Weekly News
March 27, 2020
Calendar of Events
April 3 - 4, 2020: A Midsummer Night's Dream (to be rescheduled)
April 18 - 26, 2020: April Vacation
May 15, 2020: Junior Senior Prom (early release day; May change, TBA)
May 27, 2020: Senior Class Dinner at Gibbet Hill (May change, TBA)
May 29, 2020: Graduation (6pm, May change TBA)
June 19, 2020: Scheduled last day of school (even with the shutdown)
Update: Week 2
Now that we are certain that we will be out of the school building until at least early May, the district is working on a comprehensive and more formatted method as it pertains to distance or "virtual" learning. We have been waiting for specific directives and information from the Department of Education and we will be providing all parents, students, and teachers with specifics on what that will look like very soon. Dr. Chesson sent an email out last evening outlining the timeline and procedures for our new District Remote Learning Plan.
With anything new, especially something that was put together on a narrow timeline, there are bound to be unexpected barriers and struggles that were not considered or foreseen when the original plan was created. Know that we are open to making adjustments to our practice as we move through this unprecedented time in education. Thanks in advance for your patience and understanding.
An important item to note is that, beginning on 4/6/2020, all assignments from scheduled teachers will count towards grades for students. If students do not participate and complete these assignments they will not earn credit for their courses. Students at the high school should expect 3-4 hours of school work per day and regular online events with classroom teachers. More details will be forthcoming next week.
Underclassmen, check out the program of studies and the slideshow regarding course selections for next year. You will receive information in the next week instructing you to begin the course selection process for next year.
AP Students: Check out the detailed information below
Senior Internships
We are currently evaluating the status of students who were engaging in internship opportunities. Mr. Woods will be coordinating with the high school admin and guidance counselors to create learning opportunities for these students who are no longer able to participate in their internships due to the current health concerns.
What about Senior Events and Activities?
I know this is on a lot of people's minds right now. Given the upheaval in the year of the class of 2020 so far we want to make sure that there is something to look forward to. I have spoken to Ms. Mason several times regarding the Prom and what we can do if we have to cancel the May 15th date. We are looking at contingencies. When we have more information we will share it.
We have not moved the Graduation date at this time. Dr. Chesson and I have spoken about this already. Should we need to move the date, we will. We have already reached out to some of our vendors to assure that this is a possibility. If and when we need to move the date, we will provide more information. Know that we have every intention of having a graduation ceremony for the class of 2020.
Sincerely,
GDRHS Admin Team
AP Exams
This is a copy of a letter I received from AP earlier this week which outlines the specifics of AP testing for this year.
Dear Massachusetts Principals and AP Coordinators:
First, I hope everyone is staying safe and healthy! I hope you know that my colleagues and I are here to serve as a resource for you when you need us.
As many of you have reached out to me with AP questions, I wanted to share ways in which the AP Program is supporting schools through free remote learning resources and the development of a new at-home testing option. For each AP subject, there will be 2 different testing dates.
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 3rd on AP Central.
About This Year’s AP Exams
- Traditional face-to-face exam administrations will not take place. Students will take a 45-minute online free-response exam at home.
- We’ll continue to support students with free resources through exam day.
- While we encourage students to wait until closer to the test date to decide, any student already registered for an exam can choose to cancel at no charge.
The AP Program will invest heavily over the next month in the following ways:
· For the 2019–20 exam administration only, students can take a 45-minute online exam at home. Educator-led development committees are currently selecting the exam questions that will be administered.
· AP curricula are locally developed and we defer to local decisions on how best to help students complete coursework. To be fair to all students, some of whom have lost more instructional time than others, the exam will only include topics and skills most AP teachers and students have already covered in class by early March.
· Colleges support this solution and are committed to ensuring that AP students receive the credit they have worked this year to earn. For decades, colleges have accepted a shortened AP Exam for college credit when groups of students have experienced emergencies.
· Students will be able to take these streamlined exams on any device they have access to—computer, tablet, or smartphone. Taking a photo of handwritten work will also be an option.
· We recognize that the digital divide could prevent some low-income and rural students from participating. Working with partners, we will invest so that these students have the tools and connectivity they need to review AP content online and take the exam. If your students need mobile tools or connectivity, you can reach out to us directly to let us know.
Test security is a concern.
· The exam questions are designed and administered in ways that prevent cheating; we use a range of digital security tools and techniques, including plagiarism detection software, to protect the integrity of the exams.
· Scoring at-home work for an AP Exam is not new to the AP Program. For years the AP Program has received and scored at-home student work as part of the exams for the AP Computer Science Principles and AP Capstone courses.
Instructional Support
Beginning on Wednesday, March 25th, students and teachers can attend free, live AP review courses, delivered by AP teachers from across the country. These mobile-friendly classes are:
· Designed to be used alongside work that may be given by schools.
· Will be recorded and available on-demand so teachers and students can access them any time.
· Not dependent on current AP teachers continuing instruction. We know many AP teachers now face challenges that would make that impossible.
· Will focus on reviewing the skills and concepts from the first 75% of the course. There will also be some supplementary lessons covering the final 25% of the course.
Teachers who are providing remote instruction can continue to leverage AP Classroom, which we introduced at the start of the school year.
· Within AP Classroom, free-response questions that were only available for in-classroom use due to security concerns will now be unlocked.
· Teachers will be able to assign questions to students digitally.
Here is a one-page overview (.pdf/514KB) of how AP teachers can use the free, daily online practice in AP Classroom to help students prepare for exam day.
AP teachers can access these additional resources to help them get set up with AP Classroom:
· Foundations. Learn how AP Classroom complements the new AP course and exam descriptions and offers students opportunities for practice and feedback throughout the year.
· AP Classroom Demo. See a click-through demonstration of AP Classroom, which highlights how to assign, score, and interpret results from Topic Questions, Personal Progress Checks, and teacher-created assignments and quizzes from the AP Question Bank.
· AP Quick Start Videos. Watch short tutorials on the recent features added to AP Classroom.
Free AP Resources
This information was sent from the provider directly. It is not an endorsement by the Ditrict. We are simply passing it along for anyone interested in looking into this.
Livius has decided to expand our free prep offerings for all. The latest communication from the College Board is that the AP Exams will be happening and that students will most likely be able to take these at home. The content will be about 75% of what students would have covered in AP classes this school year.
As such, we have created a 100% free AP Exam prep program that runs 4 weeks during the month of April. Our 6 classes will do a review of curriculum covered but will also focus on prep strategies for excelling on the exam. There is a difference between reviewing the curriculum & being strategically prepped for the exam. Our class will cover both.
Again, 100% free, no strings attached. Please see the schedule below and landing page to enroll.
This is the link to the free AP Classes:
https://livius.me/free-online-ap-class/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=SM
This is the link to the FREE SAT/ACT classes:
https://livius.me/free-prep-class/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=SM
Scheduling Update
Please take a moment to view the program of studies slides that are attached as well as the program of studies available on the Guidance Website.
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1D9E3543Ou_BlieRIlKuM7sGvJMi0_NTHeYnz-hfDckk/edit?usp=sharing
Course Selection Sheets: These sheets are specific to each grade. Please use them as a worksheet for planning our courses for next year.
Grade 9: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LT_DaJ1xUEtyiASsMzj_3pS_7IDf2mp1/view
Grade 10: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1sLviKoiF8zKxcWnoMN-S7T07TjokbmpH/view
Grade 11: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zJAaBx5xBhWEuiYMoJ98UqzodPxHJ5_J/view
Grade 12: https://drive.google.com/file/d/17LwI_Ffg_O1F6FMgGhmE1wDLXBRoDufr/view
Scheduling Timeline:
March 26, 2020 -April 6, 2020: Students/parents will need to go into SchoolBrains and select their preferred courses for next year. (During this time, please feel free to contact your guidance counselor with questions)
April 6 - May 1: Guidance Counselors will conduct individual meetings with students.
GDRHS Trivia
GDRHS Trivia Event
Looking to participate in a school wide virtual event? Why not trivia? No prizes, but there are always bragging rights. Game is open to anyone in the GD community. Game will be hosted by Ms. Olson along with her daughters Marisa (class of 2012) and Rachel (class of 2014).
When: Monday, March 30 at 7 p.m.
Links: Log onto Zoom Meeting to listen in to video questions. Meeting ID: 991 883 597 Password: 609171
You will also need the scoresheet, rules, and picture round (documents to be shared before the game starts; picture round to be shared during the game). Make sure your volume is on when you log in!
Rules: This is for fun. Teams of 6 or less. Teammates can be family in your house or friends outside of your house (working together remotely). Yes teachers and their families may play as well. Honor system is expected; No looking up answers!
Thank you to Ms. Cook, Mr. Conlin, Ms. Erikson, and Ms. Kostich for help with trivia questions!
Senior Spotlight
Brianna Kenny has been spending a lot of time during third quarter working with Mr. Wilkins as a teaching assistant in his English classes. Brianna is well known for her independence, maturity, and ability to balance a very heavy schedule. She always does it with a smile as well!
Scholarships for Seniors
Please mail all scholarships to the address indicated on the application. If it is to be turned into the Guidance Department you can save it as a PDF and email to Ms. Cain, mcain@gdrsd.org
Local scholarships are now available in Naviance Student and by clicking here.
If you need a copy of your transcript for a scholarship it is now available in your SchoolBrains Portal under reports.
Click here to see other scholarships that are sent to guidance and available to our students.
Make the Most of this Opportunity
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1r9Ptuv9WOpC4OKqJF_U_-_DW1F59-gGJBpH8FK6id2M/edit?usp=sharing
Travel News
News for EF Tour Customers
From the EF Tours website. https://www.eftours.com/help-center/safety/coronavirus-faq
Given this unprecedented situation, we have some exceptions to our Peace of Mind program. These changes now provide enhanced options for groups and individuals.
1. Our group was supposed to travel this spring but our tour was postponed. What happens now?
To make the process as easy as possible, all individuals that were scheduled to travel in March or April will now automatically receive an electronic Future Travel Voucher on their account for the full amount they paid (including all non-refundable payments) which is valid to use through September 30, 2022.
Your Group Leader can take advantage of the following Peace of Mind options on behalf of the group:
- Move your existing tour to a new date
- If your group chooses to simply move the existing tour to a new date there is nothing you need to do. We will automatically enroll students on the new tour and apply the value of the voucher to cover the associated costs. This will allow everyone in your group to rebook to the new date easily. To better support you, we have made the decision to honor your current tour price for any rescheduled date through 2021 so there will be no additional costs to move the tour.
- Choose a new tour and new date
- If your group decides to choose a new itinerary to travel on at a later date, we will simply enroll you on the new tour and apply your voucher.
- Choose to take Future Travel Vouchers for the entire group
- We understand that it might be difficult to make plans for a future tour at this time. Therefore, your Group Leader can elect to just keep your electronic Future Travel Vouchers on your account until your tour can be rescheduled or for you to be able to use with one of our other EF programs or redeem for a refund. For the full list of your redemption options visit our Future Travel Voucher website. There is no need to make any decisions now, your voucher is valid through September 30, 2022.
- If an individual cannot join their group’s rebooked tour but still wants to travel, they can use the full amount of their voucher toward any other EF Tours product, including tours for adults, language travel programs, and our tours designed specifically for graduating seniors. Please visit our Future Travel Voucher website for details on all of the exciting ways you can redeem your voucher.
- The full amount of the Future Travel Voucher is also transferable to anyone else in the traveler’s family or school community to enable people to transfer or resell their vouchers and recoup their investment.
- If an individual would rather redeem their voucher for a cash refund, they will be able to do so, less $1,000. This allows us to partially cover costs related to non-recoverable payments to our suppliers, our staff, and the investment we have always made and continue to make in itinerary, date and destination flexibility.
3. What should I do if my group has not yet rescheduled our tour?
Rest assured, there is nothing you need to do now. Given the circumstances, it may take your Group Leader some time to work through the details of setting up a new tour. We have your Future Travel Voucher on file and recommend you stay in communication with your Group Leader on next steps.
4. My group is scheduled to travel after May 1st. Are we still going?
Given the evolving nature of the situation, our safety teams around the world continue to assess matters on a daily basis. At this time, we have only postponed trips through the end of April. For tours departing in May and beyond we are committed to providing you with a more comprehensive update by the first week of April. We will not resume tour operations until we receive updated guidance from the U.S. Department of State and feel confident that our travelers will be able to fully enjoy the immersive, culturally-rich experiences that we pride ourselves on delivering. To give you additional time, cancellation fees will not change through April 30. Your group also has all of our Peace of Mind options available to them and individuals may also elect to receive a Future Travel Voucher so there is no need to make a decision at this time. We recommend that you stay in contact with your Group Leader for the most up-to-date information regarding your tour.
5. What is an EF Future Travel Voucher?
As an additional measure in response to the COVID-19 situation we have amended the terms of our Future Travel Vouchers for all travelers that were scheduled to travel in 2020. A Future Travel Voucher is issued in the amount of all monies paid to EF. Future Travel Vouchers are transferable to immediate family members and to students or faculty in the same school district as the traveler to which they are issued. You do not need to make any decisions now, you have until September 30, 2022 to take advantage of any of the below options:
EF Educational Tours
EF Explore America
EF College Study
EF Gap Year
EF Ultimate Break
EF Go Ahead Tours
EF Language Schools
To view complete details on all of the ways to redeem your voucher visit our Future Travel Voucher website.
6. Why can't I get a full refund?
We begin planning your tour as soon as you enroll, to ensure the highest quality service at the lowest price. For example, EF Educational Tours books large volumes of flights, hotels and entrances months, if not years, in advance. Many of these at a group booking level which is subject to different cancellation rules than typical consumers. For this reason, EF has designed its cancellation policies to take into consideration the investments we make in your tour long before it departs. Currently we are in an unprecedented situation that is affecting everyone across the globe. As such we have made adjustments to our standard policies to provide expanded options to our groups during this time.
In addition to freezing our cancellation fees so that they do not increase through April 30th, we are also offering very flexible rebooking options, holding pricing through 2021 for any of our groups that want to move their tour to a later date and making an exception by offering Future Travel Vouchers to any individual traveler who cannot travel on their group’s future tour. We have also now made the vouchers even more valuable – Future Travel Vouchers will now be issued for all monies paid to EF including all non-refundables. Additionally, travelers may now redeem their Future Travel Voucher for a refund of all monies paid to EF minus $1,000. This amount allows us to only partially cover costs related to non-recoverable payments to our suppliers, our staff, and the investment we continue to make in itinerary, date and destination flexibility.
Faculty Spotlight
Mr. Hayes
"When working with kids we have in common Mr. Hayes has always been fantastic. 3 p's I'd say describe Mr Hayes best attributes: patience, persistence and professionalism. He is very good about touching base on student progress and keeping positive team communication between the student, home and school. Over the years I've observed Mr. Hayes' quiet and gentle nature make him particularly approachable and effective with students who need both social emotional support and academic coaching and may be struggling to gain traction in high school.
Not a secret: Mr. Hayes plays bass and is a great musician!"
Community Outreach
Worried about College Applications next year?
Greetings from Charlottesville,
I hope this finds you and your family and students safe, well, and healthy during this challenging and disruptive time.
Here at UVA, we understand that the college admission process can be confusing and stressful, even in the best of times. So it’s natural to have questions about how the coronavirus pandemic will affect, and possibly change, the college search and admission processes for next year and beyond. Of course, there is a great deal we don’t know at the moment, but here in Charlottesville we are thinking about how this impacts you and your students, and we are committed to examining our admission policies, programs, and opportunities to ensure that they are fair and equitable and reflect the reality of the times. We shared similar information with all prospective students in our system as well.
Please know that students will not be at a disadvantage in the admission process as a result of school closures and cancellations associated with standardized testing. Students are not responsible for things they cannot control. With most high schools closed for the spring semester, we will need to be flexible when evaluating transcripts and academic course work, and we will continue to monitor the state of standardized testing nationally and abroad. If testing is cancelled through the summer and into the fall, we will need to discuss our testing requirements for next year. Our enrollment deposit deadline remains May 1, but we will monitor the situation over the next several weeks to determine if changes to our schedule need to be considered.
Since UVA is operating on a modified schedule, prospective students cannot visit the University, but we are developing online tools to help them get a better understanding of our community and culture. These opportunities may include live-streamed faculty and student panels, webinars, virtual tours, Instagram takeovers, and UVA student videos on TikTok. We will be in touch with prospective and admitted students over the next few weeks and months to share details about these new virtual events.
I hope this information is useful. These are stressful and difficult times, and the most important thing is for all of us to remain healthy and safe.
We are extremely grateful for your support and partnership. If you need anything or have questions, please call 434-982-3200 or email undergradadmission@virginia.edu. We are here to help you.
Best Wishes,
Greg W. Roberts
Dean of Undergraduate Admission
University of Virginia
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