Dear Parents,

Congratulations! Everyone’s efforts, along with the Lord’s provision, have helped us to arrive at our Labor Day break healthy and well. Below, you will find important information regarding school procedures, upcoming events, 7 - 12 Chapel/Student Engagements, and testing, as well as our Chromebook Security Parental App.

Enjoy your extended holiday weekend.

Blessings!

John Essig: Superintendent
Dan Moore: Building Principal

Upcoming: Important Calendar Items

Reminder: Students will not be in school on Monday (Labor Day) or Tuesday (Professional Development). We will look forward to your return on Wednesday, September 9th.

REMOTE LEARNING “PRACTICE DAY” OCTOBER 2, 2020:

In an effort to prepare for the possibility of an all school “Remote Learning Day”, we are going to hold a Remote Learning Practice Day on Friday, October 2. On this day, all students will stay at home and participate in classes remotely. According to our student handbooks, “Remote Learning Day” may be used as needed and are detailed in “Emergency Closing of the School”. Additional details will be released in the coming weeks; however we wanted to share this with you so that you can plan accordingly (i.e., schedule a day off or arrange for an adult to be in the home, etc.)

SCHEDULE FOR IN-CLASS AND REMOTE LEARNERS NEXT WEEK (9/9 THROUGH 9/11)

Wednesday - Normal Schedule
Thursday - Chapel Schedule
Friday - Assembly Schedule

• Elementary Remote Learners - Your child’s teacher will communicate any time changes

• JH/HS Remote Learners - Please see your class schedule for period times on Chapel and Assembly days (I have also included the times below)

SAVE THE DATE: FALL MAP TESTING

In a few weeks, students in grades K - 10 will be taking the Measure of Academic Progress (MAP) assessment. These assessments measure students’ instructional levels and academic growth in the areas of Mathematics, Reading and Language Usage (grades 2 - 10). The data from these assessments helps our teachers ensure they are meeting students’ academic needs.

Remote learners will also be able to take part in MAP assessments remotely. Grades K - 2 will test in one-on-one sessions, while grades 3 - 10 will test in small groups. More details will be provided next week.

Elementary Testing Schedule (In-Class Learners):

Tuesday, September 15 - Reading
Wednesday, September 16 - Mathematics
Thursday, September 18 - Language Usages (grades 2 - 6)

JH/HS Testing Schedule (in-Class Learners and Remote Learners):

Monday, September 21 - Reading
Tuesday, September 22 - Mathematics
Friday, September 25th - Language Usage

How can you help your student on test days?

• Pray with your student!

• Make sure your student gets a good night’s sleep and eats a healthy breakfast

• Make sure your student arrives at school or logs in on time

• Remind your student that his/her best is good enough!

Chapel for Grades 7 - 12

Chapel will look very different from years past. COVID-19 created an opportunity for us to grow student engagement and leadership through small groups. We will switch it up with Student Engagements and Special Chapels. There are also guys and gals remote learner small groups. It will be a bit of an adventure as find our best practices and routines. Pray for all involved. Thanks.

Here’s a brief overview of how the typical Chapel time will work:

• Students will go to their assigned rooms (masked and socially distanced)

• Leaders will log into the Lion’s Roar Blog (https://www.ecaoh.com/lions-roar)

• The group will view a blog video from www.axis.org or a recorded message

• Leaders will follow the discussion questions

• Group members will engage the content, share prayer requests and pray together

• Leaders will post takeaways, thoughts, and questions as a comment on the blog

Student Engagements for Grades 7 - 12

We scheduled four “student engagements” for the year. We will briefly kick them off (socially distanced) in the Gym and then break into Small Groups. Our first one will be led by Think Tank with a focus on poverty. We purpose to engage our students with relevant content and to set parents up for meaningful conversations over the weekend. A Parent Guide will be emailed in advance of the engagement. Please make the most of the opportunities!

Thursday, September 10 from 9:32AM - 10:17AM

• Focus: As a Christian, why should I care about poverty? What is poverty and what does it feel like?

Friday, September 11 from 2:15PM - 3:10PM

• Focus: Everyone has a story. How is Christ writing my story and what does He call me to do about poverty?

Faculty and Staff Devotions - Join us!

This year, we will be using Joe Thorn’s book “Note to Self” as our guide for our Staff and Faculty Devotions. Given the morning arrival rigors, we have chose to use the Lion’s Roar Blog at https://www.ecaoh.com/lions-roar. This is a new opportunity for you to join us. New posts will appear at approximately 6:00AM on most Tuesdays. Feel read to read, view and to post encouraging comments.

Chromebook Safety

Last Friday we informed you that we are using a software security application called Securly to protect Chromebooks both on and off campus.

• Today, you will receive an email from Security which provides an opportunity to set up the Securly phone application.

• We encourage you to use the app to monitor your child’s activity. Securly filters inappropriate content, flags for alarming activity and tracks all device activity.

Even though Securly is deployed, nothing is perfect. We encourage you to review web history, installed applications, social media, email, etc. on the Chromebooks. Please let us know if you ever suspect issues or find appropriate activity on a Chromebook. And on that note, we encourage the same review for all your student’s personal devices as well. Parental involvement is relevant conversations are key to responsible internet use.

Chromebooks and 1:1 Technology are new for everyone at Emmanuel this year. Let us know how it has been going for you and your family. We value your feedback!

Chromebook Support

Where do I find Chromebook support and policy information?

• Refer to the card that came with the Chromebook for the basics

• Refer to the Student Handbook for guiding policies on acceptable use and other Chromebook expectations

• Go to www.ecaoh.com/it-support located under the Resources tab to see the following:

  • Support Options and links

  • Basic FAQs

  • Chromebook FAQ PDF link

  • Student Handbook PDF link

Remote Learning Support

Elementary remote learners and parents may contact our Remote Learning Specialist, Rebecca Jeanneret at rjeanneret@ecaoh.com during each school day for help with assignments. Rebecca will also be helping us during testing days for remote students.

Return to School Safely Plan

The Clark County Health Department continues to review initiatives at the county and state level to determine best practices. We will continue to make building adjustments and practices that follow local, state and federal guidelines.

(Reminder) Arriving to School

• Please remember to “pre-screen” at home

  • Those with a fever or symptoms must stay home: fever, chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headaches, loss of taste or smell, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting and diarrhea

• If you are arriving in the car drop off line, have your student remain in your car until after the temperature scan and symptom assessment

• Anyone who has a fever greater than 100 degrees will not be permitted to enter the building. We will re-attempt up to four times over the course of several minutes.