2 Dec 2020
December 2, 2020 Reopening Report
Hi again everybody, and welcome to the return of our Reopening Reports series. Each Wednesday I’ll bring you the latest developments on our work to reopen schools for students and staff.
Remember that updated information is posted to our website as soon as it becomes available. You can find it at www.aacps.org/fall2020.
I want to thank all of our students, teachers, staff, and families for everything they did in the first marking period. The virtual learning environment has been challenging, and all of us have made sacrifices to make it work as best as possible for all of our students. I am confident we will build on that in the second marking period, and I thank every one of you for your efforts.
Speaking of the first marking period, we’ve put together a graphical “First Quarter Report” that details a lot of the work that has been done on the road to reopening. You can find that report at www.aacps.org/quarterreport. Information on the rigor, recovery, and readiness aspects of our work is displayed in an easy-to-understand way. Take a look. I think you’ll be impressed at what we have accomplished together.
Our February 1 hybrid learning launch date will only be possible if the case rates come down from where they are now, so I’m asking each of you to do your part. Wear your mask. Wash your hands. And watch your distancing. They are the three key elements to getting this pandemic under control.
In order to get more input in our reopening discussions, we have added more people to our 14 reopening committees. Those committees are continuing to evaluate ways to make the plan even better, and I hope to be able to detail some of those important points in the near future.
I want to take a minute to talk about Chromebooks. As you know, it is our goal to provide a Chromebook for every student in order to fully engage in virtual learning. We had hoped to have one in the hands of every student by the end of the first marking period, but shipping delays have prevented that. We are still waiting on final delivery of approximately 27,000 Chromebooks from our distributor, and we will get those into the hands of students as soon as they are delivered and we get them set up.
It is critically important as well that our students take good care of these Chromebooks. To help, we’ve created a flyer with tips on the proper care of these devices that can be found at www.aacps.org/virtuallearning. Please take a few minutes to look at it.
Finally, our winter athletics season was supposed to begin on Monday, December 7, but the case rate still exceeds the metrics under which we can make that happen. We are in communications with the Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association and the Anne Arundel County Department of Health now about what modifications may be made. We will certainly keep our student-athletes and their families apprised of changes.
In addition to these reports, reopening updates are a part of every Board meeting agenda. I hope you will take time to watch the Board meetings, which are broadcast live on AACPS-TV and at www.aacps.org/youtube at 6 p.m. on the first and third Wednesday of each month.
Thank you again for everything you are doing in this virtual world. I’ll see you again next week.
Hi again everybody, and welcome to the return of our Reopening Reports series. Each Wednesday I’ll bring you the latest developments on our work to reopen schools for students and staff.
Remember that updated information is posted to our website as soon as it becomes available. You can find it at www.aacps.org/fall2020.
I want to thank all of our students, teachers, staff, and families for everything they did in the first marking period. The virtual learning environment has been challenging, and all of us have made sacrifices to make it work as best as possible for all of our students. I am confident we will build on that in the second marking period, and I thank every one of you for your efforts.
Speaking of the first marking period, we’ve put together a graphical “First Quarter Report” that details a lot of the work that has been done on the road to reopening. You can find that report at www.aacps.org/quarterreport. Information on the rigor, recovery, and readiness aspects of our work is displayed in an easy-to-understand way. Take a look. I think you’ll be impressed at what we have accomplished together.
Our February 1 hybrid learning launch date will only be possible if the case rates come down from where they are now, so I’m asking each of you to do your part. Wear your mask. Wash your hands. And watch your distancing. They are the three key elements to getting this pandemic under control.
In order to get more input in our reopening discussions, we have added more people to our 14 reopening committees. Those committees are continuing to evaluate ways to make the plan even better, and I hope to be able to detail some of those important points in the near future.
I want to take a minute to talk about Chromebooks. As you know, it is our goal to provide a Chromebook for every student in order to fully engage in virtual learning. We had hoped to have one in the hands of every student by the end of the first marking period, but shipping delays have prevented that. We are still waiting on final delivery of approximately 27,000 Chromebooks from our distributor, and we will get those into the hands of students as soon as they are delivered and we get them set up.
It is critically important as well that our students take good care of these Chromebooks. To help, we’ve created a flyer with tips on the proper care of these devices that can be found at www.aacps.org/virtuallearning. Please take a few minutes to look at it.
Finally, our winter athletics season was supposed to begin on Monday, December 7, but the case rate still exceeds the metrics under which we can make that happen. We are in communications with the Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association and the Anne Arundel County Department of Health now about what modifications may be made. We will certainly keep our student-athletes and their families apprised of changes.
In addition to these reports, reopening updates are a part of every Board meeting agenda. I hope you will take time to watch the Board meetings, which are broadcast live on AACPS-TV and at www.aacps.org/youtube at 6 p.m. on the first and third Wednesday of each month.
Thank you again for everything you are doing in this virtual world. I’ll see you again next week.
- 1 participant
- 4 minutes
23 Sep 2020
Reopening Report, September 23, 2020
Hi again everybody, and welcome to the eighth in our Reopening Reports series.
I am pleased to tell you this week that our plan to offer the SAT has been approved by the county Department of Health. The SAT will be administered free to all seniors who register in their own high schools on Wednesday, October 14.
Students will be placed into groups small enough to allow for appropriate physical distancing and will be required to wear masks. Students will remain in their testing rooms during breaks and will have limited bathroom access. There will be specific entrances and exits for all students.
Administering the SAT will require more proctors this year than we have ever needed before. We will also have teams of staff at each school site to help ensure students get off the buses transporting them to schools and to the rooms in which they will take the assessment. Those teams will also help students get back on the appropriate buses for the return trip home. Students can also be transported to schools by their families or drive themselves, but masks, physical distancing, and other health and safety requirements will be in place at all times on school grounds.
This will be a herculean effort on the part of our staff, but it is well worth it to provide seniors with this opportunity.
This week marks the start of virtual homework help and tutoring opportunities for our middle school and high school student for targeted courses in Mathematics, English, World Languages, Social Studies, Science and AVID. Homework Help sessions are offered to students through an informal drop-in Google Meet on Sunday through Thursday. Tutoring will be available in an appointment-driven, small group setting, with sessions running on the same days. Complete information about these programs can be found online at www.aacps.ort/tutoring. If you have questions, please send an email to tutoring@aacps.org.
I have had the opportunity over the last two weeks to virtually visit classrooms around our county. I have been awed and inspired by the awesome teachers and students I’ve seen hard at work. We are settling in well to a world that is not ideal, but we are doing it together and we are making it work.
As we continue to develop our plans for in-person student learning, our Board of Education took the first step last week when it announced it will resume in-person Board meetings starting with its next meeting on Wednesday, October 7. Because of physical distancing requirements members of the public will not be allowed in the Board Room. The Board is also working on the logistics to allow for oral public comment on agenda items during meetings.
Hi again everybody, and welcome to the eighth in our Reopening Reports series.
I am pleased to tell you this week that our plan to offer the SAT has been approved by the county Department of Health. The SAT will be administered free to all seniors who register in their own high schools on Wednesday, October 14.
Students will be placed into groups small enough to allow for appropriate physical distancing and will be required to wear masks. Students will remain in their testing rooms during breaks and will have limited bathroom access. There will be specific entrances and exits for all students.
Administering the SAT will require more proctors this year than we have ever needed before. We will also have teams of staff at each school site to help ensure students get off the buses transporting them to schools and to the rooms in which they will take the assessment. Those teams will also help students get back on the appropriate buses for the return trip home. Students can also be transported to schools by their families or drive themselves, but masks, physical distancing, and other health and safety requirements will be in place at all times on school grounds.
This will be a herculean effort on the part of our staff, but it is well worth it to provide seniors with this opportunity.
This week marks the start of virtual homework help and tutoring opportunities for our middle school and high school student for targeted courses in Mathematics, English, World Languages, Social Studies, Science and AVID. Homework Help sessions are offered to students through an informal drop-in Google Meet on Sunday through Thursday. Tutoring will be available in an appointment-driven, small group setting, with sessions running on the same days. Complete information about these programs can be found online at www.aacps.ort/tutoring. If you have questions, please send an email to tutoring@aacps.org.
I have had the opportunity over the last two weeks to virtually visit classrooms around our county. I have been awed and inspired by the awesome teachers and students I’ve seen hard at work. We are settling in well to a world that is not ideal, but we are doing it together and we are making it work.
As we continue to develop our plans for in-person student learning, our Board of Education took the first step last week when it announced it will resume in-person Board meetings starting with its next meeting on Wednesday, October 7. Because of physical distancing requirements members of the public will not be allowed in the Board Room. The Board is also working on the logistics to allow for oral public comment on agenda items during meetings.
- 1 participant
- 3 minutes
