•                                                       at home parent resouces
    Below is a list of educational resources available to parents to help during the COVID-19 closure.  These sites are not affiliated with our District and parents should always monitor what their children are doing online. 

    We have also created a resource center outside of school with hard copies of materials for parents to pick up.  If your child has resources waiting to be picked up, your child’s teacher will contact you. 

    5.26.20 - 7-12 Final Exams, Regents Exams, Final Course Grades, and End of Year Events

    Final Exams 

    Final exams given for high school credit bearing courses are canceled. 

    Final exams for college in the high school classes will follow the guidance of the university or college associated with the class. Please contact the individual teacher for more information.

    Regents Exams 

    The New York State Education Department (NYSED) has canceled the June 2020 Regents exams. Education officials also announced that students in these classes will be able to receive Regents credit if they successfully complete course requirements including assignments during remote learning. For more information regarding Regents exams, please review the guidance listed here or contact our Guidance Counselor, Mrs. Zeppieri. 

    Final Course Grades for 7-12  

    The final average will be a numeric grade on a 100-point scale. The numeric grade will be recorded on a student’s transcript and factored into a student’s grade point average (GPA).   

     The final numeric average will be determined through the following procedure:

    1. Determine the numeric average prior to the school closure (Q1, Q2, and Q3 up to 3/13).  
    2. The principal and guidance counselor will meet with each teacher to consider the following for each student:
    • Q3 Progressing or Not Progressing
    • Q4 Progressing or Not Progressing
    • Evidence of Learning of the Standards for the Course
    • Participation during the Closure
    • Communication during the Closure

    Based on these factors, the grade may be adjusted up to 10 points. The grade may not be lowered for the average calculated in step 1. 

    1. The teacher will input the final average in SchoolTool.

    Final course grades for College in the High School course will follow the policy set forth by the associated College or University.  

    Honor Roll and Honors Awards Ceremony  

    No Honor Roll or awards associated with honor roll will be determined for Quarter 3, Quarter 4, or the end of the year. These include but are not limited to highest average for a course, 90 and above awards, Most Improved by Course, etc.  

    Awards normally given through the Guidance Department at the annual Honors Awards Ceremony will be announced via a virtual ceremony.  

    Please note that our Honor Society inductions now take place in the Fall.  

    Honor Graduates  

    Honor Graduates will be determined by following the policy adopted previously by the Board of Education and will be announced as part of the virtual Honors Awards Ceremony. 

    5.4.20 -  Guidance on Quarter 4 Grades


    Temporary grading procedures have been put in place for Quarter 4 and will remain in place for the remainder of the academic year.  

    Quarter 4 began on Monday, April 20th and will extend to the end of the school year. The last day of instruction will be Wednesday, June 17th.

    Due to the extended time out of school, the grade for Quarter 4 will be one of two options:   

    • Progressing (Pr) - There is Evidence of Learning

      or 
    • Not Progressing (NP) - The standards/skills are Not Yet Learned 

      *College credit bearing courses will continue to grade according to university guidelines.

    Progressing:There is Evidence of Learning. A student is engaging in the learning and moving forward with their understanding of the content and/or acquisition of skills.  There is some evidence of learning of prioritized standards/compressed curriculum based on instruction provided.  

    Not Progressing: The standards/skills are Not Yet Learned. A student has not yet completed work, or work completed does not demonstrate understanding of prioritized learning standards. Students will be given opportunities to redo/re-submit work to demonstrate learning.  

    The goal is to have grades serve as a measure of learning.  It’s important to find ways to engage students in the work for more authentic reasons such as helping students see where this learning is beneficial to them now and in the future.  While this is ideal, we recognize grades often function as a motivational carrot or stick.  Teachers should remind students that Pr and NP will appear on their Quarter 4 report card and more importantly, the learning is essential for their future studies, college, and jobs.  

    Individual Assignments during Q4  

    Teachers will continue to prioritize NYS learning standards and cover essential curriculum as they provide instruction. The design of instruction, as well as any assignments, must align with the skill level of students of all age groups and abilities to the greatest extent possible. General education teachers who have special education students in their class will collaborate with special education teachers to ensure that instruction meets the needs of all students. 

    Teachers will grade individual assignments in SchoolTool using:

    • Complete (C) 
    • Incomplete (I)
    • Teachers should use the code “I” for missing assignments, failing grades, or work that is in the process of being redone.  Once the student has demonstrated evidence of learning, “C” should be replaced with “I”

    Students can earn a “complete”  through a variety of methods:   

    • completing and turning in assignments (including short and long-term projects)
    • sharing their understanding verbally or through digital methods (i.e., responding to questions posted in Google Classroom, exit tickets, journal entries, etc.)
    • taking both formative and summative assessments
    • self-assessment/evaluation

    Due Dates

    • Due dates for assignments serve multiple purposes including helping the teacher manage the time it takes for a curriculum to be taught, helping students stay organized and learn time management, and indicating which students need help or may be struggling. 
    • Assignments not handed in will receive an “I” until they are completed and turned in. However, no zero’s will be given for a late assignment and students will have the opportunity to complete late assignments until the quarter ends. 

    Student Engagement

    For a successful fourth quarter, student participation is necessary. Students have the opportunity to participate in many ways, including but not limited to the following:

    • completing and turning in assignments via Google Classroom
    • attending a live Google Meet session led by the course/grade level teacher
    • sharing their understanding verbally or through digital methods (i.e., responding to questions posted in Google Classroom, exit tickets, journal entries, email , etc.)
    • taking both formative and summative assessments
    • self-assessment/evaluation

    To help ensure equity, teachers are expected to follow up with individual students and/or families when a student is not logging into Google Classroom, participating in Google Meet sessions, or completing assigned work on a consistent basis during a given week.  

    The first step is to be understanding, as family dynamics have changed and are very challenging for many.  Others may not yet be self-motivated and may benefit from individual support.   

    Where students have not engaged at all after reaching out to the student multiple times, please contact the family to offer assistance.  Teachers are encouraged to use multiple methods of communication including, but not limited to, email, phone, reaching out to primary and emergency contacts, and mailing letters home.  

    Where the student is participating occasionally, please continue to encourage the student’s participation and contact the family to offer support, where appropriate.  

    If teachers are unable to make contact with students and/or families after repeated attempts, the building principal should be contacted and made aware of the situation.

    The Future Impact of COVID-19 on Grades, Transcripts, and College & Career

    We know that parents and students are concerned about grades and the impact this will have on their GPA, transcripts and applications to college. We want to assure our families and students that schools, at both the K-12 and the collegial levels, are adjusting their typical grading practices and policies during this unprecedented time.  

    Our district has worked closely with the other school districts in our region to approach grading in a similar way. The NY State Education Department has exempted all students in good standing from Regents exams they intended to take in June 2020. Many colleges and universities have adjusted their own grading practices for the spring semester. Their admissions offices have expressed an understanding that high schools are also altering the way scores are reported for this spring and school year and have indicated that such changes should not negatively impact students’ college applications.

    4.30.20 - NYS Ed Shares New Resource - Parents: Supporting Learning During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

    NewThe New York State Education Department, Office of Special Education is sharing the following resource provided by the IRIS Center. Resources are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute NYSED endorsement of any websites or other sources.  Please be aware that websites listed may change. The information provided is true and complete to the best of our knowledge.

     The IRIS Center has created a new module specifically for parents titled Parents: Supporting Learning During the COVID-19 Pandemic.  

    This module offers practical tools and easy-to-implement strategies to help clarify what is and is not a parents role during school closure and provides information for parents on how to support their child’s learning and social emotional wellbeing. 

    The IRIS Center, housed at the Peabody College Vanderbilt University, is funded through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP).  

    Iris Center Resource Link  

     

    WMHT is offering an educational programming block and online resources targeted at students pre-k through 12.  For the complete programming schedule, related resources, and additional home learning opportunities, visit:  wmht.org/homeclassroom


    Read Alouds     

    Storyline Online:   FREE children's literacy resource featuring the world's best storytellers reading books aloud.  Each video includes an activity guide with lessons for K-5 students to do at home. https://www.storylineonline.net/  

    The Indianapolis Public Library 100+ Free Video Read Alouds:   https://www.indypl.org/blog/for-parents/free-video-read-alouds  

    Lunch Doodles with Mo Willems-- authour and illustrator of the Pigeon books as well as Elephant and Piggie books:  Mo Willems invites YOU into his studio every day for his LUNCH DOODLE.  Learners worldwide can draw, doodle and explore new ways of writing by visiting Mo’s studio virtually once a day for the next few weeks.  Grab some paper and pencils, pens, or crayons and join Mo to explore ways of writing and making together.  Viewers can see each weekday’s new video at 1:00 p.m. ET. Visit https://www.kennedy-center.org/education/mo-willems/ to watch all of Mo's videos, find activity sheets to print out & follow along, and more!

    Starfall:  Is very similar to ABCMouse.  It is good for Grades K-2   https://starfall.com 

    Storynory:  Is a podcast and a website with audio streaming. https://storynory.com 

    Oxford Owl:  https://www.oxfordowl.co.uk/

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    Social Emotional Learning 

    Headspace - Meditation for Kids - https://www.headspace.com/meditation/kids?fbclid=IwAR2poZwjmPo1ma0pveVPGxVvhUov20WWDqNMUHEUkaY8Fx5CvgOO-5-2BuM 

    CosmicKids Yoga - Yoga videos specifically made for kids -  https://www.youtube.com/user/CosmicKidsYoga 

    Centervention - Social Skills Resources for Parents & Free lessons and activities - https://www.centervention.com/social-skills-resources-for-parents/ https://www.centervention.com/social-emotional-learning-activities/  

    GoNoodle - gonoodle.com - Engages kids with movement and mindfulness videos created by child development experts.  Available for free. 

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    Academic Related Websites  

    Have Fun Teaching - https://www.havefunteaching.com/ - With a free account, you get access to purchase thousands of teaching resources, including worksheets, activities, songs, videos and more! 

    BedTimeMath - http://bedtimemath.org/ - Bedtime Math is a nonprofit operating foundation funded by private donations. Parents can sign up by email, on the website, and on their free app.  “Whether it’s flamingos, ninjas or pillow forts, kids can see the math in their favorite topics.”

    Scholastic Learn At Home - https://classroommagazines.scholastic.com/support/learnathome.htm - 20 Days of Free activities that integrate reading, science, and social studies topics.  

    PBS Kids - https://pbskids.org/ - Activities for Elementary-aged children

    PBS Learning Media - https://ny.pbslearningmedia.org/subjects/mathematics/k-8-mathematics/ - Activities specific to K-8 Math 

    Greg Tang Math - https://gregtangmath.com/ - Take part in the Spring Math challenge or play some math games!

    Wide Open School - https://wideopenschool.org/  -  A free collection of the best online learning experiences for kids curated by the editors at Common Sense.    

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