January 19th, 2021

SCHEDULE UPDATE: In our last communication on 1/7, we shared we would update you today regarding the start of Study Hall. Our team has continued to monitor the state of COVID cases. COVID cases have continued to rise in East Baton Rouge Parish the last 2 weeks. Due to this continued increase, we will not be starting in-person Study Hall yet. We will continue to monitor the data, and we plan to provide another update on February 1st. Virtual Classes will continue as scheduled.

Dear CBR families,

Welcome back from break! We hope you and your family enjoyed a nice holiday and were able to celebrate together in meaningful ways.

With the Governor’s announcing last week a return to Phase 2, I’m writing today to update everyone on our reopening plans.

• Quarter 2 programming will remain unchanged. We will continue with virtual classes and in-person Study Hall. Quarter 2 ends on December 16th.

Quarter 3 instruction will continue to happen virtually. We will continue to offer the in-person Study Hall option to families who choose this option. Quarter 3 begins on January 6th.

PLEASE CLICK TO READ Principal Lambrecht's Letter

January 7th, 2020

SCHEDULE UPDATE: Due to the significant increase in COVID cases throughout the city and state, in-person Study Hall at CBR will not begin on Monday, January 11th. Virtual Classes will continue as scheduled on Monday.

When will Study Hall begin? We want to begin in-person Study Hall as soon as infection rates indicate it is safe to do so. We are monitoring COVID rates daily. We will communicate with you again on Tuesday, January 19th to give an update on the expected Study Hall start date.

November 13th, 2020

Dear Collegiate Baton Rouge Families,

Thank you for your continued support and partnership as we seek to support your child’s learning and growth during the pandemic. Your partnership has been key in helping us grow and improve to best meet needs through virtual classrooms and in-person Study Hall. Please see below for reminders and updates.

PLEASE CLICK TO READ Principal Lambrecht's Letter

November 2nd, 2020

Dear Collegiate Baton Rouge Families,

Thank you for your continued partnership as we learn how to best support students and create meaningful experiences during this pandemic. We are grateful for your support and feedback. As we close Quarter 1 and begin Quarter 2, we want to keep you informed of how we will be approaching grading:

PLEASE CLICK TO READ Principal Lambrecht's Letter

October 16th, 2020

Dear Collegiate Baton Rouge families,

We are looking forward to welcoming your child to our building for an in-person study hall beginning on 10/26! Please read below for important information on the safety protocols we are following on campus, as well as other information you need for a successful return to campus.

Prior to your child’s return to campus, please review our board policy and acknowledge that you have reviewed it by completing this form.

Study Hall Structure:

• During Study Hall, your child will be participating in virtual classes.

• Your student’s teachers will not be in the Study Hall room with your student.

• Study Halls will be monitored by CBR staff members who will rotate through when they are not teaching their virtual classes.

• All instruction and instructional support (like tutoring) will continue to happen virtually.

• Study Hall will provide a quiet and structured space for your student to access virtual classrooms. Study Hall monitors will encourage students to complete work and will assist with technology questions, but will not be providing instruction or answering content-specific questions.

Parent Orientation Sessions

• Two information sessions will be held next week for Parent Orientation prior to the start of in person Study Halls. Parents should plan to attend one of the two session:

  • Wednesday, October 21st, 5:00-5:30pm

  • Thursday, October 22nd, 6:00-6:30pm

• Both sessions can be accessed at this zoom link: http://bit.ly/Q2ParentSession

Schedule and Bus Information:

• Students will attend either Monday and Tuesday or Wednesday and Thursday. All bus information will be communicated to parents via call and text this coming Tuesday and Thursday.

• On days when students are not in person, they should complete their classes from home as they have been doing in Quarter 1.

• Arrival will begin at 8:00 am.

  • If you plan to bring your student to school, they should not arrive before 7:30 AM.

• Dismissal will begin at 3:00 pm.

  • If you plan to bring your child to school, they must depart before 3:15 PM.

• Again, we will call you with your child’s bus stop and time next week.

• If your child is arriving to school by car, please have them remain in the car until we have taken their temperature and completed a health screener.

Safety protocols:

• Students should stay home (and participate in virtual classes if they are able to) if they are sick and/or have symptoms consistent with COVID-19 (cough, fever, body aches, runny nose, sore throat, fatigue, headache, loss of taste or smell, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea) and/or have had contact with someone with a positive COVID-19 diagnosis. Attendance is based on participation in virtual classes, so in cases where your child participates from home, they will still be marked as present.

• If your child has symptoms of COVID-19 and/or someone in your house has tested positive for COVID-19, please contact our front office.

• Students, staff, and visitors must wear masks while on campus.

• Students, staff, and visitors will have their temperature taken and answer health screener questions upon arrival.

• Students and staff will practice hand hygiene and social distancing throughout the day.

• Classroom spaces will be disinfected each day, and high touch surfaces including door handles and restrooms will be disinfected throughout the day.

Uniform and supplies:

• All students attending in-person will be required to wear our standard uniform or follow our dress down guidelines.

  • If a student chooses to wear our standard uniform, they must follow our uniform policy outlined in our Student Handbook.

  • Additional uniforms are available through our vendor, Logo Express.

• Students should bring the following supplies to study hall: ChromeBook (fully charged), ChromeBook charger, headphones, pens/pencils, notebooks, personal water bottle, mask, and any other supplies needed for their classes.

• Students are encouraged to use clear or mesh bags.

Again, we look forward to welcoming your child back to campus. If you have any questions or need additional information, please contact us at 225.892.6962. or review the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on our site.

October 8th, 2020

Click here to see a message from Principal Lambrecht

Dear Collegiate Baton Rouge Families,

I hope you and your family are doing well and staying safe. As we continue through this season and the on-going impacts of COVID-19 in our community, we continue to think of you and your children. We seek to support, encourage, and provide high-quality education during this time. As we head into our Fall Break, I wanted to write today with a handful of updates and reminders.

Click here to finish reading the update

August 5th, 2020

Dear Collegiate Baton Rouge Families,

Families are invited to come to campus (282 Lobdell Blvd.) next week for drive through parent orientations. During parent orientations you will receive key information about student orientations and virtual learning this year. During this time, you may also request a school Chromebook laptop for your student. Parent orientations will last about 15 minutes and happen outside in a covered tent with you and one staff member. For the protection of you and our staff, masks are required.

To receive a Chromebook, orientation must be attended by a listed parent or guardian. Students are encouraged to attend but are not required. Families with multiple CBR students only need to attend one session.

*Click Here to find your parent orientation time*

If you are not able to attend during the time assigned, please complete this short survey with a few additional options.

Click here to see a traffic map

Everyone at CBR is excited to meet new families and elated to see our familiar ones in person. If you have questions or concerns, our office is available for calls 9:00 am to 3:00 pm, Monday-Friday at 225-892-6962.

Collegiate Baton Rouge

July 23, 2020

Dear Collegiate Academies Families:

On July 8th we launched a “Family Choice + Distance Learning Options Portal” which provided Collegiate Academies (CA) families with the opportunity to choose from one of three back-to-school options that best fit the needs of individual households. Through social media posts we tagged hashtags “#Your Voice”, “#Your Choice” and “#OpportunityCantWait” as a collective commitment to a democratic and equitable approach to allowing families to choose which classroom model worked best for them and their specific child/children.

Over the course of the last two weeks, we’ve heard from over two-thirds of our families. The majority of our families are asking for more time -- more time to adjust to a new world full of uncertainty and high levels of safety precautions. Although access to social support and in-person study halls would enhance student engagement and provide access to quiet spaces, the trade-offs and risks were found to be too high amongst our parents and guardians. This perspective also happens to align with a larger stance embraced by educators across the State of Louisiana.

Although we are a network dedicated to shaping options for all students and all families, we are also partially governed by a larger umbrella of public servants, who outline guidelines, mandates and policies and procedures that we can’t ignore. Yesterday, East Baton Rouge Parish School System determined that all public schools overseen by the EBR Schools will engage in 100% distance learning until at least September 7th. All families will have the option to opt out of in-person learning and choose distance learning for the 2020-21 school year in the event that students are allowed to return to schools.

While we agree that safety is a primary, shared concern, we also hope for a future where young people can return back-to-school, in classrooms, amongst a larger community dedicated to joy, growth and ownership. That time is not now. However, we are prepared to move forward with a full-time distance learning option that takes into consideration the limitations of a COVID-19 era and the possibilities of 21st century rigor.

Each CA student will be provided the following resources:

• Chromebooks (1-to-1; each student per household) and/or a tablet depending on student needs

• Internet access/Wi-Fi hotspots for families who could use the additional support (Disclaimer: Due to high demand and shipping delays, delivery timelines may be delayed. Please know that we are doing everything we can to meet the needs of all within a timely manner.)

• Zoom trainings

• A Distance Learning Student Handbook (outlined attendance policies; academic and cultural expectations…)

• School Schedules

• Access to two daily meals; both breakfast and lunch

Individual schools will be contacting families on Friday, July 24th to provide updates on next steps. We’ve also generated a list of 27 FAQ from CA Families in addition to a back-to-school website that will support in answering immediate questions. Both will be live this Friday. Hopefully, this letter serves as clarity, and offers some form of relief.

Thanks for all that you do. As always, we look forward to a year in partnership!

Collegiate Academies

July 10, 2020

Dear Collegiate Academies Families:

First, thanks for all of your patience and partnership during Our Response to COVID-19, in addition to resilience you’ve displayed during these times of much needed social change. Your elasticity is not overlooked. As we all know, this upcoming school year will look a bit different from any school year prior. Please click here to find the “Family Choice + Distance Learning Options Portal", which allows all of our families to choose how their child/children will experience Quarter 1 of the 2020-21 academic school year. There are (3) safe options to choose from, all of which were pieced together after surveying nearly 1,000 parents throughout our network, in conjunction with the precautions outlined by local health experts and global health agencies. Aside from academic growth and equity, safety will always be a priority here.

Choice Submission Deadline: July 15, 2020, 11:59pm

We look forward to hearing from you soon!

Best regards,

CBR Team

June 22, 2020

Hi Families! Fall 2020 is right around the corner and we need your support in shaping what safe and successful schools look like amid COVID-19. Please take this 5-10 minute survey: surveymonkey.com/r/20-21CA . Your voice matters.

June 5th, 2020

Dear Students and Families,

Along with you, we stand in horror and outrage at the killing and mistreatment of Black bodies in this country. On the heels of Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor’s unjust killings, the country has mourned the killing of George Floyd. We have had to watch as many have responded to these killings with additional acts of hatred and racism. What’s more, we unfortunately know that this is nothing new. The mistreatment and devaluing of Black life has continued throughout this country’s existence. It’s upsetting. It’s horrifying. It’s far from what you and your family deserve.

The staff of Collegiate Baton Rouge stands with you during this time. We know that you and your children are amazing and incredible people. We stand in solidarity with those directly impacted by racism, abuse of power, and hatred.

I have been encouraged to see the response of members of our community in light of these events. I’ve seen fellow staff members and students at local protests, coming together and using our collective voice to demand for something different for the country, for Baton Rouge, and for the Black community. We know the work is not complete, and we must continue to fight for the dream that so many have defended before us.

We want to support you and your students at this time. Over the next several days, we will be hosting a 3-part series for students and families to engage in conversations about recent events:

• Friday, June 5th @ 6:00pm: We See You

• Sunday, June 7th @ 6:00pm: We Hear You

• Tuesday, June 9th @ 6:00pm: We Got Y’all

Please see our social media pages for more information on how to access these virtual meetings. On Instagram, please follow @collegiate.baton.rouge. On Facebook you can find us @collegiatebr. We hope you and your children will join us.

On behalf of the entire staff at CBR, we see you and we love you.

Yours in service,

Kelsey Lambrecht

Principal

Collegiate Baton Rouge

March 21st, 2020

Dear students and families,

You have been in our thoughts non-stop this past week. We’ve been working hard to create and prepare distance learning plans to support your learning while schools are closed. A priority for us has been creating plans that are accessible to all, while also providing maximum support from our staff. Please find attached to this letter all the distance learning materials you will need for the next 3 weeks.

If you came up to school yesterday to pick-up student packets, it was great to see you! Also know that you received everything discussed in this letter.

If you were not able to come yesterday, know that you will be able to pick-up packets Monday and Tuesday from 10:00am to 1:00pm.

During this time of uncertainty and change, we want you to know first and foremost that we are here for you. Please reach out with any needs or questions you have at this time. A full staff contact list is linked to this letter so you can access phone numbers and email addresses easily.

Contained in this letter you will find:

• Distance learning packets. Your student has two packets to complete - one for ELA / Humanities and one for Math. There are 3 weeks’ worth of content in each packet. Directions for each week are contained on the first pages of the packet. Packets can be accessed at this link: http://bit.ly/CALearningPlans

• Staff contact list. During this time, please reach out with any needs or questions you have. We are here for you and want to connect. The staff contact list can be accessed at this link: http://bit.ly/cbrstaffcontact

• Office Hours schedule. ELA, Humanities, and Math teachers will be holding daily office hours, Monday through Friday. Teachers are available by phone and/or text during those hours. Please encourage your student to call or text teachers if they are having any questions with the content. The office hours schedule can be viewed at this link: http://bit.ly/cbrcovidofficehours

Directions for submitting work

We want to work with you to make submission of work as convenient as possible. Therefore, there are several options for how work can be submitted:

• Drop off completed packets at school. There is a drop box that will be accessible 24/7 beside our front door. Completed packets can be dropped off at any time. Make sure your name is on your work!

• Email. Completed work can be emailed directly to your teacher. Email addresses can be found on the staff contact list.

• Text. You may take pictures of your work and text it to your teacher. Phone numbers can be found on the staff contact list.

• Essays. Students may choose to write or type essays that have been assigned. If typing, please use Google Documents. To submit, you can either drop off written copies at school, text, or email your completed work to your teacher.

Again, we are here for you as we navigate this uncertain time. Keep us posted on any needs or questions that arise. We will get through this time together.

Swim strong,

Kelsey Lambrecht

Principal

klambrecht@collegiateacademies.org

March 13th, 2020

Dear Families,

As we navigate the school closure announced today, the Collegiate Baton Rouge team remains committed to providing high-quality instruction to your students during this time. Earlier this evening, you received a message explaining a timeline for what to expect next week. As we prepare to provide distance learning plans for your students, we need to collect information from you to inform what supplies and materials you may need. Please complete this survey by Monday, March 16th at 5:00pm.

We remain committed to providing the highest quality education possible to your students during this time. If you have questions, you can click here to submit a question and we will follow up as soon as possible.

Sincerely,

Kelsey Lambrecht, Principal