Superintendent's Message: September 11, 2020
JP Schools Family,
Our goal is to continuously communicate with you about our progress with Start Strong Jefferson and inform you of any changes that will impact how we operate. During the past two weeks, we have taught our students using three different instructional models, provided meals to students, and continued with technology distribution. We’ve seen our educators and employees get better every day at educating our students. Additionally, the support and cooperation of our families has been instrumental in the success we have seen up to this point.
As most of you may be aware, the governor announced Louisiana will move into Phase 3 during yesterday’s press conference. This reaffirms that our mitigating factors are having a positive effect across the state. As we have continually messaged, our students learn best in-person, and our goal is to bring back as many of them in-person as possible. Although we all want our students to transition back fully, we must operate in a manner that is viable for the long run.
Transitioning to Phase 3 is not a process that can happen overnight. As the largest and most diverse district in the state, there are a lot of logistics to consider, like transportation, meals, technology, and instruction. We also want to solicit feedback from all stakeholder groups prior to making any adjustments. Our Phase 3 transition will be mindful to maintain the progress our region and state has made. We will make sure that our focus is not a quick fix, and our efforts will steer us towards sustainability. Safety for students and employees will remain our top responsibility and educating our students will remain our top priority.
Until we complete this transition, students in grades 6-12 will continue to follow a hybrid schedule and only be on campus two days a week. Virtual Jefferson will continue to be an option for our families regardless of what phase we are in. We will continue following the health and safety protocols outlined in Start Strong, which include mask wearing, frequent hand washing, increased cleaning and sanitizing, and social distancing throughout Phase 3. We will provide another update by Wednesday, September 16 about our Phase 3 plan.
Below are some other important updates we wanted to keep you informed about:
- Symptom Monitoring: We must continue to do our part to keep bringing the numbers down. If your child is feeling sick, please keep him/her home. If your child has been in close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19, stay home. For questions about symptom-screening and our protocols for quarantine, please see our Start Strong FAQs.
- Online Learning Support: Last week we launched a Family Resource Center for Online Learning with helpful videos, Google Classroom and Google Meet information, helpdesk support, policies, and etiquette. Additionally, families can call the Parent and Student Helpdesk at 504-365-5304 for support with passwords, login issues, Google Classroom access, and support with device related issues including microphones, cameras, keyboards and hotspots.
- 2020-2021 Academic Calendar: Due to the delay in the start of school from Tropical Storm Marco and Hurricane Laura, we have presented two calendar options that maximize instructional minutes and honor the contractual days. Please remember to vote for the new academic calendar by 5 p.m. on Sunday, September 13.
Thank you for a terrific start to the school year. I look forward to continuing the momentum this fall and providing a first-class learning experience for all students.
Regards,
Dr. James Gray