August 28, 2020
Dear SCS Parent/Guardian(s),
The staff here at Schoolcraft Community Schools are excited to educate your children starting next week. They have been working tirelessly this week getting their respective classrooms/spaces ready along with learning and growing as a team. They have helped establish clear protocols and expectations for the current conditions. We appreciate your continued support, patience and guidance as we go into the school year. This is going to be a great year here at SCS!
Below you will find a few key items as we start the school year:
Safety Protocols: Our safety protocols are non-negotiables. Please help us educate your children on the importance of the following:
Masking - All staff and students will be required to wear a mask. There will be built in breaks throughout the day. Shields do not count as masks. The district will supply masks to those that need them. In addition, it is recommended that students bring multiple masks each day. Please make sure that the masks are laundered or thrown away on a daily basis.
Social Distancing - We will practice social distancing throughout the district. The
desks are spaced out appropriately. At the middle/high school levels we will have
intermittent dismissals from class to class to ensure socially distancing. Of course these protocols are only as secure as the commitment that students make to follow them.
Please remind your child to think of others first by maintaining appropriate social distancing AND wearing their mask when required.
Hygiene - There will be handwashing breaks throughout the day. All
classrooms/restrooms/common spaces will be diseneffected throughout the day.
Children might be asked to assist but are not required to wipe their respective desks.
Start Date for School:
Elementary - Monday, August 31st - The AM Core classes will start Face-to-Face will be in session at the normal time. The PM Core classes will not have school. There will be no Wrap-Around program or Eagle Zone available. No Transportation available as well.
Tuesday, September 1st - The PM Core classes will start Face-to-Face at their normal time. The AM Core classes will not have school. There will be no Wrap-Around program or Eagle Zone Available. No Transportation available as well.
Wednesday, September 2nd - We will start our full-day programming options with those that chose the AM and PM Core Classes meeting Face-to-Face and starting the Wrap-Around and Eagle Zone options as well.
Middle/High - All students will have Virtual Days on Monday, August 31st and Tuesday, September 1st. At both buildings the students will be able to pick-up their technology and start virtually as the teachers will have things for the students to do at home.
Start/End Times:
Elementary School 7:45 - 10:45 (AM Core) and 12:05-3:05 (PM Core)
Middle School 8:00 AM/3:06 PM
High School 7:55 AM/2:55 PM
Transportation:
Our drivers are very excited to see our kiddo’s. Please be patient as we are currently working on routes with our new restrictions in place and schedules still being developed. Please register online if you are requesting transportation services thru the transportation link on our website. Here is a quick link the online sign up https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe9KgDHcPcka9JpSqIpnz8pDt5TtEA6Umkd08RmXE4ueaOcRQ/viewform. As soon as routes are completed we will post them on our website.
Any questions feel free to contact us at 269-488-7395 or email us at
transport-office@schoolcraftcs.org
Student Services:
There will be a letter coming out to all of the parents regarding the services our Support Team is able to provide to our students and families this upcoming school year. If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact Shelby Getsinger, School Social Worker at (269)-615-0026, or email at Getsingers@schoolcraftcs.org.
Special Education:
There will be a letter sent to parents of special education students regarding service provision, IEP procedures and additional information for the 2020-21 school year. If any parent has special education questions, please don’t hesitate to call Michelle Schneider, Special Education Coordinator at 269-998-8123 or email schneim@schoolcraftcs.org.
Food Service:
There will be a letter sent out to all parents about feeding all children and also a sign up sheet for meals to take home. Any questions please call me @ (269)488-7343 or email me @ lynnb@schoolcraftcs.org. Have a great start to a great year. Brenda Lynn FSD
Technology: Students will be receiving their iPads and Chromebooks the first few days of school. Elementary students will receive them in the office or through an online learning coordinator if they are not coming to school. The MS and HS has already sent a schedule for picking up devices on Monday and Tuesday. This year we are allowing the devices to be picked up before all required paperwork and insurance forms are submitted to enable students to start right away with their class work. If you have not done so, please use our new forms and payment system to submit your device agreements and insurance. You can find the forms using this link: Back to School Forms.
Athletics: We are truly in a unique time. In high school athletics, football has been moved to the spring of 2021. Volleyball and soccer have been practicing outside, but they are currently waiting for the go ahead to play games and for volleyball to get into our gym. Our girl’s golf team is already competing and took 4th place at the first league jamboree and our cross country teams are awaiting their first competition.
In middle school athletics, football has been canceled, but Schoolcraft Rocket Football has started a flag football league that our students may compete in. Volleyball will start practice on Monday, August 31st at 3:30 PM outside the middle school gym. Lastly, middle school cross country has been practicing since Monday, August 24th and they are eagerly awaiting their first competition.
One last note for spectators, with the current limits from the Governor’s Executive Order, we are not allowing any spectators to attend any of our competitions. Adjustments will be made as we receive new guidelines from the Governor.
Thank you for your understanding. Go Eagles!
Eagle Zone:
Our before/after school program, Eagle Zone, is open before school from 6:45-7:45 and again after school from 3:00-6:00. This program is for students 57 months thru 12 year olds. You are able to sign up weekly to fit your schedule. Masks will be required in our Eagle Zone as well as temp checks upon arrival. Any questions please contact me at blodgetta@schoolcraftcs.org
Pre-School (GSRP):
First day of Pre-K will be September 14th and will be a half day. We start at 8:00 and end at 2:45 Monday thru Thursday. Friday’s we have school from 8:00-11:00. We have started to enroll and are excited to start our classrooms. We do still have a couple slots available! Please reach out to me if you have a 4 year old at blodgetta@schoolcraftcs.org to sign up!
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the main offices or department head. We look forward to our continued partnership in educating your child(ren). It is truly great to be a SCS Eagle!
Your Administrative Team
SCHOOLCRAFT HIGH SCHOOL SUMMARY
PURPLE AND GOLD DAYS
On our Final Student Registration Form posted Friday, August 21, 2020, nearly 85 percent of High School students and families indicated a desire for hybrid learning. Our hybrid schedule will ensure students in each classroom will be appropriately social distanced. The hybrid schedule in our building will adhere to the following weekly calendar:
MONDAY: Students will learn remotely (from home). No students on campus.
PURPLE DAYS: Students assigned to our Tuesday and Thursday schedule.
GOLD DAYS: Students assigned to our Wednesday and Friday schedule.
While students will alternate between in-person (on campus) and virtual (off campus) learning, it is expected that when students are off-campus, they are actively involved and engaged in learning in order to be maximally benefit from their teacher’s in-person instruction. Our teachers established an instructional calendar that maximizes learning opportunities between direct instruction via recorded lessons, in-person instruction with whole class and individual student support, and individual student practice and engagement. Students will experience a blend of asynchronous (recorded) and synchronous (live) models for support from all of their teachers.
VIRTUAL DAY MONDAY EXPECTATIONS
By 9:00 A.M. on Mondays, our teachers will complete the following:
Provide a teacher-recorded introductory video for each of their classes, launching new learning for the week. The video will include an outline for the week, highlight the Schoolcraft Standard(s) addressed or revisited for the week, and provide a timeline for assignment completion.
All staff will post their “Week at a Glance” to a shared building-wide Google Slide that will be accessible via the SHS section of District’s website.
Students involved in the SCS Online model for learning will be provided with synchronous learning opportunities every Monday. These mandatory check-in days will follow the schedule below:
DEPARTMENT | CHECK-IN TIME (Virtually) |
World Language | 900 A.M. - 9:40 A.M. |
English | 10:00 A.M. - 10:40 A.M. |
Math | 11:00 A.M. - 11:40 A.M. |
Social Studies | 12:00 P.M. - 12:40 P.M. |
Science | 1:00 P.M. - 1:40 P.M. |
PE/Health, Business, Art | 2:00 P.M. - 2:40 P.M. |
For major projects, papers, and extended-length assignments, teachers will set the due date to Monday morning by 9:00 A.M. Our staff felt that with rotating schedules during the week, the extended time over through an entire week and a weekend will provide students the opportunity to check in with their teachers if questions or concerns arise.
PRIOR TO STUDENT ARRIVAL
It is critical that students and families monitor their health symptoms prior to coming to school. If a student has any symptoms associated with COVID-19, the CDC recommends students remain home until they are symptom-free for at least 24 hours. Prior to a student’s arrival to school, they should assess their health listed on the CDC’s website, viewable by clicking here. Additionally, any student with a temperature of 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit should remain home and consult their physician. Students with a temperature should remain fever-free for at least 24 hours without the use of fever-regulating medications.
ARRIVAL
Our school day begins at 7:55 A.M. The doors to school will open for student arrival at 7:40 A.M. Prior to arrival, it is expected that all students and families have self-assessed for health symptoms related to COVID-19. Upon arrival, students will receive a temperature scan. If a student has a temperature at or above 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit, they will be moved to a different portion of the building and asked to be picked up. Following their temperature scan, students are required to go immediately to their locker, store any materials not needed for their class period, and directly report to class.
LOCKER USAGE
Students are expected to use their lockers to store all of their school materials not needed for their class period. Students will have time between classes to visit their lockers, exchange the materials they need, and report to their next class. Lockers have been spaced out in the building to ensure distancing to the greatest extent possible between classes. Additionally, we will have a staggered dismissal procedure between classes in order to limit the number of students in the hallway between classes.
MASK UP
All students and staff are required to wear a face covering that covers a students mouth and nose at all times (if medically tolerated and not when a student is eating in the Cafeteria). Teachers are building mask breaks into their class day and will take students outside to provide relief for wearing a mask while at school. If a student does not arrive at school with a mask, we will have masks available for students to use.
EAGLES CARE
Our building has adopted expectations for all students around the acronym Eagles CARE. These expectations will be taught to all students, reinforced throughout our school day, and acknowledged as we navigate our school day. All Eagles will demonstrate COMPASSION, AWARENESS, follow all ROUTINES, and be actively ENGAGED as students in our building. As a staff, we outlined behavior expectations around Eagles CARE for Entering and Exiting the Building, how to navigate Common Areas (the hallway and in the Cafeteria), in the Classroom, with Technology, and how to conduct themselves in the Bathroom. Eagles CARE is linked to the safety protocols all schools are expected to follow and are aligned to the Return to Learn plan adopted by the SCS Board of Education in August.
SCHEDULING
As of the morning of Friday, August 28, 2020, our Scheduling Team is dividing students into their Purple and Gold schedule. This delicate task has been guided by student course requests, including the multitude of off-campus programs (Education for Employment, Education for the Arts, Dual-Enrollment, and Early Middle College). We understand the urgency and peace of mind for our students and families to be able to see their student’s schedule as soon as possible. Once student schedules are viewable, we will community our student’s hybrid schedule in the following ways:
Schedules will be viewable by Student View in Synergy.
A student’s Purple and Gold assignment will be communicated via the student’s school-issued email account.
Once the Purple and Gold assignments are completed, we will communicate this via the SCS App, over social media, and via email.
If your student’s schedule needs a class adjustment, please complete the GoogleForm, accessible by clicking here. This document is shared with our Front Office staff and with our School Counselor who will make adjustments and follow up with students following the completion of scheduling.