Information provided by District 205
SOUTH HOLLAND, Ill. (January 6, 2022) – Thornton Township High School District 205 is committed to ensuring the health and safety of students, faculty, and staff while providing high-quality education. As COVID-19 cases surge, District 205 will shift to remote learning (also known as Adaptive Pause), beginning Wednesday, January 12, 2022. Teacher Institute Days are scheduled for Monday, January 10, and Tuesday, January 11, to allow faculty to prepare a virtual classroom experience on the Google Classroom platform.
Guidance from the Illinois State Board of Education allows school districts to take a pause from in-person learning due to the high transmission of COVID-19. Currently, in Illinois, the positivity rate has soared to 18%. To minimize anticipated staffing shortages and reduce the spread of the virus, District 205 officials decided a proactive shift to remote learning is the best measure.
“The District has prepared our faculty and technology for this moment,” said Dr. Nathaniel Cunningham, District Superintendent. “Students have Chromebooks and access to the Google Classroom platform, our technology infrastructure is robust, and our team is thoroughly trained to conduct instruction in a virtual environment.”
The schedule for remote learning is January 12-14 and January 18-21, 2022. In-person instruction will resume Monday, January 24, 2022, at all schools.
“We made our decision to shift to remote learning based upon current data and guidance from the Cook County Department of Health. While we know our students learn best in an in-person setting, we also must prioritize the health and safety of students, faculty, and staff. Our goal is to ensure a safe and timely return to classrooms,” Dr. Cunningham said.
COVID-19 testing days and locations
Also, COVID-19 testing will be available for students and teachers during the seven-day remote learning period. Testing, provided by Shield Illinois, is open from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. as follows:
- Wednesday, January 12 – Thornridge High School
- Thursday, January 13 – Thornton Township High School
- Friday, January 14 – Thornwood High School
- January 18 & 19 – Thornton Township High School
- January 20 & 21 – Thornwood High School
- Friday, January 21 – Thornridge High School
Peace Center and Outlook Academy students may receive COVID-19 testing at their home school or are welcome to test on Friday, January 21, at Thornridge. Bus Service is available for students who want to receive a COVID-19 test. Also, students will receive an excused absence from class during COVID testing.
Additional information regarding the shift to remote instruction and COVID-19 testing for students and faculty is available at district205.net.
