DCA Welcome Letter

6th-12th Grades

Welcome to the DCA!

Greetings DCA Families!


We would like to welcome you to the Downingtown Cyber Academy on behalf of our entire staff. To begin, parents and students should view our Onboarding Presentation. It will help you get acclimated. Please view this slideshow for tutorials on Google, Schoology, Infinite Campus and Zoom as well as recordings of orientations and Back-to-School nights.


Be sure to watch the student orientation from August.


Additional information about this program is detailed below. Please reach out if you have any questions!


Fondly,


Kecia Nesmith, Principal

Kristie Burk, Coordinator for Online Learning

Attendance

All part-time and full-time DCA students must log their own attendance in Infinite Campus for any letter day that they have a DCA class scheduled.


Students should log in to Infinite Campus and select "Downingtown Cyber Academy" in the drop-down. They can then check in to each of their classes.


More detailed directions for logging attendance can be found in the Onboarding Tutorial Presentation below.


If a student is absent for the day, parents should send an excuse note to cyber_attendance@dasd.org within three school days.

Calendar Items

Calendar Items

DCA students follow the same calendar and letter days as the brick-and-mortar schools, including early dismissals, two-hour delays, and inclement weather days. In the event of an early dismissal or a two-hour delay, students should check Schoology for any adjusted Zoom times.
Calendar Items

Classwork

All DCA courses can be found in Schoology. Students should click on "courses" and "my courses" to see the entire list of their classes.


Every Monday, students should log into the folder for the week and view the agenda. The agenda will explain what the students need to do for the week. We encourage students to write down everything they need to do for the week in each class and then make a plan to tackle the work!


For maximum flexibility, all work for the week is due by the end of the day on Sunday.

Zoom Schedules

Your student's Zoom schedule is posted on our website. Click on the tab at the bottom of the page to find your child's grade! The DCA follows an A-F schedule like the other district schools.


6th to 8th grade students are required to attend any Zooms held during the school day unless the family has signed a Personalized Learning Agreement (PLPA). Please visit our website to learn more about a PLPA.


Zooms for 9th-12th graders are optional.

Onboarding Tutorials

New to the DCA? Please start by reviewing this slideshow for tutorials on Google, Schoology, Infinite Campus and Zoom. This onboarding tutorial also includes a recording of the student orientation from August.

Home Buildings

The Downingtown Cyber Academy is considered a program and not a school. Therefore, all full-time and part-time students are still considered students in their home buildings. They will retain the same counselors. They are also encouraged to participate in any clubs, activities, sports, and events at their home school.


All DCA parents will continue to receive newsletters from their home school principals for this reason!

Weekly Updates

Families will receive weekly updates from the DCA Admin Team. You can read the updates on our website.

Special Education

If your child has an IEP or a GIEP, the case manager should be reaching out to you if they haven't already to discuss supports for the student's cyber education.

Role of Parents and Guardians

Whether your student is in the DCA part-time or full-time, the role of the parents/guardians is very important. Parents can help their child be successful by


  • encouraging your student to create a calendar of the Zoom times.
  • help your student create a weekly to-do list.
  • verify that lessons and assignments are completed in Schoology by Sunday.
  • communicate with the teachers if the student is struggling.
  • monitor grades and attendance in Campus and Schoology.

Downingtown Cyber Academy

Downingtown Cyber Academy

Downingtown Cyber Academy

540 Trestle Place, Downingtown, PA, USA cyberacademy@dasd.org 610-269-8460 dc.dasd.org