Hillsborough Responds
Information for our HCPS families
September 20, 2020
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A MESSAGE FROM OUR SUPERINTENDENT
Dear Families,
You may have seen reports recently of budget and staff cuts throughout the district. I want to take a moment to address these reports.
Enrollment is down and our budget needs to be realigned to ensure fiscal responsibility. There must be staff reallocations, at all levels, to help adjust our district. Over the past few weeks we’ve been looking at master schedules, as well as enrollment, and looking at where these adjustments need to be made. This is an ongoing process. At this time staffing decisions have not been finalized and they won’t be until the beginning of the second quarter.
I want to be clear, we will accomplish this process while preserving existing programs such as music, art, physical education, and advanced coursework. I ask you to have patience while we work through this readjustment process at the district level and our nearly 250 schools.
Every day, I block off my entire morning to visit schools. I have had the privilege of visiting several each day and watching our incredible educators at work. I am seeing some extraordinarily creative and dynamic teaching! So many of our educators are coming up with new and fascinating methods to make sure our learners are engaged regardless of whether they’re brick and mortar or eLearning.
I am genuinely excited about the direction of our district and the passion of the people who make it run.
Finally, if you don’t follow your school or the district on social media, I encourage you to do so. Over the past few days, schools have been celebrating their Teacher of the Year, Ida S. Baker Diversity Educator of the Year and Educational Support Employee of the Year. I very much enjoy seeing how these schools have been honoring these incredible staff members on their social media accounts, and I know you will too.
Thank you for being wonderful partners in your student’s education.
Respectfully,
Addison G. Davis
Superintendent of Schools
FREE MEALS FOR EVERY CHILD
All brick and mortar students can receive free hot, nutritious meals in our school cafeterias and students who are learning virtually will be able to pick-up their free Grab-and-Go meals at one of 75 school sites.
Our 75 Grab-and-Go sites will be open Monday and Wednesday ONLY from 10am - 11am for students and parents to pick up meals.
Parents are able to pick up the meals without their child being present. However, we will once again be utilizing our meal tracker app so you must know your child's student ID number or date of birth.
Again, this is due to funding from the USDA. This opportunity lasts through December 2020 or until the funding runs out.
We want to make sure all our learners have access to nutritious meals while our country recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic.
HELP US KEEP OUR SCHOOLS HEALTHY!
We cannot thank them enough for all they are doing to keep our brick and mortar kids and staff safe!
However, there are some things we are hoping YOU the parent can help us with to control the potential spread:
- Keep your child at home whenever they don't feel well, particularly if they have a fever;
- Keep your child at home if they are waiting on COVID-19 test results;
- Keep your child at home if anyone in your immediate family has tested positive for COVID-19.
Everyone in our community has worked so hard to help lower the COVID-19 positivity rate for Hillsborough County; let's work together to lower it even more.
And remember, we remain committed to transparency when it comes to COVID-19 cases in our school. You can visit our COVID-19 data dashboard to see how many cases are at each school.
OUR ESE DEPARTMENT FINDS FACE COVERING SUCCESS!
A message from Kimberly Workman - General Director, Department of Exceptional Student Education
Prior to the return to brick and mortar schools, we had many parents and staff members concerned with the mask requirement for students, especially for younger learners or learners with special needs.
I am happy to report that our learners are adjusting to the new "normal" including mask wearing, cleaning protocols and social distancing very well.
To help students learn new safety protocols, the schools quickly put the following accommodations and supports in place:
- Preferential seating
- Mask break cards
- Mask incentive sheet
- Social narratives
- Visual of wearing a mask properly
- VE teacher and paraprofessional support
- Assistance from the Speech and Language Therapist
The supports are working!
It has been reported that many students are adjusting very well. Many learners with disabilities have been observed wearing their masks and following safety measures all while they participate in instruction and activities.
Thank you for your help and support in helping us make the return to school for your student a success.
WE ASKED AND YOU ANSWERED
In our last "Hillsborough Responds" we asked about the successes & challenges your family has encountered over the first few weeks of school. Below are some responses...
- Mabry devised a staggered dismissal schedule. My son can walk out of his class but not be in crowded hallways with other grades.
- Teacher who is super comfortable with eLearning technology and has accomplished keeping her kids engaged online.
- The kids have learned how to sign onto Canvas and then to their Zoom independently.
- The bathrooms have abundant amounts of soap.
- My kids have improved mental health.
- Edgenuity is a great tool that has allowed my middle school students to go back and review difficult math topics
- Learning how to unmute himself during Zoom sessions independently (Kindergarten student).
- Teacher is truly doing an amazing job at trying to build a community in Zoom sessions with 20 first graders. It's very difficult but she's employing a number of strategies.
- They have become more tech-savvy and know how to work all aspects of a computer.
- He's dealt with the changes that COVID-19 has brought to the classroom with flexibility, understanding and confidence as opposed to apprehension and anxiety.
- Bus drivers are awesome and teachers are super nice and helpful. This is my daughter's first time in a public school setting and taking a bus.
- My child's device did not come with Microsoft Office. Thank you HCPS for allowing free download for students.
- Canvas and Zoom are fine, however, each week, some teachers are adding additional apps within Clever to the curriculum. This is causing huge confusion and my daughter is now missing assignments and risk missing deadlines. Canvas modules and assignments in calendar do not match when using these additional apps.
- Assigned seating at lunch has made social time difficult.
- Finding a way to get to the bathroom during changing classes.
- Carrying around a heavy backpack and instrument all the time (no lockers).
- Not touching things in the classroom.
- Kicked out of Zoom class and could not get back in (Zoom glitch).
- My daughter is in middle school and says PE is awful. They have to sit the entire class.No playing with a ball or interacting with each other.
- I wish they could use the playgrounds.
- Difficulty hearing some teachers through masks.
- Calculus via eLearning is not working well. My daughter is highly disadvantaged vs. brick and mortar kids.
- The unexpected need to print out papers for an eLearning class. My son's device cannot be hooked up to our printer so he has to email himself the document then run upstairs to get it printed from his dad's computer DURING CLASS because it is needed that period. Wastes class time and he may miss something while he stepped away.
- The one improvement I would like to see is a way for high schools specifically to still have homecoming and other events for the students. If the kids can be in school with masks on, why can't they attend social events with masks?
- I would need the second grade teachers to spend more than 30 minutes on Zoom per subject every day with my child. She is really having a hard time figuring out what to do when she is on her own. I am working from home full time and it is hard for me to help my second grader, especially if I do not know what the teacher asked her to work on.
- Improve lunch options for high schoolers.
- I would like to see more transparency around how buses are being handled. It would also be nice to know if the cases in our local schools resulted in any number of students or teachers being quarantined- it would help with the rumor mill.
- Free federal food program.
- There needs to be more flexibility with eLearning.
- Make sure teachers are providing 504 accommodations.
- Make the schedules for all elementary grade levels coincide. My kids have different lunch and recess times. I can't take one kid out for recess while helping the other kid with assignments, etc.
"NEW YEAR NERVES" - MITCHELL ELEMENTARY TEACHER WRITES A BOOK TO CALM CHILDREN DURING THE PANDEMIC
When Mitchell Elementary 2nd grade teacher, Elaine Weck, watched a school board meeting over the summer—where they discussed the reopening plan for the fall—she immediately thought of her students. She knew they would be nervous and possibly stressed about the new procedures when they returned to school, especially at the elementary level.
She decided to put her thoughts into a book that would help her students put their fears aside to be comfortable and ready to learn.
It is the first book she has ever written, and it has been well-received by the students in her class and other classes at the school. Congratulations to Ms. Weck!
WHAT'S HAPPENING AROUND HCPS!
Need a little math help? Check out Math Homework Hotline, Thursday evenings from 6pm - 7pm. Call in and receive help with your math questions!
The Bolts need our help! Next week is Bolts Spirit Week! Support the Lightning by wearing Bolts gear as much as possible this week! Schools will be competing to win swag and more!
Our district has an outstanding 66 Semifinalists for the National Merit Scholarship Program. We led the Tampa Bay area in the number of National Merit Semifinalists. These academically talented high school seniors have an opportunity to continue in the competition for $30 million in scholarships.
Here are some facts about our district's Hispanic students:
More than 80,000 of our students identify as Hispanic;
- 20% of our student population speaks Spanish in their home;
- 85% of our ELL students identify as Hispanic;
- 100% of our migrant student population identify as Hispanic;
Hispanic Heritage Events:
Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month with MyOn Reading Challenge
Hillsborough County Public Schools is hosting a special reading challenge designed to celebrate the contributions and history of Hispanics in America. Curated lists of age appropriate myON titles are available. All students are encouraged to participate by reading as many books as possible on myON.Florida Hispanic Heritage Essay and Art Contest, Excellence in Education Award
In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, Governor Ron DeSantis and First Lady Casey DeSantis invite all Florida students to participate in the 2020 Hispanic Heritage Month art and essay contests with the theme of “Celebrating Untold Stories and Contributions of Hispanic Americans in Florida.”
Students in grades K-3 have a chance to win a cash prize by submitting their original artwork, and students in grades 4-12 can earn a 4-year Florida Prepaid Scholarship through the essay contest. In addition, students, parents, teachers and principals are invited to nominate full-time educators in elementary, middle and high schools for the Hispanic Heritage Month Excellence in Education Award. Click here to apply
Pasos al Futuro: El Camino a la Universidad: Family College Awareness Series
October 1, October 8, October 15, October 22
Spanish-Speaking families, students and community can join our District Bilingual School Counselors on the journey to university and beyond. Pasos al Futuro is a four-part series in Spanish teaching students and families how to navigate the U.S. education system and the college application process.
WHAT'S COOL IN OUR SCHOOLS
Thank you to Deputy Heaverin from Rodgers Middle Magnet. She started a Community Pantry for our students and it's going strong because of the kindness of Rodgers' families and local businesses.
Mitchell Elementary has created an "Art Tent" so students could spread out and be outdoors! The Mitchell Elementary Foundation paid for the tent.
We love this! First grade students at Town and Country Elementary wanted to compare the height of Principal Kitchen to a grizzly bear! The grizzly is taller!
HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Email: newsletter@sdhc.k12.fl.us
Website: HillsboroughSchools.org
Location: 901 East Kennedy Boulevard, Tampa, FL, USA
Phone: 813-272-4000
Facebook: facebook.com/HillsboroughSch
Twitter: @HillsboroughSch