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Governor Directs all Nebraska School Buildings Closed for the Remainder of the 19.20 school year - Learning Continues

AGPS District Continuity of Learning Plan is attached

April 02, 2020

AGPS Families:

Again, we begin this communication with a sincere expression of gratitude for your continued support of all AGPS staff.  As for all of you, our ‘work’ world has changed dramatically over the last few works. Your support and patience with us has allowed us the opportunity to focus on ‘new learning’ so that we may in turn be better equipped to support you and our students.    

With the governor’s recent announcement, what was initially an anticipated closure of schools for the remainder of the year has now become a reality for all Nebraska schools.  All schools in our state will remain closed until at least the end of the 2019.2020 school year. However, though school buildings may be closed, learning will continue. The Nebraska Department of Education has directed all schools to develop plans to support the ‘continuity of learning’ in an alternate environment for the remainder of the school year.  Continuity of learning is the continuation of education during a prolonged school attendance closure. A district’s continuity of learning plan (CLP) is to outline specific actions that support the continuation of teaching and learning. You will find a draft of our CLP attached. We are leaving it in draft form as we do anticipate some additional guidance and expectations from the Nebraska Department of Education in future weeks that may require us to make some revisions to our plan.  (Each family will also be receiving a hard copy of the District CLP in the mail.)

You will find that the CLP outlines suggested expectations for instruction and learning.  Over the past few weeks, teachers have been providing enrichment opportunities for students.  Though enrichment opportunities may continue to be provided, instruction will also focus on district identified critical concepts and topics.  Teachers will be providing weekly learning opportunities that support maintaining current skills and knowledge of critical concepts. Critical concepts will also be introduced that will extend learning to help prepare students for the next grade level. 

In response to feedback from families, we will attempt to better organize information and access to instruction and resources.  Beginning the week of April 6th, all teachers will be posting weekly plans and resources to a link on our district web-site (the link titled: Weekly Plans and Resources will be found in the top toolbar on the district home-page).   The web-site link may be most helpful as a quick reference for those families with students in multiple grade levels. The web-site link will also serve as a resource in the event initial weekly contacts and communications from teachers cannot be located.  Middle School teachers will also be staggering their contacts with students and families throughout the week to decrease multiple contacts on the same day.

As we transition to our continuity of learning plan, you may notice more content is being addressed by teachers.  However, our priority will continue to be that of staying connected to our students and families (Connections/Relationships over Content).  Teachers will continue to make weekly contacts; our teachers are committed to the care and support of all of our students.

It will be very important that students engage in the learning opportunities provided.   That being said, know, that just as you have extended us grace and understanding, we offer that to you as well.  We are fully aware that families will continue to have other priorities in the upcoming weeks. Please, do what you can to support an in home positive learning environment for your children, and don’t hesitate to contact your child’s teacher with any questions you may have.

Thank you,

Jason Libal - Superintendent                                                     Brad Jacobsen - MS/HS Principal

Jill Finkey - Curriculum Director                                                Teresa Bray - ELE Principal

Kristin Fangmeyer - Student Services Director                        Randy Wiese - MS/HS Asst. Principal

DRAFT 4.2.2020- AGPS District Continuity of Learning Plan (1).pdf