NORFOLK — Superintendent Dr. Ingrid Allardi and Director of Curriculum Victoria Saldana are pleased to announce that Norfolk Public Schools has transitioned to phase 2 of the district’s remote and hybrid learning plan this week.
In phase 2, students in grades 1-6 will participate in an average of 35 hours of live and in-person lessons over the course of two weeks while kindergarten students begin attending school for 5 days a week, averaging 31.5 hours of in-person instruction over the course of two weeks.
During this phase, all students will receive live lessons in one or more of the content areas during their remote learning days.
“We are excited for this shift because it will provide students additional opportunities to engage with their classmates who are in a different cohort, partner on projects and receive support with their learning from their teacher on a consistent basis,” Director Saldana said.
The methods by which live instruction is delivered and for which content areas will vary by grade level. All grade levels will also continue to log in for a daily social-emotional learning lesson/morning meeting.
At the Freeman Kennedy Elementary School, physical education classes will shift to in-person instruction while still adhering to safety guidelines. Music, art and band classes will continue to alternate between live and remote lessons on a biweekly basis.
To ensure a smooth transition into phase 2, the district facilitated a professional development day on Tuesday, Jan. 19 for staff members to learn more about the best practices for teaching and learning in a mixed platform. Staff members have also received training on various technology hardware and software to support this shift.
To assist in this transition, technology workshops focused on integrating effective software for delivering various content lessons and setting up classrooms for optimal visibility for students learning remotely. The district has also increased bandwidth to minimize streaming disruptions, added access points to strengthen Wi-Fi throughout both buildings and upgraded technology such as Chromebooks with front-facing cameras, 27-inch monitors for teachers and document cameras to better support the delivery of live lessons.
“This shift in live and in-person lessons will increase the effectiveness of teaching and learning in Norfolk during the ongoing pandemic,” Superintendent Allardi said. “With the increase in live lessons, our district will also be adhering to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s latest student learning time requirements while ensuring the district continues to provide a high quality education to the students we serve.”
To learn more about DESE’s Student Learning Time requirement, click here.
Students learning in the district’s fully remote model will continue to receive a combination of synchronous and asynchronous lessons that are distributed over the course of the week, but in phase 2 synchronous learning time will be increased to parallel the hybrid model.
Families in need of additional support, such as internet, school supplies, nutrition or social-emotional needs are encouraged to contact their school principal or their student’s counselor.
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