January 9, 2022
Due to limited bus driver availability the following changes in bus routes will take place immediately and will run through the end of the week.
• Dement Park stop 4th grade through 8th grade students will now ride on Bus #12 (AM & PM).
• 3rd & Artesian stop 4th grade through 8th grade students will now ride on Bus #12 (AAM & PM).
• Chateau Estates (All grades will be on Bus #11.)
• Bus #10 AM shuttle children will ride on Bus #18 in the AM to Washington.
• 1002 IL Rt 38 children will now be on Bus #18 (AM & PM).
• Bright Beginnings bus stop will now be on Bus #11.
• Countryside & Middle stop will now be on Bus #11.
• Bus #10 & Bus #19 children will now shuttle from Washington to their appropriate schools.
• PM Route Only: Bus #6 Washington (Kindergarten) will now ride Bus #18 to Madison/RMS.
• PM Route Only: Bus #6 will shuttle Open Sesame children to Lincoln School.
• Updated Route Times for Bus #19:
o 6:21 am – 1910 Naylor Road
o 6:23 am – 1199 Naylor Road
o 6:25 am – 1235 Naylor Road
We apologize for any inconvenience this will cause. Our goal is to transport the students safely to and from school. We appreciate your patience.
Sincerely,
Marc Campbell
Business Manager
DPS #170 staff, students, and families: We need your help and input on a project. This applies to everyone no matter your grade level. We need to hear your voice in regard to thoughts on changing school start times.
Over the last year and a half, the district Community Engagement Committee has been researching the effect of school start times on student achievement and student’s social-emotional well-being. On our website (www.dps170.org) you will find a link that will take you to a video explaining the work that has been done, an informational page about school start times, and a survey asking for your input on changing school start times.
We ask that you first watch the video, then read the one-page informational sheet, and finally complete the survey. The survey will be available through January, and will be sent directly to RMS and DHS student school emails.
We need your voice! Please help us in our decision making process to know if this should be a consideration for the Board of Education to determine an outcome for the upcoming school year.
Contact the District Office if you have any questions.
We are looking for a full time custodian for Dixon High School #gopurple
SVCC's Impact Program allows for earned tuition for eligible students for up to 3 years or until their certificate/degree is completed. Click below for more info. DPS #170 will be providing information to families at future events - conferences, open houses, registration.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Wkyn7goTqU
https://www.svcc.edu/impact/
Sauk Valley Community College will be hosting virtual information sessions about the Impact Program on Monday, January 10th at 5:00 p.m. and Wednesday, January 12th at noon. The Impact Program allows students in the Sauk Valley Community College district the opportunity to earn up to three years of tuition and fees in exchange for volunteering in our community. To register for an information session, please use this google form or visit www.svcc.edu/impact. Participants will be emailed the Zoom link the weekday before the session.
If you have any questions, please email impact@svcc.edu.
DPS #170 will be back in session on Thursday, January 6, 2022 for a full day. The School Improvement half-day will be rescheduled in the future. RMS & DHS students-remember to bring your fully charged Chromebooks tomorrow to class. #GoPurple
Wrestling for tonight (1/5/22) is on (however, it will only be against Byron). First match at 5:30.
Tonight's girls basketball game in Byron will be varsity only (JV canceled). The start time will be 6:00 pm.
DHS & RMS students – Remember to charge your Chromebook so you are ready for school on Wednesday. Don’t leave your Chromebook in a vehicle. The extreme cold will drain the battery and could damage the device.
January 3, 2022
Dixon Public Schools families and staff,
Happy New Year!
There is a lot of information since the CDC has issued new guidance regarding isolation for positive cases and changing protocols for those that have received the first two doses of the vaccine, but not a booster - as of now, none of it applies to Pre-K – 12 schools in Illinois according to the IDPH and the Illinois State Board of Education.
I believe this will continue to be a topic of discussion throughout the state next week and I will issue a revision to this letter when more information is available. Until then, our protocols for positive cases remain the same as the first semester. If we are issued additional guidance, we will apply it.
Parents need to be ready to pivot to remote learning should our numbers warrant it. I will continue to monitor our numbers daily. If we need to move to remote learning, the turnaround will be quick. Please get your plans in place now to ensure a smooth transition for you and your students.
We will continue to be vigilant in our layered mitigations in the days to come in order to continue in-person learning. While I understand our community has different views on how COVID should be handled, I am extremely concerned about not having the requisite staff available to continue in-person learning if we let down our guard at all.
We are asking for continued patience and support as we come back to in person learning this week. We all know that COVID numbers are very high in our region and this is impacting our health care system tremendously per my conversations with local health officials. The good news is that in the readily available data, we are currently maintaining or decreasing our case prevalence compared to when break began.
Free rapid testing for staff and students will be available Tuesday, January 4, 2022 for anyone who may need it. Rapid testing will occur at the Dixon High School cafeteria from 7:30 a.m. until 3 p.m. tomorrow. A parent must be present for a student to be tested. Testing takes at least 15 minutes, so plan to be at DHS while you await your results. Social distancing and masks will be required prior to entering door 12 at Dixon High School.
Thus, to start the new year, I have a few requests for you.
1) I can’t stress this next statement enough….if your child has symptoms DO NOT SEND THEM TO SCHOOL!!!
2) If your child has symptoms, please take advantage of our on-site, free COVID testing, or seek offsite testing through your physician or local COVID testing sites.
3) If someone in your home has symptoms or has COVID, follow the protocols that have been sent by our nurses and err on the side of caution 100% of the time.
4) If you have questions, please contact our nurses. They will be on-site beginning Wednesday, and are a great source for guidance and information.
One thing I believe everyone can agree on is that we want to continue in-person, daily, face-to-face instruction. As we navigate changing guidelines, please understand that our administrators and health services staff are absolutely doing the best they can.
I’m asking everyone to please be kind to our teachers, principals, and nurses as they try to navigate ever-changing CDC, IDPH, and ISBE changes and updates.
As we move into 2022, I am confident that we will meet the challenges that lie ahead. I’m looking forward to starting our second semester together, and will continue to communicate as we carefully monitor COVID cases in our buildings.
Thanks for your continued support. #GoPurple #DPS170
Sincerely,
Margo Empen
Superintendent
School resumes on Wednesday, January 5, 2022! Click on the link below for a message from Supt. Empen about returning and free COVID testing tomorrow for students and staff at the DHS cafeteria from 7:30 am to 3:00 pm if you are interested.
https://5il.co/13ong
Duchesses are tournament champions!
Dixon High School is currently seeking applicants for the position of Athletic Director / Assistant Principal for the 2022-2023 school year.
Please see the updated schedule for the final day of the KSB Holiday Classic.
Due to worsening road conditions, the remaining games of the girls basketball tournament for today will be postponed. We will play the 1:30 UT vs Jefferson game and that will be the last for the day. More info to follow.
Day #1 of the KSB Holiday Classic in in the books!
Click on the links below for this week's COVID data. This data reflects those out due to being positive or quarantined. RMS is on remote learning for the next two days due to high numbers and known internal spread.
https://5il.co/13dcw
https://5il.co/13dcx
The great Elf hunt at DHS!
The great Elf hunt at DHS!
The great Elf hunt at DHS!
