Virtual Learning Academy
7/22/20 Update with Additional Questions
Will students in the VLA be allowed to participate in sports and other extracurricular activities?
Yes. All JCS students, regardless of which option they choose, will be able to participate in sports and other extracurricular activities that occur outside of the school day. All policies for attendance will be in effect, as VLA will record daily attendance.
Will students in VLA be required to log on at certain times of the day?
Yes. The VLA will operate by allowing students to interact with their teachers at regularly scheduled times. There will be required time(s) for students to log in for attendance purposes and also to receive direct instruction from their teacher.
How much time will VLA students spend online?
Elementary students will be online an average of 3 hours per day, Middle School students should expect 3-4 hours per day. Live sessions with teachers will be daily but they will also be recorded for the student/parent to view upon request or in the event of an absence. High school students will follow their current class schedules, so they will be expected to meet regularly online with their teachers and complete other assignments independently with additional opportunities to meet virtually with their teachers if needed.
Will my child’s VLA teacher be a teacher from his/her original school?
It is our plan to do this as much as possible. Our VLA will run as its own school, staffed with JCS teachers from our current buildings in proportion to how many students from each school are attending VLA. High school students will be instructed by teachers from their schools.
What if we decide the VLA is not for us? Can we switch to in-person?
Yes. Students will be eligible to transfer to in-person instruction at the grading period transition points. A student who is enrolled in VLA who wishes to transfer back to the home school for in-person instruction must notify the VLA principal no later than two weeks prior to the start of the next grading period. Exceptions will be considered on a case-by-case basis for hardship and extenuating circumstances. The parent/guardian should contact the VLA principal to submit a request for consideration for early transfer to in-person instruction.
My child has an IEP/504 plan. Will services still be provided in VLA?
Yes. All students will receive accommodations regardless of their learning option.
Is there a food service option for VLA students?
Yes. Pre-ordered weekly meal packages will be available for Virtual Academy/Quarantined students. All items will be packaged cold & have heating instructions. Meals must be pre-ordered using the Meal Order form on JCS website by 5:00 pm Friday. Drive-thru pick up at EJHS & WJHS from 11:30-1:30.
* If your student has any Special Dietary Needs (food allergies), please have your physician complete and sign the “Special Dietary Needs” form that is available on the Food Service section of the JCS website. It is especially important that we have this information BEFORE school is in session so that we can obtain any specialty items that may be needed. We will be unable to provide any meal modifications without the completed & signed form. Please see that any foods to be avoided are listed as well as the needed substitutions.
Is the VLA the same thing as NTI?
No. See this page to see their similarities and differences.
What does the school day look like for VLA? When will students have to be online?
VLA will consist of a mixture of live scheduled sessions and offline asynchronous work. Teachers and schools will share the specific schedule of live sessions and offline work expectations with each student and family.
What is the current breakdown for in-person enrollment vs. the Virtual Learning Academy registration?
Approximately 70% of our registrations are for in-person instruction and 30% are for the Virtual Learning Academy.
Will class size capacities prohibit students from transferring from the VLA to in-person instruction?
No. Transfers between VLA and in-person and in-person to VLA will be made at the nine week grading period intervals. Maintaining this schedule will help us to ensure that any student wishing to transfer from one model to the other is able to do so seamlessly. In the event of a hardship or other extenuating circumstance, mid-term transfer requests are considered on a case-by-case basis.
Will paper packets be available for VLA students?
Virtual Learning Academy students will complete all class participation and assignments online and there will be very few, if any, paper packets. Some lessons will require manipulatives and will be more 'hands on' but all assignments must be submitted online.
Will VLA students be allowed to participate in clubs (FFA, etc..?)
VLA students will be eligible to participate in extracurricular activities and clubs/programs.
What are the elective course options for middle and high school level Virtual Learning Academy students?
VLA High School students will still have their elective courses they selected in Spring. Middle School will have access to some elective courses.
What happens if a VLA student misses a live lesson?
Attendance at live sessions counts toward the student’s daily attendance and students will be expected to log in daily for attendance purposes. Live VLA sessions will be recorded and made available to students who are absent to allow them catch up on their work. VLA teachers also have office hours so that if a student misses a live session, they can connect with the teacher at another time to ask questions.
What will be done to ensure that VLA students are challenged and do not fall behind?
The VLA curriculum will be aligned with the in-person curriculum to ensure that students are learning grade-level content at an appropriate pace. VLA classroom teachers work to design lessons that address the specific academic needs of students and VLA students will receive regular assessments to identify individual learning needs and ensure that students continue to progress.
If in-person classes are moved to online NTI instruction, will this impact Virtual Learning Academy students?
The VLA will operate as a separate program and will continue even if in-person classes are moved to NTI.
Will technology devices be provided for students participating in the Virtual Learning Academy and/or during Extended NTI when students are doing online instruction?
Each of our individual schools will work with their families to ensure that all students have access to the appropriate technology needed to participate in school.
If an elementary student begins the school year in the Virtual Learning Academy and then transfers to in-person school after the first nine weeks, will they be in the same class that they were already assigned to?
We will try as much as possible to keep students assigned to their teachers, but there are no guarantees. Decisions on class placement will be based on enrollment numbers and our continued ability to follow health and safety guidelines.
Will accelerated classes be offered with the Virtual Learning Academy option?
For elementary and middle school, a Gifted Teacher will be assigned to the Virtual Learning Academy and will collaborate with virtual teachers to provide services according to the Gifted Student Service Plan. The Gifted Teacher may schedule additional individual or small group sessions as dictated by the GSSP. At the high school level, the counselor will monitor and communicate GSSP expectations with virtual teachers. Gifted services at the high school are provided as an embedded part of the student’s daily schedule through the Hybrid A/B model.
In-Person Learning
7/22/20 Update with Additional Questions
How many days a week will my students be attending school if we choose in-person?
Elementary and Middle School students will attend school 5 days a week on the regular school schedule. High school students will come to school in person only Mondays and Wednesdays.
Why are high school students only coming to school two days in person? Why can’t everyone have that option?
Having in-person instruction for only part of the week for elementary and middle school students would require childcare issues for parents for the other days. High school students do not have the childcare issue. Additionally, as the VLA is being staffed by pulling JCS teachers from our current buildings, having the hybrid model for high school students allows us to provide the same high quality teaching and variety of class choices to all students regardless of which option they choose.
Will my student have to wear a mask all day?
We will be following the CDC and KDE guidelines for wearing masks. Currently, the guidelines are that all students K-12th grades are required to wear a mask at all times. Preschool students are highly encouraged to wear a mask. Students may remove masks when eating, drinking and when outside if socially distanced (at least 6 feet apart). Students must wear a mask when riding the bus.
What happens if a student or staff member tests positive for COVID-19?
If a student or staff member tests positive for COVID-19, the Jessamine County Health Department will take over. Through their contact tracing protocol, they will determine who needs to be tested and/or quarantine. They will also let us know if we need to close that building, or perhaps just have a grade level or classroom sent home. (At any time a student/class/grade/school is sent into quarantine, students will transition into NTI.) Parents will be notified if there are any cases that may impact their children.
How will absences work?
Any student who is diagnosed with COVID-19 will be excused (with a doctor’s note) for the entire time necessary. Students who have other absences will be subject to the JCS Attendance Policy.
What are the plans for transportation?
Will middle school and high school students still switch classes?
Yes. Middle school students will be kept with their cohort (grade level/team) as much as possible, while high school students will complete their regular schedule. Every classroom will be entirely disinfected with an electrostatic disinfecting mister nightly. Hallway guidelines will be revised, promoting social distancing.
Will there be recess in elementary schools?
Yes. It will look differently, but we are still working on those details.
How will breakfasts and lunches work?
Students will receive a pre-packaged Breakfast & Lunch at all schools. Menus and nutritionals are available on the Food Service page of the JCS website. Please understand that because of food supply issues, menus may vary. School administration will make decisions where students will eat at each school (students may eat in the cafeteria, classroom or other areas), but must maintain appropriate social distancing requirements.
For High School students, a 3-day Pre-ordered meal package will be available for Virtual Learning Days Meals (meals for Tuesday, Thursday, Friday). Available for pick-up on Tuesdays from 9-10 am. Orders are due by 5:00 pm. Friday, the order form is available on the JCS website. On Mondays & Wednesdays, students will eat in the cafeteria or gym as assigned by school administration.
* If your student has any Special Dietary Needs (food allergies), please have your physician complete and sign the “Special Dietary Needs” form that is available on the Food Service section of the JCS website. It is especially important that we have this information BEFORE school is in session so that we can obtain any specialty items that may be needed. We will be unable to provide any meal modifications without the completed & signed form. Please see that any foods to be avoided are listed as well as the needed substitutions.
What cleaning measures will be in place?
Does my Kindergarten student have to wear a mask?
Yes. The mask requirement is now for students in grade K through 12. Preschool students are highly encouraged to wear a mask, as well.
Will there be JCS After School Program this year?
What if we decide in-person learning is not for us? Can we switch to VLA?
Yes. In most cases, new VLA students will only be accepted at the start of each new grading period. Registration for VLA transition will open three weeks prior to the new grading period. Exceptions will be considered on a case-by-case basis for hardship and extenuating circumstances. The parent/guardian should contact the VLA principal to submit a request for consideration for late enrollment.
What is the class size limitation for in-person learning?
Survey data indicates that approximately 30% of our students will be enrolled in the Virtual Learning Academy, reducing student to teacher ratios and most class sizes. The number of students in each classroom will depend on a number of factors including, classroom design, furniture arrangement, grade level, student learning needs, and how those factors affect our ability to physically distance students while they are in the classroom.
If school begins in person and then there is another shut down and everyone returns to virtual learning, what will virtual learning look like for the classes/students that started in-person?
This link provides information about the difference between the Virtual Learning Academy and Extended NTI: https://sites.google.com/jessamine.kyschools.us/fall2020/vla-vs-nti. Extended NTI will apply to in-person students if school closures are deemed necessary; Virtual Learning Academy students will remain enrolled in VLA. Virtual Learning Academy is a completely separate program from in-person and NTI and each have their own guidelines.
Does Jessamine County Schools have an appropriate amount of supplies to perform frequent cleaning?
Yes, we have been collecting these supplies and purchasing additional cleaning equipment throughout the summer and continue to collect necessary cleaning supplies to ensure we are prepared to safely resume in-person teaching.
Will in-person students rotate to different specials classrooms (gym, art) or will they stay in their classroom all day?
These decisions are being made by the individual schools based on their staffing and spacing restrictions.
What happens if an in-person student in my child's classroom gets sent home with a fever?
Students with a temperature of 100.4 or greater will be sent home, regardless of the reason for the fever. It is not our practice to notify other families if a child has only a fever of undetermined origin. We will work with the Health Department and implement contact tracing if there are any situations where a student or staff member tests positive or comes in contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19. Parents and staff will be contacted during this process.
What is the expectation for high school teachers to be available for students on the days that they are not physically at school?
On Tuesdays and Thursdays, high school teachers will be working a full schedule with VLA students and in-person students will be doing student-directed work at home. Teachers will provide instructions for in-person students to contact them with questions - this may be done via email or through Google Classroom - and teachers should respond promptly during their planning time or office hours time. If you have not received a response from a teacher in a reasonable amount of time, please contact the school principal or assistant principal for assistance.
Will students be allowed to have water bottles and bathroom breaks?
Yes, students will have regularly scheduled restroom breaks, designed with social distancing in mind and opportunities to use the restroom throughout the day as needed. We will be encouraging students to bring bottled water or personal water bottles to school. Students will not be drinking directly from the water fountains. We are adding additional cleaning protocols for high touch surfaces and increased frequency of cleaning in these areas.
How many students in grades K-12 will be exempted from wearing a mask?
We will not know these numbers until the school year starts but it is anticipated that there will be a very limited number of students since the exemptions are medical in nature.
When will the decision be made about if students in specific classes can take off their masks while seated in their classrooms?
Students in grades K-12 will be required to wear a mask throughout the day. They are not required to do so during outside recess or when eating/drinking (breakfast and lunch) and teachers will be providing mask breaks throughout the day.
If a high school student does not have internet access, how will the "work from home" school days be handled?
Schools are working with families to help with internet access issues. Please communicate with your school administrators.
Will therapists who usually provide services during the school day (ie from outside agencies) be permitted to give services this year in the school building?
Yes, our outside therapists will follow our protocols for health screening when entering the building and will wear masks. In some situations they may continue ongoing tele-health services
Have a question that’s not answered here? Email us at feedback@jessamine.kyschools.us