Harrisburg Middle School

Dear Unit 3 Parents/Guardians: Due to the Covid-19 Pandemic the State of Illinois is giving extra benefits to the families who currently receive SNAP benefits. BUT Since the Harrisburg School District is considered CEP, due to the poverty levels in our town there is a benefit to the families that do not currently receive SNAP benefits. ALL FAMILIES CAN RECEIVE THIS BENEFIT! Click these links for the explanation of benefits: https://5il.co/fpti https://5il.co/fpth Click this link for the application: https://5il.co/fptg

Unit 3 Parents/Guardians/Students: Please fill out this three question survey to help us plan for future e-learning. https://forms.gle/iAenjNvY7oymVRr69 Thank you!

HMS parents/guardians, please have your child check their school email today for important information about picking up their belongings from their lockers. There is also information on the HMS Facebook page. Email me with questions at dmcgowan@harrisburg3.org.

HMS students - pick-up for the third learning packet is tomorrow, April 28, from 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. or 3:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. at HMS. Students should also turn in AR books and textbooks when they pick up the new packet. We look forward to seeing you tomorrow!

ATTENTION............REMOTE LEARNING INFORMATION HARRISBURG, Due to the Governor's announcement today that he has suspended all in person learning for the remainder of the 19-20 school year. Harrisburg Unit 3 has changed some dates regarding our remote learning and want to make you aware. The packet your child currently has can be dropped off at your child's school on April 28th. You will be able to pick up the next packet at that time. We have set two times for the drop off old packet and pick up a new packet. These times will be from 10a.m. - 1p.m. and also from 3 p.m. - 6 p.m. on April 28th. The packet you pick up on the 28th will be a month long packet and will carry us through the end of our school year. This final packet must be submitted to your child's building by May 26th. This message will be updated as questions arise or as situations change. Now I would like to address our students. You all need to know that your teachers and staff as well as your Principal, Superintendent and School Board care about each and every one of you. This decision is something that makes us very sad for all of you and us. We look forward to seeing each and every one of you back in August. Please stay safe and healthy. Seniors, this is unimaginable. You have had a portion of this year taken from you and now you are being told that it is just over. I know it is unfair, but you will overcome this and move on to greater things, because you are BULLDOG STRONG!!!! The School Board has assured me that when the ban is lifted we will have some form of Commencement ceremony for you Seniors to be honored for your accomplishments in your High School career. We will announce when the ban is lifted and we can plan a date. Mike Gauch Superintendent

Attention Unit 3 Family: Please click link or view image for more information about remaining school closure. https://5il.co/f8fy

HARRISBURG STAFF MISS OUR STUDENTS,,,,,, WE DECIDED TO PUT SOMETHING TOGETHER! enjoy!!!! https://youtu.be/iDH7z0NYA7A

Harrisburg, During these days when NOTHING seems normal anymore.....I wanted to show you something that has always been constant in the HARRISBURG community! HARRISBURG UNIT # 3 LOVES AND CARES FOR ALL OF OUR STUDENTS AND FAMILIES. I am unsure what many of you will see when you look at this video.....Let me tell you what I see.....I see COMPASSION, EMPATHY, VOLUNTEERISM, KINDNESS, TENDER, CONCERNED, THOUGHTFUL AND LOVING INDIVIDUALS. These individuals that come together every week and spend hours preparing, bagging and delivering a LITTLE bag of food overflowing with a LOT OF LOVE! The team all agree we have FUN doing it, it brings us closer together and provides essential nutrition for our kids. During these times, we worry about our kids LOSING or REGRESSING WITH THEIR LEARNING........... I think if our students and community watch my team and what they are doing during this time, any small regression pales in comparison to the MONUMENTAL LIFE LESSON that is an unintentional consequence of my team being what they are .......GREAT PEOPLE! #THEYTHINKWE'REJUSTTEACHING #PROUDSUPERINTENDENT #LOVEMYUNIT3FAMILY #DOINGWHATISRIGHTFORKIDS Mike Gauch https://youtu.be/qEtGj4Ij24M

HARRISBURG UNIT # 3 FAMILY - We wanted to make you aware of a TIME CHANGE !!!!!!! Starting Monday April 13th - FOOD SITES WILL BEGIN PASSING OUT MEALS AT 10:30 a.m. AND STAY UNTIL 12:30 OR UNTIL THEY RUN OUT OF FOOD. TIME NOTED ABOVE IS THE ONLY CHANGE, EVERYTHING ELSE WILL CONTINUE AS IN PRIOR WEEKS. Thanks Mike Gauch

HMS Students, we hope everyone is doing well! Our Google Meet Check-Ins start today! Check your email or your classes in Google Classroom for info! Let us know if you have any questions. See you in class today! Mrs. McGowan

Unit 3 Family, We would like to take a moment to clarify some information with the packets and the calendar. The packets that were handed out yesterday and the e-learning will start today, this will take us through spring break and convene the week after spring break. As recommended to HCUSD #3, we are still following our school calendar through the remaining year. Students will not be expected to complete remote learning over spring break. Therefore, this packet or e-learning will extend past spring break and get us to the next packet which will be distributed the week of April 27th. With regard to the April 27 packet, we were advised to plan for remote learning through the rest of the school calendar in case we are not able to get back into school or have in person instruction. This is why as a district we have set April 27th for remote learning to continue. If we receive further communication contradicting this and expect in person instruction to begin on May 1, we will adjust our plans. This is strictly for planning purposes at this time. As always, we will communicate information as soon as we receive it.

HMS Students - Check your email for important codes for Google Classroom. Remember to contact your teachers if you have questions or if you need anything. Stay healthy and safe! Mrs. McGowan

Harrisburg Unit 3 Family, This situation that feels more and more like the Twilight Zone continues. I have never been involved in something like this and while we try NOT to seem surprised and to deliver messages in a "matter of fact" kind of manner....this situation is just as much a shock to myself and Unit 3 as it is to all of you. With that said, we are here for you and your children and will continue to try and serve your children as the state directs during this closure. Most of you by now have heard that Governor Pritzker extended school closures through April 30th. This means the earliest we could come back to school is May 1. He also has conveyed to schools that he wants us to continue our attempt to keep children engaged in skill retention activities, review activities and routines so to not regress and lose skills they have developed so far this year. He and the State Board asked us to create a plan for this and it be called a REMOTE LEARNING PLAN. I have attached Harrisburg Unit 3's plan. You will see it is VERY similar to what we already have in place. That is a testament to your child's teachers, administrators and Board who decided to be proactive and try to get out in front of this horrible situation. This plan just formalizes and codified in writing the plan that we have been executing. Please do not get worried that things are changing again, we are aware of the stress this has put on all of you and made the changes here as minimal as possible so you all can keep doing what you are doing with your kiddos. There are really only 3 major changes in the plan from what you are currently doing; First, the Governor has now said moving forward, that any packets or e-learning that a student is provided after March 30 (which includes the packet we passed out yesterday 3-31) should be turned in to be assessed for credit. These packets will be graded on a pass/incomplete scale and NO GRADE WILL BE NEGATIVELY IMPACTED BY THIS WORK. The second change is more for safety purposes and is a change Harrisburg Unit 3 has decided to make for your benefit and the benefit of staff. There will be no more face to face meetings to receive or to turn in packets. We have at some buildings the on-line component, which we recommend for ALL who can access. We also have now downloaded each packet on our website, so you can go on and download and print your packet if you wish and have that capability. Finally if you cannot do either of those we ask that you call us on Monday, April 27th and provide your child's school office your name and address and request it be mailed. We ask you to only call on the 27th as the office will be working that day. The final change is on submitting packets. Over the next few days your child's building will be placing a box,tub or some other kind of drop-box outside the front doors of their building. Once you have this packet complete we would ask that you drop it off there and that box will be emptied daily. We also request that you contact your child's teacher so they know to look for the packet and to note that it was submitted for credit. I have attached the plan, I know there will be MANY questions....please do not hesitate to call my office and I will try and answer any concerns you have. THANK YOU ALL AGAIN FOR YOUR COOPERATION AND UNDERSTANDING IN THIS MATTER. Like I have said before we will get through this TOGETHER. Thanks Mike Unit 3 Remote Learning Plan: https://5il.co/ehgl

Unit # 3, We continue to get more information regarding this health pandemic. Governor Pritzker announced today that schools will remain closed through April 30. I will put an official statement out in the morning to let you know what that means for all of us. Thank you for your cooperation, Mike Gauch

UNIT 3 Families: Please check out this offer from Mediacom. Our program: Mediacom Connect-2-Compete Web site: https://mediacomc2c.com/ Cost to eligible families: 60 days complementary to new subscribers (if signed up by May 15, 2020) $9.95 + tax as the flat monthly fee – this is what current subscribers pay, and what new families would pay after 60 days. We consider this a ‘flat-fee’ / all-inclusive. We remove the barriers and costs that are typically an obstacle for lower-income families: Mediacom waives installation fee Mediacom sets up home WiFi / with free-lease on the modem (i.e. no monthly equipment lease) No contract required No deposit required Our customer reps are using a wider, more generous policy to write-off bad debt of former customers – so that this won’t preclude getting connected now WHO is eligible: Families with at least one K-12 student living at home; AND at least one of those students is eligible to receive free or reduced-price lunches (NSLP) – a lot of families meet this criterion KEY – must live in a Mediacom service area -- Mediacom’s broadband network is available in Harrisburg; also in nearby El Dorado (also Marion, Carbondale, et al) – but our network infrastructure extends to neighborhoods within the municipality – typically not far beyond. For families that live in rural areas between communities, the ISP option is generally the telephone company.

ATTENTION UNIT 3 PARENTS AND GUARDIANS PLEASE CLICK LINK FOR NEW E-LEARNING INFO: https://5il.co/eaz4

UNIT # 3 UPDATE Harrisburg Unit # 3 continues to make every attempt to provide our students with materials on - line and through our Learning packets to maintain skills and knowledge through this closure. Our e-learning program continues on-line with the materials that were sent out two weeks ago, please look for announcements from your teachers about possible videos, links, U-tube suggestions or new items that they put out for you work on until our new target date to possibly return to school provided by the Governor of April 8th. Those of you without Internet Access will be able to pick up new packets at your child's school on Tuesday March 31st from 9-12 and/or 3-6 p.m.. Staff will be at the school during these times to pass out packets of learning for you to pick up. We as a district remain dedicated to our students and doing the best we can to make this closure a productive time educationally for our students. Thank you again for your cooperation through this time and as we have further information we will pass it along to all of you. Thank You Mike Gauch

UNIT # 3 UPDATE Harrisburg Unit # 3 continues to make every attempt to provide our students with materials on - line and through our Learning packets to maintain skills and knowledge through this closure. Our e-learning program continues on-line with the materials that were sent out two weeks ago, please look for announcements from your teachers about possible videos, links, U-tube suggestions or new items that they put out for you work on until our new target date to possibly return to school provided by the Governor of April 8th. Those of you without Internet Access will be able to pick up new packets at your child's school on Tuesday March 31st from 9-12 and/or 3-6 p.m.. Staff will be at the school during these times to pass out packets of learning for you to pick up. We as a district remain dedicated to our students and doing the best we can to make this closure a productive time educationally for our students. Thank you again for your cooperation through this time and as we have further information we will pass it along to all of you. Thank You Mike Gauch

UNIT # 3 UPDATE Harrisburg Unit # 3 continues to make every attempt to provide our students with materials on - line and through our Learning packets to maintain skills and knowledge through this closure. Our e-learning program continues on-line with the materials that were sent out two weeks ago, please look for announcements from your teachers about possible videos, links, U-tube suggestions or new items that they put out for you work on until our new target date to possibly return to school provided by the Governor of April 8th. Those of you without Internet Access will be able to pick up new packets at your child's school on Tuesday March 31st from 9-12 and/or 3-6 p.m.. Staff will be at the school during these times to pass out packets of learning for you to pick up. We as a district remain dedicated to our students and doing the best we can to make this closure a productive time educationally for our students. Thank you again for your cooperation through this time and as we have further information we will pass it along to all of you. Thank You Mike Gauch

HARRISBURG COMMUNITY - UPDATE ON FACILITIES - I received a phone call from a citizen this morning who told me that he lives by Taylor Field and was very angry that there were people still walking on the track and using the facility. The Governor did ask that all school run facilities shut down, but the district did not feel the need to stop people from walking on the track as long as the people were practicing social distancing. With that said, I regret to inform you that we will not allow any admittance to any of our facilities until further notice. I know many of you walk on the track daily , as have I. I also know that as adults you would adhere to the social distancing aspect as requested. However, when people decide that it is their job to police our property and make those calls and allegations against the district, we feel it is prudent for us to go ahead and just lock the facility and comply with the directive from Springfield. I apologize that this has forced the district to close all of those gates and areas that we know the community use for daily exercise and activities that the Governor has encouraged people to do as long as they practice the Social Distancing request, but districts across the state were indeed asked to lock their facilities, so that is what we will do. I promise you all that the minute the Governor allows us to open our doors, we will make these facilities available for all of you again. The district, Board, Administration and staff believe that the school district should be a community facility used by all members of our community. Sadly, not all people feel that way, as evident by the phone call I had today. On behalf of the district, I want to apologize for the inconvenience and hopefully it will not last much longer. Thank you and please stay safe. Mike Gauch