What day will school start? School will start on September 8. It will begin in either temporary remote mode for all students or with up to 25% of students in school with all others in temporary remote school. This will be based on the CoVid numbers per 100,000, the 14 day trend and in consultation with MUSC and the CDC.
Will you kindergarten parents be able to tour the school before the year starts? At this time CCSD is not permitting any visitors in the building. Teachers will be creating a virtual tour if by the September 8th start date you are unable to tour the entire school in person.
Should I purchase my child his/her own device for school? Students will be provided with a district device for temporary remote learning. This device makes connecting to the district services and content seamless. Parents and students will be required to sign a student mobile device responsible use agreement prior to taking home the device.
Do students have to wear masks? Will they be wearing them all day long? Yes, this is a district policy that all students must wear a mask, unless they have a documented medical condition from a doctor. The current expectation is that students will wear masks anytime the transition or move away from their desk. This may change as we get further into the school year.
How will we get devices for online learning? If we resume with a temporary remote start, information for device pick up will come from your teacher prior to the September 8th start date.
If my student attends the CCSD virtual academy can they still be placed with a teacher at MPA? Unfortunately, CCSD Virtual Academy is separate from Mt. Pleasant Academy. It is a 9 week commitment, so after a 9 week period, you are able to return back to Mt. Pleasant Academy and your child will be placed in the classroom that has the lowest number of students at that time.
So, does this mean my child won't have the teacher I requested in the spring? Even if it's a sibling request? Unfortunately, this will be determined by the registrations that happen while you are attending the CCSD Virtual Academy. We just cannot guarantee that we will still be able to accommodate that request.
We are working with neighbors to create a cohort for our kids on remote learning days. Can my child be in class with their friend if we do a hybrid schedule? As you can imagine, this request would be hard to honor for 640 students. We understand your goal, but cannot change homeroom classes at this point. CCSD is working closely with feeder pattern schools to ensure that all siblings are on the same schedule if we were to return to a hybrid model. Well, can we be on the same schedule AA/BB? It is unlikely that we will be able to change individual schedules.
The information put out by the district mentions schools may start with 20-25% of their enrollment if the CoVid numbers continue to go down. How will this 25% be determined? There are a variety of factors that will help determine the students. We will look at pre-assessment data (MAP tests taken during the LEAP Days), data regarding students we could not consistently reach during the spring, students will IEPs and their goals and needs as well as other criteria that may be given to us by the learning services team at the district.
How will I meet the teacher? Meet the teacher will be held virtually this year. You will receive an email from your child’s teacher the week of the August 11th that will provide you with more information about meeting the teacher. We are planning to hold these events on Friday, August 14.
How will special area look when the students go back to school? It is most likely that when we were to return to school special area teachers will provide instruction inside the student’s classroom to limit transitions. PE classes would be held outside or inside with social distancing guidelines in place.
How will the cafeteria serve food? The cafeteria will be using recyclable packaging for all foods being served. This includes fruit. They will be using gloves and masks when serving students. Students will not be using the keypad to put in their own cafeteria number. This will be done by the cafeteria staff. There will also be a Plexiglas shield between the register and the students.
The Wifi at my house doesn't work well, how will we complete work? The state and the district are both working to improve bandwidth across the state. In the meantime each school will have an exterior wifi access point so that you could come and sit on campus to work.
Does Mount Pleasant Academy have improved air quality equipment? The district has upgraded air filters in each classroom to one of the highest levels based on the industry standard (this is the system used to categorize filters used in your homes). The district has purchased a Tri-Kleen portable hepa filtration system clinics. We also have a HaloFogger on sight. Parts of the building will be disinfected using the fogger nightly in addition to increased cleaning requirements.
Will we need to supply our own masks for our children? The district will provide 2 -3 masks per child. If you do choose to purchase your own, the CDC is recommending that students do not use bandannas or gaiter masks.
How can I help? Several parents have reached out to help support the school in any way they can. We are blessed and grateful for your offers. Right now, we are overwhelmed with the amount of services, supplies and support being provided by the district team. They are doing a fantastic job. We are collecting items for ECCO. Please continue to check our FaceBook page for updates and needs. I will be in touch next week if a specific school wide need presents itself.
Will there be grades during temporary remote learning? Yes, normal grading will occur during temporary remote learning. Unlike the spring, the beginning of the year is a time for learning new content. Students will be taught new content virtually through direct instruction and assessed on their mastery of the content presented.
Am I still able to drop items off to my child if they forget something? Yes, although visitors and volunteers will not be allowed beyond the office area. There will be a table set up in the foyer for you to drop off items.
What is the start time for a typical day in temporary remote mode? At this time, temporary remote hours will be the similar hours to a regular school day. We anticipate starting no later than 8:00 with attendance and a morning check in.
What will temporary remote learning look like? There will be a set schedule school-wide for teachers to follow that involves whole group direct instruction, independent work time, small group instruction and individual conferencing. Instruction will include daily phonic instruction in the lower grades, reading, math, writing in the upper grades, and science or social studies daily. Students will have a break for lunch and recess and a special area class daily. If students receive IEP services, SAIL or ELL services at school those will be provided.
How will my child's teacher know where they are academically? The state of SC has given districts 5 additional days to assess students.These days are designated as LEAP days or Learn Evaluate Analyze Prepare Days Every child in kindergarten through ninth grade will take the Measure of Academic Progress (MAP) test during the week of August 30 - September 4th. This test provides schools with results within a 24 hour period and will give classroom teachers the information they need to make sure they begin where students are academically. This fall classrooms will have a more structured academic schedule that will involve small group instruction for students based on their academic needs and strengths.
Is the district providing transportation for LEAP days? Unfortunately, the district is not providing transportation those days. We will work to schedule your child/children for a half day. We will work with you if you need a particular day/time.
What will the schedule be like for CCSD Virtual Academy students? A sample schedule is provided below. The biggest take away from this schedule is that school this fall will be a full day of learning through a variety of modes. Our temporary remote schedule will be very similar to the one shown below.
If we are planning to withdraw to home-school our children, is there a date or time that is best? We do not want the school to lose funding. We really appreciate your ongoing support of the school and desire to make sure our funding stays in place, however it is best if parents who have made the difficult decision to withdraw their child do so now so that we can prepare for the coming year. We prepare everything based on our enrollment numbers and inflating the enrollment could actually cost the school money in purchasing material and items for students who will not show up.
