Dear Butler School District 53 families and staff,
As Spring Break is here and we come to a close on our second week of e-Learning, I want to express how proud I am of our students and families. Along with keeping a continuity of learning traditional subjects, our students are learning a vital life skill: Resilience.
As adults, we are facing a crisis that caused our world to change in a blink of an eye and is different than any emergency we have ever had to endure. Country and state governance, state and regional boards of education, national and local health departments; all are adapting and responding to the quickly evolving situation at hand, and we trust their guidance. Just as our children trust our guidance as educators, and parents.
When our lives return to normalcy, and we look back at the tapestry that was woven, we should remind ourselves and our children that we are resilient. We came together, trusted, did our best, amended and improved. The lesson of “resilience” that our students learned in the shadows of the crisis will be with them for life, and they are stronger because of this.
Please enjoy your Spring Break. While many itineraries may have changed to what was originally scheduled, I hope that you are able to take this break to rejuvenate, do what you love, and be with those who bring the most joy to your lives. We ask that you take care of yourself and each other. Physical distances may be necessary to minimize our risk, but social cohesion and emotional closeness will keep us well.
e-Learning is not scheduled over Spring Break and will continue on April 7th; the first day of the week is dedicated to teacher planning as previously practiced. If anything changes prior to that, I will inform the community as quickly as possible.
For families that will be making the decision to travel over the break, please be mindful that the Center For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides detailed information on their website on travel and COVID-19. Please note: The CDC recommends avoiding nonessential travel to all “Level 3” areas. A list of these areas and can be found here.
If you have traveled to a Level 3 area, the CDC mandates: “Currently, all travelers arriving from a country or region with widespread ongoing transmission of COVID-19 (Level 3 Travel Health Notice) should stay home for 14 days after their arrival. At home, they are expected to monitor their health and practice social distancing. To protect the health of others, these travelers should not go to work, or school, or otherwise leave their home for any reason (other than seeking health care) for 14 days.”
Stay safe, stay healthy, and enjoy your family.
Sincerely,
Dr. Paul O’Malley
Superintendent of Schools