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What is the difference between Distance Learning and the Parkway Virtual Campus?
Distance Learning and Parkway Virtual Campus are both full online learning experiences for students. Distance Learning is employed when the health and safety of our students and staff requires a shut down of the district or a school. Parkway Virtual Campus is an option chosen by families who have a need or desire to remain in an online environment once in-person classes are able to resume.
There are two key differences for students attending Parkway Virtual Campus: first, though the schedule for elementary students remains unchanged from distance Distance Learning, for middle and high school students the Parkway Virtual Campus schedule mirrors that of the in-person school. So rather than starting the first class at 10 am, the first class begins at the same time the first in-person class begins. Second, students will be enrolled into both their home school and the Parkway Virtual Campus, which can make their schedules look different in Infinite Campus.
In both settings, the majority of classes include a live, synchronous component. There are a small number of classes in Parkway Virtual Campus that are conducted asynchronously due to scheduling conflicts.
Will my child have access to a Chromebook at home and how do we pick it up?
Students will use a Chromebook provided by Parkway. Each student in Parkway will have their own device. Click here for more information on Chromebook pickup dates and locations. Parkway will continue to provide technical support for students and families.
How do I access technical support if needed?
For technical support, starting Monday, August 17, parents and staff can email the Technology Help Desk at helpdesk@parkwayschools.net or call 314-415-8181 from 7 am - 5 pm.
How do I set up a Schoology account?
Parents will receive an email with directions for accessing Schoology to support their students in accessing instructional resources.
How do students log into Google?
Parents of students entering Kindergarten will receive an email with the students login information. Parents of students in grades 1 - 12 will use the same login information they used in the spring. Any parent who needs assistance logging into a Chromebook can contact our Technology Help Desk, 314-415-8181 or helpdesk@parkwayschools.net.
Will Adventure Club be open?
We recognize there is a significant need for childcare for essential workers and Parkway families during distance learning. Adventure Club is offering supervision on a very limited basis at four Parkway elementary schools. Learn more here.
Will school or district offices be open?
In an attempt to limit the spread of illness, schools and district offices will be closed to the public through October 23. Employees will be working on-site and/or from home, as needed, to successfully complete their job requirements.
How will students with special needs, IEPs and 504s receive support?
Students identified as having a disability under IDEA will be provided with the necessary accommodations and modifications to ensure they can access a Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE), regardless of the manner in which the education is being delivered. Special education services, including social-emotional support, included in a student’s IEP will be provided to the maximum extent possible. Students with IEPs will each have a Distance Learning Plan for their special education services, including accommodations/modifications and related services. Depending on the level of special education service they receive, they will receive live virtual lessons. For more information on how special education services will be delivered, please visit SSD's website and this link https://www.ssdmo.org/distance_learning.html
Students identified as having a disability under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act will be provided with the necessary accommodations and support to ensure they have equal opportunity to access and benefit from public education services, regardless of the manner in which education is being delivered. For many students, the 504 plan can be implemented as written in a virtual environment. Adaptations to the 504 plan accommodations/supports will be done as needed when a 504 team member (teacher, parent, student, etc.) alerts the 504 case manager to concerns with the student's disability symptoms impacting their ability to access and/or benefit from the public education offerings.
Will meals be provided for students while learning at home?
Yes, meals will be available for students while learning at home. It is important to ensure our children in our community have access to meals. We plan to provide a week's worth of lunches and breakfasts for pick up on Wednesdays.
Parkway will provide "grab and go" meal boxes for children ages 18 and under at Parkway Central High School. The meal boxes will be available for curbside pickup every Wednesday from 4:30-5:30 pm at the front entrance of Parkway Central High School at 369 N. Woods Mill Rd., Chesterfield, MO 63017.
A box includes five lunches and five breakfast meals for the week. Under the guidelines from the USDA, meals will be provided to Parkway families based on their meal program status.
For families on Free Meal Status, the meal box is Free.
For families on Reduced Meal Status, the meal box is $3.50 per week ($.40 per lunch/$2 weekly for five lunches and $.30/$1.50 per week for five breakfasts)
For families who do not qualify for free or reduced lunch, they can still request a meal box. The box is $28.00 weekly ($3.25 per lunch/$16.25 weekly for five lunches and $2.60 per breakfast/$13 weekly for five breakfasts)
Please visit our website here to apply online for free or reduced meals.
Payment for meal boxes is required online through My SchoolBucks here: https://www.parkwayschools.net/Page/3045
Will parents be able to purchase school supplies from Parkway for distance learning?
Yes, information about school supplies for the 2020-21 school year is located here: https://www.parkwayschools.net/Page/10391
What does the school day and schedule look like?
Unlike the emergency shift to eLearning in the spring, Distance Learning will provide a defined schedule for students with more live instruction and interaction with teachers and classmates and a variety of learning experiences. Click here for sample schedules.
Distance Learning utilizes both synchronous and asynchronous learning. These terms are widely used in education but may be new for many students and parents. When learning is synchronous, all students are learning together doing the same thing at the same time. Think synchronized swimming when the team is all together. This can include live video conferencing, chatting, and live streaming lessons. Live instruction from teachers will be recorded for students to view at a later time, but the class progresses as a group at a pace set by the teacher.
Asynchronous learning happens when teachers and students are doing work at different times. During asynchronous learning, teachers provide lessons, assignments, activities, etc., that students will be required to complete at their own pace on their own time. Asynchronous learning permits more independent learning at times most convenient for the student to complete assignments, homework, etc.
Will students be on a computer all day?
No. While virtual classes have scheduled time, students will not need to be on their computer for the entire school day. Teachers will provide live instruction but also breaks during the day and time for both individual and small group work. Students also have a break for lunch each day.
For my middle and high school student, will my child’s teacher be online during their class?
Teachers will be live, online, face to face (synchronous) at the beginning of each class period to take attendance and set the expectations for the day’s learning. If the learning for that day is synchronous, then students will be with their teacher and classmates online during the class. If the learning for the day is asynchronous, teachers will continue to be available online throughout the period for student questions, support, and guidance. Teachers will determine whether synchronous or asynchronous learning is appropriate based on what is most appropriate for the students and the particular learning outcomes students are working on at a given time.
What learning platform will students and teachers use?
Schoology will serve as our Distance Learning platform for Parkway courses. Parents have shared that the number of platforms teachers used in the spring was a challenge (particularly for families with multiple children). Using Schoology as our single point of access provides consistency for parents and students so they have one place to go for all of their classes. Parents can also access Schoology to see what work their child has been assigned while still maintaining the privacy of their classmates.
Will students have access to a counselor or other related supports?
Yes!
How will you handle grading, feedback, and student progress?
Middle and high school teachers will use the Infinite Campus gradebook for the first quarter to keep track of student grades, and parents will be provided information on how to access the Infinite Campus gradebook to view their child’s progress. Students will take assessments, receive grades and have other evidence of their learning reported as grades. Elementary students will receive progress reports at the end of the nine-week first quarter.
What platform will we use to deliver instruction?
Teachers use the Schoology learning management system to engage students in their content and learning activities. Other technology tools will be utilized, but Schoology will be the main hub for all instruction for students.
What kind of professional development have teachers been offered in preparation for Parkway Virtual Campus?
During the closure last spring every Friday was dedicated to development in virtual learning. This included hundreds of learning sessions taught by dozens of incredible online educators. Over the summer, Parkway developed a “Distance Learning Hub” for staff focused entirely around providing a quality online experience for students learning from home. The Distance Learning Hub for teachers focused on the following areas:
Building an online community of learners
Best practices in synchronous (live, face to face) online learning
Best practices in asynchronous online learning
High quality feedback and assessment in an online space
Leveraging Parkway’s online tools
Professional development around virtual learning for teachers will continue throughout the school year.
Will live, face to face (synchronous) lessons be recorded if my student misses class?
Students who are unable to meet during the day can access recorded videos from the virtual lessons.
Will all the learning be live at a specified time?
Students will be provided opportunities for both synchronous and asynchronous instruction built into daily schedules. Most courses will have a blend of required meeting times that are live with teachers and other activities, assignments, projects, etc. that can be completed either during or outside of the scheduled class time.
Will attendance be taken?
Yes.
What curriculum will be used?
Distance Learning courses will deliver the same Parkway curriculum in an online format with the same learning goals and outcomes as in-person courses.
How do I know if my child is completing work or if there is a concern?
Teachers will reach out to students if they are not engaging or completing assigned work. If the student cannot be reached, the parent will be contacted. If the student is still not actively working in the course, the school counselor will be notified.
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