MCS Information Regarding E-Learning, Lunches, and WiFi Bus Spots

We have done our best to capture all of the information we think will be helpful for the next few weeks. PLEASE take a moment and read it in its entirety.

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(Madison, Ind.) - The health and safety of our students and staff continue to be a priority. Our custodians and bus drivers have been working to deep clean our buildings and buses. Our food service teams have been working to prepare meals for our students. As of Wednesday evening, we have served 836 meals!

Our teachers are utilizing the eLearning environment and are seeking ways to experiment with creativity. And our students and families are rising to the challenge of our new, digital learning age. We are embracing the #bettertogether philosophy and I truly believe we will weather COVID-19 better together.

We continue to closely monitor the status of the COVID-19 virus both from the health and educational impact perspectives. With the announcement from the Governor’s office to continue school closures through at least May 1, 2020, we wanted to communicate our updated plan.

Please understand there are a number of questions that we simply do not have answers for at this time. We are receiving information, working on local solutions, but are anxiously awaiting state-level guidance on some pretty large topics. As soon as we know more, we will pass it along. In the meantime, we appreciate your patience and understanding.

Again, we have done our best to capture all of the information we think will be helpful for the next few weeks. PLEASE take a moment and read it in its entirety.

What does the extension to May 1 mean?

We will continue to be closed for face-to-face instruction through at least May 1, 2020. Spring Break will continue as scheduled the week of March 23 - 27, 2020. We encourage you to heed travel recommendations, continue social-distancing, and be vigilant with self-care during this time.

The May date will be re-evaluated at the state level and we will await their guidance and follow recommendations.

What events are impacted and how? (all of this information is subject to change based upon resuming normal operating procedures)

Campus Closures and Personnel

● All Madison Consolidated School building offices and Administration Building will be closed to public traffic beginning Monday, March 30. Staff will be available via phone and email to process requests.

● Employees, please note only essential personnel will be allowed in buildings beginning Monday, March 16, 2020 and your supervisors will be in touch with you directly to address your work schedule as we continue to move along through this situation. Academic Hybrid Plan Specifics (we will update this information weekly/bi-weekly) March 30th - 31st

● State Waiver Days - no online learning requirements

● March 31st - hard copy packets available to pick up starting at noon until the close of business day Friday (if you do not have a reliable internet connection)

   ○ If you do not have internet access at home and parents would like to have learning packets emailed to them to print at a different location, please contact the school office

● eLearning assignments must be posted Tuesday evening by 5 p.m.

April 1st, 2nd, and 3rd

● eLearning days

● eLearning assignments must be posted Tuesday evening by 5 p.m.

PLEASE NOTE: Per State mandate and Indiana law, eLearning is our current and only educational delivery method at this time. We are fortunate at MCS that we have been doing eLearning for a number of years. It is imperative that students do the assigned work and turn it in on time. This is the only way the schools have to verify “attendance” and the only way grades can be assigned. For now, this is the only way for students to earn credits in their high school classes and for other students to be able to move forward. IF YOU ARE HAVING ISSUES WITH THE TECHNOLOGY OR ASSIGNMENTS, PLEASE CONTACT YOUR TEACHER. We can help get you through these issues.

One last thing: as parents, you are acting as a facilitator...provide a time and a place for your children to sit down and work. The teachers have developed the lessons...support that work by setting expectations of when and where your students are to do the work. If they have questions, the teachers have ways to help...simply reach out to them.

Please visit our website link to COVID-19 resources and materials.

Curb-side Technology Support in case the family pet harmed your device

**A student can go to any location for assistance.

● Rykers’ Ridge Elementary - April 6 and April 20 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

● Deputy Elementary - April 7 and April 21 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

● MJHS - April 8 and April 22 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Please contact us at technologysupport@madison.k12.in.us for ongoing-tech support or questions as they may arise. Our Tech Team Gurus are available and monitor email and help tickets. Students use your Google login credentials to submit help tickets.

Meal Pick Up Service - see NEW Reservation Form Link and info below Beginning March 30, we will add a hot meal to our pick up service. We are committed to having breakfast and lunch meals available at no cost to the student during the closure period.

Schedule for meal pick up is:

Monday, March 30 (2 meals)

● breakfast and hot lunch for Monday and breakfast and cold lunch for Tuesday Wednesday, April 1 (3 meals)

● breakfast and hot lunch for Wednesday, breakfast and cold lunch for Thursday, and breakfast and cold lunch for Friday

In order to reserve a meal for your student, we ask that you make a reservation in one of two ways:

1) complete the NEW Google Reservation Form ONE TIME/per student or 2) call the Main Office of your child’s school. This helps us prepare the food with accurate estimations and keep it fresh based on your pick-up time selected.

We will be sending the reservation form to families each week in order to stay on top of needs and ensure the best quality possible.

**PLEASE NOTE** If you had previously signed up, we are asking you to do so again so we can better staff kitchens for food prep and pick up. The difference is we are asking you to tell us what time you will be picking up -morning or afternoon.

If you call, please provide:

1. First and Last name of the student (one reservation for each student, please)

2. The email address you check or phone number (if no email)

3. School that student will be picking up from

4. Date and time you will pick up meals **Please, if you reserve a meal, make arrangements for pick up so we are not wasting food.

The meals may be picked up on Monday and Wednesday from 10:00 A.M. - 12:00 P.M. and 4 - 6 p.m. at the front entrance of the school.

The Backpack Buddies Program participants can pick up their bags on the regularly scheduled day and time.

Bus WiFi Locations

Beginning Monday, March 30, we will be providing mobile wifi via our buses in select locations. Our goal is to target highly concentrated areas of students or remote locations where access to reliable internet service may be limited.

Locations we are considering include the areas of Deputy, Dupont, downtown Madison, eastern and western points in the county, as well as, hilltop locations. We will keep you posted on this as it develops.

While the ranges vary according to landscape and terrain, we have successfully accessed between 800 - 1,000 feet from a parked location. This remote service will work only with school-issued, student devices, and student login information. This is not a public access point, but a way for students to access their assignments and work within the security parameters established for student use.

Cancellations - please visit the link on our website for up to date information We are working to keep this page up to date with information and links as they are available to us. Again, please understand there are school-related events that have not been determined. Other events are dependent upon outside sources and we are waiting on information from them to determine the next steps. We will update this page as often as possible.

Athletics

● All spring season practices and games will be suspended until we return

● Absolutely no student-athlete (current or former) presence at our school or on our facilities

● The official number of required practices for athletes must be met upon our return and prior to a game/event

    ○ The IHSAA has changed rules and now only require 5 practices for all sports once we return prior to the first event

● There will be no feeder teams/players allowed in our facilities during this time

● All off-season Conditioning will be suspended until we return Thank you for your patience as we continue to work through this unprecedented situation in the next several weeks