April 16, 2020
Dear Parents/Guardians:
The school closure has forced us to rethink how we look at all aspects of school. Our remote/distance learning schedule was an attempt to bring us to the next step of this school closure phase and as we are now at the end of what would’ve been quarter 3, we have had to figure out how to create a report that somehow captures how students have been doing. In good conscience and due to the extreme nature of these circumstances, we are not going to return to traditional grading during this time. Below you will see how we will be “grading” students and it’s based on what we think makes the most sense, all things considered.
We are mindful that students and families are experiencing a range of challenges that impact students ability and capacity to complete schoolwork. We certainly don’t want to add any stress to this time, but do think it’s time to close out quarter 3 (Phases 1 & 2) so we can move forward to quarter 4 (Phase 3). As we continue to build our remote/distance learning format we’d like to again remind students and parents of some expectations that have already been established.
We ask that students will:
Participate in morning homeroom time starting at 8:45. First class starts at 9:00 and will run approximately 25 minutes long. Students have classes M-Th.; Friday is a check-in/support/RtI/etc. time that is designed by the teachers.
Follow the schedule and be engaged in class work during their scheduled class time whether it’s online or doing paper/pencil work at home or at another time that works for the family.
Communicate with NRMS staff regularly.
Reach out for support if needed--guidance counselors, school nurse, social worker, Mr. Finnemore, Mr. Crockett, and myself are all available via email. Check in with us once in a while because we miss you too! Follow the Nokomis Regional Middle School Facebook page and look for us on Instagram @nrmswarriors
If you are unable to “join” at the designated time, establish another time during the day that is dedicated to do the work for that class.
Parents/caregivers will:
Respond to all communication from teachers/staff in a timely manner.
Assist and support students in their work completion as much as possible.
Reach out to staff with any questions or concerns or encourage your child to do so; all staff is available for both students and parents/caregivers.
Keep contact information updated through your child’s homeroom teacher.
Check Infinite Campus to keep track of student progress. If you need access to your account, contact Patti Johndro at pjohndro@rsu19.net
Teachers will:
Provide academic work/experiences/expectations for students.
Be available via email or phone.
Keep track of work completed in IC, updating it regularly.
Allow for work to be turned in whenever it’s completed in whatever format works for the family.
Be flexible with deadlines; focus on engagement and feedback.
Grading:
Assignments will be collected by the teacher and marked as:
“Turned In”-student has turned in the expected assignment(s) for the class (this includes assignments that parents have taken pictures of and emailed or texted to the teacher or have spoken directly to the teacher about)
“I” -incomplete (work is missing)
Quarterly grades will be assigned as the following:
Score | Description | Scoring Rubric |
PWD | Passing with Distinction | The student is fully participating in the distance learning process. The student has completed all or close to all of their assignments in a timely manner and the work completed shows understanding of the assignment(s) with consideration given to the students current educational plan as a mitigating factor . |
P | Pass | The student is participating in the distance learning process and the majority of their assigned work has been completed to the best of their ability with consideration given to the students current educational plan as a mitigating factor. |
I | Incomplete | The student has not participated in distance learning or has completed limited or no work that has been assigned. Teacher/staff has documented attempts to contact family to explain expectations and support involvement. |
This is new territory for all of us so thank you in advance for your understanding and support.. We will continue to make every effort to stay connected and keep everyone in the loop as much as possible.
Sincerely,
Angela Brown
abrown@rsu19.net