Secondary Update

October 2020

Warren Woods Middle School Update

WWMS welcomed students back to the building on Monday, September 28, 2020. Students have done a fantastic job following all of the new procedures and protocols.

NWEA testing will begin on Monday, October 12, 2020. Virtual teachers spent the week of October 5th preparing the virtual learners for testing. All students will be testing during their ELA and math classes.

ELA Department Updates

The ELA department is continuing to struggle with virtual learning and student engagement. The schedule changes have been challenging for both teachers and students, and virtual teachers have noticed a decrease in attendance and participation. Making instruction the priority over the constantly added upon "to-do" list is continuing to be a challenge, and teachers feel unsupported and disconnected in the decision-making process. All grade levels began the year with story elements and are moving into class novels, in hopes of increasing student engagement and participation.

Math Department Updates

Our Middle School Mathematics PLC began the year with a focus on all the unknowns associated with the start of the school year during this pandemic. Questions led to more questions and answers led to more questions and clarifications. We collaborated as a team to come up with solutions to our problems, and to help one another manage the use of Schoology and Microsoft Teams to deliver instruction to our students. We focused on the best way to deliver virtual instruction to our students during the first four weeks. As we were given more information, our attention was geared toward the face-to-face instructional phase of our plan that occurred after four weeks. As we begin the 6th week of the school year our team feels confident that we are moving in a positive direction and students are receiving our curriculum virtually and face-to-face in a clear and concise manner that focuses on high expectations and achievement.

Science Department Updates

The WWMS science department has been busy reexamining the middle school standards, focusing on how to meet the standards both virtually and in person. The team is working hard to make sure instruction helps students grow their scientific understanding no matter what mode of instruction students choose. We are utilizing the Holt Science and Technology textbooks and www.CK12.org resources to deliver benchmark aligned instruction. Grade levels are collaborating to ensure that all students receive equitable instruction.

Social Studies Updates

The Social Studies department is currently struggling with student engagement. With significantly higher absence rates (especially in afternoon classes), it has been a challenge to form relationships with students. We are anticipating the release of breakout rooms in Microsoft Teams as we feel this may allow us to incorporate some of the cooperative learning strategies that have been so sorely missed this past month. Another area of concern is how to ensure that our instruction is taking priority over the numerous clerical tasks associated with online learning. As a department we take pride in our ability to provide quality instruction regarding both the content and literacy. This shift to teaching during a pandemic requires more time to plan and reflect. Many feel demoralized and overwhelmed by the situation we are currently in. Despite this, all grade levels are continuing our work with primary sources and argument writing.

Counseling Updates

Our PLC has been focusing on how to provide social, emotional, and mental health support to our students who have been receiving remote learning. We created and implemented a weekly student check-in survey, student drop-in counseling hours, and an easy system for scheduling counseling meetings at home.

We have also been working on how to transition our curriculum into the virtual classroom, exploring options for a school wide SEL curriculum that can easily be used by staff in advisory both virtually and face to face that complements our current counseling program.

We have also utilized some PLC time to rebuild the master schedule in order to maximize social distancing for in-person learning.

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Warren Woods Tower Update

WWT - Update

General

All of our teachers are learning how to teach students both virtually and in person at the same time. They are also adjusting to teaching in a 95 minute block. Despite these dramatic changes to how they deliver instruction, the response we have received form parents has been very positive and appreciative of the efforts that the staff have gone to.

Curriculum

With regard to curriculum, staff are assessing where students are and focusing on ensuring the essential standards are being taught. In English, we have launched a new Reading Support Class utilizing the software program Read 180

College Advisor

In the spring, we applied for and were chosen to host a college advisor in a partnership with MSU and AmeriCorp. Ms. Megan Boss has done a great job getting in touch with seniors, providing them with valuable information regarding the college application process including FAFSA. This includes many “Virtual College Visits” allowing students the opportunity to meet with various colleges. Megan’s mission is to increase the number of students who apply for and get in to college – while her goal is to help every student, one of her main goals is to support first generation college students.

Social Emotional Support

We understand this is a very difficult time for staff as well as our students. During online learning, the staff did a SEL check-in with the student every class period – this was done through conversations, surveys and personal contacts. Staff continue to check in with students as we transitioned to both face-to-face and online instruction. Time is built into each day for staff the check the students emotional well being. The counselors have also reached out and provided both virtual and in-person counseling and support.

Secondary Schedules - September 28th

School started Monday, August 31, with virtual lessons for all; remote continued through September 25, 2020 for all students. Beginning September 28, 2020, those students' whose families chose In-Person Learning returned to buildings while the remaining students are continuing to learn virtually for the remainder of the semester.

Below is the schedule beginning September 28 for the Secondary:

Middle School - Virtual Schedule

Middle School Face to Face Schedule

Warren Woods Tower Schedule