Last week was a very busy week for USD 327 administration as they prepared for the district staff’s return on Monday the 23rd. As the week unfolded, they were reminded of how rapidly the situation can change.
Earlier in the week, the team planned to meet face-to-face with teachers and staff on Monday. However, as the week progressed and the latest information flowed in, that decision was changed. USD 327 Staff will still meet on Monday the 23rd; but will meet via the Zoom Meeting Platform which will allow all staff to meet virtually and remotely.
The Admin Team’s actions last week, model the behavior and effort that will be needed for all of us as we navigate these rough waters. We must all have the ability to adapt and overcome the challenges of the ever changing daily routine.
All of us-- students, parents, 327 staff, and the community as a whole, will need to be able to take in large amounts of information; process and filter that information into manageable chunks. Then, take action by making the best decision with the information at that time.
No doubt the challenges ahead will be difficult as we move forward; but, 327 is confident that the people of Geneseo, Kanopolis and Ellsworth, have what it takes to stick together and educate our children and succeed. It will take patience, flexibility and a willingness to work in ways we never have done before. It will be difficult work; but, not impossible work.
In addition to the above, the district wants to share these thoughts:
- Ensure the safety and health of our students, staff, and community.
- Ensure the social emotional well-being of students, staff, and community.
- The district plans to pay all of our staff during this time.
- The district will limit interactions and only essential personnel will work in buildings. Understand that many will work remotely.
- If there are interactions, we will follow current guidelines of no more than 10 people in a room and no closer than 6 ft.
- The State released documents last week that will be used to guide our staff on the techniques of teaching and learning as we move forward. This document is called the Continuous Learning Plan.
- The teaching and learning techniques we come up with, must be Win-Win-Win for Teachers, Students and Parents.
- The philosophy of “Less is More!” and “Less is Best!” is how we will approach future learning.
- Teachers will be reaching out to families and students in the near future.
- Our district is going to mostly adopt the understanding that “nobody has access to computers” to start off with; as we move forward and resources are mobilized and secured we will make adjustments to improve our educational delivery as we progress.
- As we move forward, we will all need to extend “grace” onto each other. Since we are being challenged in many difficult ways; stress can and is expected to run high. Please “pause”, extend “grace” and think how can we move forward in positive ways. We all want this to turn out for the best and remember this will work out if we all work together.
- Lastly, the district asks that all the moms, dads, and guardians to take a bit of time and play a game, read a book, make cookies together, go for a walk or any other way to spend time with your family. It does not take much to make sure that they are doing OK and we think it will make you feel better too during this time.
As stated earlier, the district staff will meet via Zoom on Monday. The district will use that as a springboard for discussions among teaching staff to prepare for the steps moving forward. Planning by the teachers will continue throughout this upcoming week in the hopes of delivering the first “continuous learning lesson” the week of March 30th.
USD 327 will continue to keep you updated as we move through the week. Remember to check the “News” link on the www.usd327.org website, Facebook, and Twitter pages for the latest info. We will also continue with the text alerts.
Until the next informational release, Be GREAT and Stay Well!