Home/Hybrid Learning Overview

Scheduling in Phase 3 is more complex as we need to adhere to health and safety protocols regarding the number of students in the building at one time (the A and B cohorts) and how many individuals a student can be in contact with within a school day.  Students are in two cohorts--their A/B cohort and their class cohort.  Students will attend all three classes with the same students each day.

*Note: For Phase 1 Home Learning, cohorts are not used but are put in place so that as soon as in person learning is allowed the transition is smooth.

Middle school students will take three (3) classes per quarter, for a total of six (6) classes a semester. With that said, we recognize that literacy and math support for students must be continuous throughout the course of the year, even if one of their 3x3 blocks is not literacy or math focused. Therefore, we will provide students with online math (Dreambox) and literacy (iReady) support in addition to their block classes throughout the year. These supports will be in our Advisory Block each morning.  Additionally, students may engage in social emotional lessons during this time as well.  This will give students a robust academic experience without overwhelming them with too much content in an online environment.

No, students will not be asked to complete work outside of the school day.  All work should be completed during the work time provided within the block each day or on Monday.

The advisory block is the first 30 minutes of the day on Tuesday through Friday. 
During this time:

• Students will engage in social emotional learning activities or community building activities with their Block 1 teacher in Platt or their CoOp teacher in CHOICE on Tuesdays
• Students will practice skills using Dreambox (math) or iReady (reading) for the course they do not have that quarter on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays

The amount of time students will spend on a chromebook each day will vary depending on the content and lesson being taught that day.  Students will attend live, synchronous, lessons with their teachers to start each block.  Once the lesson is complete, students will engage in independent work, collaborative work, re-teaching sessions, 1:1 interventions, or other forms of engagement.  Teachers will be available to students during the whole block; however, the block will be divided into smaller segments.

Yes, all students will have access to elective classes.  Enrollment in Spanish, Band and Orchestra are prioritized as these courses build on one another and impact course selection in high school.  Due to keeping students in cohorts, students may not receive their first choice for semester electives (art, outdoor education, PE, Design Tech, etc.).  Students will be enrolled in the following classes:

• Platt 6th grade students - 5 core classes (LA, Reading, Math, Social Studies, Science) and 1 elective class

• Platt 7th and 8th grade students - 4 core classes (LA, Math, Social Studies, Science) and 2 elective classes.  Students may also be in a PE or Health class in one of their elective spots.

• CHOICE 6th, 7th and 8th grade students - 4 core classes (LA, Math, Social Studies, Science) and 2 elective classes

Many of you have asked why Monday is still a teacher prep day even in Phase 1. We need to have a solid foundation in home learning, as it will be a major component of Phases 1-4. 

Additionally, Monday Launch Day is important because:

• Teachers will have the opportunity to participate in professional learning and plan time for the week 
  • Note: Typically, teachers have plan time throughout the week, but in this phase Monday is the only plan time they will have.
• Teachers will have time to collaborate with their colleagues (virtually or in-person) to create more engaging online content & lessons
• Parents and students will know what is expected of them for the remainder of the week and how to receive additional support if needed
• Teachers will have uploaded their class content into the Learning Management System (Schoology) for the week. 
  • Throughout the course of the year, this will be beneficial to families as it allows students to access their content anytime, even as we move into in-person learning opportunities. 

In accordance with Colorado State Law and BVSD Policy, during electronic and remote instruction, students can demonstrate attendance in the following ways:

• Presence during in-person instruction;
• Lessons/units/assignments completed at home;
• Logging into the online learning platform;
• Signing an online form attesting to work completed at home;
• Student demonstration of learning; and/or
• Responding to teacher emails or communication.

Student attendance is directly tied to what the student accomplishes and/or produces each week. The assignments completed or  participation in synchronous virtual lessons are evidence that a student has been in attendance.  Attendance will be taken each Monday by 3:00 for the previous week.

While attendance is not required in every virtual classroom session, if students do not attend, they will miss valuable instruction and support opportunities.  We highly encourage all students to attend each class session daily.

Grades will be updated weekly within IC using the Platt and CHOICE Standards Based Grading system. All assignments, learning materials and resources will be made available in Schoology.

Please note: teachers may use other online tools such as Google Classroom, but this content will also be linked in Schoology to ensure families only need to access one platform for all their learning needs.

Teachers will…

• Engage students in Virtual/In-person* Classrooms 4 day a week for each class period
• Establish and enforce norms for online learning sessions
• Provide timely and specific feedback to students and parents - both academic and SE
• Post a weekly overview by 3:00 pm every Monday
• Post grades by 3:00 pm every Monday
• Take weekly attendance by 3:00 pm every Monday
• Reply to phone calls and emails within next school day

Notes:
*In-person Classrooms are only available during Phase 2+ Hybrid Learning

Students will...

• Log on to Schoology for each class every day to check for assignments and updates from the teachers
• Join virtual*/in-person** classrooms for each class every day. 
• Be engaged in discussions and learning activities 
• Complete assignments in the time frame given by the teacher
• Advocate for your needs - reach out to teachers, counselors or administrators if you need support
• Follow all dress code guidelines when meeting in virtual classrooms or 1:1 with teachers
• Be responsible and respectful digital citizens

Notes:
* Students should join virtual classrooms from a public location in their home.
**During Phase 2+ Hybrid Learning, students will attend in-person learning two days per week where they physically go to school based on their assigned cohorts.

Parents will…

• Support students in making a daily and weekly schedule
• Support students in having a quiet working station
• Encourage students to email teachers with questions or concerns
• Partner with teachers if any questions arise
• Review expectations with their students to promote an engaging and respectful learning environment