April 22, 2020
To All Connected to Liberty Union-Thurston Schools,
As you are likely aware, Governor DeWine announced that all schools will remain physically closed for the remainder of the current school year. That is May 21st for Liberty Union Schools.
We know this is a challenging time for all students, parents, families, staff, and our community. In an effort to continually improve upon our remote learning opportunities, we need your feedback to better understand what is working and how we may plan to improve for the coming weeks.
Your participation in this survey is voluntary but encouraged. The survey should take less than 10 minutes to complete. In addition to the specific survey questions, open ended text boxes are provided to allow for you to provide any other feedback or comments desired. If you have students in more than one building, please take the time to complete the survey for each school building in order to allow us to clearly understand remote learning experiences you and your family may be experiencing differently.
To launch the anonymous remote learning survey, please click here. The survey will close at 11:59 pm on Sunday, April 26th, 2020.
All responses will be kept strictly confidential, even if you choose to add your optional personal information. Thank you in advance for your participation and feedback.
Updated: April 22, 2020 at 10:30 A.M.
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FOOD SERVICE
This is a reminder that food service is available for all children under the age of 18. Everyone is eligible; there is no need to complete an application, or qualify for free and reduced lunches to receive this food. Please contact Jan Friedrich by email at [email protected] or 614-579-8807 to provide the number of children under 18 in your household.
A weekly allocation of meals will be ready for curbside pick every MONDAY from 4:00 to 6:00 P.M. behind the middle school building. There is also a Thurston pick up location from 4:30 P.M. to 5:30 P.M.
The district will not be responsible for monitoring food allergies during this time. However, if your child has a severe allergy to peanut butter, please let us know, as we will routinely be using Uncrustables.
SUMMER LEARNING PROGRAM
All parents should have received an email on Wednesday about summer learning opportunities for students that will begin in mid to late May. If you did not receive an emailed letter, please contact Jennifer Blackstone at [email protected] to get a copy.
GRADING POLICY AND GRADE PROMOTION
The Liberty Union-Thurston School District has access to a variety of distance learning options for students. Although the current delivery method of learning for students is different than the usual classroom setting, assignments and assessments can still be delivered to students. Therefore, the approved grading policies will still be adhered to for the fourth grading period of the 2019-2020 school year. Teachers will calculate grades on assignments from both online and packet formats. GPA will still be calculated for students at the high school and middle school level. Athletic eligibility for fall sports will be based on this fourth quarter GPA. It is of the utmost importance that students continue to diligently work on their assignments and try their best. If a student or parent has concerns about earning grades or passing a class, they should contact their teacher directly.
Provided that students continue to complete their online/packet assignments and remain engaged in learning, students will be promoted to the next grade level. In the event that students are not promoted to the next grade, Principals will be in contact with parents for a conference to discuss the details of the student needs for next school year.
USE OF CHROMEBOOKS
All of the staff at Liberty Union Schools are extremely proud of the effort and perseverance that our students are showing during this challenging time. Our online monitoring system has alerted us that students are using their Chromebooks for recreational learning activities, such as accessing math or reading practice websites like Prodigy or GoodReads. While these activities are educational, we ask that parents are monitoring that the students are completing the teacher assigned work prior to these other educational activities. We thank you in advance for helping our students keep on track with school assigned learning experiences.
WIFI IN SCHOOL PARKING LOTS
Beginning April 15th, wifi access will be available to students at each school building parking lot. Please practice social distancing parameters while in the parking lots as this is not a reason for groups of students to congregate. Students can utilize their school issued Chromebooks and access the student wifi.
Sincerely,
Liberty Union-Thurston Local School District