March 26, 2021
Dear HSHS Juniors, Seniors, Parents/Guardians,
We hope this letter finds you well and healthy. As you know, the 2020-2021 school year has required us to rethink our students’ learning experiences, as well as their social interactions and engagement. As a school district, we have an obligation to follow Covid-19 mitigation strategies and practices in all facets of our work. Using IDPH/Restore Illinois guidance we are compelled to address difficult topics and, thus, make difficult decisions for the health and safety of our students, staff, and community.
Prom is a significant event for our Juniors and Seniors, and it is currently scheduled for April 17. As you can imagine, a great deal of work and financial resources go into an event like prom; thus decisions need to be made in a timely manner regarding our ability to host the event. Unfortunately, after ongoing discussions regarding our ability to safely host an event that would greatly impact our Covid-19 mitigation and contact tracing abilities and requirements, we have made the decision to reschedule our Prom 2021 date to Saturday, May 8th, pending current health/safety guidelines at that time. If Prom were held under current guidelines, attendees would:
Be limited to less than 50 people
Be required to wear a mask
Social distance at least 6-feet apart
Not be able to dance as venues are required to close all dance floors
Outside guests/parents would not be allowed
Additionally, our current venue, Shore Acres in Chillicothe, is unable to accommodate our facility usage due to their current rules/regulations. Illinois has to be in the Phase 4 Bridge Phase to open.
Pushing Prom 2021 back to May 8th will allow us additional time to reevaluate any updates to the IDPH/Restore Illinois guidance that may occur in the coming weeks and will hopefully give our students an opportunity to have some type of Prom. Although some conflicts may exist on May 8th, we determined this to be the new date so that Seniors would have time to quarantine for 14 days, if deemed necessary, and not miss graduation.
We realize that Prom is an important event in the lives of many high school students. At the same time, the current pandemic we are living through requires us to prioritize the health and safety of our students, staff, and community. We will continue to monitor health/safety guidance and provide additional updates as it relates to the status of Prom. We appreciate your understanding of this difficult decision.
Thank you for your cooperation,
Dr. Jon D. Hill Dr. Michael Miller
Principal Superintendent
Henry-Senachwine High School Henry-Senachwine CUSD #5