COVID-19

COVID Dashboard Update

The COVID Dashboard will be discontinued at the end of December 2022. This fall, following ISBE guidance, the District eliminated close contact tracing and moved to a contagious notification system (similar to the system used for flu, pink eye, etc.). Parents/Guardians will receive a COVID notification letter if 3 or more students/staff in their child’s classroom are COVID-positive.  This allows for parents/guardians to be notified in an immediate and more targeted approach.

Updated COVID-19 Mitigation Information

The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) and the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) have fully adopted the updated COVID-19 Guidance for Schools from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This new guidance removes the recommendation for close contacts to quarantine. As such, parents/guardians will no longer receive notification if their child is a close contact, and remote learning will not be provided for students who previously would have been identified as a close contact at home or school. 

Please note, students who are symptomatic and/or positive for COVID-19 are required to isolate and may be eligible for remote learning. 

In addition, the district will continue to update our COVID-19 Dashboard every Friday afternoon by 3:00 p.m. starting on August 26, 2022.

Hawthorn School District 73 remains committed to following the guidance provided by ISBE and IDPH. Thank you for your continued support.

Slides from August 11, 2022 board meeting related to COVID-19 mitigation strategies for 2022-2023 school year.

Dear Hawthorn District 73 Families,

Effective Monday, Feb. 28, we no longer will require students to wear masks on school buses. This decision comes after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced late Friday that it will no longer require people to wear masks on buses or vans operated by public school systems.

Please take this opportunity to make the best decision for your family and discuss this with your children. ​​Lakeside Transportation will not enforce family masking choices. Please note, we will not tolerate bullying or harassment of students or staff for their masking decisions. 

Our goal remains to provide an exceptional in-person learning environment. District administrators and legal counsel will continue to monitor relevant COVID-19 metrics and public health guidance. 

Thank you for your continued patience, understanding and support.

Regards,

Dr. Pete Hannigan
Superintendent

Please read this message in its entirety for updated information.

Dear Hawthorn Families,

We are writing to inform you of upcoming changes to the COVID-19 mitigation efforts at Hawthorn District 73. Since our February 6, 2022 communication we have been monitoring the appeal process of the school mask lawsuit in Sangamon County. This week, there were two significant developments that impact our current practices.

• On February 15, 2022, the bipartisan Joint Committee on Administrative Rules (JCAR) voted to not renew the emergency rules enacted by the Illinois Department of Public Health Emergency Rules on September 17, 2021. Those rules allowed the school districts to exclude students identified as a close contact, and have expired as of February 14, 2022. 
• On February 17, 2022, the 4th District Appellate Court of Illinois dismissed Governor Pritzker’s appeal of an earlier Circuit Court temporary restraining order. The Appellate Court ruling effectively means that the State is restrained from enforcing  COVID-related emergency rules  including those related to masking in schools. 

Given the current status of the law, beginning Tuesday, February 22, 2022, Hawthorn District 73 will suspend enforcement of required masking and shift to mask recommended.

We will maintain a supply of masks in our nurses' offices, and continue implementation of our other mitigation strategies including:

• Social distancing (three feet in classrooms and six feet at lunch)
• Close contact tracing
• Universal masking on school buses (per federal mandate)
• Universal masking in school nurses’ offices
• Minimum isolation of five days for individuals testing positive for COVID-19
• Individuals testing positive must be symptom-free in order to return
• Symptomatic individuals must quarantine for five days or produce a negative COVID-19 test (at-home tests are not accepted)
• Optional SHIELD testing; masks are required in the testing area 
• Remote learning is provided to students who are unable to attend school due to COVID-19; students who test positive, are under quarantine, or are symptomatic

• Enhanced air purification/ventilation

• Cleaning and sanitizing

• Hand hygiene

We encourage you to speak with your child about the best decision for your family, and your expectations for them while they are at school. Hawthorn staff will not enforce family masking choices. Please note we will not tolerate bullying or harassment of students or staff for their masking decisions.

To best support our students, on Tuesday morning teachers will facilitate an age-appropriate discussion aligned with State of Illinois Social Emotional Learning Standards. This lesson will emphasize the importance of recognizing the feelings and perspectives of others, and include guidance around our collective responsibility to respect choices different from our own. 

Our goal remains to provide an exceptional in-person learning environment. District administrators and legal counsel will continue to monitor court proceedings and relevant COVID-19 metrics at Hawthorn. Should it be necessary, the district will partner with the local health department in reinstating any and all mitigation strategies including universal masking.

Thank you for your continued patience, understanding, and support.

Sincerely,

Dr. Pete Hannigan, Superintendent
District 73 Administrative Team

Dear Hawthorn Families,

During the Board of Education meeting last night (February 16), I announced plans to present an updated COVID-19 mitigation and masking strategy for Hawthorn District 73 at next week’s Board of Education meeting on February 24, 2022. At that time, I will discuss a process and timeline for moving to a mask-optional learning environment. The proposed plan will account for the March 5, 2022 expiration date for the Governor’s Executive Order 2021-18, which is the order currently requiring the use of indoor face coverings for students, staff and visitors on school property.

Additionally, I summarized the vote taken by the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules (JCAR) earlier this week to not renew the emergency rules enacted by the Illinois Department of Public Health Emergency Rules on September 17, 2021 that mandated quarantines for students identified as a close contact. Those emergency rules expired on February 14, 2022. Therefore, effective immediately asymptomatic students identified as close contacts are not required to quarantine. Parents/Guardians will continue to be notified if their child is identified as a close contact.

At this time, because Executive Order 2021-18 is still in effect, face coverings must still be worn on Hawthorn property. Also, Board Policy 4:182 requiring face coverings has not been suspended.

Summary of Important Dates

• Effective Immediately: Asymptomatic students identified as close contacts are no longer required to quarantine.

• February 24: Board of Education meeting where updated mitigation and masking strategy will be presented.

Thank you for respecting the above timeline so that our students, staff, and families have time to process and adjust to these changes. Your ongoing support and cooperation is appreciated.

Sincerely,

Dr. Pete Hannigan
Superintendent

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, District 73 has committed to following the guidance and implementing mitigation measures. Our goal to maintain a safe school environment and provide the best possible education for our students has remained consistent. On Friday, Feb. 4, a judge in Sangamon County, Illinois, temporarily suspended enforcement of Governor Pritzker’s executive orders and related State emergency rules including, the mask mandate and other measures for school districts named in the lawsuit. District 73 is not named in the lawsuit, and the implications of this decision for unnamed districts are still under review. The Illinois Attorney General is appealing the decision. 

Under the advisement of district legal counsel, we will be maintaining the mitigation efforts administratively that keep in place the requirement that students, staff, and visitors wear masks, and the district will continue to follow current exclusion protocols as we monitor the appeal process. 

We will continue to keep our community informed of all decisions surrounding the health and safety of our students, staff, and visitors as we work toward our goal to maintain exceptional in-person learning.

Sincerely,
Dr. Pete Hannigan

Dear Hawthorn Families,

On Tuesday, January 11, 2022, the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) and the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) officially adopted the new recommendations from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that were released earlier this month. The new guidance updates the definitions for “close contact,” reduces isolation and quarantine periods, changes Test-to-Stay procedures and provides further information about masking. A detailed explanation of the relevant changes is below.

The new guidance does not change the State of Illinois’ mask requirement for anyone inside school buildings. The Governor’s indoor mask mandate for school is still in effect until further notice. 

Close Contact:

Per IDPH/ISBE guidance, “close contact” means an individual who was within 6 feet of a confirmed or probable case for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more in a 24-hour period. However, it is not considered a close contact as long as the contact occurred in any of the following scenarios:

• A student who was within 3 to 6 feet of a confirmed or probable student case in a classroom setting if both were consistently masked during exposure.

• Age 18 or older and received all recommended vaccine doses (including booster, if eligible). 

• A student aged 5-17 years who completed the primary series of a COVID-19 vaccine.

• An individual on school transportation within 3 to 6 feet if both the confirmed case and the exposed individual were consistently and correctly masked during the entire exposure period and windows were opened (front, middle, and back, or overhead) to allow for good ventilation.

• An individual who has tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 90 days from the date of exposure.

• An individual who is solely exposed to a confirmed case while outdoors.

Isolation and Quarantine:

Any individual who tests positive for COVID-19 must isolate for 5 days after the onset of symptoms or specimen collection if no symptoms. The maximum period of isolation is 10 days after the onset of symptoms or specimen collection. Individuals may release from isolation on day 6 if fever- and vomiting/diarrhea-free for 24 hours and other symptoms have improved. 

If a student or staff member tested positive or first had symptoms on the following date:	The new return to school/work date is the following:
Monday, 1/10	Tuesday, 1/18
Tuesday, 1/11	Tuesday, 1/18
Wednesday, 1/12	Tuesday, 1/18
Thursday, 1/13	Wednesday, 1/19
Friday, 1/14	Thursday, 1/20
*Any date prior to 1/10/2022 may return on Tuesday, 1/18	**The date above is if a person is fever- and vomiting/diarrhea-free for 24 hours and symptoms have improved.

 

Any individual who exhibits COVID-19 symptoms must quarantine and be excluded from school/work until they are able to produce a negative COVID-19 test (at-home tests are not accepted) OR at least 5 days and a maximum of 10 days have passed since the onset of symptoms if fever- and vomiting/diarrhea-free for 24 hours and other symptoms have improved. 

If an unvaccinated student or not boosted staff member was a close contact on the following:	The new return to school/work date is the following:
Monday, 1/10	Tuesday, 1/18
Tuesday, 1/11	Tuesday, 1/18
Wednesday, 1/12	Tuesday, 1/18
Thursday, 1/13	Wednesday, 1/19
Friday, 1/14	Thursday, 1/20
*Any date prior to 1/10/2022 may return on Tuesday, 1/18	**Test on day 5 if possible. The date above is if a person is fever- and vomiting/diarrhea-free for 24 hours and symptoms have improved.

 

Individuals returning from Isolation or Quarantine on days 6-10 must wear an approved mask at all times both indoors and outdoors.

Test-to-Stay

Exposures occurring in school settings during the school day (excluding extracurricular activities) are still eligible for Test-to-Stay, but now will test 2 times at school during the 7 days following a close contact, with the final test happening on days 5-7. Additionally, individuals in Test-to-Stay must wear a mask at all times both indoors and outdoors on days 1-10. 

Extracurriculars

Students returning from Isolation or Quarantine prior to day 11 are allowed to participate in extracurricular practices and rehearsals but must be excluded from competitive play and performances. Students in Test-to-Stay must be excluded from competitive play and performances until after day 7 of exposure.

The health and safety of our students and staff continue to be our highest priority, which is why we have committed to following the guidance from ISBE and IDPH. We are confident these updated guidelines will help us keep students and staff safe and in school. Thank you for your continued support and cooperation.

Sincerely,
Dr. Pete Hannigan

Dear Hawthorn 73 Families,

On behalf of the Board and administration please accept our wishes for a happy and healthy 2022! We hope your family enjoyed winter break, and we are looking forward to students resuming in-person learning on Thursday, January 6, 2022. 

On December 27, 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated recommendations reducing the length of quarantine time for those who test positive or are considered close contacts; however, these changes cannot be implemented in schools yet. Illinois public schools still operate under an Executive Order that specifies a minimum number of days for quarantine and isolation for students and staff. 

Furthermore, the Illinois Department of Public Health generally adopted the new CDC guidelines for quarantine and isolation, but states that schools should continue to follow the IDPH COVID-19 School Guidance. We are hopeful that updated guidance from the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) will be released soon. We will share with you any updated school guidance we receive as we work through all the details. 

Consistent with last semester, the District is committed to following the IDPH recommended layered mitigation strategies in an effort to support and maximize in-person learning. Schools help limit COVID -19 transmission by layering the following effective prevention strategies:

• Promoting COVID-19 vaccination 

• Consistent and correct use of masks 

• Physical distancing

• Screening testing and symptomatic testing

• Increased ventilation

• Frequent handwashing 

• Staying home when sick and getting tested

• Testing and contact tracing in combination with isolation and quarantine

• Increased cleaning and sanitizing of school facilities.

We are aware of the increase in COVID-19 cases, transmission in the community, and the overall fears and concerns associated with this Pandemic. The best way for you to support in-person learning is for your child to stay home when feeling ill.

Please remember that when you enter or send your child to any District 73 building you are certifying that you or your child do not have any COVID-19 symptoms and that you or your child are not subject to a COVID-19 quarantine or isolation. 

Per the Illinois Department of Public Health guidance, if your child stays home from school with COVID-19 symptoms, a negative COVID-19 test result is required for your child to return to school. At-home test results will not be accepted to return to school. If you need help finding a testing location or have further questions, please contact your School Nurse.

We can’t know what direction this Pandemic will take, but we do know two things: 1) in-person learning best supports our students academically, socially and emotionally, and 2) our prevention and mitigation strategies have worked at keeping in-person learning in place. This semester, our focus will again be on maximizing in-person teaching and learning in a healthy and safe environment and minimizing disruptions. 

If you have any specific questions please contact your building administration. We look forward to partnering with our families to ensure Learning For All. Every One. Every Day.

Take care, 

Dr. Pete Hannigan
Superintendent, Hawthorn District 73

Guidance to schools from IDPH was updated on Sept. 21, 2021, with the following changes:

• Close contact on the bus was clarified to represent 3-6 feet with masks on, and further indicates the bus windows must be opened. 

• Siblings of symptomatic students sent home may remain at school as long as the symptomatic sibling gets tested for COVID-19 within 24 hours and receives negative results within 48 hours. If the symptomatic student does not get tested, the sibling must go home. If the student tests positive, the sibling must quarantine as outlined.

• Students sent home with symptoms may now provide a negative Antigen or PCR test to return to school.  Home test kits are still not acceptable.

These guidelines and a copy of the full school guidance can be found here.

Dear Parents/Guardians,

Hawthorn District 73 is scheduled to begin SHIELD testing for students who have opted in starting next week, Sept. 27, 2021. Below are answers to some frequently asked questions regarding the testing process.   

How often will students be tested? 

The number of students tested weekly is listed in the chart below. The testing day for the South Campus and the afternoon preschool session at Lincoln will be Wednesday, and the testing day for the North Campus and the morning preschool session at Lincoln will be Friday. 

The process may look slightly different at each school, depending on the time of day and location for testing.

How many students have opted-in? How many students will be tested?

Approximately 52% (1861 out of 3547) of current Hawthorn students have opted-in for SHIELD testing. Outlined below is the number of students randomly sampled each week. 

School	Total number of students in the building	Total number of students with SHIELD Consent	Number of students randomly sampled each week
Aspen	335	180 (53.7%)	Approximately 90
School of Dual Language	383	175 (45.7%)	Approximately 58
Elementary North	419	235 (56%)	Approximately 78
Elementary South	505	295 (58.4%)	Approximately 99
Lincoln School	108	51 (47.2%)	Approximately 25
Middle School North	610	305 (50%)	Approximately 102
Middle School South	658	337 (51.2%)	Approximately 112
Townline Elementary School	290	164 (55.6%)	Approximately 55
Hawthorn School for Young Learners	239	119 (49.8%)	Approximately 60

*Please note these numbers may fluctuate based on student enrollment and consent to test numbers

How is the test administered?

The SHIELD test is non-invasive and simple, typically taking 1-2 minutes to administer. Each student is provided a single-use vial and funnel, and the student drools into the funnel, capturing saliva in the vial. A laboratory analyzes the test, and the school receives results within 12-24 hours. The SHIELD test has a Sensitivity Rate of 97% and a Specificity Rate of 99%; these numbers mean that it is improbable that the test will yield a false-negative or a false-positive result. The test is reliable in identifying the COVID-19 virus even in currently asymptomatic individuals.

For a video overview of what SHIELD testing looks like, please watch Shield Illinois K-12 Schools Collection Examples. While each school may use a different testing location and student identification procedure, all students will be socially distanced while walking down the hallways and in the testing location.

What happens if someone tests positive?

If your child tests positive for COVID-19, your school’s health office or building administrator will notify you. The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) also will receive your child’s test results, consistent with IDPH guidance and the Illinois Control of Communicable Disease Code.  

If your child’s test results are positive, please contact your child’s doctor immediately to review the test results and discuss the next steps. You may not send your child back to school without a note from your child’s doctor that indicates your child is no longer positive for the COVID-19 virus.

Will we be notified if our child’s test results come back negative?

No. The health office will only contact families in which a child’s test results come back positive. The school will also initiate contact tracing for all positive cases and notify families if their child is a close contact. The district is working with SHIELD protocols to determine if we may provide parents/guardians access to their child’s results via an online portal. 

Will we be able to opt out of SHIELD testing at a later date if it becomes something with which we are uncomfortable?

Yes, families may choose to opt-out of the voluntary SHIELD program at any time. Please send an email to your building Principal indicating you would like to opt-out of Shield testing.

Can I have my child opt-in to testing if we initially declined to participate?

Because consent forms and testing schedules require coordination with the third-party vendor providing testing, there are specific time windows for parents to opt-in for testing. The next open window to opt-in is Nov. 1- 5, 2021.

Is there a cost to families for this test? Is there a cost to the district?

No, there is NO COST to families or the school district. A partnership with the University of Illinois and IDPH provides the SHIELD testing. Federal funding covers the cost.

Dear Hawthorn District 73 Parents/Guardians,

The health and safety of our students and staff is our top priority, and our staff is working tirelessly to maintain a safe learning environment. Additionally, we are committed to open, transparent, and timely communication with families about our steps to keep all students safe. Below is an outline of how the District communicates with parents/guardians in regards to COVID-19.

• COVID-19 Dashboard: The District maintains an online dashboard to track the number of confirmed positive COVID-19 cases among students and staff, as well as the number of individuals in quarantine. Data is representative of the overall District and individual schools. This data is updated every Friday by 3:00 pm.

• Symptomatic Student: If your child begins exhibiting symptoms while at school, they will be isolated from other students, and the school nurse or administration will contact you. It is the responsibility of parents/guardians to have their child tested and, in the case of a positive test result, contact the school so we may begin contact tracing.

• Close Contact: If the District is aware that your child has been identified as a close contact (as defined by the Center for Disease Control), you will be contacted via phone and letter by District personnel. You also may be contacted by the Lake County Health Department. That communication may include additional instructions about quarantine or Test-to-Stay options.

Our multilayered mitigation strategies are designed to limit the number of students who may encounter an infectious individual. We will directly communicate with you if your child becomes symptomatic or is identified as a close contact. We constantly are monitoring and improving our mitigation strategies to ensure maximum health and safety.

To maintain the health and safety of our entire Hawthorn community, we need parents/guardians to remain diligent and work with us for the health and safety of the whole community. Below are steps you can take:

• Contact Tracers: If a contact tracer contacts you, please answer all of their questions truthfully and thoroughly to protect others.

• Positive COVID-19 Test: If you or your child test positive or become symptomatic at any time, please contact your school nurse or school office. 

• Student Absences: If your child is absent from school because of sickness, please list all symptoms to the school.

• SHIELD Testing: We anticipate beginning non-invasive saliva COVID-19 screenings on unvaccinated students starting the week of Sept. 27. We are waiting for access to the database from SHIELD required for D73 to start testing. Additional information regarding the screening process will be communicated before we begin testing. If you did not previously provide consent for your child to be screened, please consider opting them in for the program! The next open enrollment dates are scheduled for November 1-4, 2021.

Thank you for your continued support and cooperation as we navigate this pandemic. We are happy to have all students back in school, and with your help, we are confident we can keep them there.

Sincerely,

Dr. Pete Hannigan

• Hawthorn District 73 Family Guide 2021-2022: Moving Forward
• Distrito Escolar Hawthorn 73 Guia Familiar 2021-2022: Avanzando

August 4, 2021

Dear District 73 Parents and Guardians, 

Welcome to a new school year! We are eager to greet students on Monday, August 23 for our first day of school. This letter is to share updated guidelines related to health and safety measures for the start of the year. 

The health and safety of our students, staff, and families remains our number one priority. The district is continuing to monitor guidance from the Center for Disease Control (CDC), Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) and Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) for COVID-19 prevention in K-12 schools. Our current plan reflects the most recent guidance:

• July 9, 2021​​ – CDC, IDPH and ISBE published guidance for COVID-19 prevention in K-12 schools. 

• July 27, 2021 – CDC updated its guidance for universal masking in K-12 schools.

• August 2, 2021 – IDPH and ISBE released an FAQ that clarifies the CDC guidance. 

• August 4, 2021 – Governor Pritzker issued a universal masking mandate for all PreK-12 Illinois schools.

Based on this updated guidance, our plan is to fully reopen schools for in-person learning using layered mitigation measures.  

Full Reopening for In-Person Learning

• Parents/Guardians are not required to complete daily self-certification of their child’s COVID-19 symptoms. Instead, by sending your child to school each day you are certifying that your child is not displaying any COVID-19 symptoms.

• Resume locker and storage assignments.

• Remove restrictions on shared materials.

• Resume all clubs, activities and sports with mitigation measures.

• Resume classroom volunteer opportunities and PTO-sponsored activities.

Social Distancing

• Classrooms reflect in-person instruction with 3-6 feet of social distancing. 

• During lunch, students and staff are socially distanced at 6 feet.

• While outdoors, social distancing generally is not required.

Contact Tracing and Quarantine

• District staff will work with state and local health departments to identify students and staff that must isolate because of positive COVID-19 test results, and those that must quarantine as close contacts. 

• Updated guidance removes students from the list of close contacts within a classroom setting when they and the infected student consistently and correctly wear well-fitting masks and other preventative measures (including social distancing at a minimum of 3 feet) are in place.

• Staff are prepared to temporarily transition to concurrent learning should a member of their classroom community be unable to attend school in-person because they are positive for COVID-19 or are required to quarantine as a close contact. In these cases, students will access learning via Zoom and a digital platform so they can maintain their same teacher(s) and services.

• When identified as a classroom close contact, students can utilize the “Test to Stay” option to minimize in-person learning disruptions. This is only allowable in situations when both the Close Contact and COVID-19 confirmed student were masked. Please note, that this does not include household exposure - school only.  This allows students to avoid quarantine by testing on days one, three, five and seven after exposure as long as they continue to test negative and are symptom free.  

Masks

• All District 73 students, staff and visitors are required to wear a mask in school buildings regardless of vaccination status. This mitigation measure aligns with health and safety recommendations in the updated CDC, IDPH and ISBE guidance. 

• Masks for all individuals (age 3 and older) are required on school buses, regardless of vaccination status, as school buses and other school transport qualify as public transport. 

• During outdoor activities, masking is optional (regardless of vaccination status).

We also will continue to implement improved ventilation, as well as increased handwashing and sanitation. These strategies are aligned with the updated guidance, and were determined to be effective in preventing the spread of COVID-19. Additional back to school information will be shared by building administrators on Friday, August 6. 

In the event that ISBE and/or IDPH guidance changes, we will adjust our plans and communicate the changes to our community.  As the school year continues, we will work with state and local health departments to determine when we may phase out some, if not all, of the mitigation measures in place at the start of this year.

Thank you for your ongoing support and interest in working alongside us. We are in this together!

Sincerely, 

Peter Hannigan, Ed.D. 
Superintendent

• The SHIELD test is a free, non-invasive diagnostic test for the COVID-19 virus. It is conducted by collecting a saliva (spit) deposit in under five minutes, which provides results in 24 hours.

• SHIELD testing was developed at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

• The University of Illinois SHIELD Program FAQ is available here.

• Informational Video: SHIELD Illinois At-Home Unobserved Collection Tutorial for K-12 Schools

• Informational Video: SHIELD Illinois: How the Saliva-Based PCR Test Works

• SHIELD screening will be conducted one time each week starting the week of September 12, 2022. Students will collect their sample at home Wednesday morning before reporting to school.  

All students with active consent forms will be provided a testing kit to take home prior to Wednesday morning. Parents can provide consent by Login into the PowerSchool Parent Portal using a parent/guardian account until August 15, 2022. Students who test positive for COVID will not be SHIELD screened for 90 days following their positive test.

The consent form for SHIELD testing is “OPT IN.” Only students with a consent form signed by their parents/guardians will be tested. 

At this time, both vaccinated and unvaccinated students are eligible to participate in SHIELD testing.

If a student's test results are positive for COVID-19, school staff will contact the parent and inform the parent of the necessary next steps.