Important Message from Dr. Cain
March 23, 2020 ~ To all WSD Parents & Staff
Good Afternoon,
We hope this finds you well. The health, safety, and wellbeing of our staff, students, and families continue to be our focus as we work our way through these unique and challenging times. We continue to monitor the information and guidance from the CDC, the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services and we are in frequent contact with the St. Charles County Department of Public Health regarding the spread of COVID-19. We implore you to follow the CDC recommendations of social distancing, effective hand washing, and avoiding large gatherings. In the meantime, we have these important updates to share as it relates specifically to you - our staff, students and families in the Wentzville School District.
Teaching & Learning
As we look ahead to next week, we understand that every family's situation is unique. You may be adjusting to a new normal of working from home while also caring for your child(ren)'s needs. Your student may be in childcare while you work. At-home learning will not be perfect, but our goal is to make it as helpful and flexible as possible. As we share resources and ideas, please take them as helpful suggestions, and do not feel pressured if a particular suggestion does not work for you or your family. We are all doing the best we can.
To prepare for this transition, it helps to have a daily routine that provides a structure for students. Consider the space where they will be working; quiet spaces with no additional distractions work best, as does having a system to ensure technology is charged and accessible as needed.
In this challenging time, there is a valuable opportunity for your children to explore learning beyond the classroom as they expand their areas of interest. Make time for breaks, play, and creativity. Like other times when school is out of session, we know that kids can have significant learning experiences beyond the structure of school. It is our hope that your family is able to find those opportunities in the midst of this unprecedented situation.
Today’s Teaching & Learning update includes the following:
Detailed information regarding continued learning opportunities starting on Monday, March 30th
Answers to frequently asked questions related to at-home learning
An update on State & National assessments
Please take a moment to review these Teaching & Learning updates below:
Continued Learning Opportunities
Teachers will be sharing continued learning activities and assignments beginning on Monday, March 30th, following our spring break. (Please refer to the table for different grade levels below). If your student has received assignments from teachers already, please understand there is no expectation that work will be completed and turned in over spring break. Feel free to contact your child’s teacher(s) at any time during the extended break if you have questions or need clarification.
Please note that these continued learning plans have been structured to support students at home for a short period of time. If our school closure is extended, we will be in communication regarding additional ongoing learning.
How will we receive the work if we do not have access to email?
- Pre-K & Elementary: Your school will communicate pick-up times for you to come to school and pick-up materials as needed. In addition, plans and materials will be emailed home.
- Secondary: Students in grades 7-12 should also look for direct communication from their teacher via email. If you need paper copies of materials, please follow the communication that is sent from your child’s school.
Is the work required?
We ask that students complete the work when they are healthy. Typical exceptions can be made on a case by case basis with the teacher. Teachers have worked hard to provide students with ongoing learning experiences. We feel that participating in these experiences is essential for students to ensure they are maintaining their academic growth during this time.
Will this count towards my student’s grades?
Students may be accountable for the completion of assignments, but those assignments may not negatively impact students’ grades. We are asking students to spend some time on the work daily, but understand that as always, if a student is ill, they should focus on rest and recovery.
What if my child doesn’t understand the assignment or has a question for the teacher?
Following Spring Break, teachers will be checking email regularly during typical business hours. Please email your child’s teacher when a question or clarification arises.
How will the work be turned in to teachers?
Your child’s teacher will communicate with you or your child regarding how to submit work that is completed. In some cases, that work will be collected when school resumes. In other cases, there will be opportunities to electronically submit work. Any due dates that are set by the teacher will be communicated by the teacher.
What if my child would like some additional resources at home?
If your child would like to access additional recommended resources, please use the link below. These are all resources we find supportive of the ongoing learning that students have been experiencing at school.
An Update on State & National Assessments:
- State Testing: Commissioner Margie Vandeven has canceled statewide required assessments for the rest of the 2019-2020 school year. This includes all grade level MAP (Missouri Assessment Program) assessments and EOC (End of Course) assessments.
- AP testing: AP testing will take place this year, however, it will look different. Students can take a 45-min online exam at home. The full exam schedule, specific free-response question types that will be on each AP Exam, and additional testing details will be available by April 3. Click here for more detailed information and updates about AP courses and tests.
- PLTW testing: Project Lead the Way has announced that it has also canceled all annual assessments.
Meal Distribution
We will continue providing daily grab & go meals for students at the three high schools Monday through Friday in a drive thru setting from 11:00am-12:30pm thru this week and next. The District is preparing lunch and breakfast for the next day at each distribution. Over 800 meals were prepared and distributed over the first three days last week. We are so proud of our Child Nutrition team and our Administrative team, which is rotating to assist at each site, for their efforts to ensure our students have this nutritional option during our closure. All the details of the meal program can be found on the District website.
Thank you also to everyone who has reached out and offered to assist us in this effort. For now, we have the food and personnel to provide this service over the next two weeks, but if anything should change and we can't meet the need, we will certainly let you know. As we continue to work through this extended school closure, please continue to check your email and the District website regularly for updates.
Additional Resources
- Self Care: Last week our Educational Support Counselors put together this important information about how critical it is that our employees take the time they need for themselves and the information and resources apply to our parents as well. During times of uncertainty, it is important that all adults take a step back and do what is necessary to breathe and support their own metal health so we can be strong examples for our children and our students.
- Preferred Family Healthcare's Team of Concern is offering a schedule of telehealth group opportunities via Google Hangouts/Meet for elementary, middle and high school students and parents. Too see a list of Online Social Emotional Learning Groups, days, times and login information, CLICK HERE.
- Community Resources: We have compiled a list of additional community resources for our families during this difficult time. It will be updated as we receive new information and can be found under the COVID-19 information on the WSD website.
Please continue to check the District website for updates. The Frequently Asked Questions document is being updated regularly as we receive new information.
Thank you for your continued trust and support. This unprecedented challenge before us requires extraordinary efforts on the part of our staff, students, parents, and community. We are grateful for your patience, flexibility, and understanding as we navigate this rapidly evolving public health crisis.
Thank you,
Curtis Cain, Ph.D.
Superintendent