Warsaw Schools Planning At Least 1 Session Of Summer School
May 19, 2020 at 3:16 a.m.
By Jackie Gorski-
Warsaw School Board heard from Dr. David Robertson, assistant superintendent of elementary education, and Dani Barkey, assistant superintendent of secondary education, during its meeting Monday.
Robertson said a lot of the school corporation’s plans are contingent on more guidance from the governor’s office and the State?Department of Education. On the elementary school level, the school corporation is planning a 15-day summer school program. It is being moved from June to late July to early August.
The school corporation is looking to start the week of July 20, Robertson said.
“We are having some discussions with Kosciusko County (agencies) on how we can fund and expand a program for students in K, 1, 2 and 3 and through that also identifying key skills we want to make sure we hone in on that are potential gaps in light of the fact as mentioned before, eLearning is the not the same as being in the classroom,” he said.
Robertson said information will potentially be sent out to parents in the upcoming week.
Barkey said summer school for secondary students dealt with different issues than those in elementary school. The scheduling issue comes from having students that need credits “and kids that are needing to get things done.”
Barkey said summer school plans for secondary education has a continency plan.
She said if the school corporation is able to do two school sessions, they will do that.
“We will be doing our first summer session starting June 1 and go to June 26 and that will be a digital delivery. Teachers will be using a combination of APEX, as well as in-person in terms of video conferencing lessons to keep in contact with the students,” she said.
Secondary students will be going to summer school four days a week - Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
If things open up to do a second session, the dates for the second session have not been announced yet, but “will be shortly,” Barkey said.
If WCS cannot do the second session in-person, it will be electronic delivery as well.
Barkey said parents of students attending summer school have been notified by mail and questions and answers about summer school have been put on the school’s website.
For elementary students, Robertson said students who will attend summer school are identified by third- and fourth-quarter data. It’s by invitation only, so those are typically sent home with students during the school year. The school corporation is working with principals to identify those students. Letters will be sent out in regards to this.
Barkey also talked about graduation.
“There’s been lots of guidance in regards to graduation,” she said. WCS is still “holding strong with July 17 as our graduation date, hoping we can have it in-person.”
There is also a Q&A in regards to graduation on WCS’s website at www.warsawschools.org. There is a class of 2020 icon on the website people can click on.
“Probably the biggest question that is out there right now is what the fall looks like and what does summer school look like, as we’re talking about this,” said WCS Superintendent Dr. David Hoffert. “Our number one thing is we’re working to be prepared. We want students to be back in our schools in a physical setting as soon as we possibly can. Right now, we are planning that will be in July with our summer school. We realize there are a lot of factors that are outside of our control. But, again, our plan is to make that possible.”
Hoffert said WCS is working on the safety aspects to do so and with several different agencies including the Kosciusko County Health Department, mayor’s office, Indiana Department of Health and Indiana Department of Education.
The school board also approved a policy in regards to COVID-19 and other diseases.
The policy was last adopted in 2009. Sheila Howe, director of human resources, said the updates gives WCS the ability to work with the KCHD.
The policy says that if a student shows signs of a communicable disease, the school nurse can isolate the student in compliance with the local health department and CDC recommendations. It also acknowledges any other viruses or diseases that are going on in a pandemic. There will be procedures the school corporation will need to follow.
Warsaw School Board heard from Dr. David Robertson, assistant superintendent of elementary education, and Dani Barkey, assistant superintendent of secondary education, during its meeting Monday.
Robertson said a lot of the school corporation’s plans are contingent on more guidance from the governor’s office and the State?Department of Education. On the elementary school level, the school corporation is planning a 15-day summer school program. It is being moved from June to late July to early August.
The school corporation is looking to start the week of July 20, Robertson said.
“We are having some discussions with Kosciusko County (agencies) on how we can fund and expand a program for students in K, 1, 2 and 3 and through that also identifying key skills we want to make sure we hone in on that are potential gaps in light of the fact as mentioned before, eLearning is the not the same as being in the classroom,” he said.
Robertson said information will potentially be sent out to parents in the upcoming week.
Barkey said summer school for secondary students dealt with different issues than those in elementary school. The scheduling issue comes from having students that need credits “and kids that are needing to get things done.”
Barkey said summer school plans for secondary education has a continency plan.
She said if the school corporation is able to do two school sessions, they will do that.
“We will be doing our first summer session starting June 1 and go to June 26 and that will be a digital delivery. Teachers will be using a combination of APEX, as well as in-person in terms of video conferencing lessons to keep in contact with the students,” she said.
Secondary students will be going to summer school four days a week - Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
If things open up to do a second session, the dates for the second session have not been announced yet, but “will be shortly,” Barkey said.
If WCS cannot do the second session in-person, it will be electronic delivery as well.
Barkey said parents of students attending summer school have been notified by mail and questions and answers about summer school have been put on the school’s website.
For elementary students, Robertson said students who will attend summer school are identified by third- and fourth-quarter data. It’s by invitation only, so those are typically sent home with students during the school year. The school corporation is working with principals to identify those students. Letters will be sent out in regards to this.
Barkey also talked about graduation.
“There’s been lots of guidance in regards to graduation,” she said. WCS is still “holding strong with July 17 as our graduation date, hoping we can have it in-person.”
There is also a Q&A in regards to graduation on WCS’s website at www.warsawschools.org. There is a class of 2020 icon on the website people can click on.
“Probably the biggest question that is out there right now is what the fall looks like and what does summer school look like, as we’re talking about this,” said WCS Superintendent Dr. David Hoffert. “Our number one thing is we’re working to be prepared. We want students to be back in our schools in a physical setting as soon as we possibly can. Right now, we are planning that will be in July with our summer school. We realize there are a lot of factors that are outside of our control. But, again, our plan is to make that possible.”
Hoffert said WCS is working on the safety aspects to do so and with several different agencies including the Kosciusko County Health Department, mayor’s office, Indiana Department of Health and Indiana Department of Education.
The school board also approved a policy in regards to COVID-19 and other diseases.
The policy was last adopted in 2009. Sheila Howe, director of human resources, said the updates gives WCS the ability to work with the KCHD.
The policy says that if a student shows signs of a communicable disease, the school nurse can isolate the student in compliance with the local health department and CDC recommendations. It also acknowledges any other viruses or diseases that are going on in a pandemic. There will be procedures the school corporation will need to follow.
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