West Side Story 2.0
September 14, 2020
Assuring learning excellence and readiness for a changing world.
Welcome Back!
Our students did a great job wearing masks and staying socially distant! Just a few reminders to wash your hands often and/or use the hand sanitizers available in every room. When wearing a mask, be sure it covers both your nose and mouth.
Our classrooms are set up so students are seated at a minimum of 6 feet apart. During passing time, students kept moving in the hallways and didn't stop to gather. In the cafeteria, students are in desks which are 6 feet apart.
While we did have a positive COVID case reported in our building, MDH said there was no direct contact with anyone at school. Direct contact is when people are in close contact (less than 6 feet), not wearing masks, for 15 minutes or more.
Schedule This Week
Here you can find the schedule of days for Group A, B, and C through mid-October. You can find the schedule on the family calendar on our website, and it will be included in the daily announcements that will be in the student and parent portal.
We are tweaking the daily schedule just a bit. Initially we thought that we would need extra time at lunch to get everyone through the line while maintaining social distancing. Last week, we found we don't need the extra time, so we put two minutes back into the class periods. Please see the new schedule below.
Breakfast
We will not be serving Second Chance Breakfast at this time.
Distance Learning Only Students
If you are a Distance Learner Only, and have not yet picked up your materials, please do so by Wednesday of this week. Please drive up to door #19 any time between 8:45am and 3:30pm to pick up any textbooks you may need, your school ID, a yearbook (if you ordered one last year), and any other materials your teachers may want you to have.
If this time frame does not work for you, please call 387-3461 to arrange a different time for pick up.
Attendance for Distance Learning Only and Virtual Days for Hybrid Students
Students who are not scheduled to be in the building need to mark themselves present in Infinite Campus each day. This would include all Distance Learning only students, and hybrid students for the days they are not scheduled to be at West. The following document provides directions on how to submit your attendance.
Student One Pager for Infinite Campus (on Google Doc)
Some teachers may include a daily question as another check for attendance. Please check with your teacher to see if the question is a requirement for their class.
Moodle Information
All teaching and learning activities, assignments, and assessments are in Moodle. Think of it like an online school. All students, whether distance learning only or students in the hybrid plan, follow the same course. The difference for students in the hybrid plan is that on the days they are scheduled to be in school, they will have access to their teachers for additional help and perhaps some hands-on activities.
Here is a guide to help students and families navigate Moodle.
Parking Permits
Parking permits will be distributed some time this week. Any student who would like a parking pass can submit this form and get a pass, free of charge.
If we go back to all in-person school this year, we will need to collect all of the passes and issue new ones, first to seniors, as we will have a limited number of parking spots.
National Merit Semi-Finalist
Of the 1.6 million entrants, some 50,000 with the highest PSAT/NMSQT® Selection Index scores (calculated by doubling the sum of the Reading, Writing and Language, and Math Test scores) qualify for recognition in the National Merit® Scholarship Program. In September, these high scorers are notified through their schools that they have qualified as either a Commended Student or Semifinalist.
Noah Gersich is a National Merit Semi-Finalist. Congratulations, Noah!
School During COVID-19
We Care
This is a new way of "doing school" for all of us. Teachers are being asked a lot by creating true online courses and providing care and support to all students on their rosters. I have reminded our teachers that it is like we are all new teachers this year.
Students had been away from school for the longest stretch of time since they were 5 years old. School is very different for them this year. We spent time last week getting to know our students, helping them understand what is the same and what is different this year, and reminding them how great it is to be a Scarlet.
We want every student to experience success this year. If school is not going well for your student, please let us know. You can email the teachers, the student's counselor, or one of the principals. We will partner together to ensure every student gets what they need this year.
If you have questions or comments, please feel free to email me, sblasi1@isd77.org, or give us a call at 387-3461.