P-CCS Return To School Plan Updates From Superintendent Merritt

Press release from Plymouth-Canton Schools:

Good Afternoon P-CCS Families,

Tuesday night (August 11), the P-CCS Board of Education voted unanimously to approve the Return to Learn Plan for the 2020-2021 school year (view and/or download the Return to School Plan presentation here to learn more). School will begin for students on September 8 with a choice of two options. The ‘Safe Start Remote Learning w/ P-CCS’ option includes a remote learning start for all grade levels, offering a gradual transition to in-person learning beginning with small groups of students. The district will begin to transition students back to in-person learning based on the evaluation of health and safety data, including COVID-19 transmission data in our local area, as well as guidance from the Wayne County Health Department and state guidance via the Michigan Safe Start Plan (Phases 1-6). All students are automatically enrolled in the ‘Safe Start Remote Learning w/ P-CCS’ option with no further action required by families.

For any family concerned about transitioning to in-person learning as part of the ‘Safe Start,’ option, the P-CCS Virtual Academy alternative option is available for the entire 2020-21 school year, with a minimum commitment of one semester (secondary) or one trimester (elementary). The Virtual Academy will feature P-CCS teachers using P-CCS curricula for grades K-8, and P-CCS teachers using Michigan Virtual curriculum resources supplemented by P-CCS curricula for grades 9-12. Families must opt-into the P-CCS Virtual Academy by completing the Enrollment Window Form that launched yesterday. The enrollment window for this program closes on Tuesday, August 17. The P-CCS Virtual Academy FAQ includes questions and answers specific to this program, and this live document that will be updated on a regular basis (direct URL https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Bu_jCyEIVLs9axphqytybqLssUSQ5DZGy6o44EnPYCw/edit?usp=sharing)

Some highlights of both options:

SAFE START REMOTE LEARNING W/ P-CCS

Some of the highlights of ‘Safe Start Remote Learning w/ P-CCS,’ which is the default option for those who do not choose to enroll in the Virtual Academy, include:

• Students beginning the year with their assigned classroom teacher(s), who will provide daily, high-quality P-CCS instruction through a remote platform.

• Real time (synchronous) and independent (asynchronous) opportunities for learning that will be available throughout the regularly-scheduled day

P-CCS VIRTUAL ACADEMY

Some of the highlights of the P-CCS Virtual Academy include:

• An alternative option for families who want a guaranteed virtual option for the entire 2020-21 school year

• Requires a minimum commitment of one semester (secondary) or one trimester (elementary).

For more details about this option, and to link to the 2020-21 Virtual Academy Enrollment Window Form, visit this news item located on the official P-CCS website. The form will remain open until Tuesday, August 18, at 11:59 EST.

REENTRY FAQ

We will continue to regularly update the 2020-21 Reentry Plan FAQ, which is located on the district website. This live document, which will be updated regularly, also features an online form to submit questions that will help drive the topics that we address, allowing this FAQ to be a helpful two-way communication tool between the district and the P-CCS community.

We are so thankful for the time, dedication, and creativity of the more than 200 people who were part of our P-CCS Reentry Task Force during the past few months. We also appreciate the feedback and input that has been provided to us by our passionate P-CCS students and families through all of the ways we have been able to interact; your voices have been heard, and while we know there are many different views regarding all decisions during these times, we can assure you that everything has been considered through the priority of what is best for our students for their physical health, their social-emotional wellbeing, and their academic needs.

As educators, we are so excited to reconnect with our students and begin a new school year -- and even if the 2020-21 chapter will look like none other, learning will continue at P-CCS, and we cannot wait to begin working with our students once again. Very soon you will regularly start to hear from your building principals / program leaders with back-to-school information and other information and updates regarding your specific school community.

Stay connected with us through our various communication outlets, and especially our official district website at www.pccsk12.com, which will contain all of the valuable information you will need to know in the coming days and weeks.

Yours in learning,

Monica L. Merritt

P-CCS Superintendent of Schools

View as a PDF: P-CCS Virtual Academy vs Safe Start Remote Learning w/ P-CCS

This press release was produced by the Plymouth-Canton Schools>. The views expressed here are the author’s own.