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TEAM WELCOME LETTERS
6G Team Letter
6W Team Letter
7G Team Letter
7W Team Letter
8G Team Letter
8W Team Letter
Aug. 6, 2020
Dear LMS Parents/Guardians:
This has certainly been a very unusual summer in preparation for a new school year. We appreciate your patience, as we have been working to team and schedule students, and create building plans for the safe return of students and staff that meet changing/developing guidelines. We appreciate the work of our students and staff, to see that education could continue in the spring of 2020. We have learned much since March, and have been engaged in planning/trainings to make the most of on-line learning experiences for students in 20-21.
As you know, the district is striving to open school Sept. 8 within a Tier 2 (blended) structure. Within this letter, we are going to share what a school week will look like in the Tier 2 structure, and explain how that translates into Tier 1 (fully on-line) should we need to transition to that type of structure. Note that within Tier 2, approximately half the students come to school Monday and Tuesday (Students on “A Schedule”), and then are working remotely (from home) on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. The other half of the students work remotely Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, and come to school Thursday and Friday (Students on “B Schedule”). Tier 2 essentially requires the use of an on-line platform (Schoology) for students to complete assignments during their remote school days, while offering time in school (live) with teachers in the classroom for two school days so that teachers can engage with students and provide supports/structures for them to be successful. We plan to email student schedules on Aug. 24, and the student schedule will reflect the courses that students are enrolled in for the start of the 20-21 school year.
In School, Start of the Day in Tier 2:
- Students will be dismissed, class by class, over the announcements, from 2:30-2:35, from their last class, and teachers will walk their classes of students from the classroom to the exit doors/buses
Other Important Notes for Time in School in Tier 2:
Conducting School in Tier 2:
- The school building will operate in a very secure manner, and will only allow access to essential staff, and students.While parents/guardians may be accustomed to coming to school to bring items, pick up students for appointments, or attend scheduled meetings, we are being careful to limit access to the building while students are in classes.We will work to schedule parent meetings/conferences remotely, primarily on Wednesdays, as all other weekdays our focus will be on safe use of the building for students in classrooms.
Lunches:
- Students may pack or purchase a school lunch
- Lunches will be served to the classroom, and students will eat lunch in one of their core classrooms
Hall Transitions/Student Movement:
- We are utilizing an e-Hall Pass system this year, and this will provide structure to the number of students out of classrooms during any given time, as well as provide structure for the individual use of restrooms, and the cleaning of restrooms/areas in the building.
- Students will move from class to class, but will be doing so with their class/cohort peers.As students rotate from class to class, students will leave on a slightly staggered schedule in order to maintain distance from other students, cohorts, etc. in the hallways
Remote/on-line Work in Tier 2:
- Students will have assignments to complete, and lessons to work on from home
- Teachers will have office hours from 7:31-8:15, and will be available to conference with students via Zoom, and to communicate with parents.Our teachers will strive to support students in a timely manner while students are working remotely, but please note that teachers are also teaching live lessons in the building on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday.Therefore, they may not be able to respond immediately to requests.
- Wednesday, a remote learning day for all, will be a day in which teachers are fulfilling multiple duties.For example, teachers will be available on Wednesdays for individual student Zoom conferences, teacher office hours for whole-class participation, building meetings, IEP meetings, parent communication, etc.
Transition to Tier 1 (Fully on-line):
- Should the district/building need to transition to a fully on-line structure, an on-line schedule will be presented to students so that they have a structure/guide for their weekly schedule and work to be completed.
- The courses that students will be required to complete will remain the same as those established in Tier 2, and the rotation of encore/specials will occur so that students will continue to experience the different encore courses (example, having music for 4.5 weeks, and then moving to health for 4.5 weeks, etc…)
- Teachers will prepare for regularly scheduled Zoom class meetings/lessons in which students are able to interact with their teachers.
- Individual conferencing/Zoom support sessions will continue for students as needed, just as it is available in Tier 2.
- Related services (special education, speech and language, etc…)- Case managers and teachers will work to continue to provide services via Zoom and other resources
- In contrast to the spring of 2020, students will not be earning “engagement” grades in Tier 1.Rather, students will be responsible for successful and accurate completion of their work and will earn regular grades in Tier 1.Failure to complete work accurately will have the same effect on a student’s grade in Tier 1 as it would if students were in class on a regular school year schedule.
We recognize that this is much information to process, and to begin to understand as it corresponds with such a unique time for our students/families. Our teachers have been working to prepare for learning experiences for our students in a predominately on-line platform, as we are adjusting and responding to do the best we can to educate our students in this unique/challenging time. Our staff cares tremendously for our middle schoolers, and we will be working to help them learn and grow this year. We miss our LMS students and families, and look forward to working with you in the coming school year.
Sincerely,
Keith E. Colestock
Principal, Lamberton Middle School