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Dear Seahawk Families,
I hope everyone is doing well! SLHS teachers and staff are excited to reconnect with students and to further engage students in instruction. Teachers and staff have been reaching out all week and it has been great to reconnect with our students. Please be sure you are checking your fcpsschools.net email and Google classrooms. I want to reiterate some important information about the distance learning plan below. I recommend that you take time to closely review the complete FCPS Distance Learning Plan, and I wanted to highlight a few key points below.
- New learning begins on April 14. Students are expected to engage with their teachers for online learning.
- Students may work with their teachers to complete any missing work from now until the end of the third quarter on April 24. Teachers will be working directly with students to make sure all students can finish third quarter work and receive the grade that fairly reflects their understanding of the material.
- Learning will include a mix of posted assignments and live learning experiences where teachers provide real-time virtual (synchronous) instruction. The weekly schedule is provided below.
- Students are expected to check their fcpsschools.net email accounts and their teachers Blackboard sites each school day for assignments and important information.
- Students will need to be ready for virtual real-time (synchronous) instruction on Tuesdays and Thursdays along with working to complete assignments on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Please email your child’s teachers if they are not able to attend a synchronous session so that options can be discussed.
- Teachers will be holding office hours where students can check-in for questions- see bell schedule included below for office hours by department.
- Email is the best way for students and parents to make initial contact with teachers, counselors, administrators, or other staff members if you have a question.
- Even though we won’t be giving official grades during fourth quarter, teachers will be providing feedback to students, so they know how they are doing.
- Teachers will also allow students’ work in 4th quarter to positively influence students’ final grades for the year based on grade trends. This will be especially important for student’s who were not passing a course prior to the closure on March 13.
- Additional county guidance on grading for 4th quarter and the end of year grade calculation is forthcoming.
SLHS teachers and staff have been working hard to prepare for distance learning. We also recognize that this roll out is new for everyone, and we need to be patient, flexible, and supportive. I also ask that students and parents remain flexible with staff as we work to adjust to this new experience. Many staff members find themselves balancing the demands of teaching while also at home taking care of their own children and loved ones. I know we have a caring and supportive Seahawk family, and we will all work together to support each other and the best interests of students.
I thank all of our community members for their patience as we navigate through this difficult time. Please continue to reach out to staff with any questions. I had the chance to read some of the comment’s students shared with counselors this week about something they are thankful for. So many of those comments were about the outreach from staff and support they have from one another. Please keep checking in and supporting one another.
Be safe and 6 feet apart!
Kim Retzer
Students in IB Courses
As you know, IB has cancelled testing for this Spring. In lieu of exam grades teachers must submit all Internal Assessments to be externally marked as the basis of the IB grade awarded. IB has provided new guidelines for teachers that involves uploading extra work that previously had been sampled. Additionally, oral exams still must be completed. This is a very time-consuming process. To meet the recently revised submission deadlines, IB teachers and students with outstanding assessment work may need to begin collection of these assessments, or provide direction concerning these assessments, prior to April 14, 2020. Additionally, teachers may be reaching out to students who need to complete oral exams to see if they may voluntarily agree to complete these over Spring Break.
The expectations vary by course as to what IB is requesting. Please be on the lookout for communication from your teachers of IB courses.
Seniors
I wanted to follow-up on Dr. Brabrand’s message to our senior class of 2020. The current situation is certainly out of our control. Social distancing is vital, and I ask all our students to practice social distancing as it will help our entire community. I know there are a number of ideas out there around celebrating the Class of 2020. If you have ideas for ways to celebrate our seniors please feel free to email Mr. Deivert (RGDeivert@fcps.edu) and Ms. Conte (LMConte@fcps.edu ). It is my experience that in times of crisis and uncertainty, the best way to navigate through our emotions is to start with what we can control and find ways to create positive outcomes.
Tips for Parents
As we embark on Distant Learning, we recognize it can present different opportunities and challenges for families and students. While our number one goal is to continue high-quality instruction, we recognize the challenges and obstacles our students and families may face in the upcoming weeks will be exciting yet apprehensive. To prepare for this new approach to learning, it is important that we help our students adjust to the new normal and begin to develop good learning habits. Here are few tips to help students find success in this new environment:
- Take a deep breath
- Be there for your child as a parent
- Continue to maintain family norms and be supportive
- Know that you are doing the best you can
- Celebrate your accomplishments and progress!
For Students & Parents
SLHS students will meet with ALL teachers during the appropriate class period for synchronous instruction. There will also be opportunities for asynchronous instruction and questions outside of the assigned bell schedule time.
EXAMPLES OF SYNCHRONOUS VERSUS ASYNCHRONOUS
Student Schedule
Please see below for the schedule for our remaining weeks of school. Seahawk Seminar will not follow our typical rotation for SS (4th period). Instead, this time can be used for individual or small group appointments with teachers, counselors, special education case managers, IB coordinators or other staff members.
FCPS Distance Learning Plan Schedule
South Lakes Blue / Green Schedule
Tech Support for SLHS Students
Additional Tips
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