Covid-19 Updates
Read our Covid & RSV Flu Update letter to our staff & families and review recommended protocol.
10/10/23
10/26/22
Read our Covid & RSV Flu Update letter to our staff & families and review the CDC’s vaccination info for toddlers.
We’ve created a COVID-19 Parent Protocol Guide and Flow Chart for IWSE. This is a quick reference guide on IWSE protocols with your child for responding to COVID -19 and answering questions you may have related to our procedures. Please wear your masks to school on drop off and pick up. We have extra masks available for you and your child if needed. Learn more and view the chart here.
Do you or your loved ones need to test for Covid? We’ve also created a resource for Rapid Antigen and PCR Testing in the Evanston area. Find a testing location here.
2/2/22
12/15/21
IWSE is closing early for an extended holiday break from December 20th - January 17th due to the COVID-19 Omicron spike in cases. To learn more, read here.
8/31/21
We are closely monitoring the movement of the COVID-19 Delta variant. This last week there was an uptick from the previous week of hospitalizations and deaths by 29%.
This is obviously very serious as we are losing over 1250 people every day to COVID Delta across the country. We know colder weather and winter will bring more challenges.
Our staff are currently vaccinated at 94%. We have put in place a weekly testing protocol where all staff are mandated to test for COVID-19 every week. This is the best way to keep ahead of the virus. Obviously there is no vaccine yet available for children under 12 years old. We don't know when this child and infant vaccine will be available. Until we have more information about the vaccine availability for children please be extremely careful and stay masked at all times when in public. Children over 2 years old are encouraged to wear masks. Avoid large groups and gatherings when possible and keep group activities outdoors where it is most safe.
The BTN and TBN facilitities will continue to remain open and operational until further notice. Please follow all COVID 19 instructions at drop off and pick up. Masks must be worn to enter the building at all times.
Please see this information on the various COVID variants in Illinois:
04/20/21
IWSE Covid-19 Update
IWSE believes in strongly encouraging Covid-19 vaccination to our staff and the community.
We are working closely with the City of Evanston and the Evanston Early Childhood Council to support a vaccination day for all Early Childhood Education staff in the community that would like the vaccine.
At the same time we want to provide resources and as much unbiased information as possible to educate ourselves about the vaccine, its safety and any potential side-effects.
Please review this unbiased article and information about the Coronavirus vaccine. Please take some time to review the multiple videos and responses to common vaccine questions and concerns.
For information on how to register for more information on receiving the vaccine, please read this announcement.
- IWSE Leadership
11/20/20
Dear Parents, Families and Staff,
We are writing to provide updated information regarding IWSE services in all of our programs including TBN, BTN and Family Support.
We have received information from staff that has reported their testing results as well as staff and student family members with additional positive COVID cases at BTN. These positive cases are both within our facilities and among family members of staff and students. This requires tracking, tracing and quarantining of anyone who has come in contact with COVID positive individuals and requires 14 days of mandatory quarantine.
Due to this challenge internally within IWSE staffing and the escalating infection and hospitalization rates in Illinois, IWSE leadership and Board have decided to close our facilities and move our services to 100% remote learning effective immediately.
With the upcoming Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, we have determined that returning to in-person services after family gatherings will not be safe for our staff and/or our families. With this combination of increased COVID rates, internal cases in our IWSE community with quarantining of staff, as well as potential holiday gatherings in the near future, we have made the difficult decision to move to 100% remote services effective immediately through January 19th, 2021.
We understand the difficulty that this will cause and the challenges that will be created for families needing childcare. We know that families depend on our services and support. Unfortunately, the health and safety concerns are such that we had to make this difficult decision.
Please see the link here to the Governor’s office new guidelines announced today effective this Friday, November 20th:
https://coronavirus.illinois.gov/.../restore-illinois...
Please be vigilant as we have said in the past. As we are heading into Thanksgiving, we urge you to stay at home in your small family group. Wear your mask, social distance, clean and sanitize hands and surfaces and stay out of large indoor groups of people.
We will be in communication in the next weeks with updates and additional information. Teachers and staff will be in contact with families to provide resources, activities, check-ins and support in any way we can.
Please be safe and stay inside as much as possible during this difficult time.
Thank you,
Stephen Vick
Executive Director