Principal's Update
School Closure Week of 3/23
Dear Stetson Families,
Sincerely,
Dr. Cognato
Course Selection Information
Course Selection Deadline is Tuesday, March 24
6th Grade - cspecht@wcasd.net
7th Grade - dmcmillan@wcasd.net
8th Grade - (For Rustin 9th grade) clunardi@wcasd.net
Some Self Help From Our Counseling Team - Coloring at the bottom too!
Frequently Asked Questions about the Impact of Covid-19
West Chester Area School District
March 12, 2020
1. Will attendance policies be relaxed for parents who choose to keep a child home from school for fear of contracting the virus Covid-19? Yes, we will be very lenient with attendance policies due the extreme concern for protecting students who may be more susceptible to getting ill. Our policy allows for up to 15 days of absence without a doctor’s note. A parent note will be required upon return.
2. Does the school district have a plan to close schools in the event of a person being identified with Covid-19? Yes, we are working closely with the Chester County Department of Health on this matter. When a case is identified, the Department of Health works quickly to identify any people who may have come in contact with the person confirmed positive for the virus. The school is notified if one of those people had contact with anyone in the school. Based on information from the Department of Health, an individual school or entire district could be closed for any length of time between one day and 14 days.
3. How will days be made up if the school has to close because of concern for spreading the virus? The school code requires 180 days and 900 hours of instruction for elementary students, and 180 days and 990 hours of instruction for secondary students. West Chester offers 1,200 hours of instruction at the secondary level and 1,100 hours of instruction at the elementary level, more than the minimum hours of instruction. Our students attend school for 182 days. In the event that we would have to close for up to 14 days for a quarantine period, we would use the following in order to maintain the last day of school as June 12 for students:
· Days one and two – would be forgiven by the PA Department of Education due to the two extra days (182) we already have in our calendar. Teachers will use these two days to prepare online learning materials to be used in the event schools are closed for more than two days.
· Days three through six – We would apply for a provision in the PA school code that allows time to be used for teacher instruction, parents conferences, and other emergencies (known as Act 80.) We would post assignments online during these days for all students to access work. This is not meant to replace instruction, but it would provide some continuation of education. Teachers will be available during regular school hours on these days, via email and other virtual ways to respond to questions.
· Days seven through ten – We would use the four snow days already built into the calendar. We have not used any snow days this year. Our last day of school is currently set for June 12, but that assumes that we would have had four snow days. Currently, with no snow days, we may be able to end as early as June 8. However, we can use these built-in days to finish on June 12, as scheduled.
· In a fourteen day quarantine period, four of the days would be weekend days, and we’d need to close for 10 school days. All after school sports and weekend activities would be canceled during that time.
4. Does the district have the ability to deliver instruction online? In grades 6 through 12 all students are assigned laptops and teachers are prepared to deliver assignments online through Schoology. Grades 3 through 5 also have access to Schoology and assignments can be posted for parents and students to access. Many grade K - 2 teachers can use an application called SeeSaw to post assignments online for parents and students to access. All teachers can also send assignments via email. If parents have not already registered for an account with Schoology or See Saw, that can be done via these links:
Schoology Parent Access: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1qliRpP4Ea4MM9b6XnIrCFkAR6jNLqQD4mrT_n6mfO68
Seesaw Family Letter: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1oYpdu6P5PuVJeTu_TXWHIg2chppRxUNU_dO53-Xrzmg
These assignments are not intended to replace instruction but provide access to assignments for students to keep up with work.
5. Will teachers be available for help while students complete work using the online resources? Yes, teachers will be expected to be available to answer questions via email and/or chat sessions during regular school hours on days three through six, depending on the course and grade level being instructed.
6. What will happen if the school district is closed for more than 14 days? If we are closed for more than 14 days, we will consult with the PA and Chester County Departments of Health, and PA Department of Education for guidance.
7. Will scheduled school trips be affected? We have canceled trips to assisted living facilities due the sensitivity of the elderly. We are monitoring locations for other school trips. Some organizers are canceling many conferences and competitions because some health officials are trying to limit the number of people in large gathering spaces. There is a chance any trip and competition may be canceled at the last minute. We will update parents, students, and staff as soon as we have information.
8. Will Facility Rentals/Outside User Groups be allowed to use facilities? – Effective Sunday March 15, the district will not permit external groups to use any internal building location through April 4. Decisions to resume after April 4 will be made as we get closer to that date.
Teacher Expectations for Remote Learning Days March 18, 19, 20, 23 From District Website
2. How much work should I provide? – Teachers know each of their students/classes, so the amount can vary. However, we are suggesting no more than a total of 4 hours of work per day. For a middle school and high school teacher, that would be about 30 minutes per teacher per class per day. Because the focus in elementary is reading and math, we are suggesting no more than 90 minutes for reading and 60 minutes for math. Support and special area teachers should plan for 30 minutes per subject per day. (Gifted, ELD, Reading, Special Ed, etc.).
3. Am I expected to grade the work? – No, teachers are not expected to grade work at any level unless students are already being graded for online or blended classes that are currently taking place. For example, AP Computer Science students already have the expectation that online work will be formally assessed.
4. Am I supposed to be teaching at specific times? No, teachers do not have to schedule zoom lessons. Teachers should be available during regular school hours (minus a lunch and prep time), to answer questions from parents or students.
5. Are students expected to complete the work? Unless the work is part of a blended class, we can’t force students to complete work because this is supplemental work.
6. Will it affect grades? Unless the work is part of a blended class, completed work should not affect the grade.
7. If I teach a non-core subject, what are my expectations? Teachers are expected to plan approximately 30 minutes of work per class per day. Content and materials will vary but can include fitness logs, journaling, videos, creating art, written responses to music, gardening, recording of playing music, etc. Be as creative as you want.