Inclement Weather & Notices

Please bookmark this Page for the most up-to-date information about Edwardsville School District inclement weather closings, delayed openings, early dismissals, event cancelations, and other important messages.

School Closure Update: March 20, 2020

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District 7 Parents,
I wanted to give everyone an update on a few topics related to school closure.  This afternoon at 3 PM, Governor Pritzker will deliver a press conference and we believe that he will extend the school closure at least two additional weeks.  I wanted to reassure parents that District 7 will continue to do the following throughout the closure:
  • Feed children by providing daily meals Monday through Friday
  • Communicate accurate information on a regular basis
  • Engage students academically and socially
 
Update on District-Provided Meals
District 7 is committed to making sure students who rely on school meals will continue to have food while schools are closed.  We will continue to provide a grab and go lunch and breakfast each day between 9 AM and 12 PM at Edwardsville High School, Glen Carbon Elementary, and Worden Elementary.  We will also continue to deliver meals to those who cannot make it to one of the three locations.  On Mondays during closure, we will have a second meal pickup time from 4 PM-7 PM at all three locations.  On these days, parents will be able to take up to five days of meals in one pickup. 
 
Communication regarding school and building closures
ALL communication regarding District 7 school closure and what occurs during this period will be shared directly from the District 7 office. 
To avoid the spread of misinformation, please rely only on statements released by District 7 through emails communicated directly to parents, through the District Facebook page, and through the district website (www.ecusd7.org).  Building principals may provide school-related information with parents via email and School Facebook pages as well. 
For updates on COVID-19 in our community, refer to the Madison County Health Department website.
e-Learning/Home-based learning
Schools will continue to provide educational opportunities students can do at home.  Teachers and principals will be preparing additional activities to engage students in the days ahead. If school closure is extended past the original two weeks, please watch for additional information explaining how to access or pick up resources.  When the time comes, we will have specific instructions for those that might need to pick up packets from schools. 
Building Access
We expect that soon the District will be directed by state or local officials to “shelter-in-place”.  If this occurs, you can expect to get communication on Sunday with updated information regarding building access.   
 
 
Thank you to all parents and students for your patience as we work together through this unprecedented situation.  If you have an opportunity, send a positive note to a teacher or other District 7 staff member this weekend.  What they have done in a short period of time is amazing. 
 
 
Respectfully,
 
Dr. Jason Henderson

School Closure – eLearning & Internet Access Update: March 18, 2020

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District 7 parents,

I’m hopeful that everyone is safe at home today and that your students have been able to access the assignments that the teachers have provided.  I also hope those of you that requested meals were able to pick them up today or that they have been delivered.

I wanted to reassure those middle and high school students and parents who might be struggling with the e-Learning assignments that our staff is committed to helping you!  We are particularly aware of parents with multiple students at the middle and high school level who are receiving dozens of emails regarding assignments and that they are difficult to distinguish.  We are brainstorming ideas that will hopefully make this simpler moving forward.

If your students are struggling on this first day to complete their assignments or are overwhelmed, please reassure them that their teachers are going to be flexible and will help them through this as we move forward.  I also want to continue to reassure students and parents that any assignments completed during the time of school closure WILL NOT negatively affect their grades.

At the end of this email is a list of two local businesses that are offering 60 days of free internet services to help families during the time of school closure.  If you know of anyone who might need internet service, please pass this information on to them.

There are many rumors that continue to fly around social media regarding school being closed for a longer period of time than just two weeks.  Although this is certainly possible, we have not received any further directives yet.  As soon as we have more information, we will pass it along to parents and the community.

Respectfully,

Dr. Jason Henderson

Businesses offering free internet

Charter is offering 60 days of free internet access (click link below)

https://corporate.charter.com/newsroom/charter-to-offer-free-access-to-spectrum-broadband-and-wifi-for-60-days-for-new-K12-and-college-student-households-and-more

Madison Communications is offering 60 days of free internet access (click link below)

http://gomadison.com/about-us/covid-19-response

School Closure Update: March 17, 2020

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District 7 parents and community members,

I am sending this brief message today to let you know of some updates to the District 7 web page located at www.ecusd7.org.  On the homepage, you will now see only two banners to click on in the middle of the page.  The first of these banners is labeled “SCHOOL CLOSURE: COVID-19 INFORMATION”.  Clicking on this link will take you to the location where all information related to school closure will be housed.  This will include all messages to parents and community members, a link to Frequently Asked Questions, a list of local restaurants offering free meals/snacks for students, and other timely and important information.  We will continue to send out information via email and social media, but we wanted to let you know that everything will be housed on this website if you are looking for the most up-to-date information as well as any past communications.

We continue to receive word of more restaurants that are providing free meals for students and we will update this list continuously as we get information.  For the most up-to-date list, click here: http://ecusd7.org/covid19/#tab-id-4.  If you know of families that need meals, please have them contact the District Office at 656-1182.

If you have questions, please do not hesitate to call your child’s school between the hours of 8 AM and 1 PM.  The District Office can also be reached during this same time frame.  We will keep parents informed if we are forced to shorten or eliminate these hours.

Respectfully,

Dr. Jason Henderson

School Closure Update: March 16, 2020

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District 7 Parents,

I wanted to thank all the members of the community who have reached out to volunteer their services or areas of expertise in this time of need. In particular, I wanted to update the community that District 7 is ready to begin providing breakfasts and lunches to those families who completed the survey or have reached out to us by phone.  If you know of other families in need of meals, please have them contact the District Office at 656-1182.  As a side note, at the end of this email are the list of local businesses who have volunteered to provide meals/snacks to students at their place of business.

In addition to meals, we continue to add to our list of FAQs including the two (2) new questions below.  The FAQ list is located on the district website and will be updated as more questions are asked and answered.  The entire FAQ list can be found directly at the following link: http://ecusd7.org/wp-content/uploads/bsk-pdf-manager/2020/03/FAQs_Regarding_School_Closure_from_March17-30.pdf

 

Will assignments that are completed during at-home or e-Learning count towards grades?

NO—assignments and lessons that are completed at home will not affect student grades.  This is a directive from the Illinois State Board of Education.  District 7 will NOT require that students complete the work nor will we give any sort of disciplinary action if assignments are not completed.  While this is the case, we hope that most students will make the choice to engage with their teachers and complete any assignments.  Our teaching staff is trying everything possible to maintain some level of continuity and routine for students and keep them moving forward with their education.  We are counting on parents to help their students develop a daily routine that includes completing school work and assignments.   

What do we do if our child is unable to access the digital platforms recommended by the classroom teacher?

 All materials related to accessing our digital technology platforms can be found on the District 7 website: http://ecusd7.org/parents/digital-resources-asp/ This site provides direct links to Clever, Schoology, and Tigerview along with a digital content manual that walks through the steps of accessing digital items based on a child’s grade level.  The last page of the document provides “Troubleshooting Tips” that may help answer some of the most common errors in accessing the content.  If you are still unable to access the content, please email your building principal with your name, student’s name and grade, and where your issue is occurring.  For a more prompt response, it would be beneficial to send a screenshot of the error if that is feasible.

 Thanks again for your continued support.  Please feel free to reach out to your building principal or the District Office with any questions you may have.

Respectfully,

Dr. Jason Henderson

 

Local Businesses providing meals/snacks for students

McAlister’s Deli will offer a free lunch for kids from 11 a.m. to 1p.m. Monday through Friday.  Free lunch will include a turkey and cheese sandwich, chips, applesauce and a cookie.  No other purchase necessary.

372-9599

312 Great Place Dr., Edwardsville

Crazy Bowls & Wraps:  Every child that comes to location they will offer free kids quesadillas Monday thru Friday 10:30 am – 1:00 pm.  Meal will include a drink, crispy treat, chips and no additional purchase necessary.

692-9727

6679 Edwardsville Crossing, Edwardsville

Source Juicery: Snack bags or fresh fruit for kids in need.  If you call ahead, they will deliver to your car.

650-9080

228 N. Main Street, Edwardsville

FAQs Regarding District 7 School Closure

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District 7 Parents and Community Members,

I would like to thank District 7 parents and community members for being patient as we move into the unchartered waters ahead of mandated school closure.  I have been contacted by dozens of community members who have asked to assist with various activities such as delivering meals.  At this time, District 7 has enough staff to provide meals to all students who will need them.  As you will see below in the FAQs, we are asking all parents to complete a short survey to inform us where and how many meals need to be provided.  It is vital that all parents complete this survey so that we ensure that enough meals are available at each location.

In the coming days, you will receive additional communication as updated information becomes available.  Below you will see a list of frequently asked questions that have been brought to our attention at this time.

Thank you again for partnering with District 7 and our entire community as we work together to navigate these challenges together.

Respectfully,

Dr. Jason Henderson

FAQs Document:  http://ecusd7.org/wp-content/uploads/bsk-pdf-manager/2020/03/FAQs_Regarding_School_Closure_from_March17-30.pdf

District 7 School Closure

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Please click the link below for an important message from Supertintendent, Dr. Jason Henderson regarding the Edwardsville Community Unit School District 7 school closure:  http://ecusd7.org/wp-content/uploads/bsk-pdf-manager/2020/03/School_Closure_Announcement_3-13-20_FinalVersion.pdf

 

Weather Related Early Dismissal – Wednesday, February 5, 2020

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This is a weather related announcement for Edwardsville District 7.  Due to the possibility of deteriorating road conditions this afternoon, District 7 will enact the early dismissal plan outlined below.  All after school and evening activities for today are cancelled.

Edwardsville High School students will be dismissed an hour early at 12:50 PM with buses leaving the school by 1:00 PM.  Liberty and Lincoln Middle School early dismissal will be at 2:00 PM with buses leaving by 2:10.  All elementary school buildings will dismiss at 3:00 PM with buses leaving by 3:10 PM.  Under this plan, high school students should arrive home approximately an hour early, middle school students about 45 minutes early, and elementary students about 30 minutes earlier than usual.    Kid Zone will continue to operate under normal hours.

 

Weather Related Announcement from District 7

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Good afternoon.  This is a weather related announcement from District 7.

The current forecast for Wednesday, February 5th is for snow to begin in the late morning.  As of right now, the Edwardsville area is forecasted to have 1-2 inches of snow/sleet through the evening on Wednesday.

We will continue to monitor the forecast throughout this evening and tomorrow morning. In the event that school is cancelled, every effort will be made to cancel this evening.  However, please understand that changes in the forecast could cause an early morning cancellation as well.

Once students are in session tomorrow, if road conditions begin to deteriorate by early afternoon, the possibility exists that the district will enact an early dismissal plan on Wednesday, February 5th.

The early dismissal plan would involve releasing Edwardsville High School students an hour early at 12:50 PM with buses leaving the school by 1:00 PM.  Middle School early dismissal would be at 2:00 PM with buses leaving by 2:10.  Elementary school buildings would have an early dismissal at 3:00 PM with buses leaving by 3:10 PM.  Under this plan, high school students should arrive home approximately an hour early, middle school students about 45 minutes early, and elementary students about 30 minutes earlier than usual.    Kid Zone would continue to operate regardless of early dismissal.

Please consider how this early dismissal could affect your students’ arrival time at home and make sure your child is aware of any changes to the normal routine that this could cause. If the district enacts an early dismissal plan, we will communicate via email and an automated call.

NO SCHOOL – Friday, January 17, 2020

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This is a school closing announcement for Edwardsville District 7.  Due to potentially hazardous road conditions this afternoon, all District 7 schools will be closed Friday, January 17, 2020. Please check the district website for the status of afternoon and evening school-related activities.

Weather-Related Announcement from District 7

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Good afternoon.  This is a weather related announcement from District 7. 

 The current forecast for Friday, January 17th is for a wintery mix to begin around noon.  As of right now, Madison County is forecasted to get a trace amount of snow followed by the potential for a small amount of sleet and freezing rain.   Barring a change in forecast, the plan is for all District 7 schools to be in session on Friday, January 17th.      

 We will continue to monitor the forecast and the conditions throughout the morning.  If roads conditions deteriorate in the afternoon, the possibility exists that the district will enact an early dismissal plan on Friday, January 17th. 

 The early dismissal plan would involve releasing Edwardsville High School students an hour early at 12:50 PM with buses leaving the school by 1:00 PM.  Middle School early dismissal would be at 2:00 PM with buses leaving by 2:10.  Elementary school buildings would have an early dismissal at 3:00 PM with buses leaving by 3:10 PM.  Under this plan, high school students should arrive home approximately an hour early, middle school students about 45 minutes early, and elementary students about 30 minutes earlier than usual.    Kid Zone will continue to operate under normal hours regardless of early dismissal. 

 Please consider how this early dismissal could affect your students’ arrival time at home and make sure your child is aware of any changes to the normal routine that this could cause. If the district enacts an early dismissal plan, we will communicate via email and an automated call.