July 16, 2019 

With the start of the 2019-20 school year less than a month away, School District U-46 is urging families to be “first day ready” by ensuring their students are registered for school, have the required updated health records on file, and are academically engaged and prepared to learn.

The first day of school for all students in U-46 is Wednesday, Aug. 14, except for the District’s preschool program students who will start on Wednesday, Aug. 21.

“We remain busy with building and maintenance work as well as professional development and orientation sessions for our staff," said School District U-46 CEO Tony Sanders. "We encourage families to prepare as well so we can all return in mid-August ready for a great year of teaching and learning."

Part of the #U46FirstDayReady campaign includes encouraging students to sign up and complete the “Summer Reading Challenge” at their local public library. Summer reading can help students maintain or improve academic performance and avoid the dreaded “summer slide,” which refers to students losing up to two months of learning during the summer months. This year’s U-46 Summer Reading Challenge aims to ensure that at least 4,500 students complete the competition, up from 3,600 last year.

Online registration for returning students has continued over the summer, with parents and caretakers encouraged to use their Infinite Campus account to register.

But for current families who need assistance, or access to a computer, a special registration event is being held on Wednesday, July 24 at the Gail Borden Public Library, 270 N. Grove Ave., Elgin. U-46 staff and librarians will be prepared to assist families from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. This event is designed as a drop-in event, and families — as long as they had children who attended U-46 schools last year — just need to bring the yellow paperwork containing their username from the registration packet mailed to homes.

Families who are new to the District must call to set up an appointment with the Registration Department at 847-888-5000 ext. 5715 (ext. 5016 for Spanish.)

U-46 is also urging families to use the last weeks of summer break to ensure their children meet health-related requirements, including having up-to-date physicals and immunization records. Students starting pre-school, kindergarten, 6th, 9th, and 12th grades must meet state health requirements in order to attend classes on the first day of school. High school student schedules will not be released until health requirements are met. The requirements can be found here.

Families with children who might still need a physical exam and/or immunizations are urged to schedule an appointment with their family physician or pediatrician as soon as possible. A mobile health clinic, sponsored by Advocate Health, will be present to see a limited number of students between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. at the registration event at Gail Borden Public Library on July 24.

The District has also scheduled a Back to School Health Fair for Thursday, Aug. 8 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Elgin High School, 1200 Maroon Drive, Elgin. A number of healthcare providers, including Greater Elgin Family Care Center, Advocate Health, and VNA Health Care, will be present, offering services to individuals with either no insurance or public insurance.

“The recent outbreaks of vaccine-preventable illnesses around the country demonstrate why it’s important our students stay up to date with their immunizations and physicals,” Sanders said. “It leads to a healthier environment for students, teachers, and staff.” 

Completed health forms can be brought directly to the student’s school starting on Thursday, Aug. 1, or during the summer break, during business hours to the Educational Services Center, 355 E. Chicago St. in Elgin. Documents should be in an envelope with the student’s name, school, and parent contact number for any additional needs or questions. Parents should make a copy to retain for their own records. Forms can also be scanned (not photographed) and sent via email to healthservices@u-46.org.

For any questions or to view the forms, visit the Health Services website or call 847-888-5000 ext. 5334.

Finally, school supply lists for individual buildings can be found on the District’s website, and U-46 is among the partners in Elgin Community College’s Project Backpack initiative that seeks to make sure students in need have the appropriate supplies to start the school year. That event will be held on Saturday, Aug. 3 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at ECC’s Event Center, Building J.