Grades 7-12

Grades 7-12 Distance Learning Information


3/25/2020

Dear Secondary Parents and Students,

We hope that you and your family continue to be healthy. We truly miss our students and hope we can see you soon in our classrooms.

As you know, distance learning will begin on March 30, 2020. Here are additional details you will need:

  • When we formally begin instruction online, we will pick up where we left off in the six-day cycle. March 30 will be an A-Day and it will be the first day of the 4th marking period.

  • Students who still owe assignments in the third marking period will have time to submit that work. Students should communicate directly with teachers to determine these adjusted timelines.

  • Grading for Marking Period 3 and 4 will be different than 1 and 2, as our environment and circumstances have completely shifted. Further detail regarding the grading structure will be shared tomorrow.

  • Student attendance must be accounted for in each class daily. This will be tracked by student participation and assignment completion. The parents of students who are not participating will be contacted. Parents and guardians are encouraged to check the Campus Portal to see student progress. Further detail on the impact for the lack of engagement will be outlined in the grading guidelines to follow.

  • Teachers will post assignments to their Google Classroom prior to 8 a.m. on a given day. Some teachers may choose to post multiple assignments at once but deadlines and expectations will be detailed.

  • Expect less than 30 minutes per day of instruction per course. This does not include assignments.

  • Learning and engagement will be offered asynchronously. This means that the time and place of the instruction will not limit the opportunity to access content. Videos that can be watched at varying times, discussion boards that offer flexibility, and submissions that are open for 24 hours or more are all examples of things that our students can complete when time allows.

  • If synchronous opportunities are available to students (meaning they login and engage with a teacher at a particular time), students will also have the opportunity to access the educational material provided at another time. Synchronous learning will not occur between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. when free meal pickups are available to families. The Chromebook camera default setting is off. We ask that students leave their cameras off during all meetings, unless directed otherwise by their teacher.

  • Teachers will offer “office hours” when they will be available to support student learning. Each teacher will provide further information on this directly to their students.

  • North Montco Technical Career Center (NMTCC) students will engage in distance learning and will hear from their NMTCC teachers.

  • If students experience technology problems or need assistance navigating this format, please contact [email protected].

  • NPSD counselors are available to you and your student during this troubling time. Counselors can be reached via email.

  • At this time, we are planning to stick with our school calendar as originally adopted. Any changes to that plan will be communicated.

We understand that parents of students with disabilities may have additional questions about how distance learning will work for their children, and how this interfaces with student Individualized Education Plans (IEPs). View additional information for families of our students who receive special education and/or related services.

We know you still have many questions. Thank you for your patience as we work through the challenges of developing, implementing and communicating our plans. Please know that while it is impossible to answer every question during these trying times, we are doing our best to keep you informed. We will update you regularly as the distance learning plan is implemented. We ask that students and parents check their email daily for updates and information!

Thank you and take care.

Sincerely,
NPSD Administrative Team