Dear Jones Family,
I hope you and your families are all safe and well. These are extraordinary times, and the Governor's announcement that schools will be closed for the remainder of the year provides us with additional challenges. While we do not yet know the answer to everything that now needs to be done to finish the school year, we do know that our mission as teachers continues. We have a solid remote learning plan in place which will continue to deliver meaningful learning opportunities for our students through June. Please review the following information:
PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCES - APRIL 23: Since we are unable to hold conferences in person, we have created a platform that parents can use to schedule virtual meetings with any teachers they wish to speak with. Teachers will be using Calendly.com as their scheduling tool. You will receive emails from your students' teachers with links to schedule either phone or video conferences. If you are unable to schedule a conference for April 23, please contact the teacher to set up an alternative date and time up through May 1. Please note that CPS will be mailing out Quarter 3 report cards prior to conferences, but it is possible you will not receive them before April 23. Please check your students' grades on Parent Portal if you do not receive the report card in time.
REMOTE LEARNING: We have just completed our first week of remote learning and, on the whole, it seems to be going reasonably well. This was the beginning of an entirely new learning model, so there were bound to be some oversights and unevenness in implementation. Our teachers are working hard to bring your students the best possible learning opportunities, including face-to-face virtual instruction. They need your support to help students remain actively engaged in their learning. In addition, we are looking at ways to tweak the schedule to improve student engagement. Please be patient as we continue to ramp up our remote learning plan.
GRADING FOR QUARTER 4: In his announcement Friday, the Governor alluded to a change in the grading system for the remainder of the school year. We are expecting to hear from CPS in the next few days what this will look like.
STUDENT ENGAGEMENT TRACKING: Teachers have begun tracking student engagement (Google Meet class "attendance," contacts through email and Google Classroom, etc.) on a weekly basis. Please encourage your students to remain engaged and in contact with their teachers. Teachers will be making every effort to keep in contact with their students; if a student is chronically "absent" despite teacher outreach, parents can expect a follow-up contact from the school administration.
CHROMEBOOKS: Students may still check out Chromebooks at school, Monday-Friday, 8:00 am - 12:00 pm. If you need a device, please email me and Mr. Mitchell (elmitchell1@cps.edu) to let us know when you wish to pick it up.
COMMUNICATION: Keeping in touch is vitally important, especially during these trying times. Please feel free to contact teachers with any questions or concerns regarding your students' classes. We have asked teachers to respond by the next school day.
GRADUATION: This is an especially disappointing time for our seniors Unfortunately, our graduation ceremony at The Auditorium Theater, scheduled for June 7, will need to be rescheduled, possibly in a different format entirely. We are looking into options, including a virtual graduation ceremony. I will keep you informed as we move forward. We will also be exploring what can be done regarding Prom and other senior class events.
SAT: The College Board is in the process of scheduling national testing days in the fall for members of the Class of 2021. Attached is an update on this process. Please note that we do not yet have a date for when the school day SAT, originally scheduled for April 14, will be given in the fall.
END-OF-YEAR PROCEDURES: We are working on plans for how to close out the school year, including such issues as textbook collection, allowing students to collect their belongings from their lockers, and similar tasks.
SUMMER 2020: It is impossible to know at this time if we will be able to hold our regular summer activities: Summer School, Freshman Connection, athletic camps, etc., as we do not know how long the stay-at-home order will last. We are moving ahead with plans for these activities, but they may end up being modified or cancelled entirely.
I know all of this is immensely frustrating for everyone, but I am confident we will all overcome the challenges we face. Stay well and stay strong!
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Sincerely,
P. Joseph Powers, Ph.D.
Principal
pjpowers@cps.edu
(773) 534-8606
For news about JCP, follow me on Twitter @PJOSEPHPOWERS
Coronavirus Resource Page: https://www.jonescollegeprep.org/coronavirus/
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