Since previous correspondences from district administration, Governor J.B. Pritzker has provided further clarification and guidance to Illinois schools. On Saturday, March 14th, the governor declared Act of God days during the state-mandated closure of schools through March 30th; no longer will these days need to be made up at the end of the school year, nor will they be counted as emergency days that count against the number of required days for students’ instruction and teachers’ retirement. And, while these days won’t count as attendance days, the Illinois State Board of Education has declared that instruction is still “encouraged” on these days, which doesn’t include days already planned for spring break.
Therefore, Princeton High School will move forward with a plan that provides supplemental learning opportunities for all students in the district during this extended closure. In this plan, we encourage parents and students to engage in free, online educational activities and/or supplemental materials. The Illinois State Board of Education has compiled a library of resources at www.isbe.net/keeplearning. These learning activities and lessons may be completed on a schedule that is controlled and paced by the students and parents. Students will not earn a grade for these optional activities.
We encourage all of our students, especially seniors, to complete all outstanding work (from before this closure) so that it can be turned in electronically during this closure or in person when we return to school. This includes late work. Parents and students should expect communication from teachers regarding failing grades and missing work. We ask that parents and students also email teachers to ensure an open line of communication regarding the completion of these assignments. We are working on developing a schedule for students to pick up needed materials from their locker during the week. This schedule will be emailed out to students and parents when it is completed.
Princeton High School staff will use the Teacher Institute tomorrow (March 16) to prepare for alternative learning options should the closure be extended beyond March 30.
The ISBE has communicated that they are working with the United States Department of Education and The College Board to determine the best course of action to take regarding the PSAT 8/9, PSAT 10, and SAT exams that are scheduled to take place on Tuesday, April 14. Currently, these tests are on as planned with the caveat that they could be changed at any moment by the State Board of Education. In the event that these tests are given as scheduled, we highly encourage our students to continue using Khan Academy and consult the College Boards SAT Practice Suite during this closure to prepare for the SAT examination later this spring.
At this point, Princeton schools and school-related activities are expected to reopen on Tuesday, March 31st. However, as the situation develops and other guidelines are communicated, the administration of Princeton schools will provide further updates.