SCHOOL INFO:
4/5/20 Sunday Alert:
April 5, 2020
Dear Members of the L&G Community, this is principal Bob Thibault. I’m calling tonight to check in and provide updated information about what’s happening in our district and in our school. Firstly, I sincerely hope that everyone is doing well and staying healthy. Many resources are available if your circumstances have changed. Please reach out to our two school counselors if you need anything.
First, a couple of new things. By now you should have received information about the continuing lunch and breakfast program. You can find that information on the WCSU COVID-19 website and our Facebook page. Both are linked from our website.
Also new this week is the return of HEY Help with Ms. Lindsley. She has already sent invites to every student and they can log into her ZOOM at the correct times - 11:30 - 1pm for middle school and 1-2:30pm for high school. The links are in your child’s email invite. For questions, please contact Ms. Lindsley at mlindsley@lelandandgray.org.
A couple of updates about our calendar - this coming Friday marks the end of the third quarter. We will attempt to give our normal grades for this quarter - with incompletes granted to those who need it - and we will be discussing the new grading system for quarter four. April vacation week will still be the week of April 20th and no lunches or breakfasts will be provided during that time. Again, if you are concerned about food scarcity, please contact our counseling staff.
This week will start a new daily schedule for students and teachers. On each Wednesday, teachers will spend their day planning, collaborating, and learning about distance learning. They will not be available for direct instruction and will not be responding to student academic questions. Special educators will continue to work with students, and the counselors will continue to be available. We urge you all to think about Wednesday as either a catch-up day or a day to get off screens and go outside!
Also starting this week - tomorrow morning at 9am to be precise - is a parent opportunity to meet with me and ask questions. The Zoom ID # and password will be in the email version of this alert (Meeting ID 283-472-334, Code 028972). Simply go to www.zoom.us/join and enter the ID and code when prompted. These meetings will happen every Monday morning at 9am and I look forward to seeing or hearing you there.
[Middle School Students ONLY]: Beginning next Monday on April 13th, the exploratory Google Classrooms will cease to exist. This includes world language, chorus, technology, art and personal development. Look for more information on those content areas offering optional enrichment work only, so we can reduce the load of Google classroom alerts and required work in the middle school. Band, Physical Education and Health will still run as normal.
And finally, as we think ahead to next school year, we need every 8th through 11th grader to be sure to register for classes. Your child should have received a slideshow from Sarah Grasso with the course listing, the requirements, and the way to log into Powerschool and select courses. Of course, you can always connect with Sarah directly to have her walk you through the options.
In conclusion, I want to let everyone know that the WCSU leadership team has adopted guiding principles - in priority order - to help us lead through these challenging times. While I’m not going to read them here, they are at the bottom of the email version of this message. Part of this modification is that students shouldn’t be spending any more than 2-3 hours daily (except Wednesdays) on school work.
I want you all to know that the faculty and staff here at L&G are doing the absolute best that they can, and we all miss you terribly. We know these times are hard, and we want you all to take care of yourselves first, and your academics second. Thank you and have a good night.
Your principal,
Bob Thibault
- Health and Safety. Doing everything that we can to support the health, safety, and well-being of our students and their families is our top priority. This includes but is not limited to providing nutritious foods, promoting opportunities for physical wellness, and providing social-emotional and mental health support for all of our students.
- Equity. This crisis affects everyone but will disproportionately impact the most vulnerable students. Equity should be at the forefront of all planning and implementation.
- Relationships. Making connections and maintaining relationships are at the foundation of all implementation plans. Set a schedule that includes faculty and staff connecting with students as frequently as possible.
- Remote Learning. Remote learning does not exclusively mean online learning. Schools should consider the variable abilities of families to access and utilize the internet and the impacts of increased screen time expectations. Students should not be required to access devices for the traditional length of the school day. Leverage other opportunities for students to learn, such as exploring their outdoor environment (to an extent that is within public health parameters), engaging in self-driven projects and problem-solving, and (virtually) reaching out to their communities.
HEY Help:
Beginning Monday, 4/6, Mary Lindsley will be available for HEY Help via a Zoom meeting. Join her if just to chat.
Middle School Students can join the Zoom meeting Monday - Thursday, 11:30 - 1:00 * The link has been emailed to students.
High School Students can join the Zoom meeting Monday - Thursday, 1:00-2:30 * The link has been emailed to students.
If you have trouble joining these Zoom meetings, please email Mary Lindsley at mlindsley@lelandandgray.org.
Free Internet:
The link below is to the Vermont Department of Public Service, which has links to companies like Comcast that are offering free internet for 2 months for low-income households. Comcast is also committed to serving people even if they cannot pay their bill. Mobile phone companies are helping out and hotspots will have free access etc.
People will still need devices that allow them to have access to the internet – not sure what is being done in that area.
Meal Service Plan:
