MMS Family News for the week of April 13, 2020
Hello all families,
I am writing you today to share our plans moving forward and hopefully answer some questions you may have.
Students:
I miss you more and more each day. I know this is difficult for all of us, and I am still hopeful that we will be able to see each other again before the end of the school year. I am excited to announce spirit week for the week of April 27th. See the list below for events! We will have a place for you to post photos if you would like for these events.
Virtual Spirit Week – Week of April 27, 2020
Monday- Art Gallery/Cooking School Day- Take a picture and show off your latest creation and upload it to the folder.
Tuesday- Twin Day- Find a buddy, dress alike and post a picture (you do not need to be together – organize it with a friend.)
Wednesday- Bring a Pet to “School” Day- Send a picture of you and your pet (real, virtual, or stuffed) doing school work together
Thursday- Tongue Twister Day- Send a short video of you saying a chosen tongue twister 5 times fast.
Friday- Eagle Pride Day- Wear MMS clothing or red, white, and blue and snap a photo of you holding an MMS pride sign. Include the hashtag #WeAreRSU18
Extending our Closure
Our superintendent sent out a letter that let everyone know that he has decided to close schools until further notice. He did that based on the recommendation of the Governor and the Commissioner for the Department of Education. What this means is that we are now planning to continue our distance learning through to the end of the year, if necessary. We all hope that things will get better sooner and that the Governor and Commissioner will give new guidance that says it is safe to resume school. So, what does this mean for you? It means that we will be making an adjustment. Up to this point, work has been optional, and we have been focused on reviewing content you have already learned. That made sense for a 4-6 week closure, and I am extremely proud of all of you who have been completing as much as you can from home. Now we need to start learning some new material in addition to some review. Starting on the week of May 4th, we will be expecting students to complete particular tasks each week from the grade level packets, and you will be scored on a pass/fail basis for quarter 4. I will be sending you much more detailed information in my MMS Family News email on April 27th and May 4th.
For now, this is what you can be doing to prepare:
1. Make sure that you connect with your teachers, through a digital meeting, email, or ask them to give you a call on the phone.
2. Make sure you can access the resource packet. If you do not have internet, then either pick one up at the school or call the school (465-2167) to arrange to get one.
3. Continue to work on school tasks for 1-2 hours each day. If you have not been doing that, start getting in the habit and problem-solve obstacles to that goal.
4. Get exercise every day and get outside when you can. This will be very helpful for your overall well-being.
These steps will help you be prepared for the work that is to come.
Parents:
We are working with teachers to develop instructions in our packets that will help students read to learn new concepts, as well as continue to review some material. There will be many options for students to receive instruction online, but we know that many of our students do not have access to the internet, which is why we will be reaching out by email & phone to support students’ learning. I have spoken with some families that have taken a break with school work because the resources we have been providing are optional. I would encourage you to change that this week and have your children engage in the teacher meetings and complete work from the resources. This will give you this week and the week of April 27th to figure out how this will work with your child in your home prior to things being required and graded on a pass/fail basis. If there is any support that we can give, please reach out to your child’s teachers by email or call our office between 8:00AM-12:00PM, and we will support you. I have meetings scheduled over the next two weeks, and I will be sending out much more detail as we finalize our plans. Below are some highlights:
- The packets provided for this week and the week of April 27 will be made up of review resources and are optional to students.
- Starting on May 4th, we will be including new learning in the weekly packets, and teachers will be adding times to support students in learning this material.
- We will be grading Quarter 4 on a pass/fail basis with a focus on students being involved in learning and completing some tasks.
- Packets will continue to be available at MMS for pick up from 9:00AM-11:00AM Monday through Friday or on the district website.
We are making this change to better serve our students during this extended break. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask your child’s teachers.
Take care and stay safe.
Mark Hatch