Today, Wednesday April 8th, marks the beginning of Phase II of the Gloucester Public School District’s remote learning plan. Assignments will now be mandatory and count towards students’ pass/fail mark at the end of Term 4. 

Teachers and administrators have sent out an abundance of information via email concerning student expectations for the next few weeks; everything you need to know is probably already in your inbox. But sorting through so much material and highlighting what’s applicable to you can be a challenge – especially in new and uncharted territory. Luckily for you, there’s nothing to fear! Read on for everything you need to know about required remote learning. 

What do I need to participate in online learning?

A device of any kind and internet connection. Teachers should reach out to identify any course-specific items. In most cases though, common sense can probably dictate what you want to bring to the kitchen table for your lessons.  

Beyond physical enrichment tools, expect to use a variety of online platforms to facilitate discussion and learning activities. The video chat app, Zoom, has been a popular choice for many teachers, as well as Google Hangouts, for face-to-face interaction. Participation in video chat groups is encouraged, but not required, and should not affect a student’s final grade. Additionally, educational sites like Google Classroom, Moodle, Pearson, and McGraw Hill will all serve as means for assigning work over the next few weeks. 

If you’re still unsure of what you should be doing to keep up with your classes, visit the GHS Remote Learning page (link here). Here you can find links to each department and can navigate to individual teachers and courses for instruction. 

When do I need to participate in online learning? 

Administration recently released the following schedule for the high school to help structure student learning time. 

Students will have each block two times per week for a 55 minute period, and three classes per day (Wednesday is the exception – there are only two classes). “School” lasts from 9:00am to 11:55am, though there is some flexibility in this. 

According to Principal James Cook, “If a student is unable to engage in learning during the assigned time period, the student will be able to access the lesson and complete any assigned work at another time during the week.”

Though there are no concrete expectations for weekends, or for the late afternoon, students are encouraged to check their emails twice a day and to communicate actively with teachers. 

How will I be graded?

Terms 3 and 4 will both be graded on a credit/no credit basis (explained here), which is basically equivalent to pass/fail. There is a rubric which outlines the skillset required to pass (available here), but it can be summarized in the following chart. 

More immediate, weekly feedback will also be provided to teachers via numerical values in SchoolBrains. Don’t be confused – these grades do not indicate a score you will receive at the end of the year. 

As Term 3 ends on April 14th (an extension from the original deadline), Term 3 report cards can be expected soon. 

Said Cook: “Term three report cards will then be made available in the SchoolBrains Community Portal. Report cards will not be printed or mailed. Parents and students will be notified when they are available to access.”

What about finals and APs?

It has not yet been decided whether or not GHS will have finals – this is dependent on if we do or don’t return to school on May 4th. AP exams are still being given – but they have been abridged, delayed, and are now open-book. Click here to visit the CollegeBoard’s page, and check The Gillnetter for updates in the coming days.