Introductions
ELPAC (English Learner Parent Advisory Council) Hosted a back to school Info Session
Supported by Spark Kindness
Presentations made by Natick Public Schools – Slide Show available here.
Tim Luff, Assistant Superintendent of Student Services
Christy Arnold, Assistant Principal at Brown
MariMartha Clark, Kennedy Middle School
Lauran Adams, NHS
Return to School Student Survey:
If you have not yet filled it out, Please reach out to NPS ELL Team (see above).
If you have chosen a path, and want to switch from hybrid to remote or vice versa, please email your principal ASAP.
Terms:
ELE or ELL: English language education – classes that are focused on English development
SEI: Sheltered English Instruction – grade level and content classes designed with supports and modifications for English Learners.
Draft Schedules
Hybrid Learning – One Week in School, One week remote school from home:
Cohort A – September 16 (A-K)
Cohort B - September 14 (L- Z) come in for 2 hours and then have remote week the rest of the week.
There could be modifications in the alphabet cohorting so please wait until you hear for sure which cohort you are in.
Live week: Traditional Week of School
· All ELs at Elementary, Middle and High School will have SEI Teachers
· Elementary: Beginners (Level 1 and 2) will have ELE small groups in their live week.
· Middle School: We currently have about 30 EL’s and all are Level 3 and 4.
· High School: Intermediate and Advanced EL’s (Levels 3 and 4) will meet with teachers in the afternoon remote block (after in person school ends during Hybrid week.)
· High School: Beginner EL’s (Levels 1 and 2) will have full online classes with ELE teachers during the morning schedule.
Remote Week: At home, small group instruction for English Learners, remote assignments from teachers and specials
· EL/ELE groups are available to hybrid, full remote learners and those who have opted out of the ELE group in the past. Information will come from you ELE teacher
· Middle School: 7/8th Ell will have instruction in the first two periods, 5/6th still being worked out
· Goal is to offer about 2 hours of direct, small group instruction to Level 1 and 2 EL students in their remote week
· Kids will actually end up with more instruction than they would have in full in person school because there is time planned during live week and remote.
Specials during Remote week for Elem and Middle School: Music, Art, Library, Physical Education
Draft for Fully Remote Students (Edgenuity)
K-5 Students and Parents will develop a schedule
· Able to join community time, able to join specials when their class is in school
· Will be connected with a classroom teacher to help them facilitate Edgenuity course work
· Edgenuity is mostly directed by the family, some pen and paper for younger children.
· Fully Remote students will also be assigned to an ELE Group and receive direct remote instruction up to 2 hours a day.
Middle School
· Opportunity to join community meeting and specials
· Facilitated by a teacher but mostly you choose your own schedule
· Fully Remote students will also be assigned to an ELE Group and receive direct remote instruction up to 2 hours a day.
High School
· Unclear b/c High school still being complete
· There will be a teacher assigned to each subject, students will be working mostly independently
· Not sure where ELE services will fit in but we will work to ensure that they are included.
Questions from Public:
What does a child do that does not understand English if they chose remote?
· Unclear if there are any translations services available through edgenuity
· Professional development happening next week on edgenunity, we will be doing a deep dive and explore all options.
· NPS is gently guiding EL families to choose hybrid,
· For those who cannot, our hope is to support those students even more.
· Please let you ELL teacher know if you are struggling with the remote work
· Students will have a more continuous language immersion if they choose hybrid.
· If you choose, fully remote, it is more checking in with a teacher and self guided course work.
Is it possible to switch from Hybrid to remote now?
Contact your principal immediately as they are trying to make schedules.
What if we would like to switch later?
· If the child needs to change, our ability to switch him/her is going to depend on why they need to change.
· If it is health – we will get them in.
· If it is a choice, we are asking you to give us some lead time. 3-4 weeks to make that switch most likely.
Is Natick’s plan, having all EL students in school for one week during their hybrid cohort and remote the next, consistent with the State Guidance that was issued about EL Learners?
· Guidance to prioritize EL students as in person, was for schools who were going fully remote in order to get kids with complex and significant special needs or students who have both IEP’s and are EL into live school.
· Since NPS has chosen the Hybrid option, we feel confident that we are able to serve our EL population through small group direction instruction during their remote week.
What happens if a child has to quarantine, for example if someone in his/her family contracts Covid?
· If a child has come into contact with someone like this, chances are, the whole class might need to move out of the in person tract and be remote for several weeks. In this case, the whole class will be supported by their teacher remotely.
· If it is only 1 student who needs to quarantine, we would navigate with the EL teachers to be creative to make sure they get what they need.
Can you explain the safety measures, will you be taking temperatures?
· We won’t be taking temperatures because it has been proven ineffective, but there will be a check list that we will ask parents to do before the kids come in.
· There have been significant safety measures taken – cohorting, ppe equipment available and plexiglass
· Air filters have all been replaced i