Learning at Home
Tips and tricks from Elyria City School District
Dear families...
Please allow me again to take this opportunity to thank you for your staunch support these many months. We as a school district can't thank you enough for your hard work in fostering education at home.
In the last issue of Learning at Home, I shared the plan for two vaccination clinics that are taking place this month, and next, for school employees. The first vaccine date of February 26 is quickly approaching and I'd like to take this opportunity to remind students that they will work independently at home February 26, with no in-person or virtual instruction. Teachers will give assignments ahead of time or have materials available for students to work on from home within their Google Classrooms.
We learned today from Lorain County Public Health that school employees will receive the Moderna vaccine, which requires a second dose four weeks later on March 26. This, too, will be a day for independent learning from home day for all students.
Administration of the vaccine does pave the way for more instructional opportunities. Please keep in mind, however, changes won't happen overnight due to the complex process that's involved in scheduling students.
In addition, teachers and staff are already assigned to in-person or virtual classrooms--and sometimes both as in the hybrid plan--and the number of students in each classroom, particularly with the in-person model, is carefully designed to keep up the required distancing for COVID-19 safety.
In working our way back to a typical school schedule while effecting ways to close the learning gap, we are adjusting school hours at the end of the day to return to the regular dismissal times in kindergarten through eighth grade. The new dismissal times will begin March 1.
In doing so, nothing will change with the number of attendance days or the education model that your child is currently in, but it will provide that additional half-hour block of time before dismissal that (K-8) students are typically in school.
Virtual Academy students will also receive more instructional time on their synchronous learning days of Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.
At the elementary level, Virtual Academy teachers will have extra time at the end of the student's regular scheduled day to hold virtual small groups as needed.
Virtual Academy students at the middle school level will have extra time added to their classes in their schedules, and will end their school day at 2:15 p.m., which is their dismissal time during a typical school year.
Elyria High School students will continue with their current four-day schedule with no changes. The team at Elyria High School is working on a plan for enrichment and tutoring that will begin later in March. More details will be coming.
In summary, beginning March 1:
- Elementary students will end the school day at 3:10 p.m.
- Middle school students will end the school day at 2:15 p.m.
- Virtual Academy elementary students will have the same start and end times, and same schedule for core courses, but teachers will have an additional half hour each school day for small group work.
- Virtual Academy Middle School students will end at 2:15 p.m.
- Elyria High School will see no changes to its four-day schedule but will implement enrichment, intervention and tutoring opportunities later in March.
- Preschool will see no changes to its four-day schedule.
- Transportation will be adjusted to reflect the new dismissal times K-8.
- The district is working on a plan to address the achievement gap at all levels. More details will be coming.
Your student's teacher or building principal can answer any building- or schedule-specific questions you may have.
Please feel free to email us as well at mailto:ask@elyriaschools.org.
This year and last have been anything but typical but I hope you know we are working hard to restore normalcy to school while maintaining the safety measures we have in place for COVID-19. We will have more instructional opportunities coming later in March and April and details will be forthcoming.
Thank you and enjoy your weekend.
Ann Schloss
Superintendent
March Calendar Change
To ensure the opportunity for in-person students in Cohort B, grades K-8, who typically attend school on Thursday and Friday, to have instruction with their teachers prior to Spring Break, the March calendar will be adjusted.
On Monday, March 29, Cohort A (K-8) students will follow their regular in-person or virtual school schedule. They will learn from home on Tuesday, March 30.
On Tuesday, March 30, Cohort B (K-8) students will attend school in-person or virtually and follow their regular schedule. They will work independently from home on Monday, March 29.
All Virtual Academy students (K-8) will follow their regular school schedules on March 29 and 30.
Students on the four-day-a-week schedule, including all Elyria High School students and all preschool students, will follow their regular school schedules, attending either in-person or virtually on Monday, March 29, and Tuesday, March 30.
All students will follow their regular remote learning schedule on Wednesday, March 31.
Please reach out to your student's building principal or teacher if you should have any questions.
Elyria City School District
Email: ask@elyriaschools.org
Website: www.elyriaschools.org
Location: 42101 Griswold Road, Elyria, OH, USA
Phone: 440-284-8000
Facebook: facebook.com/elyriacityschools
Twitter: @twitter_elyriaschools