- Horizon Middle School
- E-Learning
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Horizon Middle School E-Learning
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Message from School Leadership
Welcome Back Panthers!
Check out the full E-Learning plan for HMS here.
E-Learning Platform: Google Classroom will be the primary platform for all lessons/assignments for e-learning days. Other online learning platforms, such as, Schoology will be utilized in our Innovations classrooms.
Expectations For Teachers
- Teachers will work Monday – Friday. Monday will serve as a planning day. Lesson and instruction will be delivered Tuesday – Friday each week.
- All teachers will post lessons, assignments, links, etc., in Google Classroom, or Schoology, no later than 9:00 am each E-learning day, Tuesday – Friday.
- All teachers will be available to students by email during normal working hours, from 8:00 – 3:00, Monday – Friday.
- All teachers will hold “office hours” each day of e-learning, Tuesday - Friday. Office hours will be held virtually through ZOOM where students will be able to access a link within Google Classroom that will allow students to enter a teachers ZOOM classroom for instruction. Teachers will be available in ZOOM based on schedule below:
- 8:30 – 10:30 ---- Science, Social Studies and Enrichment teachers
- 9:30 – 11:30 ---- Language Arts, Math, Intervention, and SPED teachers
- 1:30 – 2:30 ---- ALL teachers
- Teachers may post directions or links, in Google Classroom, to other online resources such as Amplify, Reading/Math Inventory, etc... or similar sites directing students to complete tasks there. However, Google Classroom will serve as the primary place for students to login in to receive direction.
- Students have until 11:59 pm to turn in assignments on the date due, unless student(s) communicates with teacher otherwise.
- All teachers will take attendance, in PowerSchool, the day following each learning day (after checking student login).
- Accommodations and modifications will be provided to students on plans (IEP’s, 504’s, or ELP’s) and may include appropriate supplemental materials.
- Students who have plans (IEPs, 504s, etc.) that do not allow them to access digital learning, will need to receive appropriate supplemental material. Teachers may need to contact and email all learning materials to parents/guardians.
- IEP meetings will be held virtually through ZOOM, SPED teachers will send link to parents and others involved for access.
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Expectations For Counselors
- Counselors are expected to monitor email, to follow up with students and families as necessary
- Counselors are expected to continue to conduct weekly check-ins with students in need, the students who are typically met with in person will receive weekly phone calls.
- Counselors will be available for students from 8:00 – 3:00, Monday – Friday. If students need to have a 1 on 1 conversation, they will need to email counselor and counselor will schedule a ZOOM meeting.
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E-Learning Week 2
Horizon Families,
Tomorrow will be the start of our second week of E-Learning. I virtually met with all teachers this morning and all of us are impressed by the amount of students who engaged in the first week of learning last week - we had around 90% attendance. The goal the first week was to get kids engaged and firm up access.
As I will mention to students in tomorrow's announcements, this week of E-Learning it will start to get "real". Meaning the work will be more academic, there will be new learning, and teachers will be assigning grades. Each teacher will have at least one grade posted by this Friday, students who do not engage in the assignments, or learning, will receive a mark of "missing" which can become a "0" just as we do during in-building learning. Please help your student keep up on their work.
You should expect no more than 20-25 minutes of work in classes, with the exception of math class on occasion. Math is that one area where the teaching and practice may go over that time -- likely coming in no more than 30 minutes. In order to prepare students for what they need the rest of this year, and to start next year, there will be new skills taught. This will often be through video and then practice. Please help encourage your student to engage with their teachers during office hours if they have any questions about their learning, teachers are prepared and ready.
By now, the majority of students who need it, should have access to technology. If you are still in need of a ChromeBook, please let a teacher know of email me directly: dhorras@d49.org and we will work out a time to get you what is needed. The District has many ChromeBooks ready to distribute. They have, and will again, communicate times to pick-up necessary technology. The goal is for all technology to be distributed this week.
Students using ZOOM -- students should access each teachers link for office hours within Google Classroom. The link can be copied and pasted into a browser to connect. The link can also be used directly by clicking it, but there are a couple additional screens to work through. ZOOM is not blocked for any student, so if your student has trouble accessing it is likely to to something being doing incorrectly on their end. Many students were attempting to download the ZOOM extension in Chrome last week, but this will be denied on a District Chromebook as students are not allowed to download. Again, they just need to use the access link for each teacher.
All teachers have taken steps to ensure ZOOM meetings are secure. These include: activating the waiting room-meaning teachers see those trying to "get in" and have to allow it, disabling video for new entries - once a student enters the room only then will the teacher activate the video and audio, and teachers are not sharing access link publicly - links are only available through Google Classroom. *If teacher were to witness a student behaving inappropriately, whether through comments or video, the student would be removed from the meeting and the teacher will notify administration. These things will help ensure ZOOM, or any virtual platform, is as secure as possible.
Thank you for supporting your student and their learning during this time of E-Learning. Please remember, it is the job of our teachers to continue to teach, we just need your help providing time, space, and access for your student to learn.
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Personal Item Pickup
Last chance for pick-up of instruments or personal items from lockers....
We are scheduling one more time for pick-up which will be Wednesday, April 1st from 10:30 am - 12:00 pm.
If your student had personal items in a 7th or 8th grade locker OR had items in a gym locker, it is important you take the opportunity to come pick them up. We will not be able to keep items that are not picked up by Wednesday.
Instruments -- if you student is in band or orchestra, they will need their instrument in order to complete the required work for those classes while we are doing E-Learning. It is essential for these classes that your student has their instrument at home. Instruments are available for pick-up on Wednesday, April 1st as well between 10:30 - 12:00.
Students do not need their binders, or other materials from classrooms for E-Learning, so those items will not be distributed.
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E-Learning Communications
PLEASE make sure you are checking and reading emails being sent out by both the school and the District. We are getting many email requests from parents inquiring about E-Learning, ChromeBooks, etc...all of these questions are being answered in the emails already being sent out.
Thank you to all others who have been engaged in your email and have read the information that has been sent. We appreciate your support.
E-Learning begins for Horizon students tomorrow. Students will need to use their school id and password to login to google. Students will then be able to access their school email, google docs, and google classroom. All school work will be found in each teachers Google Classroom site. Please email teachers if you have any questions.
If you still need a ChromeBook -- the District has enough ChromeBooks for every student who needs one. The process for getting one to every student in need will take a little time. The next sign-up period will likely be released today or tomorrow, with the next round of pick-up times this Thursday and Friday.
We will be taking attendance on E-Learning days. However, for this first week teachers will be giving extra credit for work completion. To account for students who may not have access to technology yet, no grades will be negatively affected this week for not completing work. We hope to start assigning grades to work next week.
Thank you for your help and support as we do the best we can to continue teaching and learning over the next 8 weeks.
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E-Learning Coming Soon
As we approach next week, I want to share some information with you. I will likely be sending out updates as needed, and additional information, as we move through E-Learning. I apologize for the length In this email, but I am trying to give you the basics and the important information you need.
I am also attaching our school's E-Learning plan, this will also be posted on the school website in the E49 tab once it is ready. Much of this information is not necessarily relevant to you, more for staff, but I want to share in case you would like it.
Next week, E-Learning will begin on Tuesday, March 31st and will run Tuesday - Friday each week for as long as we are out of school. Students are able to access google classroom as well as the virtual meetings described below on a phone, tablet, or computer. Teachers will be posting assignments in Google Classroom Tuesday - Friday. It is important students access each teachers' classroom each E-Learning day as we will be marking attendance.
Teachers will be taking attendance, based on students accessing their classroom. Attendance will be taken the day after, meaning attendance for Wednesday will be taken and recorded in PowerSchool on Thursday. A very quick bell work, or warm-up activity will be included each day. Completion of this bell work will be the method teachers utilize to track attendance. Assignments are being designed to take 20-25 minutes or less. There may be an occasion this is lengthened for math based on the concept being taught or practiced. Many assignments will include a video for students to watch and then practice or a task. Some assignments will be due the following day, many may be due at the end of the week, some may go longer. Students are used to using Google Classroom so this should all be familiar to them.
Assignments will be graded; grades will be updated in PowerSchool at minimum on a weekly basis. Failure of students to engage in E-Learning will result in a poor grade. We will be pulling Renaissance at the end of 4th quarter and celebrating those students who make it next Fall, as we always do.
Each teacher will be having "office hours" each day. Teachers will be posting a link to their virtual office hours in their google classroom.
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School Contacts
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District Resources
The D49 E-Learning page has general content and resources, as well as updates.
This pages has all the district COVID updates provided by D49 and other resources.
D49 is providing free meals for area student.
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E-Learning For Students
Students should check their school email for access to their classes via Google Classroom, or Schoology for Innovations students.
- Complete all assignments for your classes on the e-learning day and submit or post your assignments by 11:59 pm on the day it is due, unless otherwise communicated to the teacher.
- Communicate with your teachers via email if you have questions or need assistance. Teachers will be available via email from 8:00 am to 3:00 pm.
- Students will access office hours for teachers when needed by accessing ZOOM access link with the teachers Google Classroom. Office hours will remain the same every day, Tuesday – Friday for teachers. (see teacher expectations for a list of Office Hourse by subject)
- Students that are unable to access Google Classroom will contact teachers by email to request copies, or work, to be sent by email. Students will also be allowed to scan and turn in work to the teacher through email if necessary.
- Students should do their best work and access teachers for virtual instruction, through ZOOM whenever support is needed.
- Student work will be graded and posted in PowerSchool each week.
- Failure to complete work will be marked as “missing” and will affect your grade.
- Renaissance will be pulled during 4th quarter and we will celebrate students who put in the work next year, during 1st quarter as always.
- Students will email their grade level counselor if support is needed and counselors will be able to schedule a 1 on 1 meeting.
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Attendance
- Log in to Google Classroom, or Schoology on E-learning days, Tuesday – Friday each week. In order for your attendance to be recorded, you MUST log in to your teachers classroom, for each period each day, before logging in to other online learning platforms.
- Failure to log in to Google Classroom (Schoology for Innovations) may result in an unexcused absence.
- Follow your schedule (7 periods) as if you were in school for that day.
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Helpful Resources
PowerSchool Parent Portal: https://d49.powerschool.com/
Google Classroom Links can be accessed through student email.
