Update Center
Coronavirus (COVID-19) information
Superintendent
Superintendent's Messages & News
June 5, 2020
I hope all of you are having a great start to your summer! I have a few updates to share with you.
Governor DeWine met with Lorain County’s Superintendents and shared some information for the upcoming school year. He stated that if we start the school year, in either a blended or traditional setting, we should be prepared at any time to shift to full remote learning. He also shared that the state may not provide complete guidance or may provide guidance as late as mid-August. We will be in communication with staff and families to ensure we make the best decisions for our District with safety as our #1 priority.
Additionally, we would like to thank everyone who completed our parent survey regarding online instruction during the school’s closure. We received feedback from 618 parents and guardians. This feedback is invaluable as we determine both our strengths and weaknesses in terms of online learning. The feedback we received is summarized in the document below. If you feel you have any additional feedback , please contact me via email at Daniel.white@keystoneschools.org or at 440-355-2424.Thank you so much for working together with our staff and administrators as we navigated and adjusted to remote learning during the closure.
Have a wonderful summer Keystone!
May 19, 2020
Tomorrow is our last day for Grab-N-Go meals. We have plenty of food to distribute so if you signed up please come tomorrow between 10:00-12:00 or 5:00-6:30. After tomorrow, we will post to our Grab-N-Go webpage where you can go to get food this summer.
Our Class of 2020 Senior Parade is this Friday, May 22 at 6:00pm. We hope you can join us in celebrating our seniors as they parade through the village Friday night. For information on this event please visit our website and click on Senior Parade under the News section.
Thank you to everyone that filled out our parent survey. We had 610 responses. Our administrative team is working through this feedback and will be sharing the results in the next few weeks.
As a reminder, our Elementary PTA is collecting nonperishable food items and toiletries to donate to the Lions Club of LaGrange to help our families in need. The box is in the vestibule of our Board of Education Office where you can drop items off Monday through Friday 7:00am - 3:00pm until May 29th.
As we close out this last quarter, thank you for your partnership and all you have done to help your children keep engaged in their learning and helping us all be successful.
Update May 12, 2020
As a reminder, this is the last week students will be receiving any new assignments. Next week, which is the last week of school, students will be turning in the remaining assignments from this quarter. We are providing extension and enrichment activities via our Academic Resources link on our Update Center of our website. The last day of school is May 21st.
Starting next week many of you will be coming to pick up your child's belongings and drop off books. You will get directions from your child’s building principal as each building is a little different in how they are managing this due to building set up and different needs. Please understand, this is not a time to come say goodbye to teachers. Most teachers will not be in the building. We will be social distancing and only allow 10 people in the building at a time. We do request that you wear a face mask if you have one for everyone’s safety. Face masks will not be provided.
We are allowing everyone that took a Chromebook to keep it during the summer for any online learning activities for your student. Please plan to return the Chromebook when we return to school.
Last week the state announced a $300 million budget cut to K12 public schools. Keystone will be losing $313,000 this year. We are working to review budgets and projects to determine essential projects and any that can wait as we prepare for this budget cut.
We do have a survey on our website regarding your child’s educational experience during this time of remote learning. We will use this to help us prepare for next year in case we are in the same situation. We would appreciate it if you will take the time to complete this survey and help us know your perspective of how the quarter went for your family. The deadline for the survey is May 18.
Our Elementary PTA is collecting nonperishable food items and toiletries to donate to the Lions Club of LaGrange to help our families in need. The box is in the vestibule of our Board of Education Office where you can drop items off Monday through Friday 7:00am - 3:00pm until May 29th.
Lastly, thank you for your collaboration and willingness to work with us to help all of our students succeed.
Update May 8, 2020
Parents and guardians,
Please fill out a short survey about your child’s educational experience during the COVID-19 shut down. The education of our children is a partnership and your feedback will help us identify our areas of strength and areas in need of improvement. If you could complete this survey by Monday, May 18, we would greatly appreciate it. Access the survey @ https://tinyurl.com/klsdparentsurvey.
Update April 30, 2020
I would like to first thank you for your unwavering support, understanding, and patience as we all work together to find our way through this unparalleled situation.
With the announcement that schools will be closed for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year, we solidified a plan to allow students to gather their personal belongings and return materials. We will NOT be collecting ChromeBooks yet as we want your student to continue to use it for learning activities over the summer. We will collect Chromebooks when we return to school next school year.
Each school building has developed a system for a student and/or parent to pick up the students' belongings. We will be practicing social distancing and following State mandates during pick-up. Please see the News section of our website for designated times, days, and pick up procedures. If you are unable to pick up belongings during the time and date your student is assigned to, please call Therese Jackson at 440-355-2411.
The last week of school, May 18-21, will be a time for students to turn in assessments or any missing work, teachers will be using this time to address student and parent questions and collect remaining assignments. Thus, your student will not receive any new assignments during the last week of school. We will provide students enrichment and extension learning opportunities via our Academic Resources on our website.
That last week teachers will be working together talking amongst grade levels to discuss standards, concepts, and skills that may need to be reviewed or covered again next school year.
As always, if you have questions or concerns feel free to either email or call me.
Stay healthy Keystone and have a good evening!
Update April 21, 2020
Thank you for the time you have been spending with your children on their classwork. Thank you for your patience and your feedback as we all adjust to this “new normal.” As the Governor announced yesterday, we will be closed for the remainder of this school year.
With the variety of factors affecting families, such as working from home, being a part of the essential workforce, or facing financial hardships due to this health crisis, we know that adding remote learning onto already overfilled plates can seem like an impossible task.
With these factors in mind, and after collaborating as a staff, soliciting feedback from parents, and working with other school districts, we have solidified our grading and assessment policies for the remainder of this school year. As always, our top priority is the safety, physical well-being, and mental health of our students and all those in our Keystone family.
We are presenting this information in a question and answer format. Please feel free to ask questions of your child’s building administrator, our district curriculum director or me as we tread through this unprecedented time together.
How will my child’s fourth quarter grade be calculated?
For the fourth quarter, traditional grades will not be given. Instead, by providing feedback on Powerschool and/or Google Classroom, students and parents will know if the student is mastering the standard, on track to understanding the standard, or not providing evidence of understanding the standard. What is done/not done during the fourth quarter will not affect a student’s GPA.
Where do I find the feedback from my child’s teacher?
Students and parents can view the feedback given by the teacher in either Powerschool, within Google Classroom, or both. Videos were posted on the district website and social media pages with instructions on accessing feedback.
Will students in high school courses still have final exams?
No. We have determined this would not be a fair and equitable measure of student learning.
How will the second semester overall grade be calculated for our students?
Semester two grades will be based on the students’ third quarter grades. Final exams will not be given. Please see the example below.
| Quarter 3 | Quarter 4 | Final Exam | SEM 2 Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| B+ | Feedback Only | N/A | B+ |
If my child was failing the third quarter, do they have an opportunity to pass this grading period?
Students are responsible to work with their teacher, guidance counselor, and building administration to come up with a plan to improve their grade from the third quarter. These plans must be developed by May 1st, and all third quarter work within the plan needs completed by May 15th.
How will sports eligibility at KMS/KHS be determined?
Any student that failed a course in the third quarter will have individual learning plans to give the student a chance to pass the course(s). Sports eligibility requires passing five full-year or semester courses.
Should I keep track if my child is turning in work?
Yes, this will help you know if your child is engaged in/attending online learning. The Governor has given very clear guidance that it is a schools responsibility to be sure students are doing their online learning and if they are not we are to reach out to them and their families. If, after multiple attempts, students still are still not engaged in their online learning, we are to work with our local truancy officer to be sure the students are well and to find out why they are not engaged.
Will my senior have a graduation ceremony?
We will celebrate our seniors over the next few months. Due to guidance from the Governor, at this time, we are unsure if a traditional ceremony will be able to take place; however, we are actively monitoring the situation and will keep you updated as decisions are made.
When will my child be able to come into the building to get their personal belongings?
Since yesterday’s announcement concerning our closure for the conclusion of this school year, the administrative team has been developing a plan for parents and students to enter the building to pick up their belongings. Please know, in creating this plan, student and parent safety will be our top priority. Once a plan is solidified, it will be announced to the public.
Update April 9, 2020
This week our teachers started contacting students that they have not received work from or heard from. We are doing this in case a student thinks they’ve turned in something but the completed work didn’t get to the teacher, then we can address the issue and get it fixed. Once a teacher reaches out to a student/family a few times but does not hear back from the student or family then our principals will follow up with that student and family. If the principal does not hear from the student or family, we will then turn them over to our truancy officer.
As a reminder, because of Easter weekend we have no school tomorrow or Monday. So there is no remote learning tomorrow or Monday. The Grab-N-Go meal service next week will be Tuesday, April 14th, and Thursday, April 16th.
If you have any questions, please visit our “Update Center” on our website that has a lot of resources for you.
Update April 2, 2020
Before I start my update, I want to thank all of our Keystone family for the help you are providing to each other. We have staff distributing food, chromebooks, and packets. I’ve heard stories of parents working full time jobs while spending a lot of time helping their children get started with online classes. I’ve heard about Keystone staff and parents helping other parents and staff with technology issues or helping each other find answers to questions they have. We are all working together, which is what we need, to get through this pandemic. Thank you!
Now to the updates. In the next two weeks we have Good Friday and the Monday after Easter off. Because of this there will be no remote learning nor any other activities on those two days.
The week of Good Friday, next week, Monday April 6th to April 10th, we will do Packet Drop-off and Pick-up on Monday at the KES office. Grab and Go meals will be Monday, April 6th, and Thursday, April 9th. Even though we are off Good Friday you will still get 5 breakfasts and 5 lunches with milks per Keystone Student.
The week after Easter, Monday April 13th to the 17th, we will be off on Monday and there will be no remote learning nor any other activities that day. Packet Drop-off and Pick-up will move to Tuesday, April 14th. Grab and Go Meals will also move to Tuesday, April 14th. You can also come on Thursday, April 16th. You will again get 5 breakfasts and 5 lunches with milk for each Keystone student even though there is no school on Monday.
All Grab and Go Meals and Packet Drop-off and Pick-up will be from 10:00am to 12:00pm there scheduled day.
If you are participating in the Grab and Go Meals, please sign up on our website so that we know how much food to order.
Today, many of you picked up Chromebooks to take home to your students. If you have any technology problems or questions, please contact Phil Lombardo for assistance. You can find his contact information, along with the contact information of others that can assist you, by going to our website and clicking on the Update Center and then click on “Important Contacts” to get phone numbers and emails of people that can help you.
Please keep the lines of communication open and contact us or me if there is anything we can do to help you. Enjoy the sunshine, stay safe and be well Keystone.
Update March 31, 2020
Good evening Keystone Family, this is superintendent Dan White calling with updates for you. Today was our first day with classroom remote learning. We hope everyone had a positive experience and a lot of success today. If you need assistance please visit our Update Center on our website, it has contact information to guide you.
We have distributed Google Chromebooks to students but have more we can provide. If you would like a Chromebook, please email or call Therese Jackson and let her know how many you need. Plan to come to the Keystone Elementary Office this Thursday, April 2, between 10:00am-12:00pm to pick up the Chromebooks.
For those of you that are completing packets. Please drop-off your completed packet on Monday, April 6th and pick up your new one on the same day. You will drop off and pick up your packets at the Keystone Elementary Office. This will occur between 10:00-12:00pm every Monday until we open again. If you have an extenuating circumstance and can’t make it, please contact Mrs. Therese Jackson at 440-355-2411.
Lastly, Governor DeWine announced today that schools will be shut down through May 1st. So we will be closed through May 1st.
Thank you, and as always keep the lines of communication open. Don’t hesitate to contact me if you have a question or concern. Have a great week everyone!
Update March 26, 2020
If you or your child has any questions regarding coursework, you can use Google Classroom to ask those questions, or you can email or call the teacher. Our teacher’s email addresses are on our building website under the staff directory.
If you need technology support, you can contact Mr. Phil Lombardo using his contact information posted under Tech Support in our Update Center.
If these options do not work, you can contact me, and I will get you in touch with the right person.
Having said that, I have been getting emails with questions, so we will be posting to our website a Frequently Asked Questions page as a resource.
We want to keep the lines of communication open. If you have challenges or problems you need help to solve, please call or email us for assistance. We are in this together, and together, we will get through this.
Update March 23, 2020
For this week, March 23-27, we are providing online extension and enrichment activities on our website. The Keystone Enrichment Websites cover grades K-5, 6-8, 9-12 and include five vetted activities per week. We will be updating the site on a rolling basis and will provide students with educational games, podcasts, reading material, opportunities to explore, learn, see and write. Please join us for our weekly updates! - You can access these extensions by visiting our Update Center on our website and clicking on Academic Resources, they are posted under Media Services.
Starting next week, March 30, our teachers will be starting their instruction via Google Classroom. If students forget their classroom codes, we will have them posted in our Update Center for you to access.
For students and guardians that completed our survey regarding the lack of internet or a device, we will be contacting you in the next couple of days regarding a specific learning plan for your child/children.
Third Quarter Grades will be posted in Powerschool. We will not be mailing home grade cards.
It is amazing to think how far we have come in combating the COVID-19 virus as a state and country in the past 10 days since we left for spring break. If you have problems or a situation in which you need assistance, please visit our Update Center. We have posted numerous links containing information on getting food, help with mental health services, and “How To” guides. As we work together to combat COVID-19, please don’t hesitate to contact us if you need help with anything. Thank you and have a good night!
Athletics Update
All sports practices and games are canceled until tentatively April 6th. This coincides with the Governor's directive.
No one is permitted at this time to use ANY Keystone facilities, including the gyms, weight room, etc.
We will provide additional information as we continue to receive information from the State and Federal Government.
We will continue to work closely with the Lorain County Public Health Department in regards to the Coronavirus. For any questions you have regarding the Coronavirus or any other sickness, you can visit their website at www.loraincountyhealth.com.
Thank you for your patience as we monitor this fluid, unprecedented, and rapidly evolving situation.
Additional resources
Provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions:
This site provides information using PDF, visit this link to download the Adobe Acrobat Reader DC software.