West Craven High Shifts to Remote Learning
Based on the COVID School Closure Alert System, West Craven High School is currently in the red with 31% of their instructional staff out of school due to either testing positive for COVID-19 or as a result of being identified as a close contact needing to quarantine for 14 days. Out of an abundance of caution for our students and staff, West Craven High School will move to full remote learning starting Monday, February 1st until Friday, February 5th. It is our goal for the school to return to in-person learning the week of February 8th, 2021.
Craven County Schools will continue to evaluate this situation and will inform our West Craven High students, staff, families, and the community of any further decisions. It is recommended if our West Craven High staff have any additional questions to please contact school administrators for assistance.
Our staff and students have done a phenomenal job observing the health and safety protocols of wear (a face covering), wash (your hands regularly), and wait (six feet of distance between you and other people), it is imperative that we continue following these protocols while at work and when off the school campus. As always, if any of our staff members and/or students develop symptoms of illness (fever, cough, shortness of breath or other symptoms of illness), please stay home and inform us of your symptoms immediately. This is one of the key strategies to help each other avoid exposure.
We truly appreciate our staff, students, and families' understanding and patience during this time as we navigate the impacts of COVID-19.
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As we celebrate Black History Month in our schools, please help us share the great lessons you are providing our students this month.
A Google folder for elementary, middle, and high schools has been created for you to add your information and photos. Your lessons will be featured on the district's social media accounts, as an article in the Sun Journal, and possibly on a future episode of ALL ABOUT CRAVEN. We look forward to featuring the work of our wonderful educators while celebrating this special month.
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National School Counseling Week, Feb 1-5, 2021
Help us Celebrate our School Counselors
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February PL Playlist
Upcoming topics next Wednesday include Interactive Google Presentations, Student Podcasts, Digital Badging, and Checking for Understanding in the Flipped Classroom.
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Three Top SEL Strategies That Can Help Improve
Student Engagement Right Now
Strategy 1: D.N.A. The best way to build relationships with your students is to know their D.N.A. (their Dreams, Needs, and Abilities) and then base their experiences in your classrooms around this information.
Strategy 2: CONDUCTING EMPATHY INTERVIEWS with your students can improve student engagement and specifically help teachers demonstrate evidence of Choice, Voice, and Agency in student learning. An Empathy interview is designed to help teachers understand the experience(s) of the user (i.e., student); you have to allow for a safe opportunity for students to share their thoughts, emotions, experiences, and motivations to help meet their social and emotional needs.
Strategy 3: Connect students with REAL people. We can help students gain a true sense of real-world, meaningful application of what they’re learning in class by connecting them with real people from their community.
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Teaching in the Concurrent Classroom:
Four Strategies to Make It Work
(Dr. Catlin Tucker)
This 30-minute recorded webinar recorded is loaded with helpful ideas, whether you are teaching in face-to-face, virtual, or concurrent environments at any level.
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TECHNOLOGY
iPad Updates:
The first shipment of the newly leased devices (Grades 6-12) has arrived at Tech Services. Once here, we will prepare the devices and send them to schools. We will be reaching out to each middle and high school to verify a safe and secure location to store the iPads until they are ready to be deployed. A collection and deployment plan is being created by members of Tech Services and Curriculum Services. As the plan becomes finalized, it will be shared. We will want to ensure that all schools are following this plan to help with consistency and logistics. Lots of more information will be coming soon!
Teacher Device Focus Groups:
A focus group of employees has been established and will review several devices from Apple. The focus group team will be providing feedback that will be used to help plan for upgrading staff devices.
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Attendance Recording Reminders
REMINDERS:
Schools are expected to record attendance using the guidance that has been provided by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction and the district, which addresses students being physically present in class, joining class virtually from home based on having internet access, communicating with their teacher by phone or email and submitting assigned work. The focus should be on engaging students as much and as often as possible, while taking into consideration their many different home-life circumstances.
Plan A and B students who are quarantined must be included in daily instruction, so please communicate with students and parents regarding how to remain engaged during this period of absence.
Students who have not engaged in class should continue to be referred to school counselors and administrators to intervene, attempt contacts, including phone calls, email, virtual meetings, and home visits. These efforts are expected to be taken prior to compulsory attendance letters being mailed to parents.
Schools should also continue maintaining contact logs, including attempts and the results of those contacts.
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EC Corner
Shout out to Havelock High School:
We are sharing a “Let’s Talk” recognition for the hard work and dedication of Havelock High School's EC Teacher Assistants- Marcia Jones, Barbara Frazier, and Rebecca Little. Thank you for being a great team and meeting every challenge with a smile. We couldn't #LoveAllServeAll without you!
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Post-Secondary Planning / College & Scholarships
Information to Share with our Seniors
Craven County Scholarship Applications Are Open- APPLY NOW
Local organizations are offering thousands of dollars in scholarships to Craven County High School graduating students planning to attend a 2- or 4-year college in 2021-22. Follow this link to access scholarship applications and review eligibility and deadlines. High school counseling pages may offer additional resources.
COMING SOON - College Financial Aid Deadlines
CCS’s graduating seniors who plan to attend a 2- or 4- year college should be completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Students who need assistance should schedule an appointment with their school counselor. By completing the FAFSA, students could earn free money in grants and scholarships to pay for college. Complete the FAFSA right away!
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Mask Donations to Title 1 Schools
Title 1 schools will be receiving a pack of 5 masks for each student, teacher and staff member. The masks are being donated through America’s Mask Challenge, which is a partnership between United Way Worldwide (UWW), the Business Roundtable and the CDC Foundation.
Please distribute the masks once they are delivered to the Title 1 schools. America's Mask Challenge has donated 81,500 masks to Craven County Schools.
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This week's Families in the Know was distributed on Friday, January 29th.
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Teacher Loan Forgiveness Update
Please share the following information with all teachers in your district to provide them the opportunity to submit a Teacher Loan Forgiveness application (if they meet the requirements). DPI Federal Program’s contact is Toni Warrick, toni.warrick@dpi.nc.gov or 984-236-2804 to verify if they qualify to apply for Teacher Loan Forgiveness.
The links below provide information about Teacher Loan Forgiveness:
NCDPI website listing:
TCLI Directory to search for low-income schools. This website is managed by the Federal Government.
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