MARCH 27, 2020
Secondary Campus Parents, Guardians and Students,
Beginning Monday, March 30, CAC will implement an Extended Remote Learning Strategy. Our goal is to minimize the extension of the school year beyond the current schedule without negatively impacting our instructional goals and standards.
Following the success of the first week of Remote Learning (March 16 – March 20), important adjustments have been made to ensure this educational model is sustainable should the closure be extended beyond April 17. Though the previous Remote Learning Strategy was successful, it was always intended to be a one-week solution.
We have outlined online education expectations, given detailed examples, addressed scheduling and answered as many questions as possible. Please know we are working with our teachers to be as clear as possible to minimize any potential frustrations.
WHILE WE HOPE TO RETURN ON APRIL 17, WE HAVE MADE PLANS THAT WILL CARRY US THROUGH THE END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR. ALL INFORMATION BELOW IS PRESENTED AS THOUGH WE WILL NOT RETURN TO CAMPUS.
PLEASE READ IT THOROUGHLY.
Device Loan Program
We understand all students may not have access to a device at home. During school closure, we are offering a free Device Loan Program to all 6 – 12th grade students. Students will be able to check out a school-owned Chromebook and charger to complete assigned schoolwork until classes resume on campus.
REMOTE LEARNING DETAILS
Online Class Schedule
Beginning Monday, March 30, students will follow an abbreviated online class schedule. The new modified Extended Remote Learning Schedule will mimic a regular school day with all classes meeting for shortened, 30-minute periods. This provides more opportunities for teachers and students to interact on a daily basis.
Please review the schedule below and read the accompanying explanations and descriptions.
- Chapel: Chapel will be held daily via a Chapel Google Classroom. All students are encouraged to attend! (Entry code: s4elfcz)
- Middle School: Middle school will follow a rotation schedule similar to their regular day in the school building. Middle school will operate on ‘A’ and ‘B’ weeks as usual. (March 30 – April 3 will be an ‘A’ week)
- High School: All high school classes will meet (excluding yearbook). Students will follow the bell schedule as outlined and will be expected to attend their regular class periods (including fine arts, strength and conditioning, etc).
- Concurrent and Online College Classes: Students are to attend concurrent college classes according to the online schedule. Students will complete their online classes during their regularly scheduled periods.
- Fine Arts & Athletics: (Band, Art, Choir, Drama, PE, Strength & Conditioning) Please see the “Schedule” section below.
- Seniors: Seniors will follow their regular class schedule. Senior Exams have been scheduled for Tuesday, April 28 – Friday, May 1. The Senior Exam Schedule will be posted at a later date.
| Extended Remote Learning Schedule |
|---|
| 1st 8:00 - 8:30 a.m. |
| 2nd 8:35 - 9:05 a.m. |
| 3rd 9:10 - 9:40 a.m. |
| 4th 9:45 - 10:15 a.m. |
| 5th 10:20 - 10:50 a.m. |
| 6th 10:55 - 11:25 a.m. |
| Chapel 11:30 - 11:45 a.m. |
| Lunch 11:50 - 12:20 p.m. |
| 7th 12:25 - 12:55 p.m. |
| 8th 1:00 - 1:30 p.m. |
| Independent Study 1:30 - 3:30 p.m. OR Testing Period (If Applicable) 1:30 - 3:30 p.m. |
Student Expectations
In order to maintain a sense of consistency, students are highly encouraged to attend (be present on their devices and working on assignments) during the class period times scheduled above. All teachers will utilize Google Classroom as their online platform. (Teachers may use Google Meet, Google Docs, Google Slides, etc. to teach live interactive sessions. Teachers will also screencast and post lessons for those unable to attend class.)
All grades will have a purpose. Students should focus on learning and mastering concepts. Grades will be intentional, with teachers emphasizing growth and intention over flawless execution.
Schedule
- Class Periods: If able, students should be present and online for each of their class periods.
- Teacher Interaction: Teachers will begin each class period with an interactive session via Google Meet or Zoom. If able, students should log in to meet with their teacher and classmates. It is our goal for teacher-student interaction to replicate regular classroom activities. These interactive meetings may consist of a one-minute check-in, an explanation of the assignment, a full 30-minute lecture or somewhere in between. Teachers will record the sessions if they contain pertinent information.
- Fine Arts & Athletics: These classes will meet, but teachers and students are not required to meet online or interactively every day. Please see individual Google Classrooms for instructions.
- Independent Study: All teachers will be available daily for online interaction (answering emails, Google Meets with small groups or individual students, etc) from 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Students should utilize Independent Study to interact with teachers one-on-one to ask questions, revisit subject concepts and review classroom material. Students should set up appointment times via email with the teacher.
- Prep Periods: Teachers are not required to be accessible during their prep periods.
Google Classroom
All students and teachers will utilize Google Classroom as the sole platform for education and communication (lesson plans, assignments, due dates, updates).
- Classroom Codes: All Google Classroom entry codes will be sent by teachers to students and parents via RenWeb. Only students should join the class.
- Class Sections: All students should be able to view all of their class sections (tiles) on their Google Classroom homepage.
- College Music: College Music will continue to meet on Schoology.
- Video Tutorials: Click Here to view CAC Remote Learning Video Tutorials.
Lesson Plans
Google Classroom will be the sole platform for education and communication. Therefore, RenWeb will only be used to log grades. All assignments, due dates and class assessments will be uploaded to Google Classroom. Students will only visit RenWeb to check their grades.
All lessons for Monday, March 30 – Friday, April 3 will be available on Google Classroom by 10:00 p.m. on Sunday, March 29.
Google Classroom lessons will consist of:
1. Google Classroom Assignments
All assignments and assessments will be included on the assignments section on Google Classroom. (Ex. Ch. 10 assignment. Students are to complete Q 1-10 covering progressive nouns.)
2. Due Dates
Due dates and times will be clearly applied to every assignment. These will appear on your students’ calendar and homepage shown in each ‘class tile.’
3. Communication through ‘Stream’ on Google Classroom
Teachers will post to the Google Classroom to communicate to the class as a whole (remind about assignments, due dates, inform of a change, etc). The Classroom Stream is the first page a student sees when they click on an individual class tile.
Homework
It is our goal to provide a quality educational experience without the need for students or teachers to be on their computer screen all day! Thus, class assignments and homework will be intentional. Teachers will garner feedback from their students each week to establish completion times in order to make adjustments moving forward.
| HOMEWORK | |
|---|---|
| Middle School Homework Policy | Homework assignments should be completed by the due date. If an assignment is not turned in by the assigned date, the assignment may be turned in by the beginning of class the following day for up to 75% credit. If an assignment is missed on the 2nd day, the student will not receive any credit for the assignment. The student will not have to make-up the assignment, they will simply not receive the credit. |
| High School Homework Policy | Homework assignments should be completed by the due date. If an assignment is not turned in by the assigned date, late work is subject to the classroom teacher’s policy as approved by the administration. |
Testing
Our Extended Remote Learning Strategy promotes the quality of assessments over the quantity of assessments. Every assessment will serve as a “mastery of skills” and not to boost grades. Multiple learning opportunities will be provided for students to achieve mastery of the subject matter.
We understand it is critical to create a learning environment where students feel comfortable and challenged, but not overly stressed. Therefore, reliance on grades will be significantly reduced.
| TESTING & ASSESSMENTS | |
|---|---|
| Testing Policy | All students are to take tests during their assigned class period or Independent Study time. Teachers should communicate with Coach Hall and Mr. Stewart immediately if a student misses a test. |
| Testing & Student Assessment | On average, teachers should create tests that can be completed during the 30 minute class block. If a test will take longer to complete than the 30 minute class time, it will be scheduled during Independent Study time. The 30 minute class period will be used as a review period for the test. Only one test will be allowed per Independent Study time. |
| Testing on Google Classrooms | Teachers (except math) will create assessments through Google Classroom. Teachers will provide detailed instructions of when tests are and how students access the test. All tests will be assigned to specific dates and times. If a student is not punctual to their planned test, they will lose significant time. It is critical for students to be aware of test dates and times, as time limits will be applied to all assessments. |
| Final Exams | We plan to administer cumulative final exams. It has been decided NOT to offer exemptions this year. We understand content will be heavily weighted to the 3rd quarter. The exam schedule will be communicated at a later date. |
| AP Classes | AP classes and testing are subject to decisions made by the College Board. At this time AP classes will meet as normal according to the online schedule. Further information regarding AP classes and testing will be provided to AP students when it is provided by the College Board. |
Communication
Google Classroom will be the main form of communication with students. All class assignments, due dates and changes will be communicated through the Google Classroom.
- Group Communication: Teachers will communicate all classroom activities and announcements through the Google Classroom Stream.
- Individual Communication: Students can email teachers to ask questions or to set up individual help sessions.
- Parent Communication: Parents are welcome to email teachers with questions as normal.
Other Questions
| REMOTE LEARNING FAQ's | |
|---|---|
| What if we have a question regarding a Remote Learning class or assignment? | Please contact the teacher with questions regarding their classes and assignments. If you have questions regarding CAC's COVID-19 plan or policy, please contact Mr. Stewart (astewart@cacmustangs.org) or Ms. Brackins (rbrackins@cacmustangs.org) |
| What happens if my student does not have a class period or has a subject that is not scheduled to meet online? | Students can classify the period as a study hall but have no responsibility to attend a class period during that time. If possible, we advocate for students to work ahead on other assignments or use the time to enjoy reading a book. |
| Is CAC providing students with devices? | Yes! We have set up a Device Loan Program. Click Here for instructions. |
| What are the student attendance requirements? | We highly encourage students to attend online classes according to their schedule. Assignments will have due dates, time limits and will be graded. Regular attendance will not be taken, yet accountability will be achieved through assignment completion. |
| What about activities and athletics? | All school activities and athletic events are postponed or canceled through April 17. Campus principals will communicate with parents regarding specific CAC events. Events and activities are being reviewed on a case by case basis. Athletics will be subject to AAA mandates. |