Whitehall students have 3 options for 2020-21

Whitehall students will have three options for attending school during the 2020-21 school year.

According to information released from the district, students can return to campus for in-person learning on August 24, attend school through the distance learning program Acellus, or a hybrid model of in-person and distance learning.

In grades 6-12 on-site students will attend school from 8:14 to 3:20 p.m. with a block schedule of four 90 period minute classes. K-5 students will be attending school from 8:10 to 3:10 on Monday to Thursday, and 8:10 to 2:10 on Friday.

The Jefferson County Health Board or Whitehall School Board of Trustees has not mandated the wearing of masks at school, however if a child if coughing they will be required to wear a mask until his or her parents can come pick them up.

Lunches will be provided for students to attend full-time on-site instruction. Middle school students will remain in their second-period class for lunch. Sack lunches will be delivered to the classroom. High school students can also have a sack lunch they can retrieve from the office as they exit the building for the lunch break.

Full time on-site elementary students will also be provided lunch in their "cohorts". According to a letter from Principal Kurtis Koenig, the classroom cohort describes a specific group of students within a particular grade.

Students can arrive at 7:50 for a grab and go breakfast.

Classrooms will be sanitized with an approved compound every time a group of students leaves, and restrooms will be sanitized hourly. Additionally, all teachers will have a UV sanitization device to be used on all computers and tablets.

Visitors will not be allowed in the building during the 2020-21 school year.

If school or bus service is canceled due to COVD-19, the district will make an announcement on the front page of the district website, and on Facebook and Twitter. Parents and staff will also receive a text or phone call from an automated messaging service.

For more detailed information about the 2020-21 school year, please visit https://www.whitehallschools.org/apps/pages/reopening

ACEULLUS

Listed below is information provided by 6-12 Principal Melissa Robbins about the distance learning program.

If you have concerns about sending your children to school, we are offering an online platform through Acellus (acellus.com). Students can complete their coursework from home, on any device with internet access. Student progress will be monitored by Mr. Norbeck and myself; Whitehall School teachers will not be supporting the online platform for students who choose full-time digital learning from home. Acellus has support, lessons, and grading embedded. This option is free to families, and it meets the requirements of Whitehall Schools to advance grade levels.

Acellus was created by the International Academy of Science in 2001. Acellus combines technology and learning science to help students master content, learning more effectively (greater mastery) and efficiently (in less time). Backed by scientific research, Acellus delivers online instruction, compliant with the latest standards, through high-definition video lessons made more engaging with multimedia and animation. Each lesson is carefully designed to connect with previously learned knowledge like interlocking building blocks. Assignments are graded, so students and parents have timely feedback on progress. The course list is found here: https://www.acellusacademy.com/browse-courses/

There is an abundance of resources and information posted on our school website to help you make the best decision for your family. Go to http://www.whitehallschools.org, click on "About the District," and scroll down until you see "Digital Learning from Home." If this is of interest to you and your family, please take a moment to explore the content. Utilize the "Parent Commitment for 20-21 Full-Time Remote Learning" digital form to initiate the process to register for Acellus; it is located on the Digital Learning Home page. Please call me at 287-3862 ext. 2106 to discuss questions you may have or email me at mrobbins@whitehallmt.org. If you decide to enroll your students in Acellus for full-time digital learning, you need to sign up through the digital form asap.