Update from Dr. DiLeo 04-06-2020

Update from Dr. DiLeo 04-06-2020
Posted on 04/06/2020


Hi everyone!  Hope this communication finds you and your family well!  I want to reach out to you today to discuss the Remote Learning Plan that was put out yesterday and discuss what the plan hopes to accomplish.

 

With the extended closure of the schools until May 4th, a Remote Learning Plan has been built to guide us through this time.  Each individual teacher will work to bring learning into the homes of students who have the capability to receive it.  Not all students have the ability to connect virtually so hard copies of student work can be found at each building in plastic bins or a filing cabinet at the JS High School.  New learning packets will come out every two weeks.

 

What everyone needs to know is that teachers may be learning new virtual platforms along the way as we are thrown into this virtual world of learning from afar.  The district will be providing Professional Development to teachers on Google Classroom and Microsoft Teams that they will be using to deliver some content.

 

There will be a learning curve for all of us as we move down this road, so I ask for your patience as we try to accomplish this.  We may need to adapt along the way and adjust the plan to meet the needs of students.  Not all classrooms will look the same, for we are driving this model as we build it, as teachers will need time to adapt to this new way of doing academic business.

 

I know that what we are experiencing is not ideal; however, we will make the best of the situation and get the most out of it that we can.  There will be learning for all involved as we navigate through this time, myself included.  At times we may not have all of the answers immediately as we are learning along the way all of the pieces that need to be addressed in getting this learning model built after the fact.

 

The next piece we will be getting out shortly will be how we will be grading student work for the fourth quarter.  We understand that not all students have the same opportunities as others at this time and will be taking that into account as we build this aspect of the plan.  More to come on that soon.

 

I want to remind everyone that we will be following the school calendar as is.  So, there will be no school on Friday, April 10th for Good Friday and April vacation will run from Monday, April 20th to Friday, April 24th.  Remote classes will begin again on Monday, April 27th.  There will be no Grab and Go Food Program during no school days.

 

I want to thank everyone for their patience and support during this time.  Thanks goes out to many individuals here in the district who are working overtime to make sure we keep learning alive in Ware.  Please take care of yourselves and until the next communication, please practice social distancing, coughing and sneezing into your sleeves to be safe from this virus.  Wishing everyone a safe and healthy good day!