Good evening, Abbott family members and friends!

I hope this email finds you and your family well.  I know that you have been receiving a lot of messages from the district's Blackboard Connect system, and I have been trying not to duplicate them.  This email does include some repetition and some important updates that we need you to have.  

This week is the last week of the grading period before progress report grades are posted.  Please talk to your student about reaching out to their teachers and attending after school online tutoring if they need help.  The end of our 3rd quarter is a progress report grade for the 2nd semester.  Progress reports will be available on Infinite Campus next week.

Next week is spring break for all U-46 students. Classes will resume on Tuesday, April 6th with a distance learning day.

The district has been sending out messages through our Blackboard Connect system about the change in schedules beginning on April 7th.  Those 7th and 8th grade students who are in person for the Hybrid Model will shift to a schedule with all in-person instruction, with no A/B group division.  In-person students will attend school Monday through Friday using our regular middle school schedule of 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and will attend all periods each day. 

Distance learning students will remain in distance learning, but their schedules will align to our bell schedule.  The school day will begin at 9:00 AM and end at 3:30 PM for everyone.  On-screen learning time may or may not occupy the duration of the school day for students in Distance Learning. Teachers will teach both our in-person students and distance learners at the same time.  Screen time will vary and aim to be developmentally appropriate for all grade levels.

Click to view the Post-Spring Break Middle School Sample Schedule

School pictures have arrived and are being sent home with our Hybrid Group A and B students this week.  If you have a student who is in Group C and is a distance learner, pictures can be picked up between 8:00 AM and 3:30 PM.  Please call the office before coming to the school to ensure that someone is in the main office, and so we can pull your student's pictures and have them ready.

Picture retake day is scheduled for Wednesday, April 7th.  Students in our Hybrid Groups A and B will have their pictures taken when they attend classes on Wednesday, April 7th.  Those students in Group C, our distance learners, can come to the building from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM to have their pictures taken.  Group C students should enter door 7 off of Commonwealth.  A SIgn Up Genius will be sent out to our distance learning parents to ensure that we are able to have socially distant appointments.  All students who haven't had their pictures taken should get them taken on April 7th.

We are currently working on our testing schedule for ISA, IAR, and ACCESS.  Testing will begin at Abbott during the week of April 12th.  More details will be sent out at a later date.

If you haven't already, please take the 5 Essentials Survey.  So far, 27% of our parents have taken the survey!  Your voice matters.  The survey is used for Abbott's school improvement planning.  The direct link to the parent 5 Essential Survey is: http://bit.ly/5EssentialsU46.

Please email me or call me with any questions:  chriszugel@u-46.org or 847-888-5160, ext. 5162.

Best regards,

Ms. Zugel, Principal/Abbott Middle School