School Information

Good morning, parents!

It is hard to believe that we are only 2 months away from beginning the 2020-21 school year.

Here are some very important pieces of information for you.

If you presently have a sibling (child) who is eligible for HAST (grades 7-12) but is NOT currently attending HAST (but they have a brother or sister who IS attending HAST next year), please let Mrs Otero know THIS WEEK if you want to enroll the sibling at HAST. lotero@hammondacademy.org

Due to recommendations for schools to manage social distancing requirements and student/staff health and well-being as we move into the coming school year, we anticipate the following change to our school operations:

Monday and Wednesday, students in grades 6,7, and 8 will be in the building for classes.

Tuesday and Thursday, students in grades 9, 10, 11, and 12 will be in the building for classes.

By alternating middle school and high school students in the building, we will have more space for social distancing, as we will open the walls to make larger classrooms.

Middle school students will have virtual learning days Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday.

High school students will have virtual learning days Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

No students will be in the building on Fridays, to allow us to conduct a weekly deep cleaning and sanitization of the buidling...in addition to the daily cleaning that will occur.

I am sharing this information with parents NOW so that you can plan accordingly.

We anticipate that we will use this hybrid calendar (face to face learning AND virtual learning) at least for the first semester. We will re-evaluate for the second semester as soon as possible during the Fall, based on recommendations from the state government (our governor, the Department of Health, and the Department of Education).

We will be sending out more information throughout the summer. In the meantime, I wanted our parents to have this very important information.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Dr Egan

Good morning!

I hope that this email finds you well. Each day brings us new challenges. So far, HAST staff, students, and parents have been WONDERFUL meeting the challenges that come with the new normal of working and studying from home.

Here is a summary of the latest news from HAST:

First and foremost, as of this moment, we have no staff or student who has tested positive for the COVID 19 virus. This is a blessing. It is my sincere hope and wish that we will be spared.

Second, the state of Indiana has recently declared that schools need to provide either 160 total days of instruction or 20 days of instruction between April 1 and June 30. HAST is going with the first option. We are presently at 147 days, as we are presently counting every day of the week (Monday-Friday) for student attendance and grades. We will continue to work daily for the next 13 business days, which takes us to our last official day, April 27.

Third, we are working with the high school teachers to determine what type of final assessments (final exams) we will use. Just like this whole experience to date, it will be a different format than usual.

Fourth, a separate email will be going out to 12th grade students and parents, outlining requirements for graduation.

Finally, as stated above, we are still taking attendance. Teachers are still grading student work and entering it in PowerSchool. None of that has changed.

The building is still closed. Parents may register your returning students online. Parents may pay outstanding fee balances online. When it is safe to do so, we will have a plan for iPad collection...but only when it is safe to do so.

My sincere thanks to each and every one of you for all that you are doing every day to keep moving forward in these most unusual of times.

Please do not hesitate to contact me if I can be of further assistance.

Sincerely,

Dr Egan

Good afternoon, HAST universe!!

First and foremost, happy birthday next week to the following students:

Jessica Moreno

Mauricio Morin

Jakub Wawrowski

April Fools has come and gone. So this is not an April Fools Day joke:

Schools will not be opening again for the rest of this school year. That includes HAST.

While this is very fresh news, we will be doing what we can to get more complete information out to the HAST community regarding a number of items.

We will continue with elearning days until we hit the 160 day mark, as required by the state. We have to submit a plan to the state to explain how we are going to complete the school year. Once that plan is approved, we will know exactly what our end date will be.

We are still taking attendance, obviously. And student attendance relies on students completing their virtual day assignments. Missing days means missing grades means possibly losing credits for high school students...and lower final grades for both middle and high school students.

For students who ordered a yearbook, we are still on schedule to have one printed for this year. We don't yet know how when it will arrive at HAST or how we will distribute them to those who purchased them.

We are working on a plan to collect iPads at the end of the school year. Once we have that plan, we will share it with all of you. We will obviously have to follow all rules and regulations regarding shelter in place and/or number of people allowed to be in a same room/space at a same time.

A few students have asked if they can come into the building to empty their lockers. We will not be allowing any students access until it is safe to do so.

Seniors: we are looking very closely at what the state rules are regarding graduation requirements for this most unusual year. We will follow those rules to the letter to assure that each one of you that is affected by this situation will get the honor and recognition that is due, within the required guidelines.

Our senior class sponsors are in communication with each other regularly to look at what our options are for a celebration ceremony for our seniors. Again, any celebration of any kind will have to follow all the rules set forth by local and state statutes.

I hope that this email answers a number of questions you may have at this time.

From all of us to all you, please stay healthy and keep a positive mental attitude.

Dr Egan

--

Dr. Sean Egan

School Leader/Principal

Hammond Academy of Science and Technology

www.hammondacademy.org

Good morning!

I hope that you have all been able to find rest and relaxation in these past few days that were not only Spring Break, but our first days of shelter in place.

Starting this Monday, March 30, HAST is going to operate on a revised schedule. Students will receive elearning/VLD/online assignments from their teachers on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings. Monday assignments are due on Tuesdays at 3 p.m., and will count for those two days of attendance. Wednesday assignments are due on Thursdays at 3 p.m. and will count for those two days of attendance. Friday assignments are due on Fridays at 3 p.m.

This schedule is in effect until further notice.

We hope that this change in schedule will assist our students, teachers, and all their families. Our teachers will continue to offer excellent online instruction. Our students will continue to learn the curriculum that our teachers have planned for them for the remainder of the semester. Everybody will have the opportunity to work at a pace that, we hope, is less stressful.

Speaking of stress, I cannot emphasize enough the need to stay mentally healthy in these times. Don’t watch the news all day. Get out and take a walk. Read books. Listen to music. Create art. Take advantage of all the amazing online resources at museums and galleries all around the world through their websites.

If any of you feel the need to reach out to talk with someone, let us know. Our counselors and social workers are available for emails or even video chats.

Other news:

We continue to register returning students for the coming year. If you have not already done so, contact Ms Otero for more information, lotero@hammondacademy.org

We will continue to collect school fees, once the shelter in place is lifted. If you have questions about your student’s fees, please contact Mr Small, dsmall@hammondacademy.org.

Schools are closed until May 1, at a minimum. For updates on when our buildings may be able to open, watch for news from our governor. Schools may open on May…or they may stay closed until the end of this academic year. It is very hard to say at this time.

Above all, stay healthy.

Sincerely,

Dr Egan

• The School building is closed per directive of Governor Holcomb until May 1st, 2020.

• All state testing has been cancelled for the 2019-2020 school year.