As Du Quoin schools close, everybody wonders when they'll be back

As teachers, students and staff in Du Quoin said goodbye to each other Monday afternoon, many of them had to be wondering when they would see each other again.

Du Quoin schools were in session Monday, the day before all Illinois schools are closed for nearly two weeks by order of Gov. J.B. Pritzker, to help contain the spread of the deadly coronavirus.

The moratorium is to end on March 30, but it is likely to be extended if COVID-19 is still rampaging through the state and nation at the end of the month.

No virus-related deaths have been recorded in Illinois, which as of Monday has recorded 105 cases.

The closures also include the prekindergarten and Early Childhood programs housed at Du Quoin High School. And on Monday, Western Egyptian Head Start announced it is closing its Head Start programs from March 17-30, too.

Du Quoin Unit District 300 Superintendent Matt Hickam said Monday that if there's a silver lining in this massive disruption of education, it is to prevent the spread of this virus, "and not lose any lives or have serious illnesses."

"That's the great bonus," he said.

The loss, he said, is in what students will ultimately miss out on, especially if the time off is extended.

"What is on everyone's mind in the education world is this time we're losing ... there's no way we're going to get it all back," Hickam said. "What does that look like for the future?"

Hickam said his teachers have put together learning plans for students during the hiatus, much of it doable on the internet.

District 300 is aware, however, that not all of their students have access to the internet at home, and furthermore, they know internet service can sometimes be unreliable.

"Anything we're doing with an electronic component also has a paper component," he added.

Parents waiting to pick up their children outside the Du Quoin Elementary and Middle schools on Monday had been making plans over the weekend to cope with the shutdown.

Jona Black, a nurse at a same-day surgery center, has two boys, ages 9 and 6. She believes kids function better on a regular schedule and has tried to create one, involving the boys' grandfather and some high school girls.

"Grandpa will have them the rest of this week," she said.

Valerie Gilliam already works from home processing insurance claims and she's going to continue to do that. Her boys are 13, 10 and 19 months - but she's unsure yet about child care for the youngest as her babysitter will have other kids now, too.

"We'll try to stick to a schedule while they are off," she added.

The Du Quoin schools will not locked during the closure. Buildings will be accessible to teachers and other staff, and the kitchen staff will come in on a daily basis, Hickam said.

"We'll have a skeletal staff in each building," he said, adding each classroom will undergo deep cleaning.

According to Cory Robbins, District 300 business manager, cold breakfasts and lunches, aka Grab & Go Bags, will be available for curbside pickup from 10 a.m.-noon Monday to Friday at four locations - with both meals in one bag. Meals are free to children ages 0-18.

Locations are: Ward School, 200 N. Division; Du Quoin High School, 500 E. South St.; Du Quoin Elementary School, 845 E. Jackson St.; and AME Zion Church, 101 N. Maple St.

Hickam said they'll monitor how many people take advantage of the meals the rest of this week, to have a better idea of how many meals will be necessary going forward.

"We won't run out of food, but we might over-prepare," Hickam added.

Hickam is grateful for the District 300 staff, who take seriously making sure the students are well-fed.

"We're very fortunate to have such a supportive group of employees," he said.

The superintendent said he's also gotten calls from members of the community, offering to help the district is any way necessary.

"Right now we're in great shape with our people, but it's been reassuring to know we have community members who are concerned and want to help," Hickam added.

As the mandated closure begins, Hickam said families will need to rely on their resiliency. He asked parents to make sure their children exercise, read, and do school-related things.

"Don't just shut it down," he advised. "And keep your kids as reassured as possible."

Hickam advises his parents to avoid oversaturating themselves with news and commentary, and rely on the most reputable sources for their information.

"We're all guilty of being glued to the set," which only heightens anxiety, he added.

On Friday, Pritzker announced the school closings, saying he knows people are wondering why, given that children and young people seem to be less susceptible to COVID-19 than other populations.

"But this is a critical part of our larger social distancing efforts," he said. "In addition to kids with immunocompromised conditions, we have teachers and administrators, parents and the larger population to consider," he said.

He pledged that no school district would lose any part of its state funding during the closure period.

For questions about the Grab & Go Bags, call Cory Robbins at (618) 542-3856.