Marshall Messenger
Week of May 18-22, 2020
A Message from Dr. Thornton
It may not be our typical dismissal, but there is a sense of all of our 930 MES students still lining the hallways of our school. We are sorting students’ artwork so we can reunite them with our children and families. Thank you to Whole Foods for donating the paper bags to help make this happen, and thank you Mr. Schwoebel for your superior photography skills!

Tuesday - Pause Day:  Please be sure to still check-in today. Today is a catch up day.
 Elementary Remote Learning - Grading Update

Similar to the changes for grades 2-5 where report card grades were changed to pass/fail rather a letter grade, marking indicators will also be modified for the fourth quarter of the 2019-2020 school year as follows:

Special Area Classes
Report cards will use the following grades for marking indicators.
  • Appropriate Progress
  • Needs Improvement
  • The “Strength” marking indicators will not be utilized during the fourth quarter of the 2019-2020 school year

Kindergarten and 1st Grade
Report cards will use the following grades for marking indicators for academic subject areas.
  • Appropriate Progress
  • Needs Improvement
  • The “Strength” marking indicators will not be utilized during the fourth quarter of the 2019-2020 school year.
  • Some marking indicators such as “Skills for Success” will not be assessed for the fourth quarter of the 2019-2020 school year.

2nd-5th Grade
Report cards will use grades for academic classes as either “Pass” or “Fail.” The marking indicators under each academic area will not be assessed for the 2019-2020 school year.

This information will also be communicated when fourth-quarter report cards are posted in the Tyler Student 360 portal to remind parents/guardians of these changes.
 Kindergarten Spring Conferences

Around this time every school year, kindergarten teachers typically offer optional spring conferences to parents/guardians to review end of the year assessments and discuss any social, emotional, and/or academic concerns that they may have as the student moves on to first grade. Due to the current pandemic, kindergarten teachers are unable to conduct end of the year assessments as in prior years.
 
Kindergarten students are largely social, hands-on learners, are less independent, and remote learning has presented some unique challenges. The goal of the kindergarten team during these past few months has been to provide a mix of familiar routines that students are used to doing in the classroom along with new instructional activities presented electronically. However, kindergarten teachers realize that parents/guardians have been integrally involved in the instruction of their children. We hope that you have felt supported throughout this remote learning process, and the District assures you that teachers will continue to communicate any concerns they may have regarding the academic needs of your child.
 
In place of formal conference scheduling, please know that teachers are readily available to discuss any questions or concerns that you may have regarding the academic preparedness and/or the emotional/social health of your child. If you have any questions or would like to discuss any concerns, please contact your child’s kindergarten teacher.
Elementary Remote Learning Update - Special Area Classes and Pause Days

The District hopes to provide clarification in regards to completing assignments for Elementary Special Area classes related to the “Pause Days” on Tuesdays in May (5/19 and 5/26). 

Special Area class assignments are posted each Monday and students have the full week (and into the weekend) to complete the weekly assignments. For the rest of May, each Tuesday has been scheduled as a “Pause Day”, as elementary teachers are not available due to other obligations within the District. Special Area teachers are available throughout the rest of the week to support students on their weekly Library, Music, Health & Physical Education, and Art assignments. Students are encouraged to continue to participate in all four Special Area instructional activities throughout the week.

Since Special Area assignments are provided on Monday for each week, students have the option to complete the assignment on their normally scheduled day when they would have attended class, or can complete the assignment any day Monday through Sunday. If parents/guardians have questions, they are welcome to reach out to their child’s Special Area teacher.
Elementary Math Acceleration Process for the 2020 - 2021 School Year

Traditionally during May, elementary teachers begin the process to determine qualification for math acceleration for fourth and fifth-grade students. However, due to the COVID-19 school closure, this process will be delayed until at least mid to late July since it includes in-person testing for students who meet the initial screening criteria. Parents/guardians will receive more information about this process in July for determinations related to possible math acceleration for the 2020-2021 school year.

We appreciate your patience and understanding as the District awaits further information about social distancing and other needed precautions during this COVID-19 school closure.
Message to 5th Graders from Marshall Middle School

Please click on the link below to listen to a message from Mrs. Salpeck, school counselor, and share with your fifth grader.
Counselor's Corner
Important Dates
Monday, May 25th: Memorial Day - No Remote Learning
Tuesday, May 26th: Pause Day - Catch up on Learning
District Updates
Volunteer Clearances

School volunteers need to update volunteer clearances every five years. This program began five years ago this coming fall, and many volunteers have clearances expiring in the coming months. Please reference the North Allegheny School District website for further information about the types of clearances needed and how to update those clearances.
Update on North Allegheny Summer Programs

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, typical North Allegheny summer programs will be modified or canceled for 2020.

Summer Academy - This elementary program is usually held in June and July of each summer but will not be offered during the summer of 2020 due to COVID-19 and social distancing requirements.

Extended School Year Programs - Through the NASD Special Education program, Extended School Year [ESY] programs are typically held in the summer following the current school year. Due to COVID-19 and social distancing requirements, ESY programs will be held via remote learning opportunities. Parents/guardians of students with IEP’s who qualify for ESY will be contacted by their child’s special education teacher/caseworker regarding their child’s specific ESY remote learning program.
Pause Days

North Allegheny School District students will participate in “Pause Days” on the dates below. “Pause Days” are intended to give students opportunities to catch up on assigned work, and no new instruction or assignments will be assigned for the specific grade levels. Teachers will be participating in activities outside of their normal instructional duties, and may not be available via email on these days. Secondary teachers will not be holding “office hours” on these days.

Pause Days for Elementary Buildings: Tuesdays in May (5/19, and 5/26)
Pause Days for Middle and High School Buildings: Wednesdays in May (5/20, and 5/27)

On each “Pause Day”, students are still required to check-in for daily attendance  by logging into TigerID and clicking on the Remote Learning Check-In App. Click here for directions: https://nasd.school/StudentRemoteCheckIn .
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Information

Coronavirus (COVID-19) updates are archived on the North Allegheny website. This designated webpage will be updated as new information is provided.
Remote Learning Guidelines

The District will continue with the remote learning plan for the duration of the closure of our buildings. Details on remote learning for elementary and secondary students can be found on the NA website.
Resources
Missed a Newsletter?

All building newsletters are archived weekly on the North Allegheny website. This designated webpage will be updated with links to the previous week’s newsletters at the beginning of each school week by 11:30 a.m. A link to the archive is accessible on the District’s homepage and on each building’s homepage.
Community Flyers
The North Allegheny School District often receives requests for the distribution of athletics and approved non-profit community organization digital flyers. All requests for community flyers to be included in this newsletter must be submitted via email only at flyers@northallegheny.org . Flyers will only be posted and removed from the District website on Friday. Visit our website for details on how to submit flyers .
Building Contacts
Main Office - 724-935-4044
Nurse's Office - 724-934-6075
Counseling Office - 724-935-4044