March 27, 2020

BVSW Newsletter

Blue Valley Southwest families-

I wanted to take a moment to share some important updates about the district’s Continuous Learning Plan. I know you have been anxiously awaiting more details and want to thank you for your patience while our staff has been hard at work preparing to support students, albeit in a very different way. In addition to reading through the overview below, I would strongly encourage you to check out the comprehensive list of FAQs for the most detailed information on topics like Student Expectations, Curriculum & Scope of Work, Grading and Assessment, Student Support and more. This FAQ document will be your most important resource to help support your child through the continuous learning process.

SCHEDULE

Beginning Monday, March 30, continuous learning will resume for all students. At the high school level, we will operate on an every-other-day block-type schedule Monday-Thursday, with Friday set aside as a work day for students and staff. All instructional resources will be posted on Canvas no later than 9 a.m. each morning, and students will be asked to complete daily activities at their own pace.

Teachers will have the option to host “live” instruction, or synchronous activities, as they see fit through platforms like Zoom or Canvas Conferences. The schedule below designates the class assignments will be posted and the time slots for synchronous activities. Teachers will hold daily office hours where they will be available for students and families to reach out with questions. Look for communication from your child’s teacher with specific information about their individual availability soon.

INSTRUCTION

High School instruction will be delivered through Canvas. Teachers are currently working together to identify the essential standards within the remaining curriculum for the year and will focus their instruction on these standards over the next several weeks, designing lessons with all learners in mind. If your child is on an IEP, a 504 plan or is receiving special education supports, you will receive communication specific to your child within the next few days.

LEARNING RESOURCES

As you know, our building is closed for the remainder of the school year. This means that both students and staff will not be able to enter our school to retrieve items, including learning resources. With that in mind, high school students should be able to complete all instruction from home on their district-provided Macbook. If you do not have access to WiFi from your home, please send me (principal) an email and I will work with you to ensure you receive the instruction in a different format. If your student needs technology support on their district-provided device, they can submit a help ticket to BV Care online.

As we navigate this “new normal,” the need to work together as a unified community is more important now than ever. Your role as a parent/guardian may look a little different over the next several weeks as you take on the role of co-teacher, lunchroom monitor and more for your child. Know that we are here to support you every step of the way and it is important to give yourself grace during this time. Your child’s teacher and I will be in touch soon. In the meantime, I invite you to visit the district’s Continuous Learning website for more information, including FAQs that cover all aspects of the Continuous Learning Plan. We are in this together, and if anyone can take on this challenge, it is our Timberwolf family. We’ve got this!

Sincerely,

Scott Roberts

Principal

Transcripts

Unofficial transcripts may be sufficient for sports recruitment, some scholarship applications, car insurance, etc. Official transcripts are required by college/universities for admissions and for some scholarships. Official transcripts can only be sent directly by the BVSW registrar or hand carried in a sealed envelope (for scholarships.) Hand carried is not an option at this time. Seniors can request official transcripts be sent to colleges/universities via Naviance as they have been doing all year long.

From the library

We wanted to let you know that we are here for students! Our library resources are still available at www.bvswlmc.com. Unfortunately, the databases on our website must be password protected. To gain access to the passwords, all your student needs to know is: twolves. This information is posted on the student links in Canvas as well. In addition, we have provided some options for eBooks for students who want something to read. We are happy to provide assistance or suggestions, so please do not hesitate to reach out! ~Mrs. Bowlin & Mrs. Chopp

Blue Valley Offering Free Grab-and-Go Breakfasts and Lunches

Don’t forget! Blue Valley is offering a grab-and-go breakfast and lunch service available weekdays from 10:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. at four locations across the district. Visit the district website, download the Nutrislice app or check out the BV Schools app for more information. www.bluevalleyk12.org/grabandgo

FAQ from district office

FAQ school newsletter article

Your families have lots of general questions related to school building closures for the remainder of the 2019-20 school year. This short newsletter article points them to the FAQ web page and Thoughtexchange where they can share additional questions.

PTO News

SOCIAL MEDIA- Be sure to follow along with all of the latest and greatest PTO happenings via our social media channels! You can LIKE our page on facebook (@bluevalleysouthwestpto) and follow us on twitter (@bvsw_pto). You can also access membership forms, volunteer opportunities, calendars and more on our PTO website: http://www.bvswpto.org/

COMMUNITY SPIRIT - We still have a limited stock of our "Five Schools One Family" t-shirts. Visit our PTO website to get yours ordered today! http://www.bvswpto.org/store/

NEXT YEAR - Interested in learning more about PTO and how you can help? We will have several committee and chair spots open next year. Reach out to bvswpto@gmail.com with any questions!

AFTER PROM & SENIOR ACTIVITIES - Stay tuned to the newsletter, our PTO website and our social media (FB: @bluevalleysouthwestpto / Twitter: @bvsw_pto and @BVSW_AfterProm) for further updates and details. We are working with the school administration and district to see what/how we can still make some of these festivities happen for our seniors. The number priority right now is the health and safety of our community!