COVID-19: SCHOOL UPDATE
Friday, April 24
COVID-19 Grading Practices Update
Dear Parents,
I want to first thank each of you for your flexibility, compassion, patience, and grace as we have been navigating the pandemic of 2020. The St Luke Staff is keenly aware of the difficulties and hardships for all involved. I am extremely appreciative of how our teachers, staff, and families are bonding together! This is truly what makes our school community #StLukeStrong!
I had no idea when we left on March 12th that I would not see your children again in the 2019-2020 school year. I am immensely proud of the amazing job our passionate teachers have done in creating remote learning opportunities for your children. During this time, we are focusing on ensuring students understand the most critical grade level standards. We have had to make adjustments to our instruction, feedback, and assessment practices for the 4th quarter. Our students are continuing to learn, though at a different pace and through different means than they would have in our traditional setting alongside their teachers. We understand that e-learning is not an equal substitute for the learning that would have occurred in our classrooms. It follows that if learning is not occurring in the manner it traditionally does, assessment is not able to happen in the same manner as we work to assess student learning through electronic means. Knowing this, it stands to reason that we cannot quantify student learning in the same manner as we traditionally do. With this being said, the 4th quarter grades will not look the same as they have in previous quarters.
For the 4th quarter of 2019- 2020 school year, students in grades one through eight will earn the grade of Passing with Distinction (PD), Passing (P), or Insufficient Evidence of Mastery (I) for each subject in lieu of percentages or traditional letter grades. Please see the following image for a description of each category.
These grades will be reported on the final report card of the 2019-2020 school year. The 4th quarter grades will not count towards the students’ GPA and a 4thquarter honor roll will not be calculated. The grades that have been collected to date will be included in the students’ final 4th quarter grade along with any grades collected during the remainder of the quarter. The final grades for the 4th quarter in the grade book will be entered and will be converted to Pass with Distinction (PD), Pass (P), or Insufficient Evidence of Mastery (I) on the students’ report cards.
To best respond to the difference in e-learning needs for our young Kindergarteners versus the older students, we will alter this slightly for our Kinders. Students in Kindergarten will receive a grade of either Satisfactory Learning (S) or Insufficient Evidence of Mastery (I).
The decision to move to this method of grading was made after discussions with the Archdiocese of Indianapolis and North Deanery Principals based upon the most current guidance from the Indiana Department of Education. Knowing that the COVID-19 pandemic has posed challenges for so many families, our greatest goal is to ensure that we are responding to the students’ social and emotional needs in addition to their academic needs. Our primary academic goal is to continue to focus on fostering the continuation of learning and providing meaningful feedback to students. It is our hope that this modified grading scale will alleviate some of the academic pressure while still providing an incentive for students to work hard. Our teachers will be focusing on keeping your students engaged in learning and providing meaningful feedback to continue to guide their individual learning journey, preparing your child for the next grade level, to the best of our ability. With that, please also know that we are proactively planning an opportunity at the conclusion of this school year for our teachers to re-evaluate the curriculum that was covered during the pandemic and communicate that to the next grade level to ensure that we are intentional in creating a fluid transition for your children next fall.
Schools across the country find ourselves in unprecedented territories, so we have, and will continue, to respond to these changes in a manner that is supportive of both our students’ personal and academic development. The 4th quarter grading process outlined in this email will allow us to meet our state requirements while also accommodating the unique nuances of the emergency remote learning situation that we find ourselves in today.
It is our desire that all of our students pass fourth quarter! In the event that your child is struggling to keep up with the e-learning curriculum due to academic, emotional, or medical needs, please reach out to their homeroom teachers. We are here for you and will partner with you to determine a strategy to help your child succeed!
Calendar Updates
As a reminder, during the month of May we will continue with our e-learning schedule that was outlined after spring break. A copy of the calendar has been included below for your reference. Academic lesson plans will be followed on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Fridays will continue to be a day for students to catch up on e-learning. Additional academic support is available from the teachers upon request. St. Luke will also be providing virtual programming on Fridays to help honor some of our end of the year traditions. Fridays will be added to the weekly attendance form to ensure families are aware of these opportunities. The last academic e-learning day is Friday, May 22.
We will be sharing information about how families can collect students’ belongings and return school materials (text books, iPads, etc.) dependent on social distancing requirements being lifted. Tentatively, our plan is to allow this to take place on Tuesday, May 26 - Wednesday, May 27 with staggered time slots to reduce the number of people attending school at any one time. Please stay tuned for a separate email with further details on this as we get closer.
We are currently in the process of working on options for our 8th grade graduation and a (fingers crossed!) delayed production of the Passion Play. Monsignor and I strongly desire to find a way to hold the 8th Grade Graduation Ceremony in person to honor our graduates. That is, of course, predicated on changes to the social distancing / stay-at-home requirements. We will continue to provide further details as more information becomes available to us. The Parish continues to monitor the situation, as well, and will likewise be in touch with 2nd grade families to keep you abreast of the plans for First Communion.
There have been numerous questions regarding the 2020 - 2021 school year schedule. I feel I should mention that there have been additional discussions surrounding what the calendar and schedule will look like for the coming school year. We are working with the Archdiocese of Indianapolis, following their guidelines as well as those of the State of Indiana and the CDC. I will keep you posted as we get closer to our August start date and communicate any changes to the schedule and/or daily structure. It is my desire that we have a traditional school year, uninterrupted, but we must follow the guidelines of the State and Archdiocese and these are yet to be determined.
I can not say it enough, I appreciate your partnership. You are all doing an amazing job at home and I am so proud of all of our students. Please don’t hesitate to let us know if we can be of further assistance to your family. I pray everyone is staying healthy and safe.
Blessings and good health,
Mrs. Elizabeth Kissel
Mrs. Elizabeth Kissel
Email: ekissel@stluke.school
Website: www.stluke.org
Location: 7575 Holliday Drive East, Indianapolis, IN, United States
Phone: 317-255-3912
Twitter: @stlukeindy
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