BAND AND CHOIR MEET M THRU F

2:45 TO 4:30- BAND ROOM

ART CLUB MEETS EVERY TUESDAY 

2:45 TO 4:30- ART ROOM

ESPORTS CLUB MEETS EVERY WEDNESDAY

2:45 TO 4:30  

ROBOTICS CLUB MEETS EVERY TUES & THURS

2:45 TO 4:30  

Boys Basketball Home Game vs. COLIN POWELL

THURSDAY DECEMBER 9- 4:30

Boys Basketball Home Game vs. BROOKWOOD

MONDAY DECEMBER 13- 4:30

Boys Basketball Home Game vs. FORD HEIGHTS COTTAGE GROVE

TUESDAY DECEMBER 14- 4:30

Boys Basketball AWAY Game AT COLIN POWELL

WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 15- 3:30

Boys Basketball Home Game vs. OBAMA

THURSDAY DECEMBER 16- 4:30

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Chicago Heights school gym transforms into vaccination center for faculty, staff

"You hear all these stories about the rollout. Why can’t people get the vaccine? I don’t know. Do this," said Tom Amadio, District 170 Superintendent.

Amadio says teachers wanted to be vaccinated before returning to teach Kindergarten through 8th grade in-person. 

So, they created their own vaccination center in partnership with Jewel Osco.

"They asked me if I could be interested, and it took less than two seconds to say yes. It was a no-brainer," said Amadio.

Now, teacher Amanda Ruiz and about 400 others in District 170 are getting their two Pfizer shots.

"I will definitely feel a lot better about going back into the classroom fully vaccinated," said Ruiz.

As a bonus, 250 seniors in Bloom Township were able to get shots too.

 "It feels awesome. It’s probably the most important thing we can do- in this time and place in the country right now is to get everybody vaccinated," said Bloom Township Supervisor TJ Somer.

This gym is pristine as it is in a brand new building that hasn’t been used all school year. Chicago Heights Middle School and 10 others in the district have been fully remote since March 2020.

"To give them something this beautiful and nice, and they want to be here - I can’t wait for March 8," said Amadio.

March 8 is the day in-person school is scheduled to start, after teachers and staff are fully vaccinated.

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Chicago Heights School District set to vaccinate 400 employees

Will Seidelmann, principal of Chicago Heights School District 170, talks about how they plan to vaccinate hundreds of teachers and staff.

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CHICAGO HEIGHTS, Ill. (CBS) — While teachers in the Chicago Public Schools system are teaching at home, educators in south suburban Chicago Heights already know when they’ll get the COVID-19 vaccine.

As CBS 2’s Jermont Terry reported, the school district there found a way to secure enough doses quickly for its staff.

The Chicago Heights Middle School is a brand-new state of the art facility.

“The building is less than a year old,” said principal Will Seidelmann.

Yet COVID-19 has kept its 1,000 students from walking the new halls.

“And this building is welcoming kids,” Seidelmann said. “We want kids in the building, but we want everyone to be safe.”

In effort to get students back to in-person learning, Chicago Heights School District 170 organized a staff wellness plan and is now ready to give out 400 doses of the vaccine to its teachers and staff.

“We reached out to some places,” Seidelmann said, “and out of sheer luck, Jewel-Osco was willing and able, and offered just one and half weeks in the 1B vaccination route.”

One likely factor contributing this distribution is that the gymnasium at the school can hold can hold more than 1,600 people. But in this case it’s enough space to cordon off three sections so teachers can get the vaccine in a socially-distant way.

“So we’re doing everything to CDC protocols, and we’re giving our staff and employees and awesome opportunity to get COVID vaccinated,” said assistant principal Nick Pezzuto.

The never-used cafeteria will also play a role in this vaccine roll out.

“So people can be monitored for the 15 minutes after the vaccine,” Seidelmann said.

If 400 of the district’s 600 employees get the first shot next week Thursday, that means there could finally be a date for students to enter the building.

“Students will then return March 8,” Seidelmann said. “(We’re) still giving the students and the families the option – do they want to remain at home or do they want to start working on hybrid plan?”

And if any teacher isn’t comfortable getting vaccinated, Seidelmann said: “There will be no penalty. We’re giving the options to our staff members.”

It’s an option some teachers outside Chicago Heights wish they had.

“I have friends at other districts that are like, how is this possible?” Pezzuto said.

The principals believe good relationships and a dedicated plan paid off.

“For once in education, we had all the pieces of the puzzle together and it worked out really quick,” Pezzuto said.