Dear Worth School District 127 Parents and Guardians,

Due to Coronavirus (COVID-19) concerns, Worth 127 School District is closing schools at the end of the day today. Tentatively, all schools will reopen on Monday, March 30. While Worth School District 127 does not have any confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the district, this decision was made in an abundance of caution to limit the spread of the COVID-19 illness.

Except Early Childhood and kindergarten students, all students arrived home today with his or her Worth 127 Chromebook and charger, which will allow students to start E-learning on Tuesday, March 17. Monday, March 16 will now be a Teacher Institute day. Please make every effort to keep the Chromebook in a safe place and to take care of the Chromebook. Each Chromebook can be remotely checked by the technology department and is checked out by your child. Please be checking the Worth 127 E-Learning site here frequently for updated direction on E-learning plans.

At this time, we will use E-learning days March 17 through March 20. Spring Break will still be observed March 23 through March 27. The tentative return date for classes is Monday, March 30. Starting March 17, students in grades K through 8 should check the district website for assignment information. Teachers will be available during the school day online to answer questions for students and assist as needed.

This decision is not one I make lightly. I am aware of the complications that this will cause for our families. However, I believe that we have a shared responsibility to ensure the safety and well-being of our community. My ultimate goal is to keep all children safe. Every decision will be made with this priority. I will always err on the side of caution. As always, I appreciate your partnership, especially when dealing with these situations. I will ask that you refrain from discussions on social media pages in which you try to gather information. Typically, these discussions result in inaccurate information that creates chaos and anxiety within our school community.

Thank you for your patience as we continue to address this ever-changing issue. I will continue to update you with any new information and changes.

• Centers for Disease Control: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

• Illinois Department of Public Health: http://dph.illinois.gov/topics-services/diseases-andconditions/diseases-a-z-list/coronavirus

As always, if you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact your building principal, school nurse, or my office.

Finally, it goes without saying that we continue to aggressively clean our buildings through our own custodial services. Special attention is given to high touch surface areas with cleaning and disinfecting products registered with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Thank you,

Dr. Mark T. Fleming

Superintendent