March 17, 2020
Dear Parents and Students,
As I reviewed yesterday's attendance reports which arrived in my inbox this morning, as I read the emails between teachers, support staff, students and parents, and as I watched the digital delivery of ND's curriculum, I couldn't help but smile today. I am so very proud of our community with everyone working together to make the best out of a tough situation. Thank you so very much to our faculty and students for their resourcefulness, patience, and dedication while getting our online learning program moving in a positive direction right from day one. Thank you to our parents, as well, for your support of your children and this endeavor. We will undoubtedly all get through this together ...
I am excited to let you know that we hit a 94% student work completion rate on day one! Of course I would like this to be at 100%, but I am very pleased with everyone's efforts on the first day of online learning. While we work to keep our daily participation rate above 90%, I have asked faculty to be patient with their students this week and next as everyone navigates this new digital learning platform. While the kids are no doubt more technologically-proficient that most adults, there is still a lot to digest. Teachers will be flexible with students while working towards the goal of getting the work completed and students comfortable with the material and the platform. In the end, student work that is not submitted will be recorded as a zero, so it is certainly important for students to complete their work. Students should communicate directly with their teachers if there are specific questions about assignments.
A quick point of clarification from day one ... students are reminded to ensure work is submitted by 11:59 pm. Some work was still trickling in after midnight this morning. Please do not wait until the last minute. Teachers have been directed to be flexible at this point, but the expectation is that work will be turned in by the deadline.
Tomorrow, Wednesday, will be our first Google Meet day. Teachers will post a join code in Google Classroom for each of their classes. As a reminder, here is pertinent information:
Google Meet Days - Beginning tomorrow
A virtual school day will be held twice per week on Wednesdays and Fridays. Using Google Meet, students will log in to class using this video-conferencing app. Teachers will then conduct a 40 minute class with their students. The schedule will follow a traditional school day during which all classes will meet. A lunch break will happen around noon. The schedule for the day will be:
- Period B - 8:15 - 8:55
- Period C - 9:00 - 9:40
- Period D - 9:45 - 10:25
- Period E - 10:30 - 11:10
- Period F - 11:15 - 11:55
- LUNCH - 11:55 - 12:30
- Period G - 12:30 - 1:10
- Period H - 1:15 - 1:55
Students are expected to be on time and in class for the duration of each class period. Teachers will share a join code via Google Classroom for students to join each Google Meet class. All ND classes (including computers, art, music, and dance) will meet on Google Meet Days. Students do not have a virtual class to attend during what would normally be a study hall.
Technology Issue on Google Meet Days
While we would not expect this to be an issue, a student experiencing an issue logging into class on a Google Meet day should immediately notify
both their teacher and Mr. Bannon
via email:
sbannon@notredame.org
.
Technology Requirements
It is best to use Google Chrome as your browser to access Classroom and Meet. Students should ensure that the extension pack has been installed on each device. If using a phone, be sure to download the apps for Meet ("Hangout Meet by Google"), Sheets, and Docs which might also be used.
To review a list of FAQs regarding this new online learning platform, please
click here
.
FYI Junior/Senior Parents - Coronavirus and College Admissions
Wednesday, March 18 - 9:00 pm.
You are invited to join AcceptU's team of former admissions officers for a complimentary webinar as they discuss the implications COVID-19 could have on the upcoming college admissions cycle. In this timely webinar, learn about the potential impact on standardized testing, college visits/search and demonstrated interest. We will also discuss what this could mean in terms of the future application review process and how you can better prepare yourself for success in the admissions process. For any questions, feel free to contact AcceptU directly at
info@acceptu.com.
Click here
to join the webinar.
May SAT at Notre Dame
College Board has cancelled all May SAT administrations. We are working to become a test center for the June SAT for interested juniors.
I appreciate your continued support as we navigate these uncharted waters together. Thank you for your continued support. As always, if you have any questions, please feel free to reach out. Most of all, please be safe!
Sincerely,
Christopher Cipriano
Principal
