APS has decided for instructional purposes schools will not reconvene after the April 30th
date. Aurora Academy is in agreement. Therefore
we will continue remote learning for the remainder of the school year.
More information will come in regard to end of year graduations as well
as a time for students to not only return their Chromebooks but to pick
up remaining personal items. Our school district
superintendents really have said it best. Please see below.
Sincerely,
Amy Hoen, Principal
Dear Community Members,
As many of
you know, upon becoming aware of the spread of COVID-19 in Colorado and
the myriad concerns inherent, school superintendents took action
several weeks ago to protect students, staff and
the community. We have been working hard to provide leadership guidance
to families throughout Colorado. As school superintendents, we consult
and collaborate many times each day to share thinking and to problem
solve as a regional group.
Two days
ago, on April 1, Governor Polis announced extended closures of schools
in Colorado through April 30, 2020. Over the past several weeks, we have
spoken regularly and often to public health
officials and state officials to better understand the timeline and path
forward for the year, both with regard to COVID-19 and “traditional”
school year expectations. We understand that there are not specific
answers to exactly how and when we return to “life
as normal” during this unprecedented health crisis. Given that, we must
rely upon our best judgement and place safety above all else.
What is
clear is that there will not be definitive, universal guidance to
proceed as normal. Rather, there will be a gradual lifting of
restrictions and a step by step return to normalcy. What we
do know is that once the “Stay at Home” orders are lifted, we will
continue to have restrictions on social distancing and the size of group
gatherings for at least several weeks, if not months. Given the nature
of a school environment (classrooms, passing periods,
buses, playgrounds, etc.), these restrictions are not practical within
the school setting. As such, there does not appear to be a viable way
for us to convene traditional in-person learning this school year.
Collectively
we believe, and are making the decision, that in the best interest of
the children, staff, and the communities that we serve, our schools will
remain closed to in-person learning
for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year.
A
significant consideration in making this decision today is guidance from
the respective health departments serving our districts. Many models
currently show that the impact of COVID-19 is likely
to peak in the last week of April. Even once COVID-19 reaches its peak
in Colorado, we know that there will be an equivalent amount of time
after the peak in which the virus continues to pose a significant
threat. The continued safety and public health risk
this presents for our students, staff, families and communities moves us
to take the step of extended closure to in-person learning through the
balance of the school year.
Additionally,
providing a concrete direction now with regard to in-person learning
for the duration of the school year allows us to focus our energy and
attention to addressing questions and concerns,
rather than ongoing uncertainty. It will also allow us, as school
district leaders, to shift to a proactive stance in that we can begin to
plan for completing the current year remotely, and returning to school
in August when we are able to joyfully welcome
our students, staff and families back into our buildings.
Making
this decision was extremely difficult. We do believe, however, that this
is the right decision given all of the information that we have
received from health experts and state officials. Our
teams have been hard at work developing quality remote learning
opportunities for our students. Please know that the health and safety
of our students, staff and families is paramount. We believe that
finishing this school year through remote learning is one
of the most effective ways in which we can do our part to avoid exposing
anyone to unnecessary risk.
Dear AACS Families,
Tomorrow morning kicks off our first week of online/remote learning. I think we’re all looking for a sense of normalcy in our day-to-day routine. Here’s some advice I gave to one of our middle school students:
"You’re probably navigating this better than you realize. Don't worry about trying to catch each teacher live. Read through what your assignments are for the week. If you have questions, prioritize those classes/teachers and be sure to tune in for their live stream or their "office hours" in order to ask questions. I'm asking students to have assignments turned in by Friday. Let's see where we are by Thursday. I'll check back in with you and see how it went. You got this!”
I think all of our families can apply this. Catch as many live streams as you can. You may not see each one each day but the recorded stream will be posted in that teacher’s classroom. See how many assignments your child can complete and submit by the end of this week. Give it your best go this week and we will re-evaluate towards the end of the week.
Please remember to have your student login to their homeroom teachers meet tomorrow at 8:00 am where everyone will hear online behavior expectations.
This is period of flexibility and patience. We will continue to reflect and adjust as needed. I am meeting with staff members weekly to discuss their areas of concerns and to work through questions they may have.
Also please note, I have asked our tech specialist to shut down Chromebook usage from the hours of 11:00 pm – 7:00 am.
It’s going to be okay. We will get through this next wave. As always, please feel free to email me. If you need tech support, email helpdesk@aacademy.org.
Amy Hoen, Principal
__________________________________________________________________________
Dear AACS Families,
I can’t begin to tell you how much it lifted my spirits seeing so many of you during Chromebook pickup. It was a highlight of the last two weeks getting to wave at all of you as you drove by and even chatting from a distance with some of you. It’s so amazing that out of 518 students, we only have 39 Chromebooks remaining in carts. With that said, if you were unable to get your student(s)’ Chromebook(s), please email me directly. I am happy to make arrangements with each remaining family on an individual basis to get that taken care of. Also, if you are choosing to use a device you have at home, let me know that too. However, please be advised that working from a phone is not going to be the best solution. If that’s your only option, I am strongly urging you to set a time with me to retrieve your child’s Chromebook.
Chromebook Expectations
All students and parents in grades 2-8 signed the technology agreement at the beginning of the year. These same rules apply now and they also apply to all kindergarten and 1st grade students. You can find that agreement under the parents tab.
* Use the Chromebook respectfully. No food or drink around it, carry it with both hands, do not allow other siblings to use your Chromebook.
*Families are monetarily responsible for damaged Chromebooks.
Remote Learning Expectations
Teachers are hard at work having remote meetings to create schedules and clarify what my expectations are during this time. By the end of this week, you will receive communication from each teacher about what’s to come. Online learning will officially kick off on Monday, March 30th.
* Students are to log in to their Google Classroom(s) daily and work on posted assignments.
* Students are expected to submit weekly assignments by Friday.
*We do expect your support in reinforcing the value of continuing our students’ education during this time.
What can you expect?
Teachers will
*Send out weekly newsletters
*Post assignments weekly
*Provide feedback on assignments
*Hold consistent “office hours”
*Create opportunities for students to engage with one or more of them live at least once per week
Tech assistance can be provided by submitting a helpdesk ticket to helpdesk@aacademy.org.
Thank you for your support as we experience this journey together.
Amy Hoen, Principal