Dear Parents and Community Members,
Hopefully,
you have had a healthy spring break and are ready to return to our remote
learning on Monday. I apologize for the length of this email, but we
wanted to provide some updates and information that may be helpful.
The
Ohio General Assembly recently passed legislation that addresses several
educational matters during this public health crisis. We believe that the
legislation passed by the General Assembly addresses many of the issues and
questions that are weighing on you, our staff, students and community.
- State and federal testing is eliminated for the
2019-2020 school year;
- State report cards will not be issued for the
2019-2020 school year (note that these are the state-issued report cards
for schools and school districts, not student report cards);
- Third-grade reading guarantee retention
requirements are waived;
- Schools can grant high school diplomas to
students on track to graduate and for whom the principal determines that
the student has successfully completed the curriculum;
- Individuals with appropriate state licenses are
allowed to provide services electronically or via telehealth communication
to students with special needs;
- Boards of education may use electronic
communication for in-person meetings and hearings during the emergency
period, but not later than Dec. 1, 2020;
- School
districts may use distance learning to make up any number of days or hours
necessary to meet minimum instructional hour requirements.
There will be additional guidance that
follows this legislation and we commit to providing updates as information is
received.
We know you and your child may be experiencing stress, confusion,
fear or anxiety during this time. Below are some steps you can take to support
your child. We want to thank our school counselors for communicating this
information, I have been trying to follow these recommendations within my own
family.
- Talk to Your Child about the Current
Situation. Have
age-appropriate conversations with your child and be sure all adults in
the household are using the same language to describe what is happening.
Be sure you understand the correct facts from medical and government
resources. Share only developmentally appropriate facts with your child
(see the links below for ideas about how to do this). Be calming to avoid
cultivating anxiety or distress in your child.
- Limit Exposure. Be mindful of adult conversations or media coverage about what is happening. Limit your child’s exposure to these as they could cause an increase in anxiety or distress in your child.
- Encourage Expressive Activities. Encourage imaginative and
expressive activities that can help your child share how he or she is
feeling (for example, play for younger children and music activities, art
activities and journaling for older children). This will allow your child
to process his or her emotions in safe and productive ways.
- Create a Structured
Environment. Provide structure and routine for your child. Have a daily
schedule with general activities posted in the home. Visual schedules are
beneficial for young children. Children do well and feel safer when they
know what to expect next.
- Set Expectations. Set expectations for your child to
complete a set amount of academic work daily. This helps with structure
but also will help avoid the pressures of feeling behind when he or she
returns to school.
- Create Special Time. Set aside at least 10 minutes a
day to focus on your child. More time is better. Actively listen to what
he or she says and stay positive. If your child is younger, play with him
or her during this time. Child-focused play has many benefits to
child-adult relationships.
- Spend Quality Time Together. Have dinner together. Put away
all technology. Take turns sharing something that you felt happy about
today. Your child can help with preparation and clean up.
- Stay Active. Encourage your child to play,
walk or hike outdoors and get outside with your child as well. If the
weather does not allow for outdoor time, try yoga, having a dance party or
watching online videos that encourage movement indoors.
- Focus on the Positive. Point out the “helpers” in the world and the good things they are doing. Stay simple and limit detail about anything frightening, but emphasize the good work being done.
- Model Responses to Difficult
Situations. The
adult should care for him or herself and model this for the child.
Children will watch how adults in their homes deal with stress and
replicate this themselves.
Finally, we wanted to reiterate some of the academic information
that we have communicated previously.
These three weeks are not considered calamity days by the state. We are in “school”, just in a non-traditional method of delivery. District policies and regulations regarding online work and Internet safety apply to students when they are using their Chromebooks or completing assigned work.
Issues
with logins or other aspects of online education at home? Fill out this
form to inform us of your issue and we will direct it to the proper person to
provide help and solutions. Our goal will be to follow-up within 24
hours. http://forms.eschoolview.com/Access/Form.aspx?guid=0a034aa9-447d-4d4f-b079-953f85e7e78a
Additional information regarding remote/online learning will come
from your specific buildings as plans may have grade-specific nuances.
We are beginning the 4th quarter with some ambiguity about the future. We will continue to monitor the Governor’s press conferences and will provide updates if anything changes related to the original order for schools.
Have a great weekend and remember Blue Aces we will come through
this as a community of learners!
Stay Healthy!
Your partner in education,
Jeff Brown
Superintendent