• DISTANCE LEARNING SUPPORTS 
    As a district, we know that students are experiencing high levels of stress and anxiety due to changing academic, extra curricular, and social schedules. While some students are thriving with this way of learning, many students are not as engaged or finding success in the virtual classroom. 

    There are many reasons why students may be struggling during distance learning: life circumstances, dealing with stress or trauma, content isn’t accessible, need more structure and support, etc. Regardless of why a student may be struggling, prioritizing social and emotional learning is a crucial component of the district’s distance learning plan. 

    Advisory and Morning Meeting:
    Advisory class sessions at the middle and high schools and morning meeting at the elementary school will serve as the foundation for social and emotional learning. During this time, students will be able to connect with both teachers and students to continue building relationships and feeling connected to the learning environment. 

    Synchronous Course Offerings:
    The scheduled class offerings serve as the first point of contact for many of our students. Teachers are the primary connection with students enabling them to notice any changes in behavior or engagement, including not showing up for synchronous sessions. 

    • Attendance will also be taken at all synchronous class sessions to use as a data point for both academic accountability and emotional wellness. 

    Social and Emotional Protocols:
    Each building has specific protocols in place to ensure no students are slipping through the cracks in the virtual classroom. If students are showing consistent problems such as attendance issues at synchronous sessions, lack of engagement in live sessions, failure to submit work, etc., teachers have direct contact points in each building to discuss student concerns. 

    • Elementary School:
      • All Grades - Sarah Miller
      • All Grades - Molly Nefstead
    • Middle School:
      • 5th Grade - Jamie Burr
      • 6th Grade - Gina Goehring Anderson
      • 7th Grade - Rachel Rydberg
      • 8th Grade - Lisa Ruehling
    • High School:
      • 9th Grade - Mr. Gustafson
      • 10th Grade - Mr. Vizenor
      • 11th/12th Grade - Mrs. Kusske and Mrs. Whiteside 

    Beyond teachers making direct contact with students, these next-level contact points will also reach out to students and families to make sure the students are safe and feeling supported.

    Mental Health Staff:
    Counselors, social workers, and psychologists will meet virtually and on-site with students to ensure access and progress toward academic standards. Beyond academics, the mental health staff will also create content for students based on the Social and Emotional Learning Framework to use during advisory and morning meetings. Students will also have individual access to mental health staff to meet virtually and on-site focusing on mental health and wellness needs as well.