Virtual Classroom Learning Update

Week of Aug. 24: Professional Learning continues for staff

Week of Aug. 24: Class Schedules, Class Placement released

Aug. 31: Chromebook Pickup/Dropoff for Virtual Learners

Sept. 8: Virtual Classroom Kickoff Day

We will welcome our Virtual Classroom Learners with our Virtual Classroom Kickoff Day on September 8. Our Virtual Classroom staff will engage students in virtual classroom learning protocol as well as relationship-building activities on this day. Please look for additional information from our newly appointed Virtual Classroom Administrator, Molly Teszlewicz.

Please help us welcome Molly Teszlewicz to the Sycamore Family! Mrs. Teszlewicz will be serving as our Virtual Classroom Administrator for the 2020-21 school year. She is currently a Learning Specialist and Adjunct Professor at Xavier University. Prior to teaching at Xavier, she served as Principal of Mariemont Junior High for five years. Mrs. Teszlewicz has also served as Assistant Principal at Loveland High School, Dean of Curriculum and Instruction at Princeton Community Middle School, and a ESL and Language Arts teacher.

Sycamore Community Schools is making every effort to ensure our class sizes are small and equitable in both Face-to-Face Learning and Virtual Classroom Learners. Our buildings are finalizing class schedules and placements. Once that process is complete, we will be able to provide more accurate class size information.

Our face-to-face class sizes are smaller than the virtual classroom due to the need to spread our students out for social distancing protocols. Our virtual classroom numbers are similar to the average class size during a typical year. We will continue to assess class sizes and make adjustments if needed to ensure safety and academic success for all.

Sycamore Schools and Cincinnati Children's Hospital are proud to present: Back to School "I Feel Nervous..." A Group Discussion for Virtual Classroom Students. These virtual small group will include:

• Strategies to manage back to school anxiety
• Sharing with other students with similar fears
• A chance to ask questions of our experts
• A caring Sycamore team member to reassure your child about back to school

We will hold multiple sessions by grade level band. Please look for additional information next Friday regarding the dates/times and how to sign up. We are similarly holding sessions for our Face-to-Face learners beginning next week.

Sycamore Schools is providing a safe, collaborative workspace for our K-6 Virtual Classroom teachers at a leased space on Kenwood Road. This will allow our teachers to access resources and support while working with our Virtual Learners. Our 7-12 Virtual Classroom teachers will report to their school buildings, due to the number of teachers who will be split between Face-to-Face Learning and Virtual Classroom Learning. Staff members with approved medical needs will be allowed to work remotely from home.

Our Face-to-Face special teachers will develop virtual classroom activities and lessons for K-4 students. Art, Music, PE, and Media Center will include a menu board of activities. Time will be allocated each day in the student schedule to complete these activities with the student's Learning Partner at home. At Grades 5-6, General Music and Choir will be combined and taught via live stream. Art, PE, and Computer Science/STEAM will include a menu board of activities to complete at home. Activities will mirror the weekly special being held in the building. All specials will not be graded.

Families can find the Covid-19 Parent Agreement Form on Final Forms. Please read carefully through this information before signing. The agreement also includes a link to our COVID-19 Daily Checklist for face-to-face families.

Per Gov. Mike DeWine's directive, Sycamore Schools will limit the number of spectators to 15% of the capacity of our venues, with safety measures in place. This means there will be no general admission for football during the 2020 Fall season. Online ticketing will be available for football, marching band, and cheerleading families as well as visiting teams. We will live stream all varsity athletic events.

To accommodate more fans while increasing social distancing, junior high football games will move to Wednesdays. Boys and Girls soccer will be held on Tuesdays and Thursday at Sycamore Stadium. Volleyball will remain at Sycamore High School's gym.

Athletics, Marching Band, and Theater may continue following all district, OHSAA, and GMC guidelines for safety. All other clubs and extracurricular activities are being suspended until October 1 or until further notice, pending review.

All events and performances for at least the first semester will be held virtually or suspended until further notice.

Healthy school breakfast and lunches will be available for pick up once a week for enrolled Sycamore Virtual Learning students.

Meals would have to be pre-order a week in advance and picked up during the school day at a specific school site. Please fill out the following form to help us understand how many families intend to use this service so we can plan accordingly. We will provide more information on specifics next week in the school newsletters.