How ready are you for Remote Learning? From December 1st through December 9th, we’ll be doing school from the comfort of your own home, which means you don’t need to enter the school building again until December 10th! However, before you get your nice tops and comfy bottoms ready for class, review these important reminders from Dr. Imbarlina so we can all make Remote Instruction a great success:

Weekly Schedule

• All five days of the work week will be “school days” (including Wednesday) from 7:30am until 2:15pm.
• Students who have jobs should not be scheduled during the school day.
• Courses that run four days per week (PE, academic seminar, AP Seminar, and AP Research), labs, and study halls will now be included in the weekly schedule.  Students should follow their traditional schedule as presented in Infinite Campus.

Bell Schedule

• The high school will follow the “COVID Mitigation Bell Schedule” we have been using since the beginning of November (attached).
• UPDATE: We will NOT operate on a two-hour delay for teacher organization on December 1st. ALL DAYS will run on the “ regular bell schedule” listed on the “COVID Mitigation Bell Schedule.”

Structure of Classes

• Students are expected to Zoom into each of their scheduled classes Monday through Friday at their scheduled time.
• Students are expected to have their cameras turned on during the lesson and their microphone muted until the teacher instructs them otherwise.
• Teachers will use class time to provide direct instruction and independent practice for students.  They will also keep their Zoom meetings open throughout the class period to support students with independent practice problems and work completion.
• Students should continue to follow the teacher’s learning plan to keep up with work completion.

Attendance

• Attendance will be taken at the beginning of each period. If a student leaves the class early or does not turn his/her camera on, he or she will be marked absent for the period.
• Parents can e-mail excuses for student absences to Mrs. Dekort: [email protected]
• If a student is absent because of COVID related issues, e-mail both Mrs. DeKort and our school nurse Dr. Haynes at [email protected].
• Parents and guardians can monitor attendance through the Parent Portal of Infinite Campus.  Additionally, parents will receive automated telephone calls when their student is absent from school.
• If a teacher is absent, he/she will post his/her absence on Google Classroom along with instructions for work completion.  Attendance will not be taken when a teacher is absent.

Teacher Support

• Teachers work from 7:30am-2:45pm, so students should focus their questions for assistance during their scheduled class periods when they are video conferencing with their teacher.
• Concerns with instruction, curriculum, assignments, or grades should be directed to teachers before they are elevated to a school counselor or administrator.
• Teachers will need up to 24 hours to reply to emails.

Counselor Support

• Counselors work from 7:30am-2:45pm. They may need up to 48 hours to reply to email based on the volume of emails they receive.
• Counselors will continue to process senior college applications, so any questions regarding applications should be directed to the student’s assigned counselor.
• Students can contact their counselor via email and schedule Zoom meetings with their counselors during their study hall or lunch period using the information below:
  • Mrs. Cavitt (A-D) https://tinyurl.com/y6omsrkh or [email protected]
  • Mr. Combi (E-K) https://tinyurl.com/y3rmfm9e or [email protected]
  • Ms. Williams (L-Po) [email protected]
  • Mrs. Koprivnikar (Pr-Z) [email protected]

 Special Education and Enrichment Services

• Students with a scheduled resource period with a special education teacher are expected to attend the class period through Zoom each day.
• IEP and GIEP meetings will not be cancelled, but they will be hosted through Zoom.
• For more information concerning enrichment opportunities please e-mail Dr. Survinski [email protected] or Mr. Stickney [email protected]

 Health Office

• Dr. Haynes, our health office nurse, will be available via email [email protected].  Please contact her with updates regarding your student’s health.
• If your student takes medicine during the school day and you need to pick it up, please make arrangements with Dr. Haynes.

Technology Support

• Mrs. Eidenshink, our library media specialist, can help troubleshoot minor problems such as password resets.  Please e-mail her for help at [email protected].  She is available from 7:30am-2:45pm each day. 
• For more intense technology help, please contact the [email protected]

 Work Permits

• Students in need of a work permit can e-mail Mrs. Graff at [email protected] to receive electronic paperwork and schedule a “Zoom” meeting to verify the work application.

 High School Access

• The high school is closed to students, parents, and community members during remote learning, with the exception of athletic practices and other approved activities.
• The main office of the high school will be staffed by Mrs. Graff (412-492-6375) and Mrs. Dorenkott (412-492-6376) between the hours of 8am and 3:00pm.  

 As you can see, there are a lot of differences between this Remote Learning and what we did in the springtime, but we’re confident this will be a good experience. The only thing we can do is think positively, and the outcome will be a positive one!