January 9, 2022

UMS Families:

Due to the high number of confirmed staff absences for Monday and Tuesday, we will be immediately pausing in-person learning at UMS. At this time (Sunday afternoon), we have 32 staff members unable to attend in-person learning tomorrow for various reasons (i.e., quarantine, isolation, positives, non-covid related absences, and staff with children in quarantine, isolation, or positive). Therefore, we will be unable to safely supervise all instructional spaces with substitute teachers and support staff.  This number includes those staff members able to return based on the CDC’s updated reduced quarantine and isolation guidelines.  All other teachers and staff will continue to report in person to UMS during this adaptive pause.  

On Monday, we will implement a pause in instruction to transition to virtual learning. Tomorrow, teachers and team facilitators will share materials, links to the Google classrooms and connect with families.  Monday will serve as a non-instructional day while teachers transition their instruction to virtual. UMS teachers will be available on zoom from 12 p.m. – 1 p.m. for drop-in Q&A/Office Hours.  You can find the zoom link for each teacher in your student’s google classroom pages.  Please have your student log in during this time to ask questions, reorient students to the zoom platform, and get more information related to the plan for remote learning on Tuesday. 

Due to the late notice of this announcement, First Student and MTD buses will run as normal tomorrow for families that do not receive this information before the start of the school day.  UMS staff will contact any families that send their students in person and arrange pick up throughout the day tomorrow. 

Remote learning for students will begin on Tuesday, January 11th. Later today, Dr. Wiemelt will share additional information regarding Tuesday’s schedule via email.  As of right now, we are planning this pause for Monday (non-instructional day) and Tuesday (remote learning day).  Those families electing in-person learning via the adaptive pause survey here, should send their student(s) to school in person on Tuesday with their Chromebooks. On Tuesday, we will inform families by 1 p.m. whether Wednesday’s instruction will be in-person or remote.  Please continue to check email, the District’s website, and social media for additional updates. 

In preparation for the possibility of an adaptive pause, we sent Chromebooks home with students on Friday.  However, we realize absent students did not pick up or bring home their devices.  We will be offering a drive-thru device pick-up to accommodate those families. The Chromebook pickup will be tomorrow at UMS, Monday, from 8 -10 a.m. and 4-5 p.m. Please drive up on Michigan Ave. from Race St. and pick up Chromebooks at door #6. The Chromebooks and chargers are expected to be returned to school when students return for in-person learning. 

If your family would like free meals during the adaptive pause, please email jschmit@usd116.org or call 217-384-3501 to reserve meals for Tuesday. On Tuesday, January 11, meals will be available for pickup at Urbana Middle School between 8:30 – 10 a.m. Families will need to share their child’s name and Team. Please see the flyers for more info:

• Students not in school meals – English; 
• Students not in school meals – Spanish
  
• Students not in school meals – French

If you have not completed the adaptive pause survey, please do so as soon as possible. This information will help us plan for those families choosing in-person learning during this “pause” and provide any support that your family may need.

Please stay connected over the remainder of the day in anticipation of a follow-up email from Dr. Wiemelt. We understand the uncertainty and stress this may be causing many families, but we will be sharing additional communication with more information as soon as it is available to us.