JC McKenna Middle School

Fall 2020-2021 LEARNING OPTIONS

The information below is designed to assist students and families with their educational decision for the fall of 2020. All JC McKenna students will have a choice to attend school through a Blended in-person option, a virtual option through Edgenuity, or our fully virtual JEDI Charter School.

Middle School Schedule

In an effort to limit passing between classes and student transitions throughout the day, we will eliminate day 3 from our middle school schedule for the 2020-20201 school year. This change will impact how our specials classes are offered, but all students will still be able to take all specials at some time during the school year. The specials classes include Health, Physical Education, Band, Chorus, General Music, Spanish, Life 411. We are working out the school day schedules and will share them with students and families as soon as we have them.

At this time we are eliminating Team Time/Foundations with these minutes being added into the four blocks. Again, this will eliminate another transition time and prevent different cohorts of students from interacting. In the past, Foundation groups were often cross-graded.

Four Choices:

BLENDED IN-PERSON OPTION

What can you expect if you choose the Blended option?

Students choosing the Blended option will be in a combination of in-person and virtual learning on an alternating day schedule. Students with last names beginning A-K (Blue) will be in attendance in-person on Mondays, Tuesdays, and two Wednesdays in a row. Students L-Z (White) will attend on Thursdays, Fridays, and two Wednesdays opposite the A-K group. The days when students are not in attendance, they will attend virtually during their normal classroom times/hours for “live” instruction. These learning expectations will be 5 days per week.
Students will attend classes on site at the normal class times on their cohort day. Students will attend classes during their normal class times virtually through Google Meet on their non-cohort days.
Students should be available for synchronous, or real time learning with the rest of their class during their normal scheduled class times 5 days per week. Therefore, students should not be seeking employment or other obligations that will prevent them from attending class, in-person or virtually.

Splitting into Cohorts

In order to adhere to safety guidelines and recommendations regarding physical/social distancing, all students 6-8 will be divided into 2 groups (cohorts). Those whose last names are A-K will be Blue Cohort and students whose last names are L-Z are White Cohort .
Every school day will have a designation of Blue Day or White Day.
On Blue Days, students in the Blue cohort will be in attendance at school and follow their assigned class period schedule. Students in the White Cohort will attend their classes virtual during their assigned class period.
The blue cohorts will be attending school every Monday, Tuesday and two Wednesdays in a row. The white cohort will attend every Thursday, Friday and the opposite Wednesdays from the blue cohort. A color coded calendar will be provided.
We understand that some households with students in grades 6-12 have different last names, in this case please contact your students administrator for your options.

EDGENUITY VIRTUAL OPTION

What can you expect if you choose the Edgenuity option?

Students choosing the virtual option through Edgenuity will attend virtual courses aligned with JC McKenna Middle School curriculum from home on all days.
Students will experience all learning remotely and are not expected to attend in person.
An ECSD Learning Contact will monitor student progress and offer support academically.
Virtual students through Edgenuity will have the option to request transition to our Blended option at any point because of the alignment between curricula. These requests will be given consideration based upon class/cohort sizes.
Click HERE for more information on Edgenuity.

JEDI VIRTUAL CHARTER SCHOOL OPTION

What can you expect if you choose the JEDI model?

Students choosing the fully virtual charter option through JEDI will attend virtually from home using the JEDI curriculum.
Students will experience all learning remotely and are not expected to attend in person.
The curriculum and instruction is fully implemented by JEDI.
The ECSD Learning Contact, Kelly Fanta, will monitor student progress and attendance.
Click HERE for more information on JEDI.

ECSD VIRTUAL -- FULL-TIME SYNCHRONOUS FROM HOME

What can you expect if you choose the ECSD Virtual full-time synchronous option?

Students will attend classes during their normal class times virtually through Google Meet.
Students should be available for synchronous, or real time learning with the rest of their class during their normal scheduled class times 5 days per week. Therefore, students should not be seeking employment or other obligations that will prevent them from attending class, in-person or virtually.

*****Normal JC McKenna grading processes and attendance practices will be in place for all students with all options*****

What are the safety precautions being made for the fall?

Face coverings will be worn by staff and students.
There will be changes to the lunch room (distanced seating, hand washing/sanitizing before and after eating, distanced lines, face coverings required when not eating, etc).
Display age appropriate health signage at each school to reinforce teaching & practicing with hand hygiene, physical/social distancing, COVID-19 symptoms, separation in high traffic areas, and face coverings
The school building will not open until 7:45 am. When students arrive at school, students will be expected to go directly to their first period class using assigned building entrance door. Students will not be able to congregate in hallways or other common areas.
Breakfast will be delivered to classrooms at the end of the first block for 6th and 7th grades and at the beginning of the second block for 8th grade.
Students will not be using lockers between classes. They will be able to put their outerwear and extra bags (ie. sports bag) into an assigned locker after reporting to their first block class. There will be time built into the first block to allow students to put items in their locker and still allow physical/social distancing to prevent students congregating.
Cell phones will be expected to be in student backpacks or left in their locked locker if they are not carrying a backpack. We will not be having all students put their cell phones in a locker as we are trying to prevent the number of students in the locker area.
Established one-way traffic patterns in hallways and stairwells to limit students’ exposure as they move about the building.
Students will be traveling with their cohort of peers between classes with the exception of special classes (band, choir, etc) due to the individual student elective choices.
Custodial staff will clean and sanitize the building, with a continuous focus on high use areas. Staff will disinfect between classes and students will use hand sanitizer prior to exiting a classroom.
After each school day, the entire building will be sanitized with an Electrostatic Sprayer.

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