Knight News Weekly Update
April 13-17,2020
Dear BMHS Families,
I hope that this message finds you safe and healthy! In a rapidly evolving situation, where guidance and information can change by the day, our school staff, students, and families have needed to adjust and evolve plans several times during the course of just a few weeks. BMHS, as a school community, has risen to these challenges. Thank you for your strength and perseverance. We will get through this, together!
When this closure first went into effect, we were very hopeful that we would be able to return to our regular school schedule on April 6th, but since then, Governor Evers has issued a Safer At Home order that is in effect until at least April 24th, or until a “subsequent order lifts this special restriction”. Things are rapidly changing and now, as we move into the 4th term, the school district is changing it's approach to teaching and student learning. I would like to share with you all what this means moving forward. BMHS teachers and administrators have been working very hard on developing a plan for distance learning. Distance learning will require all students to participate in their scheduled classes virtually.
If you believe this will be an issue for your child because they do not have a device such as an iPad, laptop, computer, or cell phone, and/or you do not have access to wifi, please let us know through the technology survey sent out to you a couple of weeks ago. We will find ways to accommodate your needs to ensure you are successful. Here is the link to the survey if you haven't filled it out yet: https://forms.gle/9ymrREf9M6qMg6obA.
Teachers have been using the week of Apr. 6 - 10 to plan out their courses and weekly lessons. Many of them have been reaching out to students during the course of this week and, and will continue next week to provide them directions on how to access their classes. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT STUDENTS READ THEIR EMAIL DAILY. Email will be our main mode of communication until school resumes, and it is very important that students stay up to date on important information shared.
Stay safe, stay healthy, make good choices, and take care!
Emily Pelz
Interim Principal, Beloit Memorial High School
608-361-3002
Student Expectations
In general, here are the student expectations for distance learning:
Be engaged in learning 2 ½ to 3 hours daily, 5 days a week (approximately 20 - 30 min. per class)
Check your email daily
Complete your work for each class weekly as assigned by each teacher
Adhere to the specific class expectations of your teachers
Agree to abide by usual school rules and district policies even.
Attendance: Student attendance will be based upon participation in their virtual classes and work completion. Students must be sure to stay on top of their school work, and if they are having any trouble at all, please make sure to communicate your concerns with your child’s teachers, counselor, or an administrator. This will be an adjustment for everyone, so it is important to practice patience as we work through it. We are here to support and help families every step of the way!
Important Dates
Distance learning will officially begin on April 20th. Here are the important dates for you to know:
April 13-17: Final week of Term 3. Professional staff will work with students to complete outstanding work from T3.
April 20: Term 3 grades due
April 20 - June 5: Term 4
June 3: All 12th-grade student work is due
June 5: Senior grades due
June 5: All 9th-11th grade student work is due
June 6: Graduation
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2020-2021 Course Selection
Course selection for the 20/21 school year will be done online. Students have already received emails from Mr. Straus in regards to Academy & Pathway selection. Students should be watching their email for the next steps. If you have any questions regarding classes or the course selection process, please do not hesitate to reach out to your guidance counselor.
Attention Beloit Memorial students. Do you want priority access to the classes that you're most interested in the next school year? Then it's very important that you check your school email. We have extended the deadline to select your Career Exploration Pathways. It is in your favor to select a Career Exploration Pathway since declaring a pathway prioritizes those classes in your schedule. More information about picking specific classes will be coming out soon.
May Events and Activities
All events and activities scheduled for May are postponed without a reschedule date until further notice. We will provide more information about when May activities and events will resume or be rescheduled as soon as we can. I realize there are events and activities scheduled in May that your child was looking forward to attending, but due to the current pandemic situation, we can not predict what restrictions will exist in the coming months. Thank you for understanding and if we have the ability to reschedule we will be sure to let you know.
Class of 2020 Graduation
We believe that it is essential to honor our graduating senior class, as they have come so far and worked so hard. There will be a graduation ceremony, but the reality is that it is yet to be determined what that ceremony will look like. We remain optimistic and hope our traditional graduation ceremony will take place, however, we are taking steps to be prepared for an untraditional graduation ceremony if need be. The high school administration is planning both types of ceremonies simultaneously. Either way, we will make sure the send-off of our seniors is honorable and memorable.
School District of Beloit App
I encourage you to download the School District of Beloit app. This is a great way to stay connected to news, updates, etc. in our district. There is a very short video on the homepage of every website in our district on “how to” and the benefits of the app. You can also access the video here: https://youtu.be/U9oEmF6srbQ. The app is free and downloadable on the iTunes store or Google Play, search for the School District of Beloit. Between teachers and families, our shared goal is to continue to do good work for the students at BMHS. Once again, all of us will work together to do our very best to make the best of this situation. I can not emphasize to you enough that we are here for you, so let us know if there is anything you need.
Beloit Memorial High School
Email: Memorial@BeloitSchools.net
Website: sdb.k12.wi.us/memorial
Location: 1225 4th Street, Beloit, WI, USA
Phone: (608) 361-3000