By Tracy Thayer at the Bandera Bulletin, August 28, 2020
The Bandera Independent School District began what it expects will be another successful school year on Aug. 17, with an enrollment of 2,221, down by 49 students from the prior school year, district officials said.
Remote learners consisted of 27.7 percent of the enrolled students, or 615 students across the district, data showed.
Remote learning was offered as an option for parents and students this year due to concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic. Students also have been allowed to attend classes in person, with special safety precautions to fight the spread of the deadly virus.
Remote learners are required to log on daily to reference assignments and get instruction. Elementary students will access class information through the online program Seesaw, while secondary students will use Google Classroom.
Students will be considered present if they attend live online lessons with their teacher, complete assignments or projects on a daily basis or have other contact with their teacher.
Some teachers at the district’s elementary schools have implemented live morning meetings with all students in their classroom and online.
“I am amazed at the way our students have adapted to the learning environment, and I am awed at the dedication, flexibility and creativity of our teachers in engaging the students in front of them and the students at home at the same time.
“COVID-19 may have changed what school looks like, but Bulldog teachers and learners are still passionately pursuing learning with integrity and pride,” said BISD Director of Learning Suzy Groff.
Groff also noted that the younger students seemed to be more comfortable with the online method of instruction. Remote learners at elementary can expect to engage in 180 minutes of activities or instruction daily.
Secondary remote learners can expect to engage in 240 minutes of learning activities daily. At the secondary level, some teachers are keeping “office hours” to be available to help all their students.
For families having difficulty logging into the remote learning sites, go to the Bandera ISD Back to School Tab on its website, www.banderaisd.net.
Under the link to Remote Instruction FAQ’s are links to assist with access to Seesaw, and Google Classroom.
For assistance with Chromebook technical issues, contact Director of Technology David Brown at 830-460-3890.
Parents can communicate with teachers through Seesaw, Google Classroom, the Ascender Parent Portal and personal contact through phone, email or other platforms. Parents, students and teachers are expected to maintain close communication this year.
In order to maintain a consistent classroom environment, if a parent wants to move a student from remote instruction to on-campus or from on-campus to remote instruction, he/she will have to wait until the end of a six-week grading period.
A form to be submitted to the principal by the fourth week in the six weeks will begin the process. Forms can be found online at the BISD web site under the Back to School tab.
To change after the first six weeks, parents must contact the principal by Sept. 11, 2020.
For more information about remote learning at your student’s campus contact the principal at Alkek Elementary at 830-460-3900; at Hill Country Elementary at 830-460-3901; at Bandera Middle School 830-460-3899; and at Bandera High School at 830-460-3898.
See the original article: https://www.banderabulletin.com/article/news/remote-learning-chosen-277-bisd
