Reopening Plans for the Fall
Dear Lovelady ISD Parents & Guardians,
I would like to provide you with an update regarding our reopening plans for the fall. During the most recent address provided by Governor Abbott he stated Texas students will return to school this fall. Following this release superintendents received notification from the Commissioner of Education indicating we would receive guidance soon regarding the necessary COVID protocol required to safely bring kids back in our buildings. However, due to the increased numbers in COVID cases across the state the Commissioner opted to delay the release of this guidance until later this week.
Based on the most current information all Texas public schools will be challenged with offering both an online and traditional option to our students for the fall semester. Although we are waiting on some much-needed guidance I wanted to share with you what we know at this point so you may begin discussing which option may fit your family best.
Parents will be given a choice of enrolling your child in our online program to receive instruction at home or enroll in our traditional on campus instructional model with COVID safety protocol in place. We are currently being told these two options will be made available through the fall semester only. Extending these options for the spring semester will be decided by the state. Different online models were outlined by the Commissioner and specific guidance was given to districts for how the online models must be structured. Based on our limited internet service within the Lovelady ISD school district boundaries, the limited number of devices available to our students, and our lack of video technology available to our teachers, we will only be able to offer one online model which is described below. Whereas many larger districts in less rural areas will be able to offer multiple online options to students. These online models are described by the state as asynchronous and synchronous. Lovelady ISD will only be able to offer the asynchronous option for online learning. This model will still offer high quality instruction to our students and follow the same curriculum as our traditional in-person students will be following. Attendance will be taken daily for both available options offered by Lovelady ISD.
Our district will utilize Google Classroom as our online platform. All students, no matter which option you choose, will be trained to confidently use this system. In the event a short-term closure is needed or a possible quarantine situation occurs we need all teachers and students to be able to shift quickly to this system in order to maintain instructional continuity.
While we await answers and guidance from the Texas Education Agency, our administrative team along with our amazing teachers have been working diligently to develop and plan for our online learning program as well as anticipated COVID safety protocol plans for our in-person traditional option. A detailed guidance document will soon be released to describe how each model will look. Once the final details are released for you to view on our website, a link will be made available for you to identify which option you will be enrolling your child in. Again, releasing any final plans will be contingent upon the highly anticipated guidance from the state.
· Option 1- Traditional (Available to All Students):
In-Person Face-to-Face Instruction: Students will receive instruction in a traditional school setting in classrooms on campus. This option will include all of the new health protocols such as social distancing, possible face coverings, separation of specific groups as much as possible, staggered scheduling etc. Extensive sanitizing schedules and regiments will be implemented as well.
Traditional is best suited for students who need daily face-to face instruction from teachers and families who do not have childcare or supervision available to them.
· Option 2- Online Instruction from Home (Available to All Students):
Asynchronous/Flexible Online: Instruction will be provided online by our Lovelady ISD teachers and made available through our “Google Classroom” platform. This option offers a flexible schedule with intermittent teacher support. Students will be required to participate daily, attendance will be taken daily, and all of the same assignment and assessment requirements must still be met. Teachers will be responsible for providing assignments
one week in advance in the online portal to keep both groups of students on the same pacing schedule. Plans will be made with individual students for assessments to be taken.
Suitable for students with an ability to succeed in a less structured remote learning environment. More parental involvement will be required, especially for younger students. Parents wishing to limit exposure due to health concerns but unable to choose our traditional model may find this model more suitable. Students in grades Pre-K, K, and 1st will be provided with a combination of paper packets and online resources. Specific details for these lower grade levels will be provide by our teachers and a system put in place for returning work.
As we look ahead to the 2020-2021 school year we understand with the abrupt closure situation in the spring and the many hurdles families have been faced with throughout this Pandemic, student may likely have instructional gaps in their learning. Once again through either model we are committed to get our students back on track. When you make a choice for Lovelady ISD to educate your children, you are making a choice to provide your child with a high-quality education from a highly qualified staff who are committed to developing well-rounded confident individuals.
Please stay safe an continue to follow the CDC guidelines to keep everyone in our community well. You will be notified via our message board system once the detailed plans are released. In the meantime, we wish everyone well and hope you enjoy the rest of your summer. The staff members here at Lovelady ISD cannot wait to see our students again!
Thank you,