Dear PVHS Families,
We hope that you are faring well during this school closure as we all work to mitigate the spread of COVID19. We miss seeing your children every day. They are an important part of our lives and we are brainstorming a variety of ways that staff can keep connected with them.
Grading:
Some students may be concerned about grades. At this time, we are more focused on student participation in online learning. This is a global event and we are not alone with how to grade students. Regional principals will be meeting to discuss consistent grading systems.
We are in a new world of education. Please don’t be stressed if you feel your child has not completed an assignment or finished a project the way you think it should be done. All teachers are assigning work that students can complete on their own. You shouldn’t worry that your child is falling behind. We are all in the same place and no student’s progress can be measured by that of previous school years. Our most important goal is to stay connected to students so that they do not feel isolated. Our attendance secretary, Mrs. McNeil, has been calling parents whose children have not signed on to their classes yet. We encourage you to have a conversation with your child about their classwork, but there is no need to get into confrontations about assignments. It is better for you and your child’s mental health to maintain harmony throughout this quarantine.
Feedback is crucial to us all. We are empowering all students to advocate for themselves by reaching out to their teachers if they are having difficulty, feeling stressed, have a eureka moment or just want to share something positive.
Screentime and Cell Phone Use:
Online learning calls for a great deal of screen time. Here are some suggestions to help manage this new reality. One, set up a family charging station and avoid technology in bedrooms. Two, students need to stay connected to their friends, but parents should consider monitoring the apps, group chats as well as the news that children are viewing and set time limits for screens.
IB DP Subject Exams: We received word yesterday that the IBO has canceled all of the IB DP subject exams that were scheduled for this May. This is a wonderful decision by the IBO because it will help to reduce stress and anxiety for teachers and students during this challenging time. It also further emphasizes the importance of the experience and preparation that IB courses provide over performance on summative exams.
New York State Exams: At this point, NYS has canceled all K-8 state exams. We have received no guidance from NYS about Regents exams, but we expect information from NYSED on this topic shortly.
AP Exams: We received word from the College Board that in-person exams have been canceled and students can instead take a 45-minute online free-response exam at home. The College Board is also providing a number of free online resources and is currently adding dates for the respective AP exams. For more, please click on the following link: https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/about-ap/news-changes/coronavirus-update
We will post the exam schedule when it is made available by the College Board.
Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Sandra Intrieri
Principal