Kalamazoo Public Schools issued the following announcement on Apr. 14.
Dear Parents and Guardians,
Today starts a new way for learning from now until the end of this school year. This is a new environment with COVID-19. Governor Whitmer’s Executive Orders No. 5 and No. 38 require school closures and the expectation that learning continues with our students. We look forward to having our students back on track for learning and connecting students with their teachers. Our teachers and staff will be meeting virtually online this week to learn how to continue learning for the over 13,000 students we serve in the district. They will receive professional development on how to use Google Meet and Google Classroom. In addition, we will provide training to meet the social-emotional needs of our students as well as the unique needs of students with disabilities.
During this week, Kalamazoo Public Schools (KPS) staff members will be reaching out to you in order to provide instruction in the coming weeks. We will start with phone calls, emails, and online connections to see what works best for you. We will be providing online services so teachers can connect with students virtually. The Learning Hub will remain on the KPS website so you may continue to access the resources and see the new ones being added.
Starting the week of April 20, teachers and staff will be setting up “Virtual Office Hours." This is where teachers will provide a link or time period for you to check in and ask questions or get clarification on any items. This can be done virtually, by phone, by email, or by text messaging. The staff members will post the two-hour period of time during the week for students and families to connect. They will also be trying out lessons and making contacts with their students. The next week, the virtual office hours will be two times a week for two-hours each week for the remainder of the school year.
During the week of April 27, all teachers will start full implementation of the plan to keep students learning. This involves pre-kindergarten through fifth grade teachers teaching a virtual lesson for 15-30 minutes three times a week. The days will be Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Middle school students will meet according to their class periods on Mondays and Wednesdays.
A chart is attached for your reference of when the grade levels or class periods will conduct a direct virtual lesson online. The chart is meant to help families with multiple children and only one device. High school teachers will set up virtual times and post them to students as to when they will meet. All students will be given assignments by their teachers to complete. Feedback will be provided by teachers for the assignments, but no grades will be given. Students will end the classes in June with credit/no credit at the secondary level and pass/incomplete at the elementary level.
Learning packets will continue to be produced and distributed at the 24 food sites for students who do not have access to the internet. Staff members in the buildings and district will be seeking alternate ways to reach all students. This includes emails, text messages, and phone calls. The goal is to keep students connected to learning without any harm to students.
For high school seniors, we are looking to make adjustments to the graduation requirements in the district. We need to ensure that all seniors meet the minimum requirements for the Michigan Merit Curriculum. School personnel are working to check all senior credits to see if any classes need to be adjusted or any additional credits are needed through the upcoming schedule or credit retrieval.
We need your help with making this work. Please help set up a structure for your child to participate in learning. We need all students participating. Continue to check out the KPS website for the Learning Hub to get the resources needed when teachers start to connect. Help your child respond to the virtual lessons online, emails, text messages, and phone calls. Have your child dressed and ready to learn when participating in virtual lessons. Remember that the KPS Student Code of Conduct is still in effect. Keep us updated of any phone or address changes by contacting the district at (269) 337-0100. We will be taking things one step at a time with patience and flexibility. We care deeply about your child and want the best learning in this environment.
Sincerely,
Cindy Green
Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning Services
(Spanish and Arabic translations available in attached PDFs below.)
Original source can be found here.
Source: Kalamazoo Public Schools
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