#RocketRelaunch
Rocket Students and Families,
As we continue to prepare for the restart of school, we want to provide you with the most current information we have regarding what school will look like for the 2020- 2021 school year. We will share a second survey on July 10-19 to determine parents’ intent toward in-person or virtual learning. The survey link will be emailed to parents, as well as shared to the school Website and social media pages. We want you to be informed prior to participating in order for us to accurately and effectively plan instruction for our students, while making their health and safety our top priority. Online registration will follow, beginning on July 27.
Here is what we know:
Students’ first day will be Aug. 25. (On June 23, our Board of Education adopted a variable instructional calendar with an Aug. 25 start date, which allows some flexibility with the number of instructional days in the school year, if needed. This delayed start also gives staff the ability to adequately prepare and train for a variety of learning options.)
The following information explains the two options that parents have to enroll their children as Crittenden County Schools students:
- Send students to in-person school.
- Have students learn virtually from home through a district-provided curriculum.
In-Person School Option
Social distancing will take place, with students spread out as much as possible in the classrooms, hallways, and common areas. We will have alternatives to eliminate large group gatherings, such as in the cafeteria. We will be alternating students between eating in the cafeteria and eating in the classroom, and in some instances, outside. The goal is to be able to reduce capacity in the cafeteria, not eliminate the option of using it as an eating place.
No-touch thermometers will be used to perform temperature checks for both students and staff prior to boarding buses in the morning and/or upon entering the school buildings. A student with a temperature above 100.4 or higher will not be able to participate in face-to-face instruction.
Masks will be required of staff and students when social distancing is not possible, and parents are encouraged to provide these, if possible, for their students. Masks also will be required when students are moving throughout the hallways and waiting in lines (ex: cafeteria, morning arrival, afternoon dismissal). Masks may be lowered during class if all students and staff are able to practice social distancing, at the discretion of the teacher. Finally, masks must be worn by anyone moving around and by all students riding on school buses. Exceptions will be allowed for students with medical waivers, and per state guidelines, preschool and kindergarten students will not be required to wear masks.
Disinfecting and sanitizing practices will take place throughout the day while students are learning in-person. Students will be encouraged and scheduled to wash hands frequently, and hand sanitizer will be available.
Where practical, students will remain in self-contained settings, limiting the number of contacts an individual may experience throughout the day. Seating charts in classrooms, cafeterias, and buses will be required to aid in contact tracing, should a positive case occur. Visitors to the school will be limited, and parents checking in or out students will be required to wear a mask.
Virtual Learning Option
Students choosing this option will be required to engage in a virtual learning platform daily, where they will learn grade-level content. Elementary school students will use Pathblazer, while middle and high school students will use Edgenuity. This option will NOT be similar to the NTI learning that occurred during the final semester of the 2019-2020 school year. We will be using an online curriculum instead of the learning packets, so internet service is essential.
Students choosing the virtual learning option will be required to attend an orientation session with their parent or caregiver (dates TBA) in advance of school starting. At that time, a virtual learning agreement will be signed.
Students choosing to learn virtually from home will commit to this option through the end of a scheduled grading period. A student may choose to transition from in-person to virtual learning, however, at any time. In that scenario, the student must remain a virtual learner until the end of the next scheduled grading period, at which time he or she can continue to learn virtually or choose to return to in-person learning.
Virtual learning will take place via students’ Chromebooks. Damages to Chromebooks will be assessed, per usual school guidelines, and students are expected to abide by technology acceptable use policies.
Daily participation and submission of work according to predetermined deadlines will be expected for successful completion of online learning.
School Will Look Different
It’s easy to see that school will look differently this year. The sacrifices we all will be making, we hope you agree, are worth it for us to welcome back our students, continue learning, feeding, and taking care of each other, and ensure the health and safety of our students and staff. While school may be “different,” we want to remind you of things that won’t change: our caring, knowledgeable, and dedicated Rocket staff who love our students and love teaching; our belief that every child can learn and grow; and our commitment to helping our Rockets achieve success, both academically and emotionally. We know that patience and flexibility are key this year as we navigate unfamiliar territory in education. We know our students’ mental health is important and a focal point. We know our students need breaks, outdoor time, and as much normalcy as we can achieve. And we know that, together, we can make the 2020-2021 school year a great one.
Annually, we choose a motto as the foundation for our year. Last year, that motto was #WhateverItTakes, and the resilience it encompasses was demonstrated over and over by our students, parents, and staff as we wrapped up a challenging, to say the least, school year. This year, our motto is #RocketRelaunch. We know that some changes are necessary as we start a new year, but as always, the goal for our Rockets to achieve success in all areas remains the same.
Please keep these things in mind as we share the second edition of our student and parent survey. Again, we ask you to remember that the Covid-19 pandemic is an ever-evolving situation, and instances may occur that could create changes in our school plans. Your patience and flexibility as we work through these challenges, together, and continue to develop a finalized plan for our district, is appreciated.
