Parents and students in the Carroll County School District will have another week to prepare and decide whether they want to send their child to school face-to-face or virtually.
The school board approved a proposed new calendar presented by Superintendent Jim Ray to delay school until Thursday, August 13. Federal Programs Director Sara Johnson said parents would have until Wednesday, August 12, to complete surveys indicating if they want their child to go traditionally or virtually.
Ray said when students return to school, school will let out at 2 p.m. to allow teachers time to plan for distance learning and answer questions from students. He also said masks are now required for all students, teachers, staff, faculty, and visitors.
One of the biggest questions that arose from the meeting Thursday night was attendance and how it would be taken with distance learning. According to Assistant Superintendent Wendy Hubbard, the learning management system the district chose, Canvas, notates the time when a student is in Canvas. She said students, whether at home or school, must have 240 minutes of instructional time per week.
Hubbard said she wants parents to understand that even with the learning packets that will be sent out, attendance will still be taken.
“What I want parents to know is that if your child is not logged into Canvas and is working for 240 minutes, they are considered absent for the day. When we do learning packets, if the teacher sends on a packet with Math, Science, Reading, English, Social Students, whatever on Monday and it says Monday, September whatever. When you turn in that packet on Tuesday, and the packet is not completed your child is absent for the day. If Tuesday’s, if Wednesday’s if Thursday’s [lesson] is not completed your child is absent for the day,” Hubbard said.
She said a child could not log into Canvas and just have it open. They have to be logged into their classes and doing work.
For more on this story, pick up Thursday, August 2’s edition of The Carroll County Conservative.
