We would like to thank the Hancock County Health Department for Covid testing our Elementary School Staff today. We have had a significant number of staff at the elementary school that have become ill as a result of Covid. We wish all of our staff a speedy recovery. As a result, our elementary school will remain on remote instruction through February 2. This will include ALL elementary school students, Pre-K through 6th grade. We plan for all elementary school students to return to in-person instruction on Wednesday, February 3. Junior High and High School students will continue in-person instruction. We apologize for any inconvenience that this may cause and appreciate your continued understanding. We will update you in the event that any additional changes are needed.
All after school activities for today, Monday, January 25th, have been cancelled.
We have just received updated information from the Hancock County Health Department. They have recommended that we close our elementary school until January 27th. Additionally, they recommend keeping our Pre-K, Kindergarten and 1st grade students at home until February 3. Therefore, elementary school students will not be in attendance tomorrow or Friday, and also Monday and Tuesday of the following week. We will have computers and supplies ready for delivery or pick-up on Friday. Teachers will contact their students to determine the best way to get those items to students. Remote instruction will begin on Monday, at the direction of your child’s teacher. As of this writing, we will plan to have grades 2-6 return to the elementary school on January 27 and Pre-k, K and 1st grade to return on February 3. Junior high and high school students will continue to attend in-person. We will provide additional information from the health department as soon as it is available. This is a dynamic situation, and we will follow the guidance of the Hancock County Health Department. We apologize for the late notice, but things have been changing quite rapidly. Again, we will continue to share updates as they become available.
The Hancock County Health Department is recommending that all students in Pre-K, Kindergarten and First Grade not be in attendance on Thursday and Friday while they work with the Illinois Department of Public Health to determine if there is an epidemiological link between cases and which Covid-19 variant is involved in the increased number of cases at the elementary school; specifically, in The Pre-K, Kindergarten and First Grade. Therefore, all students in Pre-K, Kindergarten and First grade should remain at home tomorrow, January 21 and Friday, January 22. All other students will report as usual. We will plan for Pre-K, Kindergarten and First Grade students to Return on Monday, January 25. Staff has also been impacted and our return on Monday is dependent on having adequate staff present. We will provide notice as soon as possible if anything should change. Hamilton CCSD #328 has and will continue to follow the recommended CDC guidelines to clean and disinfect the school. The Hancock County Health Department and Hamilton CCSD #328 are sharing this information to provide education, ease uncertainty and suppress rumors. Rest assured that the school district is working very closely with the Hancock County Health Department to reduce the risk of additional transmission. Students, teachers and staff are asked to monitor for symptoms. If symptoms begin, it is recommended that individuals contact their healthcare provider to determine if a COVID-19 test is necessary. People should cover their cough or sneeze, wash hands with soap and warm water and stay home if they are ill. In addition, face coverings should be worn in public when a distance of at least 6 feet from other persons cannot be maintained. If additional positive cases are confirmed within the school district, parents and guardians will be contacted. If you have any additional questions, please contact the Hancock County Health Department at 217-357-2171 or Hamilton CCSD #328 at 866-332-3880.
