Hopefully you have had some time to get away, relax, and enjoy your summer. Even under less than ideal circumstances- as I reflect on the 2019-20 school year- I am drawn to the outpouring support and encouragement you all provided during teacher appreciation week. The 2020 Graduation will always be a memorable example of the unique family we call LPHS. I greatly appreciate your patience, support and grace that you have extended to our staff as we navigate this changing landscape.
I hope you will forgive the obligatory sports analogy, but athletics was a huge part of my background and it’s how I make sense of many things. I would like to connect some very current buzz words to sports and the year we are inevitably facing:
- Pivot- If I am honest, I am a little tired of this word, but as a basketball player and coach I cannot help but think about the importance of this skill. It was one of my favorite skills to teach young athletes because many players would just run down the court out of excitement and fear. This, of course, violates the rules of the game. But, in explaining the benefits and uses of the pivot- players developed a very important tool. At the beginning of the possession, the pivot allows the player to assess the situation (position on the court, skill and quickness of the opponent, options available) At the end of a possession when a player may have used up the option to drive or shoot, the pivot still allows the player to see the whole court, her teammates, and to protect the protect possession.
- Agility and the Core- Also overused terms in today’s situation, but they are fundamental in training for any sport or overall health in life. By definition agility is the ability to adjust and move quickly. This skill takes a great deal of training and certainly does not come naturally to me. It is hard work and involves “confusing” your muscle groups regularly so that your body can react to different situations and movements. Dynamic agility training along with the development of a solid core are crucial to injury prevention. I once heard a surgeon describe the importance of training the core because most injuries occur when the body (specifically arms and legs) are acting outside of the central core (knee, shoulder, ankle etc) When I work out I cannot help but think about how this applies to all that we do in life and in education. We must work to strengthen our core values, purpose, and remain able to adjust to the current situation.
- What is the point of my story? When we feel anxious, excited and scared, it is crucial that we pause and assess the situation to gain perspective. An important reminder- the class of 2021 is the 100th graduating class for LPHS! Imagine how society and educators felt on the heels of the pandemic of 1918. This, too, can be a very exciting time to be an educator. Think about the opportunities to connect deeply with students, leverage technology and meet students with innovative ideas, and fine tune what is most essential and relevant to our courses. Of course we get to do this within the “rules” of health protocols and standards, and we also are surrounded by teammates who we can lean into for support. As we move forward with agility and we adjust to the dynamic situation- tap into your core moral compass. Daily, our behaviors must demonstrate our why -which is to truly do what is best for our students.
I promise not to be as wordy in future communications but I wanted to share my annual back to school message. We have found that a comprehensive weekly communication is most helpful to families and we will do our best to balance concise and up to date information. Given the nature of the situation, that may mean more frequent communication, but we will try not to overwhelm you. Below you will find a summary of common questions and concerns that have emerged from parent connections and conversations.
- Hybrid Schedule
- We are currently developing the student and staff expectations for distance learning days and Fridays when we have 5 day weeks. Daily expectations for staff and students will look very different in this plan than they were for the spring. We know that students need direction, engagement, and connection each day and we will do our very best to develop a plan that assures quality instruction and a continuity of learning.
- We also want to honor the fact that each family and each student needs to choose an enrollment option that applies to their individual needs. None of these options are perfect, but we will work to craft a model that maintains a tradition of excellence.
- This may look different in different classes. Especially in AP, PTLW and honors classes and students needing more support. Teachers are likely to find ways to synchronously connect with students each time the class meets whether it be in person or virtually. More details to follow on this.
- We will attempt to keep the alternating block regardless of holidays and snow days, but more comprehensive block calendars will come soon.
- The following course teachers will use professional development time and use professional and state guidance to determine class protocol specific to their courses: PE, Performing Arts, World Language, Science, Art, Construction, Computer and Engineering.
- COVID Protocols
- More information about the following will be provided soon and embedded in back to school orientations for all staff and students:
- Self-screening health protocol
- Entering, exiting and moving throughout the building
- Lunch process and protocol
- Cleaning in between classes
- Health protocol for those experiencing symptoms
- Possible outbreak process and communication from EPCPH
- Rare medical mask exemptions
- Technology
- A technology plan and process is coming soon to address:
- Recommendations if families would like to purchase devices
- Process for families needing to check out technology
- BYOD and helping students access digital learning tools
- Processing and Orientation
- We will not have the traditional “Processing” day as we have in the past.
- Instead please see this calendar as the most recent plan to transition back into the school year.
- If you have questions about Schedules, Part-Time or Full-Time Online enrollment, please see below under counselor corner.
Athletic News
CHSAA has approved the following fall sports - CHSAA Link
- Golf - Please turn in your paperwork Monday, August 3rd
- Tennis
- Softball
Counselor Corner
For online enrollment:
- Contact Dawn Klein (Registrar - dklein@lewispalmer.org) if you are interested in enrolling either part-time or full-time in the online program.
- You will soon receive an informational email that contains a link to a Google form online application, and includes 2 forms to fill out and return.
-complete the Google form application
-return the forms to Dawn Klein (either scan and email to dklein@lewispalmer.org, or mail to LPHS attn: Dawn Klein)
- Once the online application is submitted and the forms have been received, your student's counselor will be in touch to finalize course selection and schedule. Two additional forms will be completed during this phase.
**If your student was enrolled in the online high school program for Spring 2020, the process is slightly different. Reach out to your student's counselor or to Maurie Campbell (mcampbell@lewispalmer.org) if you wish to re-enroll in the online program.
For schedule changes:
**Due to scheduling constraints and cohort restrictions, schedule changes will only be allowed in very unusual circumstances, especially once classes are underway. These include academic misplacement, empty periods, missing either part A or part B of a class, incorrect order of classes (i.e. Ceramics 2 before Ceramics 1, etc.)
-Once schedules are released in Infinite Campus, a Google form will be available for students to fill out for a schedule change. This will replace the schedule change station we typically have at Processing.
-As forms are received, counselors will make approved changes if possible, and if not allowable or possible, the student will be notified. Parents will receive an email communication in cases where a change request requires parent approval.
-All students should check their schedules the night before classes start, because schedule change requests may have been completed, and counselors will have also worked to balance class sizes.
-The Google form for schedule changes will remain open until the end of the first week of classes, and be due by Friday of that week. After that date, the form will no longer be available and the schedule change window will be closed.
Counselor Contact Information:
Class of 2024: Bill Benton bbenton@lewispalmer.org
Class of 2023: Robyn Hudson rhudson@lewispalmer.org
Class of 2022: Erika Nash enash@lewispalmer.org
Class of 2021: Lacey Holtman lholtman@lewispalmer.org
