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Enrichment Beyond the Classroom
COVID response plan (current as of 3-13-2020)
***please note that this is a preliminary plan and may be updated on Monday evening, when the board meets.
Our current plan is to stay open as long/much as possible. We recognize the fact that closing school causes considerable hardship to parents who have jobs to go to, etc.
However, we have to balance that with what is being suggested and even required of us, by the CDC, the Governor, and our educational oversight organizations who regulate things like the number of school days we are required to have in a school year.
One solution that meets the 'needs' of some of these organizations is to have what are called 'e-days'. Essentially, your student would be provided with the school work they need to accomplish for that day, and I would be available via skype or zoom, to teleconference with your students and to hold study groups, and/or individualized instruction as needed.
How their work would be delivered to them depends on the specific circumstances of the e-days we have to call, if we do have to call them. For instance, if I know in advance, I can send the work home on the last regular school day. If we do not know in advance, I would likely either deliver the work physically, or digitally, or provide a specific time that you can come to the school to pick it all up. You will need to be tuned in, and aware so, please stay up-to-date with reading posts that are provided here.
As for following what the public schools do (as we typically do for snow days) we would likely follow, but perhaps not completely in 'lock step'. For instance, while the local public school district has closed for Monday, we will be having school that day, as the purpose of their closure is for training of teachers in the e-school technology platforms. I do not need to take part in that, so we will have school. Also, be aware that it is possible that because we are such a small school we may be exempt from closure regulations that apply to 'gatherings over a certain size'. We just simply won't know until we know specific details of what is being asked of us.
One other thing to keep in mind is that communication may become challenging. Even today, when I was trying to send the remind notifications out, I was having a hard time logging in to Remind, in order to do that. So, I think it would be a very good idea for each of you to send me an e-mail with all pertinent up-to-date contact information for each parent. This would include your most-used cell number, any land-line numbers you might have, your most-used e-mail address, and if you have a skype account that your child can use for e-school, I will need to know the skype-name for that account. If your child has their own e-mail and/or a phone number, and/or a skype account, please include that information as well.
Please send this information to BOTH my personal account: *and* to the school account: Desvuschool@gmail.com. The sooner the better.
The students and I spoke at length today, about all of this (as well as having the internet safety meeting!) so they may be a bit bug-eyed with all that was discussed. But please know that I frequently re-emphasized the fact that there is no need for panic. That we are simply taking measures, to do what we can help to keep the spread of COVID to a minimum.
Of course, regular hand hygiene, covering coughs, learning to refrain from touching one's face, and staying home if you or anyone in your family is feeling ill are all a part of this too!
