Transitioning to Remote Learning

March 29, 2020

In this update:

• Next steps in education
• Maintenance of Learning Survey coming early this week
• Remote Learning Plans for Students on Individual Education Plans (IEPs)
• Food Service Links

As you all know, Governor Scott recently announced that we will not return to in-person schooling the remainder of the school year. This news has saddened us all. Students, please know that we all miss spending time with you in our hallways, classrooms, cafeterias, buses, and athletic fields. We miss your smiles, your laughter, your curiosity, and your intellect. It’s easy to argue our schools are the souls of our communities.

While it’s understandable to be grieving this loss of school as we know it, it’s important to remember we are all still here for one another. It isn’t the buildings that make our schools so special; it’s the people in them. Those people are hard at work for you. They are learning new ways to support, teach, and inspire you. We cannot allow the distance between us to erode the strong bonds we have so carefully created together, one relationship at a time.

The Agency of Education is requiring all districts to transition from what you’ve all been experiencing this past week (Maintenance of Learning Phase) to Remote Learning by April 13, 2020. This means the focus shifts from an emphasis on preventing regression to an emphasis on continuous learning. This also means teachers, staff members, and administrators will be preparing new learning for the remainder of the school year. We will need the time between now and April 13 to learn, collaborate, design, and communicate, all while continuing to support the Maintenance of Learning phase.

Maintenance of Learning Survey

Families of students in our PreK-8 schools will receive a survey early this week from your school. CVU students were asked to complete this late last week. If you have more than one child in our schools, we request that you fill out the survey separately for each child, We encourage you to involve your child(ren) in completing the survey. Their voice matters. The survey will help inform us as we transition to the next phase. Please complete the survey as soon as possible, but by Thursday at the very latest.

Remote Learning Plans for Students on Individual Education Plans (IEPs)

Now that we have a date certain when CVSD schools will transition to Remote Learning, IEP teams will more formally begin the process of developing plans for providing accommodations, supports, and services remotely. As we shared last week, teams have already been working to brainstorm how services and accommodations could occur during this time, in addition to the work already being done to support maintenance of learning. We have also been awaiting guidance from the Agency of Education about any specific formatting requirements for these Plans.

Over the next week or two, case managers will begin reaching out to families to discuss the development of a Remote Learning Plan. This is an additional opportunity to discuss how the Maintenance of Learning phase has gone for students with unique learning needs, including what access supports were successful and what challenges still exist. Please be sure to look for a survey from your school to help gather this information. In addition, your child’s case manager can discuss your child’s more specific needs with you. All of this information will be essential to inform the development of Remote Learning Plans.

As is true for all students (but particularly those with unique learning needs), this time of remote learning will require patience, creative thinking, and different “iterations” of plans as we discover what works and does not work. Rest assured that your teams are working diligently to support your student, just as they do when students are in the building.

Food Service Reminder

Pick-up service continues on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Please click on the link for the most convenient location (regardless of which school your student attends) and fill out your order for the week. CVU students may pick up at any of the locations. https://bit.ly/CVSDRemoteFood

Orders will include both breakfast and lunch. This week we are adding a chef’s salad and homemade Macaroni and Cheese to the lunch entree choices! Each meal includes fresh vegetables, fruit or juice, a snack and choice of milk. Sandwiches can be made gluten-free.

If you have trouble with the form or need any additional assistance in accessing meals, please contact your school or local foodservice director directly. We are here to help!

CVSD Stays Strong

We continue to receive fabulous examples of how we’re staying strong through challenging times. Thank you! Share yours at this link: https://bit.ly/CVSDStrong

View the latest collection submitted by members of our community here: https://youtu.be/-G81BM8aspk

We need each other now, maybe more than ever. We need you to take care of yourselves, take care of your families, and take care of your community. We will do all we can to support you in those efforts, and we will continue to learn, grow, and succeed… together.

The Champlain Valley School District Administration