Date: April 5, 2020

To: Telesis Parents and Guardians

From: Dr. Sandy Breece, Superintendent/Principal & Founder

Re: Update on school processes during school closure

 

Dear Parents and Guardians of Telesis Students,

Thank you for being the caregiver and supervisor of your children’s learning during a pandemic none of us predicted would come to this: school closure!

We know that:

  • Most of you are not educators, so don’t be hard on yourself.
  • None of us know what it will take to catch up after this interruption to school.
  • None of you chose “homeschooling;” you didn’t quit your job to do it and haven’t been prepared for this.
  • Your child isn’t in an online school and their teachers are trying to expose students to content and experiences that will be meaningful using readily available technology platforms.
  • Whatever you and your child get accomplished today is good enough.
  • Communicate regularly with teachers and administrators, especially if your child is struggling emotionally, unable to focus or engage in “learning activities” and complete their work.
  • Focus on their positive mental health before worrying about their academics.
  • Don’t let being their “instructional aide” be more important than being their parent.
  • Don’t let this damage or ruin your relationship with your child!

(Some of the above borrowed from a public post from Dr. Ildi Laczko-Kerr.)

We at Telesis support you and your efforts to complete the school year with your children in the best way possible during this difficult time. Our school facilities may be closed, but we are IN school Monday through Friday; we just are not AT school. Initially, upon school closure even before we returned from spring break and learned of school closures across our state, Telesis teachers hit the ground running to develop ways to work best to keep the education moving forward for their students. We are all grateful for their positive and immediate ventures to get the job done and many of our classes started right on point the very first day back from spring break.

Now after considering what could help YOU, the parents/guardians, some who have requested unification on one platform, we wish to unify on one online platform called Moby Max purchased for students in grades K-8 only. Grades 9-12 have different platform needs that will work for each subject, so those classes will remain on the platform that is working best for the teacher and his/her students.

The State Board of Education is requiring schools to provide learning opportunities to students to help with instruction as needed, so they can continue to progress.

This is great news for all students:

  • Students who were doing well academically can raise their grades even higher.
  • Students who were making average grades have a golden opportunity to elevate their grades to honor roll status and beyond.
  • Students who were struggling with concepts can strive to develop skills they lacked and raise their grades to a valuable level.

As a school, our focus will be to look for engagement from students; we are not looking for perfection.  As long as there is an honest effort made toward learning, their grades will not be penalized. 

AR is encouraged to be continued. Students who are reading and taking quizzes can now do so at home under parent/guardian supervision. The State assessments have been cancelled by the state, including the mandatory Civics test for seniors, so at this time the focus is only on providing educational opportunities.

For 9-12 students:

  • Per State Board of Education – Local education agencies shall not withhold academic credit or a high school diploma from a student solely because the student missed instructional time due to a school closure issued by the Governor.
  • When deciding how to award academic credit and high school diplomas, Telesis will base the decisions on the entire school year but not solely because the student missed instructional time due to a school closure.

For all students:

  • Please return any school-related materials (curriculum, AR books, library books, etc.) at the end of the school year to the green drop box in front of the office on campus.

These are stressful times for everybody across the nation as families are going through tough situations. We are providing educational opportunities for all students. Provisions are even being made to assist those who have lack of technology resources. If that is your situation, please reach out to us by calling Telesis (928-855-8661) and leave a message of your need for assistance. Be sure to clearly leave your name and the name(s) of your children and your current phone number.

Last but not least, be safe and stay home following the COVID-19 guidelines as directed. I know I speak for all the teachers and support staff at Telesis when I say

WE MISS OUR STUDENTS!

 

Sincerely,

Sandra K. Breece, Ed.D.

Superintendent/Principal & Founder