Fall 2020 Planning Guide to School Opening

This website is intended to keep the East Penn School District community informed and engaged as we move towards restarting school in the Fall of 2020.

As of August 19th, secondary students will be fully remote instruction only and elementary students will have the option of hybrid instruction and fully remote option for learning.

Communications from EPSD Administration

October 25, 2020

Dear Parent/Guardian:

The purpose of this communication is to share that an individual associated with the EHS Girls Soccer Team has tested positive for COVID-19. All students and staff who have been deemed a “close contact” will receive a separate correspondence from the Pennsylvania Department of Health with further guidance. East Penn will follow protocol as outlined in the EPSD Health and Safety Plan regarding a diagnosed positive COVID-19 case. Under these guidelines, all students and staff constituting as a “close contact” will be required to quarantine for at least 14 days.

We continue to make student and staff safety our top priority. School buildings will continue to be cleaned and disinfected on a regular basis as stated in our East Penn Health and Safety Plan. Ok

We encourage all parents, students, and staff to closely monitor for any sign of potential illness. The Pennsylvania Department of Health provides the following guidance specific to the symptoms of COVID-19. Please note that if your child develops a fever, dry cough or other related COVID-19 symptoms, your child should not attend school until evaluated by his/her physician or licensed care provider. If your child is diagnosed with COVID-19, please notify the school nurse immediately.

East Penn will continue to work in partnership with the Pennsylvania Department of Health throughout this process. Thank you in advance for your diligence in helping us mitigate COVID-19 in our school community.

Sincerely,

Kristen Campbell
Superintendent of Schools

Fall 2020 Return to School Models

Level of Community Spread (as determined by state and local health officials)

Red Phase (Substantial Spread)

Remote Learning

Yellow Phase (Minimal/Moderate Spread)

Hybrid Learning at all levels based on community health and increased social distancing
Remote Learning based on local conditions meeting the criteria for a closure response.
Fully Remote Learning option for any students/ families

Green Phase (Low/No Spread). 6 ft. Social Distancing

Based on 6 ft. social distancing in buildings

Hybrid at all levels or Remote Learning based on local conditions meeting the criteria for a closure response.
Fully Remote Learning option for any students/ families

Teaching & Learning

Secondary Parent & Student guide to remote learning banner — Click here to view the Secondary Parents & Student Guide to Remote Learning

Elementary Parent & Student guide to remote learning banner — Click here to view the Elementary Parents & Student Guide to Remote Learning

Click here for the Google Calendar version of the K-8 Hybrid Shift Calendar

Elementary Instructional Plan Board Presentation

Secondary Instructional Plan Board Presentation

Family Tech Resources Banner — Click here to visit the Family Tech Resources Website

Explanation of Elementary Hybrid and Remote Options

Explanation of Secondary Hybrid and Remote Options

Different Instructional Models

Definitions of traditional, hybrid, remote

Traditional: All students can be in their classes for face-to-face instruction every day of the week.

Hybrid: Students will not physically be in school every day during the week. Each week, learning will take place synchronously when the students are present for face-to-face instruction and asynchronously when the students are learning remotely.

Remote: All students are learning entirely remotely without any face-to-face instruction provided.

Teaching and Learning expectations if we needed to switch models at any point during the school year

At any point throughout the 2020-2021 school year, the instructional model could change. No matter what model we are in, school will return to a more traditional format. Teachers will be grading student work and teaching more of the curricular goals. The amount of time spent per course will equal face-to-face instructional minutes so students should expect to spend more time with school work in a closure.

An essential part of our hybrid model is that students have the technology, access, and understanding that work will happen asynchronously. It may be necessary for students to complete certain assigned work asynchronously before attending class face-to-face.

Fully Remote Learning Option

Fully remote learning options for students/families opting for this model

This is a fully remote option for students and families with East Penn teachers and East Penn curriculum

This option is not only for students with higher risk of severe illness, but for any student/family in the East Penn School District who is not comfortable returning for Fall 2020 in the yellow or green phase. Our goal is to match our online students with East Penn teachers in the coursework they requested for 20-21. This option will be more rigorous than our emergency Continuity of Learning Plan last spring.

Online learning during closure

In the event of a closure, everyone should expect a different type of learning experience than we had in the spring of 2020. School, even though it will be online during a closure, will return to a more traditional format. Teachers will be grading student work and teaching more of the curricular goals. The amount of time spent per course will equal face-to-face instructional minutes so students should expect to spend more time with school work in a closure.

There will be an expectation that students engage in the school work assigned by their teacher. All of our students will have district-issued devices. Students in grades 6-12 will also move from Google Classroom to Schoology – a more robust learning management system.

VESPA

Vespa is our own internal cyber program that we manage using outside curriculum from multiple e-learning vendors and certified PA teachers. Vespa students are East Penn students.

Our internal cyber program has a program of studies from K-12 that is not our East Penn curriculum, but is aligned to East Penn’s scope and sequence for grades K-12. For more information about VESPA, click here to visit VESPA website.

Curriculum Implications

Classroom activities for certain areas like Music, HWF, Tech Ed, and FCS will be adjusted through planning with department chairs, teacher leaders, administration, and the Office of Teaching and Learning based on current health and safety guidance. This work will take place during the summer in preparation for the school year. As decisions are made, they will be updated here.

Technology

Click here to view our Family Tech Resources Website

Secondary technology (Schoology)

Students grades 6-12 will use Schoology, a learning management system (LMS)

All students will have access to a device on a 1:1 basis

Elementary technology

K-5 students will use Google Classroom and Seesaw

All students will have access to a device on a 1:1 basis.

East Penn School District FERPA Notice for At Home Learning

Getting Ready for 2020

Summer Learning Options

K-12 Keep Your Brain Charged

K-5 Summer Learning Ideas

K-8 iReady Reading and Math available through August

Please remember, students in grades 6 through 12 have summer reading requirements.

Middle School Summer Reading Page

High School Summer Reading Page

Trainings/videos

As we approach the start of the 2020-21 school year, we will provide resources for our students to learn more about our health & safety practices to minimize risk.

Supports for Students with Disabilities

East Penn will continue to support our students with disabilities regardless of instructional model.

For more information, please visit our Teaching and Learning Supports for Students with Disabilities.

Gifted Programming

Gifted programming may take place either virtually, co-teaching in the regular education classroom, or in a pull-out setting.

Upon the reopening of school for the 2020-21 school year our priority is to complete pending initial and reevaluation reports.

For more information please visit Gifted Programming

Health and Safety

On July 27th, the EPSD School Board approved the East Penn Health and Safety Plan developed by our Health and Safety Task Force. This group, composed of multiple stakeholders, reviewed the feedback of almost 5000 families and our faculty and staff. This plan will outline specific policies, strategies, and procedures on the anticipated safe reopening for the East Penn School District for the 2020-21 school year.