Barnwell School District 45 Reopening Plans

Virtual Program

To meet the changing needs of our community, Barnwell School District 45 is providing a K-12 Virtual Program. This program will be provided by Barnwell School District 45 teachers who will conduct live-streamed/recorded, interactive lessons and provide virtual support during the school day for students who choose to learn from home due to concerns over COVID-19 or in response to a temporary family situation. Students must commit to a normal daily instructional schedule, will earn grades according to class and school grading expectations, and will receive timely teacher feedback in response to classwork or homework. For credit bearing courses, the Uniform Grading Policy will be followed.

Because providing a virtual program requires adjustments to the schedules, we are asking parents to commit to a full semester of virtual instruction. Should restrictions surrounding the COVID-19 virus be lifted, the virtual program may be suspended after one semester. Families have received the virtual program agreement and are finalizing those decisions now.

Students will be permitted to participate in activities such as band and athletics even if they choose the virtual option. You will need to contact your school to arrange for your student(s) to participate in these courses and programs face-to-face.

We are doing our best to offer as many credit bearing courses (high school) as possible. However, some courses will not be able to be offered due to the hands-on nature of the course or due to state restrictions. If a student has a course on their schedule that cannot be offered, you will be contacted so you can make an informed decision.

Students will remain on the roll of their regular school and are eligible to participate in extracurricular activities. High school students are eligible to earn a diploma from the high school.

If circumstances surrounding COVID-19 change, virtual participation may not be an option after January 12, 2021.

Parent Portal

Parents are strongly encouraged to create a Parent Portal account for their children. Parent Portal allows collaboration to improve student achievement. Up-to-date, online access to grades, homework, and attendance makes it easier for parents and teachers to accurately monitor student progress. Through Parent Portal, parents and guardians can access the following information:

• Grades and Attendance: detailed overview to locate historical and current grades and attendance by class

• Grades History: displays all recorded final grades and the individual assignments

• Attendance History: display for the semester by period showing any absences or tardies

• E-Mail Notification: establishes your e-mail connection with Barnwell School District 45 for the purpose of receiving the updated reports

• Teacher Comments: displays comments that teachers have entered in PowerTeacher

• Online Enrollment Forms: allows access to district registration forms and allows parents to update PowerSchool information

• IGP Success Viewer: lists individual graduation plans for high school students

• Curriculum Browser: lists courses required for Majors

• My Schedule: displays current student schedule

• School Information: displays contact information

• Account Preferences: allows access to username, passwords and email addresses associated with the account