Question | Response |
1) How is the online learning system set up? What resources are available to help a parent learn more about the online learning system? | Colusa Unified School District’s 1,525 students are receiving daily instruction via distance learning through a combination of online instruction and paper and pencil activities. The District’s TK-12 grade teachers and staff are supporting students by hosting regular virtual office hours, delivering instruction and content online, providing instructional packets and convening whole class and small group Zoom and Google Hangout meetings. Each school site has resources specific to grade levels, such as Accelerated Reader, Accelerated Math, iReady, and IXL At Home Learning, to enhance learning opportunities. Each student’s teacher has additional information about the availability of grade level resources. On March 17th, schools sent home information guiding students and parents on how to access the District’s distance learning instructional program. Information can be found on each of the school’s websites on the Distance Learning tab. |
2) Are you seeing parents and teachers having enough interaction to make this all work? How can parents make sure they are getting all the proper emails? Is there enough support for parents needing bilingual resources? | Parents and teachers are doing a tremendous job of working together to support student learning in this new era of distance learning. Parents can take advantage of regular scheduled teacher office hours. However, teachers have made themselves available throughout the day and evening based on student and family needs. Please also know that site administrators, teachers, and staff are tracking student participation and work completion. They continue to reach out to students and parents making sure they have the tools and resources needed to be successful. The District’s bilingual liaison, teachers, and paraprofessional are working together to make sure that Spanish-speaking families have access to and are being successful in the District’s distance learning activities. |
3) What about students that don't have easy access to the Internet, or a computer at home? Are there strategies or resources to help serve underprivileged students? | The District has deployed over 700 Chromebooks and 60 hot spots to assure that every household has access to materials delivered online through the District’s distance learning model. The District is also working with the California Department of Education to secure additional hot spots to serve our students who are without Internet access. In addition, at the elementary level, teachers are preparing learning packets to support learning at home. Colusa Alternative High School students have the choice of printed packets or accessing the curriculum through Google Classroom. |
4) Can you explain the graded work that started on Monday? What help is there for students who are struggling to keep up? | Colusa, like other districts throughout the state of California, is balancing the need for students to continue to earn high school credit to graduate and/or master standards and skills needed to progress to the next grade level and the state’s requirement to “do no harm”, which protects students who may not have access to technology, the Internet, or other supports at home. TK-6th grade will continue with standards-based curriculum with a No Mark grade for 3rd trimester report cards noting COVID-19. The announcement on April 27 to begin grading student work will provide an opportunity for our students in grades 7-12 to improve their standing by opting into a traditional grading model. This will allow students to improve their overall GPA. |
5) Is the school district thinking about how to approach helping students catch up at the start of next school year academically? Or what students might need to get some emotional closure from their classroom experience cut short last year? | Currently, the District is developing a number of in and out of school strategies to assist students with educational gaps due to the school closure. Colusa teachers will work closely with teachers of previous grade levels to identify the essential standards in need of additional instruction. Teachers are working daily to maintain connections with their students, recognizing student achievement, participating in spirit week activities, and planning for promotion and graduation events. School counselors continue to support students and families through small group and individual counseling services. |
6) What is the district thinking about doing for promotion/graduations? | We will celebrate our graduates, but depending on physical distancing requirements, graduations will take on a different look than they have in the past. All graduation/promotion ceremonies will depend upon specific social distancing guidelines issued by the State of California and Colusa County Health and Human Services. We hope to have an announcement regarding graduation ceremonies in the next few weeks. The staff and I have been working with our ASB students to develop ideas. Here are the ideas based upon preference:
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7) How can parents register a student for the upcoming school year? | Parents can register their student(s) online at https://www.colusa.k12.ca.us/Forms/Enrollment/index.html |
The Board of Trustees and the District would like to take a moment to thank all of its certificated and classified employees who are delivering distance learning, supporting students and families, providing meals to our students each day, and cleaning and maintaining school facilities. Their efforts have been remarkable. |