Dear Jones Family,
I hope this message finds you all well and enjoying some previously unplanned family time. Below are important updates that might answer some of your most pressing questions.
COVID-19 Case at Jones: Yesterday you received an email and robocall messages from CPS regarding a case of COVID-19 coronavirus for a person at Jones. Only a small number of people were advised to self-quarantine through March 27 due to the level of contact they may have had with the person who was diagnosed. If you did not receive a personal phone call from the Chicago Public Health Department, there is no need to be concerned. In addition, CPHD has inspected our building and found it to be free of the virus. Essential staff will return to the building on March 24. Custodial cleaning will resume, and food service will again be preparing and distributing breakfast and lunch packets at the main entrance at 700 South State.
Continued Learning: Our teachers will continue to provide students with instruction and meaningful learning activities via Google Classroom and other communication channels. We are limited to communications platforms approved by CPS based on maintaining student safety and confidentiality. As additional means are approved, our teachers will be making use of them. Please be assured our teachers are doing their best with the tools that have at their disposal.
Homework: We have a well-established "No Homework Holiday" Policy, designed to allow students to spend time with their families without the pressure of homework. However, since our Spring Break falls during what will be a five-week period of no school attendance, we are suspending the no homework policy to provide greater flexibility in helping students remain on track in their classes. The grading policy previously announced and amended by the Illinois State Board of Education remains in place. Teachers may assign work for credit, but grades will only be taken if they help a student improve his or her average. Teachers will provide guidance on how this policy applies to specific assignments.
Advanced Placement: The College Board has provided several important updates, although more detailed AP information is to follow and can be accessed on the College Board website. A few major points provided by the College Board
> Traditional face-to-face exam administrations will not take place.
> College Board is investing in the development of a new at-home testing option with 45-minute online exams. Additional testing details will be available by April 3.
> Some students may want to take the exam sooner rather than later, while the content is still fresh. Other students may want more time to practice. For each AP subject, there will be two different testing dates, again announced by April 3 via the College Board website.
> Students will be able to take these streamlined exams on any device they have access to—computer, tablet, or smartphone. Taking a photo of handwritten work will also be an option.
> Portfolio deadlines have been extended and can be found on the College Board website.
> Beginning on Wednesday, March 25, students and teachers can attend free optional, live and remote AP review courses, delivered by AP teachers from across the country. They'll also be recorded and available on-demand.
> Colleges support this solution and are committed to ensuring that AP students receive the credit they've worked this year to earn.
> College Board recognizes that the digital divide could prevent some low-income from participating. Working with partners, they will invest so that these students have the tools and connectivity they need to review AP content online and take the exam. If students need mobile tools or connectivity, reach out to the College Board directly to let them know.
> To be fair to all students, some of whom have lost more instructional time than others, the exam will only include topics and skills most AP teachers and students have already covered in class by early March. Refer to the Course-Specific Exam Information section on the College Board website. For course-specific exam information and exact details, refer to the College Board website. As additional information becomes available, we will continue to use this platform to share
I am sorry to bombard you with so much information, but we want to make sure that everyone in our school family is kept up-to-date as much as possible.
As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me at any time. As I am presently away from the office, email is best:
pjpowers@cps.edu.
