As we walk this uncharted territory together, please know that our staff has worked diligently to plan ways to continue learning for your students while not overwhelming you or your children. With this in mind, and guidance from the Kansas State Department of Education, we have developed a plan outlined below:

• The state has set guidelines for how much time students at different ages should dedicate to learning each day
  • Pre-K : 30 minutes
  • Grades K-1: 45 minutes
  • Grades 2-3: 60 minutes
  • Grades 4-5: 90 minutes
  • Grades 6-12: 30 minutes per teacher (3 hours max in a day)
• Please view the rest of this school year as an opportunity to learn.
• Everything your child will need for digital learning will be available thru this website beginning Monday, March 30 (CHS & HHS) & Tuesday, March 31 (PreK-8).
  • Click on the appropriate grade level buttons below (elementary, middle school, CHS, or HHS)
  • For PreK-8th grade, click on the student’s grade level to access all the materials
  • For high school, teachers will be in contact with students through Google Classroom
  • A button with dates will be provided weekly or bi-weekly depending on grade level
  • A button is available at the bottom of each level for extra activities. Should you and your student wish to extend practice or spend more time on learning than the state recommendation, there are additional resources here.

If you, in your initial survey, indicated that your student did not have access at all to learn digitally, a second survey will be done Monday through a phone call from a teacher. Please be sure to answer these calls to help us print or email the correct number of packets. Print packets will be available at lunch pick-up sites with a varying schedule:

• Pick up at Nelson, HMS, Campus, and Oatville
• Pick up between 11 and 1 on Wednesdays and Fridays
  • Packets for elementary students (including preschool) will be available on Wednesdays beginning April 1.
  • Packets for middle school students will be available on Fridays beginning April 3.
  • Lunch will continue to be available for all children on all three days regardless of grade level.
  • Due to Covid-19, paper packets will not be collected by our staff.
• High School packets will be available on Mondays beginning April 6.
  • High School teachers will be contacting families with further explanation.
• Non-digital packets will be available via email if you can download and work offline or print.

Our teachers have worked together in teams to create these Continuous Learning Plans. This was done in an effort to be able to continue learning should a staff member be affected by Covid-19.

• You will be contacted each week by one of your child’s teachers.
• You will be given login information for Clever or Google for your child, should they need it for digital learning in their grade level, during the communication with your child’s teacher this week.
• Below is the information regarding grading for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year:
  • Elementary Grading: There will be no 4th Quarter grade cards printed for elementary students.
  • Middle School Grading: There will be no 4th Quarter grade cards for middle school students. 3rd Quarter grades will serve as semester grades for all students.
    • Students will have the opportunity to raise their grades in the following manners:
      • Turn in missing assignments to increase grades virtually.
      • From March 30th- May 20th, the purpose of grades is to “help, not hurt” every student.
  • High School Grading: 3rd Quarter grades for High School students will transition into 2nd Semester final grades. In order to allow students the opportunity to increase their grades, the following processes will occur:
    • Students will have the opportunity to virtually turn in & correct previous assignments to increase their grade.
    • Teachers will continue to provide opportunities for continuous learning each week.
    • Students will receive points for completed work.
    • From March 30th- May 20th, the purpose of grades is to “help, not hurt” every student.

USD 261 staff appreciate your support during this time. If you have any questions, please contact your child’s teacher via email. Stay healthy!