Athey Notes
A Weekly Publication of Athey Creek Middle School
August 18th, 2020
School News
Hello Athey Families!
Welcome to the 2020-2021 school year! We have missed you! Mr. Sebastian and Mr. Hertel have been very busy finalizing teaching assignments, placing students on teams and designing a schedule that will easily transition from Comprehensive Distance Learning to the Hybrid Model when it is deemed appropriate to return to the school building. We have also been working to create the A and B cohorts as well as the class cohorts for each class period. This has been a very complex task and we are getting much closer to finishing it; it feels good to finally see the light at the end of this tunnel! We hope that we will be able to let students and families know if they are in the A or B cohort next week. We thank you for your patience and encouragement; it means a great deal to us.
As you know we are beginning the year in Comprehensive Distance Learning (unless you signed your student up for the WLWV K12 Online program for the year). Here is a quick overview of what you and your student can expect in CDL:
Comprehensive Distance Learning
- We’ll be in this model until at least November 6
- The day will start with a 20 minute class to check in with the teacher, connect with their peers and get ready for the day
- Students will take three classes (two core and one elective)
- The three of these classes will be 90 minutes long
- This will be a 4 week cycle (ex. Science, Math, Elective for 4 weeks then Language Arts, Social Studies, Elective for 4 weeks)
- We’ll offer an extension of Math and Language Arts so that students aren’t missing either for an entire month
- Dual Language students follow the same schedule as the rest of the school with continued instruction in Spanish and English
- Families can choose to keep their student in CDL if and when we return to school in the Hybrid Model
In the event that we meet the health metrics and our district makes the decision to return to in person learning, we’ll be in the Hybrid Model. The following points outline what that will look like:
Hybrid Model
- Safety of students and staff as well as guidelines from Clackamas County and Oregon Health Authority will frame and drive this model
- Students continue with 3 classes per day, each lasting 90 minutes
- Day starts with a 20 minute check in activity to get students ready for the day
- A/B schedule
- Group A - Monday, Wed, every other Friday in the building
- Group B - Tuesday, Thursday, every other Friday in the building
- Students grouped into cohorts of approximately 15 students
- Dual Language students follow same schedule as the rest of the school with continued instruction in Spanish and English
The health and safety of our students and staff is a huge priority for us and we know it is for you as well. The Comprehensive Distance Learning model will be the ‘way we do school’ until it is deemed safe to return to the building. Thank you for your support all through the summer as we have worked to design the model for the safest and strongest learning experience for your children.
We look forward to 'seeing you' real soon!
A Change in our Start Date
Hopefully you have had a chance to read Dr. Ludwig's announcement regarding the first day of school for our students. If you have not, I am including it here.
Dear West Linn-Wilsonville Families,
Based on my recommendation, the West Linn-Wilsonville School Board adopted an adjusted calendar for the coming 2020-21 school year during their Board Retreat last night. The calendar changes move the first day of school to September 8 and the last day of school to June 17. The number of instructional days remains unchanged by these calendar adjustments.
We realize how important this information is for families as you begin to plan for the start of the school year, which is why we wanted to provide it to families as soon as possible. Thank you for your patience as we continue to prepare for September 8.
What prompted the change in start date?
Please know that many factors went into making this decision. As the COVID-19 landscape continued to shift and our district began to finalize plans for the start of the year, it became apparent that our administration and staff needed additional time to ensure a successful launch to Comprehensive Distance Learning. Additionally, we had more than 1,600 students enroll in the WLWV K12 Online Program, which surpassed our expectations. While we are happy to offer this opportunity for our students, it requires significant strategic staffing changes and schedule shifts as we plan for both the Online Program and the Comprehensive Distance Learning (CDL)/Hybrid Model.
The extra week before the start of school will allow our district administrators, school leaders, teachers, and district staff to prepare for a successful start to the year. It also allows us to plan the first week of school, which will be used to integrate students and families into both the WLWV K12 Online Program and CDL/Hybrid as well as learn the new digital curriculum tools that will be used this school year.
Calendar changes include:
- Comprehensive Distance Learning will now occur through November 6, which is the last day of Quarter 1
- September 8 — First Day of School
- November 6 — Last Day of Quarter 1
- November 9 – Grading Day (no school for secondary students)
- February 4 — Last Day of Quarter 2
- February 5 – Grading Day (no school for secondary students)
- April 15 — Last Day of Quarter 3
- April 16 – Grading Day (no school for secondary students)
- November 2, February 1 and April 12 – Formerly grading days, will return as school days for secondary students
- June 17 — Last Day of School
- October 9 – Will be a school day (No Statewide In-service Day)
- No Professional Growth, Early Release Wednesdays
- Thanksgiving Break is unchanged for students
- Winter Break is unchanged for students
- Spring Break is unchanged for students
Families can view the updated calendars for the primary, middle, and high level at the district website.
Cohort Scheduling
Our school teams are hard at work this week getting cohorts and schedules created for students. Please know that we will provide this information to our students and families as soon as we have finalized cohorts and schedules for the coming school year.
Thank you again for your patience and understanding. We look forward to welcoming students back to school virtually on September 8.
Sincerely,
Kathy Ludwig, Superintendent
Athey Creek Scheduling Changes
Teacher Leader Work
Chromebook Distribution
It will be very important for all students to have a chromebook or some other device that will allow them to engage in the Comprehensive Distance Learning and/or Hybrid models. Many students kept the chromebook they checked out for learning in the spring and they will be able to continue using it this year. For those students who are still in need of a device, we will be having time set aside for another few days of chromebook distribution. The district level technology department is currently designing the plan for distribution and we will get that information out to you as soon as the plan is finalized.
The First Week of School
This will be a really important week for students and families. During the first week of CDL, students will virtually meet all six of their teachers and the students they will be learning with each period. There will be community building activities and opportunities to get to know each other so they can be supportive of one another throughout the year. Students will also be introduced to the various programs they will be working with on the computer and become comfortable with the protocols and systems that will help them to feel prepared to work and learn in Comprehensive Distance Learning and/or the Hybrid Models. This first week will help set them up for a successful learning experience and provide you with important information you will need to be able to support your student(s) at home.
School Supplies
We are excited for the fact that we will be able to provide students with materials to use during Comprehensive Distance Learning; we were not able to do this in the spring. We are currently determining a process for having students pick-up supplies – such as a novel they will be reading in language arts or the science materials they will need for the lab work they will engage in during the first quarter, etc. Again, once this is finalized we will communicate the plan with our families. Teachers need to be a part of the planning for this and they return to school on August 31st.
Yearbook Update
We are still waiting on yearbooks from last year. LifeTouch has been in contact with us and apologizes for the long delay in the delivery. When we get the yearbooks, we will contact you and arrange a time for pick up.
WLWV K12 Online Progam Students and Families
All WLWV Fields, Playgrounds, and Facilities Closed to the Public
Important Links
FAMILY LINK (grades, lunch balance/make deposits, sign up for conferences)
https://do-sm.wlwv.k12.or.us/FamilyLink/login.aspx
WEATHER/CLOSURE INFORMATION https://www.flashalert.net/login.html
WLWV District Community Board (registration/information for sports, music, community events): http://www2.wlwv.k12.or.us/Community/cbb/
Students Rights and Responsibilities https://www.wlwv.k12.or.us/cms/lib/OR01001812/Centricity/Domain/3426/student-rights-English.pdf
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