Families & Students

Every year, District 54 welcomes hundreds of new families into our community and we are so excited for you to be a part of it. If you are new to Nathan Hale, we hope to make this transition a simple and seamless one. If you are a returning Nathan Hale family, welcome back! 

This section hosts useful information for new families, such as registration instructions, immunization and residency requirements and screening information. 

This section also hosts useful information for all families, such as attendance and school hours, links to the parent portal and PTA, and more. 

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to the Nathan Hale office or the district office.

Since COVID-19 first made an appearance in other countries, District 54 employees have been discussing how we can educate our students in person, knowing that children benefit from the connections with their teachers and other staff, as well as their peers. At the same time, we have worked on enhancing our virtual learning program so that if students had to or chose to learn remotely, they would have access to the same strong academic program, as well as a focus on their social-emotional well-being.

The safety and health of our students and our staff is now, and has always been, a top priority for District 54. At this time, we feel the only safe option is for all of our students to start the school year remotely. 

Although the start of the school year looked different this year, in District 54 we are committed to connecting with, engaging, supporting and ensuring the academic success and well-being of our students this year.

The District 54 Reopening Plan is based on public health information available at this time. The plan will most likely be adjusted as new guidance from the Illinois State Board of Education, Illinois Department of Public Health, Centers for Disease Control and other public health officials is received or as necessary to best support the health and safety of our students and employees. All updates will be posted online at sd54.org/reopeningd54 and shared with our families and employees.

Zoom

Several families have reached out about setting up Zoom.  The app has been pushed out by the district today and may show up today or tomorrow on your students device.  On Chromebooks it will show up under apps and on iPads there will be a Zoom icon. 

For further assistance in setting up Zoom for your student please reference there videos.

Using Zoom on the Chromebook Tutorial – For Students

Using Zoom on the iPad Tutorial – For Students

Seesaw

We have created a brief run-through of how students in K-2 and 3-8 will sign in and be present in their classes on the first day. The videos highlight 3 key points – How to login/join, how to switch between classes, and how to navigate to tasks/activities. There is a video for Seesaw and a video for Google Classroom. The 2 videos combined take up a total of just under 7 minutes.

Students Starting School Using Seesaw

Students Starting School Using Google Classroom

Device Support

Our Technology Department has been working to support students and staff as we all learn and work remotely. We understand that some families are experiencing slow speeds or problems with their providers, and we ask you to report that directly to your provider.

People experiencing problems with District 54 technology (Chromebooks and iPads for students) should email [email protected] so that we can troubleshoot the problem via phone or email. If the problem cannot be resolved, we have a technology drop-off program. To schedule an appointment to drop off a broken laptop, iPad or other device, you must first email.

Internet Access

Hotspots are also available for financially struggling families who don’t have internet access at home. Please contact our office if you are experiencing financial hardships and need a hotspot

Click here to meet the Wolf Pack, Hale PTA , View the Hale Elementary Mission and View Curriculum videos from the Hale Teachers