GMG
plans to offer accommodations for remote or online learning if a child, another resident of the child’s residence, or one of the child’s regular caretakers has a significant health condition that increases their risk of COVID-19. Other requests for online learning may be approved on a case-by-case basis. If the district is doing in-person learning (as currently expected), we plan to support students that may be gone short-term (generally speaking, a couple weeks or less) through options such as Google classroom, Seesaw,
and other online supports from each classroom teacher
.
If a parent is planning to keep their child at home long-term due to a health or other reason as listed, the district will seek to accommodate families, primarily through providing a computer and access to a state-approved online learning course provider. The program we are partnering with to provide coursework is called Edgenuity
, and has been approved by the state as meeting Iowa standards. GMG
will provide a laptop to students in the program, and have a staff member available to work with students and families to register for courses, and available to help monitor student progress and engage with students and families in problem-solving issues that may arise. Students and their families can progress through the classes at any time of day at a pace that will work for their family schedule. Students will just have to complete the modules required for the semester or full-year of each course for attendance, grading, and granting of credit.
Students who chose this option will also have access to the School Lunch Program and will be able to pickup breakfast and lunch if they so choose. If the student choosing this mode of learning qualifies for free and reduced lunch status and doesn't have internet access at home, arrangements will be made by the district to ensure the student has internet connectivity. Special Education Services will also be provided by the school district for those students with unique learning needs.
Those families wishing to participate in this online program must make that commitment for a semester at a time for high school students, and a quarter at a time for elementary/junior high students. We require this type of commitment due to many factors, including the ability to award credit, the cost of the program, the ability to successfully integrate students back into an in-person learning environment in the following quarter, semester, or school year, and the ability to track attendance.
Families choosing this option will go through the traditional registration process, but are asked to contact your child's building principal by email or phone no later than August 17, in order to make a request for this online learning option.