Superintendent Miller provides remote learning FAQ

NEW RICHMOND EXEMPTED VILLAGE SCHOOL DISTRICT

1135 BETHEL-NEW RICHMOND ROAD, NEW RICHMOND, OHIO 45157

PHONE: 513-553-2616

March 26, 2020

Dear Parents and Guardians,

I hope this message finds you and your family doing well and feeling healthy. I also hope that despite our current environment with COVID-19, all of you found ways to make spring break enjoyable.

As spring break winds down, it seems a good time to provide an update regarding how learning will look next week. With all Ohio schools still on the three-week extended break ordered earlier this month by Governor Mike DeWine, remote learning will continue next week in NREVSD. How long this will continue remains uncertain. We originally planned for our school buildings to reopen to students on Monday, April 6. If this happens, we will be happy and ready to see everyone return to our buildings. However, given the uncertainty of the COVID-19 situation, we are also preparing for the possibility that the extended break could be lengthened.

Please know that the learning that is taking place remotely is important. The Ohio Legislature’s recent passage of HB197 permits schools to make up through distance learning any number of days or hours necessary to meet minimum instructional hour requirements. New Richmond’s remote learning initiative satisfies the distance learning requirement as we did not miss a single day of instruction going from direct classroom instruction to remote learning. Our teachers, students, parents/guardians, and staff are to be commended for making this seamless transition.

In an effort to support continued remote learning, over spring break district administrators developed a questions and answers document to help you better navigate remote learning and to promote a better understanding of student expectations during this unprecedented time. Within the document, we address a variety of topics that we hope you find helpful. For your convenience, I’ve copied and pasted the content from the Q & A below. I am also providing this link to the document which is accessible on our website’s new COVID-19 page.

Like you, I’m looking forward to the day when we are no longer under the threat of a global pandemic. Until then, we will continue making our best efforts to deliver meaningful learning opportunities for our students.

Sincerely,

Tracey Miller

Superintendent

New Richmond Exempted Village School District

Remote Learning During COVID-19
Frequently Asked Questions

WHAT CAN I EXPECT FROM REMOTE LEARNING OVER THE DURATION OF THIS HEALTH CRISIS?

Our teachers and Learning Design Specialists have prepared materials for a new way of learning in a very short period of time. While we know there is no perfect replacement for the direct instruction of a highly qualified teacher, we will work together to be as responsive as we can.

Engage - Participate - Communicate

Engage - Attendance is determined by your student’s work output. Engaged means students are actively working with the teacher in a remote environment on assignments with teachers being able to document engagement. Those not engaged will be contacted to determine solutions.

Participate - Students are expected / required to participate in order to qualify for recommendations of promotion, retention and graduation at the end of the year.

Communicate - Students and parents have to participate with the teacher in an effort to complete assignments and seek assistance.

By Grade Level Learning

K-2: Resources for reading, math practice and writing were sent home with the students. The teachers will organize distribution of future materials and will notify you of their plans.

3-5: Google Classroom will be the primary communication tool for students and will focus on Language Arts, Math, Science, and Social Studies. Specials will also have activities.

6-12: Google Classroom and Schoology will be the primary communication tools and the students will be given assignments for each course they are currently enrolled in.

Parents and Students, please continue to regularly monitor communications from teachers.

WILL THE BUILDINGS BE OPEN IF MY CHILD FORGOT SOMETHING?

No. Following COVID-19 mandates, all NREVSD buildings are closed to the public until further notice. Thank you for your understanding.

WHAT IF MY CHILD’S CHROMEBOOK STOPS WORKING?

If your child’s Chromebook is no longer functioning, you will need to bring it in for a replacement. Parents or students are asked to send an Email detailing the issue to [email protected] in advance of exchanging the Chromebook for repair/replacement.

Chromebook exchange hours:

Monday: 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.

Wednesday: 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Friday: 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

The Chromebook exchange location is at the new Central Office (Old Middle School), 1135 Bethel-New Richmond Road, main entrance only. This is NOT the door with the long awning. It is the entrance facing the fenceline.

Be sure to practice Social Distancing from other Parents/Students when you arrive.

WHAT IF I OR MY CHILD CAN’T MAKE IT DURING ONE OF THESE TIME SLOTS?

If you’re unable to make it during normal business hours please contact your school Principal to schedule a time outside of business hours to exchange a Chromebook.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

NRHS Principal Mark Bailey - [email protected]

NRHS Assistant Principal Phillip Heflin - [email protected]

NRMS Principal Court Lilly - [email protected]

Locust Corner Principal Joseph Roach - [email protected]

Monroe Principal Jamie Kunz - [email protected]

Technology Director Matthew Prichard - [email protected]

WHAT IF WE DO NOT HAVE WIFI IN OUR HOME?

Charter Communication is offering free Spectrum broadband and Wi-Fi access for 60 days to households with K-12 and/or college students who do not already have a subscription. To enroll, call 1-844-488-8395.

In the event that internet access is not possible, notify the principal by telephone or email and paper pencil work folders will be provided. Contact information is available on our website under Staff Directory.

HOW WILL STUDENT WORK BE GRADED?

Students are expected to complete assignments as provided by their teachers. The assignments demonstrate participation in school during this extended remote experience. Teachers will endeavor to be flexible in grading practices as every student has different levels of support for their work while at home. Grades will be determined by the teacher and based on a combination of the completion of assignments, telephone and Google Hangout sessions and the quality of the work completed on paper and/or electronically.

Teachers are monitoring attendance through participation and will make contact with students who are not actively taking part in the assigned work. If a student is not participating or has not engaged in the completion of paper/pencil assignments, telephone calls, Google Hangout sessions, Google Classroom or Schoology assignments, then that student will be referred to the building administrator. The building administrator will engage the student/parent/guardian to seek participation and make arrangements for the student to connect with the teacher.

In the end, the work will be used to determine the grade for the student. The grade collectively represents the course credit and will determine promotion/retention in that class. A student's eligibility to advance to the next grade or attain a diploma is dependent on the grades earned/received. On rare occasions, an incomplete grade may be assigned.

Without participation, the student is at great risk of remaining at the grade level where he or she is for the 2020-21 school year. There is a solution for every challenge, but every challenge needs to be shared and investigated as a team with the school and home to be solved.

WHAT IF I HAVE A QUESTION AND/OR HOW CAN I CONTACT THE PRINCIPAL / TEACHER / COUNSELOR?

Administrators, teachers and counselors will be available during the remote learning weeks. The best way to reach them is via email as they will be checking that daily. A directory with staff contact information is available on our website @https://www.nrschools.org/Staff.aspx. Teachers in grades 3-12 are using Google Classroom or Schoology for a majority of their school work and can communicate directly with students from within these platforms.

HOW WILL STATE AND NATIONAL TESTING BE IMPACTED?

As of the writing of this document (3/26/20) HB 197 is awaiting the Governor’s signature in order to become law. This would eliminate state and federal testing for the 2019-2020 school year and waives the third-grade reading guarantee retention requirement.

We will continue to communicate changes to national testing as we receive it from ACT and The College Board. For any students who have registered for the April 4 national test date, that has been postponed. Students should receive an email with instructions for a free future national test date.

According to the College Board, the AP Program is developing resources to help schools support student learning during closures, as well as a solution that will allow students to take AP Exams at home. Exams, as well as required units, will be significantly modified. AP will communicate further details as decisions are finalized, currently listed as April 2nd. You can visit the AP website to monitor changes and to find helpful resources for students and parents.

HOW WILL PRE K-2 RECEIVE ADDITIONAL WORK?

Starting on April 6th, additional work packets for students will be placed in pick up boxes outside of the school buildings for parent pick up. Additional work will be provided to families on a weekly or bi-weekly basis pending the duration of our time away from school. That information and availability of assignments will be communicated to parents by classroom teachers.

BOXES - Drop off and pick-up boxes are available outside of each school building. At Monroe, boxes are located at the Main Entrance doors. At Locust Corner, the boxes are located under the awning outside the Circle Drive doors (enter through the Drop-off Circle/Service Driveway).

Teachers are encouraging parents to take a picture of the completed assignments and email those pictures to them directly if parents are unable to drop off the completed work at the school.

DO STUDENTS HAVE TO FOLLOW NORMAL SCHOOL TIMES TO COMPLETE THEIR ASSIGNMENTS?

No, students do not have to follow normal school times, but we encourage families to establish routines for students that work in the family’s schedule. We originally tried to keep families on a regular school day schedule but quickly realized that these are anything but normal times and this model doesn’t work with every family during this national crisis. Flexibility will be key as we move forward. It is very important, though, for students to be engaged in the work assigned and to stay in contact with teachers. Attendance will be reflected by student engagement.

Students should complete the activities provided but may do them throughout the day or period of time they are assigned.

CAN STUDENTS WORK TOGETHER VIRTUALLY?

Teachers and administrators have already begun to work collaboratively using resources like Google Hangout. Students may work together virtually. However, please understand that, as a district, we do not have the capability to monitor what students access online while they are at home. We encourage parents to monitor online activity of students.

ARE THERE OTHER RESOURCES YOU WOULD RECOMMEND WE CONSIDER IF MY STUDENT FINISHES EARLY AND WOULD LIKE EXTENSIONS?

As we continue to develop plans, we will share them with our students. Please encourage students to stay in communication with their teacher so that we can share further resources as they become available.

Many additional remote resources and activities are being provided regularly by public libraries and other agencies and we encourage families to consider them as appropriate.

Scholastic - This free resource provides your children with 20* days of exciting articles and stories, videos, and fun learning challenges. Children can complete them anytime, in any order. They can work on their own or together with you and your family. https://classroommagazines.scholastic.com/support/learnathome.html

National Geographic - https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/

Cincinnati Zoo - The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden closed to the public as it does its part to curb the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19). During the closure, the Zoo plans to offer daily Home Safari Facebook Lives. http://cincinnatizoo.org/home-safari-resources/

Kahn Academy - A free site with robust activities across grade levels and subjects.

https://khanacademy.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/360040167432-How-can-Khan-Academy-be-used-for-remote-learning-during-school-closures-

*More resources and websites are listed below.

What should I do if my child is on an IEP or 504?

If you have not been contacted by your teacher, please reach out to your teacher or your building principal. IEPs and 504 documents are in place to the extent that services can be provided remotely.

Evaluations and Re-Evaluations - Comprehensive evaluations are conducted every 3 years. Initial ETRs not underway will be delayed until school is in session. A PR01 explaining the discussion and changes will document the telemeeting.

Annual IEP Reviews - IEPs must be reviewed annually. In the remote environment, IEPs will continue to be reviewed, however, it may be by telephone with the teacher. The special education teacher is expected to consult the principal and regular education IEP team members prior to the annual review telemeeting.

Initial Individual Education Plans - New IEPs for students just identified are expected to be completed within 30 days of the completion of the ETR. A grace period during this remote school experience is possible with the team agreement.

Related Services (Speech, OT and PT) - Packets for services were to have been sent home on March 13. As the remote experience is extended, contact with related services is expected. Some students do require direct services and teletherapy is being offered. If you are interested in that type of related service and have not been contacted by the special educator, please reach out to that person. If you are unable to contact that person, please contact the building principal.

Amending the IEP - IEPs need to be amended where the service is significantly changed. Moving to remote instruction - while a significant change - does not have to be changed on the IEP. An example of a change requiring an amendment might be the change from support in a regular math class, to the intervention teacher providing the math instruction. The PR01 document is an official document from the State of Ohio that IEP Teams use to document discussions.

The New Richmond Schools subscribe to the direction provided by the United States Department of Education that encourages parents, educators, and administrators to collaborate creatively to continue to meet the needs of students with disabilities. Consider practices such as distance instruction, teletherapy and tele-intervention, meetings held on digital platforms, online options for data tracking, and documentation. In addition, there are lowtech strategies that can provide for an exchange of curriculum-based resources, instructional packets, projects, and written assignments.

WILL WE HAVE TO MAKE UP THESE DAYS?

No. Passage of HB197 permits schools to make up through distance learning any number of days or hours necessary to meet minimum instructional hour requirements. New Richmond’s remote learning initiative satisfies the distance learning requirement as we did not miss a single day of instruction going from direct classroom instruction to remote learning.

WHAT IF FAMILY OBLIGATIONS RESULTING FROM THIS PERIOD OF NATIONAL EMERGENCY PREVENT MY STUDENT FROM BEING ABLE TO FINISH ASSIGNMENTS?

We anticipate that we will need to make adjustments to support the learning of individual students. As needs arise, please communicate with your child’s teacher and/or building administrator so we can support the needs of your learner.

BREAKFAST / LUNCH DELIVERY During the Stay at Home Order

Further updates will be shared as they become available. We appreciate your patience as we work through this ever-evolving time period as this is a very new process for us all. We are exploring any and all options with the welfare of our students foremost in our minds.

HOW ARE SPRING SPORTS GOING TO BE IMPACTED?

Winter sports tournaments as well as the spring sports season are still in question. Jerry Snodgrass, Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) Commissioner, held a teleconference on March 19, 2020 and will hold another teleconference once decisions are made. In the meantime, coaches are not permitted to hold any type of practice with student athletes and are encouraged to send the message for athletes to continue to work on building their skills from home. Spring sports athletes should not participate on summer teams until a decision is rendered by the OHSAA as it could affect eligibility status.

MY CHILD ATTENDS GRANT CAREER CENTER. HOW WILL THE WORK BE MADE UP?

Any student assigned an online course at Grant Career Center should work to complete the assigned course. All other students are asked to focus on the assignments given by Grant Career Center teachers. Grant Career Center Administration and Staff will be reaching out to students as needed after Spring Break.

WILL SENIOR ACTIVITIES LIKE PROM AND GRADUATION BE ABLE TO TAKE PLACE?

We are uncertain as of the writing of this post. We will update you when we have a definite answer.

MY CHILD'S SCHOOL HAD A FIELD TRIP PLANNED FOR THIS SPRING. WILL IT STILL TAKE PLACE?

All field trips scheduled through April 6th are cancelled. This date may be extended based on guidance from the state. Reimbursements will be made as cancellations are announced.

TO BURN OFF SOME ENERGY, CAN MY CHILDREN COME TO THE FOOTBALL STADIUM OR TRACK OR GYM?

No. All playgrounds, gyms, tracks and football fields are closed to the general public until further notice. We understand that getting out and exercising while following recommended social distancing guidelines is permissible, we want to avoid the temptation of students having a place to congregate and risk spreading COVID-19.

WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO STAY UPDATED WITH WHAT IS GOING ON IN NEW RICHMOND SCHOOLS?

Keep informed about what’s happening in New Richmond Exempted Village School District by regularly visiting our website, checking your email and text messages for communications, and by following us on Twitter @NREVSD and Facebook @NREVSD.

You can also follow:

Locust Corner Elementary School on Facebook @LocustCornerElementary

Monroe Elementary School on Facebook @Monroe Elementary Lions NR

New Richmond High School on Twitter @NewRichmondHS

New Richmond Middle School on Twitter @NRMIddleSchool

WHAT IF MY QUESTION WASN’T ANSWERED IN THIS Q AND A? HOW CAN I SUBMIT A QUESTION?

Please direct questions not answered in this document to your building principal (email address provided above in question 4). If it is a question that would apply to students in multiple buildings, it will be added to this question and answer document for all to see.

More resources to consider using for your child:

NextLesson – 50 Free Projects/Activities

https://www.nextlesson.org/resources/price-free

Grades K-4 Student-Centered STEM/DESIGN Challenges

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B4pjlZ32wK1OdDc0T1l2M2pNdjA/view

Global Day of Design Projects

http://globaldayofdesign.com/

Summit Project Based Learning – Full Project-Based Learning Units Connected to Standards

https://www.summitlearning.org/guest/courses

GRIT Rubric (for kids self-assessing their process)

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1GJo0PCz9UfHCTPhD0Bgvi6FQA_10sQSx-wTluvBtU8k/edit#heading=h.gjdgxs

Genius Hour Journal (a do-it-from home PPT)