We are updating this story continuously as we get more information. Again, please fill out the form below if you have any questions for the school or leave a comment and we will try to post an answer for you.

Associate Superintendent Greg Johnson answered The Trapeze’s burning questions about OPRF’s hybrid learning plan. Have more questions? Submit them through this link:

Questions Form

Hybrid Transition Schedule

Feb. 1 – OPRF moves to the bell schedule. The classes (four periods) will run from 8 am to 12:35 pm.
Feb. 1-4 – Freshman in person with their respective cohorts (Feb. 1, “O” freshman; Feb 2, “P” freshman; Feb. 3, “R” freshman; Feb. 4, “F” freshman). Freshman complete morning classes, eat lunch, and then particpate in orientation activities.
Feb. 5 – All remote learning

Feb. 8 & 9 – “O” cohort in-person
Feb. 10 & 11 – “P” cohort in-person
Feb. 12 & 15 – “R” cohort in-person
Feb. 16 & 17 – “F” cohort in-person

Then this schedule repeats over an eight-day period.

Note: Our days will still be separated by “A” and “B” days. The bell schedule has “A” days as periods 1, 2, 3, 4. The “B” days have periods 6, 7, 8, then 5.

Saliva Testing

OPRF is employing mandatory saliva sample tests to screen for COVID-19 for all students opting into hybrid learning. Remote-only students participating in athletic programs must also be screened.

It is optional for staff and faculty but they will receive an extra 14 sick days for a COVID-19 diagnosis if they participate.

These tests are not diagnostic: a positive test requires diagnostic test administration before returning to school. However, these tests are extremely effective: they have a false positivity rate of less than one percent.

OPRF test screeners are also being used at University of Wisconsin Madison, University of Colorado, New Trier High School, Glenbrook North and South High Schools, and LaGrange elementary schools.

Pick-Up: Students pick up at OPRF this week month’s worth of saliva testing kits.

Drop-Off: Two days before their “in-person” days, students need to return a saliva sample for testing to one of the drop off boxes around Oak Park and River Forest.

Parents will only be contacted if the test indicates positive.

If students have been diagnosed with COVID-19 between Nov. 1 and now, it could cause a false positive. For more information, email [email protected] for further guidance.

In-School

Before 7 am every day of in-person school, parents must submit a health screener on Skyward asking about their child(ren)’s potential COVID-19 symptoms. Upon a student’s arrival at before 8am, ID’s will be scanned. If the screener has not been submitted, they will be sent to be an employee to complete the screener.

Students must enter through Main Entrance, Door 5, Door 7, or Door 10.

Some teachers may be teaching completely remotely. You can check on Skyward by clicking on schedule, then clicking on a teacher’s name. If it says “Remote,” they will be remote. If it does not say remote, they will be in-person. However, in-person students with remote teachers will still be in a classroom with a monitor.

Students will not be allowed to use the bathroom or leave the classroom during class. Bathroom breaks are strongly suggested before school, during passing periods, or after school.

All lunch periods have been moved to either first period or the last period of the day. Students can arrive a period late or leave a period early depending on their lunch period.

Advisory is moving back to every day between second and third period daily.

Not all students are required to attend afternoon sessions.

As promised by the OPRF cell phone committee, OPRF will be implementing a 100 percent phone free school day.

During classes, the new expectation is that students will not be allowed on their phones, even at the teacher’s discretion. As they explain in a statement here (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Faps4KjYBBl-nCNTuN0c3WfzKhYh5l4G/view) , the committee feels our academic time has already been shortened by the pandemic; phone usage will lessen that even more. They have not set specific consequences for failure to comply.

Students who fail to wear masks or put others’ health and safety at risk will be sent home and asked to switch to 100 percent remote learning.

OPRF has not put out specific guidelines for how these behaviors will be monitored or a set number for how many offenses will result in ejection from in-person learning. The CDC says students and teachers should all wear face masks (not face shields) at all times.

There will be no system of consequences for students actively not following COVID-19 guidelines outside of school (i.e. going to parties, hosting large gatherings). Johnson says, “We are not going to police the community.” Rather, he says, “we need to be good neighbors.” However, an inability to follow COVID-19 guidelines could result in an adaptive pause.

An adaptive pause is a complete return to remote learning. The district is following the IDPH recommendations for COVID-19. They will work with the local health department to implement an adaptive pause if the COVID-19 metrics have reached “Substantial Community Transmission,” which includes positivity rates in the county greater than 8%. You can read more about the scenario that would lead to an IDPH-recommended adaptive pause and other steps that the district will take to prevent it here.

Students ill on in-person days wanting to participate can call the attendance office and attend remotely.

Teachers

Teachers medically exempt will continue teaching from home; others have taken an unpaid “leave of absence” during COVID-19 (they could exercise this regardless of the pandemic).

Teachers may also take a “sick” or “personal” day, during which class will either be a synchronous lesson monitored by a substitute, or asynchronous work will be assigned. In-person students would be supervised by Safety and Security staff.

Remote teachers will teach as they did before, and in-person students will be additionally supervised by a Safety and Security staff. Safety and Security staff will also continue to monitor hallways and bathrooms. The school has hired more staff and is looking to continue hiring more.