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NHS Remote Learning Information

Principal's Update to Families - 04/22/2020

While the news we received yesterday that school would be closed for the remainder of the year was somewhat expected, it still was a complete shock to my system to hear it.  I know that we are all feeling a range of emotions right now, and it is going to take some time for us to wrap our heads around this thought, and to let our emotions calm down.  Rest assured that our staff will be there every step of the way to support our students.  While we are going through this in isolation, we are also going through this together, and it is that unity that will help us get through these unprecedented times. 

Attached to this email you will find the NHS Remote Learning Grading policy.  This policy is meant to provide the right balance between structure and flexibility and answer the questions our students have had about how grading will work during the period of remote learning.  Please take some time to read through it and discuss with your student.  Norwood High School is well situated to capitalize on the remote learning opportunities ahead.  We will continue uninterrupted with our remote learning schedule through the remainder of the school year, and we will continue to operate with empathy and support at the core of our work. 

It is extremely important that all of our students engage to make sure that learning can continue at its optimal level.  However, if your student has any barriers to accessing or participating in remote learning at this time, please reach out.  We will make an individualized plan to help. 

Thank you again for your support, flexibility, and patience.  Be well and be safe.

Best,

Hugh T. Galligan, Ed.D.

Norwood High School Remote Grading Policy

Dr. Hugh Galligan Video About Remote Grading Policy
 

Principal Update to Students - 4/2/2020

Dear Students,
I miss you and I hope you are well and staying safe and healthy.  Attached you will find our NHS Remote Learning Schedule that will go into effect this Monday 4/6.  Please read through the document closely and carefully.  I encourage you to talk through it with a parent or guardian too.  I will also follow up with a video tomorrow going over it a little bit to help clarify questions you may have.  

At first, it may seem overwhelming, but take a deep breath.  It is designed to provide the right balance between structure (which is currently missing) and flexibility (which is needed more than ever right now).  Please know that our goal for week 1 (4/6) will be to "get used to this schedule" and offer incentives for you to engage - you will get extra credit on your term 3 grade for participation and completion of assignments!  During the following week (4/13), we will begin new material and grading for credit.  You will be hearing from your PE/Health teacher soon with a plan for that class.  Again, let's take this week by week. 
 
Please read, digest, and know that you are your teachers are well-positioned to make this happen.  Reach out to me or Mrs. Derrane, a counselor, or a dean directly at any time with questions.  If there are any barriers that are preventing you from being able to engage at this time, please let me know and we can work through it. Above all, compassion is the most important thing we can share right now.

Video About Remote Learning Schedule For Students

NHS Remote Learning Schedule For Students

NHS Remote Learning Participation Rubric

Principal Update - 3/31/2020

I hope you are staying healthy and safe.  We miss your children here at NHS so much! A few important updates for you today:

Academics:  This week, NHS has launched a special cross-curricular, whole school project entitled #MustangStrong Time Capsule.  Students will choose from a variety of project-based activities to create a primary source document for the future based on the challenging and historical time period we find ourselves in.  Please see the attached document to view the options and encourage your student to participate fully.  Depending on the depth that students go into, they may choose one that will take several days to complete, or several shorter options to complete.  We are excited for this opportunity to create a piece of history!  In the coming days, you will be hearing from Dr. Thomson, and then me, regarding Norwood Public Schools’ remote learning plan in response to the updated state and federal guidelines regarding remote learning during this extended closure. Additionally, we are making a concerted effort to reach out to any student or family we have not heard from in response to our learning opportunities.  We are doing this from a supportive stance to ensure that we can provide the proper supports needed to ensure your child’s continued learning during this challenging time.  Please have your child reach out to his/her teachers if this has not yet happened. 

AP Testing: Please see the attached link for the latest update from the College Board regarding AP testing. We will forward more information as it becomes available. https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/about-ap/news-changes/coronavirus-update

Counselor Appointments: Our guidance, adjustment, and career counselors will make themselves available for virtual appointments. Please reach out to your counselor by email to arrange. 

District Updates: Visit https://www.norwood.k12.ma.us/updates for district wide information from the superintendent during the closure and https://sites.google.com/norwood.k12.ma.us/mustang-technology/home for educational and academic resources during the closure.

Internet Access: If you are a student or family without reliable internet access at home, please fill out the following Google form.  We will do all we can to help you get set up.  https://forms.gle/iciyjacNd5NsFCn58

Lunch: Free grab and go breakfast and lunch continues for any student 18 or under, at all elementary schools, Monday-Friday 11 am – 1pm.

Term 3 Grade Update: If we are able to return to school on May 4th, it is likely that we will combine the period of term 3 before the closure with what remains for the remainder of the year for a total of three marking terms on the year.  We will provide more details on grading and marking terms as we learn more about the status of school closures in Massachusetts. 

30 Day Kindness Challenge: Join the 30 Day Kindness Challenge with our partner, Character Strong.  If your child is interested, contact Mrs. Derrane @cderrane@norwood.k12.ma.us

Thank you again for your flexibility, patience, and support during this difficult time.  There is a constant, ever-changing flow of information coming out.  Please know that above all, as a staff here at NHS, we are going to support our students and families throughout this, however long it takes.  With that being said, I have attempted to compile a list of resources and answers to some questions our students and families may have.  This is not everything, and there will be a lot more to come.  While most of the district-wide information will flow from Superintendent Thomson, this information pertains particularly to the high school.  For constant district updates, stay tuned to https://www.norwood.k12.ma.us/updates.

Academics/Online Learning Options: Many teachers have already, and will continue to, provide online learning opportunities for students during this closure.  At this point, teachers have planned for this week.  With the governor announcing an extended closure until April 7, we are evaluating our options for extended learning options.  We are asking students to check their school email and Google Classroom regularly.  Teachers are available through email for questions regarding these learning opportunities.   For any students and families that have questions about accounts or accessing educational resources that their teachers send them, please contact Joe Kidd at: jkidd@norwood.k12.ma.us

Activities/Events: As long as school is closed, all activities and events associated with school are canceled (sports, clubs, activities, social events).  Our true hope is to “postpone” as many as possible, but it is impossible to know what that looks like at this time.  Especially for our seniors, there are lots of unanswered questions.  We will take this one step at a time and communicate clearly as we move through this unprecedented time. 

AP Testing: Please see the attached link for the latest update from the College Board regarding AP testing.  https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/about-ap/news-changes/coronavirus-update

Aspen Support: For any students and families that have any issues regarding the Aspen family or student portal, please continue to use the NPS Aspen support email at: npsaspensupport@norwood.k12.ma.us 

Chromebook Tech Support: For NHS student that have problems with their school-issued Chromebooks, please email our high school technician, Mr. Bob Jones, at rjones@norwood.k12.ma.us.  Mr. Jones will help troubleshoot your issue.  If he cannot troubleshoot your issue, he will set up an appointment for you to drop off your Chromebook at the high school for repair.  At this time, you will receive a spare Chromebook until yours is repaired and returned.

Free Internet Access: If you are a student or family that does not currently have reliable internet access at home, please be aware that Comcast is offering its Internet Essentials program free of charge for the next two months!  For those that qualify, they will receive internet at home for free for the next two months, after which it will revert to the price of $9.95 per month.  You can find more information about the Comcast Internet Essentials Program at this link: 

https://www.internetessentials.com/

Guidance Appointments: Our guidance counselors will make themselves available for virtual appointments to discuss college and career options. Please reach out to your counselor by email to arrange. 

Ivy League Challenge: If your student (or you) are really looking for a challenge – check out these free online Ivy League courses.  Pretty awesome stuff! https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/ivy-league-free-online-courses-a0d7ae675869/

Lunch: Free grab and go lunches will be served daily beginning Monday, March 16, 2020 from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm, for any student 18 or under, at the following locations:

Balch Elementary School, 1170 Washington Street
Callahan Elementary School, 90 Garfield Ave

Prescription Medication Pickup:  If you have provided the school nurse at your child’s school with prescription medications to be taken during the school day and need them for the three week period for which we are currently closed, please contact Nurse Leader Jill Driscoll at jdriscoll@norwood.k12.ma.us to arrange a time for pick up.

SAT Prep Program and SAT Tests: If your child attends the NHS SAT Prep courses, we are moving to a virtual format.  The College Board, as of now, plans to offer May and June SAT dates.  Please keep an eye out for an email from Nancy Prieto, program coordinator.  You can click this link for an SAT memo from the College Board. https://www.collegeboard.org/releases/2020/college-board-coronavirus-update-what-to-do-if-you-are-registered-take-march-14-sat

Updated 3/23/2020:

Below, I have updated many of our previous NHS news items and added a few new ones.  I hope that it brings some clarity to what is a confusing and unprecedented situation for all of us. 

  • Academics: On Thursday 3/12, NPS announced a closure for six days.  At that time, our staff did an amazing thing – they completely transformed from a face to face learning atmosphere to a virtual one in a matter of 24 hours.  Their hope was to keep learning alive for the week-long closure.  I am very thankful to work with such a dedicated group of educators who puts our students first every day.  I am also grateful to the students who have put in a tremendous amount of work so far, and hope that they sustain this effort. I have heard from many of you about how grateful you and your students are for these learning and enrichment opportunities.  Thank you!

Throughout the course of the week, as we learned the closure would be extended by the state, we also received more clarification from state officials about the types of virtual work public schools can offer right now.  These learning opportunities are meant for enrichment, to prevent regression, and allow students to dig deeper into their learning.  Work will not be graded or count towards academic credits, but teachers will provide valuable individual feedback to students who complete the enrichment work.  I hope you can appreciate that since this has never happened before, some people (staff, students, parents) may have expected otherwise.  This is understandable, and I appreciate your patience, understanding, and flexibility as we work through this.  As such, staff will be using Monday and Tuesday to re-calibrate these learning and enrichment opportunities on a departmental basis.  Students can use these two days to re-visit the enrichment opportunities from last week but no new enrichment opportunities will be posted.  On Wednesday, 3/25, all of Norwood Public Schools will post updated enrichment opportunities for students to engage in.  I encourage all of our students to take advantage of this and stay engaged in their learning.  Perhaps it is possible that if the closure extends beyond the three scheduled weeks, the federal and state guidance around this may change.  If that were to happen, we will again be flexible and provide the best educational opportunities that we can for all of our students within the appropriate guidelines. 

  • AP Testing: Please see the attached link for the latest update from the College Board regarding AP testing. Of note is the fact that, “Traditional face-to-face exam administrations will not take place. Students will take a 45-minute online free-response exam at home.” We will forward more information as it becomes available. https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/about-ap/news-changes/coronavirus-update
  • Counselor Appointments: Our guidance, adjustment, and career counselors will make themselves available for virtual appointments. Please reach out to your counselor by email to arrange.

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