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District Listserve for 04-06-20-Corona Virus & Remote Learning Update
Published on Apr 6, 2020 13:17

April 6, 2020

 REMOTE LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES NOTIFICATION AND GUIDANCE

Dear Millis parents, guardians and caregivers,

As you know, our school district has presently closed its physical school buildings due to the COVID-19 pandemic. During this period of school closure, the District will be providing students with remote learning opportunities, which may include analog materials, telephone calls, video conferencing, pre-recorded lessons, and other online services. Students are expected to participate in these services if possible, and will be provided with credit on a pass/ fail basis.

Please reach out to us as soon as possible if you anticipate or become aware of any issues with your child accessing the remote opportunities provided by the District.

In accordance with state and federal laws, including the Massachusetts Wiretapping Act and FERPA, parents and students must refrain from recording any and all remote lessons.  Exceptions may be made on an individual basis due to special circumstances, and only with the consent of everyone involved in the lesson. In addition, while parents/ guardians are permitted to observe online instruction in a non-disruptive manner, to the extent that remote learning opportunities provide access to confidential student information, all participants agree, by participating in this remote learning opportunity, to refrain from disseminating any confidential student information about other student participants with any and all third parties. By participating in the remote learning opportunities, consent to this request is hereby provided.

Similarly, we ask everyone in our school community to recognize that video conferences and other online services will be taking place in the homes of the educators and students who participate in the calls, and to be mindful of everyone’s right to privacy. To that end, we remind our students to dress appropriately and choose an appropriate location in their home from which to participate in any and all remote learning opportunities, particularly those with a video component. Parents/ guardians should take all precautions to safeguard personal or private information that they do not wish to be disclosed. Teachers will not be recording the video session and will remind students and their families that they also are not allowed to record, share or post any photos, screenshots, or videos from any video sessions.

Students will be expected to behave in accordance with school rules of conduct while participating in remote instruction. Cyber-bullying, harassment, discrimination, and abuse of the remote learning process will not be tolerated and may result in suspension from remote learning, as well as additional consequences when school resumes. The District also encourages its staff and students alike to limit disruptions to remote lessons to the extent feasible (while also recognizing that sometimes pets, small children, and technical difficulties cannot be prevented from disrupting a lesson that happens at home).

Special education teachers, ELL/ SEI teachers, and individual service providers will be in contact with parents/ guardians of students with specialized learning needs regarding  necessary modifications to the remote instruction opportunities offered to other members of an individual student’s class, as well as to discuss direct and group service provision. 

The following learning management services are available to students as part of the District’s remote learning opportunities. Different grades may use different applications. For more information regarding other software and application used see: https://sites.google.com/millisschools.org/millis-updates/home

Grades K-12

  •  Google Meet 
  • Google Classroom
  • itslearning

Parents/ guardians may choose to request that analog materials be provided as a substitute to online lessons, to the extent feasible.

By accessing these services, the District recognizes that you and your child consent to access online instruction and agree to fully comply with the requirements of this letter.

We appreciate your time and attention to this notice.

Sincerely,

Nancy Gustafson

Superintendent of Millis Public Schools

http://www.millis.k12.ma.us/common/pages/DisplayFile.aspx?itemId=42226851

 

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On March 25, Governor Baker announced that schools in Massachusetts would not re-open before May 4, 2020. Following that announcement, the MA Department of Secondary and Elementary Education issued some additional guidance to school districts around the state on educating students in this new context. During the initial weeks in Millis, our focus has been to provide additional alternative enrichment learning opportunities for our students. These learning experiences were not intended to replicate the regular school day but rather offer an opportunity to provide continuity of learning and connectedness for our students. As we move into April, the Millis Public Schools has utilized the DESE recommendations to develop this instructional plan.

 Commissioner of Education, Jeff Riley stated in his March 26, 2020 Memo, “Remote learning cannot replace students’ experiences in school communities with their teachers, administrators, and support staff.” We know that we cannot replicate a typical school day for students working at home during this time, however our goal is to help students continue to learn and grow so they continue to develop the skills and competencies they have been introduced to this year. Students should be given opportunities to engage in meaningful learning activities that continue to develop skills and competencies through online assignments or project-based learning, including exploring topics of interest to them.

In addition to the remote learning model, the Commissioner’s memo included guidance on the following :

Focus on the holistic needs of the educational community:

  •  The safety and well-being of students, families, and staff has been and must continue to be our top priority as an educational community. The Millis Public Schools are providing breakfast and lunch meals to any student who would benefit. Also, teachers and other staff focus on reaching out and connecting to address students’ socio-emotional well-being.
  • This crisis disproportionately affects our most vulnerable students in terms of their physical and mental health, as well as academically. Equity needs to be a top consideration. The Millis Public Schools are providing devices or internet connection for students to access remote learning if they do not have these in their homes.
  •  Maintaining connections between school staff and students is paramount, particularly for the most vulnerable members of our school communities. 

Recommendations for remote learning:

  •  DESE recommends supporting students with meaningful and productive learning for approximately half the length of a regular school day via a combination of educator-directed learning and student self-directed learning. The Millis Public Schools are offering age appropriate, grade specific learning opportunities for all students to meet this recommendation of the DESE.
  •  The main focus will be on mastery of  skills already taught this school year and applying and deepening these skills. Since Millis schools have personalized learning to a good degree, remote learning experiences going forward will be personalized to the extent possible with a focus on the Power Standards that are essential for future learning.
  •  Experiences will vary depending on student age, individual and family needs, access and capacity for remote learning (including access to technology and internet), and the ongoing health of students, families, and staff
  •  We are aware of the effects of increased screen time and seek balance between learning through technology and remote,active learning that happens offline  including exploring the natural world, and engaging hands-on projects and artistic creations that stem from students’ own passions and experiences. Students should continue to complete assignments and Millis teachers will, to the extent practicable, provide feedback on student work

We are fortunate that many of the guiding principles set forth in the Commissioner’s Memo were already being discussed and acted upon beginning mid March when it became evident that we were most likely going to close the schools.  On March 17, 2020  Superintendent Nancy Gustafson’s letter to the community included our commitment of support for continued learning and wellness as well as support to our families with the help of Food Services.  This set the stage for how the Millis Public Schools would begin to address remote learning. 

 Personalized Learning continues by allowing students to choose from options provided and working at their own pace and in their own time. At the Millis Public Schools, we see this as an opportunity for our students to truly become self-directed learners and to take ownership of learning.

We will continue to solicit feedback from students and their families on how students are doing in this new learning environment and how we can best support them.  We know that some families are not able to assist with remote learning for various reasons. It is important that students and their families let us know of any circumstances that make remote learning difficult for them.  Please let us know how we can help.

 http://www.millis.k12.ma.us/common/pages/DisplayFile.aspx?itemId=42226849 

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Please click on the link below to see a letter from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education 

http://www.millis.k12.ma.us/common/pages/DisplayFile.aspx?itemId=42226845

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Please click on the link below to see a letter from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education in Spanish

http://www.millis.k12.ma.us/common/pages/DisplayFile.aspx?itemId=42226847
 

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