Vandalia Elementary School

Vandalia Elementary School 2nd Grade Musical - HATS! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytHrhtcer_A

Beginning Monday, March 14th: Construction Update

Please see the map for the traffic flow changes at VES and VJHS due to construction beginning Monday, March 14.

Construction Update for VES/VJHS Renovation and Expansion Beginning Monday, March 14: -Student pickup for VES and VJHS: Parents will park in the Northwest parking lot in the three rows closest to VES. These spots will be reserved for parents parking to pick-up VES/VJHS students. -Small South lot will be closed for construction materials/equipment. -VES student drop-off/pickup will remain the same using the circle drive in front of VES. -VJHS student drop-off/pick-up will be rerouted behind VJHS gym. Parents will loop through drive between Aldi’s and McDonalds. 4th/5th students will enter and exit through the rear (East) cafeteria doors. 6/7/8 students will enter/exit through the rear (East) gym doors 4th pick-ups will exit out the cafeteria doors. -Area between VES and VJHS will be fenced off. -New VJHS entry doors will be established along the west wall of the 1st floor alcove before the main entrance is closed. -All VJHS bus students will enter through the main entrance in the morning. All students will need to exit through the main doors as well. -The goal for summer completion is the new main entrance to VJHS and possibly two classrooms. The remainder of the VJHS project will be done during the 2022-2023 school year. The VES renovation will be completed this summer. -A map will follow by the end of the week. We will send information via email and a copy home in VES red folders on Friday.

Kindergarten Pre-Registration for the 2022-2023 school year will be on Thursday, April 21, 2022 from 8:00am-1:00pm and 4:00pm-6:00pm. Please see requirements listed here: https://5il.co/fwz7

HAPPY Read Across America Day! Be sure to check out our VES Facebook page for all of the fun activities happening around our school this week! Don't forget - Family Reading Night at VES - Thursday, March 3rd 6-7:30pm! https://www.facebook.com/VandaliaElementarySchool

The Vandalia CUSD #203 Board of Education adopted the Updated Plan for Safe Return to In-Person Instruction at a special meeting held on 2-22-22. Link to plan: https://5il.co/164id Here are the highlights: COVID positive or probable cases will be excluded for 5 days. Notify the Fayette County Health Department within 3 hours when a positive case is reported to us. We are monitoring the overall health of our students and staff as we did prior to March of 2020. We are no longer reporting COVID active cases on a weekly basis. We have zero active COVID cases. We have the tools for mitigation available when needed. We consider this a celebration sharing this with you today. #VandalStrong

Due to the winter weather conditions, there will be no school tomorrow, Friday, February 4th. This will be a snow day that will be made up in May. There will be no e-learning.

Due to inclement weather, Vandalia Community Unit School District 203 will be using an E-Learning day, Wednesday, February 2nd. An important highlight of our e-learning plan is as follows: “The assignments for e-learning are designed to be engaging and sometimes fun and will allow students to learn while enjoying being at home during a snow day.”

Active COVID + cases as of 1-28-22: VES= 0.77% of the student population; VJHS= 1.16% of the student population; VCHS= 0.27% of the student population; Staff= 3.10% of staff.

Job Opening at VCUSD #203 for 2022-2023 School Year: Full Time Bus Driver See information below: https://www.vandals203.org/page/district-job-openings

Active COVID + cases as of 1-21-22: VES= 3.28% of the student population; VJHS= 2.32% of the student population; VCHS= 3.45% of the student population; Staff= 2.65% of staff.

Active COVID + cases as of 1-14-22: VES= 2.33% of the student population; VJHS=1.74% of the student population; VCHS= 5.5% of the student population; Staff=3.54% of staff.

Congratulations to our 2nd Quarter Honor Roll Students! VES - https://www.vandals203.org/o/ves/page/ves-honor-roll VJHS - https://www.vandals203.org/o/vjhs/page/vjhs-honor-roll VCHS - https://www.vandals203.org/o/vchs/page/vchs-honor-roll

VCUSD #203 will be dismissing school early on Friday, January 14th for a school improvement day. Dismissal Times are as follows: VES - 11:30 AM VJHS - 11:30 AM 4th Grade walkers/pick-ups/early bus students 11:45 AM Grades 5th to 8th VCHS - 11:45 AM There will be No Pre-K Classes There will be no school on Monday, Jan 17 in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. School will resume on Tuesday, Jan 18.

Vandalia CUSD #203 is asking all parents to take a survey about our schools. The survey is an evidence-based system designed to drive improvements in schools nationwide. The Survey will be open until March 11, 2022. https://survey.5-essentials.org/illinois/survey/parent/

Active COVID + cases as of 1-7-22: VES= 0.78% of the student population; VJHS= 0.58% of the student population; VCHS= 1.06% of the student population; Staff= 1.79% of staff.

Dear Vandalia CUSD #203 Parents and Guardians, We are pleased to share that the isolation and quarantine period for students and staff members sick with COVID-19 or considered a close contact has been reduced to five days. Today, the Illinois Department of Public Health and the Illinois State Board of Education announced the agencies have adopted CDC guidance for P-12 schools that halves the isolation and quarantine period. (The Centers for Disease Control updated its guidance for P-12 schools on January 6: Overview of COVID-19 Quarantine for K-12 Schools | CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/k-12-contact-tracing/about-quarantine.html). As a result, effective immediately, Vandalia CUSD #203 will implement the updated guidance. As soon as possible, we will contact staff, students and families who are currently impacted by a quarantine with a revised return to school plan. Vandalia CUSD #203 CDC/IDPH Updated Isolation/Quarantine Guidance for P-12 Schools January 7, 2022 Isolation/COVID positive- quarantine for 5 days from symptom onset or positive test result day if asymptomatic. Can return on day 6 as long as symptoms are improving and fever free for 24 hours. The employee/student must wear a mask for 5 days. Refusing to mask will extend the isolation period for the full 10 days. Quarantine/close contact unvaccinated- must quarantine for 5 days. Can return on Day 6 with a negative test recommended and must mask for 5 days. Refusing to mask extends the quarantine time to 10 days. Close contact to a household positive (unable to isolate away from the positive)- Day zero starts on the last day of exposure. The child must quarantine for 5 more days until Day 10. (example: Mom is positive and can not isolate from her children. The child's day zero begins after the mother’s 5 days.). Close contact to a positive who is able to isolate away from the positive- Day zero starts on the last day of exposure. The child must quarantine for 5 days. May return on day 6 masking until day 10. Vaccinated students & staff that are asymptomatic do not need to quarantine. Masking for 10 days and testing on day 5 are recommended. Thank you for your continued support of our students and staff. Take care, Dr. Jennifer Garrison

Mrs. Eckard’s class studied animal adaptations and characteristics. After learning about animal characteristics, they made fake snow and created animal footprints.

Reminder from District Nurse, Joy Lewis: Parents, please keep your child home from school if they are sick. This is an important mitigation effort to help keep our school buildings as healthy as possible! Thank you for your help! We are looking forward to a great 2nd semester!