Good morning! First, I would like to thank everyone for their participation, cooperation, and patience during our first few days of Extended Remote Learning last week. I know we shared a lot of information, and this is a whole new way of “doing school.” While there were a few bumps in the road, overall it was a successful week.
As we move into our second week, I wanted to share a few clarifications and opportunities.
Grading
As explained in this Remote Learning Guide, grades earned for assignments during the period of remote learning can cause a student’s semester grade to go up but not down. Grades for assignments that were completed prior to March 13 but not entered into Home Access Center until after March 13 will count toward the semester grade. For example, a student might have taken a test on March 12, but grades were not entered until April 6. Since that work was not part of remote learning, it still figures into a student’s semester grade. Any student who was absent and missed an assignment prior to March 13 should contact the teacher to make up that work.
During Remote Learning, teachers will continue to enter grades into Home Access Center. For some students, this might mean that a grade will drop; for others, the grade might rise. If a student’s grade has risen at the end of the semester, that is the grade the student will receive for the semester grade. If a student’s grade has dropped because of assignments during remote learning, the grade will revert back to what it was without the remote learning grades. Students should concentrate on the learning and not worry about how an assignment is impacting their overall semester grade. Teachers are focusing on essential learning, so it is important for everyone to do their best on all assignments.
Finally, it is important to note that if a student is not engaged in the work that is required and/or is not completing assignments or assessments, a semester grade of “incomplete” might be assigned until the work has been finished. Any student who has a question about their grade should contact the teacher.
Attendance/Indicators of Student Engagement
Students receive an email with an attendance form Monday-Thursday; they should check email and complete the form by 6 p.m. If they fail to do so, they will be marked absent, and this absence will show up in Home Access Center.
On Fridays, teachers will mark students absent who have not been engaging in their classwork at a sufficient level. This absence also will appear in Home Access Center and should be interpreted as a message that the student is falling behind in their work. Students who are not sufficiently engaged in their work risk earning an “incomplete” for the course and will have to make up that work at a later time.
Student Town Hall
This Thursday at 4 p.m., I will partner with Student Advisory Council to host a student town hall meeting where we can answer questions that students might have about remote learning or related activities. I’ll send out more information later this week.
Thank you for taking the time to read this email. If you haven’t already done so, I hope you watch this video from the DGN Staff. Also, don’t forget to check out these mental health resources. All information about remote learning can be found on our school website.
Finally, I encourage parents/guardians to check out the Parents’ Club website for notes from the two meetings I held last week. I answered a lot of questions and provided information about topics such as senior events, driver’s education, and standardized testing. The notes will be posted early this week.
Best of luck in this second week of Extended Remote Learning. Take care and stay healthy!
Mrs. Janice Schwarze
DGN Principal