The school year is off to a fast start! We are excited to welcome 6,764 students and 385 staff members back to OHDELA. This year is very important because we want to help all our students do their best in school. When our students do well, it also helps improve the OHDELA report card from the state. We have made a lot of changes to our school program to make this happen. Some of these changes are explained below, and I will share more soon.

This year, we have planned our class schedules so students can join live sessions, small group lessons, and special help sessions. It's really important for students to join these sessions so they can learn and grow. We are also working with programs like iReady, MindPlay, and BookNook to give students extra support and learning paths just for them.

Being engaged in our school program is the first step to doing well. The state of Ohio mandates that virtual students need to have 5 hours of learning each day. This is their attendance. If students attend their live sessions and small group lessons, they will meet this requirement. All time spent in Canvas, our online learning system, is automatically counted. Any time spent learning offline that relates to the course will need to submitted in the offline time tracker.

The amazing staff at OHDELA is excited to work with you to make this the best year ever for your student!

All my best,

Dr. Chris Brooks

Head of School

cbrooks@delak12.com

(234) 260-6169

OHDELA assesses Student Engagement levels via a combination of the following instructional activities:

• Completion of local assessments*

• Participation in state mandated assessments*

• Attendance in live instructional sessions

• Completion and submission of course assessments

• Participation in required tutoring sessions

• Participation in Title 1 instruction sessions

• Communication with school staff

*Participation in local assessments and state mandated tests is non-negotiable and is weighted most heavily in determination of student engagement level.

Failure to participate in the instructional activities described above may subject a student to the consequences outlined in the School’s Truancy Policy, up to and including disenrollment from the School.

OHDELA students should have taken iReady Reading and Math Fall Benchmarks last week in their classes. Make-up sessions are being scheduled.

iReady is a required instructional activity that counts toward student engagement. Failure to take the iReady Reading and Math Benchmarks could lead to disenrollment from the school.

i-Ready is an online program that will help us determine your child’s strengths and areas for growth, personalize their learning, and monitor their progress throughout the school year. i-Ready allows us to meet your child where they are and provides us with data to inform instruction.

The i-Ready Diagnostic is an adaptive assessment that adjusts its questions to suit your child’s needs. Each item a student receives is based on their answer to the previous question. For example, a series of correct answers will result in slightly harder questions, while a series of incorrect answers will yield slightly easier ones. The purpose of this is not to give your child a score or grade but to determine how to best support their learning.

OHDELA has transitioned from semester-based grades to a quarterly grading system.

This change is to help students do better in school. We’ve noticed over the years that some students are waiting until the end of the semester to finish and turn in their work. This can make it hard for them to learn and for teachers to see how they’re doing. With quarterly grades, students will need to stay on top of their work all the time, not just at the end of the semester.

Teachers will be able to see how students are learning much better with this system. They can help students sooner if they need it.

Even though grades will now be given every quarter, high school credit will still be given at the end of each semester.

We believe this change will help students do their best in school. If you have any questions, please contact us.

New Grading Quarter Dates

• Quarter 1: Aug. 19 - Oct. 23
• Quarter 2: Oct. 24 - Jan. 15
• Quarter 3: Jan. 16 - March 19
• Quarter 4: March 20 - June 4

We are moving how we grade students from using total points to a weighted grading system. This new way will help show what students really understand and what skills they have mastered.

In the new system, grades for each quarter will come from two types of assessments:

1. Summative Assessments (80% of the grade)
   These are tests and projects given after students have learned the material. Examples include unit tests, checkpoint assessments, and big projects.

   
   

2. Formative Assessments (20% of the grade)
   These are smaller checks during learning to see how students are doing. They can include homework, quizzes, and participation in class.

   
   

Why Are We Making This Move?
This new system helps us focus on what students have learned. It reduces the stress from daily assignments because students can learn from their mistakes without getting hurt by low grades. This will help encourage students to be more involved in learning.

Students will have many chances to show they understand the material on the summative assessments. By using both types of assessments, we want to create a better learning experience and give a clearer picture of each student's progress.

If students will be absent and not able to complete their 5 hours of academic work, the absence will need to be reported.

Please report your student's absences by emailing: attendance@delak12.com.

Unexcused absences impact your student's attendance record and could lead to being withdrawn from the school.

There is student & parent coalition that works to advance education freedom and access to online schools in Ohio through legislative advocacy called the Ohio Parents For Education Freedom (OHPFEF).

One of the organization’s programs is that of Student Ambassadors, which encourages, trains, and recognizes student advocates who speak with legislators and community leaders about issues that directly impact public virtual charter schools.

We’ve found student voices are the most powerful at the statehouse and in the policy conversation and because participation can give students important skills and confidence. OHDELA students could be a strong voice for remote testing and their right to have education freedom.

Students can sign up for the program at http://ohpfef.org/student-ambassador.

Want to track student goals at home? Use this template!

OHDELA now has a Spirit Wear store! Orders can be placed on each store's site and the items will ship directly to you!

OHDELA Bot Store

OHDELA Logo Store

**Calendar updated to reflect new Grading Quarter Dates

Aug. 26 - Sept. 13: iReady Fall Bechmark

Sept. 16 - Sept. 20: Readiness Checkpoint #1

Sept. 23: BookNook Sessions Begin

Sept. 26: OHDELA IN THE PARK, 12 - 2 pm

Sept. 30: Professional Learning Day - Student Asynchronous Day

Oct. 14: Columbus Day - No School

Oct. 23: Quarter 1 Ends

Oct. 23: Quarter 1 Student Work Due by 11:59 pm

Oct. 24: Quarter 2 Begins

Oct. 25: Teacher Work Day - Student Asynchronous Day

Oct. 28 - Nov. 1: 3rd Grade State Reading Test

Nov. 1 - Quarter 1 Report Cards

Nov. 8: Parent-Teacher Conferences

Nov. 11: Veterans Day - No School

https://pansophiclearning.zendesk.com/hc/en-us

attendance@delak12.com

records@delak12.com

Our mission is to offer students a rigorous education experience that blends innovative instruction delivered by highly qualified teachers and standards aligned curriculum delivered in an online setting enhanced by real world experiences and project based learning opportunities.

Email: cbrooks@delak12.com
Website: https://ohdela.com
Phone: (330) 253-8680
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OHDELAschool
Twitter: @OHDELAschool