Thanks to everyone for your patience and partnership this fall. We are proud of our teachers, principals, students, and families for their hard work and success with online learning. Moving forward, it is our hope to offer a safe option for in-person instruction starting in January and February. This video will help you understand our planning and your options. As a next step, we are asking families and staff to complete a form by November 16 at 9am to help us continue to plan for this model.

Model
First, let’s talk about the plan. Earlier this year, Dr. Atkins brought together a COVID-19 Advisory Committee of teachers, staff, parents, community members, medical professionals, and more. The committee has proposed a model that would give families a choice for their children to either continue learning online-only or return to in-person instruction. For students in PreK through grade 6, we would offer four days a week in person and with Fridays like they are now. To maximize bus transportation, PreK students will have modified hours of 10am-1:30pm. For students at Buford, CHS, and Lugo-McGinness, the in-person option would be two days a week at school, and three days virtual. Tentatively, the dates for this model would phase students back in from mid-January through the start of the second semester on February 1. Again, all students would have the option for remaining in online-only instruction.

Orientation/Transition
To help make this transition smooth, we would phase students back into school. Elementary students would starting phasing in students on January 11. For the first week or so, we would assign elementary students specific days to come to school and familiarize themselves with school routines. Following this orientation period, all in-persion elementary students would start attending school together on January 21. Buford, CHS, and LMA would likely begin on February 1, but we would also plan some Friday orientations throughout January for 7th-graders, 9th-graders and other students who are new to Buford and CHS. To help staff make this transition as successful as possible, we are also considering converting the week of January 4-8 to an asynchronous learning week — sort of like a week of “Fridays.” Teachers would use this time for training and preparation to make sure that we are doing all we can to keep everyone safe.

Ways to Promote Safety (Mitigation)
Speaking of safety, we have done extensive planning and preparation. Following the latest guidance, we have upgraded our cleaning equipment and air filters, purchased stand-alone air purification equipment for spaces that need it, gathered supplies such as hand sanitizer, created custom signage to help us all follow mitigation protocols, and more. To learn more about all the ways we are planning for mitigation, we invite you to visit our website. Among other items, you can find a video from our October 22 School Board meeting giving an update on these measures.

Students and Safety Routines
Any family who chooses in-person instruction agrees to follow safety plans such as distancing, hand-washing, health screening at home and school, prompt pick-up of children who are sick, and wearing a mask over the nose/mouth at all times unless there is a documented medical or disability need or if specific permission is given during the day (for example, at lunch). If students continue to struggle with these routines, schools will modify the child’s learning plan (such as returning to online learning) for the safety of the child and the school community. PK-6 students will also stay in their “home” classroom most of the time to minimize risk. Families choosing in-person instruction should still be prepared to shift to online, at-home learning in case of exposure.

Important Ideas about this Proposed Learning Model
1) After you’ve had time to learn about our proposal and talk it over with your family, we ask you to complete a family intent form for your household. The form will ask about each student in your family. Please make a careful decision — the expectation is that your child will remain in the chosen learning plan for the rest of the school year. That’s true whether you select in-person or online-only instruction.

2) A decision to send your child to in-person instruction is a decision to follow all safety plans such as wearing a mask over the nose/mouth as discussed earlier.

3) In-person instruction will be organized around safety. PK-6 students will stay in their “home” classroom most of the time to minimize risk. Students will still go outside for recess, and we will use the information from the intent forms to make other plans for the use of gyms, outdoor spaces, and more.

4) For those returning to in-person instruction, if at any point there is a COVID-19 exposure, your child (and possibly your child’s class) may be asked to quarantine at home and participate in virtual learning for a period such as 14 days.

5) We remain committed to a high-quality online-only experience.

6) Regardless of your learning plan, the school may need to make adjustments to your child’s schedule or teacher assignment. We will work to minimize teacher changes.

A Word about Bus Transportation
Due to state and CDC health guidelines and severe driver shortages, Charlottesville City Schools will have very limited bus space when we return to in-person learning. Current estimates show that we will be able to serve a maximum of 200 riders per day for elementaries (combined), 200 for Buford/Walker (combined), and 200 for CHS. Last year, 2,600 students rode the bus to and from school daily.

To assist families who do not receive bus transportation, the City’s Safe Routes to School program will organize additional supports such as volunteers guiding groups of walkers or bike-riders to school and offering helmets & bike give-aways. Please consider how you can support these efforts. Or find your own ways to partner with friends, neighbors, and classmates to make alternative plans to save bus spots for those who really need them. The intent form for families also includes an application for these limited bus spaces. For priority consideration for bus service, please submit forms by Monday, November 16 at 9am

Decision-Making Timeline
The Board will next meet on November 5 to hear a formal recommendation for a return to in-person instruction. At that meeting, they will vote to authorize the schools to continue online learning for the start of the second nine weeks. The Board will meet again on November 19 to vote about whether and when to adopt an in-person option. No action on this matter is expected at the December 3 meeting. Finally, on December 16, the Board will review the latest health data and hear an update about the schools’ safety plans. At that point, they will make a final decision. Again, the soonest schools would offer an in-person option would be mid-January to February 2021.

Next Steps for Families
If you have questions or would like more information, please visit our website. Once you feel like you have the information you need, talk with your family about whether you would like to remain online-only or choose in-person instruction. Remember, once you make a decision, it will be in place until the end of the school year.

If you’re ready to complete the intent form and bus application, you can find it at charlottesvilleschools.org/survey. It will be available there in English plus our top five languages. You can also get a printed form in those same languages at our schools and wherever our school meals are served. Submit forms by the morning of Monday, November 16 to help the School Board decide on November 19.

These forms will help us continue our planning — thanks again for your partnership!

October 28, 2020 Update about the Decision-Making Timeline

On Thursday, October 22, the School Board held a meeting to discuss the proposed model, including updates about safety and mitigation efforts and a report from principals about staff and space needs to support this model. You can watch this meeting here and you can find the attachments on our “Electronic School Board” web site here:

• Overview of Committee Recommendation
• COVID-19 Mitigation Status
• Staffing and Space Utilization Update

The Board requested that we ask families and staff to consider this model and complete intent forms. The Board will next meet on November 5 to hear a formal recommendation for a return to in-person instruction. At that meeting, they will vote to continue online learning for the start of the second nine weeks. The Board will meet again on November 19 to vote about whether to adopt an in-person option. Finally, on December 16, the Board will review the latest health data and hear an update about the schools’ plans to promote safety. At that point, they will make a final decision. Again, the soonest schools would offer an in-person option would be mid-January to February.

Next Steps

• This web page has been created to provide additional information.
• An intent form/bus application form is being distributed to families and staff to guide decision-making and planning. See links at top of page.
• The Board will meet again on November 5, at which time they will hear a formal recommendation from the Superintendent. They will also vote to continue online learning during the start of the second nine weeks (beginning November 9).
• The Board will meet to vote on the in-person option on November 19.
• On Wednesday, December 16, at 4pm, the Board will get an update on the latest health data and the schools’ efforts to promote safety. They will make a final decision at this time.
• Again, the schools will remain in a predominantly online mode until January. If a new model is approved, the earliest implementation would begin mid-January through February.

Families are welcome to subscribe for regular email notifications about the COVID-19 Advisory Committee, or you can check charlottesvilleschools.org/covid-committee for updates.

5 Core Mitigation Measures to Support School Openings

(per the CDC’s Indicators for Dynamic School Decision-Making) 

1. Masks and Face Coverings:  Per our new masks/face coverings policy, all students, staff, and visitors are required to wear masks covering the mouth and nose on school property and on school buses. For details and exceptions (such as when eating or if there is a medical or other accommodation), please see the policy.  Individuals will be asked to supply their own masks, but disposable masks will be available if an individual has forgotten to bring one. Face shields are also available for students and staff, but they are not a replacement for masks.
2. Social Distancing to the extent possible (6 feet where possible):  The proposal calls for limiting class size and building occupancy to allow for social distancing. Signage and floor markers will reinforce the furniture placement to encourage 6-foot separation.  Floor decals in halls and markings on sidewalks will show direction and reinforce spacing.  Signage also communicates one-way directions in stairwells or hallways as needed.
3. Hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette:  Students and staff will use hand sanitizer upon arrival. Hand sanitizer is available in all classrooms, on all buses, and at all student building entrances, and some classrooms have sinks for handwashing. Schools will teach and  reinforce good hygiene practices such as handwashing,  covering coughs and sneezes, and refraining from touching surfaces when possible.  
4. Cleaning and disinfection: All CCS cleaning products are on the EPA list of disinfectants for COVID-19. Custodians have been equipped and trained with foggers and electrostatic sprayers to support more rapid and effective disinfection of surfaces and entire spaces. Classrooms are equipped with spray bottles with the all-purpose disinfectant cleaner and microfiber cloths to readily address high-touch services such as desktops and door knobs.  A daily cleaning form is used by the custodial staff working with the building administrators, and a color-coded  system indicates whether rooms are: in use or not yet cleaned (red),  ready for use following standard cleaning procedures (yellow), or ready for use following extra cleaning measures (green). 
5. Contact tracing:  To help us work with the health department for contact tracing, we will implement several measures. Student movement in school buildings and buses will be minimized and monitored, and seating will be assigned. We will fully support contact tracing and subsequently enforce recommendations for quarantine or isolation.

Other CDC-Recommended Strategies

1. Cohorting: On the elementary level, we will create small cohorts (or “pods”) that stay together throughout the school day to minimize exposure for students, teachers, and staff across the school environment. We will limit staff moving among these cohorts. One advantage of the four-day proposal at the elementary level is that it allows students to remain in the same cohorts on a near-daily basis.
2. Staying home when appropriate: Staff and students will be asked to screen at home daily for COVID-19 symptoms and will be asked to stay home and contact a healthcare professional if they are symptomatic or if they know of an exposure to COVID-19. See guidance in the health section, below. No-contact temperature scanners will be used for buses and at entrances to monitor for people with a temperature of 100.0 or higher.  Screening questions will also be used at the discretion of school administrators or nurses, or at the direction of local health officials for additional on-site screening. CSS Student Home Screening Tool (revised October 26, 2020)
3. Adequate supplies:  As stated elsewhere, we will supply hand sanitizer, face masks (for those who arrive without them), face shields, disposable gloves, COVID-approved cleaning supplies, and more. Staff such as nurses in need of other PPE will be supplied those items. At this time, the only item we are finding it difficult to stock is the N95 mask, which is not commonly recommended for school use.
4. Staggered scheduling: We are hoping to avoid staggered start and stop times for schools. We will use other strategies such as encouraging people to use a variety of entry points to avoid congested spaces, and we have designated one-way stairways and hallways to minimize face-to-face foot traffic.
5. Alternating schedules with fixed cohorts:  This strategy is proposed for Buford and CHS. Students in cohort A will have in-person instruction two days a week (tentatively Monday and Wednesday), and cohort B will tentatively be in person on Tuesday and Thursday. Students will learn online on the other three days. Lugo-McGinness might use a different system to better facilitate social distancing in their buildings.
6. Shared objects:  As possible, we will minimize use of shared items or will create a plan for cleaning and disinfection (of touch screens, key boards, door knobs, etc).
7. Visitors:  We have suspended volunteer programs and non-essential visitors. Signage reminds visitors to check to see if their business can be conducted by phone or computer and that they need to wear a mask, screen for symptoms, and use hand sanitizer. Visits are held outside when weather allows.
8. Ventilation: The City is following ASHRAE recommendations to use the highest MERV-rated filters possible for all equipment, coupled with increasing ventilation.  All systems are set for maximum outdoor air at normal occupancy levels. The new filter installations are in process.  Any space that cannot use a MERV 13 or 14 filter will be equipped with a portable air cleaner. As weather permits, we will keep windows open. Going above and beyond standard mitigation for K-12 and universities, the City has engaged an engineer from Tri-Dim to consult on the best course of action for each building/space and provide a basis of design that will be used to get bids for additional equipment. This equipment will include strategies such as UV-C lights and/or bipolar ionization equipment, etc. Installations for this additional equipment are expected to begin as equipment is delivered, starting in November.
9. Water systems:  The City has been flushing water regularly to make sure that school water supplies remain safe.
10. Physical barriers and guides: The division has ordered and installed plexi-glass barriers for areas such as reception desks and to support safe 1:1 interactions in classrooms or with specialists. Schools can acquire additional barriers according to their specific needs.
11. Communal spaces: Most or all students will have lunch in classrooms. We will use playgrounds, but we will stagger use and schedule hand-washing before and after recess.  We will use the information from the family intent forms to make other plans for the use of gyms, outdoor spaces, and more.
12. Food service:  For most or all students in our schools, we will serve meals in classrooms. (Students are still welcome to bring packed meals, but no microwave will be available.) All students will wash hands or use hand sanitizer before and after eating. Other safety features include a meal pre-ordering system and a touchless system using ID cards for payment. We will  provide additional wheeled waste cans  in the hallways so food waste will not remain in the classrooms.  We will send in-person students home with bagged lunches & breakfasts for their off-campus days.  For families who wish to remain in all-online instruction, the nutrition department will survey families to determine where meal deliveries are needed.

Other Strategies:

• Training:  Staff and students will need to be trained on appropriate procedures and mitigation strategies. We will use training videos prior to returning to in-person instruction. Custodial staff had additional training the week of September 19. Additional training is also required for nursing staff as well as SPED staff who work with students to assist with medical or personal care.
• Protocols:  While some decision-making will depend on the data we receive from family intent forms, we have been assembling policies and protocols to guide our return to in-person instruction. All protocols are subject to change based on public health expertise and emerging best practices.
• Outdoor Spaces: We hope to use our outdoor spaces as much as possible, particularly for classes such as gym or choir.  Where there is enough space and mixing cohorts is possible, classes may also go outside for lunch or suitable instruction/class meetings.

Arrival/Daily Schedule:

When students arrive at the bus or the school, they will have their temperature screened and will hand sanitize. They can pick up a grab-and-go breakfast if they wish (free this school year). Then they will go directly to their assigned spot in their classroom. Elementary students will largely stay in their “home” classroom, but we use outdoor spaces as much as possible, particularly for gym and recess. Generally speaking, students will eat lunch in their classrooms. At Buford and CHS, students will follow their schedules to move from class to class following signage and other procedures to encourage social distancing. School hours may be adjusted to allow for the additional cleaning time required for buses between runs. Preschool  hours for our 3- and 4-year-olds will change to 10am – 1:30pm to maximize bus transportation.

Note: please make a plan for if your student arrives at the bus or school with a fever. See  the transportation FAQ (below) for details.

Athletics and Extra-Curricular Activities:

Some clubs and athletic activities may resume:

• CHS will follow Virginia High School League (VHSL) guidelines for sports and activities. Find the CHS plan here. For further updates, visit gocville.org.
• All other clubs and extracurricular activities will need to follow CCS guidelines and gain building-level approval to be sure that activities are in compliance.

Restroom Use:

High-risk touch points in restrooms (faucet knobs, flush handles, partition locks, ADA railings) will be disinfected at least mid-morning and mid-afternoon, and restrooms will be cleaned nightly. Schools will stagger bathroom breaks to minimize close contact with students from another cohort.  Handwashing is the key to safe bathroom use. Mirror clings in all restrooms will reinforce the importance and basics of proper handwashing. Schools will develop site plans for safe restroom use.

Calendar:

You can find the revised academic calendar for 2020-21 here. Click “other formats” for a one-page printout.

Furniture:

To the greatest degree possible, individual desks will be used and will be separated by 6′. Furniture will be arranged so that students face in the same direction.

Gym/Recess:

As much as possible, PE and recess will take place outside. Students should wash hands before and after recess or gym.  Outdoor playground equipment can be shared within a class, but again, since it will not be disinfected, hand-washing is important. Multiple cohorts can be outside at the same time as long as they are distanced from one another.  Any shared equipment such as balls should be disinfected between classes.

Hours:

School hours may be adjusted to allow for the additional cleaning time required for buses between runs. Preschool  hours for our 3- and 4-year-olds will change to 10am – 1:30pm to maximize bus transportation.

Meals:

We are offering free breakfast/lunch for all students this school year. For most or all students in our schools, we will serve meals in classrooms. Students can still bring packed meals from home, but no microwave will be available. All students will wash hands or use hand sanitizer before and after eating. Other safety features include a meal pre-ordering system and a touchless system using ID cards for payment. We will  provide additional wheeled waste cans  in the hallways so food waste will not remain in the classrooms.   We will send in-person students home with bagged lunches & breakfasts for their off-campus days.  For families who wish to remain in all-online instruction, nutrition will survey families to determine where meal deliveries are needed.

Preschool:

Preschool  hours for our 3- and 4-year-olds will change to 10am – 1:30pm to maximize bus transportation. We are exploring the possibility of partnering with a downtown church to house some of our preschool classrooms. We will know more once we have received our family intent forms so that we know the numbers of students who want in-person instruction. If preschool classes are held at a church or other facility, we will follow all safety procedures.

Safety Drills:

Schools are still following the schedule for state-required safety drills. We will adapt these processes to accommodate social distancing.

Schedule at Buford/CHS for hybrid students on the days when they are not in school:

We have been gathering models from other school divisions, but before adopting a model, we need to know how many students are interested in returning to in-person instruction. Depending on the numbers, we can select a model that works best for our students and staff. We are assembling a staff committee to help us identify the best solution to meet the needs of the two in-person cohorts, our online-only students, and our staff.

Shared Items/Spaces:

We will limit shared items as much as possible. If shared, items should be disinfected between use when possible. Group work can still happen — students will just need to follow social distancing guidelines. Schools and teachers will use lots of visual cues and reminders. Areas where students will need to share a space or equipment will create a space-specific cleaning plan.

Transportation Info:

See next section for information about transportation.

Water Fountains:

Students are encouraged to bring water bottles since water fountains will not be open. Bottle-filling stations are available.

How much space will there be on school buses?

Due to state and CDC health guidelines and severe driver shortages, Charlottesville City Schools will have very limited bus space when we return to any form of face-to-face learning. Current estimates show that we will be able to serve a maximum of 200 riders per day for elementaries (combined), 200 for Buford/Walker (combined), and 200 for CHS. (During 2019-20, 2,600 students rode the bus to and from school. This year, we may have a maximum of 600 per day.)  The family learning intent form also includes an application for bus spots. For priority consideration for bus spots, complete by Monday, November 16, at 9am.

How else can my kid get to school?

To assist families who do not receive bus transportation, the City’s Safe Routes to School program will organize additional supports such as volunteers guiding groups of walkers or bike-riders to school and offering bike give-aways. They are developing new maps to help! Learn more about Safe Routes to Schools and ways you can help! Or partner with friends, neighbors, and classmates to make alternative plans.

Any changes for car-riders?

We anticipate that there will be more cars in the drop-off and pick-up zones, so we are brainstorming alternate locations such as nearby parking lots where we can set up additional sites for car-riders. Stay tuned for new information from your school.  Important note: please stay in the car drop-off lane until your children have cleared the temperature check.

How will I know if my child can ride the bus?

If you have other options, please plan on them so that we can give bus spots to those who truly need them. The family learning intent form also includes an application for bus spots. For priority consideration for bus spots, complete by November 16 at 9am. Upon receipt of these forms, we will process the applications as quickly as possible.

How will we keep buses safe?

Buses will be cleaned between runs. Families will screen students for symptoms at home, and prior to boarding the bus, students will wear masks, use hand sanitizer, and get a temperature check (see note, below). For those students who get a bus assignment, we ask them to sit in their assigned seat. Siblings can sit together. Note: this year, for children in 6th grade and younger, a responsible adult must be at the stop each morning until the student has cleared their temperature check.

What if my child can’t ride the bus due to a fever?

For children in 6th grade and younger, a responsible adult must be at the stop each morning until the student has cleared their temperature check. For older students, we will call families to let them know if their child was unable to board the bus. If we cannot reach the family immediately,  the student will ride the bus and go directly to the school’s isolation room for prompt pick-up. Please make a plan in case your child gets sent home from the bus due to a fever or other symptoms. We will make every effort to contact families in this situation.

What if my walker or bike-rider arrives at school with a fever?

The student will be sent to the school’s isolation room, and the parents/guardians will be notified to promptly arrange for the student to return home.

What about the kids who bike or walk on rainy days?

The Back-to-School Bash team thought about this and has generously supplied schools a supply of water-proof ponchos that will fit over jackets and backpacks. Check with your school to request one.

What if you don’t have enough bus space for everyone who needs it?

For this reason, we are asking for anyone whose child can walk, ride a bike (or scooter) or get a ride to make those arrangements. We are developing a rubric to guide decision-making if we have more requests than spaces. The rubric will cover items such as distance from school, ability to arrange other transportation, age, and more. If there are students who are unable to attend in-person instruction because they did not receive a bus spot, please check with your school to see if we can help you make a connection for a ride-share or put you on a waiting list.  For priority consideration for bus spots, please complete the family learning intent/bus application form by November 16 at 9am.

Why do you have so little space on the buses and why can’t you just hire more bus drivers?

1. Social distancing reduces capacity on each bus.
2. There was a national shortage of school bus drivers even before the  pandemic.
3. Many of our drivers are retirees who are at greater risk due to COVID-19; some have decided to step down for their personal safety.
4. Due to the pandemic,  the back-up to get a commercial driving license is months-long.

If my elementary (preK-grade 6) child choses online-only, will they Zoom into classes with in-person instruction?

In the proposed elementary model, we would create dedicated cohorts of in-person and online-only students. This will require some teacher reassignments, but we will work to minimize the impact. The teacher reassignments could occur for both in-person and online-only students.

If my middle or high school child choses online-only, will they Zoom into classes with in-person instruction?

We have been gathering models from other school divisions, but before adopting a model, we need to know how many students are interested in returning to in-person instruction. Depending on the numbers, we can select a model that works best for our students and staff. We are assembling a staff committee to help us identify the best solution to meet the needs of the two in-person cohorts, our online-only students, and our staff.

Hoping for an in-person option at Charlottesville City Schools? Here’s how you can help:

1. Complete the Family Intent Form at charlottesvilleschools.org/survey by Monday, November 16 at 9am.
2. Continue to build your family’s good habits — social distancing, mask-wearing, and hand-washing. Do your part to keep our COVID-19 numbers low.
3. Get flu shots for your family.
4. Download the state’s COVIDWISE app. This app does not collect personal data, but it does help with contact tracing.
5. Stay up-to-date with Charlottesville City Schools. Not getting phone calls and/or emails? Want to get texts? Please check with your school office.
6. If you’re thinking about choosing in-person instruction, make a plan for these situations now:
   1. Transportation to and from school. There will be VERY LIMITED bus space.
   2. Sick days: If your children are sick, please help our community and keep them home. Check with your doctor or school nurse for advice.
   3. Unexpected fever at the bus or school: We will screen for fevers before children enter the bus or school. Please make a plan now for if your child has a fever and is not allowed to board the bus.
   4. Isolation: If your child is exposed to someone with COVID-19 symptoms at any point (whether at school, when out, or at home), they will need to isolate for fourteen days or as directed.

Kids will be walking and biking. Want to learn more or find a way to help?

The City’s Safe Routes to School program is creating maps and organizing supports to help students safely walk or bike (or scoot or skip) to school. Interested in learning more or helping? Let them know!

Canvas, our Online Classroom

All students — and parents/guardians — will have access to Canvas, our online learning system. We’ll also rely on Zoom and many of the same Google tools we have used for many years. Learning will be a combination of synchronous and asynchronous activities. Synchronous learning is live, teacher-guided instruction, such as Zoom video meetings with the whole class or small groups. Asynchronous learning occurs without real-time interaction with the teacher, such as a student working on an assignment.

School Hours

School hours are posted here. Students will engage in a mix of live (synchronous) and independent (asynchronous) work during school hours. To know more about your child’s daily schedule, please attend a Meet and Greet or check in with your school or teacher.

Attendance

As in a regular school year, Virginia requires daily student attendance even in an online or remote setting. Students will be expected to attend each day, and attendance will be taken. You can find details about attendance from our learning plan here.  Just as before, please report absences by emailing or calling the school office. Please check with your teacher about making up missed instruction and assignments.

Participation

Students are expected to participate in Zoom lessons following the school’s schedule.
If students miss a live session, there may be videos or other learning materials to review.

Students are expected to respond to all prompts to learn and engage during instruction.
For asynchronous instruction, students will log in to Canvas and complete the self-guided tasks and assignments.

Expectations

Students will be expected to collaborate on projects and assignments using Canvas, Zoom, and Google tools.

The Code of Student Conduct is still in effect. Teachers can record class sessions following the schools’ policies for using images and recordings for official educational or promotional purposes. No personal use of video/photos is allowed without additional permission.

Students are expected to follow expectations for appropriate language and interaction when interacting through Canvas, Zoom, Google tools, or other programs. Media specialists and teachers will provide students with digital citizenship guidelines (appropriate behavior and expectations in the virtual environment).
All students should follow the “Acceptable Use of Technology” policy.

Grades and Assessments

Student work will be graded and teachers will provide regular feedback.
Grades will be available through both Canvas and PowerSchool.
Our emphasis will be on mastering the content.

We will continue to follow state/federal guidelines and at this point will be offering SOL tests this spring along with other assessment tools such as MAP tests.

Office Hours for Teachers

Students and families can schedule an appointment for help or conferencing by emailing their teacher or using the Remind app.

Consider setting up an appointment when your students:

• miss live class sections,
• have missing assignments,
• have scored below mastery on more than one assessment, and/or
• have questions about the content, their wellbeing, technology, or more.

Learning Plans for Second Quarter and Beyond?

The School Board will be revisiting our learning plan quarter by quarter with a goal of giving families and schools adequate time to respond to any changes. To determine readiness to return to on-campus learning, we must consider external conditions, including local and state health orders and guidance, as well as internal conditions, including facilities preparations, screening and safety protocols (such as our new face covering/mask policy), staffing availability, and program readiness.

We have convened a Covid-19 Advisory Committee to help us plan a safe return to in-person instruction. To start their conversation, they are reviewing and responding to a draft plan. Find more here.

• Call or email your school (see our printable chart).
• Check our web site: charlottesvilleschools.org.
• Follow us on social media for Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
• Use the Remind app for a text-like way to get classroom updates and an easy way to text or talk with your teachers. Remind is already in place for some teachers and will be coming soon for all.
• Create a Canvas log-in to see your children’s online “classrooms,” assignments, grades, and more.
• Log into PowerSchool to do re-registration forms, see grades/schedules, and check attendance.
  • While you’re in PowerSchool, you can edit how you hear from your principal or the school division through School Messenger (robocalls, emails, texts).
• Subscribe to our Google calendar. Go to charlottesvilleschools.org/calendar.