Post Spring Break Academic Plans

April 9, 2020

Dear Parents, Guardians, and Cadets,

Our partnership and commitment to our cadets’ education will resume when classes begin again on Tuesday, April 14. We will continue to teach and learn in an online format presumably through the end of the school year. While our local communities, our country, and the world all work together to slow or eradicate this health crisis by staying at home and physically distancing ourselves, so must we work together and do our very best to preserve the integrity of teaching and learning by remaining “in school.” This important partnership between school and home, and teachers and students, will continue to be the foundation of success and stability for the remainder of the school year. Please carefully review the following new information and renewed commitments to our online learning learning environment:

1. Online learning will resume Tuesday, April 14, and will continue under the assumption it will remain in effect through the end of the school year, or Friday, May 22.
2. The school week will shift to the following pattern of instruction and learning:
   • Monday – Thursday: new instruction, assignments, class meetings, support, and assessments will continue as before
   • Friday: designated teacher and student “work day”
     • intentional time for teachers to grade, assess, and plan
     • intentional time for students to complete classwork
     • intentional time for students to “check in” with their teachers for questions, clarification, or concerns via open office hours
     • no new instruction or assessments will be given
3. Teacher-Student communication remains at the core of successful online learning.
   • Teachers will:
     • Post assignments consistently so students know how and when they will receive their assignments.
     • Set very clear and reasonable due dates depending on the length and depth of the assignment.
     • Determine a fair and reasonable late/missing assignment policy
     • Be available for questions, support, instruction, clarification or content explanation by phone, email, video instruction, class meetings, or one-on-one meetings during the traditional school hours of 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Emails or calls received after hours will be returned the next school day.
     • Hold open office hours via Google Meet (phone or video) every Friday from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. CST for any necessary check-ins between the student and teacher.
     • Maintain an updated gradebook every Friday by 3:00 p.m. CST
   • Students will:
     • Dedicate themselves to their academics as they would during a typical school day, i.e. 8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Working outside of these hours is acceptable, of course, but class meetings and opportunities to speak/video meet with teachers will be held during the school day, so students should be available. Speaking or meeting with teachers outside of school hours is not a guarantee.
     • Check email daily to track assignments and due dates.
     • Understand the late or missing assignment policy of every teacher.
     • Be accountable for due dates and turn assignments in on-time.
     • Self-advocate for themselves by emailing or calling their teachers to communicate problems, issues, or concerns.
     • Participate in all scheduled, planned classes or open office hours by the teachers during school hours.
     • Ask for help – there are so many sources of support and assistance: teachers, parents, the TLC faculty, the Academic Office.
     • Take advantage of Friday’s Open Office Hours to check in, ask for help or explanations, clarify, or just catch up.
     • Take pride in your work by putting in your very best effort – always!
4. Student Work and Accountability – Online learning requires everyone to be flexible and to work together. However, the accountability and integrity of a student’s own work remain just as if we are in the classroom together. Students will continue to be held to the Standard and the Cadet Honor Code. Any reports of cheating, copying another student’s work, or plagiarizing will be subject to consequences, such as a failing grade or an Honor Board.
5. Technology challenges have hopefully been resolved during the last few weeks. However, please continue to check your SPAM folders regularly. Contact the Academic Office at academicoffice@sjnma.org or the IT Department at it@sjnma.org if you feel you are not receiving any communication from the teachers or the academy.
6. Alternative final exams and graduation plans are being taken into consideration and subsequent information will be forthcoming.

If we all reflect on what has transpired since we began online learning on March 19, it is remarkable what we have accomplished together. There have been challenges for sure, and there will be in this next phase as well. As we continue to learn what works well and what doesn’t in this format, we adapt, we learn, we try, we grow, and we remain committed to doing our best each and every day. When I compare stories with my colleagues and friends in other districts, or even states, I am incredibly proud of our academy, our teachers, and our families for doing what we do best – support our cadets to the greatest extent possible.

Please reach out if you have any specific concerns about your cadet or the outline above. Above all, I wish you and your families continued good health and safety. When we do come to the other side of all of this, we will be stronger because of it.

Sincerely,

Stephanie Ihler
Academic Dean
sihler@sjnma.org
262-646-7188