Happily, the number of positive Covid cases continues to decrease. Last November, there were more than 15,000 new cases reported each day. Now, the daily infection rate is in the range of 300-400. Researchers estimate that herd immunity could happen when 70% of the population has had the virus or has become fully vaccinated.

Districts continue to wait for final guidance about how the upcoming school year will look. We will develop plans for the fall as new information becomes available. Here are a few examples of things that will most likely be realities this fall.

• Since entering Phase 5 of the Governor’s Covid plan, there are no attendance restrictions for athletics or extra-curricular activities.
• On May 17, the Governor announced that the Illinois State Board of Education and the Illinois Department of Public Health are mandating that everyone wear a mask at school during the 2021-2022 school year. It is my personal opinion that they will alter the mask mandate at some point. The state expects all students to return to school this fall. 
• There will be an allowance for remote learning for a very small number of students who have specific health situations.
• Students who are fully vaccinated may resume sports-related activities without wearing masks or maintaining physical distance from others for any sport, both indoors and outdoors.
• Students who are fully vaccinated may skip routine testing for Covid.  The state has said that Covid testing will be done in schools for those who aren’t fully vaccinated.
• Students who are fully vaccinated with no symptoms of Covid do not need to be quarantined; be restricted from school, athletics, or another extracurricular activity.
• The Illinois Department of Public Health has stated that students who are not fully vaccinated should continue to wear a mask during sports-related activities played indoors.

As you can see from the information above, vaccination is a key component for the lifting of restrictions. It takes about five weeks for a student to become fully vaccinated. The second dose of the Pfizer vaccine is given 3 weeks after the first dose, and there is a 2-week waiting period after the second dose before a student is considered fully vaccinated. Students who start the vaccine process today can expect to be fully vaccinated during the 3^rd week of July. The experts have stated that the known and potential benefits of Covid vaccination outweigh the known and potential risks.

The Illinois Department of Public Health has developed a document of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for the topic of vaccinating young people. 

Our primary goal in education is to get the children ready for adulthood.  It’s a clear goal everyone knows and understands.  When the students graduate from high school, we want them to have the skills and knowledge to excel at whatever they choose to do.  We want them to be balanced socially and emotionally.  When an elderly lady needs to cross the street, we want our graduates to notice the need, take initiative to assist her, and then expect no compensation or recognition afterward.  We want the graduates to live their lives beyond themselves.

This important task takes years of dedicated effort to accomplish. The teachers lead the charge, but they need the support of paraprofessionals, food service workers, secretaries, transportation employees, custodians, maintenance workers, nurses, technology workers, certified support staff, non-certified support staff, coaches, supervisors, administrators, board members, volunteers, and parents.  Everyone’s effort, whether seen or unseen, deserves appreciation.

There are times when we become discouraged, angry, and frustrated.  We see injustice, abuse, and heart-breaking circumstances.  We sometimes disagree with each other and hurt one another’s feelings.  But there are also times we encourage, forgive and defer to one another.  We work as a team and do all we can to reach our primary goal.  I want to publicly thank all of the staff members in the Sherrard School District for their work. I consider it a privilege to work alongside such a talented and dedicated team.

It is time to begin making preparations for the fall.  The planning process feels like a multiple-choice exam.  

I see a light at the end of the tunnel, and I am confident it isn’t the headlight of an oncoming train.  Hopefully, it is an indication of a healthful future that is free from the coronavirus.  Our nation has experienced three surges of the virus in the past twelve months.  If we keep our guard up, we can avoid a fourth one. 

I recently saw a video montage of first-place athletes racing to victory only to be passed at the last second by a competitor.  The stunned athletes realized they started to celebrate too soon.  They didn’t know that defeat was bearing down on them.

I am optimistic that we will be able to return to most if not all of the things we enjoyed before the pandemic.  Until then, we need to continue social distancing, wearing face coverings, washing hands, and cleaning frequently-touched surfaces.  A fourth surge is avoidable.  It has been a long year and we are tired, but we have hope.  Let’s not claim the victory yet.  Baseball legend Yogi Berra aptly said, “It ain’t over till it’s over.”