WHPS Remote Middle School
One Community * One Year
Message from the Principal
Dear Middle School Families,
Welcome to the West Hartford Public Schools Remote Learning Experience (RLE) School for middle school students! While we know this year will be unlike any other year, our teachers, office team and I look forward to meeting all of you in the coming weeks as your children begin the new school year in our remote learning environment.
For the last six years I have had the pleasure of working in West Hartford as a teacher, the Science Department Supervisor for Conard High School and Sedgwick Middle School, and the Principal of the Summer High School. In these various roles I have had the opportunity to work with many of the amazing educators who will be part of our RLE this year. Our team is ready to meet this challenge and we are excited to welcome your children into our school.
As a father of three children I know and appreciate how stressful it can be as we navigate these uncertain times. However, one thing I am certain of is that the staff and programming of the RLE is committed to meet these challenges head-on and provide our students with engaging learning experiences that will help them grow both academically and socially.
With school beginning on Tuesday, September 8th, we are committed to creating a positive transition for the over 360 middle school students who have elected to enroll in our program. We are in the process of scheduling our students for their courses and working to develop programs to support the various needs that accompany this type of programming. We appreciate your trust and patience in this process and we look forward to working with you to continually enhance our program to meet the needs of our students and families.
You will find detailed information on the Remote Learning Experience (RLE) on our district website at http://whps.org (click link at left or button below to access). My team and I will maintain communication sending you monthly newsletters with school and district updates. I will also be holding regular Principal Coffee Hours. As we progress through the year I look forward to getting to know our families and look forward to working with you to create an environment that we will all be proud of.
Your partner in education,
Tim Kessler, Ed.D.
Principal of the Remote Learning Middle School
Grade 6 Orientation
The transition from elementary school to middle school is very important and can be a stressful time for students and families. To help these students become familiar with middle school expectations, we are excited to offer an opportunity to learn more about our program through one of our grade 6 orientations. These sessions will occur at the following times:
Thursday, September 3rd from 8:00am - 9:00am
Thursday, September 3rd from 1:00pm - 2:00pm
Thursday, September 3rd from 7:00pm - 8:00pm
To access these meetings, you can click on the links above. We will also send a follow-up message with more information about these orientation opportunities. Please note that you do not need to attend all three sessions, rather, we ask that you choose one that best suits your availability.
Daily Schedule
The RLE middle school will follow a rotating A/B block schedule with classes lasting approximately one hour during the 8:00am - 12:50pm time slot. Each day students will engage in four classes and one advisory period during this timeframe. After our lunch break, teachers will work with smaller groups of students from 1:30 - 2:50 to provide more individualized and specialized instruction to students from the classes that met earlier that day. Students are expected to attend both sessions unless otherwise directed by their teacher. Unified Arts classes will be rotated approximately every seven weeks allowing for students to engage in similar programming as in person students. A sample middle school schedule is posted below. For more details, please reference our Remote Learning Experience (RLE) School Handbook posted to the whps.org/remote website.
When will I know my child’s schedule will be provided?
Given the complex nature of the scheduling, we are anticipating that student schedules will be provided by Thursday, September 3rd. By the morning of Friday, September 4th, teachers will have invited their students into their Google Classroom and will have sent an introduction email to the student’s WHPS Google email address. In this email, teachers will clarify what day (A or B) and time the class will meet. Teachers will include a link for the class Google Meet. Students will also be able to access the Google Meet links in the banner of the Google Classroom.
What supplies does my child need?
Quiet home learning space without distraction and access to an electronic device (personal or school-issued). If a school-issued device is required, please email our RLE Administrative Assistant at angela_tokarz@whps.org or call us at (860) 561-6609.
While nearly all of our activities will be web based, it would be helpful for students to have some basic school supplies available (a few pens/pencils, an eraser, writing paper of any type, ruler, colored pencils, etc.). If your child would benefit from school supplies provided by the district, please let your child’s teacher or my office team know at (860) 561-6609 and we will work to arrange for a pick-up of these supplies.
Student Support Services - Counselors, 504/IEP Case management, etc.
While the RLE high school will have a school counselor on staff, some aspects of these support services will be handled by your child’s sending school and some will be handled by the RLE staff. For example, case management of 504s will remain with the child’s sending school unless that child is transitioning into grade 6 in which case the RLE will staff will provide that support. Please reference the RLE Family Handbook for more information.
How do I contact the remote school office?
Our RLE school office opens on August 31 with a dedicated phone line for elementary and secondary schools (860) 561-6609. Please call that number to report absences or to contact our office team or me with any questions or concerns.
Beginning the week of August 31, Mrs. Angela Tokarz will be the RLE middle and high school secretary. She can be reached via the number above and at angela_tokarz@whps.org.
Technology Needs
If you have a need for a chromebook device, please reach out to Angela Tokarz at (960) 561-6609 or through email at angela_tokarz@whps.org.
Who are the teachers in the remote school?
Once our staffing lists and placements have been finalized we will update the RLE website. Please begin looking for emails from your child’s teacher on Thursday, September 3.
While there is no doubt that this year will bring us new challenges, it also presents us with an opportunity to grow and learn. We look forward to partnering with you in this process and are excited by all the opportunities that will come this year.
Important Dates
September
9/3 - Grade 6 Orientation - 8:00am, 1:00pm, 7:00pm
9/8 - First Day of School (online)
9/21- Principal Coffee (online) 10 a.m. & 5 p.m.
9/29-Yom Kippur (no school)
First Day of School for West Hartford Remote Learning Middle School
Students will begin their day with their classroom teacher by logging in to the Google Meet at their assigned time (morning or afternoon).
More information to follow regarding teacher and small group assignments by email on August 28.
Tuesday, Sep 8, 2020, 08:30 AM
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http://whps.org/remotelearning
Mrs.Angela Tokarz , Remote Middle School Secretary
Location: 50 South Main St, Room 412
Phone: 860-561-6609