Dear RES Students, Families, and Staff,
I hope this message finds you well, with all of our Ridge families safe and healthy. All things considered, we had a great “Virtual Spirit Week” last week. Thanks so much to those that participated! If you were not able to see some of the photos, please feel free to view our Twitter feed, which can be found on the RES website, or view our school ClassDojo School Story feed. It was great to see our Ridge family members, both students and staff!
As I’m sure you’ve heard, the school closure for Maryland students has been extended through April 24, 2020. This week, teachers will return in a telework fashion. SMCPS superintendent, Dr. Smith, shared a letter with all parents on Friday, which provided details about what would be occurring this week. Please take some time to read the letter, which can also be found on the SMCPS website, or click here, if you have not done so already. This week, look for an email from your child’s teacher to share more information.
During the state mandated school closure, students will have access to online instructional activities through the Imagine Learning program, which may be accessed through the Clever app. If your family is unable to access online content, please contact me, so that a printed packet can be arranged. This instruction can in no way compare to that of our teachers, but it is meant to provide a continuous learning opportunity for students. The SMCPS website also has links to mental health resources. Mrs. Cox is also available, and can be reached by email.
There are additional instructional resources housed on our SMCPS web page that you can access. You will see a new purple button entitled “Access Online Instruction Resources”. The button links directly to online instructional resources for students and families. Once there, you can also access Clever, which serves as a single-sign-on host for many of our online resources. If your child is unable to log into Clever, please contact Mrs. Goddard at 301-872-0200, ext. 12103, to notify her of the issue. She will be compiling a list of students needing assistance and someone will follow-up with you this week.
Please understand that although students may begin accessing the modules, teachers will only be monitoring technology access and emailing families to "check in" this week. Beginning tomorrow, Monday, March 30th, teachers will be participating in professional development to maximize the effectiveness of this new continuous learning opportunity. Teachers, beginning the week of April 14th, will be monitoring students' progress and interacting with students accordingly via email. Please note that teachers will not be able to Facetime or conduct any type of video instruction or video communication with students.
In other news, the third marking period has ended, with the ending date being adjusted effective March 13, 2020. Report cards are due to be distributed on April 15, and will be mailed. Finally, please note that SMCPS’ scheduled Spring Break has not changed. Teachers will not be on duty April 6th - 13th, 2020.
At this time, we are set to return to school on April 27th. We will continue to discuss important issues such as grading for the 4th Marking Period, scheduled activities in May, scheduling for 5th graders transitioning to middle school, and Pre-K and 5th Grade Promotion. As soon as any decisions are made regarding these events, we will let you know.
Finally, recognizing that the uncertainty of current events has an impact on our kids, here are some resources about how to help them cope:
In the meantime, continue to work on your missing assignments, read daily, access Freckle and Imagine Learning, participate in our Random Acts of Kindness Adventure, and stay healthy!
Ridge families, thank you for your continued support during this unprecedented event. All of our Ridge Staff are missing your students, and hope that you all continue to stay well.
Please contact me if you have questions or are in need of assistance.
We are a School Family and we miss you!
Honora Batelka
Principal RES
