Dear Families,
There have been many questions regarding what is expected of families during this time. First and foremost, we are in a crisis. This means that mental health and safety is the priority. We understand that every family is dealing with this situation differently. Every home looks different at this time. There is no right or wrong way to handle this. With this being said, we cannot grade children based on the education they are receiving at this time…because it is not standardized.
As principals, we would like to be clear on what we do expect from everyone during this difficult time.
- There will NOT be numerical grades
- The third trimester will be graded as a pass or an incomplete. An incomplete would be determined by the teacher with a principal and parent consultation based on the amount of work and communication completed during this time. As long as an effort is made to work with the classroom teacher, your child will pass.
- When you receive your report card for your child the first two semesters will be complete (as usual). The last semester will be pass/incomplete.
- If your child has struggled this school year (before this crisis) and you would like to discuss retention, please discuss with your child’s teacher and we will proceed from there. There will be no automatic retentions.
- Home-schooling should not exceed two hours per day…and some days it will not even be two hours. You need to do what works best for you.
- Home-schooling should not be only worksheets and pencil/paper tasks. There is learning all around through everyday life skills. If teaching the content is too difficult, always refer back to the skills every child needs: to be a fluent reader, master their math facts, shoe-tying, language, social skills (as limited as the opportunities are now), telling time and counting money.
- You are not expected to teach as a certified teacher. Do your best!
Over all, we are all in the same place. When we get back to school (we are still planning on May 15), we will modify curriculum to fill in the gaps and proceed as needed. This is not something to worry about. We’ve got this. Please do not hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or concerns.
Mrs. Devitt (mdevitt@pioneercsd.org) Mrs. Giannicchi (tgiannicchi@pioneercsd.org )