03/24/2020 School Update Transcript (1)
Good afternoon Hamblen County School Family. Today is March 24, 2020. We will continue to help our community stay informed about important school events through these broadcasts. Please contact Kellie Smith if you have any questions or concerns. Her contact information is included at the end of this broadcast.
1. The Hamblen County School Nutrition Program had hoped to deliver lunches to the majority of our students’ homes while we were out of school. However, the recent declaration of the Governor urging a “stay at home” order is preventing us from accomplishing this mission on a county-wide basis. However, we still have the option of preparing meals at school and offering curb-side pickup. Starting April 1, we will prepare meals for students in the community at five locations. We will prepare and distribute meals at West High, Fairview-Marguerite, Manley Intermediate, Hillcrest Elementary, and Russellville Intermediate School. Parents may pick up a meal at any of these schools between the hours of 10:00AM and 1:00PM. In addition, we will attempt to provide some meals to high density areas within our community such as some of our public housing districts and mobile home parks. We will identify these areas and inform our community of locations and times when we have all of the issues resolved. We apologize for not being able to continue this program, but we need to comply with the governor’s order. However, we can provide meals to specific locations if there are extenuating circumstances. You may contact Kellie Smith if you need meals delivered to your home. We may not be able to accommodate every request, but we will do everything within our power to ensure students receive a daily meal.
2. We wanted to provide an update on our options for continuing learning from home. It is important to distinguish between the K-8 and high school curriculum. Our high school curriculum is required to ensure students earn credits toward graduation. Our high school teachers have moved coursework online through the use of our 1-to-1 laptop program. Each high school has implemented a plan and communicated with students and families how to continue learning from home. If high school students or their parents/guardians have any questions about their coursework, please email the teacher directly. For students who are experiencing internet issues, a button for technology assistance is now located in the high school section of the district curriculum site.
For K-8 students, the curriculum is recommended but not required. The district has posted several options for home learning. Please visit our school district website at www.hcboe.net to access the district learning options for students. Simply click on your child’s grade level to access the current learning offerings. We have an online option for English language arts and math. Instructions are provided on how to access this material online. In addition, we have printable learning packets for reading and math. These can be printed at home, or you have the option to pick up a paper packet directly. Our central office is currently closed to the public, but we have placed a K-8 curriculum box on the steps outside our main lobby. Packets are rubber banded and sorted by grade level. It is important to note that students will not receive official grades for completion of this work. New online curriculum will be posted weekly, beginning the week of April 6.
In addition to the curriculum offerings, we have several other activities posted on our curriculum site that students can do while they are learning from home. Beginning on April 6, the Tennessee Department of Education is partnering with our local PBS channel to provide high-quality instructional content every day from 11:00-1:00. We have more information about this programming posted on our website.
In an effort to encourage students to continue reading in the home, we have a section of the website called “Keep Reading Hamblen!”. This section includes links to our district AR program where students read books and take quizzes to earn points. We also have our district reading incentive program posted where students complete reading tasks for the chance to earn prizes. Soon we will have a read aloud video collection featuring Hamblen County teachers reading books aloud.
Another addition to our site is the inclusion of short video clips students can view to engage in art, PE, and music lessons. These clips will continue to be updated weekly.We know this is uncharted territory for everyone, and we remain committed to the education of your child. If we can be of any service to you while school is closed, please reach out to us at 423-581-3118.
3. Kellie Smith has created a Frequently-Asked-Questions factsheet which we have posted at the end of this broadcast. This will answer many of the questions that parents and students may have concerning the school system.