FAQ’s

If your child will be absent from school:

Email [email protected] (note new email!) that your child will be absent. Make sure to include the reason for the absence (especially if it is health-related) and if your child will be joining their class remotely that day.

Nurse Ariele will receive this notification as well and if the absence is due to illness, she will respond with further instructions.

The front office will let your child’s teachers know that they will be out.

If your child is able to learn remotely, the front office will provide you with the link and password for the new remote learning website with your child’s class schedule and zoom links.

In order not to mix between cohorts of students, there will be no early drop off at the start of the year.

Each day, before coming to school, parents will self-certify that their entire household is symptom free with an easy to use health screening app. If any household member has a symptom, the entire family will need to stay home from school until a COVID-19 diagnosis has been ruled out.

Drop off is between 8:15 and 8:45 am, there will be no early Minyan for 7th and 8th grade.

Cars may start lining up earlier than 8:15, and students will be welcomed out of cars starting at 8:15.

Enter the school driveway through the HTC Carpenter Road entrance, come down through the school parking lot and turn right into the turnaround in the front of the school.

During drop off, everyone in the car must be wearing masks.

Upon arrival, symptom self-certification will be checked. Please be ready to show the staff member your completed self-screening on the PickUp Patrol app.

If you are carpooling another family’s children, make sure one of their parents has sent you a screenshot of their children’s screening to show the staff member.

Staff will take each child’s temperature – while they remain in the car.

Students will not be allowed to enter the building without confirmation of the self-certification and temperature check.

For students who do not pass the screening, you will need to take your children home the school nurse will follow up with further instructions.

Once in the building, students will proceed directly to their classroom, where their teacher will be waiting to greet them. To ensure social distancing students will not gather in the gym or auditorium. Staff members oversee and assist students walking from drop off to their classroom.

If you arrive after 8:45am:

Park and walk your child to front vestibule.

The Guard will check PickUp Patrol app and take the students temp.

The Guard will guide the student to the office to sign in and get late note.

A teacher will greet you at your car, confirm your self-assessment symptom screening, take your child’s temperature while still in the car, and then walk your child to their classroom where a teacher will be waiting to greet them.

Early drop off is either at 8:00 am or 8:30 am at the Monticello school doors.

Regular drop off will be curbside between 8:50 and 9:05 am.

Pre-Nursery students will have a drop off line along Monticello.

Nursery students will pull into the alley off of Monticello and turn into the circular driveway

Masks must be worn by all adults and children ages two and older in the car.

The kindergarten drop off will follow the same procedure as outlined for grades 1-8

The staff member who does the health screening at the car will walk the kindergartener to the appropriate door where the kindergarten teacher or assistant teacher will be waiting. The student will not be left until one of the kindergarten teachers is there to greet them.

Kindergarteners will be guided to their classrooms until they become comfortable with the routine and location of their classrooms.

To keep the flow of carpool and for the safety of staff and students, we ask that parents remain in their cars during drop off.

There will not be any bus service at the start of the year.

Enter the school driveway through the HTC Carpenter Road entrance, come down through the school parking lot and turn right into the turnaround in the front of the school.

Dismissal will be from 3:30 – 4:00 pm.

Students will stay in their classroom at dismissal time and will be sent to the front when their car has arrived.

As you line up in the afternoon, please make sure your carpool number and last name are clearly displayed in your front windshield.

Staff will begin to enter your carpool number and name in the PickUp Patrol app to communicate it to the teachers in the classroom so that your child can start making their way to the front as you pull around.

Staff will be outside to help safely manage the flow of students from the building into the cars.

At 1:00 pm dismissal, Nursery will be dismissed through school doors on East Prairie and Pre-Nursery through school doors on Monticello.

Children will remain inside the building, the parent/caregiver will come to the door, check in with a teacher and the children will be dismissed one at a time to each caregiver.

7th and 8th grade Minyan will have the same start time as K-6 and breakfast will be eaten at home.

Tefilla will be by cohort and singing will be minimized and with a low voice.

All carpools must register with the school.

If carpooling with another family, all passengers and drivers should distance to the degree possible and wear a mask while in the car.

When possible, the vehicle windows should remain open.

For contact tracing purposes, we ask that you do not take other children in your car who are not registered as part of your carpool unless you have received advance permission from the school.

If you need to pick up your child  early and he/she will not be returning to school that day:

Email your child’s teacher(s) in advance so that they can provide them with anything they may need to take home for the day

Indicate the dismissal change (Early Dismissal) in PickUp Patrol by 2:30 pm

Call the front office (847-674-6533 and dial 0) before you arrive to let them know when you will be coming so that they can get your child ready (give at least 10 minute warning)

Park, come to the vestibule to pick up your child and sign them out with the guard

If you need to pick up your child early for an appointment and will be bringing him/her back to school the  same day

Call the front office (847-674-6533 and dial 0) to let them know when you will be coming (give at least 10 minute warning)

Park, come to the vestibule to pick up your child and sign them out with the guard

When you return, park and sign him/her back in with the guard

We will follow the specific sanitation procedures recommended by the CDC, IDPH, and local health departments.

There will be additional sanitizing throughout the day of high touch surfaces.

Desks will be sanitized before students eat.
There will be additional deep cleaning each night following all CDC, IDPH, and ISBE guidelines.

All water fountains will be closed and replaced with water bottle filling stations.

HVAC filters throughout the building have been upgraded to Merv 13 filters in order to improve the air quality in the building.

In addition to our standard immunization policy, all students are required to get a flu shot prior to November 1, 2020, unless documented as medically contra indicated.

Everyone in the school building will be instructed to wash or sanitize hands frequently.

Upon entering the building.

Upon entering or exiting a classroom.

Prior to eating.

We are installing hand sanitizer dispensers in every room in the school as well as at every entrance/exit.

Students will be taught proper hygiene techniques.

All restrooms, including the four that were fully remodeled, will be outfitted with touchless toilets and urinals (new bathrooms only), sinks, paper towel dispensers, and soap dispensers.

There will be signage reminders throughout the building regarding proper hygiene and safety.

Students in grades 1-8 will each have an assigned desk in the classroom. In middle school, the shared tables have been replaced with individual desks.

Seating and/or desks will be forward facing and separated at least 3’- 6’ (avg 5’) apart to comply with WHO and CDC guidelines.

Excess furniture has been removed from all rooms to allow for more space.

Students will each have individual school supplies. If items must be shared, they will be sanitized before and after use.

Windows and doors in the classroom will be kept open as much as possible.

K-4 classes will remain in the same classroom all day and will start the year without lockers.

In the middle school, movement from classroom to classroom will be minimized.

Each grade will be in only 2 – 3 different classrooms throughout the day.

Transitions between periods will be staggered and locker usage will be staggered to alleviate hallway crowding.

Recess and passing periods will be staggered to prevent crowding the hallways

Signage will be installed around the building to communicate, promote and enforce physical distancing

There will be one-way signage in the hallways for walking in one-way lanes

Student movement from classroom to classroom will be limited as much as possible, the students will stay and the teachers will move

Middle School locker usage will be staggered, grades K-4 will start the year without lockers

Students will be at least 6’ apart while eating lunch and snack.

We will use classrooms and other locations within the school
as temporary lunchrooms to facilitate the 6’ distance while
eating lunch.

Students will eat lunch outdoors when possible.

Any lunch area used by multiple groups will be disinfected
between groups.

All school provided Hot Lunch meals will be in single serve
containers with all disposable utensils.

We will reinforce no sharing of any food or drinks.

At the start of the year no milk or juice will be supplied.

All students, teachers, staff, and visitors ages two and older must wear a mask while in the building, even if social distancing is maintained.

No bandanas, “gaiters” or other athletic types of face coverings will be allowed. Additionally, masks cannot have a valve.

At arrival, masks should be in place prior to getting out of the car; at dismissal, masks should remain in place until seated inside the car.

Masks must cover the nose and the mouth, and fit snugly against the sides of the face.

Masks can be removed while eating and drinking.

Masks can be removed outdoors if social distancing (>6 feet) can be maintained.

Teachers will schedule “mask breaks” for students throughout the day outdoors or while at least 6’ apart.

The school recognizes that wearing a mask may be difficult for students in the pre-nursery and nursery programs and will work with the students and parents to help create the safest classroom environment.

The entire daily schedule has been re-worked to enable social distancing between student cohort groups throughout the school day. In grades PN-4 each class will be their own cohort, and in middle school each grade will be considered a cohort. Students will remain within their cohort the entire day, including tefilla.

Students in grades 1-8 will each have an assigned desk in the classroom. In middle school, the shared tables have been replaced with individual desks.

Seating and/or desks will be forward facing and separated at least 3’- 6’ (avg 5’) apart to comply with WHO and CDC guidelines.

Excess furniture has been removed from all rooms to allow for more space.

Students will each have individual school supplies. If items must be shared, they will be sanitized before and after use.

Windows and doors in the classroom will be kept open as much as possible.

Teachers will utilize outside spaces throughout the day when possible. We have purchased tents to help facilitate outdoor spaces for learning, lunch, etc.

K-4 classes will remain in the same classroom all day and will start the year without lockers.

In the middle school, movement from classroom to classroom will be minimized.

Each grade will be in only 2 – 3 different classrooms throughout the day.

Transitions between periods will be staggered and locker usage will be staggered to alleviate hallway crowding.

Recess will be staggered.

Restroom usage will be staggered with a limited number of students allowed in the restroom at one time.

Signage will be installed around the building to communicate, promote and enforce physical distancing.

Restroom usage will be staggered with a limited number of students allowed in the restroom at one time.

All restrooms, including the four that were fully remodeled, will be outfitted with touchless toilets and urinals (new bathrooms only), sinks, paper towel dispensers, and soap dispensers.

The school nurse will:

Monitor daily self-reports

Assess student symptoms in school

Track students who are out sick

Be our contact tracing point person with the Health Department

You can email Nurse Ariele at [email protected]

All students in grades 1 – 8 have the choice to zoom into the classroom for simultaneous, interactive remote learning.

The remote learning option is available to all students who need to remain at home for any reason.

Each classroom will be equipped with a camera that faces the front of the room and provides a view of the smart board and the teacher.

The classroom teacher will open a 2-way, interactive zoom session at the start of class. The students on zoom will be able to see and hear the teacher and the board, and the teacher will be able to see and hear the students.

Teachers will have the ability to screenshare the classroom smart board and will work to ensure students on zoom feel included in the classroom.

Students will be able to participate in class, raise their hands to ask questions or express a thought and be a part of the classroom activities to the greatest extent possible.

The zoom will be managed by either the lead teacher, assistant teacher (primary grades), and/or a Zoombassador (assigned student in the class).

If your child needs to miss a class and cannot attend the zoom there will be a form to submit in advance to request the lesson recording.

Assemblies and large in-person gatherings will be canceled until further notice.

There will be no Fall Afterschool Programs.

Field trips and extracurricular activities will be on hold until further notice.

Each day, before coming to school, parents will self-certify that their child/children are symptom free and do not have any exposure risk factors with an easy to use health screening app.

Minimizing the number of visitors in the building will help support social distancing and contact tracing.

Nonessential visitors, including parents, will not be allowed in the school building. Essential visitors will only be allowed into the school building with prior approval.

All visitors will be surveyed by a school employee to verify that they do not have any COVID-19 symptoms and their temperature will be checked prior to entering the building.

Any essential visitors to the school will be required to follow physical distancing, hand hygiene, and mask policies.

Parent volunteers and give/get opportunities in the school building will be very limited this year.

For all medical questions email Nurse Ariele directly at [email protected]

We are committed to proactive, open communication with relevant information to relevant parties, while at the same time safeguarding the privacy and dignity of all individuals.

In the event of a Covid exposure within the school, we will investigate the case carefully with guidance from the health department.

We will prioritize communication with the exposed individuals or group as soon as possible with clear guidance around the next steps.

We will inform the broader parent body that there was a case in the school.

We will not divulge the identity of the person who tested positive and we will maintain compliance with all applicable privacy laws and ethical practices. We ask all members of the school community to partner with us in modeling the highest standards of ethical conduct and refrain from speculative gossip and lashon hara.

We will not share with parents information that does not affect their children – such as where a parent of a student tested positive, since, in this case, the other students in the school are not considered exposed.

Similarly, a case where a child goes home sick with a Covid symptom and is being sent for a Covid test, will not be shared with the parent body as it is not considered a reportable health concern before the test has resulted.

All communication will be via email. In the case where one’s child had a direct exposure, parents will also get a text from the school alerting them to check their email for a time-sensitive Covid communication.

In the event of a case of COVID-19 within the school community, we will inform local health departments and we will notify parents/staff who may have been exposed while maintaining appropriate privacy for the individual(s) with a positive diagnosis or symptoms. We will additionally send an email to all parents/staff that there was a confirmed positive case in the school community.

An exposure or close contact is defined as an individual who spent time closer than six feet for at least 15 minutes with an individual who has tested positive.

Anyone in a student’s classroom cohort is considered a close contact. In the event that a whole class needs to quarantine, learning will continue remotely via Zoom.

Siblings, carpools, and other persons reported by parents are considered a close contact.

The school nurse and administration will work closely with the local health department to guide us on the level of risk in regards to community transmission and at what point we may need to close the building.

If a child is sent to the nurse during school hours with a symptom of any general illness, the nurse will perform a thorough assessment of that child to determine how to help him/her, and to assess whether or not the child can remain in school for the day. 

The CDC, IDPH and ISBE guidelines clearly state that a student displaying any one symptom of Covid 19 in school must be sent home with all his/her siblings that attend that school. Based on these guidelines, if, after a thorough assessment, it is determined that a child’s symptom is new, and not attributable to a previous chronic condition or another non-Covid related issue, the school is required to send the ill child and all siblings home immediately.

Once it is determined that a child who is ill must go home, the child will be called out of class, along with their belongings, and asked to wait in our isolation space. Parents will be called as soon as possible and asked to come pick up their child within the hour. The child’s siblings will also be called out of class and asked to wait just outside the isolation room. All children will be supervised until they are picked up.

When interacting with students who may be sick, the school nurse and all staff will follow CDC guidelines and precautions.

The school nurse will provide parents guidance on next steps.

If a student is informed that they are a close contact with a positive case, they must quarantine.

If the individual has NO symptoms, quarantine for 14 days after the last exposure to contact.

If the individual has symptoms, seek advice from a healthcare provider regarding the need for a COVID-19 test and quarantine for at least 14 days and until symptoms resolve.

If a student or staff member has a household contact that has a positive COVID-19 test, they must quarantine.

 If the individual has NO symptoms, quarantine for 14 days after the last exposure to contact.

If the individual has symptoms, seek advice from a healthcare provider regarding the need for a COVID 19 test and quarantine for at least 14 days.

While at home, if your child feels up to it, he/she will be able to zoom into the classroom for simultaneous remote learning (for grades 1-8).

For any medical questions email Nurse Ariele [email protected]

According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, rapid tests alone are not acceptable to allow someone that was sick to return to school. Rapid tests are not considered to be as accurate as the PCR test, which takes a bit longer and is deemed to be more sensitive and accurate. 

If one receives a negative rapid result, they would need to wait until they got a negative result from the PCR test as well in order to return to school.  A positive result on a rapid test, however, would be assumed to be a true positive case.

For this reason, we highly recommend that when a Covid test is needed, you ensure that you use a testing site that does a PCR test. 

For all medical questions email Nurse Ariele directly at [email protected]

Buy a comfortable mask for your child and help your child get used to wearing it.

We have some great resources for this on our COVID-19 Resources page

Make sure all immunizations are up to date, including a flu vaccine for this year

We ask all Hillel Torah families to follow CDC, state, and local guidelines while outside of school to help protect the entire community.

Take the Hillel Torah Community Pledge!