Frequently Asked Questions
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In-Person Hybrid - Secondary FAQs
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What will my Secondary (Grades 6-12) child’s schedule look like?
Posted by:If you choose the In-Person/Hybrid Learning option for your child in grades 6th to 12th, they will begin the year attending school in person two days per week and attending classes synchronously via Zoom two days per week. Students will operate on a Blue/Gold hybrid schedule, being divided into one of the two groups. In a typical five day school week, the Blue group will attend school in person on Monday and Tuesday and the Gold group will attend school in person on Thursday and Friday. The Blue group will attend classes synchronously via Zoom on Thursday and Friday while the Gold group will do the same on Monday and Tuesday. All students will participate in asynchronous online instruction on Wednesdays.
Schedules will be communicated by building principals in advance for weeks which are not a full five school days.
A typical five day school week schedule can be viewed HERE.
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When does my child attend school in person?
Posted by:Please see below for the September calendar which outlines which days your child will attend school in person, based on whether they are on the Blue or Gold schedule. Principals will communicate schedules for each month.
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What is the difference between synchronous & asynchronous instruction?
Posted by:Asynchronous instruction does not incorporate live lessons into the teaching format. Lessons are available for students to review at any time and activities are self-paced and can be completed at a time that is most convenient for students and families. Synchronous instruction means that students receive live lessons from teachers during the school day. Students will video-conference into these live lessons with the teacher(s) throughout the school day using Zoom.
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Why is every Wednesday an asynchronous instructional day?
Posted by:We purposely developed the secondary hybrid schedule to allow a day for our custodial staff to complete a deep cleaning of the Middle and High School buildings as a new group of students will be entering the building the following school day. This day will include asynchronous assignments, club/group meetings (i.e. student council), teacher office hours, and tutoring/remediation sessions.
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Will there be time for my child to ask questions when they are learning synchronously from home?
Posted by:Absolutely! Teachers will provide the opportunity for all students both learning in person and those learning virtually to ask questions during and/or following a lesson.
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If my secondary aged child has an IEP may they attend in person every day?
Posted by:Yes! In fact we are strongly recommending that students in grades 6th through 12th who have an IEP attend school every day (except for the asynchronous days which are typically Wednesdays) if parents choose the In-Person/Hybrid learning option. Parents of a student with an IEP will receive a separate communication to indicate their preference.
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If my secondary aged child has a 504 plan may they attend physically every day?
Posted by:Yes! Students in grades 6th through 12th who have a 504 Plan are able to attend school in-person every day (except for the asynchronous day which is typically Wednesday) if parents choose the In-Person/Hybrid learning option. Parents of a student with a 504 Plan will receive a separate communication to indicate their preference.
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What happens if the District has to close buildings?
Posted by:If you choose In-Person/Synchronous as your secondary child’s learning option and there is a mandatory school closure, all students in the In-Person/Hybrid learning model will be automatically moved to the Online Synchronous Learning option. When school resumes, they will return to the In-Person/Hybrid learning option.
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How is the school determining if my child is on a Blue or Gold schedule?
Posted by:The Middle School and High School will be splitting the students by last name and household. Students with last names beginning with A-K will be placed on the Blue schedule and students with last names beginning with L-Z will be on the Gold schedule. The exception to this are situations in which there are students living in the same household who have different last names. Those students will be scheduled to attend on the same schedule regardless of last name.
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Will I be able to choose which schedule (Blue/Gold) my secondary child will follow?
Posted by:Because of the complexity of the scheduling process and the effort to balance the number of students in classes and on busses, families will not be provided with a choice for whether they will be on a Blue or Gold schedule. However, the District will work to ensure that all students in the same household are on the same schedule.
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My child does not have an IEP or 504 but I would like them to attend every day. Is that an option?
Posted by:In order to comply with guidelines from the CDC and PA Department of Health to support mitigation of COVID-19, it is essential that we reduce the number of students in the building on a given day. Therefore, students who choose the in-person/hybrid model will not be given an option to attend school every day.
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Will both of my secondary students be on the same schedule?
Posted by:Our goal is to keep students from the same household on the same schedule to the greatest extent possible. However, there may be situations in which this is not possible. If you have a specific unique situation, please contact your child’s building principal.
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May my children be on the same schedule as another student in the District due to childcare?
Posted by:Our goal is to keep students from the same household on the same schedule to the greatest extent possible. However, there may be situations in which this is not possible. If you have a specific unique situation, please contact your child’s building principal.
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Will lessons be recorded so that my child can watch them at a different time?
Posted by:No, live lessons as they occur in the classroom will not be recorded. Students who choose the ELCO Online Synchronous Learning option must have the ability to log into Zoom throughout the school day and must adhere to the course schedule established for the building. Teachers may choose to record a lesson or review outside of the live class for all students that will be posted in Schoology.
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My child needs to take a sick day (not COVID related), may they join the synchronous learning?
Posted by:A secondary student who is out sick for a day or two but feels well enough to participate in instruction, MAY log into the classroom via Zoom, but is not required to do so. The day will be considered an absence and students should follow the typical building procedure for handing in excuse cards.
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Will my secondary child be provided with a device to use at home?
Posted by:Yes! All secondary students will continue to be provided with a District-issued iPad to be used both while in school and on days they are participating in synchronous or asynchronous instruction at home.
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If my child is struggling with an assignment or concept while at home, where do they go for help?
Posted by:Your child will be part of the classroom lessons and the teacher will provide them with the opportunity to ask questions and get extra assistance. Teachers may also set up a time to meet individually with your child via Zoom during office hours, which will be offered on the asynchronous days (Wednesday of a five-day school week).
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Will school activities (field trips, assemblies, fun runs, evening events, etc) still occur?
Posted by:Our staff will make every effort to ensure that school remains a FUN place to be! However, we must also ensure that we are doing so safely. At this time, it is unlikely that most field trips or other activities where social distancing cannot be easily maintained will occur. We will continue to provide specific activities that are a core function of our educational program.
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Why are the Elementary and Secondary schedules different?
Posted by:Simply put, we are unable to bring all secondary students into buildings while still achieving proper physical distancing. Secondary student schedules require students to transition from class to class and teacher to teacher throughout the school day; they do not remain in cohorts throughout the school day. Secondary students will continue to move through the hallways based on their individual schedules. Hallways will be one-directional when possible and students will walk down the right side of the hallways when this is not possible.
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How are you ensuring the confidentiality/privacy of students during Synchronous Online Learning?
Posted by:Cameras used for Synchronous Learning will be set up in the front of the classroom and will be positioned to be pointed at the instructor only. In the event that an unexpected situation occurs the teachers have the option to briefly turn video and/or audio off. In those situations, students are expected to remain logged into Zoom until the teacher resumes the video and/or audio.