Mahomet-Seymour to begin remote learning Thursday

Mahomet-Seymour students will begin remote learning on Thursday.

Gov. JB Pritzker announced Tuesday that the Illinois stay-at-home order would be extended to April 30. 

Pritzker added that “Act of God” and remote learning days will not have to be made up at the end of the 2019-2020 school year. 

Mahomet-Seymour, alongside other school districts throughout the state, had been gearing up for the transition from “Act of God” days, which ended on March 31 in Illinois, to remote learning days that were expected to begin shortly thereafter.

The Illinois State Board of Education released remote learning recommendations late in the evening on March 27. According to the ISBE plans, Schools may use up to five remote learning planning days at any time after Monday to work on remote learning. Mahomet-Seymour used Tuesday and Wednesday.

In a letter to parents Tuesday night, Superintendent Lindsey Hall said that learning will continue for Mahomet-Seymour students, just in a different format.

“We want to assure you our teachers and staff are ready and willing to take on this new challenge and push forward with remote learning, engaging with students and continuing with our food distribution program,” Hall wrote. 

Mahomet-Seymour students with access to a school-issued Chromebook or device at home will be able to engage with their class via Google Classroom. The district will also place two buses, equipped as “hot spots” in Mahomet so that students can access materials. 

“Only the school’s Chromebooks can connect to these hotspots, and they do so automatically,” Hall said. 

Hall also notified parents that they could park outside of Mahomet-Seymour Schools or the Mahomet Public Library to get internet access for their child.  

Students who need paper copies of assignments can call or email the building principal.

Per ISBE guidelines, attendance is not taken on remote learning days, but Mahomet-Seymour teachers will be reaching out to students to see if they need help with learning activities. Teachers will also be available during set times for students and parents to ask questions. 

During remote learning, students will be provided with content that would have been covered while school was in session. 

Hall told parents that “the number of learning targets and the amount of content will need to be greatly reduced,” though.

“Weekly learning targets will be communicated to students and families by 9:oo am of the first learning day of the week,” she wrote.

“The focus will be on student progress and learning, not assignment completion and due dates. Teachers are developing a plan that takes into account different levels of connectivity and different levels of support. Students with limited resources will not be penalized. Students with IEPs and 504 plans will be provided their accommodations, as appropriate.”

ISBE recommendations state that in order to do “no educational harm to any child” schools school adopt a pass/incomplete grading model instead of issuing traditional grades. 

“In place of an “F,” for example, the recommendation is for an “incomplete” that can be made up when the remote learning period ends,” ISBE suggests.

Hall told parents that additional information regarding grades will be distributed on April 1.

“At some point, our buildings will open back up, we will personally welcome students back to our classrooms, and learning will pick up and continue in our classrooms where remote learning has left off,” Hall wrote. “Remote learning presents a different type of way to learn and engage–things will be different during remote learning than the “regular’ classroom experience. Grades are different, interactions are different, assignments are different, expectations are different.  However, learning continues.”