Parents, Students, Staff & Community Members
At this point we are all trying to understand what the new normal looks like in our greater society and at the middle school. Now and in the days ahead challenges abound from the international, national, and local levels with no modern playbook to guide us through this.
Our entire staff (food service, custodial, teachers, admin. assistants, instructional assistants, administration, district office, health services) across the district are here to support all the children and parents/guardians in The Park.
No doubt COVID 19 and the battle we are waging has stressed us on both a systems as well as a personal level. It seems like it has been much longer than just Tuesday that students have not been in session......so much has happened since then, to restate, to me, it seems much longer than that.
Our grade level teams (for example: 7th grade science, music, 8th grade math to name a few) are meeting daily to coordinate learning activities, instructional strategies, etc. to try and systematize our efforts. I have checked in with the vast majority of the teaching staff and have heard from a variety of parents as well.
Three Questions I asked, of more than a dozen teacher/working teams, at the middle school:
Question One: What are comments and feedback you have received from parents and students.
Question Two: What is the percentage of students you know that have received information or are doing academic work you have given them.
Question Three: How is your teacher team working as a group and how do you feel personally today (Friday).
I believe for most people the main point of reference you have is based on how your family feels and/or what you have communicated back and forth between friends and extended family. Thus, I am listing below comments that were shared numerous times to me from either the staff or parents.
Answers to question number one: Feedback from Parents/Students
*Confusing information is being given out by the school.
*Too much information is coming our way from so many teachers....makes my child/me stressed.
*The district and the Governor are not in agreement.
*Parents expressed thanks for building a connection with their child before too much time elapses between when school was dismissed and when we first engaged with their child. Multiple parents spoke to how it provided some structure to the day as well.
*Many thanks for the extra efforts by the teachers for their proactive care and concern above and beyond during these uncertain times.
*Many neutral reactions, just checking in to get information needed.
*Students expressed a wide range of feelings to their teachers, bored, working hard, thanks for giving me individual help, like the assignments, the technology received isn't working, etc.
Answers to question number two:
What is the percentage of students you know that have received information or are doing academic work you have given them.
*Teachers reported that they believe, on average, 40-55% of the students have responded to the outreach by teachers through phone, email, schoology analytics, quizzes, homework, etc.
Answers to question number three:
How is your teacher team working as a group and how do you feel personally today (Friday).
*I would describe our team using the following words: successful, cohesive, awesome, grateful, all positive, nothing negative.
I would describe how I feel personally in the following terms: stressed, stressed (I repeated it because it was stated so often) anxious, feel great, supported, "loving life".
In closing, I believe parents should focus on taking care of themselves and their family. This includes actively making decisions on what your child should be doing daily as well as monitor the communication received from the school based on where your child is personally at. I ask that we support each other knowing that we are all trying to do our very best while physically disengaging from other members in our community to slow down and/or stop this ugly virus.
I can assure you that the entire city and school district are partnering together to provide the best possible support to you. Please know that even if we miss the mark in providing the correct service you feel you need; we are all working hard to be of service to you.