eLearning News for Pasco Parents

In Pasco County Schools we exist to provide a World-Class Education for all students so that they are prepared to succeed in college, career and life! We are grounded in a Common Vision of Instructional Excellence that is represented in the graphic below. Each day, for each student we seek to provide these world class learning moments. The transition to distance learning provides the opportunity to embrace our common vision even more as every member of the Pasco County Schools community is charged with applying these skills. Thank you for being great partners in this journey!

Stay connected with us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and participate in our daily tips and countdown challenges to the launch of Pasco eLearning. Follow and tag @pascoschools, @leadlearnpasco, @Pasco_eSchool and your school with the #pascogoesthedistance.

3/23: Plan your work area. (post picture)

3/24: Tech check. Login to MyPascoConnect and MyLearning. (Tweet a Thumbs Up)

3/25: Set up Observer Account? Introduce your “coworker” (sibling, pet, etc.)

3/26: Stock your space (gather pens, pencils, paper, etc. and set up your desk or work area)

3/27: Stay connected (share your favorite way to connect with friends and loved ones

3/30: Plan your day

This week your students should be easing back into their learning routine and below are some tools and resources that are meant to enrich student learning this week!

Click here to watch a video of Superintendent Browning talking about the device distribution plan. We have a robust plan in place and with your help we’ll make it work.

Even though we have a robust plan for distribution, we do not have enough devices for each of our students in the system. We recommend sharing of devices for up to 2 siblings and ask that families that have access to devices at home use those for Distance Learning so we are able to support students and families that do not have any device access.

So, how will the Device check-out plan work?

• It will take place on Monday, March 30, at all our schools. Go to the school where your student is currently enrolled.
• Grades 6 through 12 will have check-out from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
• Grades PreK- through 5th will have check-out from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
• Each school will contact parents and communicate the process that will be used to check-out a device. Most schools will be using a scheduling system to avoid large groups of people congregating on campus at any given time.
• Please only send one family member to the school to pick up the device. We need to practice safe social distancing as much as possible.
• Elementary and Middle school students will need a listed parent/guardian to check-out a device. High school students will be permitted to check-out a device on their own.
• When you pick up a device, we will provide a one-page Quick Start Guide to get you started with distance learning.

For more information on the Device Distribution – including information on what you can do if you don’t have access to the Internet – go to the coronavirus page on our website and click on Distance Learning.

Keep an eye out for a communication from your school, so you can schedule a time to come by next Monday, and so you know exactly where to go on campus for the device distribution.

On Monday, March 30, at each of our schools, parents will have an opportunity to pick up a device so their student can get online next Tuesday and continue their education through Distance Learning. The program is designed for parents and students who do not have access to a computer or tablet at home. As a correction to previous communications Pre K who are enrolled in Pasco County Schools are included. Grades Pre k through 5th will have check-out from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. on March 30th.

• Parents can access their child's student username and password through their myStudent Parent Portal. Directions are linked in the Messages Area of the parent portal and are linked HERE. There is a short video sharing steps to follow for accessing the student username and password as well located HERE.
  

• Students log into myPasco Connect, which is different than your parent portal account login. The student's login is HERE

• For parents who currently have not created a parent portal account in myStudent and are not able to create an account, because they do not know their Parent PIN, please send an email to myStudenthelp@pasco.k12.fl.us and we will be able to support you with account creation. As you send the email, please provide your child's first and last name, your child's student ID number and your first and last name as well as phone number for us to reach out to you.

Content and curriculum is available via myPascoConnect 24/7 and is designed to allow for flexibility in learning routine for each student and their families. We understand that these circumstances are unique and that everyone will do the best they can to make distance learning a part of your daily routine. We also know that many circumstances don't currently present the best opportunity to engage within the traditional bell schedule. Below is some guidance related to the chunks/minutes of learning that should be in place for students each day and/or throughout the week. Level specific tools are also included to support in scheduling your student's learning day.

Resources for Creating a Learning Schedule:

• All Courses Daily Schedule Template
• Block Schedule Template

All learning for students is based on the instructional minute guidelines below

Student Attendance will be based on student login, student to teacher interactions, and work submissions through the myLearning platform. Attendance will be recorded on Mondays for the preceding week, with daily absences entered myStudent when students do not complete the expected work for the previous 7-day period. Students MAY still complete the missing work for full credit, however. Student services teams will use absences as a data source when monitoring for interventions and support, as well as truancy procedures.

In Florida, March 25 of each year is designated as “Medal of Honor Day” and Pasco County Schools is excited to honor this day by kicking off our 4th quarter with distance learning by highlighting how our students are exhibiting the Medal of Honor character traits (patriotism, citizenship, integrity, courage, sacrifice, and commitment) while they engage in their new learning environments. Share photos with @pascoschools on social media please #Pascogoesthedistance and @MedalofHonorCDP. Curriculum ideas and resources for families may also be found at Medal of Honor Character Development Curriculum and PBS American Valor.

College and Career Planning Resource:

Resources and tips for the important role parents play in a child's college and career planning journey, including a free system account where parents can review progress, education and career portfolios, assessment results, and more.

Link: https://www.kuder.com/success-at-home/

You can be a huge support to your children right now as they are navigating these uncertain times. One simple way that you can stay connected with them is to ask them follow-up questions about their e-Learning day. Encourage your child to debrief their day, and ask how they are feeling about their work. By keeping the focus on how they feel about their efforts instead of only focusing on outcomes or grades, you're showing them that you care about their emotional needs too.

There are plans to utilize zoom for teachers, students and care givers to connect while Distance Learning is in place. Individual teachers and schools will utilize this tool to connect with students and families in a variety of ways. Check out this guide to help get set-up in the event this tool is activated by your child's school or teacher(s).

AP Review Day, 3/28/20 – Cancelled

The district AP Review Day, scheduled for Saturday, March 28th is cancelled. As students engage with virtual learning beginning March 31st, there will be review material available to assist with exam preparation. Additionally, College Board will be offering review sessions beginning Wednesday, March 25th.

Free AP Review Classes

Beginning on Wednesday, March 25, you can attend free, live AP review courses, delivered by AP teachers from across the country. These courses:

• Are optional, mobile-friendly, and can be used alongside any work your teacher may give you.
• Will be available on-demand, so you can access them any time.
• Will focus on reviewing the skills and concepts from the first 75% of the course. There will also be some supplementary lessons including topics from the final 25% of the course.

To access the live classes and recordings, visit the AP YouTube channel or find your course schedule below. We’ll be adding more courses soon.

Download the daily schedule for 32 courses (.pdf/151 KB).

• All remaining assessments for school readiness, voluntary prekindergarten and K-12 assessments are cancelled for the 2019-2020 school year.
• District Finals for Semester 2 and the end-of-the-year have been cancelled for the 2019-2020 school year and will not be calculated in student grades.
• The schoolwide SAT has been cancelled for April 14 (previously March 25). In light of recent events, Saturday SAT administrations at our school sites are cancelled for the remainder of the year. For other options, we recommend contacting ACT or College Board directly.
• Cambridge has decided to suspend the May/June examinations for the 2019-2020 school year. Students will receive a grade and a certificate from Cambridge International. For additional information, please visit bit.ly/39jdhf.
• The May 2020 International Baccalaureate examinations, as scheduled between April 30 and May 22, will no longer be held. Depending of what the student registered for, they will be awarded a Diploma or Course Certificate which reflects their standard of work. The IB will share full details and FAQs with us and on their website by 27 March 2020.
• College Board has provided guidance on Advanced Placement (AP) Exams. Traditional face-to-face exam administrations will not take place. For the 2019–20 exam administration only, students can take a 45-minute online exam at home. Educator-led development committees are currently selecting the exam questions that will be administered. Pasco County Schools will keep families updated about testing dates when they are released on April 3, 2020 and will ensure proper planning for students to be informed on when and how to test. For more information visit: https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/about-ap/news-changes/coronavirus-update
• We are in contact with the Chancellor of Workforce Education to determine plans for Industry Certification Exams. At this point, no announcement has been made to cancel these exams.

• Eligibility for Florida Bright Futures scholarships shall be based on available data and results. Tests that were not available to be taken shall not be counted.
• Requirements for graduation and promotion, and final course grades will be evaluated as though those assessments which were cancelled did not exist.