Eagle Express
March 24, 2020
A Slightly New Way of Learning
I hope you are all safe, healthy and well. We are ready to begin with distance learning for our El Camino classes. Soon our teachers will reach out to their students through email, text and/or phone to reconnect with them.
In some cases, students will be able to continue with certain courses that were already in progress, but others may require a transition to a new online platform for learning on Edgenuity. It is important to note that ECHS students will NOT participate in the Edgenuity Self-Enrollment tomorrow 3/25. Instead, ECHS teachers will be enrolling students individually during the next few days. Your student's ECHS teacher will contact you to let you know when your Edgenuity courses are ready. However, students may resume classes on APEX and ALEKS starting at 12 noon tomorrow.
Additionally, our teachers will be establishing a virtual meeting schedule using Zoom to connect with students and provide feedback and guidance as we work together to make distance learning successful for everyone. We understand that the change may be difficult and will present challenges. I encourage you to reach out and ask questions. We will do the best we can to answer all questions and provide our students the support and activities they need to keep them moving forward with their learning.
Please contact your teacher if have any questions or concerns. You can also reach us at (805) 289-7955 Ext. 0, between the hours of 8-4 pm.
Hector Guerrero
Principal
Message from Ventura USD District Office
Good evening VUSD High School and Middle School Families
We hope this finds you and your students safe and well. We are now beginning our transition to distance learning, and so we wanted to communicate with you regarding what this will look like for you at your home. We are ready to learn together as a staff, as we will ask our students and families to do along with us in partnership. We will value progress over perfection during this transition and value growth in our students and each other.
Students will work online at their own pace and on their own schedule. Teachers will not mandate specific times during the day when students must be online. There will be expectations for completion, yet students will work at their own pace. This allows families the flexibility they need. Adult assistance will vary for each student: some students may be independent learners, and others will need more support. We know that many families have multiple children to assist and other responsibilities. Our program will be designed with that need in mind.
Please know this is just the beginning of our transition to distance learning and more information will come in the coming days. For the time being, we are working diligently to keep you informed. Please reach out to your child’s principal with questions and/or concerns.
Edgenuity is the distance-learning platform that we will be using to engage all secondary students in learning during the VUSD closure. Please see Edgenuity Parent Quick Start Guide for an outline of student expectations.
*** Please note that the sections below in Italics does NOT apply to El Camino Students. ECHS students will be enrolled into Edgenuity courses by their teacher in the next few days***
Students should use our Edgenuity Course Self-Enrollment Guide to learn how to log in and enroll.
We recommend using the Edgenuity Course Matrix to determine which courses to enroll in. Some of your courses may not be in this list (e.g. ASB Leadership, Drama/Theater, Woodworking, etc.) You will be notified soon by the District or your teacher about how you can continue in those courses.
Our first goal is to support students’ self-enrollment in their core courses in Edgenuity, which will open tomorrow at 12:00 PM and will continue throughout the week – please read through the above links to learn about the process. Please remember that this is new for all of us, especially for the students.
For students:
What do I need?
- Tablet, computer, or laptop
How much time is needed?
- Middle school: 45 minutes a day Monday thru Friday
- High school: 30-55 minutes a day per subject Monday thru Friday
What do I do?
- Complete training course in Edgenuity
- Middle School: complete Digital Citizenship & Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) activities 45 minutes a day
- High School: Complete subject area courses 30-55 minutes a day
Families:
You can assist your students by:
- Providing them with a quiet space to complete their daily assignments
- Sitting with student as they are working on completing the Edgenuity training course
- Checking that the device is charged and ready for learning
- Writing down and saving password and login credentials for later reference
What do I do if I need a device or Wi-Fi?
- Complete the following survey:
English https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/vusdclosure
Spanish https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/VUSDcierre
We understand that for many of us, this time is filled with uncertainty for families and students. Families are finding themselves filling the role of educator, and we know that this can be challenging. We intend to provide support, guidance, and encouragement to you as you travel these uncharted waters. If you have questions specific to your child’s progress, your teacher is available via email.
We know there will be many questions about grades and attendance; we will have more information for you on this as we forward. Please know that there will be infinite grace that will be given to students and families as we adjust. We are focused on getting our students connected to their teachers, each other, and their learning-in that order.
Thank you for your contribution to the success of your student during this initial phase of distance learning. We are grateful for your patience and flexibility.
Ventura Unified School District
ECHS Students will NOT participate in Self-Enrollment in Edgenuity tomorrow 3/25. Instead, their teachers will enroll them in the correct courses within the next few days.
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ECHS at Ventura College
- Contact your teacher and counselor if you find that you are significantly struggling due to the transition. We will work with you to find supports/solutions.
- Our counselors will soon be reaching out to all students to provide direction on how to complete the forms required for registration.
- Registration for the Summer and Fall terms has been postponed from April 9 to April 30.
VC student help page: https://www.venturacollege.edu/online-services/distance-education/campus-continuity
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From our ECHS School Counselors
Dear El Camino Students & Families,
Below is a Student Support Resource document from our counseling department that we hope offers guidance and answers any counseling-related questions you might have during the school closures.
We've included:
- Important Contact Information and Links
- Self-Care Ideas
- Guidance regarding VUSD school and VC Registration
- Ideas of Things to Do
Beginning 3/23, counselors will be available for virtual student appointments between 9-12 and 1-3 Monday through Friday via our appointment scheduling link: https://forms.gle/ntfQFs2o5LR34Z1g6
In order to better serve our student population, our counselors will divide El Camino's student directory. Mrs. Harper will serve last names A-K, and Mrs. Napora will serve L-Z.
We miss seeing your faces and look forward to staying connected to you over the next few weeks.
Warmly,
Mrs. Harper & Mrs. Napora
ECHS Counseling Department
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Other Useful Links and Documents
ECHS @ VC
We Miss You!
Location: 61 Day Road, Ventura, CA, USA
Phone: (805)289-7955
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elcaminohighatvc/
Twitter: @elcaminohighasb