths.net. Please note fully vaccinated students do not need to quarantine following known exposure if they are asymptomatic.

Social DistancingSocial distancing of 3 feet will be implemented when possible to do so without interrupting in-person learning/activities.

Contact TracingLT will continue to contact trace for close contacts per the Cook County Department of Public Health (CCDPH) guid-ance. Fully vaccinated students do not need to quarantine following known exposure if they are asymptomatic. Spe-cific details follow in this communication.

Air VentilationThe air handler systems at LTHS provide fresh air into each building in conjunction with exhaust fans. The systems include a minimum total of air changeover of 6 times per hour. In addition, unit ventilators at both campuses provide heat and cooling to individual spaces and bring in a mini-mum of 10% fresh air at all times, but are adjusted based on temperatures and demands within each area.

Use of MasksPlease note that LTHS will adhere to the mask mandate announced by Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker (August 4), and require universal indoor masking for all teachers, staff, students, and visitors, regardless of vaccination status, effective Thursday, August 5. This also applies to indi-viduals using school transportation (busses, minibuses, vans, driver ed vehicles, etc.). The new measure is part of the state’s ongoing effort to combat a new surge as the Delta variant rapidly spreads. In addition, per CDC guidance, when individuals consistently and correctly wear masks, they protect themselves and others from COVID-19. In general, people do not need to wear masks when outdoors.

The Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act, 20 ILCS 3305, establishes the Governor’s authority to issue executive orders. An executive order has the effect of law; compliance with it is mandatory. Failure to comply with the order may subject our district to enforcement actions from IDPH and/or ISBE, which could include a school closure. In addition to this Executive Order, Lyons Township High School District #204 has the authority to set rules in regard to both student conduct and health/safety requirements within its schools and to enforce those rules. This authority is granted through Sections 10-20.5 and 10-22.6 of the Illinois School Code. Through the district’s adoption of appropriate COVID-19 mitiga-tion strategies, including compliance with the Gover-nor’s Executive Order on universal masking, masking is required for all students, absent those who have been granted accommodations due to a disability or medical condition, as approved by the district. Complying with wearing a mask is one of the basic behavioral expectations we will ask students to meet when they return for the upcoming school year. In the event students do not comply, we will work through our normal procedures as it relates to student discipline. We will, of course, begin with a supportive conversa-tional approach, and partner with students and families to ensure that students comply. And we have a variety of tools available when we work with students in these situations. Ultimately, students who refuse to comply with the District’s masking requirements will be subject to discipline.

Point of Care Testing (Health Office)Our Health Offices at both campuses have the ability to conduct “point of care” testing for individuals who become symptomatic while at school in order to immedi-ately identify and assist with contact tracing efforts.

Hand Sanitizer StationsHand sanitizer stations will continue to be readily avail-able at both campuses.

Please note that LT’s mitigation efforts for COVID-19 can be adjusted or changed based on outbreaks, increasing trends in the school/community, local vaccination levels, and the feasi-bility of each strategy.

Health AcknowledgementIn lieu of a daily symptom screener, parents will be asked to complete a health acknowledgement form for their student(s) prior to the beginning of the school year. This is similar to the system we used during summer school. Completion of the acknowledgement form is a com-mitment that students/families will monitor symptoms on a daily basis as well as report COVID-19 symptoms, COVID-19 infection (positive test or healthcare provider clinical diagnosis), and/or COVID-19 exposure to Health Services promptly.

Community DashboardWe will continue to update the Lyons Twp HS District #204 COVID-19 Dashboard in order to monitor transmis-sion rates in our community. We will be able to utilize this data to make adjustments to our mitigation plan, as needed.

Screening TestingScreening testing (i.e., saliva testing), via the Illinois SHIELD Program is now free to all Illinois public schools. LT is considering the potential advantages to adding this as a layered mitigation effort, and we will have more details in the coming weeks.

Use of Masks• Indoor Masking:

LTHS will adhere to the most recent mask mandate announced by Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker (August 4), and requireuniversal indoor masking for all teachers, staff, students, and visitors, regardless of vaccination status, effective imme-diately. The new measure is part of the state’s ongoing effort to combat a new surge as the Delta variant rapidlyspreads. In addition, per CDC guidance, when individuals consistently and correctly wear masks, they protect them-selves and others from COVID-19.

• Outdoor Masking:In general, people do not need to wear masks when outdoors.

• Bus/School-Based Transportation Masking:When using any school transportation (busses, mini-busses, vans, driver ed vehicles, etc.), masks are required for allindividuals regardless of vaccination status.

• Athletics/Activities Masking:As we start the athletics season, all participants/coaches regardless of vaccination status will wear a mask while prac-ticing/competing indoors and all participants/coaches, regardless of vaccination status will not need to wear a maskoutdoors.

Socially Distanced and Outdoor Seating Available in Cafeterias Some socially distanced seating will be available in the cafeterias at both campuses. Additionally, outdoor seating will be available for students at both campuses as we start the school year.

Handwashing and Respiratory EtiquetteAll students/staff will practice handwashing and respiratory etiquette (covering coughs and sneezes) to keep from getting and spreading infectious illnesses including COVID-19.

COVID Symptoms/Positive Students, teachers, and staff who have symptoms of infectious illness, such as influenza (flu) or COVID-19, should stay home and be referred to their healthcare provider for testing and care, regardless of vaccination status. Staying home when sick with COVID-19 is essential to keep COVID-19 infections out of schools and prevent spread to others.

IsolationAny individual with a positive COVID-19 test will be required to isolate at home for at least 10 days from symptom onset or the date the positive test was collected.

Additional details of mitigation measures and other aspects of the LTHS plan.

In the event someone with COVID-19 has been on campus during the infectious period, LTHS will complete contact tracing, in consultation with CCDPH, to identify exposures. Individuals determined to have been exposed will be contacted by the health office/administration and provided instructions regarding quarantine or isolation.

In general, contact tracing involves identifying people who have a confirmed or probable case of COVID-19 (cases) and people who they came in contact with (close contacts) and working with them to interrupt disease spread.

This includes asking people with COVID-19 to isolate and their contacts to quarantine. Fully vaccinated persons who remain asymptomatic and those with documented COVID-19 infection within the past 90 days are excluded from quarantine. For teachers, staff and adults in the indoor K-12 classroom setting, CDC defines a close contact as an individual not fully vaccinated against COVID-19 who was within 6 feet of an infected person for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period. According to the new CDC close contact definition, classroom students who were within 3 to 6 feet of the infected student are not treated as close contacts as long as both students were engaged in consistent and correct use of a well-fitting masks and other K-12 school prevention strategies. In other words, only classroom contacts within 3 feet require quarantine as long as both the case and the contact were consistently masked. If they were not consistently masked, then close contacts are classroom students who were within 6 feet of the infected student for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period.

In exposures outside of the classroom, for staff and for students in the classroom where masks were not correctly and consistently worn by the infected person and/or the student, close contacts would be defined as individuals who are not fully vaccinated or who have not had lab-diagnosed COVID-19 within the last 90 days who were within 6 feet of an infected person for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period.

In general, individuals who are solely exposed to a confirmed case while outdoors should not be considered close contacts.

The longer a person is exposed to an infected person, the higher the risk of exposure/transmission. The infectious period of close contact begins two calendar days before the onset of symptoms (for a symptomatic person) or two calendar days before the positive sample was obtained (for an asymptomatic person).

In summary, LT will continue to contact trace for close contacts per the Cook County De-partment of Public Health (CCDPH) guidance. Students who were within 6 feet of an infect-ed person for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24 hour period will be considered close contacts. The following are exceptions: • For classroom close contacts, the close contact definition excludes students who were within

3 to 6 feet of an infected student if both the infected student and the exposed student(s) cor-rectly and consistently wore well-fitting masks the entire time.

• Fully vaccinated students do not need to quarantine following known exposure if they are asymp-tomatic.

Contact Tracing

Quarantine

Option 1 : Quarantine at home for 14 calendar days.

Option 2 : Quarantine for 10 calendar days after the close contact’s last exposure to the COVID-19 case.

Option 3: Quarantine period is for seven calendar days after the last exposure if:

Option 4: Test-to-Stay Strategy

• The individual may end quarantine after day 10 if no symptoms of COVID-19 developed during daily monitoring. • SARS-CoV-2 PCR testing is recommended and may be required by the local health department. • The individual can maintain physical distancing and masking at all times when returning to school; for classrooms

where masking is strictly adhered to, physical distance of 3 to 6 feet is acceptable for return.

• No symptoms developed during daily monitoring AND the individual has a negative SARS-CoV-2 diagnostic test (PCR) that was collected within 48 hours of exposure day 7 (starting on day 6 or after).

• The individual is responsible for obtaining a copy of the negative results for documentation purposes. • The individual can maintain physical distancing and masking at all times when returning to school; for classrooms

where masking is strictly adhered to, physical distance of 3 to 6 feet is acceptable for return.

QuarantineAny individual identified as a close contact to someone with COVID-19 will be required to quarantine at home.

According to the IDPH School FAQ (July 26th), the following are options for quarantine. The local health department (CCDPH) will make the final determination on who is quarantined and for how long. They may also determine that a close contact is not a candidate for modified quarantine due to a high-risk exposure. The Test-to-Stay option will only be available to LTHS students if endorsed by the CCDPH.

As has been documented by CDC, if schools test close contacts, as defined above, on days one, three, five, and seven from date of exposure by a PCR or rapid antigen or molecular emergency use authorization (EUA)-approved test, close contacts are permitted to remain in the classroom as long as the results are negative.

• Only applicable when both the COVID-19-confimed student and close contact were engaged in consistent and cor-rect use of well-fitting masks and the school requires masking for all individuals (age 2 and older) who are not fully vaccinated, as recommended by the CDC.

• Test to Stay may be used for any indoor exposure, with the exception of household exposures. • Students engaged in Test to Stay after an exposure may participate in extracurricular activities. Local health de-

partments have the authority to order a classroom-only Test-to-Stay protocol after assessing the risk of an individ-ual situation.

• Because students engaged in the Test-to-Stay protocol were exposed to a confirmed case of COVID-19, they must wear a mask while indoors at school, regardless of the mask policy at school.

• However, if the close contact is identified five days or more from the date of exposure, adjust testing accordingly, ideally on days five and seven after the last exposure.

• When testing in the outlined cadence is not possible due to weekends and holidays, students should be tested at the earliest possible opportunity.

• At the conclusion of the Test-to-Stay modified quarantine period, the school should notify the local health depart-ment that the student has successfully completed testing and remained negative.

• Local health departments have the authority to assess high-risk exposures and order a traditional quarantine with-out the option for Test-to-Stay.

• If at any time the student tests positive or becomes symptomatic, they should be immediately isolated and sent home, and the local health department notified.

Point of Care Testing LT seeks to maintain a safe and healthy school environment during the COVID-19 pandemic while minimizing loss of instructional time due to unnecessary isolation. Our Health Offices at both campuses now have the ability to conduct “point of care” testing on symptomatic individuals to more immediately identify and assist with contact tracing efforts.

Point of care diagnostic SARS-COV-2 testing of students who develop COVID-19 symptoms during the school day will allow for prompt isolation and contact tracing. It will also expedite return to the classroom, when appropriate, for staff/students whose symptoms are not due to COVID-19 infection. Symptoms of COVID-19 include: fever (100.4°F or higher), new onset of moderate to severe headache, new cough, shortness of breath, sore throat, fatigue from unknown cause, muscle/body aches from unknown cause, new loss of taste or smell, vomiting, diarrhea. Students who are experiencing symptoms prior to coming to LTHS should not come to LTHS for testing but rather should isolate and seek testing with a healthcare provider.

LT will utilize the BinaxNOW™ COVID-19 Ag test for point of care testing. BinaxNOW™ COVID-19 Ag test is a point of care antigen test that detects the presence of SARS-COV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19 infection. The test will be admin-istered and interpreted by a nurse in the heath office. The test specimen is collected with a nasal swab. All swabs will be used solely for the purpose of COVID-19 testing and then destroyed in a manner appropriate for biological specimens. Test results, both positive and negative, will be communicated to the parent/guardian with instructions for required public health follow-up. A negative BinaxNOW test may need to be confirmed with a RT-PCR test as directed by IDPH and CCDPH. No testing is 100% accurate. If you test positive on the BinaxNOW™ COVID-19 Ag test, you will be required to go home and adhere to the District and IDPH guidance on required isolation and return to school protocols.

Review and acknowledgement of the parent/guardian consent form provides the District permission to administer the BinaxNOW™ COVID-19 Ag test to a student if they present to the health office with COVID-19 symptoms and to release the test result to the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) and Cook County Department of Public Health (CCDPH) as required by the Illinois Control of Communicable Disease Code during the 2021-2022 school year. The test is voluntary and provided free of charge. Review and acknowledgement of the parent/guardian consent form for point of care testing will be completed through an Infinite Campus Survey prior to the beginning of the school year.

Regardless of when an individual ends quarantine, daily symptom monitoring should continue through calendar day 14 after the exposure. Individuals should continue to adhere to recommended mitigation strategies, including proper and consistent mask use, physical distancing, hand hygiene, cough hygiene, environmental cleaning and disinfection, avoiding crowds and sick people, and ensuring adequate indoor ventilation. If any symptoms develop during or after ending quar-antine, the individual should immediately self-isolate and contact their local health department or healthcare provider to report their symptoms. The health department can provide guidance on how to safely quarantine and isolate within the household.

The following individuals will be exempt from quarantine if identified as a close contact to someone with COVID-19, as long as they remain asymptomatic and have the related documentation on file in the health office:• Diagnosed with COVID-19 in the past 3 months (requires positive COVID-19 test result on file in the health office).• Fully vaccinated (requires COVID-19 vaccination card on file in the health office).

Student Participation in Learning During Quarantine When students are quarantined, they will access Canvas, our learning management system, for class materials, assign-ments, etc. Teachers will provide them with any additional materials that are needed for students to continue their learning during the quarantine period. Additional support will be available through the LT Academy; students/families will be provided with additional information at the onset of the quarantine period.

Return to School following Quarantine or IsolationPrior to return to campus, any individual placed in quarantine or isolation must be cleared by the health office.

Any student/staff member experiencing the onset of upper respiratory infection symptoms at school will immediately report to the health office for clinical evaluation and diagnostic COVID-19 testing when clinically indicated.

Students/staff who do not consent to school based testing may be required to isolate at home and seek medical evalua-tion prior to returning to campus.

Shield Screening Testing SHIELD Illinois is a screening testing program that deploys the University of Illinois’ innovative PCR COVID-19 saliva test across the state. The SHIELD test takes a proactive approach to identify pre-symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals to quarantine, reducing virus spread. Results will be sent to the individual, organization and IDPH through a HIPAA-secure health records portal within 24 hours of samples reaching the SHIELD lab. CovidSHIELD is a highly sensitive molecular RT-PCR saliva-based test. SHIELD testing is a screening program that tests everyone, not just symptomatic individuals. Identifying infections early and isolating infected individuals breaks the chain of infection and prevents the virus from spreading.

Many infected individuals report no symptoms; however, they may still be transmitting the virus. Testing frequently can identify the virus before shedding begins. This enables quicker isolation of infected individuals, which reduces community spread. SHIELD Illinois’ collection process is quick, self-administered and non-invasive. The method of collection is through a saliva test. Benefits to saliva testing include:

• Saliva captures more copies of virus DNA than nasopharyngeal swabs.• Saliva tests have shown to detect the virus sooner than nasal swab tests.• Saliva doesn’t require medically trained collection staff.• Saliva tests don’t detect dead virus like nasal swabs do.

LT is planning for the use of screening testing as a layered mitigation effort and will follow the CDC’s screening testing recommendations by level of community transmission.

Screening Testing Recommendations for K-12 Schools by Level of Community Transmission (modified from the CDC):

Low Moderate Substantial High

Students

Staff

High RiskSports

& Activites

Low RiskSports

& Activites

COVID Cases 0-9/100,000 (7 day) Positivity Rate less than 5%

COVID Cases 10-49/100,000 (7 day) Positivity Rate 5%-7.9%

COVID Cases 50-99/100,000 (7 day) Positivity Rate 8%-9.9%

COVID Cases 100+/100,000 (7 day) Positivity Rate 10%+

Do not need to screen students.

Offer screening testing for students who are not fully vaccinated at least once per week.

Offer screening testing for staff who are not fully vaccinated at least once per week.

Recommend screening testing for high-risk sports and extracurricular activities at least once per week for participants who are not fully vaccinated.

Recommend screen-ing testing for high-risk sports and extra-curricular activities twice per week for participants who are not fully vaccinated.

Cancel or hold high-risk sports and extra-curricular activities virtually to protect in-person learning, unless all participants are fully vaccinated.

Do not need to screen students participating in low and intermediate risk sports.

Recommend screening testing for low and intermediate risk sports at least once per week for participants who are not fully vaccinated.

Transmission

High-risk extracurricular activities are those in which increased exhalation occurs, such as activities that involve singing, shouting, band, or exercise, especially when conducted indoors.

Review and acknowledgement of the parent/guardian consent form for screening testing will be completed through an Infinite Campus Survey prior to the school year.

Many more details will be shared with students/families when planning details are finalized.

General Operations

Field TripsArrival & Dismissal

Cleaning Protocols

• LTHS will return to normal approval of field trips for the 2021-2022 school year.

• Overnight field trips will be approved on a case by case basis.

• Virtual field trip experiences/opportunities will be utilized when appropriate/available.

• Masks should be worn as students enter the building. Student Assistants will be checking mask compliance upon student arrival. All students will be expected to provide their own mask. Disposable masks will be available as needed.

• Only those students who are participating in co-curricular activities/athletics, attending a school event, participating in an after school program or getting help from a teacher are permitted to stay after school. All other students will need to leave following the 3:05 dismissal bell.

• All desks, tables, and chairs are cleaned and sanitized on a daily basis.

• Door handles and all high touch areas are sanitized on a daily basis.

• All restrooms are cleaned multiple times throughout each school day.• All surfaces including sinks, toilets, toilet paper

dispensers, and paper towel dispensers are cleaned and sanitized.

• Door handles and all high touch areas are sanitized.

Cafeteria/Food Service

• Some socially distanced seating will be available within cafeterias.

• The use of outdoor eating spaces will be expanded. Tents will be utilized for outdoor seating.

• Students that are able to bring their lunch are encouraged to do so in order to avoid congestion in serving lines. Limited options will be available based on serving guidelines, staffing, and students’ preferences.

• Students purchasing their lunch are encouraged to utilize cashless payment by using their student ID. Students can add money to their account through the Infinite Campus portal or through bringing cash to the cafeteria.

• Cafeteria tables will be cleaned between lunch periods.

Hallways & Classrooms• Students will be issued lockers. Students are

encouraged to limit the use of lockers when possible.

• Students should avoid congregating in the halls and should make every attempt to get to their next destination prior to the bell in order to reduce hallway congestion.

• Classrooms will be designed with physical distancing in mind, but in some cases will not accommodate 3 feet of distancing.

• Teachers will maintain a seating chart for students in the event that there is a need for contact tracing.

• Signage will be posted throughout the building regarding hand washing, masking, and distancing.

• In order to reduce congestion in restrooms, students will be able to access restrooms during passing periods and during class time. Students should be mindful of maximum occupancy of restrooms.

• Student Assistants will encourage students to move through the halls and will monitor restroom occupancy.

Physical Education

Physical Spaces

Technology/Virtual Parent Meetings

• Traditional water fountains will continue to be turned off. Bottle filling stations will be available for student & staff use.

• Additional hand sanitizer stations will be available.

• LTHS will follow IDPH Guidelines regarding physical education classes and programming.

• As we start the 2021-2022 school year, we anticipate that students will be participating in a regular physical education program. This includes the use of locker rooms and the need to wear school PE uniforms.

• We will be optimizing outside physical education classes to maximize student time unmasked.

• All students are issued a Chromebook to support their learning.

• Digital tools will be accessible from students’ Chromebooks.

• A virtual option may be utilized for various parent and student meetings.

• Virtual IEP meetings will be an option for families.

If students require accommodations to meet the safety expectations, a COVID-19 Medical Accommodation Form must be completed by the student’s health care provider and parent/guardian. Submit completed forms to studentcovid@lths.net. Upon receipt and review, the health office will coordinate a meeting with the parent/ guardian, student and applicable school staff to determine an appropriate plan.

Student Accommodations/Homebound Services

The following expectations apply to all students and staff at any LTHS sponsored event and on any LTHS property:

• All students/staff will practice handwashing and respiratory etiquette (covering coughs and sneezes) to keep from getting and spreading infectious illnesses including COVID-19.

• Masks• LTHS will adhere to the most recent mask mandate announced by Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker (August 4), and require

universal indoor masking for all teachers, staff, students, and visitors, regardless of vaccination status, effective immediately.

• In general, people do not need to wear masks when outdoors. • When using any school transportation, masks are required for all individuals regardless of vaccination status.

• Screening Testing• Students/staff are recommended to participate in screening testing per the CDC guidance. LTHS will share test-

ing details with students, staff, and families prior to implementation. • Symptoms at School

• Any student/staff member experiencing the onset of upper respiratory infection symptoms at school will immediately report to the health office for clinical evaluation and diagnostic COVID-19 testing when clinically indicated.

• Students/staff who do not consent to school based testing may be required to isolate at home and seek medical evaluation prior to returning to campus.

• All students/staff will report any new positive COVID-19 test/diagnosis promptly to Health Services.• All students/staff will comply with Cook County Department of Public Health directives, including testing, quarantine

and isolation. Please note that LT’s mitigation efforts for COVID-19 can be adjusted or changed based on outbreaks, increasing trends in the school/community, local vaccination levels, and the feasibility of each strategy.

Safety Expectations

Student Services Delivery ModelLater this week, Division Chair for Student Services Leslie Owens will provide families with an exciting update on our Student Services delivery model and adjustments that we are making in order to best serve our students as we are transitioning back to a more normal school environment and schedule.

Social Emotional Focus on Friday, August 20thThere will be a Social Emotional Learning focus within all classes on Friday, August 20th. We will follow a traditional bell schedule on the 20th; student support staff and teach-ing staff have developed a series of lessons that will be delivered throughout the course of the day. It is important to note that the series of lessons has been developed in or-der to provide support to all students as we transition back to a more normal school environment. These lessons will be scaffolded throughout the day so students have access to different content as they progress through the day.

Angel the Comfort Dog Angel, an LLC K9 comfort dog, will be in regular attendance at North and South Campuses during the early part of the 2021-2022 school year. Angel is from St. John’s Lutheran Church in LaGrange and has experience interacting with individuals at churches, schools, nursing homes, hospitals, events and in disaster response situations. Comfort dogs bring a calming influence, allowing people to open up their hearts and receive help.

ReferralGPSLT is now partnering with ReferralGPS, which is a cloud-based referral solution for behavioral health professionals. It was developed as a way for organizations to align with behavioral health providers and facilitate appropriate patient referrals. With ReferralGPS, we can now connect our students and families with vetted community-based mental health professionals that match families’ financial/insurance, location, language, and area of specialization needs. The referral portal is available for all of our families to use and/or our mental health professionals can work with the portal to support families and students. Here is the public link for ReferralGPS.

Social and Emotional Supports

Back-to-School Event Schedule

AUG 9-13

AUG 10 7pm

Virtual “Back-to-School” Webinar

During the event, LT’s leadership team will present information regarding back-to school activities, academic and SEL supports, and an overview of our COVID-19 mitigation plan. Please click here to join Tuesday evening’s event.

AUG 15 3-5pm

Sophomore Locker Decorating Event

We are planning a fun opportunity for Class of 2024 to come together on sunday, August 16, at South Campus. We will have treats and music, and students will have the opportunity to connect with their friends and class-mates as they decorate their lockers for the beginning of the year and leave positive messages for incoming freshmen!

Book/Chromebook Pick-Up In addition to picking up their learn-ing materials, students will have the opportunity to find their lockers and walk their schedules to help them become more familiar with our build-ings. Students will also receive their schedules.

AUG 16 7:45-11:45am

Freshman Experience DayFreshman Experience Day is an elite opportunity for Class of 2025 stu-dents to begin building connections with classmates, student leaders, and staff. Students will also have the opportunity to explore LT’s South Campus, which includes time to walk their schedule, practice opening their locker, and find their classes. Students will get a taste of the vibrant and spirited school culture as they learn more about LT traditions. Class of 2025 students will have the chance to hear about supports and resources available to our students as they meet with Student Support Team members. They will also spend some time think-ing about the things they would like to accomplish during the 2021-2022 school year in order to make their LT Experience fulfilling, fun, and mean-ingful! It is our hope that Class of 2025 students leave Freshman Experience Day feeling excited about LT and ready to build connections, develop relation-ships, and take advantage of the many opportunities LT has to offer. Specific information will be shared with Class of 2025 families this week.

AUG 18 5-7pm

Buildings Open for Student Schedule Walk Through

Buildings will be open from 5-7pm for those students who were not able to walk their schedule during Book Pick-Up or need a little more time in order to feel comfortable prior to the first day.

AUG 19

First Day of Student Attendance

We will be implementing our 7:45am - 11:30am (23 minute period schedule) bell schedule for the first part of the day and then students will attend an LT Fest at each of our campuses in the afternoon as part of the first day experience. Students will follow their schedule and attend each of their classes in the morning. We will have BBQs, inflatables, music, and games at our afternoon LT Fests! Stu-dents and staff will have the oppor-tunity to have fun, connect and enjoy coming together as a school com-munity. All students will attend the LT Fests in the afternoon; we will be sharing the specific schedule with stu-dents on August 19th and will share dismissal information with students/families next week.

AUG 20

Second Day of Student Attendance

There will be a Social Emotional Learn-ing focus within all classes on the 20th (see previous page for details).

AUG 24 7pm

Co-Curricular Night We will be adjusting the format for Co-Curricular night. The opening pre-sentation will be recorded and shared with families prior to Co-Cur-ricular Night. The fair will be held in the South Campus Fieldhouse and will start at 7pm. More details to fol-low as we get closer to the event.

AUG 26 7pm

South Campus Parent Open House

The night will start with our Freshman and New Family Welcome Presenta-tion which will take place in the South Campus Fieldhouse from 6:15pm - 6:45pm.

SEPT 2 7pm

North Campus Parent Open House

More details to follow as we get closer to the event.