Online Learning

Our goal for distance learning will be to ensure the success and growth of every student. To accomplish this goal, we have established the following expectations for students and teachers: 

• Each class will have a “live” or synchronous component using Schoology and/or Zoom. The synchronous portion of each class will be no more than 45 minutes per class period. The remaining class time is for students to work independently or in small groups. 

• Classes will begin on time.

• Homework will be assigned following ACPS homework policies. 

• Students should abide by all school and class rules and expectations including ACPS’s dress code.

Classroom time (approximately 90 minutes per day) will be divided into synchronous learning time (whole group and small group) and independent learning time during which students have access to the teacher. For high school students, this synchronous learning time should not extend beyond 45 minutes per period.  The remaining time in the class period should be for students to have independent work time or group work in which the teacher is working with students. 

DEFINITIONS 

Synchronous Learning refers to all types of learning in which students and teachers are in the same place, at the same time, in order for learning to take place. This would include live online meetings. 

Asynchronous Learning occurs in different times and spaces particular to each learner. This would include student group work and individual work. 

Schoology is our learning management system. It will be our primary learning platform meaning our teachers and students will use it to create, manage and share academic content. Teachers will post a weekly overview every Monday outlining the learning expectations and tasks for students. Learning resources will be shared through Schoology, and homework will be posted in the Schoology calendar. 

PowerSchool is an online tool to help students and families stay connected. After creating a PowerSchool Parent Portal account, you will be able to check your child’s grades, attendance, connect with teachers, and see daily announcements. Please view this site for more information about how to create a Parent Portal account and how to use Parent Portal. 

Zoom is a video conferencing service that enables teachers and students to connect. Albemarle County Schools have installed safety features to make Zoom safer for our students and our teachers will establish classroom norms and expectations with their students.

Social-Emotional Learning focuses on a set of social, emotional, behavioral and character skills that support success in school, the workplace, relationships and the community. Our teachers will be incorporating social-emotional learning into their lessons. 

4x4 or 4 by 4 To better meet the needs of our students, Albemarle County Public Schools made the decision to offer four classes for each semester instead of the alternating day schedule of previous years. 

Link to a ACPS Secondary Schools Secondary Synchronous/Asynchronous Learning (definitions and introduction were adapted from this document)

The goal of our Distance Learning Plan is to provide the best academic experience possible to all of our students. We will employ and expand our use technology resources such as Schoology and Google for Education to connect, extend and deepen learning. 

Monday-Thursday Schedule

Friday Schedule

Fridays provide students an opportunity to work with their teachers, complete asynchronous work, participate in clubs and honor societies, and more. 

While students and families will see all four classes listed in PowerSchool for Fridays, attendance will not be recorded in PowerSchool. Students are not required to attend Friday sessions unless they are required by their teacher who feels that the student would benefit from additional support. Teachers will communicate with students whom they expect to attend Friday sessions. 

Any student with a D/F at the interim period or with the potential of a D or F for a marking period should attend Friday sessions. Teachers should personally invite students to their Friday session through email, phone/text, Remind, etc. Teachers should also communicate this to parents/families. If students are not attending, please contact the child’s school counselor and administrator. 

Clubs, Extracurricular Groups, and Honor Societies

Western Albemarle has a proud tradition of student involvement in clubs and other extracurricular activities. These organizations will meet on Fridays from 1:00-2:00. 

Supporting Your Child

• We encourage families to establish a physical space, if possible, where your child can participate in distance learning during the day. There will be scheduled times when students are expected to join their teacher or class in a learning activity. 

• Assure your child has a working computer and internet connection. 

• Help your children manage their learning by encouraging them to attend all classes and finish all assignments. Students will benefit from checking their school email account and viewing their Schoology Calendar.

• Encourage your children to incorporate physical activity and healthy breaks from learning during the day, while practicing social distancing. 

School-Family Communication

• Teachers will communicate with families through email or phone on a periodic basis. These check-ins will let you know how your child is progressing. If you have a question or concern about your child’s learning, don’t hesitate to initiate contact with your child’s teacher. Additionally, please reach out to your child’s counselor, our school nurse, and our administrative team with any questions. 

• We encourage families to monitor ACPS and Western Albemarle High School communication for up-to-date information and monitor child progress. 

• Please ensure you have Parent Portal which can be accessed through internet or a phone application. Parent Portal enables families to become more involved in their child’s education. Parent Portal gives you access to grades, schedules, attendance and school announcements. You can also edit your child’s personal information such as address, phone numbers, email, emergency contact, etc. To register for Parent Portal, please contact Andrew Schwab (aschwab@k12albemarle.org), our school database administrator. Mr. Schwab will provide you with the information you will need to set up an account. 

• Participate in offered Schoology information training sessions. 

• On Friday mornings, teachers will be working with students who need support to accelerate their learning. Teachers will do their best to communicate with students and families when they have assigned a student to attend these sessions. We expect all assigned students to attend these mandatory sessions. All students, however, are welcome to attend Friday morning academic sessions. 

Students are expected to:

• Give your best best effort and best online class behaviors.

• Engage in remote learning activities offered by your teachers.

• Attend your classes online unless your parent/guardian notifies our attendance office that you are sick or participating asynchronously.

• Students should check their ACPS email account and Schoology account daily. 

• Students should check their Schoology calendar daily. 

Participating in Zoom and Schoology Conferences

• Use your k12albemarle account to join Zoom sessions. Your teachers will securely and confidentially provide meeting information, links, passwords, etc. to you to ensure we can maintain supervision and online safety. 

• You have the choice of whether or not you want to turn your video/cameras on. 

• Use the mute feature when you’re not speaking or turn off your computer audio when you need less background noise. 

• Use the chat feature to ask and answer questions, share information and work. 

• Follow classroom Zoom and online learning norms and expectations. Your teachers will work with you and your classmates to establish these, just like a traditional classroom. 

We are committed to providing an equitable and inclusive environment through Culturally Responsive Teaching and Social-Emotional Learning to ensure that all students’ needs are taken into account. 

Teachers will prepare for remote and blended learning by: 

• Ensure structures through Schoology are in place to maximize learning

• Determining which remote learning option is best for the learning of their students

• Provide instructional resources through Schoology 

• Participating in PLC and professional learning opportunities 

• Dress professionally 

• Start class on time

All students have access to the Schoology Course called Western Warriors: Primary. This course contains helpful information and instructional videos for students and families. 

For help with logging into Schoology, please view this website

A presentation about Schoology for parents was given at the Western Albemarle Open House on September 1, 2020.  We have provided links to the recording of the presentation as well as to the slides.

Link to Slides       Link to Open House Recording

Here are the expectations of teachers with regard to Schoology.

1. Create a means of introducing yourself, your class, class expectations, the organization of your Schoology account, etc. in a Welcoming Section. This can be done through a video, a bitmoji classroom, an infographic, etc.

2. Teachers should use Schoology to create an organized online learning experience for students and families. One required means to assist in this goal is to use the following Folder Naming Conventions: 

   • Yellow: Current lessons and resources

   • Blue: Old lessons and related resources (also upcoming lessons and resources)

   • Green: Syllabus, pacing guide, welcoming information, general resources 

3. Create a weekly overview for students and families. A means of outlining your learning expectations and criteria, student tasks, resources, etc for each day of the week. This can be incorporated in a slidedeck presentation, a Google doc, a Schoology page, etc. This should be easily accessible for students and parents, especially for those who may be participating asynchronously. For all students, this will help make learning more visible. (Examples)

4. Use the workload planner for any assignment that is going to be formally assessed/graded. Please follow the naming conventions for each of these assignments. Students should receive a reasonable forewarning of all quizzes and tests and these should be included in the workload planner.  Additionally, breakdown large tasks (projects) into more manageable chunks and include these in Schoology.

Zoom is an online video conferencing application that is being used by teachers for the synchronous part of the class.  If you would like more information about Zoom and its features, check out this link on Zoom's features.  If you are interested in the guidelines and how Zoom will be used in the "classroom,"  you need to take a look at this link that Albemarle County created.  Here is a link to help you get started with Zoom.

To contact attendance use the information below:

• wahsattendance@k12albemarle.org 
• 434-823-8700 ext. 2

Virginia requires that all children between the ages of five and eighteen be enrolled in school and attend on a daily basis.  In Virginia, students enrolled in public schools are required to attend school regularly, regardless of the type of instruction offered. Our students need to be present, engaged, and supported as they return for the 2020-21 school year. We understand that some students may not be able to attend virtual learning sessions. For students and families who lack internet access, we ask that you please call us so that we can provide a solution for you. If a student is unable to attend virtual learning sessions for other reasons, please contact your child’s administrator so we can establish an individual learning plan. 

Chronic absenteeism (missing more than 17 school days) is a primary cause of lower academic achievement even when absences are “excused.” Absences are often a sign that a student is losing interest in school, struggling with school work, dealing with personal or peer-related issue, or sometimes something potentially more serious. We are here to help. 

We know the daily pressures associated with online learning and Covid-19 are immense. We want all of our students to be successful in school and we believe class attendance and participation are one way to make this happen. When students are unable to participate in school activities whether synchronously or asynchronously, he/she misses valuable learning and this can cause him/her to fall behind. Sometimes these absences add up before we know it. 

While we are in Stage 2/Virtual Learning for Most Students:

• Attendance will be recorded every day for every period. Students will be marked Present, Absent, Asynchronously Present. 

• Families should report their student’s absences and the reasons for which the absences occurred to WAHS attendance at wahsattendance@k12albemarle.org or 434-823-8700 ext. 2 any day students are unable to participate in learning synchronously or asynchronously.  

• When a student is marked as absent, families will receive communications to inform them of their student’s absence. Families should then contact our attendance office to reconcile absences, and share any information regarding the absence and/or needs to access online learning.

• If your child is unable to participate in synchronous online learning from 9:30-4:30, please call or email your child’s teacher and school counselor.  We will work to create a plan that is supportive of your child’s needs. 

• Families will have the option to receive an attendance summary by email through parent portal in PowerSchool. These notifications will be set for daily, weekly, biweekly, or monthly. Please keep in mind that teachers will be finalizing attendance during the week to reflect asynchronous work. 

If you need the support of a school administrator, the following identifies which administrators work with your child:

Administrators:

• Reed Gillespie: Students with last name A-G (rgillespie@k12albemarle.org) 

• Teresa Tyler: Students with last name H-O (ttyler@k12albemarle.org) 

• Will Schaffer: Students with last name P-Z (wschaffer@k12albemarle.org) 

Parents can login to Parent Portal to view your child’s attendance. Please view this site for more information about how to create a Parent Portal account and how to use Parent Portal.

For the 2020-2021 school year, there have been some changes to grading. These changes will be evaluated at the end of the school year. Our goal is to communicate accurate information about student achievement while also providing flexibility as students adjust to the working in a virtual environment. 

• No quarter grades will be stored or differentiated in the gradebook or shown for families/students.

• There will be no averaging of quarters or semesters. Instead, it will be a cumulative grade for each class. 

• Mid-term exams (at 9 weeks for an 18 week class or 18 weeks for a 36 week class) will not be given.

• If a student has several assignments missing, then a teacher may change the grade to an IG which represents that there is insufficient evidence to determine a grade. 

• Dual enrollment courses will follow grading guidelines provided by the community college. 

• Final exams or projects (course summative assessments) may be given (at teacher, Professional Learning Community (PLC)/Department discretion), but they will not be a distinct measure that factors into the final grade (previously 20% of the semester grade), instead they will be factored into the overall course grade as defined in the teacher’s syllabus along with all other grading elements (homework, participation, projects, quizzes, tests, etc.).  This must be consistent within a department or PLC at a school, but need not be consistent across schools.

• As of now the exam exemption policy remains the same.   

• For high school courses, the final grade for any course is the cumulative grade for the class over the entire duration of the course (9 weeks, 18 weeks, or 36 weeks)

• If students are missing assignments, teachers will flag those assignments in PowerSchool so students and families know work will need to be submitted.

• Policies for work turned in after the due date would be defined by the teacher and PLC.  

• Teachers and or PLCs will have the flexibility to establish the parameters for students around accepting late work.  

• If students are missing assignments, teachers will flag those assignments in PowerSchool so students and families know work will need to be submitted. 

• Students may continue to submit assignments and work with teachers to demonstrate mastery of essential standards so that their grade improves. 

• Teachers can allow students to resubmit assignments (including quizzes and tests) for an improved grade throughout the course. Policies for resubmitted assignments would be defined by the teacher.

• Teachers will use the “Missing” indicator in Power Teacher to mark work missing and provide this information to students and families.

• There will also be an indicator of “IG” (Incomplete Grade) available to note that the reported grade is inaccurate due to missing components.  

• A 9 week (“semester”) grade would be displayed in PowerSchool for students enrolled in 18 week classes.  An 18 week (“semester”) grade will be displayed in PowerSchool for students enrolled in 36 week classes.

We believe homework has lasting benefits and is an important part of student learning and development. We also recognize that it is important for students' mental and physical wellness to have an appropriate amount of homework. 

Our homework guidelines are as follows: 

For Albemarle County Public Schools’ complete homework policy, please click here. 

Here are some of the best strategies for someone being successful in distance learning.  These strategies are from Johns Hopkins Science of Learning Institute and St. Andrew’s Episcopal School.

Monotask, not multitask 
Help your child monotask. This means no phone, Nextflix, video games, other opened windows, etc. when learning. 

A good study environment aids good studying
Try to set up a good learning environment for your child. Your child should not do online learning in bed. Try to avoid spaces where there are distractions. Try to avoid spaces with clutter because many students find this distracting. 

Strong self-advocacy is always crucial--now even more so
Encourage your child to be a strong self-advocate and communicate with teachers when they have questions or concerns, or even then they just feel they need to check in with their teacher and chat. 

Everyone benefits from help with scheduling
Work with your child to help them monitor their progress, help them decide if switching strategies might aid their progress, or help them determine whether a satisfactory end point has been reached. 

Support your child’s metacognition
Metacognition aids learning. You can help by asking questions, such as: What’s challenging? What do you have questions about? What don’t you understand yet? Even though many adolescents don’t appreciate it, parents are encouraged to start and finish each day with a simple check-in. These check-ins will help students build their metacognitive skills, establish routines and structures, and support learning. 

Encourage your child to reach out to the appropriate teacher by email, one-on-one check in, or writing down their question(s) to ask. 

Where possible, help your child bring in prior knowledge from experiences they have had in the past. 

Emotion and cognition are interlinked 
Emotion and learning are intertwined, both in your child’s brain and in their everyday experience of school. Having emotional well-being check-in can help--if they are feeling stressed with school, giving them the space to offload those feelings can help them focus on learning. They can talk to you, talk to a friend, or even write or draw. 

Relationships help buffer stress, so staying socially connected is an important part of being a successful student during distance learning. But take not of the monotasking vs multitasking information above, and separate our social time from work time. 

Exercise, diet, and sleep help reduce stress as well as improve overall health. Going for a walk or run, while practicing social distancing, can be tremendously beneficial for overall well-being and learning. 

Research suggests that mindfulness and mediation techniques can benefit students of all ages. There are many free online resources to help children with this. Even if your child is skeptical, attempt to get them to try a few things out and see if they can find something that works for them. 

Here are some additional resources to help you:

• Frequently Asked Questions and Answers from Our Western Community 
• Albemarle County’s Return to School Webpage 
• 5 Ways to Help Teens Manage Anxiety About the Coronavirus 
• A Parent Guide for School-Age Children
• Keeping Our Kids Safe and Health in the Digital World

School Counselors

Our mission as school counselors is to provide a comprehensive, developmental school counseling program that will assist all students in acquiring the skills, knowledge and attitudes needed to become effective students, responsible citizens, productive workers and lifelong learners. The school counseling program supports the school's academic mission by promoting and enhancing the learning process for all students through an integration of academic, career and personal/social development.

The program's ultimate goal is for all students to graduate with the competencies necessary to make self-directed, realistic and responsible decisions and to be successful contributors to society. Counselors work with students primarily in three domains: social emotional wellness, academic success and post-high school planning.  

Students are assigned to school counselors based on students’ last names:

Career and College Planning: 

Counselors work with the career specialist to support students in identifying their interests and talents and formulating a plan for the students’ next steps. Some lessons will be delivered to the entire grade and some will be individual meetings. Students will utilize Naviance to assist with college research and career assessments, and Cued-In to identify work-based learning opportunities. For more information, please see your child’s counselor or Caroline Bertrand, career specialist, cbertrand@k12albemarle.org.

The Learning Center

The Learning Center (TLC) will be open for business starting on Tuesday, September 15. We are excited to offer virtual help sessions through Zoom for students on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 8:30 until 5:30. Sessions will be with an adult (teacher, college tutor, or community volunteer) or with a peer tutor (see above). Sessions will typically be 30-45 minutes long. To request help for yourself (if you are the student) or on behalf of a student, please complete this request form, and TLC staff will contact you within two days. Contact Beth White, TLC Coordinator, at bwhite@k12albemarle.org for more information. 

WAHS Library

The library website has resources for choice-based reading, homework and research guides, and we love to help! Our subscription databases offer searchable collections of articles for assignments. We also help the school community find ebooks for reading and learning remotely online.Wish we would buy a book? Use this form: bit.ly/wahslibraryrequest. Email us for anything you need: Paula Archey parchey@k12albemarle.org Melissa Techman mtechman@k12albemarle.org 

Talent Development Resource (formerly Gifted Resource)

The Talent Development Resource Teacher (TDRT, formally known as Gifted Resource Teacher) works with teachers and students to create a school culture where students’ individual strengths, talents, interests, and needs are cultivated and nurtured. The goal of the Talent Development Program is to recognize that all students have unique gifts and talents and that all students should have access to rigorous and relevant curriculum, services that support their learning, and be able to articulate their individual strengths. The TDRT provides services to all students in the school who are in need of differentiated curriculum based both on readiness or interest. At the high school level this may take the form of advanced classes, Independent Study, summer programming, compacting curriculum, taking classes at PVCC or UVA, as well as other options. The TDRT works in collaboration with classroom teachers, administrators, school counselors, students, and families to ensure that students are getting the best education possible. The TDRTs are dedicated to the idea that every student deserves to have access to a rigorous, relevant, creative, and challenging education.

ACPS students and families have multiple options for receiving technical support:

1. Call your child's school and ask for technology support. You will be transferred to a technician who will assist you.

2. Use the online Student Technology Support Form to submit a service ticket.

3. Email the ACPS Service Desk at servicedesk@k12albemarle.org.

4. Call the ACPS Service Desk at 434-975-9444, Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m

Please visit our Technology Support Page for more information https://www.k12albemarle.org/our-division/return-to-school/technology-support

Online learning presents new challenges for communication. As partners in education, we understand that the more communication families receive, the better picture they have of their child’s progress. 

Schoology provides parents with a look into their child’s virtual classroom and learning experience. Directions on how to access and use Schoology, can be found here. Additionally, announcements to students will be pushed out through Schoology on a regular basis and through student email. 

Parent portal and PowerSchool provide students and families with the most recent information regarding grades and academic progress. Additionally, this year we will be using PowerSchool’s Daily Bulletin to post daily announcements. These announcements are visible to both students and families. If you need access to parent portal, please contact Andrew Schwab, our database administrator, at aschwab@k12albemarle.org. 

We will also publish weekly student announcements and regularly communicate with students and families through short videos, newsletters, and emails. 

Whenever you have a question or concern, please reach out to your child’s teacher, counselor or administrator.

The information presented in this document was made possible by educators, including support personnel, who participated in numerous planning meetings. We greatly appreciate their valuable perspectives and suggestions. 

The lists that follow, acknowledge their excellent contributions. 

Jason Lee, Principal Western Albemarle High School 

Instruction, Learning and Technology: Sarah Terrill, Shanna Rao, Alfred Toole, Taylor Holder, Kate Innes, James Walsh, Melisa Larson, Katie Pugh, Lynn Define, Zoe Padron, and Reed Gillespie

Student Academic Support: Will Schaffer, Laura Shifflett, Emily Henry, Forrest Garrison, Fred Anderson, Jill Williams, Susan Lohr, Beth White, Gavin Layman

Student Management and Safety: Teresa Tyler, Pronte Crawford, Denise Moore, Richard Mclernan, Dave McCauley, Bill Hughes, Darren Maynard, Russell Napper, Chris Stutsman

Student and Staff Wellness and Support: Amy Wright, Cass Girvin, Lorita Yancey, Laura Chatterson, Shelby Poole, Christine Stutsman, Candace Cone, Paula Archey, Caryn Brock