West Side Story 2.0
August 24, 2020
Assuring learning excellence and readiness for a changing world.
Good News!
Good News! Our COVID numbers are going the right direction...down! Now we know we will begin our school year with the Hybrid Learning Plan.
Let's continue to do what we can to keep this moving in the right direction by wearing masks, practicing social distancing, and washing hands!
What's Happening This Week?
Your counselor has sent you a grade-level schedule form if you need to make a change on your schedule. Counselors will be making schedule changes this week.
Here is a message from our counselors regarding schedule changes:
All schedule change requests must be submitted electronically using this google form. Please complete the entire form below to request a schedule change. NOTE: Not all requests will be honored, or possible. You need to log into Infinite Campus to see if a change has been made to your schedule prior to the first day of school. Your counselor WILL NOT notify you if a change has been made.
In addition, counselors stress that availability for fall schedule changes are limited and the reasons for them are outlined on pages 10-11 of the MAPS Course Registration Guide available here: https://online.flowpaper.com/7524071e/MAPSRegGuide/#page=10
Schedules will NOT be changed for the following reasons:
-Preference for a different teacher
-Preference for a different period or term
-Preference to be in class with friends
-Preference for lunch period
-Change of mind about taking the course
Please remember that asking to change one course can often result in other courses on the schedule being rearranged to accommodate that request.
Students need to carry a minimum of 3 credits per semester.
Schedule changes for fall will only be made through the second day of the semester from the start date for each individual student.
High School Hybrid Learning Plan
Students will be assigned to one of three groups, A-B-C. Infinite Campus will create the groups based on balancing the number of students in each course, not alphabetically. In order for us to adhere to our social distancing requirements, students will need to remain in the group they are assigned. Students will find out which group they are assigned to on Monday, August 31st.
Students will attend school on their assigned day, and engage in online learning the other days. We will follow an AA-BB-CC rotation, beginning on Monday, September 14th. The scheduled days will appear on the student's calendar and we will post the rotation for the week in our daily announcements.
The student will follow their schedule, just as they would during a normal school day. When it is their group's turn to be in-school, students will be in the classroom, with assigned seats, and desks 6 feet apart. The teacher will be available to support the learning needs of the students in the classroom. Collaboration and hands-on activities may also take place in the classroom. There may be times when there is synchronous learning, which means students at home would log in online to join the students in the classroom in learning.
When students are not scheduled to be in the building, they will engage in their online work. There may be times when the teacher has everyone log in for the class period, so students will need to check in to know the plan for each day.
Distance Learning Only Plan
If you chose this plan when you were completing your census verification form, your plan will be the same as the hybrid students when they are not scheduled to be in the building. You will follow your assigned schedule; there may be times when you need to log in and join the class, so you will need to be checking in to know the plan for each day. The only difference you will have will be that you do not come to the school building.
If you start with the Distance Learning Only plan, and at some point decide you want to change, please connect with your counselor, and we will make the change for you as soon as we are able to accommodate your request.
First Week of School - A "Soft-Opening"
This is a unique beginning to a school year like no other. In order to help our students navigate this new territory, we are planning to incorporate items from Kick-Off Days, Orientation, and Open House, into the first week of school.
Tuesday, September 8
All 9th grade students and their Link Crew Leaders will attend school. We will be rotating through orientation activities, Freshmen Class Meeting, time with their counselor, and time to get to know each of their teachers. The students will be placed in a rotation based on the letter group (A-B-C) they are assigned to. Details about this day will be coming next week.
Wednesday, September 9 Group A
Thursday, September 10 Group B
Friday, September 11 Group C
All students in the designated group (grades 9-12) will attend on their assigned day.
Small groups of students (about 6-7) will be assigned to a classroom. Students will learn about "how to do school" this year, including learning about moodle, navigating through the building, what lunch will look like, arrivals/dismissals, etc. Students will receive their student IDs, bus passes, and go through the student handbook. We will spend time getting to know one another in the group, and address some of the social and emotional needs our teens may have due to this difficult time.
After the small group time, students will go through a shortened schedule, spending some time getting to know each teacher and learning about the specific class.
Details about the first week of school will be coming next week.
Is Your Chromebook Ready to Go?
It is important that your mobile device is working properly for the 2020-2021 school year. If your chromebook is in need of repair, please send an email to familytechhelp@isd77.org and set up a time to get it repaired or replaced. Please take care of this as soon as possible.
We Care
We know this school year will be like no other. We are committed to meeting our students' academic needs and challenging them with rigorous courses and engaging lessons. We also understand how difficult this time has been for our students and our community. Our students have had a complicated and unsettling summer dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis and the unrest that has followed. We are also committed to the social and emotional learning that students need during this difficult time.
Many more details will come next week, including information on arrival and dismissal, attendance, health and safety, breakfast and lunch, and the daily bell schedule.
If you have questions, please feel free to email me, sblasi1@isd77.org, or give us a call at 387-3461.