Dear MERHS Families,
Following please find the “Plan for Extended Closure” for MERHS faculty, students, and families. Individual teachers will be reaching out to students with the plans for their individual classes. The goal of this plan is to provide a continuity of education during the school closure. Certainly distance learning is not optimal, but continuing to provide supplemental enrichment activities for MERHS students is our goal. We realize that there will be obstacles as we begin this work. Students, parents and faculty members will need to be patient with the process. As obstacles arise we will problem solve.
The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education provided guidance that we should not be attempting to replicate what students would learn while in school. Rather, the goal should be to provide daily work and preserve existing skills as much as possible. Students should not be expected to spend the length of a school day online doing school work.
After meeting with the Department of Education, some of the language in our initial planning has been adapted. Throughout the document below you will note phrases such as “Supplemental Enrichment Activities” and “Learning Experiences.” As stated above, it is important to understand that distance learning is not optimal and our focus should be on the continuity of skills. At this time, we will not be grading work. Teachers should provide specific feedback to students to reinforce their learning. We will start by focusing on the completion of work, not the grading of work. We will document the completion of work by putting an “X” in the gradebook. Although the X in the past has indicated that the assignment was waived, from this point forward it will indicate the work is complete. Please note this will be an evolving experience which may require adjustment as we learn more.
Supplemental enrichment activities will commence on Wednesday. This will provide the time for teachers to adjust their practice as necessary. Special Education students will receive a separate correspondence that will provide them with resources for support on Tuesday or Wednesday.
In effort to make this more manageable for students and faculty, teachers will post every other day. Social Studies, Science and electives will begin posting on Wednesday. Math, English and Foreign Language will post beginning on Thursday. This pattern will continue throughout the closure. I have attached a calendar listed posting dates for the month of March. On Wednesday and Thursday, students will receive correspondence from his/her teachers about next steps for each class.
For families that do not have wifi in their homes, Comcast is providing free 60 day access to the internet. Details can be found below. Students needing a device should email me by 7pm on Monday. Please keep in mind that we have a limited number of devices available to loan, and would like to make them available to the families in greatest need. Computers will be available between 10am and 11am on Tuesday. More information will be sent directly to families borrowing a device. There will be no access to the building.
During this extended closure, we will continue to review the impact of this type of delivery of experiences to students and their grade point averages. We will be flexible in our response to this work and make adjustments as necessary. We will make decisions that are in the best interest of the students.
The Department of Education has not provided guidance pertaining to Grade 10 MCAS at this time.
Also, here, please find information related to access to lunch for students in need.
Patricia Puglisi
School Principal, M-E Regional High School
