Mount Horeb Area School District - Virtual Learning

Virtual Learning for Families

Virtual Learning During the Mandatory School Closure Due to COVID-19 Will Begin on April 6, 2020

The prevalence of technology has allowed school districts like the Mount Horeb Area School District to engage students and teachers outside of the school day and place through virtual learning. While nothing can replace the face-to-face guidance, support, and instruction of a teacher, virtual learning provides students access to the educational instruction, resources, and feedback required to students advance to the next grade level or course.

Getting students and families used to a virtual learning platform and environment may take some time. Staff and administrators are aware of this and will support families during this process. Keeping students engaged in their learning each weekday will be a team effort as our expectations for students to meet their learning outcomes remain unchanged.

Expand each section title to learn more about the virtual learning expectations and efforts within the Mount Horeb Area School District.

Learning Schedule and Space

Student Learning Expectations

Our Virtual Learning Approach

As teachers develop weekly lessons, we have asked them to balance three considerations: (1) amount of time students are engaged in “screen time”, (2) age-level appropriateness of tasks, and (3) potential device needs of other members of the family. Below are the expectations for which students of the Mount Horeb Area School District will be engaged in student learning activities.

Grades	Screen Time Learning	Total Learning Time
4K-2	1	2
3-5	1-2	2-3
6-8	2	3
9-12	3	4

As referenced in the above table, this does not mean that students will be on technology for the entire amount of time they are engaged in learning. Total learning time activities can range from viewing teacher lesson videos, completing math problems, reading independently or with a parent/sibling, practicing a musical instrument, completing an art project, practicing an athletic skill, and/or engaging in online supplementary practice.

A sample lesson progression could include a 10-15 minute flipped video lesson/video, 15 minutes for individual practice, and a formative assessment or exit ticket to show the student learning.

Elementary Approach

Students in grades 4K -5 will receive weekly lesson plans via Google Slides. Please click on your student's grade level to access the grade-level weekly lessons:

Grade 4K Grade K Grade 1 Grade 2 Grade 3 Grade 4 Grade 5

For students participating in elementary math and/or reading intervention support, please utilize this link to access the intervention resources. The link will be populated as interventionists update their lessons and support materials.

Middle School & High School Approach

Students in grades 6-12 will utilize Google Classroom for the majority of their classes. Teachers have been asked to develop weekly lessons for students to work on when devices are available in the home. Teachers will be assessing student work, providing feedback, and collecting student data on a regular basis. Families may utilize this quick start guide (video version) to gain a better understanding of Google Classroom.

For students enrolled in AP Classes, please see this most recent communication. Students should work with their AP teachers regarding this communication to prepare for testing.

Information for Students with an IEP

The District will be providing educational services through virtual instruction to students beginning the week of April 6th. In compliance with guidance from the United States Department of Education (DOE) and the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI), the District is providing all students, to the greatest extent possible, special education and related services identified in his/her IEP developed under the Individuals Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). As DOE and DPI have recognized, however, the District may not be able to provide some services through virtual instruction. When that occurs, the District will reconvene the IEP team once school resumes and determine whether additional services are necessary.

During the period of school closure, the District will continue to explore additional options for virtual learning and will work with families to identify additional services or educational resources that may be provided. Beginning the week of March 30, staff will be reaching out to collaborate and identify a plan moving forward.

Family Communication

Continued, daily communication is essential for a successful virtual learning environment. Students should check their school email accounts daily for any potential messages from their teacher(s). Upper elementary age students may need help checking their accounts for messages.

Please know that student email addresses for grades 4K-8 cannot receive emails from outside of the @mhasd.k12.wi.us domain. This means that students can only receive emails from district staff and students, not from anyone external to the district such as parent personal email addresses.

Teachers are asked to also check their email accounts twice each day to ensure timely responses. Students and families should expect a response from a teacher within 24 hours. In addition, teachers have been asked to set up virtual "office hours" appointments for students and families that may have questions on specific learning activities and outcomes.

IMPORTANT: Please know that virtual office hours allow for the teacher and students/families to interact face-to-face. Therefore, all participants should pay attention to the following expectations:

For the safety of both students and teachers, videoconferencing should be used sparingly for one-on-one communication between students and teachers.
The teacher must always be the last person to hang up so that students do not participate unattended.
Participants should be aware of the room being used for the call and what is in the background of the video image. There should not be anything hanging up or in the background with inappropriate language or pictures, or representing any product such as alcohol or drugs.
Participants should be mindful of the language used in the video and make sure nothing inappropriate is said, either by the student or someone who may come onto the video. All users--students, family members, and teachers--should inform their households when they are on a live video call.
If unexpected or inappropriate behavior occurs by a student, the call will be ended and the student will be reported to the appropriate building administrator.

How to Access Virtual Office Hours for Grades 4K-8

Elementary office hours can be found within each grade level's weekly lessons: Grade 4K, Grade K, Grade 1, Grade 2, Grade 3, Grade 4, and Grade 5.

Middle School teacher office hours can be found here (subject to change each week).

See below for instructions on how to access these virtual office hours:

Teachers of grades K-2 will be creating Google Meet links on the calendar a few minutes prior to the meeting. Simply click on the link to join. If you do not have a camera on your device, you can also call in via the Google Meet call-in number.
Teachers of grades 3-8 will be creating Google Meet nicknames on the calendar. Directions on how to access teachers of these grade levels with a Google Meet nickname, click here.

To learn more about how Google Meet works, click here.

How to Access Virtual Office Hours for Grades 9-12

High School teacher office hours can be found here (subject to change each week). Please view this tutorial on how to access high school office hour meeting links.

District Updates to COVID-19

Virtual Learning - Families