Distance Learning Academy Gr. 6-12
Weekly Update - December 4
Dear students and families,
Trimester 2 starts on Monday! Thank you for your partnership and feedback through Trimester 1. We are listening and have made adjustments for Trimester 2.
Teachers are currently completing student grades for Trimester 1. The teacher deadline for imputing grades is next Wednesday. If a student earned an Incomplete, the teacher will be reaching out and identifying the timeline and activities yet to be completed. If you have any questions, please reach out to the teachers to discuss your concerns.
Verify your Trimester 2 Schedule
Trimester 2 Teacher Expectations - Reminders
- DLA staff will provide feedback on assignments within a week of the due date
- DLA staff will respond to emails, chats, phone calls etc within one business day
- Teacher availability (See schedule for accessing teachers below)
Trimester 2 Student Expectations - Reminders
- Contact tech support at 651-674-1097 or email helpdesk@isd138.org for technology support
- Use appropriate study skills i.e. note taking, ask questions to teachers, collaborate with a fellow students
- Create your student friendly workspace at home
- Contact teachers between 7:00 AM - 3:00 PM. Teachers are available via Google Meets and by phone to review materials Monday through Friday. If you make an appointment, please make sure you follow through and attend the meeting
- Middle School students- please use your school gmail account when emailing teachers. Practice using this communication tool
- Use appropriate academic language when communicating with staff
- Advocate for yourself
- Please make sure you know how to perform these tasks; downloading assignments, accessing teacher feedback and comments, and avoid distractions
- Utilizing Google Docs for essay responses and copy and paste from Google Doc into Edmentum
- Important: A student will generally spend between 30-40 hours in a course per trimester. So, students typically spend between 4-6 hours per day in their studies. The is a generalization which gives you something to aim for.
Trimester 2 Family Expectations - Reminders
- Reinforce appropriate work space at how that is free from distractions
- Reinforce a daily schedule
- Communicate with teacher(s) when you have a question or concern
- Know how to access Sensei for families (Edmentum Parent Portal)
- Know how to access teachers
- Have a daily conversation with your student regarding school
- Access technology support; parentsupport@isd138.org
Schedule for Accessing HS Teachers Starting November 30
**Please Take Advantage of the Teacher Office Hours**
Mrs. Lattimore HS Social Studies
Tuesday and Thursday
12:00 - 2:00 PM - Google Meet Office Hours
And by appointment
Ms. Keller HS Social Studies
Tuesday and Thurs
12:30 - 2:30 PM - Google Meet Office Hours
And by appointment
Mr. Kirkland HS Math
Monday through Friday
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM - Google Meet Office Hours
And by appointment
Ms. Strain HS English Language Arts
Monday through Friday
12:00 - 1:00 PM - Google Meet Office Hours
And by appointment
Mr. Thompson HS Science
Monday through Friday
9:00 - 10:00 AM - Google Meet Office Hours
And by appointment
*The following information is also located on our website
Schedule for Accessing Middle School Teachers Starting Nov. 30
**Please Take Advantage of the Teacher Office Hours**
Ms. Tabor - MS English Language Arts
Monday through Friday
9:15 - 10:15 AM - Google Meet Office Hours
and by appointment
Mrs. Trunk - MS Science and Art
Monday through Friday
11:30 AM - 12:30 PM - Google Meet Office Hours
and by appointment
Mrs. Vixayvong - MS Math and DLA Coordinator
Monday through Friday
10:15 - 11:15 - Google Meet Office Hours
and by appointment
Mr. Carlson - MS Social Studies
Monday through Friday
1:15 - 2:15 PM - Google Meet Office Hours
and by appointment
* The information above is also located on our website
Trimester 1 Grading Reminder
North Branch Area Distance Learning Academy grading scale for trimester 1 is as follows:
Students who have completed the necessary components and demonstrated mastery in the skills/standards identified by the student’s teacher before December 3 will earn a letter grade A-D, I, and NG
A = Students consistently and independently exceeds mastery of some standards/skills
B = Students consistently and independently demonstrates mastery of standards/skills
C = Student demonstrates mastery of standards/skills with some support
D = Student does not yet demonstrate mastery of some standards/skills with some support
I = Incomplete evidence to measure the level of the standards/skills
NG (No Grade) = No evidence of learning
A student who receives an “I” (Incomplete) will need to complete work to demonstrate mastery in the skills/standards identified by the student’s teacher to earn credit/grade. If a student ends the trimester with an “I” they will not receive credit for the class until identified work is completed. Teachers will communicate with students and families surrounding the specifics for each student. Students will have up to two weeks to demonstrate mastery in the skills/standards identified by the teacher. If the student is unable to demonstrate mastery of the identified standards/skills the “I” will turn to an “NG”
A student who receives a “NG”(No Grade) will need to retake the entire class in credit recovery school to earn credit. An “NG” will not impact a student’s GPA.
Have a great weekend
If you have questions or concerns, please reach out to any DLA staff member.
Principal, Distance Learning Academy
Principal, Norse Area Learning Center
Director of Teaching and Learning