Travis ECHS Monday Message
Travis ECHS Program Weekly Update - April 20-24, 2020
Newsletter for ECHS Program Students & Parents
Greetings!!
Here is this week's newsletter. PLEASE TAKE TIME TO READ IT! It has useful information to keep you updated on all things ECHS, ACC and Travis as we continue moving forward with this very unique school semester.
REMIND WILL CONTINUE TO BE THE MAIN WAY THAT WE SEND OUT INFORMATION TO YOU, so let us know if you get disconnected from Remind or change your phone number. Ms. Garcia and I both have Google Voice numbers now so you can reach us by phone if you need to:
Ms. Orozco: 512-814-3527 / Ms. Garcia: 210-901-3581
Update for This Week
ACC Online Learning - Week 4
Yay! We're now in Week 4 of ACC Online Learning, and guess what? There are only 4 weeks left until the end of the ACC semester! The last official day is May 17th.
For the most part I continue to hear good things from your professors about participation, and assignments being completed on time. A few professors have informed me about students who have not checked in or turned in work that was due. I have or will be reaching out to you if your name has come up to set up an ACC Advising Check-In Meeting appointment. These meetings are very important and mandatory. Scroll down for information about ACC Advising meetings below.
Reminders for online learning success:
- AT THE BEGINNING OF THE WEEK (Sunday evening or Monday morning) LOG IN TO YOUR BLACKBOARD ACCOUNT AND CHECK YOUR ACC EMAIL. Check to see what your professors are asking you to do, what material and assignments you have, and when they are due.
- USE A PLANNER OR CALENDAR TO GET YOURSELF ORGANIZED. Set a structure and schedule for the week so that you can pace yourself.
- REMEMBER THAT READING YOUR TEXTBOOK, REVIEWING OTHER CLASS MATERIALS, & WATCHING ASSIGNED VIDEOS, IS NOW PART OF YOUR WORKLOAD. You no longer have the benefit of direct teaching from your professors. You have to do a lot more independent learning than before. Don't wait until you have something due, or a quiz or test to start looking at your textbook.
Here are a couple of videos to help you navigate your ACC email and you Blackboard.
Zoom meetings are fun!
Zoom crazy backgrounds are fun!!
Join the ECHS Zoom Meetings for more fun!!!
Zoom Meetings for the Week
Zoom Schedule for Week April 20-24:
(I will send the link directly through Remind close to the meeting time)
- EDUC - Monday 4/20 @ 2:00 - already happened!
- DRAM/SPCH - Tuesday (today!) 4/21 @ 2:00-2:30
- Seniors - Wednesday 4/22 @ 4:30-5:00
- Sophomores - Thursday 4/23 @ 2:00-2:30
- Juniors - Thursday 4/23 @ 4:30-5:00
Note: If you haven't used Zoom yet, here is a link to some simple instructions:
ACC Advising Check-In Meetings
Check Remind today for a message with date/time and instructions for your appointment. The meeting will be through Google Meet (you will receive an invitation and link to your email). I have already sent this information to many of you with your specific appointment time. Please know that if you miss the meeting I will then be reaching out to your parent to set up a time and involve your parent in the meeting as well. If you have any questions, let me know.
ACC Registration for Summer Classes
- All summer session classes will be online. The dates for the first summer session have not moved (June 1 - July 5). This is when we recommend that ECHS take their classes. Summer registration will open to all students on May 4th. I have to submit the names of students wanting to register by Monday, April 27th
- I will be sending more information about summer registration later this week along with a google form for you to tell me what classes you are planning to take.
Online Tutoring and Writing Support
- Don't forget that if you need help ACC has online tutoring and writing support. For more information follow these steps and visit their website.
New Grading Policies Summarized
Last week's newsletter included the information to date on the new grading policies for ACC and AISD. Here is a summary and a bit more detail on how your ACC grades will impact your high school transcript for this Spring 2020.
- Bottom Line: You should work hard to get a grade of A or B so you can earn your credits AND have a positive impact on your ACC GPA. If you don't end up doing as well as you hoped, you will have a chance to convert to "Pass", which gets you the credit but will not hurt your GPA. If you get a D or F, you will have a chance to convert to "No Pass" which will not impact your ACC GPA, but will also NOT get you any credit.
AISD's Updated Grading/Graduation Policy for Spring 2020 -
- Bottom Line: All grades for Spring 2020 will be notated in the transcript as either "Pass" if you earn a 70 or above, or "Incomplete" if you get below a 70 for the semester average. But in a yearlong class, your grades for the 10-week Spring 2020 grading period CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN YOUR GPA since they will be averaged in with the FALL semester. So you should take the opportunity to work towards getting the highest grade possible in all of your Travis classes.
So, how will my ACC grades affect my high school transcript and GPA?
- Your Spring 2020 ACC grades will NOT affect your high school GPA. ACC classes are only one semester, so they cannot be averaged into the Fall semester. They will appear in the transcript as credits earned or not earned, and with a grade of "Pass" or "Incomplete" like other Travis classes.
- AISD will utilize the initial letter grade report received from ACC BEFORE students convert any grades to Pass/No-Pass. The usual AISD conversion of ACC Dual Credit grades will be applied. This decision has been made to benefit students. An ACC grade of D is normally converted to a high school grade of C and high school credit is awarded. Under the new grading policy a D would become a "Pass", which means the HS credit is awarded. However, if AISD were to wait until students have converted their ACC grades to "Pass" or "No-Pass", if a student chooses to convert a D to a No-Pass, AISD would have to convert it to an "Incomplete" and NOT award credit for that class. So it is to students' benefit for AISD to use the initial grade report from ACC.
- Notes: AISD will use the initial report, but students will still have the choice of converting any ACC letter grade to a "Pass/No-Pass" with ACC. An ACC grade of F will be converted to a high school grade of "Incomplete" and the student will not receive HS credit for the class.
Any questions about this? Contact Ms. Orozco during office hours or make an appointment.
Ms. Orozco's Office Hours
Travis Continuous Learning-at-Home
Remember we are here for you....and don’t forget to take a look at the updated Travis Student News Smore below for more information.
Videos
Travis ECHS Program
Email: vangie.orozco@austinisd.org
Website: http://www.travisrebels.org/our-programs/echs
Location: 1211 East Oltorf Street, Austin, TX, USA
Phone: 5128143527
Twitter: @WBTravisECHS