Welcome to the 2020-21 School Year
Good afternoon,
My name is Heather Houpt and I am the principal at HPA SFW. I want to welcome you all to the 2020-21 school year. This year will start off differently than any other year, but we are eager to see our students and excited to have a great year. Below is some information that I hope you find helpful.
Meet the Teacher and Technology Pick Up Meet the teacher and technology pick up will be August 25th and 27th. Your homeroom teacher will contact you ahead of time to let you know who they are so that you get in the correct line on your scheduled night.
August 25th Kindergarten 5:30-6:00 pm 1st grade 6:15-6:45 pm 2nd grade 7:00-7:30 pm
August 27th 3rd grade 5:30-6:00 pm 4th grade 6:15-6:45 pm 5th and 6th grade 7:00-7:30 pm
August 28th–If you were unable to come Tuesday or Thursday All grades 10:00 am – 3:00 pm
K-2 students will be issued a Fire Tablet 3-6 students will be issued a Chromebook
Educational plan High Point Academy will use an asynchronous plan for distance learning this year. This means that students will be able to work at their own pace and time during the day to complete all assignments and activities. Teachers are preparing lessons and videos for students to watch in order to learn the new material. Students will have a minimum of 180 minutes to do each day.
There may be optional opportunities for live discussions and small groups throughout the week. Teachers are working on that schedule and will give you more information once school begins.
Students will have until 11:59 pm to turn in work for that day.
Attendance In order for a student to be counted present there must be DAILY ENGAGEMENT. This may be turning in assignments, attending a live meeting, participating in a small group, or talking with the teacher.
Students who do not engage daily while distance learning will be marked absent. Students must be in attendance 90% of the time in order to promote to the next grade.
Role of Parents/Guardians in Distance Learning The teachers will be teaching the material through the use of videos, live discussions and small groups. We also have tutors available to offer additional assistance.
Parents do not need to teach the students, but help manage them. This may include setting a schedule, creating a work space, following up with the student to see if their work is complete, helping students turn in assignments, or contacting the teacher to get additional assistance for the student.
Dress Code for Distance Learning During distance learning students do not need to wear their uniforms. They do however need to be in Free Dress day clothing if participating in a live class meeting or small group.
The handbook defines free dress: “Clothing must be clean, modest, and appropriate for school wear. All shorts, skirts, and dresses must be fingertip length. The straps of a student’s top should be at least three flat fingers across in width. No Frayed or torn clothing. No low cut dresses or top. No strapless, halter, tank, tube tops, or bare midriff style tops. No oversized shorts/pants worn low on hips, No hats. No excessive and/or large jewelry/make-up. No t-shirts with inappropriate advertising, language, weapons, or pictures.”
Return to Class or Continued Distance Learning As of right now, our first day to return to in-person class will be September 28th. Families will receive a form on September 9th that they must complete committing their student(s) to in-person or distance learning from September 28-November 6th.
School Supplies
If you purchased the school supply pack from PTO we will hand those out during Meet the Teacher minus the items like paper towels, wipes, etc. If you purchased supplies on your own and would like to go ahead and bring any items to the school so your student doesn’t have to on September 28th you are welcome to.
Students will need supply items such as paper, pencils, glue, scissors, and colors at home during distance learning.
Returning Items Items that go home the week of August 24th will come back to school with your student when they return in-person or at the end of the year if they elect to distance learn all year.
A few reminders: These things were all in the Healthy Start document sent out by Mrs. Stellar, but I wanted to make sure to reiterate a few items: 1. Everyone 3rd grade and up will wear a face covering–mask or shield. K-2 is optional 2. No visitors will be allowed inside the school 3. No lunch deliveries–students must bring lunch with them in the morning 4. Dancers will not be dressing out 5. Students must engage in academic work daily
See you all soon, Heather Houpt Principal