Arcadia This Week 3/15/2021
Hello, Arcadia families,
Here is what’s up at Arcadia this week!
Monday, 3/15: Day 5
Tuesday, 3/16: Day 6
Wednesday, 3/17: Day 1
Thursday, 3/18: Day 2
Friday, 3/19: Day 3--Last Day of 3rd Quarter
Upcoming Schedule and Model Update
Rice County COVID case rate numbers are back up over 20, at 21.74/10,000 in a two week period. However, it appears this rise is connected to a specific outbreak, not general community spread.
March 19: End of Third Quarter
March 22-29: Spring Break
March 29-30: Staff Planning Days
March 31st-April 2nd: Distance Learning
March 31st: First day of Fourth Quarter
April 5: In-person model begins (most classes remain online)
April 9 and 16; May 7 and 14: Asynchronous Days
April 27: Midterm
May 28: Last day of Fourth Quarter
June 1: First day of “May” Term
June 10: Last Day of School and Graduation! (Graduation will be held in the backyard at Arcadia the evening of June 10 for graduates and their families.)
Thank you for your thoughtful responses to the learning model survey last week. I appreciate everyone’s participation; it was extremely helpful in making our 4th Quarter plans!
Here are trends that emerged:
--Safety is still a top priority for families, regardless of the model. Many prefer to wait until vaccines are more widely available before sending their children to the building. For those interested in coming to the building, stricter adherence to 6’ distancing, despite schools’ permission to go to 3’, is preferred.
--35.5% of families prefer to stay in online/distance learning, regardless of the model.
--Families prefer a model that gives them the flexibility to make the best decisions for their unique situations.
--Many students are craving contact with teachers and peers; the mental health of students has been negatively impacted by isolation.
Our model for fourth quarter reflects our desire to meet these needs to the best of our ability. Here is the plan.
The first three days of 4th quarter are March 31st-April 2nd, and all students and staff will stay home those days (distance learning). This is to give people who may have traveled over break the opportunity to quarantine. Here are the CDC guidelines related to travel. (They recommend we avoid it.)
All students will be welcome to return every day starting on April 5th. All staff, with only a couple of approved exceptions, will be in the building. Students can come to the building every day, or on a schedule they establish with us, if they prefer a hybrid model. (This cannot be random--we need to have established what days/weeks/times will be in person and what days/weeks/times will be online.) Other students will remain in distance learning, and that’s just fine, too.
To accommodate the significant number of students who plan to remain in distance learning, the primary mode for most classes will still be online--with the exception of at least three afternoon electives, and a possible fourth offering. Outdoor Activities (better known as Not Study Hall) is now open to both MS and HS students; and the Field Games and Writing Circle electives will also be offered in person (and outdoors, for those who chose outdoors only). We may offer hand drumming in person and outdoors, as well, during the 2:00pm work time (not every day--we are still working this out).
MS students in the building will stay in the ROR/Lamarr and Tesla cohorts. They will continue to enter through the back of the building. If we need additional space for MS students, we will move the Tesla cohort to Tubman (a larger room).
HS students will be in the Blue Advisory with Tami and Angela. HS students will enter through the front door. If we need additional space, we may add some desks to Red Advisory.
All of the in-person classes will be offered during 6th period, so those who wish to come in for only those classes are able to come during lunch time. If you want to come for the elective and stay for the remainder of the afternoon, that is a possibility, or you can be picked up by 2:00pm, if you have chosen to do outdoor only activities.
We are setting up two classrooms with the equipment to potentially offer some classes in person and online simultaneously, but again, remember that students will definitely be online to access lessons, complete work, and interact with their distance learning peers. Students in the building will still spend much of their day on the computer for classes, especially if they don’t choose one of the in-person electives. The advantage is that they will also have in-person access to their teachers and peers.
We are working to give families as much flexibility as possible. You can make it quite simple (just send your child to school every day as usual), or opt for something a little more complex that works better for your child. Making this work, though, will require a LOT of communication.
To prepare for next quarter, I need you to fill out one more short Learning Model Commitment Survey. Here is the survey: https://forms.gle/NoJpWm42hY3tM1pq7
Please fill out the survey by March 26th. I will need a response from every family. Thank you!
Announcements
Gertens Fundraiser: Orders Due April 5
Don’t forget to order plants! If you need me to resend any information, please let me know (lstelter@arcadiacharterschool.org).
MCA and ACCESS Testing
We will be doing MCA testing at the end of April/early May, and ACCESS testing in early April. Please watch for an email with additional information.
Attendance Form
Please report attendance-related information (appointments, illness) through our website, even during distance learning! Go to “Current Families” and then “ Report an Absence.” You can fill out as much as is relevant. If your child is ill, please make sure to report symptoms, as we are required to track a lot of information on illness this year! If you’d rather just save a link to the form somewhere accessible to you, here is a link to the form.
Upcoming Events
March 16, 6:30-8:30pm: Arcadia Board meeting
(online: https://meet.google.com/tmk-nfcx-szi
Or join by phone: (US) +1 513-796-6467 PIN: 493 475 105#)
March 19: End of the Third Quarter
March 22-29: Spring Break
March 31: First day of Fourth Quarter (online)
Sincerely,
