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It's quiet around Pomeroy Schools as the district adheres to physical-distancing requirements, but the staff and administration are busy keeping in contact with students, sending assignments through social media, and working with an ever-changing set of requirements handed down from the Office of the Superintendent of Instruction.
POMEROY-School District Superintendent Rachel Gwinn updated the School Board on the latest directions coming from the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI), and the current practices put into place for Pomeroy schools during at a meeting on April 27. She also updated the East Washingtonian on April 30, that she had been notified by OSPI that the school year must be extended by five days to June 10, 2020, as the last day.
All school districts in Washington are required to report to OSPI weekly during the closure, and new directions and clarifications are being communicated on an ongoing basis. Recently new information was given regarding how to grade assignments and give credit for work being done by students at home. There are 25 students identified who do not have internet services at home, and are being provided with alternate assignments. There are 34 students who have no devices to use to access the internet, who have been loaned Chromebooks to use at home.
Elementary students, who are graded on a standards-based system, are still receiving packets of work to complete. Gwinn reported that 100% of the packets have been picked-up or have been delivered. The teachers are utilizing Facebook pages to communicate with students. If the need for distance learning continues in the fall, they will shift to a Google classroom format, which will require all students to have iPads, or similar device.
Junior/Senior High School students have much more to do. Each teacher has a Google classroom set up where they post assignments once a week. Each teacher also has a weekly time scheduled when students may "sign on" to a face-to-face meeting where they can ask questions and get assistance with their assignments. Also, each advisory teacher makes verbal contact with their students once per week. Thus, every student should be personally contacted a minimum of once each week, and if anyone can not be reached, it is reported to Principal Amy Miller. School Resource Officer Jim Nelson has been deployed to physically check on a student who was not responding to contacts.
The new grading/credit framework communicated to students on April 28, was as follows:
1) Students who had earned an A, B, C or D for their third quarter grade, and who have access to online distance learning, and who completed eight or more assignments for a specific class, would earn an additional 10% added to their semester grade. Those completing five to seven assignments would earn 5% more, and those completing four or less assignments would earn the same as their third quarter grade for the semester. Those completing less than two assignments will be given an "incomplete" for the semester, and receive a packet of assignments to complete over the summer and due at the beginning of school in the fall. If the work is not satisfactorily completed, the "incomplete" will stand, and no credit will be given for that class. Students with a hindered ability to fully participate or engage online will receive a packet of assignments to complete when they return to school in the fall, and receive extra assistance on the content they missed, and would earn the same as their third quarter grade for the spring semester.
2) Students who had earned an F for their third quarter grade, and who have access to online distance learning, and who complete the missing work or what was agreed upon with the teacher, prior to April 13, 2020, may also complete eight or more new assignments and earn an improvement of their third quarter grade, and an additional 10% added to their semester grade. Those completing the required third quarter work, plus five to seven new assignments would earn an improvement to the third quarter grade, plus 5% more to the semester grade, and those completing the third quarter work, plus four or less new assignments would earn an improved third quarter grade, which would be the same for the semester grade. A student who does not complete the missing third quarter work will receive an incomplete, and a packet of work at the end of the school year to complete by the time school re-opens in the fall, to earn a 60% (D) for the semester. A student without access to distance learning, who demonstrated good progress during the third quarter, will receive a grade of 60% for the semester, but one who does not "engage in assignments" will receive an incomplete and be given time and assistance in the fall to recover the credit lost.
Gwinn stated that the OSPI has required that the school district can't do any harm to a student's grade during this time of closure, but instead allow them to give "incompletes" to those who do nothing or very little to participate in the learning opportunities given. "Students need to step up," she said, adding that it would be a disservice to the teachers who have been working hard to put together lessons to do anything differently.
Senior students will have to complete Senior Projects. There will be some type of graduation event, but no final decisions had been made yet. They are fairly certain the event will take place on June 6, 2020. For students still needing to complete community service hours, Gwinn said that the district does have room to be flexible with that requirement, and that they have applied for a waiver for some graduation requirements.
