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About The Observer. (La Grande, Or.) 1968-current | View Entire Issue (April 16, 2020)
Bulldog Pride April 2020 • www.baker5j.org 3 District shifts to distance learning O regon Gov. Kate Brown has closed schools through the end of the academic year to slow the spread of coro- navirus. On March 30 the Baker School District received direction from Colt Gill, director of the Oregon Department of Educa- tion and Deputy Superintendent of Public Instruction, to shift from providing supplementary education to providing Distance Learning for All. Gill wrote, “Today we know there is a very real potential that our students, like in many other states, may not return to school this academic year. We now have a moral imperative to meet the changing nature of the pandemic and evolve our approach to serv- ing our children.” Gill directed districts to have distance learning in place by April 13. Baker High School Baker High School and Baker Technical Institute will use Google Classroom as the primary learning platform. Students and staff already have those accounts in place for two-way communi- cation regarding learning activ- ities. If needed, students may check out a Chromebook at BHS Those without internet access at home will receive hard copy m materials. All instructional activities will be graded and count toward cred- its for graduation requirements. These are not optional.Teachers will establish office hours and communicate their availability. Seniors will still need 24 credits to graduate in the same distribution of credits as they always have. However, course grades will be frozen at March 13, the last date that schools were open for business in Oregon. All seniors will receive either a “P” (passing) or an “I” (incom- Distance Learning for All To help facilitate learning while schools are still closed, here are some suggestions: • Create a dedicated learning space for your child or children, and a regular schedule each day • If parents need wi-fi for their student, Spectrum is offering dis- counted service for 60 days. Check www.baker5j.org for details • The ODE has these suggestions for hours of instruction: K-1: 45 minutes teacher-led learning and 1-2 hours supplemen- tal activities 2-3: 60 minutes teacher-led, 2 hours supplemental 4-5: 90 minutes teacher-led, 3 hours supplemental 6-12: 30 minutes per subject teacher-led (3 hours maximum), 1-2 hours supplemental plete) for their courses, rather than traditional letter grades. If a senior was passing their class on March 13, they will be assigned a “P” for the semester 2 grade. If a senior was not passing their class on March 13, they will be assigned an “I” for the semester 2 grade. In addition, those seniors will have until August 31 to satis- fy any missing requirements. Eagle Cap Eagle Cap Innovative High School students are encouraged to continue with their Acellus coursework online from home. “We need all students to check their email every morning for any updates, and to build academic time into their daily routines,” said Dr. Thomas Joseph. “Eagle Cap staff will also be making routine wellness calls, to stay connected with our students and to see if there is anything else we can do to help one another through this health emergency.” For families without access to the Internet, Thomas said “units of equal rigor and credit value will be available to support all learners needing such materials.” Pick-up times for Chromebooks and any supplemental course- work have been announced through ParentSquare. Staff is available via email, phone, and Google Meets during regular school hours to assist students needing immediate help with their assignments. Baker Middle School Teachers at BMS will have set times during the week to teach live lessons. All live classes (as well as the recorded version) will be accessed through Google Class- room. Teachers will also have regular online office hours. Students who do not have internet access at home will receive packets each week from the staff. The school office will be open Mondays and Wednes- days from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. “We have boxes for each student with his/her name on it where paperwork will be picked up and dropped off by teachers as well as students in an effort to minimize contact with the material,” said Principal Skye Flanagan. Lessons are not optional and will be reflected in fourth quar- ter grades. All digital assign- ments will be turned in digitally. Students and guardians can see any missing assignments in FamilyLink. “We need all students to check their email every morning for any updates, and to build academic time into their daily routines.” — Dr. Thomas Joseph “You can check progress and see missing assignments just as easily as before,” Flanagan said. uments and will maintain contact with families of ESL students. Grades K-6 All grade schools in Baker School District will offer sup- plemental learning materials to students through the mail. These will arrive Friday or Saturday for the following week of school. Topics include reading, writ- ing, and an art/science activity. Teachers will provide simple lesson plans for the week. These packets will not be graded; however, parents are encouraged to review the work to ensure students are practicing skills and concepts correctly. K-6 teachers will use a combi- nation of supplemental learning packets and teacher-led lessons through Google Classroom every day. Teachers will be able to as- sign work and provide feedback. If parents have questions, teachers will be available Mon- day through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. via ParentSquare or email. Counselors are just a phone call away. Below are contacts for each school; please send them an email and they will reach out with a phone call. ■ South Baker Intermediate: Luke Burton, luke.burton@ bakersd.org ■ Brooklyn Primary: Erin Jus- tus, erin.justus@bakersd.org ■ Haines and Keating: Pat & Heather Heriza, pat.heather. heriza@bakersd.org ■ Baker Middle School: Jeana Phillips, jeana.phillips@bakersd. org ■ Baker High School: Silas Turner, silas.turner@bakersd.org SPED/TAG/ESL Special Education teachers are working to manage the individu- al learning plans for all students with an IEP or 504 plan. The district’s TAG teacher will work with classroom teachers to pro- vide resources and links for TAG students to work on at home. Aysha Vidales is working with teachers to provide vocabulary and language development sup- port for lessons. Ma’lena Wirth is providing translation for all doc- School counselors School principals ■ Greg Mitchell, Baker High School: greg.mitchell@bakersd. org ■ Dr. Thomas Joseph, Eagle Cap Innovative High School: thomas.joseph@bakersd.org ■ Skye Flanagan, Baker Middle School: skye.flanagan@ bakersd.org ■ Geno Bates, South Baker In- termediate School: geno.bates@ bakersd.org ■ Phil Anderson, Brooklyn Primary: phil.anderson@bakersd. org ■ Katy Collier, Haines Ele- mentary: katy.collier@bakersd. org ■ Amanda Wilde, Keating Elementary: amanda.wilde@ bakersd.org
