April 1, 2020
Dear Parents,
Let me begin by saying how much we miss all of our students at Arcola Jr./Sr. High School. During this time of uncertainty, we want you to know that our top priority is the health and well-being of our students, as well as their families. We hope that you are all doing well and staying safe and healthy.
As you know, information about the COVID-19 pandemic changes daily and it impacts our lives greatly. As the Governor announced yesterday, schools will remain closed until April 30. Therefore, as we head into the new territory of remote learning, we want you to know that we are going to do our best to provide engaging instruction and activities to keep our students’ minds moving forward and to provide structure and routine to their daily lives. The next month will not be easy. We realize that many of you are still working and have several children to help and other concerns during this time. Please know that the staff at Arcola Jr./Sr. High School is here to support our students and you throughout this challenging time. We also ask for your patience and understanding as we travel this new territory too. Our teachers and other staff members are working long hours from home to ensure that they maintain a connection to their students while also dealing with their own family responsibilities and concerns.
Remote Learning Days for all students will begin Thursday, April 2. Please refer to the information below for details concerning general guidelines and expectations of remote learning.
Daily Expectations
Students will need to check in daily for attendance through TeacherEase. Check-in time will be open from 5:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. each day.
Parents will receive a phone call from the school if their child does not check in for attendance as required.
If a student cannot access TeacherEase, the parent/student will need to call the office (and leave a message) or email Ms. Diaz (ddiaz@arcolaschools.com) to report attendance.
Teachers will provide communication, instruction and/or assignments on Google Classroom by 9:00 a.m. each day.
Teachers will be available to connect with students through email, Google Classroom, Google Hangout or through other online forums from 9:00 a.m. - noon, and 1:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m. daily. Students should reach out to their teachers through email or Google Classroom if they need one-on-one assistance.
Students can log into Google Classroom beginning at 9:00 a.m. each day to check for communication, instruction, and/or assignments from their teachers.
Students will have learning opportunities/assignments in each class lasting around 30 minutes in length. This time includes teacher instruction and student learning/assessments.
Students will be required to submit “proof of learning” back to the teacher no later than 9:00 a.m. the following day or by the teachers assigned due date. Proof of learning will be assigned by each teacher and can be a completion of an assignment, exit ticket response, participation in a Google chat room, proof of note taking, etc.
Grading
The focus for students will be on learning and the completion of work. Teachers will provide students with formative feedback to assist students with furthering their learning.
Students are expected to complete all work assigned during remote instructional days.
Students will receive a completion grade or an actual letter grade on assignments. These grades will count towards the 4th quarter grade.
Semester exams will be waived for all high school students, with the exception of any dual credit classes.
All students will have the opportunity to redo, make-up, or try again to complete and show progress on work assigned during remote learning. Many times, this will occur after receiving feedback from teachers. When students redo an assignment, they will always receive the highest grade achieved on any attempt.
Students that do not complete work will NOT receive a “0.” They will receive an “Incomplete” (designated by an “M” for missing in the grade book) and will have the opportunity to make-up the work at a later date when school resumes. But, waiting to complete assignments will only make things more difficult later on for the student.
The district will make every effort to ensure that the grading practices used by the teachers is based on the principle of doing no educational harm to any students.
In closing, I wish you and your family the very best. Please remember to reach out to us if you need anything. We are here to help and support our students and families during this unprecedented time.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Sigrist